Subject: The Evening CSIS: Climate Conf, DoD Budget, Levon's Waltz & More
From: "Andrew Schwartz" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 30 Nov 2015 23:57:05 -0000

To ensure receipt of our email, please add us to your address book.

 [ http://www.csis.org ]  

 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 click here [ http://CSIS.informz.net/CSIS/profile.asp?fid=3087 ]  and if you want to view this in your browser, click here [ http://CSIS.informz.net/InformzDataService/OnlineVersion/Individual?mailingInstanceId=5197424&subscriberId=1062005454 ] .

 Climate Summit
 The UN Climate Change Conference began today in Paris, featuring the largest gathering ever of world leaders for talks aimed at producing the most far-reaching pact yet to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. And, as the  Washington Post ’s Steve Mufson reports [ http://wapo.st/1HB6f6H ] , President Obama delivered an ominous warning that “no nation large or small, wealthy or poor, is immune” to ravages of global warming.

And, as the AP reports [ http://nyti.ms/1HB6Rcw ] , Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy says the House of Representatives will not go along if President Obama tries to commit taxpayer money to support a climate accord reached in Paris.

Plus, NPR today published an article: “10 Things To Know About The U.N. Climate Talks In Paris.” [ http://n.pr/1HB7CC9 ] 

 Dive Deeper:  CSIS’s Sarah Ladislaw today authored a new Critical Questions (CSIS’s signature asked & answered series of short policy papers): “The Road to Paris and Beyond.” [ http://bit.ly/1HB7T8m ] 

Plus, in a recent podcast [ http://bit.ly/1HBaJu1 ] , CSIS’s Jane Nakano and Michelle Melton discussed what is at stake for states in Asia as the international community attempts to address climate change.

 Kabul Attack Warning
 US officials warned Americans in Afghanistan today about “credible reports of an imminent attack” on the country’s capital in the next 48 hours, as the  Washington Post ’s Sarah Larimer reports [ http://wapo.st/1HBb0wW ] .

 Dive Deeper:  CSIS’s Anthony Cordesman’s major report emAfghanistan at Transition: The Lessons of the Longest War [ http://bit.ly/1C6CB3Q ]  is a must read. 

 Word from the Comptroller
 Pentagon comptroller Mike McCord appeared today at CSIS for a discussion with CSIS’s Todd Harrison: “Beyond the Budget Deal.” Among the highlights of the discussion, McCord said:

The White House decision to keep 9,800 troops in Afghanistan through 2016 will add about $3 billion to FY17 war budget;
 The FY17 budget will contain a “pretty significant increase in the European Reassurance Initiative;
 The FY17 budget likely will include “slowdowns” in programs to meet the $17 billion cut mandated by budget deal;
 The Pentagon is near the end of FY17 budget preparation, and the White House is expected to give DOD the final FY17 number in the next 2 weeks;
 And, the FY17 budget likely to be released on time in February.

Smart coverage by Breaking Defense’s Sydney Freedberg Jr. [ http://bit.ly/1HBdlrE ]  and Defense News’s Aaron Mehta. [ http://bit.ly/1HBefEB ] 

  Join the Club
  The IMF today designated the Chinese renminbi as one of the world’s elite currencies, a major milestone that underscores the country’s rising financial and economic heft and a move that will integrate the country into a global financial system dominated for decades by the US, Europe, and Japan, as the  New York Times ’ Keith Bradsher reports [ http://nyti.ms/1HBcE1C ] .

 Dive Deeper:  CSIS’s Scott Kennedy today authored a new Critical Questions (CSIS’s signature asked & answered series of short policy papers): “The RMB Joins the SDR: Historic Inch-stone in Global Financial System.” [ http://bit.ly/1HBcMhM ] 

Plus, CFR’s Robert Kahn today authored a new commentary: “China’s Symbolic Currency Win.” [ http://on.cfr.org/1HBcVSk ] 

 In that Number
  900 
More than 900 women are running for office in the December 12 municipal election in Saudi Arabia, a first in the kingdom’s history.
Source: CNN [ http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/30/middleeast/saudi-arabia-women-candidates/?utm_source=Mic+Check&utm_campaign=7ce134b67e-Monday_Nov_3011_29_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_51f2320b33-7ce134b67e-285047565 ] .

 Critical Quote
 “Paris will only be as successful as the actions it is able to catalyze after the negotiations are over.”
—Sarah Ladislaw, director of the CSIS Energy and National Security Program, on pivotal climate talks in Paris during the Conference of Parties (COP).
Source: CSIS [ http://csis.org/publication/road-paris-and-beyond ] .

