The Evening: Russia Hack, Iran Denial, Georgia On My Mind and More

January 5, 2021

U.S. Says Hacking “Likely” Came from Russia

American intelligence agencies formally named Russia as the “likely” source of the broad hacking of the United States government and private companies, and declared that the operation was “ongoing” nearly a month after it was discovered, as the NYT reports.

Iran Denies Seizure of SK Tanker

Iran denied on Tuesday it had taken a South Korean tanker hostage after the ship was seized by armed guards in Persian Gulf waters, even as it complained that Seoul had frozen $7 billion of its assets, as the Washington Post reports.

Saudi Arabia to Cut Production Sharply

Saudi Arabia said Tuesday it would unilaterally cut 1 million barrels a day of crude production starting next month, a surprise move signaling the kingdom’s worry that a resurgent coronavirus is threatening global economic recovery, as the WSJ reports.

Global Forecast 2021

Global Forecast is an annual collection of essays by CSIS experts focused on the critical issues facing the United States and the world in the year ahead. This year's first two papers look at the prospects for denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and foreign aid as a tool in great power competition.

Coronavirus Crisis Update

The Coronavirus Crisis Update podcast brings you the latest updates and analysis from CSIS experts and the leaders directing the global response. Past guests include NIAID Director Anthony Fauci, White House Chief of Staff-designate Ron Klain, IHME Director Dr. Chris Murray, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Representative Tom Cole (R-OK), Former FDA Commissioner Peggy Hamburg, and more. Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify.

Video Shorts

Check out CSIS’s new series of video shorts: “Data Unpacked,” Testify,” “What's Happening,” “Preview,” and “High Resolution.” And don’t forget to subscribe to the CSIS YouTube Channel!

In That Number

4

California’s daily coronavirus case tallies remain around four times what they were during the state’s summer surge and there are more than twice as many Covid-19 patients in California hospitals now as there were a month ago.

Source: NYT

Critical Quote

“The problem really is that we need to continue to do a better job of matching up supply and demand at the local level.”

— Dr. Jerome Adams, U.S. Surgeon General

iDeas Lab

Episode one of Data Unpacked uses poll data from a CSIS survey to explore China's rising assertiveness.

The Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS enhances our research with the latest in cutting-edge web technologies, design, and multimedia.

Optics

(Photo credit: Tasnim News/AFP via Getty Images.) A picture obtained from an Iranian news agency shows the South Korean-flagged tanker being escorted by Iran's Revolutionary Guards navy after being seized in the Gulf.

Recommended Reading

“GCC Rift over Qatar Comes to an End,” by CSIS’ Jon Alterman.

This Town Tomorrow

Tomorrow, at 10:00 a.m., join the Atlantic Council for a conversation on Iraq’s current budget process and the need for a revamped, dynamic, and transparent budget mechanism.

Then, at 11:00 a.m., the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation hosts a debate on the central questions facing both the US and its European allies: whether to accept China’s seemingly inexorable rise as an economic and technological superpower, or try to constrain it.

Finally, at 12:00 p.m., the Hudson Institute explores the deepening of the US-India defense relationship over the past two decades and asks if this relationship might finally become the key American partnership of the next century.

Video

The CSIS Economics Program ran a series of live events on disruptive forces in the global economy called Economy Disrupted. Watch the recap of the past season’s highlights here.

Podcasts

The latest Mezze episode of Babel takes a look at how more and more women across the Middle East are entering the auto industry, leading to unexpected innovations.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

Just about everyone has one place on their mind today…And while I love the Ray Charles version too, I couldn’t resist this clip of Willie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59ujEi545lc.