The Evening: Germany, Syria, Althea and More

February 20, 2020

Shooting in Germany

A German gunman driven by racism and diffuse conspiracy theories opened fire on two bars frequented by immigrants late Wednesday, killing nine people and shocking a nation where violent crimes targeting minorities have spiked against the backdrop of a resurgent far right, as the NYT’s Jack Ewing and Melissa Eddy report.

Health Experts Warn of Mounting Cases of Coronavirus Beyond China

Authorities worldwide warned about the spread of the coronavirus beyond China on Thursday as Japan reported the first two deaths from the Diamond Princess cruise liner, South Korea reported its first fatality, and new cases in Iran sparked fears about many new cases appearing in the Middle East, as the Washington Post reports.

Dive Deeper: “Coronavirus Update: Rapid Construction of Medical Facilities,” by CSIS’s Steve Morrison and Jude Blanchette.

Flare-Up in Fighting in Northwest Syria

Turkish forces and Syrian rebels fought government troops in northwest Syria on Thursday and Russian warplanes struck back in a sharp escalation of an intense battle over the last rebel bastions, as Reuters reports.

CSIS Executive Education

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Video Shorts

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In That Number

75,768

There are 75,768 confirmed global cases of coronavirus and 2,130 have died as a result of the outbreak.

Source: FT

Critical Quote

“Racism is poison, hatred is poison and this poison exists in society and it is to blame for too many crimes.”

— German Chancellor Angela Merkel

iDeas Lab

Leishenshan Hospital is located on what was an approximately 43.7-acre bus station. Construction plans were announced on January 25. Although construction was ongoing, the hospital was opened on February 8. Read the latest CSIS coronavirus update.

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: Emmanuele Contini/Getty Images). People gather for a vigil at the Brandenburg Gate to commemorate the victims of the Hanau shootings today in Berlin.

Recommended Reading

“The Surprising Success of the U.S.-Indian Partnership,” by Carnegie’s Ashley Tellis for Foreign Affairs.

This Town Tomorrow

At 10:00 a.m., CSIS will host Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy, Secretary of the Air Force Barbara M. Barrett, and Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas B. Modly to discuss the state of military services, defense strategy, and key initiatives in the FY 2021 budget and associated futures years defense program.

Also, at 11:00 a.m., the World Resources Institute will host Dittee Juul Jørgensen, Director-General for Energy of the European Commission, among other experts to discuss strategies to align financial institutions with the Paris Agreement.

Later, at 12:30 p.m., the Georgetown University Asian Studies Program will host former U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar Derek Mitchell, president of the National Democratic Institute for a conversation on U.S. foreign policy in Southeast Asia.

Video

CSIS today hosted former Deputy National Security Advisor and Deputy Director of the CIA Avril Haines, Dr. Robert Jervis of Columbia University, and Dr. Peter W. Singer of New America to discuss how decision-makers think about strategic situational awareness, emerging technologies, and risk in crises between nuclear-armed states. Watch the event here.

Podcasts

Host Kathleen Hicks continues a discussion with Susanna Blume, Zack Cooper, and Dave Ochmanek on the major debates surrounding U.S. overseas military forces.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

“You know this space is gettin' hot.”

The debate rages among fans of the Grateful Dead as to which live version of any given song is the “best ever” version of said song. When it comes to the song “Althea,” I’ve always thought the best version came from a live show at Nassau Coliseum in May of 1980. And that version is the greatest one. But I recently came across another version I love, live at Hartford Civic Center, October 14, 1983.