OUR PICKSFive Considerations for Military Action Against Mexican Drug Cartels | Pro-Russia Disinformation Campaign Is Using Free AI Tools to Fuel a “Content Explosion” | Idaho Firefighter Shooting Connected to 2001 Fire at Aryan Nation Compound, and more

A Pro-Russia Disinformation Campaign Is Using Free AI Tools to Fuel a “Content Explosion”  (David Gilbert, Wired)
Consumer-grade AI tools have supercharged Russian-aligned disinformation as pictures, videos, QR codes, and fake websites have proliferated.

Insurers Aren’t Saying Whether They’ll Cover Vaccines for Kids if Government Stops Recommending Them  (Elisa Muyl, Wired)
RFK Jr.’s vaccine advisory board could stop recommending some routine childhood immunizations, leaving insurers to decide whether to still cover them. For now, most are remaining tight-lipped.

What Zohran Mamdani Has Actually Said About Jews and Israel  (Gabe Friedman, JTA / Jerusalem Post)
Though he was elected to represent Astoria, Queens in New York’s State Assembly, Zohran Mamdani —who last week pulled off a stunning upset in New York City’s mayoral primary —has called the Palestinian cause “central to my identity,” both in and out of politics. Mamdani consistently and proudly associates with the pro-Palestinian movement in high-profile settings across New York City. Take Saturday night, for instance, when he took the stage with Mahmoud Khalil, the pro-Palestinian protest leader who was detained by the Trump administration, at comedian Ramy Youssef’s show at the Beacon Theater on the Upper West Side.

Idaho Firefighter Shooting Connected to 2001 Fire at Aryan Nation Compound, Internet Sleuths Claim  (Morgan Music, Latin Times)
The deadly ambush that killed two firefighters in Idaho over the weekend has sparked speculation online, as internet sleuths point to its timing on the anniversary of a pivotal moment in the region’s dark history. Wess Roley, 20, died by apparent suicide after deliberately setting a blaze on Canfield Mountain near Coeur d’Alene, allegedly luring firefighters to respond to the scene only to shoot at them. The attack occurred on Sunday, 24 years after local firefighters burned down the infamous Aryan Nations compound in nearby Hayden Lake as part of a training exercise.

Private DC-area School Expels Jewish Siblings After Parents Report Antisemitic Bullying —Lawsuit  (Times of Israel)
At Nysmith School for the Gifted, an hour from US capital, students allegedly called Jews ‘baby killers,’ said they deserve to die over Gaza, and cast Hitler as a ‘strong leader.’

A Group of Young Cybercriminals Poses the “Most Imminent Threat” of Cyberattacks Right Now  (Matt Burgess and Lily Hay Newman, Wired)
The Scattered Spider hacking group has caused chaos among retailers, insurers, and airlines in recent months. Researchers warn that its flexible structure poses challenges for defense.

Five Considerations for Military Action Against Mexican Drug Cartels  (Michael Brown, HSToday)
The American war on drugs is decades old and has arguably not achieved its core objectives. While the American government has made several attempts to degrade the ability of Mexican cartels to produce narcotics for sale and use in the United States, it has had a limited or temporary impact on drug interdiction, addiction, and fatalities. 
The US government has made numerous diplomatic efforts to convince China and Mexico to assist in the fight against the trade of narcotics and precursor chemicals. For example, Mexico signed the Bicentennial Framework for Security in 2022, which was expanded in 2023, but produced minimal results. Similar agreements were signed with China. However, a 2024 House Select Committee discovered that China subsidizes the production and export of fentanyl precursor chemicals through tax rebates and grants. 
As a result, one of President Donald Trump’s first executive orders was to declare some Mexican drug cartels and other supporting organizations as “Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and specially designated global terrorists”. As a result of this executive order, some questioned whether it was prudent to send in the military to attack the cartels. On paper, military action may seem like a good idea, but what would the consequences for the homeland be if implemented? 

Sinaloa Cartel Used Phone Data and Surveillance Cameras to find FBI Informants, DOJ Says  (Raphael Satter, Reuters)
A hacker working for the Sinaloa drug cartel was able to obtain an FBI official’s phone records and use Mexico City’s surveillance cameras to help track and kill the agency’s informants in 2018, the U.S. Justice Department said in a report issued last Thursday.

The Big Beautiful Bill Reveals the Hollowness of Trumponomics  (Economist)
Republicans battle to pass a profligate but insubstantial law.