Greetings! It’s February 25, and we’re tracking today’s top stories: A tale of two Chinese typhoons, Russians seek escape from sanctions on Thailand's Phuket Island, Zizian cult defector alive — has been in hiding, the missing $25 gift card that’s rocking the Hamptons, and much more…

🎯 FEATURED STORY

A Tale of Two Typhoons: Properly Diagnosing Chinese Cyber Threats.  With a new administration confronting these daunting challenges, there is an opportunity to get things right when it comes to how we talk about and distinguish between cyber threats and therefore the policy choices appropriately matched to address them. WOTR

🇨🇳 How China Steals U.S. Military Secrets COERCIVE CAPITAL

🌎 TOP STORIES

Russians seek escape from sanctions, draft on Thailand's Phuket Island. Not everyone is happy. LAT

Zizian cult defector believed to have died in 2022 has been in hiding, fearing maniac vegan group’s revenge NYP 

The Missing $25 Gift Card That’s Rocking the Hamptons WSJ

Trump Team Seeks to Toughen Biden’s Chip Controls Over China Bloomberg 

🇨🇳 How China Gets Its Hands on American Technology COERCIVE CAPITAL

OKX Settles U.S. DOJ Charges, Pays Over $500M Penalty and Forfeiture CoinDesk

How North Korea pulled off a $1.5B crypto heist – the biggest in history Ars

EU eyes €200B secret weapon as Trump dominates Ukraine peace talks Politico

After Being Indicted, Lebanese Banker Transferred UK Real Estate Holdings to Brother OCCRP

The NSA’s Secret Sex Chats City Journal

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🚩 RUSSIA & CHINA

How Sanctions Have Reshaped Russia’s Future CSIS

🔑 Do Sanctions Really Work, and How Effective Are They? DESIGNATED

Russia’s Withering Economy Is Tricky Place to Do Deals – Even for Trump WSJ

Trump proposes steep fees on Chinese cargo ships VOA

Chinese Manufacturers Speed Up Efforts to Dodge Trump Tariffs WSJ

DeepSeek Reopens Access to AI Model as Chinese Rivalry Escalates Bloomberg

💸 CORRUPTION & FINANCIAL CRIME

Singaporeans lose record $822M to scams in 2024 Reuters

New document casts doubt on Trump admin denials about $400M ‘armored Tesla’ contract Independent

4 aides of Malaysian ex-PM Ismail face corruption probe over US$23M raid SCMP

Fyre festival 2: tickets go on sale for follow-up to infamous disaster Guardian

Jordan uses first subpoena of new Congress to target Biden admin Politico

🔐 CRYPTO & CYBER

These teenage boys were blackmailed online – and it cost them their lives USAT

Teens are spilling dark thoughts to AI chatbots. Who’s to blame when something goes wrong? LAT 

It costs more to send money to sub-Saharan Africa than anywhere else in the world: these companies are trying to change that CNN 

U.S. employee screening giant DISA says hackers accessed data of more than 3M people TC

🚚 TRAFFICKING

Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Pitched Trump on Dystopian Private Army and Mass Deportation Camp Plan Daily Beast

14 indicted for alleged role in ‘prolific’ migrant smuggling operation Border Report

Inn and out — NYC migrant hotels finally closing NYP

“Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.” —Carl Sagan

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