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The Evening CSIS: Terrifying Price, ISIS Attacks, Midnight Special & More
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** Good Evening,
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Welcome to
The Evening CSIS—my daily guide to key insights CSIS brings to the events of the day plus HIGHLY RECOMMENDED content from around the world. To subscribe, please sign up here (http://bit.ly/ecs1s) .


** Terrifying Price
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North Korea’s foreign minister said today that the US would pay “a terrifying price” for leading new international sanctions against his country, shortly after Secretary of State John Kerry called for concerted pressure on Pyongyang in response to its continued missile and nuclear-weapons testing, as the
Wall Street Journal’s Ben Otto reports (http://www.wsj.com/articles/north-korea-threatens-terrifying-price-over-u-s-sanctions-push-1469547889) from Laos.

Dive Deeper: CSIS’s Anthony Cordesman has just released a new report: North Korean Nuclear Forces and the Threat of Weapons of Mass Destruction in Northeast Asia (https://www.csis.org/analysis/north-korean-nuclear-forces-and-threat-weapons-mass-destruction-northeast-asia) .


** ISIS Attacks France
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Two attackers backing ISIS—including one on a watch list—stormed a 17th century church in a working-class town in Normandy during Mass today, taking hostages and slitting the throat of a 85-year-old priest before police commandos shot and killed the assailants, authorities said, as the
Washington Post reports (https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/attackers-slit-french-priests-throat-in-church-shot-dead-by-police/2016/07/26/618a9600-5315-11e6-b7de-dfe509430c39_story.html) .

Dive Deeper: A new post by Brookings’ Dana Hadra today addresses “What are the legal foundations of the Islamic State? (http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/markaz/posts/2016/07/26-legal-foundations-isis-hadra) ”


** Major Offensive in Afghanistan
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Following a massive attack in Kabul, the Afghan military has launched a major offensive against ISIS in the country’s far eastern region near the border with Pakistan, Afghan and US officials said today, as the AP reports (http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/2016/07/26/afghan-official-says-major-offensive-against-isis-underway/87574200/) .

And, as the BBC reports (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36892100) , a key commander with ISIS has been killed in a military operation.


** Weeks of Violence
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In a span of six days in July, four high-profile attacks occurred in Germany, putting the nation on edge, as the New York Times reports (http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/07/25/world/europe/germany-attacks-munich-ansbach.html) .

Dive Deeper: CSIS’s Jeffrey Rathke has authored a new commentary: “Rising Ambitions and Growing Resources Mark New German Security Strategy (https://www.csis.org/analysis/rising-ambitions-and-growing-resources-mark-new-german-security-strategy) .”


** In That Number
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** $239 million
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The total value of Syria-related aid contracts that USAID has suspended due to potential fraud. Source: Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/suspecting-fraud-us-suspends-some-syrian-aid-programs/2016/07/26/9ad4c600-5285-11e6-88eb-7dda4e2f2aec_story.html) .


** Critical Quote
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** “At a time of stress in the global economy, the world needs Britain to buck up and stop punching below its weight. Global demand is weak, financial uncertainty is growing, and the liberal economic order is under attack. Britain has a leading role to play in tackling all these issues. It could start by putting its weight behind a successful G20 summit in Hangzhou, China, in early September.”
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— CSIS’s Matthew P. Goodman on Britain’s need to act like the economic power it is. Source: CSIS’s Simon Chair in Political Economy’s Global Economics Monthly (https://www.csis.org/analysis/global-economics-monthly-or-out-britain-needs-act-economic-power-it-0) .


** One to Watch
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Jeffrey Rathke (@JeffRathke (https://twitter.com/JeffRathke) ) is a senior fellow and the deputy director of CSIS’s Europe Program. He previously served as director of the State Department Press Office, as well as deputy director of the Private Office of the NATO Secretary General in Brussels. Read Jeff’s latest commentary, “Rising Ambitions and Growing Resources Mark New German Security Strategy (https://www.csis.org/analysis/rising-ambitions-and-growing-resources-mark-new-german-security-strategy) .”


