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The Evening CSIS: Switched On, Mosul Hold, the real thing & 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) .


** Switched On
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China has begun operating a lighthouse on one of its artificial islands in the South China Sea near where a US warship sailed last year to challenge China's territorial claims, as Reuters reports (http://www.reuters.com/article/us-southchinasea-china-idUSKCN0X3048) utilizing CSIS’s Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative satellite imagery.

Dive Deeper: CSIS’s Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) first reported (http://amti.csis.org/airstrips-near-completion/) an octagonal tower with a conical feature at its top, located on the northeast side of Subi Reef in early January. AMTI reported then that the lighthouse was nearly complete, measuring almost 100 feet tall.


** Hold On
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An Iraqi Army offensive touted as the first phase of a campaign to recapture the northern city of Mosul from ISIS has been paused until more forces arrive to hold ground, the commander in charge said today, as Reuters reports (http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-offensive-idUSKCN0X31US) .

Dive Deeper: CSIS’s Mark Cancian has authored a new commentary: “Helping the Kurds in the Recapture of Mosul (http://csis.org/publication/helping-kurds-recapture-mosul) .”


** Tesla's Run
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Since unveiling its new Model 3 sedan, a cheaper electric vehicle, there have been 276,000 orders in just two days. The Washington Post’s Chris Mooney reports (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/04/06/teslas-model-3-orders-are-through-the-roof-heres-what-that-means-for-the-planet/) on what this means for the planet.

Dive Deeper: CSIS’s Michelle Melton authored a new commentary today: “Utility Involvement in Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure: California at the Vanguard (http://csis.org/publication/utility-involvement-electric-vehicle-charging-infrastructure-california-vanguard) .”


** In that Number
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** $200 million
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Russia says that ISIS nets up to $200 million per year by pillaging antiquities. Source: Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-antiquities-russia-idUSKCN0X32HK) .


** Critical Quote
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** “We were able to talk about the potential use of nuclear weapons as part of deterrence, so why can we not talk about cyber that way as well?”
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—James A. Lewis, director of CSIS’s Strategic Technologies Program, on the need for more openness on US cyber capabilities as a means of deterrence.
Source: Financial Times (http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/4d98edd0-fba5-11e5-b3f6-11d5706b613b.html#axzz455WS8ZGV) .


** One to Watch
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(Photo Credit: Twitter.)

Kimiko de Freytas (@kimidefreytas (https://twitter.com/kimidefreytas) ) is a staff reporter in the New York Times’ London bureau. Kimiko previously reported for the BBC, the Financial Times, and AFP. For continuing coverage of the terror investigation in Brussels, Kimiko is one to watch.


** Optics
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Reuters has a photo roundup (http://www.reuters.com/news/picture/separatist-clashes-in-azerbaijan?articleId=USRTSDKF4) from the clashes in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.


** Highly Recommended
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Compare the presidential candidate’s perspectives on national security via CFR’s excellent “Campaign 2016: The Candidates & The World (http://www.cfr.org/campaign2016/national-security?cid=soc-twitter-in-c2016-natl_sec-040616) .”


** CSIS Today
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Today CSIS’s Global Food Security Project hosted “Tracking Promises: Analyzing the Impact of Feed the Future Investments in Tanzania.” Watch the event On Demand here (http://csis.org/event/tracking-promises-analyzing-impact-feed-future-investments-tanzania) .


** CSIS on Demand
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CSIS hosted “Defense Reform in the 21st Century (https://youtu.be/-4rRdyMAdwk) ” last month. Watch On Demand (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4rRdyMAdwk&feature=youtu.be) .


** Sounds
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CSIS’s latest Smart Women, Smart Power podcast, “Grounded—The Challenge of Retaining Top Women and Millennials in the Air Force (http://csis.org/multimedia/grounded-challenge-retaining-top-women-and-millennials-air-force) ,” was released today. Nina Easton sits down with former fighter pilot Heather Penney to discuss retention issues in the Air Force.


** I Like It Like That
Eye-catching things in CSIS's orbit
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ICYMI or haven’t yet heard it, NPR has a new series called “Embedded (http://www.npr.org/2016/03/10/469840147/about-embedded) ,” which “takes a story and goes deep.” I like it.


** Lagniappe
A little something extra
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One of the all-time greatest American musicians passed away today on his 79th birthday. Merle Haggard was the ultimate Country Music outlaw. He was actually locked up in San Quentin State Prison when Johnny Cash performed there. Haggard credited that famous performance as the inspiration to start his own career. In 2010, Haggard was honored at the Kennedy Center along with Paul McCartney. His music was breathtaking. Especially “Mama Tried (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjCltSnl2aE) .”


** Smiles
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We’ve been smiling about Daniel Lanois’ influence on modern music through various artists and his own solo career—and, believe me, we’re not even close to done yet. However, the scale of Lanois’ collaboration with U2 in the late 1980s and early 1990s is incomparable.

“Achtung Baby” was released in late November of 1991 and subsequently altered the sonic architecture of modern rock. Lanois and the band sought inspiration from the recent German unification and recorded their album in Berlin. It wasn’t easy and the sessions were fraught with such tension that the band almost split up over their new musical direction. Bono and Lanois almost came to blows it was famously reported at the time.

It’s hard to remember now, but the band was actually at a crossroads and the pressure on them was immense. Their 1988 album and film “Rattle and Hum” wasn’t well received by critics and the once authentic rockers from Dublin began to garner a reputation as sell-out, pretentious posers.

The intensity of the stakes around the band, the bleak, depressing feel of Germany in the immediate aftermath of unification, the Edge’s separation from his wife and the new musical direction U2 was trying to attain set the stage for a monumental failure. But that’s not what happened.

Lanios and his co-producer Brian Eno (famous for working with David Bowie) turned problems into breakthroughs. And the band members themselves lightened up. Bono invented a new persona “The Fly,” a grandiose character intended to parody rock excess.

It all worked, and the music sounded different than anything they had done previously. It was crushing, industrial rock tinged with electronic dance music and dark, distorted funk.

I don’t think the band ever recorded a better, fresher and more urgent sounding record. I was astonished when it came out. Looking back at a clip like this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ykV0pI-caA) , all I can do is smile.


** 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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