OUR PICKSExtremist Radicalization Among Veterans | The Myth of the “Poor Man's Atomic Bomb” | Securing Democracy in the Digital Age, and more
·· ‘Tragedy Upon Tragedy’: January Brings Dozens of Mass Shootings So Far
In the first few weeks of 2023, at least 69 people have been killed in mass shootings
·· Four More Oath Keepers Members Convicted of Sedition in Second Trial
Extremists were trying to keep Donald Trump in office after his 2020 election defeat
·· Australia Can Help Fill the Gap in the U.S. Semiconductor Supply Chain
Semiconductors are at the center of the new cold war
·· Congress, TikTok, and Securing Democracy in the Digital Age
Since late 2019, TikTok has been under a secretive national security investigation by CFIUS
·· Far-Right Violent Extremist Radicalization Among Veterans and Active-Duty Servicemembers by the Numbers
Growing worries about far-right violent extremist radicalization among members of the U.S. military
·· “Shot in the Arm” Shows How Disinformation Can Be Deadly
A relentless campaign by anti-vaccine propagandists succeeds in helping measles reemerge as a public health threat
·· The Myth of the “Poor Man’s Atomic Bomb”: Knowledge, Method, and Ideology in the Study of Chemical, Biological, and Nuclear Weapons
The notion that chemical and biological weapons are “poor man’s atomic bomb” is based on inflated estimates and faulty allegations
·· White Supremacists Might Be to Blame for an Uptick in Power Grid Attacks in the PNW
Extremists try to advance their goals by causing the chaos, undermining the government, undermining general stability
‘Tragedy Upon Tragedy’: January Brings Dozens of Mass Shootings So Far (J. David Goodman, Amy Harmon and Adeel Hassan, New York Times)
In the first few weeks of 2023, at least 69 people have been killed in mass shootings across the country, including two shootings within days of each other in California.
Four More Oath Keepers Members Convicted of Sedition in Second Trial (Zach Montague, New York Times)
The four members of the far-right militia were found guilty of seditious conspiracy nearly two months after the group’s leader, Stewart Rhodes, was convicted of the same charge in a separate proceeding.
Far-Right Violent Extremist Radicalization Among Veterans and Active-Duty Servicemembers by the Numbers (Anne Speckhard and Molly Ellenberg, HSToday)
This study clearly reiterates and expands upon the problem of extremist activity among active-duty and veteran military members that needs to be addressed.
Australia Can Help Fill the Gap in the U.S. Semiconductor Supply Chain (Bronte Munro, The Strategist)
Semiconductors are at the center of the new cold war. US President Joe Biden’s signing of the CHIPS and Science Act in August 2022, followed by the Department of Commerce’s announcement in October of complementary export controls, made clear Washington’s concerns about China.
More broadly, high-tech competition is a driver of foreign policy for the United States, and its national security is dependent on maintaining a technological advantage over its adversaries. The Biden administration has assessed the risk China poses to that technological advantage and drawn a line in the sand. This high-stakes reality has informed Washington’s preparedness to not only deny China access to advanced chips but also limit access to the machinery and expertise required to make them.
Congress, TikTok, and Securing Democracy in the Digital Age (Pablo Chavez, Lawfare)
Engaging more closely in the future of TikTok would give Congress the opportunity to broaden and evolve the national security assessment of technology transactions with Chinese companies and advantage the U.S. government in its competition with the Chinese Communist Party.
