Our picksA More Violent Union | Extremism in the Military | Refocusing DHS, and more
· 12 National Guard Members Removed from Inauguration Duties amid Extremist Threats
· Biden Nominee Vows to Track Foreign Influence on Domestic Extremist Groups
· Lloyd Austin, Biden’s Nominee to Lead Pentagon, Vows to Take on Extremism in the Military
· Alleged Militia Leader Arrested, Officials Say, as FBI Eyes Extremist Group Suspects after Capitol Riot
· Far Right Groups Get Bitcoin Windfall Weeks Before Capitol Riot
· Hate Speech. Violent Threats. Conspiracy Theories. Is Tech Doing Enough after Capitol Attack? Depends on Who You Ask
· “If They Won’t Hear Us, They Will Fear Us”: How the Capitol Assault Was Planned n Facebook
· Trump Grants Bibi’s Wish for Pardon of Israeli Who Spied on America
· Capitol Riot Exposed Flaws of Trump’s DHS, Focused on Immigration and Not Extremists, Ex-Officials Say
· A More Violent Union
12 National Guard Members Removed from Inauguration Duties amid Extremist Threats (Schmitt and Helene Cooper, New York Times)
Twelve National Guard members have been removed from duties related to the inauguration of President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr., two of them for expressing anti-government sentiments, Defense Department officials said on Tuesday. Two of the members were removed over texts and social media posts that made threatening comments toward political officials, Pentagon officials said. They declined to specify the exact nature of the threats. “I will share that they were inappropriate,” Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, the chief of the National Guard Bureau, told reporters during a telephone briefing. Two officials described the texts as broad in nature — not directed specifically at Mr. Biden or Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, but rather at lawmakers as a whole. One of the service members removed, the officials said, made a point of expressing support for President Trump in addition to making menacing comments. General Hokanson said that one case was reported by the service member’s chain of command and that the other was flagged through a tip to a hotline. The other 10 National Guard members were removed for a wide variety of issues — criminal investigations, domestic abuse or outstanding complaints. All 12 members have been sent home, Pentagon officials said.
Biden Nominee Vows to Track Foreign Influence on Domestic Extremist Groups (Julian E. Barnes, New York Times)
Avril Haines, who has been nominated to be director of national intelligence, told senators that she would assist with a public written assessment of the threat from QAnon.
