The Evening: Russia Breaks Through, Afghan Earthquake, Cyprus Avenue, and More

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Good Evening,

It's Wednesday, June 22nd.

Russia Breaks Through in East

After weeks of artillery barrages, airstrikes and tank battles, Russian forces appear to have broken through a key part of Ukraine’s defensive line in the east, signaling the next step of their campaign to capture the last two major cities in the mineral-rich province of Luhansk, as the NYT reports

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Powell Says Higher Interest Rates Could Cause Recession

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the central bank’s battle against inflation could lead it to raise interest rates high enough to cause an economic downturn, as the WSJ reports

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Afghanistan Earthquake Kills more than 1,000

A massive earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan overnight Wednesday, killing more than 1,000 and injuring more than 1,600, as the Washington Post reports

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Executive Education

The CSIS Accelerator Series

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is a comprehensive training program for rising professionals who wish to develop their leadership, management, communication, and other professional skills to help advance their career.

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

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!

In That Number

18.4 cents

Biden is planning to call for a three-month suspension of the 18.4-cents-a-gallon federal gas tax.

Source: WSJ

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Critical Quote

“We understand the hardship high inflation is causing. We are strongly committed to bringing inflation back down, and we are moving expeditiously to do so.”

— Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell

iDeas Lab

CSIS's latest What's Happening

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video explains the current U.S. policy toward Taiwan, and what has and hasn't changed in U.S. relations with both Taiwan and China.

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: AFP/Getty Images.) Damaged houses are pictured following an earthquake in Gayan district, Paktika province, Afghanistan on June 22, 2022.

Recommended Reading

"Strangling the Bear? The Sanctions on Russia after Four Months

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" by CSIS's Gerard DiPippo.

This Town Tomorrow

At 9:00 a.m.

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, the CSIS Japan Chair and the CSIS Economics Program host their annual conference on the future of economic order in the Asia-Pacific region.

And, at 9:30 a.m.

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, the CSIS Freeman Chair hosts a discussion on the new book, The Age of the Strongman, authored by Gideon Rachman, chief foreign affairs columnist for the Financial Times.

Later, at 3:00 p.m.

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, the CSIS Pacific Partners Initiative hosts an event on "Building a Blue Pacific Agenda for the 21st Century" with opening comments from Kurt Campbell.

Video

Today, the CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change Program hosted a conference on how the oil and gas sector is navigating both the energy transition and shifts in U.S. energy security. Watch the event here.

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Podcasts

In this episode, Pierre and Luis conduct two separate interviews with leading experts on Africa and Latin America. They discuss the key security dynamics in those regions, the differing strategic approaches taken by Russia and China there, and what role NATO and its members might play.

Listen on Spotify

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& Apple Podcasts

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Smiles

“It’s too late to stop now!”

Van Morrison’s second studio album, “Astral Weeks,” released in 1968, is widely regarded as one of the seminal rock albums. But it is an unusual record. Incorporating jazz, folk, blues, and even classical music, some experts don’t actually refer to it as a rock and roll album. And yet it’s one of rock and roll’s most influential records, inspiring artists such as Bono, Bruce Springsteen, and Elvis Costello. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked “Astral Weeks” as the 19th greatest album of all time, today it sits at 60th.

Before “Astral Weeks,” Morrison was known for pop songs like “Brown Eyed Girl,” psychedelic blues such as “T.B. Sheets,” and R&B covers like “Midnight Special.” Lyrically and musically, “Astral Weeks” couldn’t be more of a departure from those sounds. Morrison’s words are impressionistic, hypnotic, and even mystical.

I love all of the tracks on “Astral Weeks,” but for me “Cyprus Avenue” is the album’s centerpiece. For many years, the song was the closing number

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in Morrison’s live shows.

I invite you to email me at [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz

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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 and Paige Montfort.

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