The Evening: Senate Snag, Slowing the Spread, Born on a Bayou and More

March 25, 2020

Senate Snag

Swift Senate action on a mammoth $2 trillion rescue package hit a speed bump Wednesday amid opposition from a small group of GOP lawmakers, throwing up a last-minute hurdle as congressional leaders rush to finalize the bipartisan deal, as Politico reports.

Slowing the Spread

As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in New York continued to grow — reaching more than 30,000 — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Wednesday that there were early signs that the state’s stringent restrictions on social gatherings could be slowing the virus’s spread, as the NYT reports.

Meanwhile, the national death toll in Spain surpassed 3,400, making it the world’s hardest-hit country after Italy. And, as the Washington Post reports, more than 435,000 people around the world have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. But it is not mutating significantly as it circulates through the human population, according to scientists who are closely studying the pathogen’s genetic code. That relative stability is encouraging news for researchers hoping to create a long-lasting vaccine.

Pressure on Saudi Arabia

The U.S. has raised the pressure on Saudi Arabia to change course in its oil price war with Russia, calling on the kingdom to “rise to the occasion” and start working to stabilize global energy markets, as the FT reports.

Dive Deeper: “How COVID-19 Will Reshape Global Gas,” by CSIS’s Nikos Tsafos.

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

200,000

There are fewer than 200,000 ventilators in United States, but nearly a million could be needed over the course of the pandemic.

Source: NYT

Critical Quote

“This is a wartime level of investment into our nation.”

— Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell

iDeas Lab

CSIS experts Sam Brannen and Rebecca Hersman explain how their prescient simulation of an infectious disease outbreak involving a type of coronavirus predicted a scenario chillingly similar to today's COVID-19 pandemic.

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: Philippe Lopez/AFP/Getty Images). French chef Eric Duquenne packs dishes he cooked for delivery to hospitals and medical personnel.

Recommended Reading

“Fire and Fury 2?”: North Korea’s Q1 2020 Provocations Reminiscent of Q1 2017,” by CSIS’s Victor Cha and Dana Kim.

Video

Caitlin Welsh, director of CSIS's Food Security Program, offers tips on safe ways to shop for groceries, what to avoid buying, how to wash and prepare food, and other food security recommendations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

I speak with CSIS’s Steve Morrison and Stephanie Segal about the conflicting approaches to saving lives and saving the U.S. economy.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

As knowledge on COVID-19 evolves, Coronavirus Crisis Update will bring you the latest updates and analysis from CSIS experts and the leaders directing the global response.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

I’m so glad you all loved the clip of John Fogerty from home that we shared y