OUR PICKSHistory of Countering Violent Extremism | Is the Justice Department Meeting the Moment? | Focus on Water Security

‘Crusius-Style’ Mass Attacks on Migrants Urged as ‘Final Solution’ in Accelerationist Guide  (Bridget Johnson, HSToday)
Neo-Nazi call to “open fire indiscriminately” on migrant families instead of calling Border Patrol comes after NTAS warned of violent extremism related to border policies.

Is the Justice Department Meeting the Moment?  (Quinta Jurecic and Natalie K. Orpett, Lawfare)
It’s reasonable at this point for the public to be frustrated by, and for journalists and commentators to start pushing on, the Justice Department’s continuing silence and apparent lack of urgency regarding Trump’s personal criminal culpability.

In Defense of the Justice Department  (Benjamin Wittes, Lawfare)
“Do your job!” is just one small step removed from “Lock him up!” which is no different at all from “Lock her up!”—even if it feels entirely different and altogether more righteous.

White House Assumes Important New Global Security Role with Focus on Water Security  (John Oldfield, HSToday)
Access to clean water is a linchpin for stability. Violent extremists control populations when they control water sources.

Election Officials Want to Tell the Public ‘Where the Good Guys Won’ in Cyber Efforts  (Edward Graham, Defense One)
As misinformation around the 2020 elections continues to swirl, state election officials say that DHS and CISA should do more to raise up ‘successes’ around efforts to mitigate vulnerabilities in voting systems.

The History of Countering Violent Extremism Tends to Repeat. It Shouldn’t.  (Bennett Clifford and Seamus Hughes, Lawfare)
In the two decades after 9/11, the U.S. government made repeated attempts to create a nationwide countering violent extremism (CVE) policy, using the acronym to refer to any effort that attempts to reduce terrorism and violent extremism through means outside of arrests, prosecutions, and law enforcement investigations. These policy responses have followed a standard and well-worn path. First, sibylline warnings of growing radicalization problems, pursuant to a particular ideology or community, are issued by outside experts, sub-federal authorities, or local communities. These alerts pique the interest of policy officials, but before programs, strategies, and staff can be put into place, a major attack or event shocks both the public and policymakers, causing congressional overseers to demand immediate action.
This process—seen in the federal government’s response to post-9/11 events like the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, and the unprecedented mobilizations of American Islamic State supporters to Syria and Iraq—then begins to hit several roadblocks. 

Election Officials Want to Tell the Public ‘Where the Good Guys Won’ in Cyber Efforts  (Edward Graham, Defense One)
As misinformation around the 2020 elections continues to swirl, state election officials say that DHS and CISA should do more to raise up ‘successes’ around efforts to mitigate vulnerabilities in voting systems.

Extreme Rainfall Will Be Worse and More Frequent Than We Thought, According to New Studies  (Zoya Teirstein, Grist)
Researchers say some climate models are underestimating future floods.