Pfizer Vaccine Effective to Prevent Hospitalizations for 12-18 year-olds

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 93 percent effective against hospitalization with Covid-19 among 12- to 18-year-olds the CDC said Tuesday, marking the strongest evidence to date of the vaccine’s ability to keep young people out of the hospital, as the NYT reports.

Haitian Gang Demands $1 Million Ransom

An armed gang in Haiti holding members of an American Christian missionary organization hostage is seeking a ransom of $1 million per person in exchange for their release, as the Washington Post reports.

IAEA chief warns Iran nuclear surveillance is no longer “intact”

The head of the UN’s atomic watchdog has warned that stop-gap measures to monitor Iran’s nuclear activities are no longer “intact” amid concerns that talks to resurrect a global agreement to curb Tehran’s atomic work have stalled, as the FT reports.

Executive Education

Delve into China’s domestic and elite politics, its growing international influence, and its economic development trajectory with CSIS scholars in a three-day hybrid course. Apply today for Dynamics and Implications of China’s Rise, a CSIS Executive Education course.

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

6,000

A surge of migration has led to the deployment of more Polish troops at the country's border with Belarus—bringing the total number of soldiers to 6,000 and marking a significant expansion of military presence on the border.

Source: Reuters

Critical Quote

“The demand was made to the country chief of the Christian Aid Ministries — they asked for $1 million per person.”

— Liszt Quitel, Haitian Justice Minister

iDeas Lab

The spread of Chinese Hikvision surveillance cameras (mapped above) is just one way in which China is expanding its Digital Silk Road.

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: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images.) The American flag and National League of Families POW/MIA flag on top of the White House fly at half staff, following the death of former Secretary of State Colin Powell, on October 18, 2021.

This Town Tomorrow

At 9:00 a.m., join the CSIS Southeast Asia Program, Scholl Chair, and Economics Program for Session One of the Asian Architecture Conference—a discussion on the agendas for the upcoming East Asian Summit and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum.

Then, at 1:00 p.m., the CSIS International Security Program hosts Lieutenant General Jon A. Jensen, Director of the Army National Guard, for a conversation on the Army National Guard’s domestic and overseas operations, the ARNG Space Force, and the development of President Biden’s new national defense strategy.

And, at 10:30 a.m., Senator Todd Young (R-IN) and Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo address the global semiconductor shortage and its implications on American science and innovation on Washington Post Live.

Video

Earlier today, CSIS Reconnecting Asia Project Director Jonathan E. Hillman launched his new book, The Digital Silk Road, and hosted a discussion on China’s expanding digital footprint across the world and the subsequent national security and foreign policy implications.

Podcasts

In the latest episode of Tech Unmanned, the 5G wireless technology revolution is explored in depth, including what 5G advancement means for everyday life, the American government, and future generations of network standards.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

“Because we need each other
We believe in one another
And I know we're going to uncover
What's sleepin' in our soul”

The Oasis song, “Aquiesce,” is one of those songs that I can listen to on repeat many times over. Some critics have speculated that it is about the fraught relationship between brothers Liam (Oasis’ lead singer) and Noel (guitar) Gallagher. It could be.

I had the opportunity to ask England’s former Prime Minister Tony Blair about Oasis a few years ago when we were working with Blair on a terrorism study—Blair knows the Gallaghers from his time in office and is himself a rock and roll aficionado.

“The brothers just can’t get on, can they?” Blair said.

“Such a shame,” I replied.

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: Kendal Gee, Paige Montfort, and Chris Healey.