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The Evening CSIS: Sea Cruise, Unworkable, Album Covers & More
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Good Evening,

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 send me an email at aschwartz@csis.org (mailto:aschwartz@csis.org) .


** Sea Cruise
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The Pentagon sent a warship through the South China Sea today in another operation meant to counter China’s territorial claims to artificial islands there, as the Wall Street Journal’s Gordon Lubold reports (http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-warship-sailing-near-chinese-claimed-island-challenges-beijing-1462855738) .

And, as the Washington Post’s Simon Denyer and Thomas Gibbons-Neff report, (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/05/10/china-scrambles-fighters-jets-as-u-s-destroyer-steams-past-disputed-island/) the presence of the USS William P. Lawrence, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer (note: Admiral Arleigh Burke cofounded CSIS) prompted the Chinese military to scramble three fighter jets that monitored the destroyer, along with three Chinese ships, until the American vessel left the area.

Dive Deeper: CSIS’s Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI), an interactive micro-website developed with the CSIS iDeas Lab, tracks the latest developments in maritime Asia including island reclamation progress via our interactive “Island Tracker (http://amti.csis.org/island-tracker/) .”

And, CSIS’s interactive micro-website ChinaPower (http://chinapower.csis.org/military/) , takes a close look at China’s military apparatus.


** Meet the New Boss
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As CNBC’s Patti Domm reports (http://www.cnbc.com/2016/05/10/dont-confuse-saudi-inc-with-saudi-arabia.html) , Saudi Arabia sent a powerful message this past weekend when longtime Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi, 81, was removed by royal decree and replaced with former Saudi Aramco CEO Khalid al-Falih, viewed as a capable technocrat who will reflect the views of Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Dive Deeper: CSIS’s Jon Alterman authored a new commentary: “Saudi Change Is Slow (http://csis.org/publication/saudi-change-slow) .”

And, CSIS’s Sarah Ladislaw was interviewed in depth by the NewsHour on Saudi Arabia’s new path (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/oil-reliant-saudi-arabia-envisions-a-new-economic-path/) .


** Unworkable
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Secretary of State John Kerry today told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview (http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/10/world/kerry-amanpour-syria-iran/) that Russia’s version of a political solution in Syria is “not necessarily a workable equation.”

Dive Deeper: Carnegie’s Demetri Trenin authored “The Revival of the Russian Military (https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/russia-fsu/2016-04-18/revival-russian-military) ” for Foreign Affairs.


** In that Number
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** 4th
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By 2050, the ASEAN bloc of countries is expected to be the world’s fourth largest economic group. Source: A Rebalanced Transatlantic Policy Toward the Asia-Pacific Region (http://csis.org/publication/rebalanced-transatlantic-policy-toward-asia-pacific-region) .


** Critical Quote
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** “A quarter century of a shrinking military is over. It is time for the German armed forces to grow.”
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—Ursula von der Leyen, defense minister of Germany, said today while announcing large military personnel increases. Source: Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-military-idUSKCN0Y11ZV) .


** One to Watch
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(Photo Credit: Vice News.)
Kaj Larsen (@kajlarsen (https://twitter.com/kajlarsen) ) is a Vice News correspondent and producer. Kaj previously worked as a correspondent with CNN and is a former Navy SEAL. Kaj recently joined the 82nd Airborne on a training exercise, which you can watch in this fully-interactive 360 degree video (https://www.facebook.com/Facebook360/posts/1756335081251626) . For embedded reporting from combat zones, Kaj is one to watch.


** Optics
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(Photo credit: LOUISA GOULIAMAKI/AFP/Getty Images.)
Greek riot police on Sunday fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators who threw Molotov cocktails during an anti-austerity protest outside the parliament in Athens, as lawmakers prepared to vote on a controversial tax and pensions overhaul.


** Highly Recommended
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“From out of nowhere, the US Energy Department launches a great podcast (http://www.theverge.com/2016/5/9/11640154/us-energy-department-podcast-direct-current) ,” via the Verge.


** CSIS Today
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CSIS’s International Security Program hosted “The State of Defense Acquisition (http://csis.us11.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=833ec271d60c6750d9c3baaac&id=07b250c593&e=d556e146bd) ,” with Frank Kendall, under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology, and logistics.

