OUR PICKSMedical-Targeted Ransomware Is Breaking Records | Challenges and Opportunities of High-Risk Pathogen Research | A January 6 Rioter Is Leading an Armed National Militia from Prison, and more
· 8 Suspected Terrorists with Possible ISIS Ties Arrested in New York, L.A. And Philadelphia, Sources Say
The men from Tajikistan came to the U.S. through the southern border and their criminal backgrounds checks came back clean at the time they crossed, officials familiar with the matter said
· The Hunt: Foreign Nationals with Alleged Links to ISIS Arrested in the US
There have been a number of warnings from FBI director Chris Wray that the terrorism picture in the U.S. is worsening
· Anti-Muslim Hate Groups in U.S. Surge Back into Spotlight
Once seemingly fading into obscurity, anti-Muslim hate groups in the United States have surged back into the spotlight in recent months
· Medical-Targeted Ransomware Is Breaking Records After Change Healthcare’s $22M Payout
Cybersecurity firm Recorded Future counted 44 health-care-related incidents in the month after Change Healthcare’s payment came to light—the most it’s ever seen in a single month
· A January 6 Rioter Is Leading an Armed National Militia from Prison
As the US election approaches, Edward “Jake” Lang says that the militia will focus on potential “civil unrest” around the vote and will be ready to activate at a moment’s notice
· Scientists Weigh in on the Challenges and Opportunities of High-Risk Pathogen Research Around the World
Countries have been reforming or implementing changes to their biosecurity policies
8 Suspected Terrorists with Possible ISIS Ties Arrested in New York, L.A. And Philadelphia, Sources Say (Julia Ainsley, Tom Winter, Andrew Blankstein and Antonio Planas, NBC News)
Eight men from Tajikistan with potential ties to ISIS out of central Asia were arrested over the weekend in New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles, three people familiar with the matter told NBC News on Tuesday. The suspects had been on the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force radar and were arrested by personnel with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known as ICE, the sources say. All eight men crossed through the southern border into the U.S., and their criminal backgrounds checks came back clean when they crossed, say two officials familiar with the matter. At least two of the men crossed the border in spring 2023, and one of those men used the CBP One app, which the Biden administration created to allow migrants to book appointments to claim asylum, those officials say. The arrests were first reported by the New York Post.
The Hunt: Foreign Nationals with Alleged Links to ISIS Arrested in the US (J. J. Green, WTOP)
There have been a number of warnings from FBI director Chris Wray that the terrorism picture in the U.S. is worsening. The arrest of foreign nationals with alleged links to terror organizations here in the U.S. may prove his point. In this week’s edition of “The Hunt with WTOP national security correspondent JJ Green,” Dr. Hans Jakob Schindler, senior director of the Counter Extremism Project, says this is a huge warning that shouldn’t be ignored.
Anti-Muslim Hate Groups in U.S. Surge Back into Spotlight (Masood Farivar, VOA News)
Once seemingly fading into obscurity, anti-Muslim hate groups in the United States have surged back into the spotlight in recent months, reinvigorated by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Many of these groups, such as Jihad Watch and ACT for America, emerged in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on the U.S. and thrived on public fears of terrorism. But as those fears waned in recent years, so did the groups’ sway. Some disbanded, while others gravitated to other hot-button issues.
Brian Levin, a criminologist and hate crime researcher, noted that anti-Muslim hate crimes have surged in recent years, even as the number of hate groups has dwindled. (Cont.)
