OUR PICKSHow to Protest Safely in the Age of Surveillance | Training for Real-World Port Attacks | A Critical Mineral in a Critical Moment, and more

Head of FEMA Command Center Quits  After Trump Says He’ll Phase Out the Agency (Lisa Friedman, New York Times)
The official, Jeremy Greenberg, was in charge of coordinating the national response to major disasters.

How to Protest Safely in the Age of Surveillance  (Andy Greenberg and Lily Hya Newman, Wired)
Law enforcement has more tools than ever to track your movements and access your communications. Here’s how to protect your privacy if you plan to protest.

Elon Musk Is a Security Risk  (Christian Caryl, Foreign Policy)
The billionaire’s access to sensitive information should have been a giant flashing red light for any administration.

Targeting Terror at the Source: AFRICOM’s Airstrikes Shield U.S. Homeland  (Pearl Matibe, HSToday)
U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) conducted a precision airstrike against ISIS-Somalia on June 12, 2025, about 45 miles southeast of Bosaso, Puntland—underscoring Washington’s sustained effort to neutralize threats at their origin before they can reach American shores.

Iran’s Shadow War: How Hamas and the Houthis Endanger Homeland Security  (Bardia Assefbarkhi, HSToday)
The October 7, 2023, attack on Israel marked a watershed moment in the evolution of threats from non-state actors, revealing unprecedented tactical sophistication that demands urgent attention from homeland security professionals. As Iranian-backed groups like Hamas and the Houthis increasingly blur the lines between insurgency and statecraft, their growing capabilities pose direct implications for regional stability and, ultimately, American security interests. 

How Coast Guard Cyber Protection Teams Train for Real-World Port Attacks  (Lt. Ievgen Stepanchuk, MyCG)
Three automated ship-to-shore cranes grind to a halt after unusual container movements are detected on the platform below. One thing quickly becomes clear: this is not a mechanical failure—it’s a cyberattack.
This vivid—though fictional—scenario launched a high-stakes training exercise for the U.S. Coast Guard’s 2013 Cyber Protection Team (CPT) last month at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, Washington. As cyber threats to the Marine Transportation System (MTS) grow more advanced, exercises like this are helping prepare the Coast Guard’s cyber defenders for the realities of today’s threat landscape.

Far-Right Conservative Catholics in the U.S. Are Experiencing a Resurgence  (David Signer, NZZ)
U.S. Vice President JD Vance is the most prominent example of a Catholicism that is aligned with Trump’s politics, which is growing in popularity. The movement was not always in harmony with Pope Francis, and some within it also view the new Pope Leo XIV with suspicion.

Far-Right Groups Buzz with Violent Talk on How to Respond to ‘No Kings’ Protest  (Brenna T. Smith and Cameron McWhirter, Wall Street Journal)
Proud Boys and other extremists capitalize on planned demonstrations against Trump policies.

DHS Posted an Image Calling for Help Locating ‘All Foreign Invaders.’ It Was Previously Circulated by Far-Right Accounts  (Clare Duffy, Sean Lyngaas and Ramishah Maruf, CNN)
On Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security posted a striking graphic on its official X account. Uncle Sam, a symbol of American patriotism, is depicted nailing a poster to a wall that reads, “Help your country… and yourself.” Written underneath the poster is the sentence, “REPORT ALL FOREIGN INVADERS,” and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement hot line.
The post — which DHS and the White House also posted to Instagram — prompted a flood of criticism, with some social media users comparing the post to authoritarian propaganda. On Thursday, at least two far-right X accounts claimed to have a hand in creating or disseminating the image before it was shared by DHS. A source within DHS told CNN the agency did not create the graphic.

How Young People Are Radicalized by Computer Games  (Tagesspiegel)
According to the ministry, extremist groups, particularly right-wing extremists, Islamists and conspiracy ideologues, use online and gaming platforms to target young people at a low threshold and influence them ideologically. “The contact often takes place - unnoticed by parents or educational professionals - via voice chats, private groups or disguised content,” the state ministry said. Certain gaming forums serve as safe havens for extremist actors, who can spread ideologies there unhindered. Anonymity and technical barriers make it difficult for the security authorities to intervene.

A Critical Mineral in a Critical Moment: The Antimony Crisis  (Anna Gustafson and Cameryn Jones, National Interest)
America’s need for antimony is not going away, but it can’t produce what it needs on its own.

How Trump’s Executive Orders Are Transforming American Drone Policy  (Harrison Kass, National Interest)
The president has used the power of the pen to enact sweeping changes to US drone policy. However, worries about infringements on civil liberties and other challenges linger.