The Evening: U.S. Most Cases, Maduro Indicted, Sound of Silence and More

March 26, 2020

U.S. Now Has Most Cases of COVID-19

At least 81,321 people in the United States are known to have been infected with the coronavirus, more cases than China, Italy, or any other country has seen, according to data gathered by the NYT.

Meanwhile, as Politico reports, President Trump on Thursday teased a new plan to reopen swaths of the country shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic via a targeted, county-by-county mitigation effort.

And, as the WSJ reports, House leaders are working on a plan to pass the largest stimulus package ever moved through Congress without convening the full 435-member body, in an effort to avoid spreading the novel coronavirus and sickening more members.

Dive Deeper: “COVID-19 Is Attacking Our Defense Supply Chains and Our Nation’s Security,” by CSIS’s Andrew Hunter.

U.S. Indicts Maduro

The Trump administration unsealed sweeping indictments against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and members of his inner circle on narcoterrorism charges Thursday, a dramatic escalation in the U.S. campaign to force the authoritarian socialist from power as the Washington Post’s Anthony Faiola, Matt Zapotosky, and Karen DeYoung report.

Israel Closer to Unity Government

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main rival, Benny Gantz, was elected parliamentary speaker on Thursday in a surprise maneuver that could herald a unity government keeping the veteran leader in power, as Reuters reports.

Climate Check

The European Green Deal is revolutionary in concept but deeply familiar in its details. Yet it includes six bets that could reshape the global fight against climate change, writes CSIS's Nikos Tsafos in a new commentary.

CSIS Executive Education

We invite you to apply to The Dynamics and Implications of China's Rise, a three-day course on China's domestic and elite politics, its growing international influence, and its economic development trajectory.

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

3.28 Million

A record 3.28 million workers applied for unemployment benefits last week.

Source: WSJ

Critical Quote

“We’re determined to get money in people’s pockets immediately.”

— Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin

iDeas Lab

Despite repeated announcements from the Russian government declaring its intention to expand the Tiksi Airbase along Russia's Arctic coast, current satellite imagery does not show evidence of the S-400 air defense system or considerable expansion. To learn more, read "Ice Curtain: Tiksi Airbase—Many Russian Announcements, Little Equipment," from CSIS's Europe Program.

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: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images). House Speaker Nancy Peloi speaks to reporters about the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.

Recommended Reading

“The Marine Corps’ Radical Shift toward China,” by CSIS’s Mark Cancian.

Video

CSIS’s Sam Brannen and Rebecca Hersman convened an expert workshop in October 2019 to consider future security challenges, one of which was the outbreak of a brand new virus –a scenario similar to today’s COVID-19 pandemic. Watch a video detailing their findings here.

Podcasts

On a new episode of the Trade Guys, I talk with the Trade Guys about COVID-19's impact on trade, the Defense Production Act, trade restrictive measures, and the upcoming G20 teleconference.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

The Asia Chessboard features in-depth conversations with the most prominent strategic thinkers on Asia. CSIS senior vice president for Asia Michael Green takes the debate beyond the headlines of the day to explore the historical context and inside decisionmaking process on major geopolitical developments from the Himalayas to the South China Sea.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

Lukas Nelson has been performing powerful music from home. This one though, a cover of Paul Simon’s “The Sound of Silence,” is really worth a listen.