CSIS’s Freeman Chair in China Studies hosted for “China’s Economy: Powerhouse, Menace, or the Next Japan (http://csis.us11.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=833ec271d60c6750d9c3baaac&id=f9eef20380&e=d556e146bd) .”

And we held our latest Schieffer Series, “Breaking ISIL’s Brand (http://csis.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=833ec271d60c6750d9c3baaac&id=c07d0b0537&e=d556e146bd) ,” with US under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs Richard Stengel, CFR’s Farah Pandith, and the New York Times’s David Sanger.


** CSIS Tomorrow
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Join CSIS’s Energy and National Security Program tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. for “EIA's International Energy Outlook 2016 (http://csis.org/event/eias-international-energy-outlook-2016) ,” featuring Adam Sieminski, administrator of the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Join CSIS’s Russia and Eurasia Program tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. for “Continuity and Innovation in Russia's Way of War (http://csis.org/event/continuity-and-innovation-russias-way-war) .”

Join CSIS’s Global Food Security Project on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. for “Transforming Global Food Security (http://csis.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=833ec271d60c6750d9c3baaac&id=ce75b7ac0b&e=d556e146bd) ,” which will explore how recent technological advances can help to create a more food-secure world.

At 3:30 p.m. tomorrow, CSIS’s China Power Project is hosting “ChinaPower: Launch (http://csis.org/event/chinapower-launch) ,” a discussion with Joseph S. Nye and David Shambaugh on the rise of Chinese power, its strengths and weaknesses, with a particular focus on China's soft power.

And tomorrow at 4:00 p.m., join CSIS’s Energy and National Security Program for “The Role of Natural Gas in Low Carbon Pathways (http://csis.org/event/role-natural-gas-low-carbon-pathways) .”


** This Town Tomorrow
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Join the Wilson Center tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. for “Who Watches the Watchmen? The New Intelligence Oversight (https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/who-watches-the-watchmen-the-new-intelligence-oversight) .”


** CSIS on Demand
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Today’s Schieffer Series “Breaking ISIL’s Brand (https://youtu.be/eb78l-i6scE?t=27m34s) ” is a must-see.


** Sounds
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The latest episode of Foreign Policy’s The E.R. Podcast, “Examining Sy-raq (http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/05/09/examining-sy-raq/?utm_content=bufferd7ebc&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer) ,” asks whether the worst is yet to come in Syria and Iraq.


** I Like It Like That
Eye-catching things in CSIS's orbit
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A new digital platform for delivering local news called Ripple (http://www.recode.net/2016/5/10/11648320/ripple-local-news-app) .


** Smiles
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I think album covers still matter. I know there is a renaissance going on with vinyl records that have actual album covers like in the old days—but that’s not what I’m talking about. To be sure, records are cool, and they sound great. But you can’t listen to them on the Red Line, in the car, walking down the street, at the gym, on the basketball court…so very few people collect them. So, I don’t think the vinyl renaissance is why album covers still matter.

Album covers to most people nowadays aren’t really thought of as album covers. But that’s exactly what you will see populating iTunes music and podcasts. Even though on our phones these album cover images are fractions of an inch, they are still compelling. I will click on a podcast or piece of music formerly known as an album if the cover image is interesting or well designed. Just like in the old days, they pique my interest—even in this mini visual format.

That’s precisely why I clicked the iTunes cover of Bob Mould’s new record “Patch the Sky” last night. I didn’t click because Mould is one of the godfathers of indie rock. I didn’t click because Mould’s influential 80’s band Hüsker Dü honed its chops at Minneapolis’ famous First Avenue club—Prince’s home court. And, I didn’t click because Mould at 55 might still be one of the most interesting guitar players in modern music. I just thought the album cover to “Patch the Sky” looked like what superb album cover art should—even in micro form.

It turns out the music on the album is even better than the cover suggests. You can see the album cover in this clip (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MDQVrN8txM) as Stephen Colbert is holding it up (in vinyl form) and you can hear one of the best cuts on the record and watch Mould’s electric live performance on The Late Show. I think album covers still matter and I’m interested to know if you agree…


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


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