OUR PICKSGovernment Shutdown Is a Ticking Cybersecurity Time Bomb | America’s Plans for a Golden Dome Are Dangerously Obscure | OpenAI’s Sora 2 Sparks Antisemitism Controversy, and more

The Government Shutdown Is a Ticking Cybersecurity Time Bomb  (Lily Hay Newman, Wired)
Many critical systems are still being maintained, and the cloud provides some security cover. But experts say that any lapses in protections like patching and monitoring could expose government systems.

Donald Trump’s Alarming Muddle About Nuclear-Weapons Testing (Economist)
An error-filled post increases nuclear dangers.

Far-Right Provocateur Nick Fuentes Is Triggering a MAGA Civil War  (Will Oremus, Washington Post)
The far-right influencer’s return to X has fueled a resurgence that is driving a wedge through the right.

A Welcome Consequence of the Tucker Carlson Fiasco  (Kathleen Parker, Washington Post)
The conservative podcaster forces a reckoning on the right after his Nick Fuentes interview.

America’s Plans for a Golden Dome Are Dangerously Obscure  (Economist)
Without clarity, the missile shield risks becoming a costly, destabilizing white elephant/

OSINT: The Digital Force-Multiplier for Extremist Violence  (Timothy Kappler, GNET)
Violent extremists are continually adapting the ways in which they exploit digital platforms for coordination and recruitment. Open-source intelligence (OSINT), information openly available through social media, satellite imagery, public records, and other online data points, is increasingly empowering nonstate actors and violent extremists to conduct surveillance and targeting once reserved for national militaries. Recent cases seen across the ideological spectrum, from Wager Group mercenaries recruiting arsonists in London to Hamas militants compiling “kill lists,” show how the malicious collection of freely available information can manifest into real-world violence.

Trump Has Accused Boat Crews of Being Narco-Terrorists. The truth, AP found, Is More Nuanced  (Regina Garcia Cano, AP)
One was a fisherman struggling to eke out a living on $100 a month. Another was a career criminal. A third was a former military cadet. And a fourth was a down-on-his-luck bus driver. The men had little in common beyond their Venezuelan seaside hometowns and the fact all four were among the more than 60 people killed since early September when the U.S. military began attacking boats that the Trump administration alleges were smuggling drugs. President Donald Trump and top U.S. officials have alleged the craft were being operated by narco-terrorists and cartel members bound with deadly drugs for American communities.

Heritages Antisemitism Task Force Breaks Off from Foundation, Will Also Probe Right-Wing Threats  (Valerie Richardson, Washington Times)
The Heritage Foundation’s antisemitism task force has split off from the institution “for a season,” exiting the conservative think-tank as its members withdraw over President Kevin Roberts’ ongoing support for anti-Israel host Tucker Carlson. In a Thursday letter, the four co-chairs of the National Task Force to Combat Antisemitism said they were heartened by recent developments, including the exposure of the “abhorrent ideology of Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes,” but that the panel needs to stake out its independence.

OpenAI’s Sora 2 Sparks Antisemitism Controversy  (Patrecia Meliana, Content Grip)
Sora 2 was supposed to mark a new chapter for OpenAI, a video-generation tool that promised limitless creative possibilities. But less than two weeks into its launch, the platform is already facing backlash for surfacing antisemitic content created by users. Several videos generated using Sora’s AI tools, including some with stereotypical portrayals of Jewish individuals in money-related scenarios, have gained traction on the platform. One video that depicts a Hasidic Jewish man diving for coins has racked up more than 11,000 likes. Another that features a man in a kippah surrounded by piles of quarters has been remixed into multiple versions, including one using South Park characters.