Booster Authorized for 16-17 Year-Olds

Federal regulators on Thursday authorized booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for 16- and 17-year-olds, at least six months after they received their second shot. The move clears the way for several million teenagers to receive boosters, as the NYT reports.

Biden Stresses Support for Ukraine

President Biden underscored American support for Ukraine in a call Thursday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as the Washington Post reports.

Iran Sanctions Tightened

The Biden administration is moving to tighten enforcement of sanctions against Iran, according to senior U.S. officials, the first sign of Washington increasing economic pressure on Tehran as diplomatic efforts to restore the 2015 nuclear deal falter, as the WSJ reports.

Executive Education

Apply for the AILA International Fellowship at CSIS to gain a deeper understanding of the complex global dynamics that global leaders face, as well as the tools and mindset needed to be an effective, ethical changemaker.

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

184,000

U.S. initial unemployment filings fell to 184,000 last week—the lowest level in 52 years.

Source: WSJ

Critical Quote

“Broad-based administration of booster doses risks exacerbating inequities in vaccine access.”

— Alejandro Cravioto, chairman of the W.H.O.’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization

iDeas Lab

New thermal infrared imagery shows that warm water is being discharged from the cooling system of the 5MWe reactor at Yongbyon—North Korea's major nuclear facility—providing clear evidence that the reactor is in operation. The fuel rods irradiated during the reactor’s operations will most likely be reprocessed to provide additional plutonium for expanding North Korea’s nuclear weapons inventory.

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: Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images.) U.S. President Joe Biden talks on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from the Oval Office at the White House on December 9, 2021.

This Town Tomorrow

At 9:00 a.m., join the CSIS Energy Security & Climate Change Program for a discussion on the role of nuclear power in the energy transition.

Later, at 11:00 a.m., the CSIS Energy Security & Climate Change Program hosts a conversation on the future of global energy security and decarbonization with Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency.

And, at 9:30 a.m., the American Enterprise Institute hosts a discussion on China’s economic outlook after Evergrande.

Video

CSIS Monday hosted an official summit event of the 2021 Summit for Democracy. Watch the event here.

Podcasts

In the third episode of NATO’s Road to Madrid, Rachel is joined by Admiral Rob Bauer, Chair of NATO’s Military Committee and the senior-most military officer at NATO, for a conversation on the future of NATO’s core tasks, including crisis management and cooperative security.

Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

There are a handful of truly awe-inspiring rock and roll bands that have produced music which stands the test of time. Led Zeppelin is one of them. In celebrating the 50^th anniversary of “Led Zeppelin IV,” we’re reminded of why.

Growing up, we saw the Led Zep concert film, “The Song Remains The Same.” That was our window into seeing Zeppelin perform live because by the time many of us reached concert-going age, the band had dissolved due to the death of drummer John Bonham. “Song Remains the Same” blew me away. Robert Plant’s line “Does anyone remember laughter?” during “Stairway to Heaven” in the film in and of itself was iconic. Only problem was, the band thought their performance captured on film wasn’t a very good performance at all. Rather, they thought it was weak. But starting in 2003, when Led Zep released the DVD and accompanying CD package, “How the West Was Won,” and subsequently, in 2006, the DVD “Live At Earl’s Court,” we were able to see what the band looked and sounded like when they were at their best, in their prime.

Here’s a clip the band re-released in mid-November from Earl's Court to commemorate what experiencing a live “Stairway to Heaven” should be in their view.

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 Christopher Healey.