The Evening: Coronavirus, U.S Nuke, Coda, and More

February 4, 2020

Coronavirus Update

As of today, the toll in China was more than 420 deaths and the Chinese government has reported 20,438 confirmed cases—roughly 15,000 more than during the SARS outbreak, according to the World Health Organization, as the NYT reports.

Dive Deeper: “Coronavirus Outbreak: What Is the U.S. Public Health Response?” by CFR’s Lindsay Maizland.

New U.S. Less Destructive Nuclear Warhead

The Pentagon has added a new warhead to its nuclear arsenal, the first in decades, to counter what it says is the threat posed by Russia, as the WSJ’s Gordon Lubold reports.

Libya Situation

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called the situation in Libya a “scandal” even as his envoy cited a “genuine will” by rival military factions as they planned their first meeting to secure a lasting ceasefire, as Reuters’ Emma Farge and Rodrigo Campos report.

CSIS Executive Education

We invite you to apply for the Project on Nuclear Issues's 2020 Mid-Career Cadre, a select group comprised of nuclear professionals that have been in the field for five or more years and demonstrate particular promise for developing expertise and moving into leadership positions. Applications are due by March 31.

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

20,438

The Chinese government has reported 20,438 confirmed cases of coronavirus—roughly 15,000 more than during the SARS outbreak, according to the World Health Organization.

Source: New York Times

Critical Quote

“As we approach the 2020 elections, an examination of Russian influence operations in 2016 suggests we are still vulnerable but not in ways people may expect.”

— CSIS's James Lewis

iDeas Lab

Iran’s January 8 ballistic missile attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq was an unprecedented moment in U.S.-Iranian relations. A new CSIS original video uses government statements, media reports, and first-hand accounts to depict how the attack unfolded.

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: Chris J Ratcliffe-WPA Pool/Getty Images). British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and British broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough attend the launch of the UK-hosted COP26 UN Climate Summit today in London. The Summit will take place this fall in Glasgow.

Recommended Reading

“For the US and China, interdependence is a double-edged sword,” by CSIS trustee Joseph Nye for the FT.

This Town Tomorrow

At 9:30 a.m., CSIS will host an expert panel to discuss how the United States can establish a framework for engagement in Afghanistan. Representative Michael Waltz (R-FL) will deliver keynote remarks.

Later, at 12:00 p.m., the Atlantic Council will host Carolyn Fairbairn, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry, for a conversation on the United Kingdom's new role in the global trading stage and the future of the U.S.-UK relationship ahead of a potential free trade negotiation.

And, at 12:30 p.m., the Carnegie Endowment will hold a conversation with Ambassador Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Video

CSIS hosted former Dr. Liam Fox, former UK secretary of state for Defense, former secretary of state for international trade, and Conservative member of parliament from North Somerset, to discuss the future of UK’s foreign and security policy. Watch the event here.

Podcasts

In the latest episode of The Truth of the Matter, Bob and I welcome back CSIS's Heather Conley, senior vice president for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic to discuss what comes next for the United Kingdom now that it has left the European Union. Heather examines many of the challenges the United Kingdom will still have to face, why the United States should care, and paths forward for a potential U.S.-UK trade agreement.

Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Smiles

My buddy Todd asked me the other day if I’d listened to Led Zeppelin’s “Coda,” the band’s posthumous swan song of outtakes. I said I hadn’t in years and that like most people I considered it a throw away album. Sure, when you listen to the album’s eight original tracks issued two years after John Bonham’s death, “I Can’t Quit You Baby” is a show stopper. But I never got into the rest of the material. So in 2015, when Jimmy Page reissued a Deluxe edition (the last in his series of reissues), I didn’t pay too much attention.

But since Todd mentioned it, a funny thing happened. I heard “Desire (The Wanton Song) – Rough Mix” on Sirius XM radio, and it launched me out of my seat. This is one of the extra tracks Page included on “Coda Deluxe,” and it is better than the original version on “Physical Graffiti,” which I didn’t think was possible.

After that, I immediately fired up “Coda Deluxe” on Spotify and realized that it’s surprisingly great album as a whole. Listen to “Bring It On Home – Rough Mix,” the outtake of Led Zep’s track from Led Zeppelin II. Astonishingly, I find it much, much better and more authentic than the original, which sounds tame in comparison.