Our picksChinese Hackers Target Vatican | Well-Regulated Cyber Militia | Florida’s Water Problem, and more

Russian Intelligence Agencies Push Disinformation on Pandemic (Julian E. Barnes and David E. Sanger, New York Times)
Declassified U.S. intelligence accuses Moscow of pushing propaganda through alternative websites as Russia refines techniques used in 2016.

The Threat of White Supremacist Foreign Fighters to U.S. National Security (Ido Levy, Georgetown Public Policy Review)
A growing movement of foreign fighters to Ukraine has attracted considerable numbers of white supremacist group members, many from the U.S. What does this mean for U.S. national security?

Disinformation and the Case for a Well-Regulated Cyber Militia (Steve Hall, Cipher Brief)
As experts contemplate how to address the serious risk to national security posed by disinformation, there is consensus among many for better expert coordination, better communication and better education as our best options for addressing the issue. Some are arguing for a centralized government office to help direct it all. Still others, like former CIA Officers Stephanie Hartell and Steven Hall, aren’t looking to government to do more, but are instead urging us to look to other countries that are having greater success managing the threat and mobilizing their citizens to help.

Chinese Hackers Targeted Vatican, NY Times Reports (VOA)
The New York Times Wednesday said the Vatican’s computer networks have been breached by Chinese hackers since May, in an apparent espionage effort before the start of sensitive talks between the Roman Catholic Church and Communist China. The Times says the attack, discovered by private U.S.-based cybersecurity and monitoring firm Recorded Future, appears to be the first time hackers have been publicly caught directly hacking into the Vatican and a Hong Kong-based group of de facto Vatican representatives who have negotiated with China over the Church’s status on the mainland. 

Was the Pentagon’s Blacklist of Chinese Companies Justified? (Patrick Tucker, Defense One)
An independent study of the list found China uses its favored companies to wipe out competition and spread economic influence.

Hundreds of Toxic Superfund Sites Imperiled by Sea-Level Rise, Study Warns (David Hasemyer, Inside Climate News)
The Union of Concerned Scientists, faulting Trump for ignoring climate change, says flooding there could wash deadly chemicals into nearby communities.

The Floridan Aquifer: Why One of Our Rainiest States Is Worried about Water (Jon Heggie, National Geographic)
Florida’s booming population is writing a water check its aquifers can’t cash; from lawn sprinklers to kitchen faucets, Florida needs to cut back and use less water.

Trump, Barr, and the GOP Present Antifa as a Major Threat in the U.S., but They’re Not Killing People — Unlike White Supremacists (John Haltiwanger, Business Insider)
President Donald Trump and his allies have repeatedly portrayed antifa as a major threat in the US, with scant evidence to back them up. Data on extremism in the U.S. shows that far-right groups are tied to dozens of fatal incidents in recent years, while antifa has not been found responsible for any killings. During a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, Attorney General William Barr said antifa has been “heavily represented” in recent unrest. Recent federal arrest records, and other evidence, contradict Barr’s assertion. The Trump administration has granted disproportionate attention to antifa while doing little to acknowledge the fatal violence perpetrated by far-right groups.