The Evening: Afghan Withdrawal, Covid Immunity, Let It Rain and More

Trump to Cut Troop Levels in Afghanistan but Stops Short of Full Withdrawal

President Trump will sharply reduce the number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan from 4,500 to 2,500 by mid-January, the Pentagon announced today stopping short of a full withdrawal, as Reuters reports.

New Study on Coronavirus Immunity

How long might immunity to the coronavirus last? Years, maybe even decades, according to a new study—the most hopeful answer yet to a question that has shadowed plans for widespread vaccination, as the NYT reports.

Threat to the Economy

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the increased spread of the coronavirus posed an important risk to the economy in the months ahead and said it was too soon to say how a potential vaccine would change the outlook, as the WSJ reports.

Coronavirus Crisis Update

The Coronavirus Crisis Update podcast brings you the latest updates and analysis from CSIS experts and the leaders directing the global response. Past guests include NIAID Director Anthony Fauci, White House Chief of Staff-designate Ron Klain, IHME Director Chris Murray, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Representative Tom Cole (R-OK), Former FDA Comissioner Peggy Hamburg, and more. Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify.

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

2,500

President Donald Trump will sharply reduce the number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan from 4,500 to 2,500 by mid-January.

Source: Reuters

Critical Quote

“We need some fundamental public health measures that everyone should be adhering to, not a disjointed, ‘One state says one thing, the other state says another thing.’”

— Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

iDeas Lab

In the latest episode of "High Resolution," CSIS's Richard Rossow and Joseph Bermudez explain India's role as a growing regional security provider against China's attempts to take over Bhutanese territory in sectors of the disputed Doklam Plateau.

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: Bill Clark/Pool/AFP via Getty Images.) Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey testifies remotely during today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

Recommended Reading

“Engaging North Korea Anew,” by CSIS’s Victor Cha for Foreign Affairs.

This Town Tomorrow

Tomorrow, at 10:00 a.m., the CSIS Africa Program and the ONE Campaign host an interactive policy simulation exploring the difficult choices African governments face with regard to the economic response to the Covid-19 pandemic. As an audience member, you will have the opportunity to put yourself in the shoes of African finance ministers and the choices they face by voting live on decisions.

And, at 2:30 p.m., CSIS’s Humanitarian Agenda hosts Dr. Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, for a discussion on rebalancing counterterrorism and humanitarian imperatives.

Earlier, at 9:30 a.m., the Atlantic Council examines how U.S. relations with Iran might change under a Biden presidency and how the European Union could develop a joint strategy to preserve the JCPOA in concert with a new administration.

Video

CSIS last week hosted an event examining the impact of recent EU regulatory proposals centered around a desire to achieve digital autonomy and tech sovereignty for European businesses. Watch the full event here.

Podcasts

Dorothy Shea, the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, sat down with J. Stephen Morrison and Jon Alterman on the latest episode of Coronavirus Crisis Update to discuss how the Beirut port explosion in August fueled a new Covid-19 outbreak.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

You all know I love a good cover. And when the Doobie Brothers and Peter Frampton get together to cover Eric Clapton I’m all in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7Dm77k-tZo.