The Evening CSIS: Upheaval, Budget Survey, Philadelphia Freedom & More

Good Evening,

Welcome to The Evening CSIS—my daily guide to key insights CSIS brings to the events of the day plus HIGHLY RECOMMENDED content from around the world. To subscribe, please sign up here.

Upheaval

President Trump continued today to defend his immigration order temporarily banning entry into the United States for citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries and refugees from around the world, despite mounting criticism, legal challenges, and questions that stretched from Capitol Hill to the United Nations, as the Washington Post’s Mark Berman and Matt Zapotosky report.

Dive Deeper: CSIS’s Anthony Cordesman today authored a new commentary: “The Executive Order on Immigration and Refugees: Playing into the Hands of Fear, Prejudice, ISIS, and al Qaeda.”

Also, see CFR’s Robert Kahn on “The Long-Term Economic Costs of the President’s Executive Order on Immigration.

And, Peterson’s Marcus Noland today authored a blog post: “Trump Bans North Korean Refugees.

Quebec Mosque Attack

The 27-year-old suspect in a terrorist attack against Muslims at a Quebec City mosque was charged today with six counts of first degree murder and five counts of attempted murder. Alexandre Bissonnette was known for taking right-wing, nationalist positions and supporting the French far-right party of Marine Le Pen. The shooting during evening prayers Sunday left six people dead in an attack that Canada's prime minister called an act of terrorism against Muslims, as the AP’s Tracey Lindeman and Rob Gilles report.

CSIS Defense Survey

Don’t forget to take CSIS’s Defense Budget Survey . You can predict how much the Trump administration will request for defense, what will happen with the war funding (“Overseas Contingency Operations”), and when the five-year budget projection will be announced.

In That Number

123

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 123 points Monday in what was its worst day since the US presidential election. Source: Wall Street Journal.

Critical Quote

“Rushing out an Executive Order that not only randomly discriminates against the citizens of seven countries, but also gives the impression of discriminating against all Muslims, does nothing to aid the real fight against Islamic extremism and terrorism.”

—Burke Chair Emeritus Anthony Cordesman writing in the CSIS Commentary: “The Executive Order on Immigration and Refugees: Playing into the Hands of Fear, Prejudice, ISIS, and al Qaeda.

One to Watch


Michael Matera is a senior fellow and director of the Americas Program at CSIS. Tomorrow, the Americas Program will launch a new CSIS microsite, "The Macri Government's Reform Program: A Scorecard,” which identifies and analyzes the key reforms undertaken by Argentina over the last year with a user-friendly database.

Optics


(Photo Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images.)
Secretary of Defense James Mattis participates in an enhanced honor cordon with King Abdullah of Jordan today at the Pentagon.

Highly Recommended

McCain, Again the Maverick, Challenges President Trump” via the Wall Street Journal’s Washington Bureau chief Jerry Seib.

CSIS Today

CSIS’s International Security Program hosted “Cooperation in a Time of Backlash: The Future of International Joint Development.

And CSIS’s Smart Women, Smart Power initiative hosted a conversation with former secretary of state Madeleine Albright. Watch the discussion on demand here.

CSIS Tomorrow

Join CSIS’s Americas Program at 9:30 a.m. for the launch of its new microsite, “The Macri Government’s Reform Program: A Scorecard,” featuring Argentine economist and historian Emilio Ocampo.

Join CSIS’s Energy and National Security Program at 10:00 a.m. for a discussion of deep decarbonization scenarios.

This Town Tomorrow

Join the Atlantic Council at 10:00 a.m. for “What’s Next for Transatlantic Energy Cooperation?

And join Johns Hopkins SAIS at 6:00 p.m. for “German and American Policies on Combatting Terrorism,” as part of the European and Eurasian Studies’ Distinguished Lecture Series.

CSIS On Demand

Last week, we hosted the 2017 Asia Forecast, featuring three expert panels on what we can expect from the region this year. Catch up on demand here.

Sounds

On his first day in office, President Trump reinstated and expanded the Mexico City policy. The latest podcast from Take As Directed examines what the policy might mean for global health.

I Like It Like That

The New York Times today announced that this Wednesday, it will launch “The Daily,” a new podcast hosted by Michael Barbaro. The Daily will run five days a week, with each episode at 15 minutes. Barbaro says that “It isn’t quite a podcast…It isn’t the radio…it isn’t quite the newspaper” but that we should all tune in on Wednesday to find out what it is.

Smiles

Ok, I have to go with one more from Elton. Thanks for all the great notes about “Don’t go breaking my heart.” My dad even chimed in and reminded me of our family’s favorite Elton tune. It is, and has always been, “Philadelphia Freedom.”

My family is originally from Philadelphia, so of course we love the song. I didn’t know when I first heard it as a kid that it was about Billy Jean King and her Philadelphia Freedoms pro tennis team. The song first hit radio as a single in early 1975 and I thought it was about the bicentennial—which was such a big deal at the time. But no matter what it was that Elton and his collaborator Bernie Taupin set out to do with the song’s lyrics, “Philadelphia Freedom” became a beacon of American patriotism and remains so.

“Philadelphia Freedom/don’t you know I love you/Yes I do!”

When Elton and his band performed “Philadelphia Freedom” in Central Park in 1980, it was simply electrifying.

Feedback

I always welcome and benefit from your feedback. Please drop me a line at aschwartz@csis.org