NK Says It Tested Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile

North Korea said on Thursday it had successfully test-fired a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from the sea to contain external threats and bolster self-defense, ahead of fresh nuclear talks with the United States, as Reuters’ Joyce Lee reports.

Dive Deeper: “North Korea Fine Tunes its Sea-Based Ballistic Missile Capabilities,” by CSIS’s Joseph Bermudez, Victor Cha, and Dana Kim.

U.S. Officials Worried About Turkish Foray Into Syria

U.S. officials are increasingly concerned that Turkey soon will mount a major incursion into northern Syria and trigger a clash with Kurdish fighters, an action that would likely prompt the Trump administration to remove all American forces from Syria to avoid the conflict, as the WSJ’s Gordon Lubold and Nancy Youssef report.

HK To Invoke Emergency Powers To Ban Masks at Protests

Hong Kong’s embattled government is to announce on Friday a ban on people wearing masks at protests through legislation under a tough colonial-era emergency law in an attempt to end the street violence during anti-government protests, as the South China Morning Post’s Tony Cheung and Kimmy Chung report.

CSIS Executive Education

Join CSIS October 15-18 for our course, Understanding Washington. Explore how formal entities and informal networks interact to impact policy decisions. Open to professionals who are new to D.C. or those seeking a better understanding of the policy ecosystem.

Video Shorts

Check out CSIS’s new series of video shorts: “Testify,” "What's Happening," "Preview," and “High Resolution.” And don’t forget to subscribe to the CSIS YouTube Channel!

In That Number

11

North Korea has tested 11 ballistic missiles in 2019, most recently launching what appears to be a submarine launched ballistic missile on Wednesday.

Source: CSIS's Beyond Parallel

Critical Quote

“Our readiness to find a fair settlement remains unchanged. But if the U.S. decides to impose WTO authorized countermeasures, it will be pushing the EU into a situation where we will have no other option than do the same.”

— EU Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström

iDeas Lab

Despite growing global investment in Africa, the United States has only chaired one regional summit with African leaders. CSIS's Africa Program explains what the United States can learn from Japan's engagement on the continent.

The Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS enhances our research with the latest in cutting-edge web technologies, design, and video.

Optics

(Photo credit: Anthony Kwan/Getty Images). Police fire tear gas at protesters in Hong Kong.

This Town Tomorrow

At 10:00 a.m., CSIS will host a panel discussion on the problem of "job mismatch" in the manufacturing sector.

And, at 9:00 a.m., The Atlantic Council will hold a public panel exploring the increasing threat of cyberattacks targeting infrastructure and the utility industry’s ability to protect grid assets with cybersecurity technologies and strategies.

Later, at 1:00 p.m., Brookings will hold an event addressing the emerging U.S.-China technology relationship and how the two countries can manage tensions while continuing to promote economic innovation.

Video

Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India's minister of external affairs, spoke on the future of India's foreign policy at CSIS. Watch his remarks here.

Podcasts

The Trade Guys and I hit the road to record in front of the Centers for International Business Education and Research directors meeting at The George Washington University. On the agenda was the USMCA amid the impeachment inquiry and the U.S.-Japan deal.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

“Are you kind?”

You are, and thank you. I received more notes from you all about “Uncle John’s Band” than any other song I’ve featured in Smiles. When the emails began pouring in, it all made sense to me: “Uncle John’s Band” is really the Grateful Dead song in many ways.

It was performed on stage a total of 330 times while Jerry Garcia was alive. Written by Garcia with lyrics by Robert Hunter, the song is at once mellow, intense, playful, meaningful, spiritual, societal, possibly political, and so much more. Every time I hear the song I’m swept into it musically and lyrically.

There are so many stanzas to think about: “When life looks like easy street, there is danger at your door,” “their motto is don’t tread on me,” and “Have you seen the light?”

Then there’s, “Come hear uncle John's band by the riverside, got some things to talk about, here beside the rising tide.” In the imagination of so many, the Dead are uncle John’s band. And, of course UJB is the ultimate singalong complete with the joke about forgetting the lyrics.

The line that moves me the most is, “He’s come to take his children home.” This performance from 1980 at Radio City Music Hall will bring a smile to your face too.

I invite you to email me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz

The Evening is my daily guide to key insights CSIS brings to the events of the day. It is composed with the External Relations team: Emma Colbran, Caleb Diamond, and Brad Honigberg.