Tumblr has finally broken its silence about Russian state actors using its service and released a list of 84 usernames it believes engaged in "state-sponsored disinformation and propaganda campaigns."
Why it matters: Tumblr, which is owned by Yahoo, is the last of the social media services to comment on how it was used for attempted propaganda.
The Communist Party is reworking its ideological education efforts to make them more palatable to the current generation, while introducing classes on “Xi Jinping Thought.”
What's happening: Tariffs on up to $60 billion in Chinese goods are just one part of what is coming, with the detailed list to come in 15 days, and after that a 30-day comment period, aka lobbying free-for-all.
The E.U. has directly accused Russia of poisoning ex-spy Sergei Skripal with a nerve agent on British soil in a show of support for the U.K., the Financial Times reports.
Why it matters: Prime Minister Theresa May had called for a strong response from Europe, and this will certainly increase the international pressure on Moscow. Per the FT, Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaitė said many E.U. countries could be taking further measures against the Kremlin, which has denied responsibility.
European leaders on Friday made enough progress in negotiations about the U.K.’s long-term relationship with the EU to move forward in the Brexit process.
Yes, but: That doesn’t mean the U.K. is set for a smooth withdrawal next spring. To get this far, the U.K. has had to make big concessions that have upset pro-Brexiteers, namely on the rights of EU citizens coming to Britain, the rights of U.K. fishing fleets in U.K. waters and the role of the European Court of Justice. The U.K. has also ceded ground on the transitional arrangements for the 20 months after Brexit.
The DOJ announced Friday that nine Iranians working for the so-called "Mabna Institute" have been charged with hacking into more than 300 universities across 122 nations as well as private sector groups and governments to steal research for Iran.
What it means: The DOJ believes the defendants are still in Iran, meaning that the department’s goal is what's known as "naming and shaming" rather than the intent to achieve extradition. The individuals and Mabna will also be placed under sanctions.
The Wall Street Journal's Greg Ip points out today that China's trade practices — particularly restricting access to Chinese markets and forcing U.S. companies to transfer technology to Chinese firms — has long been "undermining" free trade.
But, but, but.... That doesn't mean there aren't risks involved, Ip writes. "The breadth of his action elevates the potential harm to American consumers, supply chains and exporters," he says.
As China’s influence spreads to every corner of the globe under President Xi Jinping, so do its spies.
Why it matters: China has the money and the ambition to build a vast foreign intelligence network, including inside the United States. Meanwhile, American intelligence-gathering on China is falling short, Chris Johnson, a former senior China analyst for the CIA who's now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, tells Axios: "We have to at least live up to [China's] expectations. And we aren't doing that."
China announced plans to impose reciprocal tariffs on $3 billion of imports from the U.S., hours after President Trump ordered levies on a range of Chinese goods.
The details: China's plan includes a 25% tariff on U.S. pork imports as well as 15% tariffs on American steel pipes, fruit and wine, according to Bloomberg.
