Good Evening,
It's Tuesday, November 19th. |
Taliban Release Two Western Hostages
Two Western hostages, one American and one Australian, were freed by the Taliban after more than three years in captivity in a prisoner exchange that could spur resumption of negotiations to end the 18-year Afghan war, as the WSJ’s Craig Nelson and Ehsanullah Amiri report. |
More Than 100 Protesters Dead in Iran
Protests against the Iranian government erupted for a fifth day across the country on Tuesday, as the authorities scrambled to crush the unrest and reports emerged of mounting injuries and deaths. Amnesty International said that as many as 106 protesters in 21 cities had been killed over the course of the protests, as the NYT’s Farnaz Fassihi reports.
Dive Deeper: “Iran’s Protests and the Threat to Domestic Stability,” by CSIS’s Seth Jones and Danika Newlee. |
HK Protesters Hold Out
Riot police surrounded a university campus with a handful of protesters remaining inside as Hong Kong’s showdowns took a dramatic turn after a day marked by clashes, mass arrests, and hundreds of injuries, as the Washington Post’s Tiffany Liang, Anna Kam, Casey Quackenbush, and Gerry Shih report.
Dive Deeper: “How Is Congress Trying to Support the Hong Kong Protesters?” by CFR’s Lindsay Maizland. |
CSIS Executive Education
Join CSIS December 9-11 for our course, Unpacking the Defense Enterprise. Get a competitive advantage in analyzing the changes within the defense domain and better understand the future of the U.S. defense enterprise. |
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
125,000
More than 5,000 fires across California have destroyed over 125,000 acres this year.
Source: CSIS, “We Can No Longer Ignore the Link between Climate Change and Wildfires,” by Lachlan Carey. |
Critical Quote
“China is going to have to make a deal that I like.”
— President Donald Trump |
iDeas Lab
North Korea is a nation with immense non-ferrous and rare-earth mineral reserves. New satellite imagery from Beyond Parallel shows the Taehung Youth Hero Mine, one of the largest magnesite mines in North Korea and in the world.
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: Frank Augstein - WPA Pool/Getty Images). Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson today in Manchester, England. |
Recommended Reading
“The Universal Service Fund and National Security,” by CSIS’s Jim Lewis. |
This Town Tomorrow
At 9:00 a.m., the CSIS Africa Program will host a debate on the advantages and disadvantages of U.S. engagement in Africa and to open a dialogue on a new framework for U.S. foreign policy toward the region.
And, at 1:30 p.m., stay at CSIS for a conversation with Pakistan’s ambassador for foreign investment Ali Siddiqui to initiate a long-term dialogue around a re-calibrated and expanded U.S.-Pakistan relationship.
Later, at 3:30 p.m., CSIS will hold a panel discussion about the future of digital trade between the United States and United Kingdom.
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Video
CSIS yesterday held a conversation with the 23rd Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James about her new book, Aim High: Chart Your Course and Find Success. Watch the event here. |
Podcasts
 In the latest episode of Babel, Peter Schwartzstein, an environmental journalist based in the Middle East, joins host Jon Alterman to discuss how climate change concerns exacerbate conflict in the region and how leaders should respond.
Listen on Spotify. |
Smiles
For decades, Howard Stern has had his finger on the pulse of popular culture. If you are an artist who wants to sell a book or a record, his show is one of the first places you turn to promote your work. That’s why the Black Crowes took to Stern’s air last week to announce their comeback. That’s why SiriusXM pays Howard the big bucks.
The thing I like most about Howard these days is his eye for talent. And he doesn’t disappoint with his musical choices. For most of you, the last time, or maybe the only time you have ever seen Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real perform was as Bradley Cooper’s backing band in “A Star Is Born.” Yes, they are a great backing band, and yes, Lukas is Willie Nelson’s son if you didn’t know and wondered. I also think Lukas Nelson & Promise are the best rock band out there as they showed during this performance on the Howard Stern Show with their interpretation of CSN’s “Carry On/Questions.” |
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I invite you to email me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz
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