** Optics
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(Photo credit: CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP/Getty Images.)

French president Francois Hollande (c), flanked by Hubert Wulfranc, mayor of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray (l), and French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve (r), speaks to the press as he leaves Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray’s city hall following a hostage taking at a church in the town today that left a priest dead. Hollande said that the two men who attacked the church and slit the throat of the priest had “claimed to be from Daesh,” using the Arabic name for the Islamic State group. Police said they killed the two hostage takers in the attack in the Normandy town, 125 kilometers (77 miles) north of Paris.


** Highly Recommended
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ICYMI, Marcus Weisgerber of
Defense One is now writing the Global Business Brief (http://www.defenseone.com/business/2016/07/global-business-brief-inaugural-edition/130105/) , a weekly newsletter about the future of the business of defense.


** CSIS Today
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CSIS’s International Security Program hosted “2016 U.S. Elections and the Future of U.S. Military Forces (https://www.csis.org/events/2016-us-elections-and-future-us-military-forces) .”

CSIS’s Freeman Chair in China Studies hosted “Playing to our Strengths: US-Taiwan Cooperation in the ICT Sector (https://www.csis.org/events/playing-our-strengths-us-taiwan-cooperation-ict-sector) ,” featuring James K. J. Lee, Taipei’s deputy representative to the United States.


**
CSIS Tomorrow
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At 9:00 a.m., CSIS’s Strategic Technologies Program will host “Hacking the Skills Shortage: A Study of the International Shortage in Cybersecurity Skills (https://www.csis.org/events/hacking-skills-shortage) ,” featuring Phyllis Schneck, deputy under secretary for cybersecurity at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.


**
This Town Tomorrow
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Join the Center for Global Development at 3:30 p.m. for “Expanding Opportunities for the Poor in Middle Income Developing Countries (http://www.cgdev.org/event/expanding-opportunities-poor-middle-income-developing-countries) .”


** CSIS On Demand
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Watch “Afghanistan and Central Asia: Shared Security or Divided Insecurity? (https://www.csis.org/events/afghanistan-and-central-asia) ,” hosted by CSIS’s Russia and Eurasia Program last week.


** Sounds
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Listen to the new episode of
FP’s The Editor’s Roundtable podcast, “What Will It Take to Keep China From Behaving Badly in the South China Sea? (http://the-e-r-podcast.foreignpolicy.com/) ”


** I Like It Like That
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Via Geek Wire, “Ray Kurzweil: The world isn’t getting worse—our information is getting better (http://www.geekwire.com/2016/ray-kurzweil-world-isnt-getting-worse-information-getting-better/) .”


** Smiles
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“Let the Midnight Special shine it’s ever loving light on me…”

I’m excited about a new project by two of my favorite roots musicians Billy Bragg and Joe Henry. During a 4 day, almost 3,000 mile railroad trip from Chicago to LA, they have recorded “Shine a Light: Field Recordings From the Great American Railroad.”

Maybe “Shine a Light,” available in late September is just what I need to make my next trip to New York on the Acela a pleasant one. It might be a stretch but possibly I just need something to make me optimistic about AMTRAK other than the “Quiet Car.” “Shine a Light" may be just the ticket…

Taking the train isn’t exactly a wonderful experience for most of us these days, but it’s a muse for Bragg and Henry, who use it to travel and record a trove of railroad inspired covers of Leadbelly, Hank Williams, the Carter Family, and other iconic musicians.

This video of Bragg and Henry recording “The Midnight Special (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DG4wRpemEM) ” is a such a smile and a preview of what’s to come once the full record comes out on September 23.


** Feedback
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I always welcome and benefit from your feedback. Please drop me a line at aschwartz@csis.org (mailto:aschwartz@csis.org)

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