China's cyber espionage ecosystem

Plus the male birth control race and stylish passport cases [View this email in your browser]( [The Week Evening Review]( China's cyber warfare, male birth control and Russia's frozen assets   Good evening, This evening's statistic of the day highlights the billions of dollars of student loan debt President Joe Biden has canceled. You may be thinking, Wait, wasn't loan relief blocked? And you would be right — the president has canceled some debt piecemeal to circumvent the Supreme Court's blockage, but his aides are worried he has become a "victim of the high expectations set by his initial sprawling proposals," as The New York Times put it. So we will wait and see if his efforts to "get more credit" pay off. Summer Meza The Week Digital     TODAY'S BIG QUESTION What do we know about China's cyber operations? For many, Russian hacking efforts to penetrate and influence various American cyber targets were their first exposure to the shadowy, clandestine world of cyber warfare that has become a major pillar of geopolitical jockeying. But while Russia grabbed recent headlines, a tranche of newly leaked files from Shanghai data collection firm iSoon has opened a rare window into China's massive cyber warfare operations. The leak, posted this month to GitHub, highlights the intricate network of for-hire hackers China allegedly uses to expand its reach throughout the world and snoop on its citizens. What did the commentators say? It is rare to get "such unfettered access to the inner workings of any intelligence operation," cybersecurity expert John Hultquist said to The Washington Post. While the documents are light on what iSoon uncovered, they do feature "contracts, marketing presentations, product manuals, and client and employee lists," said PBS NewsHour. The leak shows how Chinese intelligence agencies "surveil dissidents overseas, hack other nations and promote pro-Beijing narratives on social media." The leak exposes an eight-year-long data-gathering operation that reached across Asia and monitored "activities of ethnic minorities in China and online gambling companies," said The New York Times. It also highlights the "maturing nature of China's cyber espionage ecosystem," in which "government targeting requirements drive a competitive marketplace" for third-party hackers, information security analysts at Sentinel Labs said. Documents also show some of the methodology used by hired hacking firms. Beyond unmasking users on social media, breaking into various communications accounts and covering their investigatory tracks, hackers used "devices disguised as power strips and batteries that can be used to compromise Wi-Fi networks," The Associated Press said. What next? The fallout from these leaked documents comes amid heightened tensions between the United States and China. This week, FBI Director Chris Wray lashed out at an alleged Chinese effort to plant malware in various pieces of American infrastructure as operating on a "scale greater than we had seen before," later calling it the "tip of the iceberg." China, meanwhile, continues to outsource cybersecurity operations to a "large network of actors competing to exploit vulnerabilities and grow their businesses" with lucrative government contracts, said the Post. Chinese officials are actively investigating the source of the iSoon leak, said AP.     QUOTE OF THE DAY "I was led to believe the world was an evil place. For the past four years, I have chosen to follow counsel and guidance that have led me to a dark delusion." Former family YouTuber Ruby Franke in court for her sentencing for what the prosecution called "concentration-camp-like" child abuse   Advertisement by Betterment [Betterment is the automated investing app that puts your money to work](   The Explainer The race to develop male birth control Women have always shouldered the lion's share of pregnancy prevention. However, as abortion restrictions increase in severity across the U.S., the development of male birth control may become more of a priority. While only condoms and vasectomies are available for now, new options are on the horizon, so long as men are open to them. "There is a shift toward more gender equity; you can see more men getting comfortable taking on and sharing that burden," Dr. Brian Nguyen, an assistant professor at the University of Southern California, said to Salon. Why is male birth control not an option already?Developing male birth control is notoriously difficult. "Women have a cyclical nature to ovulation," Dr. Amin Herati, an assistant professor of urology at Johns Hopkins Medicine, said to Yahoo Life. "If you disrupt that and the hormones that fluctuate, you can disrupt ovulation. In men, you are dealing with a process that is turning out hundreds of millions of sperm per day." Even if male birth control is 99% effective, there would still be 1 million sperm