The Evening: Covid Bill Debate Opens, Capitol Threat, Rock Camp The Movie and more

March 4, 2021

Senate Votes to Open Debate on Covid Bill

The Senate voted today to open debate on President Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill, as Democrats moved forward with no GOP support after failing to win over a single Republican senator, as the Washington Post reports.

Capitol Police Request Extended National Guard Deployment Amid Threats Linked to QAnon

Capitol Police requested an extension for National Guard troops deployed at the heavily fortified complex—as law enforcement officials warned of a possible new assault on the building today, after obtaining intelligence pointing to a new plot by a militia group, as the NYT reports.

WHO to Scrap Plans for Interim Report on Covid Origins

A World Health Organization team investigating the origins of Covid-19 is planning to scrap an interim report on its recent mission to China amid mounting tensions between Beijing and Washington over the investigation and an appeal from one international group of scientists for a new probe, as the WSJ reports.

Executive Education

Navigating U.S. Foreign Assistance features a hands-on study of the latest trends and techniques today’s international development and humanitarian leaders need to successfully maximize their impact. Through seminars, case studies, and a culminating crisis simulation, participants will join a diverse network of industry professionals and pair their own unique experience with CSIS’s rich array of coaching resources. Register here.

Coronavirus Crisis Update

The Coronavirus Crisis Update podcast brings you the latest updates and analysis from CSIS experts and the leaders directing the global response. Past guests include NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain, IHME Director Dr. Chris Murray, Covid-19 Advisory Group members Dr. Luciana Borio and Dr. Celine Gounder, chef Jose Andres, and more. Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify.

Video Shorts

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

In That Number

2 Million

The average number of vaccine doses being administered across the United States per day topped 2 million for the first time on Wednesday, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A month ago, the average was about 1.3 million.

Source: CDC

Critical Quote

“Nobody is in charge.”

— Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee, on the Capitol Police Board

iDeas Lab

CSIS experts Caitlin Welsh and Matthew Funaiole discuss the devastating impacts of Covid-19 on U.S. food security in the latest episode of CSIS's Data Unpacked video series.

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

Optics

(Photo credit: Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images.) Members of the National Guard wear protective masks on duty outside of the U.S. Capitol.

Recommended Reading

“Rethinking the Role of Remotely Crewed Systems in the Future Force,” by CSIS’s Todd Harrison.

This Town Tomorrow

Tomorrow, at 11:00 a.m., the CSIS Scholl Chair in International Business holds a public event with keynote remarks from Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), followed by a panel discussion about the relationship between global trade rules and climate policy.

And, at 9:00 a.m., Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai joins the Atlantic Council for a conversation about expanding female participation in the formal labor force.

Later, at 11:00 a.m., Brookings hosts House Armed Services Committee chairman Adam Smith (D-WA) to discuss the Biden administration's National Security Strategy.

Video

CSIS's Korea Chair today hosted Seokyoung Choi, former ambassador to the UN and the WTO in Geneva; Wendy Cutler, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute; and Matthew Goodman, senior vice president for economics at CSIS, for a discussion of trade and economic issues on the Korean Peninsula. Watch the full event here.

Podcasts

In the latest episode of The Truth of the Matter, Charlie Sykes, founder and editor-at-large of The Bulwark, discusses the minimalization of the events of January 6, tribalism in the Republican Party, and the prospects for bipartisanship in our fractured politics.

Listen on Spotify, Google Play, & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

A very big smile is a must see from my friend David Fishof, the founder of Rock n’ Roll Fantasy Camp. It’s a new film called “Rock Camp: The Movie” and features some of the biggest rock stars of our time—just like the camp does to this day, even virtually during the pandemic (which David and I discussed during a podcast on The Reopening a few months back.) You can see the trailer for Rock Camp here , but all you really need to know is that it scored 93% on Rotten Tomatoes (we love our data) and that it is the number one film on iTunes. I absolutely loved it. I had a permanent smile the whole time I was watching.

I won’t give too much away, but one of the parts I loved best during the film was when David describes a practical joke that Joe Walsh and Levon Helm played on him while he was managing the Ringo Starr and His All-Star Band, of which Walsh and Helm were members. Fishof, who had previously been a sports agent representing the likes of Phil Simms and Mark Bavaro, wasn’t used to spending a lot of time with rockers. So when he was summoned to the dressing room to deal with a situation that he was led to believe was Helm threatening to kill Walsh with a broken bottle, the fear he experienced was off the charts. Of course the blood on Joe Walsh’s shirt turned out to be fake, and the rage Fishof found Helm in was staged—but Fishof didn’t know this for a few seconds until Walsh and Helm hugged it out. All this is caught on film and is a great rock n’ roll moment if there ever was one. Meanwhile, the Ringo Starr & His All-Star Band lineup was legendary: Ringo Starr, Clarence Clemons, Rick Danko, Dr. John, Jim Keltner, Nils Lofgren, Bill Preston and Joe Walsh. Watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NAZbB6K8no.