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Labeling Dissent as Terrorism: New U.S. Domestic Terrorism Priorities Raise Constitutional Alarms
There is no single official definition of terrorism in U.S. law, but all the different definitions focus on identifying violent or dangerous acts done with the intent to intimidate or coerce civilians or influence government policy. But more than redefining terrorism,National Security Presidential Memorandum/NSPM-7, issued on 2 September 2025 (NSPM-7) reorients the machinery of national security toward the policing of belief. The directive’s emphasis on ideological orientations –“anti-Christianity, “anti-capitalism,” and “anti-American” views –as indicators of domestic terrorism potentially jeopardizes First Amendment rights.
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Attacking Drug Boats: Bending or Breaking the Law?
The Trump administration’s policy of attacking alleged narcotics trafficking boats continues unabated with little apparent concern for near-unanimous legal condemnation. Geoffrey Corn and Ken Watkin write that the administration’s argument that it is engaged in self defense against a non-state group engaged in armed conflict against the United States is factually flawed and “legally defective.”
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Pardoning Hernández—Where’s the Logic?
The presidential pardon power can serve real and legitimate purposes, and Trump himself has used it in some deserving cases. But history will long remember his use of it to free political allies and persons who have benefited his cronies and family.
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Homeland Security Wants State Driver’s License Data for Sweeping Citizenship Program
The Trump administration wants access to state driver’s license data on millions of U.S. residents as it builds a powerful citizenship verification program amid its clampdown on voter fraud and illegal immigration. For access, the administration may turn to an obscure data-sharing network used by law enforcement agencies, potentially allowing officials to bypass negotiating with states for the records.
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Trump’s Immigration Forces Deploy “Less Lethal” Weapons in Dangerous Ways, Skirting Rules and Maiming Protesters
Civil rights and weapons experts cite the consequences of federal agents’ use of crowd control weapons: religious leaders shot with pepper balls and noxious chemicals. A nurse nearly blinded by tear gas. Protestors trapped, struggling to breathe.
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Why Was James Garfield Assassinated? A Historian Reveals the Real Story Behind Netflix’s “Death by Lightning”
The real history behind James Garfield’s murder is as much about the corrupt political system he railed against — and how his death ultimately shattered it.
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Why Australia’s Terrorism Definition Still Works
The definition of a “terrorist act” included in Australia’s Criminal Code since 2002 has been important in protecting Australia’s national security and reinforcing the resilience of our democratic institutions. That definition, currently the subject of an inquiry by the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor (INSLM), continues to be relevant and effective. It should be retained with minimal revision.
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Trump Debanks the Left? Antifa Terrorist Designation Means New Pressure
Many people celebrated President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting “political debanking.” Yet, those same people seem to be silent now that the president has created new pressures to implement political debanking by effectively debanking the left.
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White Nationalism Fuels Tolerance for Political Violence Nationwide
Political violence is certainly not new in American society, but current patterns differ in key ways. We found that, today, white nationalism is a key driver of support for political violence –a sign that white nationalism poses substantial danger to U.S. political stability.
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Trump’s National Guard Deployments Reignite 200-Year-Old Legal Debate Over State vs. Federal Power
If you’re confused about what the law does and doesn’t allow the president to do with the National Guard, that’s understandable. The conflict between the Trump administration and states such as Oregon and Illinois throws into relief a question as old as the Constitution itself: Where does federal power end and state authority begin?
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Unfettered and Unaccountable: How Trump is Building a Violent, Shadowy Federal Police Force
Under President Donald Trump’s deportation mission, ICE officers are using force to detain and jail immigrants. The administration gutted guardrails and offices meant to rein in abusive actions. Some families say they have no idea where their loved ones were jailed after immigration raids.
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Global Risk Index for AI-enabled Biological Tools
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the life sciences, accelerating breakthroughs in research, drug discovery and biotechnology. However, some of the AI tools that drive innovation can also be misused, posing significant dual-use risks.
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FBI Director Kash Patel Waived Polygraph Security Screening for Dan Bongino, Two Other Senior Staff
As the FBI’s deputy director, Bongino receives some of the country’s most sensitive secrets, including the President’s Daily Brief. His ascent to that position without passing a standard bureau background check is unprecedented, insiders say.
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Online Mobilization and Violence in the United States
Even before the Charlie Kirk assassination, the United States was facing a resurgence of politically motivated violence that is deeply intertwined with the digital sphere. Extremists across the ideological spectrum exploit acts of violence to recruit followers, justify their ideologies, and sustain propaganda networks.
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What Really Happened in Portland Before Trump Deployed the National Guard
President Donald Trump said there was a need to deploy National Guard troops to “War ravaged” Portland to protect “under-siege” ICE agents. The president’s claims were divorced from the reality on the ground. In the two months before Trump’s decision, criminal charges were announced against only three people. On nights when physical conflict did erupt, it often came from police firing on, shoving, pepper-spraying, and tackling protesters.
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The long view
Online Mobilization and Violence in the United States
Even before the Charlie Kirk assassination, the United States was facing a resurgence of politically motivated violence that is deeply intertwined with the digital sphere. Extremists across the ideological spectrum exploit acts of violence to recruit followers, justify their ideologies, and sustain propaganda networks.
White Nationalism Fuels Tolerance for Political Violence Nationwide
Political violence is certainly not new in American society, but current patterns differ in key ways. We found that, today, white nationalism is a key driver of support for political violence –a sign that white nationalism poses substantial danger to U.S. political stability.