making it through. What contraceptive options are in the works?YCT-529, a male birth control pill that began clinical trials in December 2023, is nonhormonal and works by blocking access to vitamin A. A 2011 study found that vitamin A is required for both male and female fertility. "The world is ready for a male contraceptive agent, and delivering one that is hormone-free is simply the right thing to do given what we know about the side effects women have endured for decades from the pill," Gunda Georg, a researcher behind YCT-529, said in a statement. During trials on mice, the pill showed 99% efficacy in preventing pregnancy. A biotech company called Contraline is developing a nonhormonal injectable hydrogel intended to block sperm from getting into semen. "This is made for people who are not ready to have kids, are spacing out having kids or think they are done having kids but maybe not ready for that permanent option," Kevin Eisenfrats, the co-founder and CEO of Contraline, said to Wired.     Statistic of the day $138B: The amount of student loan debt canceled by the White House since President Joe Biden took office. Biden has been attempting to circumvent loan relief blockages from the U.S. Supreme Court and recently announced a new repayment plan to relieve an additional $1.2 billion in student loans for 153,000 borrowers. CNN     Talking Points Pressure builds to seize Russian assets Saturday will mark the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with no end in sight. At the beginning of the war, Western nations froze billions of dollars in Russian assets as a cudgel against Russian President Vladimir Putin. Pressure has been building for these nations to seize these assets, which could be transferred to Ukraine to help its war effort. The Central Bank of Russia has confirmed that these frozen assets total about $300 billion. How should Western nations go about seizing these funds, and should they be seized at all? A necessary stepThe White House has been reluctant, but there are "no signs that Putin will settle for a peace short of Ukraine's capitulation," said the editorial board of The Wall Street Journal. Further American aid to Ukraine is held up in Congress, leaving "Russian reserves [as] the best source" for more money. The legal concerns around seizing Russian assets are "legitimate but ultimately unpersuasive," said American Enterprise Institute's Michael R. Strain in an op-ed. "The case that asset seizure is permissible under international law as a countermeasure to Russia's aggression and destruction is compelling." The justifications for seizure "go beyond [a] moral argument," Leo Litra and Lesia Ogryzko said for the European Council on Foreign Relations. Russia's assets would help Ukraine resist Russia and rebuild, and "such an action from the West could dissuade other similarly inclined aggressive states from following Moscow's suit." While weighing the risks of seizure is important, "one needs to also consider the risks of not confiscating Russian sovereign assets." Unintended consequencesThe argument for seizure is being "invoked by the wrong parties," Nicholas Mulder said for the Financial Times. It is dangerous to forget that "economic reprisals are the prerogative of injured states, not of third countries," Mulder said. Ukraine's allies are "not at war with Russia," and the West "cannot have it both ways." Confiscating Russian assets would "not make a big financial difference for the Kremlin," Agathe Demarais said for Foreign Policy, as the holdings are "already frozen." We should be wary of setting a "precedent that Beijing or others could use." If the West seizes Russia's bank reserves, "how will these states manage to convince anyone that China or India have no right to confiscate Western holdings if they so wish?"   Advertisement by Betterment [Betterment is the automated investing app that puts your money to work](   Poll watch Parents are giving kids less money from the Tooth Fairy for the first time in five years, said a new survey from the Delta Dental Tooth Fairy Poll. The results of the poll showed that the average value of a single lost tooth declined last year by 6%, from $6.23 to $5.84.     INSTANT OPINION Today's best commentary 'Nikki Haley's narrow path'Carine Hajjar in The Boston GlobeThere's one thing "CNN, MSNBC, Fox and even the RNC can agree on," says Carine Hajjar. "The race is over for Nikki Haley." Apparently, she has not "gotten the memo." The former South Carolina governor has been ramping up media appearances and "poking fun" at GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump on "Saturday Night Live." Her persistence "could make sense." Her donors and network give her a path to the Republican nomination — in 2028, when the orange fog lifts. 