The Evening: Covid Relief Passed, 100 Million More Doses, There Goes Another Love Song and More

March 10, 2021

Congress Passes Covid Relief

Congress approved a sweeping $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package on Wednesday, authorizing a flurry of new federal spending and a temporary yet dramatic increase in anti-poverty programs to help millions of families still struggling amid the pandemic. The 220-to-211 vote in the House of Representatives almost entirely along party lines, as the Washington Post reports.

100 Million More Vaccine Doses

President Biden said on Wednesday that he was directing the federal government to secure an additional 100 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 single-shot vaccine, a move the White House said could help the country vaccinate children and, if necessary, administer booster doses or reformulate the vaccine to combat emerging variants of the virus as the NYT reports.

Syria’s 10-Year Living Nightmare

Syria is a “living nightmare” where about half the children have never lived a day without war and 60 percent of Syrians are at risk of going hungry, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday to mark the 10th anniversary of the conflict as Reuters 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

$1.04 trillion

The federal budget deficit topped $1 trillion for the first five months of the fiscal year, far higher than the $624 billion deficit the United States notched in the first part of 2020, before the pandemic set in.

Source: U.S. Department of the Treasury

Critical Quote

“If we have a surplus, we’re going to share it with the rest of the world. We’re not going to be ultimately safe until the world is safe. And so we’re going to start off making sure Americans are taken care of first, but we’re then going to try to help the rest of the world.”

— President Joseph Biden

iDeas Lab

Policies to address climate change must ensure that workers and communities benefit from the energy transitions to come. The CSIS Energy Program and Climate Investment Funds has created the Just Transition Initiative to provide resources and thought leadership on this challenge.

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: Chesnot/Getty Images.) French President Emmanuel Macron escorts U.S. Special Presidential envoy for Climate, John Kerry after their meeting at the Elysee Presidential Palace on March 10, 2021 in Paris, France.

Recommended Reading

“Consult the Community: Picking the Next UN Humanitarian Chief,” by CSIS' Jacob Kurtzer.

This Town Tomorrow

Tomorrow, at 3:00 p.m., join CSIS for a discussion with Michèle Flournoy, winner of the 2021 Sam Nunn National Security Leadership Prize. The prize honors the legacy of former Senator Sam Nunn by spotlighting and supporting courageous leaders who demonstrate vision and wisdom in addressing global challenges and who put our nation's interest ahead of political considerations.

Also, at 9:00 a.m., join the Peterson Institute for a discussion on "Regulating Financial Activities Versus Regulating Entities." This event is part of the "Financial Statements" series, which is held twice a month and focuses on key changes in the world of finance.

Later, at noon, the Atlantic Council hosts an event celebrating the one-year anniversary of the GeoTech Center. Panelists will discuss the "GeoTech Decade” ahead: what it means, what it could look like, and how it will affect us all.

Video

Earlier today, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), John F. Sopko joined CSIS's Anthony Cordesman to unveil SIGAR's latest high-risk list for Congress and discuss the greatest threats facing U.S. reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. Watch here.

Podcasts

Aerospace Security Project director Todd Harrison joins to discuss his new study “Defense Against the Dark Arts in Space: Protecting Space Systems from Counterspace Weapons."

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

When I went out this afternoon up to my favorite place in Bethesda to grab a Diet Coke (this is what passes for entertainment these days not that I’m complaining, I love Diet Coke), the sun was shining and the air was crisp, the breeze was blowing. It reminded me of those days way back in high school just before baseball season started and I didn’t yet have practice after school. There would always be just a few days before baseball started where the weather would get good and we’d be free, laughing that Coach was sitting in his office cursing up a storm about the field being wet, nobody being in shape, and all of us thinking about parties anyway…

On those days, I’d get in my car with a few friends and we’d drive out the country roads past Olney, Maryland with nothing but farmland out in front of us. The sun was shining, the windows were down and I can still see my friend Jamie’s pack of Marlboro’s sitting on the dashboard wedged against the windshield (dad, they were his, I swear!). David or Jon or Gale or Sean was in the backseat with a sixer of Natty (the drinking age was 18 back then but there wasn’t really much of a drinking age.) We were super careful not to drink and drive, and whoever was designated driving always had a big smile anyway. And how could you not in the Maryland early Spring afternoon with your friends, not a care in the world and music like this blasting from the tape deck https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdCgIfXqVvE.