In FY 2022, U.S. military active-duty end strength will decline slightly, from 1,351,000 in FY 2021 to 1,346,400. However, force structure will face the same challenges as last year as the need to meet heavy day-to-day deployment demands for crisis response, allied engagement, gray zone competition, and ongoing regional conflicts pull force structure in different directions.

SOURCE: "U.S. Military Forces in FY 2022: Peering into the Abyss—The Budget and Strategy Overview" by CSIS's Mark Cancian.

In the twenty-first century, China has dramatically expanded its long-standing economic ties with countries in sub-Saharan Africa through infrastructure investment and increased trade. The most significant example of these efforts is the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), with 21 percent of all money going into sub-Saharan Africa since 2013.

SOURCE: "China and SMEs in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Window of Opportunity for the United States" by CSIS's Dan Runde, Conor Savoy, and Janina Staguhn.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas but remains in the atmosphere for a much shorter time than carbon dioxide and curbing methane could quickly slow the pace of global warming. Last month the United States, the European Union, and seven other countries signed a pledge to cut global methane emissions by at least 30 percent from 2020 levels by 2030. However, as Asia consumes 71 percent of global liquefied natural gas (LNG) and is the major source of incremental gas demand, any strategy on methane abatement will likely need serious engagement with Asian gas buyers.

SOURCE: "Global Efforts Required to Cut Methane Emissions" by CSIS's Ben Cahill.

Nearly one-quarter (23 percent) of the population in Cabo Verde's capital city Praia lives in informal settlements, which are structurally unsafe and disconnected from services like running water and electricity. This housing issue is exacerbated by unsustainable migration patterns driven by climate change, which presents challenges across the archipelago including drought, landslides, and rising sea levels.

SOURCE: "An Urban Test Case: Learning from Cabo Verde" by CSIS's Marielle Harris and former director of CSIS Africa Program Judd Devermont.