'Biden begins to admit defeat on electric vehicles'Washington Examiner editorial boardThe Biden administration bet that electric car sales "goosed by $7,500 federal tax credits" would take off, says the Washington Examiner editorial board. With unsold EVs clogging dealer lots, President Joe Biden "began to admit defeat for his clean energy agenda this month" by telling the Environmental Protection Agency to roll back the mandate that two-thirds of cars sold be EVs by 2032. Biden finally saw the light when autoworker unions, hurting from production cuts, started complaining. 'The bullying and death of an Oklahoma nonbinary student just showed us who really isn't safe in school'Soleil Ho in the San Francisco ChronicleOklahoma has imposed policies against noncisgender students in the "guise of 'making schools safer for kids,'" says Soleil Ho. The recent death of a nonbinary teen, Nex Benedict, who was brutally beaten in a high school girls' bathroom after a year of bullying showed it is really trans and nonbinary kids who are endangered by the "unceasing anti-LGBT demonization in the state" and nation. "Let people be different from you. Better yet, please — let them live."     Picture of the day Mass wedding Kashmiri Muslim brides take part in the marriage of 30 couples, primarily organized to help economically weaker families in Srinagar, India. Mukhtar Khan / AP     Good day 🤠… for Beyoncé. Once again, the Grammy award-winning singer made history, this time as the first Black woman to hit the top of Billboard's country music chart. Her new single "Texas Hold 'Em" reached No. 1 on the country airplay chart this week. The song was part of her surprise drop during the Super Bowl and is expected to be a part of her upcoming album.     Bad day 📡 … for AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon customers. AT&T's network was hit with widespread outages Thursday morning, knocking down cellular service and internet for customers, said the tracking site Downdetector. Customer-reported outages spiked to 50,000 by 7 a.m., with most issues located in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and Los Angeles. T-Mobile and Verizon customers also reported outages, though in fewer numbers than those with AT&T.     Puzzles [Daily crossword]( Test your general knowledge with The Week's daily crossword, part of our puzzles section, which also includes [sudoku]( and [codewords](. [Play here](     The Week recommends [3 stylish passport cases you should not travel without]( Your passport is the most important item you can pack for international travel, so show yours some respect by choosing a stylish and secure case. Here are three passport covers that are sure to impress every TSA agent you meet. MoMA Primary recycled leather passport caseThe Primary passport cover's color-blocking makes a bold statement. Available in blue/red/yellow or pink/rust/cream, this case is made out of recycled leather that was ground into a powder before being turned into a new piece of material. It is sustainable and chic. $25, MoMA Design Store Pretty Little Passports Chrome passport coverHave a chromatic moment with this color-shifting case. Choose from eight different styles, with some more holographic than others — the gray-and-gold cover looks like an oil slick, with its rainbow of colors visible when you wave it around. These cases have RFID protection and enough space to tuck in additional documentation such as visas. $10, Amazon Oberon Design Hokusai Wave passport walletHokusai's "The Great Wave" is an important piece of Japanese artwork, and now you can carry it around in your pocket. The wave is subtly embossed on this handmade leather passport wallet, which comes in navy blue or chocolate brown. It can fit a lot in addition to your passport, including credit cards, currency, receipts, tickets and business cards. $82, Oberon Design [Read more](     WORD OF THE DAY nocturia The need to wake up and urinate twice or more per night, something researchers in China said is more likely to happen to people who binge-watch TV for at least five hours.     In the morning Tomorrow morning's edition brings a curious mix of news, including seniors completing a 60,000-piece puzzle, Tehran becoming the world's nose job capital, and a scandalously outfitted equestrian in Australia. Thanks for reading, Summer     Evening Review was written and edited by Theara Coleman, Nadia Croes, Catherine Garcia, Harold Maass, Scott Hocker, Justin Klawans, Kelsee Majette, Joel Mathis, Summer Meza, Devika Rao, Rafi Schwartz, Anahi Valenzuela and Peter Weber, with illustrations by Stephen Kelly and Julia Wytrazek. Image credits, from top: Illustration by Stephen Kelly / AP / Getty Images; Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images; Andrey Rudakov / Bloomberg via Getty Images; Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images   © Future US, Inc • [theweek.com]( [Unsubscribe from this newsletter]( [Privacy Policy]( The Week is published by Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036.