• DEPORTATIONSUnder Pressure from Trump, ICE Is Pushing Legal Boundaries

    By Vernal Coleman

    Confrontations with judges are grabbing attention, but more quietly a pattern of questionable arrests shows the extent to which the administration is willing to test norms and laws.

  • EXTREMISMThe Rise and Fall of Terrorgram: Inside a Global Online Hate Network

    By A. C. Thompson and James Bandler

    White supremacists from around the world used Telegram to spread hateful content promoting murder and destruction in a community they called Terrorgram. ProPublica and FRONTLINE identified 35 crimes linked to Terrorgram, including bomb plots, stabbings, and shootings. After several arrests of alleged Terrorgram members and reforms by Telegram, experts expect that extremists will find a new platform for their hate.

  • POLITICIZING THE FBIThe Parallels Between Kash Patel and William J. Burns, a Scandal-Mongering 1920s FBI Director — an FBI Historian Explains

    As an FBI historian, I have researched political influence on the FBI. It’s still early days, but Kash Patel’s confirmation has one clear, if century-old, comparison in FBI history. It is not J. Edgar Hoover, but Hoover’s immediate predecessor, William J. Burns, who served as director from 1921 through 1924.With bogus charges and spurious probe, Burnsused the FBI to go after lawmakers who wanted to investigate the Teapot Dome Scandal. Trump’s and Patel’s own words portend the FBI returning to the open political targeting of the Teapot Dome era. History whispers a warning.

  • TERRORISMIs “Fake” Terrorism Still Terrorism? Here’s What the Sydney Caravan Incident Tells Us

    By Keiran Hardy

    The recent discovery of a caravan full of explosives in Dural, in Sydney’s northwest, caused significant fear about the possibility of a mass casualty attack. The Australian Federal Police declared it and 14 antisemitic attacks a “con job” by organized criminals who were trying to distract police or use it as a bargaining chip to influence prosecutions. Can “fake” terrorism still be terrorism, especially if it causes significant fear?

  • TERRORISMFrom Home to Horror: The Association Between Domestic Violence and Terrorism

    Domestic violence is an under-recognized early indicator of terrorism. It is not a reliable solitary indicator, but when observed alongside risk factors, it can prompt authorities to take a closer look at a potential terrorist.

  • TERRORISMU.S.-Pakistan Operation to Capture “Top Terrorist”' Signals Deep Counterterrorism Cooperation Despite Cold Ties: Experts

    By Sarah Zaman

    The U.S. Justice Department plans Wednesday to present in a federal court in Virginia the alleged mastermind of the August 2021 bombing that killed 13 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The justice department said Islamic State Khorasan operative Mohammad Sharifullah, also known as “Jafar,” was charged on March 2 with “providing and conspiring to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization resulting in death.”

  • ARGUMENT: REINING IN DHS I&A How DHS Laid the Groundwork for More Intelligence Abuse

    I&A, the lead intelligence unit of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) —long plagued by politicized targeting, permissive rules, and a toxic culture —has undergone a transformation over the last two years. Spencer Reynolds writes that this effort falls short. “Ultimately, Congress must rein in I&A,” he adds.

  • EXTREMISMExtremist-Related Murders Set to Rise in 2025

    All extremist-related murders in 2024 were committed by right-wing extremists. Growing concern about a return of violent attacks by homegrown Islamist extremists.

  • DRUG CARTELSTrump Administration Shouldn’t Designate Drug Cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations

    By Alex Nowrasteh

    Congress has given the president too much authority to prosecute a war on terrorism without sufficient oversight by the legislature and the courts. By designating drug cartels as FTOs, the Trump administration unlocks new powers for itself, creates a new media narrative that could fool many, and reinforces the rest of its anti-immigration and border enforcement agenda.

  • MASS ATTACKSEvidence-Based Solutions to Protect Against Mass Attacks

    By Richard H. Donohue and John S. Hollywood

    Mass attacks like the New Year’s Day incident in New Orleans stir public emotion and have tragic consequences. While the investigations into this case will take time, we know from our work that there are things law enforcement and the public can do to mitigate and perhaps stop mass casualty events.

  • TERRORISMThe August 2024 Taylor Swift Vienna Concert Plot

    By Nicolas Stockhammer and Colin Clarke

    The Vienna Taylor Swift concert plot highlights an alarming trend of Islamic State-inspired teenage jihadis targeting events to inflict maximum casualties and attract widespread media attention. The plot also underlined that Islamic State Khorasan (ISK), which appears to have inspired the lead plotter, remains an enduring threat, evolving its tactics and strategy while focusing on radicalizing followers and supporters through relentless online propaganda.

  • GUNSSome Chicago Gunshot Victims Don’t Trust Ambulances

    By Rita Oceguera for The Trace

    Survivors are choosing to transport themselves to the hospital instead of waiting for emergency services. Experts say the Chicago Fire Department isn’t doing everything it can to improve slow response times.

  • EXTREMISMTrump’s Pardons and Purges Revive Old Question: Who Counts as a Terrorist?

    By Hannah Allam

    The president’s sweeping clemency for Capitol rioters and his administration’s ongoing removal of career national security specialists foretell a permissive new climate for extremist movements, say current and former officials and researchers.

  • DEMOCRACY WATCHMemory-Holing Jan. 6: What Happens When You Try to Make History Vanish?

    By Alec MacGillis

    The Trump administration’s decision to delete a DOJ database of cases against Capitol riot defendants places those who seek to preserve the historical record in direct opposition to their own government.

  • FBIFBI Agents Sue DOJ, Allege Retaliation Over Jan. 6 Cases

    By Shirleen Guerra, The Center Square

    FBI agents involved in the Jan. 6 Capital riot investigations have filed lawsuits against the Justice Department, challenging its efforts to survey and identify personnel who participated in high-profile inquiries such as the riot and handling of classified documents at Mar-a-logo.