 One to Watch 

 

 

Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly [ https://twitter.com/Phil_Mattingly ] ) will be joining CNN as a general assignment correspondent in January. Phil previously served as Bloomberg’s White House correspondent and national political correspondent, after covering economics and finance for CQ. Phil is one to watch as he heads to CNN’s New York bureau. ( Photo Credit: Bloomberg. )

 Optics
 While attending the climate talks in Paris, Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel and President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority shook hands for the first time since 2010. Turn to the  T [ http://www.timesofisrael.com/in-paris-netanyahu-and-abbas-shake-hands-for-first-time-in-years ]  [ http://www.timesofisrael.com/in-paris-netanyahu-and-abbas-shake-hands-for-first-time-in-years ] es of Israel [ http://www.timesofisrael.com/in-paris-netanyahu-and-abbas-shake-hands-for-first-time-in-years ]   for a look at this rare encounter.

 Highly Recommended
 The  Financial Times ’ Erika Solomon in Gaziantep and Ahmed Mhidi in southern Turkey write about how ISIS gets its guns in “Isis: The munitions trail.” [ http://on.ft.com/1OAyphA ] 

 CSIS Today
 Today, CSIS hosted DOD comptroller Mike McCord for a discussion on the long-term challenges that remain unresolved in the Department of Defense’s budget. Catch the conversation here [ http://csis.org/event/event-beyond-budget-deal-conversation-dod-comptroller-mike-mccord ] . And later, the CSIS Energy and National Security Program hosted Dr. Fatih Birol for a presentation of IEA’s 2015 World Energy Outlook. [ http://csis.org/event/ieas-world-energy-outlook-2015 ] 

 CSIS Tomorrow
 Join us [ http://csis.org/event/emerging-us-security-partnerships-southeast-asia ]  at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow as CSIS hosts a discussion on prospects for emerging US security partnerships in Southeast Asia. Panelists will discuss how Indonesia, Myanmar, and Vietnam are developing closer security ties with the United States and balancing them against relations with China. And later join us [ http://csis.org/event/developmental-approaches-countering-violent-extremism ]  at 11:00 a.m. for an expert discussion on the role of development actors in addressing the drivers and manifestations of violent extremism, including what makes young people in particular vulnerable to radicalization and recruitment.

 This Town Tomorrow
 Tomorrow at 9:00 a.m., the  Atlantic Council  will host a discussion on the future of American airpower, with General Mark A. Welsh III; General Welsh will discuss the current and future state of US airpower in a rapidly changing global security environment and changing political dynamic. Register or watch live here [ http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/events/upcoming-events/detail/the-future-of-american-airpower-a-conversation-with-general-mark-a-welsh-iii ] .

 CSIS on Demand
 As the Chinese renminbi is added to the IMF’s Special Drawing Rights today, brush up on what this means as top China experts discuss  [ http://csis.org/event/china-challenge-shaping-choices-rising-power ] the country’s rise, US-China relations, and the regional balance.

 Sounds
 How is ISIS funded, and what measures can be taken to squeeze the group financially? CSIS senior adviser Juan Zarate explains in Part 2 of “Tracking ISIS” on the CSIS Podcast [ https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-csis-podcast/id214886950?mt=2 ] .

 I Like It Like That 
 Eye-catching things in CSIS's orbit 

Amazon says it has figured out a place for its drones to land. [ http://on.wsj.com/1OAxNbA ] 

 Smiles
 It’s always kind of hard to shake off that Thanksgiving lethargy.  I hope everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving had a wonderful and reflective time surrounded by family and friends.

Last week before the holiday I left you with a classic smile from The Band’s “Last Waltz” which took place on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976.  

But what happened to the individual members of The Band after they parted ways?  It wasn’t all smiles, but that’s a long story.

Levon Helm, The Band’s great drummer and vocalist had some ups and downs but passed away at peace, at home, surrounded by music, family and friends in April of 2012.  Bob Dylan, a longtime Helm collaborator said "He was my bosom buddy friend to the end.”

Before that end and after The Band delivered their famous last performance, Levon still had a lot of music and a lot of smiles left in him.  I’ll never forget standing in my kitchen grinning ear-to-ear while on the phone with him one evening asking him question after question for an interview—it was really that extraordinary, unmistakable voice on the other end of the line.  Boy did I ever get lucky to talk with Levon Helm!  And I got to talk with him because he kept on making great music until the very end.

Here’s an amazing clip [ http://bit.ly/1HAYCNC ]  of Levon performing The Band’s classic “Up on Cripple Creek” with Ringo Starr’s and His All-Star Band in 1989.  Check out who else is on stage:  Ringo, Joe Walsh, Dr. John, Billy Preston, Nils Lofgren, Clarence Clemons, Jim Keltner and Rick Danko.  What a great smile.

 Feedback
 I always welcome and benefit from your feedback. Please drop me a line at [email-masked].

 Need help finding us? Use the map of our new location [ http://csis.org/about-us/contact-information ]  on csis.org with parking lots and metro stops. 

 

To unsubscribe from all CSIS emails, please click here [ http://CSIS.informz.net/CSIS/default.asp?action=u&email=[email-masked]&mi=5197424 ] .

 

Powered by Informz for iMIS  http://pod4.informz.net/clk/red8.asp?u=1062005454&mi=5197424&l=1