The Evening: Double U.S. Cases, Italy, Love Each Other and More

March 19, 2020

Cases in U.S. Double

As the coronavirus continues to spread globally, in the United States the number of confirmed cases doubled today and the State Department warned Americans not to travel internationally and advised all Americans who are abroad to return to the United States or make preparations to shelter in place, as the Washington Post reports.

Dive Deeper: “COVID-19 and Food Security: What You Need to Know,” by CSIS’s Caitlin Welsh.

“The Impact of COVID-19 on Humanitarian Crises,” by CSIS’s Jacob Kurtzer.

Italy Demands Funds From EU

Italy’s prime minister has demanded the European Union use “the full firepower” of its €500 billion rescue fund to confront the continent’s economic crisis, as the FT reports.

Fed Ramps Up Bond Buying

The Federal Reserve is likely to significantly boost its government-bond purchases beyond the $500 billion minimum it committed Sunday to buy amid market strains that sent interest rates higher in recent days, as the WSJ’s Nick Timiraos reports.

Dive Deeper: “Dollar Swap Lines: Welcome Support but Only Part of the Solution,” by CSIS’s Stephanie Segal.

“How Is the Fed Dealing With the Coronavirus Crisis?” by CFR’s Brad Setser.

Climate Check

Democrats on both sides of Capitol Hill are pushing to add climate change provisions to the third aid package for people and industries affected by the novel coronavirus pandemic, as Scientific American reports.

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

10,000

U.S. confirmed cases of the new coronavirus crossed 10,000 today.

Source: WSJ

Critical Quote

“It’s like we have 54 separate hurricanes in every state and the District of Columbia.”

— Air Force Gen. Joseph L. Lengyel, chief of the National Guard Bureau

iDeas Lab

The 2010-2012 Arab Spring protests were not an isolated phenomenon. Rather, they were acute manifestations of an increasing global trend of mass protests. A new report from CSIS Risk & Foresight expert Sam Brannen examines the growth of mass protests around the word.

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: Jose Jordan/STR/AFP via Getty Images). People play the clarinet from their balcony today during home confinement in Valencia, Spain.

Recommended Reading

"We learned resilience after 9/11. But it’s the wrong kind for combatting a virus," by Georgetown Law's Joshua Geltzer and CNAS's Carrie Cordero.

Video

CSIS’s Project on Nuclear Issues and the Nuclear Policy Working Group at the University of California, Berkeley convened a group of nearly 150 participants for a two-year study to examine implications of the emerging strategic situational awareness ecosystem and its impact on crisis decisionmaking. Learn more about the report’s findings here .

Podcasts

In the latest episode of The Truth of the Matter, I talked to CSIS experts Heather Conley, Stephanie Segal, and Steve Morrison to give an update on the global COVID-19 crisis as we enter a new phase of the pandemic here in the United States.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

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

Subscribe on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

When there is a new Jerry Garcia Band release out, you can bet you will hear it here. This one’s with the late Clarence Clemons on sax.