CDC Says Vaccinated Can Go Without Masks in Most Settings

In a sharp turnabout, federal health officials on Thursday advised that Americans who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus may stop wearing masks or maintaining social distance in most indoor and outdoor settings, regardless of size, as the NYT reports.

Ransom to Pipeline Hackers

Colonial Pipeline Co. paid a ransom to the criminal hackers who caused the company to shut down the country’s largest conduit of fuel, a payment that allowed the firm to obtain decryption tools to try to unlock its computer systems, as the WSJ reports.

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Escalates

The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians escalated Thursday night as Israeli artillery and tanks joined in a withering assault on the Gaza Strip, and the Israeli military readied at least three brigades of troops for action in that coastal enclave, raising the prospect of a ground invasion. Hamas has fired more than 200 rockets at Israel since Wednesday night, as the Washington Post reports.

Executive Education

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Video Shorts

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

In That Number

70%

Around 70% of gas stations in the state of North Carolina were without fuel, along with about half the stations in Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia, an increase from Wednesday.

Source: Reuters

Critical Quote

“We’ve got to liberalize the restrictions so people can feel like they’re getting back to some normalcy. Pulling back restrictions on indoor masks is an important step in the right direction.”

— Dr. Anthony Fauci

iDeas Lab

In sub-Saharan Africa, the devastating impact of the Covid-19 crisis has heightened the risks that adolescent girls and young women face of HIV and gender-based violence. A new video from the CSIS Global Health Policy Center highlights the urgency of stepping up for women and girls to address these challenges.

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

Optics

(Photo credit: Alex Kolomoisky/Pool/AFP via Getty Images.) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a meeting with Israeli border police in the central city of Lod, near Tel Aviv.

This Town Tomorrow

Tomorrow, at 9:00 a.m., the Atlantic Council invites General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith, chief of the General Staff of the British Army, for a conversation about how the British Army is adapting to meet evolving challenges.

Also, at 9:00 a.m., Johns Hopkins SAIS holds a webinar to discuss the future of Afghanistan following the withdrawal of U.S. forces with Ambassador Douglas E. Lute.

And, at 12:00 p.m., the Hudson Institute hosts a discussion on U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations and what talks mean for regional security.

Video

CSIS's Defense Budget Analysis at CSIS yesterday hosted a panel discussion on the forthcoming defense budget with Representative Anthony Brown; former secretary of the Army Eric Fanning; and Mackenzie Eaglen, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

On the latest episode of the Truth of the Matter, I speak with CSIS senior vice president Jon Alterman to discuss the causes of the recent conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, from ineffective governance on each side, to the end of Israeli isolationism, to undue escalation by Hamas.

Listen on Spotify, Google Play, & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

In case you were wondering what it’s like to sit around at night playing Grateful Dead classics acoustic at Bill Kreutzmann’s house in Kauai, check this clip out. First, you’ll see Bill and friends sing “Ripple,” that’s Bill Nershi of String Cheese Incident on vocals. Then a bit of banter followed by Billy Strings on vocals for “To Lay Me Down.”

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 Kendal Gee.