The Evening: Troops to Poland, Hong Kong, Rolling Thunder Revue and More

U.S. Will Deploy 1,000 Troops to Poland

Trump pledged to Polish President Andrzej Duda on Wednesday that he will deploy 1,000 U.S. troops to Poland, a step sought by Warsaw to deter political aggression from Russia, as Reuters’ Jeff Mason and Steve Holland report.

Japan Looks to Mediate Between U.S. and Iran

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will seek to open a channel of communication between Iran and the U.S. as part of a diplomatic effort to prevent a military standoff between Tehran and Washington from tipping into conflict, as the WSJ’s Alastair Gale reports.

Hong Kong Protests Erupt Into Violence

Protesters fought with police in central Hong Kong on Wednesday in an eruption of public anger against an extradition bill that critics see as a fundamental threat to the territory’s civic freedoms and rule of law, as the FT reports.

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.” In under 90 seconds, CSIS experts tell you what they told Congress in testimony, or use high-resolution satellite images and advanced mapping to break down national security issues. And don’t forget to subscribe to the CSIS YouTube Channel!

In That Number

5

The Arctic has been warmer over the past five years than at any time since records began in 1900.

Source: CSIS’s “Charting a New Arctic Ocean”

Critical Quote

“It is essential for Iran to play a constructive role in strengthening peace and stability in the Middle East.”

— Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

iDeas Lab

In 2019, Mexico surpassed China to become the United States’ largest trading partner. In a new CQ, CSIS's Scholl Chair discusses the fusion of U.S. trade and immigration policy and whether the threat of U.S. tariffs against Mexico is over.

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: Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty Images). Protesters shout out at police in reaction after police fired tear gas during a rally against a controversial extradition law proposal in Hong Kong.

Recommended Reading

"Journalist's Release reveals Cracks in the Putin System," by Amy MacKinnon for Foreign Policy.

This Town Tomorrow

At 9:30 a.m., join CSIS for a discussion with Governor Bill Richardson and Catherine Bertini about ways the United States can partner with the UN for its economic and national security interests.

Later, at 10:30 a.m., CSIS will host a conversation with John Gans on the power and role of the National Security Council in today's foreign policy.

And, at 10:00 a.m., Brookings will hold two panels to discuss competing visions for Europe’s future and expectations regarding the trans-Atlantic relationship.

Video

CSIS hosted a panel discussion about U.S.-Taiwan commercial ties with expert analysts and senior business executives from a range of industries. Watch the event here.

Podcasts

CSIS's Steve Morrison and Andrew Schwartz speak with Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases and one of the main architects of the 10-year plan to end HIV in the United States.

Listen on SoundCloud, Spotify, & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

I first learned about Bob Dylan’s 1975 “Rolling Thunder Review” tour by reading Larry “Ratso” Sloman’s epic book, “On The Road With Bob Dylan.”

The Sloman book is a backstage pass to one of Dylan’s most fascinating periods of creativity. It’s a window into his music, his words and his travels with Joan Baez, Robbie Robertson, Joni Mitchell, Allen Ginsberg and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott to name a few.

Previously, some of the music from Rolling Thunder has been available and a few film clips too. But today, Netflix releases a new 2 hour documentary “Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese.” I am overjoyed.

I’ve already heard a bunch of the music from the film on Spotify and it includes savage live performances of Dylan songs like “Isis.” This clip of “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” really made me smile