The Evening: Climate Change Threatens Food Supply, Iran, Monterrey Pop and More
August 9, 2019
Climate Change Threatens World Food Supply
The world’s land and water resources are being exploited at “unprecedented rates,” a new United Nations report warns, which combined with climate change is putting dire pressure on the ability of humanity to feed itself, as the NYT’s Christopher Flavelle reports.
Mixed Signals
President Trump on Thursday said no one is authorized to speak to Iran on behalf of the United States, and he accused French President Emmanuel Macron of sending “mixed signals” to Tehran over possible talks, as Reuters reports.
Dive Deeper: “Iran’s Threat to Saudi Critical Infrastructure: The Implications of U.S.-Iranian Escalation,” by CSIS’s Seth Jones, Danika Newlee, Nicholas Harrington, and Joseph Bermudez.
Pakistan Halts Train Service
Pakistan halted its main train service to India on Thursday and banned Indian films as pressure grew on prime minister Imran Khan to take stronger action in the wake of India’s decision to strip Kashmir of its autonomy, as the FT’s Stephanie Findlay and Farhan Bokhari report.
Enroll for Fall
Now enrolling for the Fall, CSIS & Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs offer a new Executive Master's in International Relations. Information here.
Video Shorts
Check out CSIS’s new series of video shorts: “Testify” and “High Resolution.” And don’t forget to subscribe to the CSIS YouTube Channel!
In That Number
10%
Real incomes in Russia are about 10 percent lower than in 2013.
Source: Financial Times
Critical Quote
“Food security will be increasingly affected by projected future climate change.”
— “Climate Change and Land” United Nations report
iDeas Lab
Iran poses a significant threat to Saudi Arabia's oil facilities. Watch the latest episode of "High Resolution" to see how the United States can protect critical infrastructure in the Persian Gulf, featuring CSIS's Seth Jones.
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: Byambasuren Byamba-Ochir/AFP/Getty Images). Secretary of Defense Mark Esper (R) is presented a horse by Mongolia's Defense Minister Nyamaa Enkhbold in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia.
Recommended Reading
“In China’s Credit Ratings, Democracies Pay a Price,” by CSIS’s Scott Kennedy for Foreign Policy.
"Commission Co-Chair Statement on the 3rd Meeting of Commission Members," via the CSIS Commission on Strengthening America's Health Security.
This Town Ahead
On Friday, August 23, Politics and Prose bookstore will host Jason DeParle, an award-winning reporter for the New York Times, for a discussion on his new book, A Good Provider Is One Who Leaves: One Family and Migration in the 21st Century, which follows three generations of a Filipino family as they undergo upheavals of migration.
Video
CSIS today hosted a panel discussion on U.S.-China cooperation in infrastructure and development finance, two pillars of the global economic order. Watch the full video here.
Podcasts
Cyber and tech attorney Camille Stewart joined host Beverly Kirk to discuss how U.S. adversaries access sensitive national security technologies and intellectual property through bankruptcy proceedings in the latest episode of Smart Women Smart Power.
Listen on SoundCloud, Spotify, & Apple Podcasts.
Smiles
Thanks for all of your great notes on D.A. Pennebaker. My buddy Nick hit it on the nose when he said that Pennebaker’s greatest contribution in a lifetime of great works was when he captured Janis Joplin performing “Ball and Chain” at Monterrey Pop—including Mama Cass Elliot’s awestruck reaction.