Next Animal-to-Human Pandemic | Telegram Purges Extremist Content | Tackle Domestic Disinformation, and more

Cubans Brace for Even Tougher Times as U.S. Returns Island to Terrorism Sponsor List (Lillian Perlmutter, Vice)
The return of Cuba on Monday to the state sponsors of terrorism list by the outgoing administration of U.S. President Donald Trump promises to hinder new, closer relations between the island and President-elect Joe Biden’s government.  The Trump administration moved to re-designate Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, using its support for Venezuela as a reason, in a largely symbolic move that may take months to overturn. In a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo questioning the lack of congressional oversight in the decision, eight Democratic Senators said the act “threatens to damage future diplomatic efforts toward Cuba and set a harmful precedent for future designations.” The decision to return Cuba to the state sponsors of terrorism list comes at an exceptionally difficult time for Cubans. The coronavirus pandemic, coupled with the longstanding embargo, and the added weight of new sanctions piled on top, has made shortages of basic goods commonplace. “Every day it gets a little harder to find things. There’s no shampoo or deodorant, even less than before,” Luís, who is a student at the University of Havana, and who asked him name be changed for this story for fear of the repercussions, told VICE World News. Luís has quit smoking, but not intentionally.

Facebook’s Sandberg Deflected Blame for Capitol Riot, but New Evidence Shows How Platform Played Role (Elizabeth Dwoskin, Washington Post)
Fliers and hashtags promoting the pro-Trump rally circulated on Facebook and Instagram in the days and weeks beforehand

Telegram, a Recent Haven for the Far Right, Purges Extremist Content (Kevin Collier, Anna Schecter and Ezra Kaplan, NBC News)
At least 15 extremist Telegram channels — akin to chatrooms where the founders have moderating power — have recently been banned, according to a tally by NBC News.

After pro-Trump Riot, Experts Urge U.S. to Tackle Domestic Disinformation (Shannon Vavra, Cyberscoop)
As Americans reckon with the ways that manufactured political narratives can influence public behavior following the riot at the U.S. Capitol, researchers who have spent years studying the issue warn that there’s no simple solution.
Disinformation campaigns on social media, sinking trust in journalism and a willingness among some lawmakers to spread conspiracies present a pernicious set of challenges for the federal government. While major technology firms have started to act against calls for violence, specialists say Congress, the intelligence community, the private sector and the incoming Biden administration must consider ways that Americans can improve media literacy before the issue becomes more of a national security issue.

Decoding the Far-Right Symbols at the Capitol Riot (Matthew Rosenberg and Ainara Tiefenthäler, New York Times)
There were militia flags and banners of extremist groups, as well as absurd images of dinosaurs and comic book logos that belied the violence that was to unfold.

Can China Prevent the Next Animal-to-Human Pandemic? (Brendon Hong, Daily Beast)
With the origins of COVID-19 still murky, and a long history of viruses jumping from animals to humans inside China, conditions are ripe for another disaster.