The Evening: Sudan at Brink, Failed Coup, U.S. Blues, and More

Newsletter - June 27, 2024

Note: The Evening will be "Gone Fishin'" until Monday, July 8. Happy Fourth of July to all!

Sudan at Brink of Starvation

At least 750,000 people are on the brink of starvation and death in Sudan, where a devastating civil war has left over half the country's 48 million people in a situation of chronic hunger, the global authority on famine said on Thursday, as the NYTreports.

Failed Coup

Supporters of Bolivia's president rallied outside his palace on Thursday, giving some political breathing room to the embattled leader as authorities made more arrests in a coup that shook the economically troubled country a day earlier, as the AP reports.

Scramble to Head Off Israel-Hezbollah War

A Biden administration push to curtail worsening border clashes between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon is running into major headwinds because of the difficulty the U.S. faces in arranging a cease-fire in Gaza, U.S. officials say, as the WSJreports.

U.S. in Talks to Send Israel's Patriot Systems to Ukraine

The U.S., Israel and Ukraine are in talks to supply Kyiv with up to eight Patriot air defense systems, dramatically improving its ability to counter Russian air strikes, as the FTreports.

Executive Education

Develop your global acumen and elevate your leadership with the Breakthrough Leadership Program. Through coaching on key skills and seminars on pressing policy issues, the Breakthrough Leadership Program empowers rising global leaders to grow their impact. Applications close tomorrow, June 28.

Audio Briefs

CSIS now offers full audio versions of our latest analysis. Listen to CSIS's Hanscom Smith's latest commentary, "Hong Kong Isn't Mainland China: Let's Try to Keep It that Way."

In That Number

750,000

Sudan's destructive civil war has caused a severe food crisis, leaving 750,000 people on the verge of starvation and death.
Source: NYT

Critical Quote

Let's not go overboard on this. Datacenters are, in the most extreme case, a 6% addition [in energy demand] but probably only 2% to 2.5%. The question is, will AI accelerate a more than 6% reduction? And the answer is: certainly.

- Bill Gates, Microsoft Co-Founder

iDeas Lab

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Inequality between urban and rural populations in China presents a critical challenge to the country's economic productivity and opportunities to develop human capital. Read the full analysis here.

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

Optics

Photo: Ministry of Government of Bolivia/Anadolu/Getty Images

Bolivian authorities arrest former Army Commander General Juan Jose Zuniga, who staged a failed coup attempt against President Luis Arce, in La Paz, Bolivia, on June 26, 2024.

Recommended Reading

"Taking Charge: Gen Z Leads Historic Protests in Kenya" by CSIS's Khasai Makhulo.

This Town Upcoming

Tomorrow at 9:00 a.m., the CSIS Project on Prosperity and Development holds a discussion about digital public infrastructure in the Global South.

Then, at 11:00 a.m., the CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change Program hosts Nick Wayth, Chief Executive of the Energy Institute (EI), for a presentation and discussion of the 2024 EI Statistical Review of World Energy.

On Monday, at 10:30 a.m., Brookings will host U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken for a conversation on the future of America's foreign policy.

Video

Yesterday, the CSIS Smart Women, Smart Power Initiative hosted Michele Walsh, Executive Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer of UNICEF USA, for a discussion on the role of UNICEF USA in the World. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

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This week, McDonald Lewanika, Southern Africa Regional Director at Accountability Lab, joins the podcast to discuss the importance of adapting to Africa's fast-changing demographics by ensuring that the majority's voices are given the appropriate platform.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

"Wave that flag, wave it high and wide."

Next week marks our great nation's birthday and I am so excited for one of my very favorite holidays. I hope you are too and wish you all the best for a happy and healthy July 4th! Very few rock and roll bands are/were as patriotic as the Grateful Dead, who knew how to best celebrate the pioneer free spirit of the United States. Wave that flag indeed!