The Evening: U.N. Peacekeepers Wounded, Global Trade Vulnerable, Bad Monkey, and More

Newsletter - October 10, 2024

UN Peacekeepers Wounded

Israeli forces have fired at three UN positions in the south of Lebanon over the past 24 hours, the United Nations said Thursday, dramatically escalating a nearly week-long standoff between international peacekeepers and advancing Israeli ground troops, as The Washington Post reports.

Inflation Continues Its Bumpy Decline With Mixed September Reading

U.S. inflation eased to a new three-year low but is cooling more slowly than expected, new data showed, as the WSJ reports.

Global Trade Grows but Remains Vulnerable to War and Geopolitics

New reports from the World Trade Organization and CSIS show how robust global trade could quickly be derailed by violence, as the NYT reports.

Executive Education

Security, sustainability, and supply chains are all key factors in the conversation around critical minerals. Explore the natural resources essential to national, economic, and energy security in Building Critical Mineral Security for a Sustainable Future.Register hereby October 15.

Audio Briefs

CSIS now offers full audio versions of our latest analysis. Listen to the latest commentary by CSIS's Dan Byman, "Lessons from Israel's Last War in Lebanon."

In That Number

$2.45 trillion

Data from a new CSIS study on trade in the Taiwan Strait found that approximately $2.45 trillion worth of goods transited the Taiwan Strait in 2022.
Source: NYT

Critical Quote

We are expecting a gradual recovery in global trade for 2024, but we remain vigilant of potential setbacks, particularly the potential escalation of regional conflicts like those in the Middle East.

- WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

iDeas Lab

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New CSIS research estimates that Taiwan's ports handled approximately $586 billion worth of trade in 2022, including transshipments between other economies. Taiwan also produces over 90 percent of the most cutting-edge chips used in smartphones, data centers, and advanced military equipment. Disruptions to the supply of these technologies could wipe trillions of dollars from global GDP. 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: Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty Images

A drone image shows the dome of Tropicana Field torn open due to Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg, Florida, on October 10, 2024.

Recommended Reading

"Crossroads of Commerce: How the Taiwan Strait Propels the Global Economy" by CSIS's Matthew P. Funaiole, Brian Hart, David Peng and Bonny Lin with Jasper Verschuur.

This Town Tomorrow

Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., the CSIS International Security Program welcomes Rear Admiral Mike Studeman, U.S. Navy (Ret.), for a discussion on his recent book, Might of the Chain: Forging Leaders of Iron Integrity.

Then, tomorrow at 2:30 p.m., the CSIS Critical Minerals Security Program hosts a discussion on U.S.-India cooperation for critical minerals security with Ambassador Geoffrey R. Pyatt, Assistant Secretary for Energy Resources at the U.S. Department of State.

On Tuesday, at 3:00 p.m, the CSIS Smart Women, Smart Power Initiative celebrates its 10th anniversary with HON Kathleen H. Hicks, Deputy Secretary of Defense, followed by a panel to explore women's leadership during Russia's war in Ukraine and how women are leading the charge in both prosecuting the war and planning for peace.

Video

Earlier today, CSIS hosted Michael Casey, Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, for a conversation on the recently issued National Counterintelligence Strategy, focusing on an expanded range of threats from China in particular, and how private industry can protect itself. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

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Dr. Taylor Fravel, Dr. George Gilboy, and Dr. Eric Heginbotham join the podcast to discuss their recent article assessing China's defense budget.

Listen on Spotify& Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

Last night I watched the season finale of HBO's super fun show, "Bad Monkey" starring the great Vince Vaughn. As I've noted in this space, much of the show's soundtrack is comprised of Tom Petty covers by some of the top artists in music-Eddie Vedder, Stephen Marley and Larkin Poe to name a few. What I love most about this collection is that it is keeping Petty's music fresh and alive. Here, Weezer fashions a cut of "Here Comes My Girl" with their signature sonic architecture, and it is one of the soundtrack's best moments.

I invite you to email me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz