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The Evening CSIS: Bombs in Baghdad, Asia Bound, Liner Notes & 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) .


** Bombs in Baghdad
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Horrific blasts in Iraq killed over 90 people today, with ISIS claiming responsibility. A car bombing in a Shiite neighborhood in Baghdad was followed by a pair of suicide attacks later in the day, adding to the growing number of attacks that have taken place in Iraq recently–CNN has the story (http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/11/middleeast/baghdad-market-bombing/index.html) .

Dive Deeper: CSIS’s Anthony Cordesman recently released a full assessment of the underlying causes of instability in the Middle East in this in-depth report. (http://csis.org/publication/underlying-causes-stability-and-instability-middle-east-and-north-africa-mena-region)

Dr. Cordesman also joined FOX News's Special Report with Bret Baier (http://video.foxnews.com/v/4889281714001/is-admin-running-out-the-clock-in-its-fight-against-isis/#sp=show-clips) to discuss the attack today.


** Asia Bound
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The White House announced further stops on President Obama’s upcoming Asia trip, with the president scheduled to visit Hiroshima, as Reuters reports (http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-japan-obama-idUSKCN0Y11KC) .

Dive Deeper: CSIS will host a press briefing on the President’s trip next Tuesday—with a full transcript to follow.

CSIS's Heather Conley’s latest report (http://csis.org/publication/rebalanced-transatlantic-policy-toward-asia-pacific-region) discusses how Europe and the US can better cooperate on the Asia-Pacific–this report is the result of a two year comprehensive study of the region.

CSIS's Sharon Squassoni and Yukari Sekiguchi authored a Critical Questions (CSIS’s signature asked & answered series of short papers) on "President Obama's Hiroshima Visit (http://csis.org/publication/president-obamas-hiroshima-visit) ."


** Breaking ISIL's Brand
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FBI Director James Comey said today that fewer and fewer Americans are being drawn overseas to fight with ISIS, with the group’s influence apparently on the decline, as CBS reports (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/isis-american-recruitment-on-decline-fbi-director-says/) .

Dive Deeper: Catch last night’s Schieffer Series (http://csis.org/event/schieffer-series-breaking-isils-brand) with an all-star lineup of Richard Stengel, Farah Pandith, and David Sanger in conversation with the legendary Bob Schieffer as they discuss strategies to counter extremist influences.


** In that Number
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** 2.6%
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The Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) International Energy Outlook, released today at CSIS (http://csis.org/event/eias-international-energy-outlook-2016) , predicts that energy consumption from renewables will grow an average of 2.6% a year through 2040. Source: The Hill (http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/279504-renewables-to-dominate-energy-growth-worldwide-federal-forecasters) .


** Critical Quote
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** “Transforming global standoffs into spectator sports will increase public pressure on leaders, reduce the time they have to react, and may foreclose politically sensitive options for de-escalation.”
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—CFR military fellow Col. Sean Larkin on transparency’s double-edged sword (http://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2016/05/transparencys-double-edged-sword/128210/?oref=d-river) in Defense One today.


** One to Watch
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(Photo Credit: Twitter.)
Andrew Roth (@ARothWP (https://twitter.com/ARothWP) ) is a Washington Post reporter based in Moscow. Andrew previously reported for the New York Times from their Moscow bureau. For the latest news on Russia, Andrew is one to watch.


** Optics
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(Photo credit: HAIDAR HAMDANI/AFP/Getty Images.)
Iraqis carry the coffin of a victim of a car bombing in Baghdad’s Shiite area of Sadr City during a funeral for people who died in the attack in the holy city of Najaf on May 11, 2016. The car bombing, claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group, killed at least 64 people at a market in a Shiite area of Baghdad, the single deadliest attack this year in the capital.


