The Evening: Fauci’s Assessment, Esper, My Sweet Lord and More
June 9, 2020
Fauci's Grim Assessment
In a wide-ranging talk to biotech executives, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci delivered a grim assessment of the devastation wrought around the world by the coronavirus and warning that the pandemic is far from over, as the NYT reports.
And, as the Times reports, the virus is surging in Latin America, pushing the region “to the limit.”
Esper On The Brink
President Trump last week was on the brink of firing Defense Secretary Mark Esper over their differing views of domestic use of active-duty military, before advisers and allies on Capitol Hill talked him out of it, as the WSJ’s Gordon Lubold reports in an exclusive.
WHO Clarification
The World Health Organization was forced on Tuesday to clarify its position on whether people without symptoms are widely spreading the new coronavirus, saying much remains unknown about asymptomatic transmission. A day earlier, an official with the organization called such transmissions “very rare,” touching off a furious scientific debate and attracting widespread criticism, as the Washington Post reports.
CSIS Executive Education
Enrollment is now open for CSIS and Syracuse University’s joint Executive Master’s in International Relations. This first-of-its-kind degree allows working professionals in the nation’s capital to benefit from the academic strengths of the #1 graduate school in public affairs and the policy know-how of #1 think tank in the U.S. Learn more and apply today.
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
15 Million
About 15 million Iranians—or nearly 1 in 5—may have been infected with the novel coronavirus since the country’s outbreak officially began in February, a member of Iran’s Covid-19 task force told the semiofficial news agency, ISNA.
Source: Washington Post
Critical Quote
“It isn’t over yet.”
— Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases
iDeas Lab
One of the most defining aspects of Yemen's civil war has been the extensive use of ballistic missiles, far more than any other conflict in recent history. In a new report , CSIS's Missile Defense Project explores the implications of the conflict for future wars.
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: Andrew Harnik - Pool/Getty Images). Senators Lindsey Graham and Dick Durbin arrive at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing today.
Recommended Reading
“Powers, Norms, and Institutions: The Future of the Indo-Pacific from a Southeast Asia Perspective," by CSIS's Mike Green, Amy Searight, and Pat Buchan.
Online Events
Tomorrow, at 10:00 a.m., CSIS will host a panel discussion on innovation occurring in carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration in the third session of the Energy Innovation Series.
Later, at 2:00 p.m., CSIS will hold a discussion exploring how the U.S. military is balancing its support of the civilian medical health care system during the Covid-19 pandemic while maintaining its own operations.
And, at 11:30 a.m., the Atlantic Council will webcast an event highlighting peace efforts in Ukraine and how the coronavirus pandemic will affect conflict in the Donbas.
Video
CSIS hosted former Secretary of Defense Bill Cohen, former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen for a discussion of the role of the military during times of civil discord, moderated by the Wall Street Journal’s Nancy Youssef. Watch the event here.
Podcasts
In the latest episode of the Coronavirus Crisis Update, expert Renee DiResta explains why the coronavirus pandemic invites pseudoscience, government conspiracy theories and misinformation campaigns.
Listen on Spotify, Google Play, & Apple Podcasts.
Smiles
For most of my life, when I would think about the Beatles, I would contemplate John Lennon and the power of his songs. But in the last several years I’ve been mostly thinking about George Harrison and the lasting power of his words and music .