The Evening: WH Masked, WHO Warning, Lucille and More

May 11, 2020

White House Masked

As he encouraged the country to “reopen,” President Donald Trump confronted cases of the coronavirus in the White House itself on Monday, spotlighting the challenge he faces in instilling confidence in a nation still reeling from the pandemic. And, as the AP reports, Trump declared “We have met the moment, and we have prevailed.” Trump clarified he was only referring to ‘prevailing’ in connection to testing for the virus.

WHO Calls for Extreme Vigilance

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday that “extreme vigilance” was needed as countries begin to exit from lockdowns imposed to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, amid global concerns about a second wave of infections, as Reuters reports.

New York City Death Rate Underestimated

New York City’s official death rate during the first seven weeks of the coronavirus pandemic probably understates the true number that can be attributed to covid-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report Monday, as the Washington Post reports.

On the Horizon

China’s technology ambitions appeared imperiled by Covid-19, but the pandemic is already providing new opportunities for China’s rise as a technology power and global provider of digital infrastructure.

CSIS’s “On the Horizon” series offers insights into the more fundamental changes we might anticipate for our future social and economic world as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic.

CSIS Executive Education

Join CSIS’s Trade Guys for their next crash course on trade policy. The one-day program breaks down the fundamentals of how U.S. trade policy is formulated, the legalities of trade in an international arena, and the impact of Covid-19 on supply chains. Register here.

Video Shorts

Check out CSIS’s new series of video shorts: “Testify,” "What's Happening," "Preview," and “High Resolution.” And don’t forget to subscribe to the CSIS YouTube Channel!

In That Number

19

An Iranian warship struck one of its own naval vessels during an exercise near a strategic Persian Gulf waterway, killing at least 19 sailors.

Source: WSJ

Critical Quote

“We’re not reopening based on science. We’re reopening based on politics, ideology and public pressure. And I think it’s going to end badly.”

— Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

iDeas Lab

As of May 11, there are 11,537 confirmed cases of coronavirus within the Department of Defense (DoD).

The Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS enhances our research with the latest in cutting-edge web technologies, design, and video.

Optics

(Photo credit: Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images). Jared Kushner looks on as President Donald Trump holds a Covid-19 news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House.

Recommended Reading

“Out of Sight: Northeast Nigeria's Humanitarian Crisis,” by CSIS’s Jacob Kurtzer.

Online Events

Tomorrow, at 10:00 a.m., please join the CSIS Cooperative Defense Project and Project on Prosperity and Development for the second of a two-part online discussion on how the U.S. government can conduct more effective and conflict-aware stabilization efforts.

After, at 2:00 p.m., the Atlantic Council hosts a timely conversation on the implications of the pandemic on Sino-Brazilian relations.

And, at 2:00 p.m., the Brookings Institution will host a webinar on reopening the coronavirus-closed economy.

Video

We at CSIS know it wouldn’t be possible for us to do our jobs without the sacrifice of the men and women who serve on the front lines: doctors, nurses, first responders, health care professionals, essential workers, grocery store staff and the many others who are keeping us safe. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

In the newest episode of the Impossible State, Victor Cha and Joseph Bermudez about the reappearance of Kim Jong Un and the breaking news surrounding satellite images CSIS released this week of a previously undisclosed North Korean missile facility.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

You knew who this one was going to be about. We woke Saturday morning to learn that Little Richard had passed away at 87 and since then, I’ve been reading a bunch of trite attempts to describe who he was and the impact he had. I won’t add to that literature here except to say that his music was primal. And that he harnessed his sound in New Orleans in 1955 where he recorded at Cosimo Matassa's J&M Studios with several of Fats Domino's session musicians, including drummer Earl Palmer and saxophonist Lee Allen. That sound can trace its roots directly to New Orleans’ Congo Square (now Armstrong Park), one of the birthplaces of American music.

I met Little Richard once. It was a breathtaking experience. The day before the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opened its doors in Cleveland on September 2, 1995, my wife and I were treated to a private tour of the Rock Hall. We walked up to the front door of the I.M. Pei designed structure not knowing what to expect. Once inside we were met by our docent. Shockingly, our docent was Little Richard! He was wearing a purple cape and didn’t say a word for that first minute. He just gave us a devilish grin and motioned with a big sweep of his arm and cape for us to follow him like he was the pied piper. And he was! He led us down the stairs to a gleaming white grand piano where a few other people were already assembled. Still not saying anything he sat down at the piano and started banging out and singing “Lucille.” I will never forget it.