** Highly Recommended
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“A first look inside the Smithsonian’s African American museum: Stunning views, grand scale, (https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/museums/a-first-look-inside-the-smithsonians-african-american-museum-stunning-views-grand-scale/2016/05/10/80ac784e-160e-11e6-9e16-2e5a123aac62_story.html) ” via Peggy Malone of the Washington Post.


** CSIS Today
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CSIS’s Energy and National Security Program hosted “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).

CSIS’s Russia and Eurasia Program hosted “Continuity and Innovation in Russia's Way of War (http://csis.org/event/continuity-and-innovation-russias-way-war) .”

CSIS’s Global Food Security Project held a conference on “Transforming Global Food Security (http://csis.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=833ec271d60c6750d9c3baaac&id=ce75b7ac0b&e=d556e146bd) .”

CSIS’s China Power Project hosted “ChinaPower: Launch (http://csis.org/event/chinapower-launch) ,” a discussion with Joseph S. Nye and David Shambaugh.

And CSIS’s Energy and National Security Program hosted “The Role of Natural Gas in Low Carbon Pathways (http://csis.org/event/role-natural-gas-low-carbon-pathways) .”


** CSIS Tomorrow
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Join CSIS’s Africa Program at 10:00 a.m. for “Women and Girls in Northeast Nigeria: A Second-Rate Response (http://csis.org/event/women-and-girls-northeast-nigeria-second-rate-response) .”


** This Town Tomorrow
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Join the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. for “Transforming U.S. Policy for a New Middle East (http://carnegieendowment.org/2016/05/12/transforming-u.s.-policy-for-new-middle-east/ixym) ,” featuring William Quandt.

And watch CSIS’s Juan Zarate testify at 10:00 a.m. before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on “Terrorism, Missiles and Corruption: The Risks of Economic Engagement with Iran (http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing/hearing-terrorism-missiles-and-corruption-risks-economic-engagement-iran) .”


** CSIS on Demand
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Watch Joseph S. Nye, David Shambaugh, and Bonnie Glaser discuss the rise of Chinese power (http://csis.org/event/chinapower-launch) , its strengths and weaknesses, with a particular focus on China’s soft power.


** Sounds
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The CSIS Russia and Eurasia Program’s Russian Roulette (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/russian-roulette/id1112258664?mt=2) podcast is now available on iTunes.


** I Like It Like That
Eye-catching things in CSIS's orbit
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“From bingo games to brackets, The Washington Post is building ‘alternative story forms,’ (http://www.niemanlab.org/2016/05/from-bingo-games-to-brackets-the-washington-post-is-building-alternative-story-forms/) ” via Harvard’s Nieman Lab.


** Smiles
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“Liner Notes”

I loved corresponding with so many of you about yesterday’s smiles “Album Covers Still Matter.” The note from Parker in Tokyo who picked up the reference “piece of music formerly known as an album” was a smile in itself.

Dr. Andy Kuchins weighed in with a truly excellent point. Not only does Andy miss “perusing album covers in record stores,” but he misses, as I do, “liner notes including credits for who played what instrument and even who wrote a song.”

Some of the best pieces of writing I’ve ever read have come from liner notes. That’s why Grammy’s are awarded for “Best Album Notes.”

My friend, the noted rock journalist Anthony DeCurtis, won a Grammy for his liner notes to Clapton’s “Crossroads” box set in 1989.

Liner notes still exist—they are just scattered like digital ash within impenetrable online platforms.

Allmusic.com provides some solace for us liner starved individuals, but it’s not the same as opening a record sleeve and reading Dave Marsh, Jerry Wexler, David Ritz, Thulani Davis, Ahmet Ertegün, Tom Dowd, and Arif Mardin who wrote the liner notes for Queen of Soul: The Atlantic Recordings, performed by Aretha Franklin, another Grammy winner (’93.)

So in the spirit of lost liner notes which still matter, one more from the great Bob Mould’s new record, “Patch the Sky (http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/saturday-sessions-bob-mould-performs-voices-in-my-head/) .”


** 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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