Good Evening,
It's Monday, March 6th. |
No Retreat
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed Monday not to retreat from Bakhmut as Russian forces encroached on the devastated eastern city they have sought to capture for six months at the cost of thousands of lives, as the AP reports. |
Xi Takes Aim at U.S.
In rare direct criticism of Washington, Chinese leader Xi Jinping blamed what he termed a U.S.-led campaign to contain China for worsening the troubles and global uncertainties that his country has faced over the past five years, as the WSJ reports. |
Protests Over Netanyahu’s Judiciary Overhaul Spread to Israel’s Military
A plan by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to severely curtail the powers of Israel’s Supreme Court has prompted weeks of demonstrations, rattled the country’s technology sector and raised fears of political violence. Now, protests are emerging even within the nation’s military, as the NYT reports. |
Executive Education
CSIS's Understanding Washington course offers embassy, business, and nonprofit professionals the tools and knowledge necessary to better navigate the Washington policy ecosystem. |
Video Shorts
Check out CSIS’s new series of video shorts: “The Recap,” “Data Unpacked,” “Testify,” “What's Happening,” “Preview,” and “High Resolution.” And don’t forget to subscribe to the CSIS YouTube Channel! |
In That Number
7.2%
China plans to boost its military spending by 7.2% this year, the government said Sunday, accelerating its military buildup as tensions rise with the U.S. and its allies over Taiwan.
Source: WSJ |
Critical Quote
“Western countries—led by the U.S.—have implemented all-round containment, encirclement and suppression against us, bringing unprecedentedly severe challenges to our country’s development.”
—Xi Jinping, President, People’s Republic of China |
iDeas Lab
An interactive map by the CSIS Transnational Threats Project shows how the force disposition and front line in Ukraine have changed over time.
The Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS enhances our research with the latest in cutting-edge web technologies, design, and multimedia.![]() ![]() ![]() |
Optics
(Photo by Raigo Pajula/AFP/Getty Images.) Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas speaks after the results of e-votes were announced on March 5, 2023, in Tallinn, Estonia. |
Recommended Reading
“From Maybe-Secure to Responsible Security: The New National Cybersecurity Strategy” by CSIS's Emily Harding. |
This Town Tomorrow
At 9:30 a.m., the CSIS International Security Program hosts Gabrielius Landsbergis, minister of foreign affairs of Lithuania, to discuss the 2023 NATO Summit in Vilnius, Ukraine, and other bilateral strategic priorities.
And, at 10:00 a.m., the World Resources Institute holds a conversation on the state of the global transport system and the critical shifts needed to achieve global climate goals.
Later, at 8:00 p.m., the Wilson Center explores pathways for the U.S. and China to achieve sustainable development goals while meeting global food demand. |
Video
The CSIS Defending Democratic Institutions Project examines why reinvigorating civics is a national security imperative with public and private sector leaders. Watch the video here. |
Podcasts
Steve LeVine joins CSIS's Jane Nakano to discuss recent developments in the U.S. electric vehicle market and battery supply chain.
Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts. |
Smiles
With the exception of the Grateful Dead, who have released several live albums that can be considered all-time greats (“Live Dead” and “Cornell 5/8/77”), bands usually have one live album that stands above the cut. Think about The Who’s “Live at Leeds,” the Rolling Stones’ “Get Your Ya-Ya’s Out,” Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “One More From the Road,” and the Allman Brothers’ essential classic, “Live at the Fillmore East.” Many consider the Allman Brothers’ Fillmore record to be the best of the best. I tend to agree. The urgency and presence of “Fillmore” is unparalleled in my view not to mention the guitar interplay of Duane Allman and Dickey Betts. I’ve always believed that no other Allman recording, live or studio, could top it.
I still don’t, but I heard a track the other day from the Allman’s much maligned live record “Wipe the Windows, Check the Oil, Dollar Gas” that stopped me in my tracks. “Wipe the Windows” was released in 1976, but the live recordings come from shows in ’72, ’73, and ’75, following the deaths of Duane Allman and Berry Oakley. What is different with the band, other than those two key losses, is the addition of pianist Chuck Leavell. Listening to Leavell’s jazzy, astonishingly great playing on “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” has added to my appreciation of the Allman Brothers live cannon in a way that I wouldn’t have thought possible. |
| I invite you to email me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz |
