NCITE in the News: 2023
Throughout 2023, NCITE leaders and researchers regularly weighed in on important topics in national, state, and local media.
December
"Trump's rhetoric is increasingingly mirroring Nazi talking points, and nobody is paying attention, an expert on extremism warns"
Dec. 31, 2023 | Business Insider
Pete Simi, NCITE researcher and professor at Chapman University, was interviewed about Trump's inflammatory rhetoric. He said, "It's important to note the long-standing nature of these kinds of communication patterns with Trump. Certainly, more recently, there have been various things that he said that would suggest an escalation."
"Section 875 Is Having Its Moment"
Dec. 20, 2023 | Lawfare
Seamus Hughes, NCITE senior research faculty and policy associate, and Camden Carmichael, NCITE student, wrote an article about how Section 875 has helped the Justice Department as it tries to address domestic extremism, particularly extremists communicating threats.
"US labels dozens of groups – like Hamas – as terrorists. How is this decision made?"
Dec. 13, 2023 | Miami Herald
Martha Crenshaw, NCITE researcher and emeritus professor of political science at Stanford University, was quoted in an article about how terrorist organizations are designated. She describes the process of designation as "highly politicized... and ambiguous."
"The Hunt: Man with no ticket and passport detained after arriving in the US"
Dec. 12, 2023 | WTOP News
Seamus Hughes, NCITE senior research faculty and policy associate, discussed the story of a man who flew to the United States without a ticket for the flight or a passport.
"Foreign relations: why an isolated Arizona man was arrested in connection to the Wieambilla shooting in Australia"
Dec. 8, 2023 | The Guardian
Seamus Hughes, NCITE senior research faculty and policy associate, was quoted in a news article about Donald Day Jr. after he was charged with interstate threats.
"Arizona man arrested for threats, linked to 'religiously-motivated terroist attack' in Australia"
Dec. 8, 2023 | Tucson Sentinel
Research from Seamus Hughes, NCITE senior research faculty and policy associate, and Pete Simi, NCITE researcher and professor at Chapman University, features in this article about Donald Day Jr., who was arrested for threatening the head of the World Health Organization and connected to an attack that left two police officers, a neighbor, and three perpetrators dead.
"US Marshals' Blind Spots Leave Judges Vulnerable to Threats"
Dec. 7, 2023 | Bloomberg Law
Pete Simi, NCITE researcher and professor at Chapman University, was interviewed about threats against public officials and blindspots that agencies protecting officials have. “It’s not tenable for a democracy to have people expressing their grievances and lacing that discontent with threats of violence at this volume,” he said.
"Donald Day Jr has been arrested in connection with the Wieambilla terror attack. Here's what we know"
Dec. 6, 2023 | ABC News
Seamus Hughes, NCITE senior research faculty and policy associate, was interviewed about Day Jr., who was linked to a rural Queensland shooting in 2022. Both of his charges were for making an "interstate threat." Hughes said. "It's a very elastic charge — it's usually when law enforcement says, 'We have someone we're concerned about, we think it may turn violent.'"
"A delige of violent messages: How a surge in threats to public officials could disrupt American democracy"
Dec. 7, 2023 | CNN
NCITE provided data on threats to public officials for this CNN investigative report which examines how a spike in threats can damage American democracy. “Just because nobody’s killed – bombs not detonated or triggers not pulled – you don’t need those things to happen to still have a really negative impact on our system,” said NCITE researcher Pete Simi.
"Pentagon watchdog finds inconsistency in counter-extremism effort in military"
Dec. 6, 2023 | KPBS
Pete Simi, NCITE researcher and professor at Chapman University, was interviewed about how the military is addressing domestic terrorism threats. "One of its mandates is to train individuals for lethal combat — not an insignificant issue," Simi said. "If we're going to do that, then that institution should know who its training to engage in lethal combat and if it's training people who actually would like to overthrow the government, for example, or start a race war — probably not a great idea."
November
"The Rise in Hate Crimes and Bigotry"
Nov. 28, 2023 | WHYY
Steven Windisch, NCITE researcher and assistant professor of criminal justice at Temple University, was interviewed about a shooting that targeted three young people of Palestinian descent. He describes what constitutes a hate crime, the process of building evidence for a hate crime case, the psychology behind hate crimes, and the effects of hate crimes.
"UCF recieves 3 minority serving institution awards to promote collaborations with NASA"
Nov. 27, 2023 | EurekAlert
Adan Vela, NCITE researcher and associate professor at the University of Central Florida, recieved an award to develop a simulation engine to help NASA and the FAA manage aerial transportation.
"Hate incidents spike in the US"
Nov. 2, 2023 | CNN
Seamus Hughes, NCITE senior research faculty and policy associate, was interviewed for a news spot about a spike in antisemitic and Islamophobic threats and violence, particularly on college campuses. "The events in Israel and Gaza have always been a touchpoint for individuals in the U.S., and there's a lot of passion there, and sometimes that translates into violence," he said.
"Suspicious powder mailed to Jewish Community Center"
Nov. 1, 2023 | KMTV 3 News
NCITE shared a list of resources for protecting faith communities with Omaha's ABC affiliate KMTV after suspicious white powder was mailed to the local Jewish Community Center. The incident was later found to not be malicious in nature.
October
"FBI describes rising antisemitism in US"
Oct. 31, 2023 | CNN
Seamus Hughes, NCITE senior research faculty and policy associate, commented on the increasing threats and violence against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities in the wake of Hamas' attack on Israel. "When you look at the plots and the individuals who have been arrested, they're almost pedestrian in nature. These are average citizens that are drawn into an online environment that encourages them to commit these acts," Hughes said.
"Trump signaled to extremist groups on Jan. 6, experts testify in Colorado 14th Amendment case"
Oct. 31, 2023 | The Hill
Pete Simi, NCITE researcher and professor at Chapman University, served as a witness in a Colorado lawsuit seeking to prohibit former President Donald Trump from being listed as a presidential candidate on the Colorado ballot because of his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack at the U.S. Capitol.
"Extremism expert testifies on Trump's 'violent' rhetoric in Colorado 14th Amendment trial"
Oct. 31, 2023 | Colorado Newsline
Pete Simi, NCITE researcher and professor at Chapman University, served as a witness in a Colorado lawsuit seeking to prohibit former President Donald Trump from being listed as a presidential candidate on the Colorado ballot because of his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack at the U.S. Capitol.
"What makes the Robert Card manhunt so tough for police"
Oct. 27, 2023 | Bangor Daily News
Karyn Sporer, NCITE researcher and associate professor at the University of Maine, talked about the long manhunt for Robert Card, the suspect in the Lewiston mass shooting. “Police are doing things we don’t even know they’re capable of doing, and it needs to be that way,” Sporer said. “These search strategies are methodical and involve a lot of intelligence gathering. They can’t just run in the door like we see in the movies.”
"'See something, say something': Terrorism researcher addresses mass shooting red flags"
Oct. 26, 2023 | KETV 7
Karyn Sporer, NCITE researcher and associate professor at the University of Maine, discussed the October mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine. "There's always at least one person who knew something. There's always leakage, whether it's somebody posting online on social media or talking to friends or people in the community,” Sporer said. She also noted that the Maine shooter's family sought help when they noticed warning signs, and he was put in a facility for treatment.
"Midlands Voices: Personal threats against officials have no place in our democracy"
Oct. 26, 2023 | Omaha World Herald
Gina Ligon, NCITE director, and Seamus Hughes, senior research faculty and policy associate, co-wrote an article about threats to public officials, specifically U.S. Rep. Don Bacon's wife, Angie. "As counterterrorism researchers, we are concerned that these threats represent a new phase of domestic violent extremism — a growing everyday insurgency where an unprecedented number of different types of individuals try to intimidate and coerce public officials," they write. "As a cacophony of anger crescendos, so too may the swell of Americans who favor normalizing political violence rather than using democratic means to achieve their goals."
"Slain Hamas militants' body camera videos show the preparation and tactics behind their terror attack on Israel"
Oct. 26, 2023 | CNN
Gina Ligon, NCITE director, described the propaganda used in Hamas' attack on Israel in an article about the preparation for the attack. She notes that she doesn't believe Hamas wanted people to see attacks on civillians. “That is not congruent with their narrative that they’re defenders of Palestine — that was terrorism,” Ligon said.
"Hamas Has Achieved What It Wanted By Attacking Israel: Terror, Escalation, And Disruption To The International Order"
Oct. 23, 2023 | MENAFN
Martha Crenshaw, NCITE researcher and senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, was mentioned in an article describing terrorist tactics through the lens of Hamas' attack on Israel.
"Nebraska's Public Policy Center marking 25th anniversary"
Oct. 23, 2023 | Nebraska Today
Mario Scalora, NCITE researcher and director of University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Public Policy Center, was mentioned in an article celebrating the center's 25th anniversary.
"Fact Check Team: What to know about Lebanon-based Hezbollah amid the war in Gaza"
Oct. 18, 2023 | ABC 15
A study conducted by George Washington University, West Point, and NCITE was cited in an article about Hezbollah. The study found that between 1997 and 2020, 128 people linked to Hezbollah were involved in U.S. federal criminal cases.
"The unfolding hostage crisis in the Mideast"
Oct. 17, 2023 | WCBS 880
Gina Ligon, director of NCITE, was interviewed about the hostage crisis after Hamas released a video of a 21-year-old Israeli hostage. She noted that Hamas was likely trying to demonstrate humanity by showing that she appeared unharmed and that Hamas was releasing foreigners who could have been mistakenly taken.
"Gambling on a 'pragmatic' Hamas was a deadly mistake, analysts say"
Oct. 11, 2023 | Washington Post
Gina Ligon, director of NCITE, described how Hamas focused on enlisting people with military and technological skills and how they innovated to move around the Israeli blockade. She also discussed Hamas' goals. "They have never given up their military aims, no matter what kind of entrance into the world diplomatic stage they’ve made, or concessions they’ve made," she said.
"Omaha's counterterrorism center discusses weekend attack on Israel"
Oct. 9, 2023 | KETV 7
Gina Ligon, director of NCITE, talked about the tactics Hamas used to attack Israel in October 2023. "They're established. They have a known set of tactics and targets, but what's been interesting about this weekend is the novelty of the number of different types of tactics they used. They hit from air, land, and sea," she said.
"The Slow Burn Threatening Our Democracy"
Oct. 5, 2023 | Lawfare
Seamus Hughes, NCITE senior research faculty and policy associate, and Pete Simi, NCITE researcher and associate professor at Chapman University, co-authored an article about how threats to public officials threaten democracy. "These threats coalesce together, forming a culture that helps normalize the idea of political violence," they write.
"Scholars Strategy Network: How to prevent school shootings in Maine"
Oct. 4, 2023 | centralmaine.com
NCITE researcher Karyn Sporer, associate professor at the University of Maine, wrote an article about preventing school shootings. She writes, "School shootings, like all mass casualty events, are rarely spontaneous and are rarely without warning. This means that peers, families, teachers, and other bystanders can play a pivotal role in violence prevention, which starts with recognizing warning signs and knowing who to contact when concerned for the safety of yourself and others."
September
"UAlbany Expert Available to Discuss the Risks of Existential Terrorism and AI"
Sept. 28, 2023 | News Wise
Gary Ackerman, NCITE researcher and associate dean at the University at Albany's College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity (CHEC) explained the threat that terrorism poses, how the use of AI by terrorists is prevented, and his latest article "Existential Terrorism: Can Terrorists Destroy Humanity?" in a University at Albany Q&A.
"Hundreds of Emailed Threats to NJ Judges Draw Federal Indictment"
Sept. 27, 2023 | Bloomberg Law
Seamus Hughes, NCITE senior research faculty and policy associate, assisted in writing an article about the indictment of a Los Angeles man who allegedly sent threatening messages to officials in New Jersey.
"A flamethrower and comments about book burning ignite a political firestorm in Missouri"
Sept. 23, 2023 | The Associated Press
Evan Perkoski, NCITE researcher and assistant political science professor at the University of Connecticut, discussed how imagery is used by extremists. He notes that extremist groups traditionally use fire imagery to "simultaneously intimidate people and signal their intentions to destroy what exists and to rebuild or start over."
"Report raises concerns about domestic terrorism funding"
Sept. 22, 2023 | 3TV & CBS 5 News
Steven Windisch, an NCITE researcher and assistant criminal justice professor at Temple University, discussed funding for domestic extremist groups. "We have what’s referred to as a foreign terrorist organization list. And it’s some 55 groups that are designated as terrorist organizations ... If you’re caught as a U.S. citizen giving them money, providing them weapons, traveling over there to support their cause, you can be charged as supporting a foreign terrorist organization. We don’t have that list domestically," Windisch said.
"UNO Researcher Shares Expertise at Arctic Defense Conference"
Sept. 19, 2023 | UNO News
Michelle Black, head of security innovation academic programming at NCITE, attended the "Security and Defense on NATO's Northern Flank" conference in Norway. Black said, "I walked away from that conference with the understanding that the U.S. security apparatus is not prepared to defend in the Arctic, and they rely mainly on their alliances such as NATO, especially Norway.”
"What Keeps the Homeland Security Enterprise Up at Night?"
Sept. 11, 2023 | RealClearDefense
On the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, Gina Ligon, director of NCITE, describes the quiet sucesses of the counterterrorism community and the impact that budget cuts to counterterrorism could have. "As these quiet government and academic accomplishments recede the palpable threat that we felt after 9/11/2001, so too do the resources and attention that have helped Americans sleep at night," Ligon writes.
"Ukraine's Drone Army Takes Bite Out of Bigger Opponent"
Sept. 11, 2023 | Wall Street Journal
Austin Doctor, head of counterterrorism research initiatives, talks about the unprecedented integration of drones into Ukraine's military strategy. "We’re likely seeing in real time the implementation of a new blueprint for … hostile engagement moving forward, across a variety of conflict types including state-on-state engagement, insurgency and others," Doctor said.
"NEWSLINE: The evolving threat of terrorism"
Sept. 11, 2023 | WCBS-AM
Gina Ligon, director of NCITE, described the often overlooked impact of counterterrorism and the need to balance funding terrorism prevention with other national priorities.
"UNO provides new perspective for community and US Homeland Security with million-dollar investment"
Sept. 8, 2023 | KETV 7
Erin Kearns, head of prevention research initiatives at NCITE, discussed a $1.6 million federal contract to create a handbook for reintegrating formerly imprisoned extremists. The handbook, Kearns said, will be, "designed to help ... the practitioners, the social workers, the probation officers, etc., who are tasked with managing and helping these individuals to reintegrate into society."
"Far-right violence a growing threat and law enforcement's top domestic terrorism concern"
Sept. 5, 2023 | PBS
Seamus Hughes, NCITE senior research faculty and policy associate, spoke about increasing threats to public officials. "I don't think necessarily arrests are going to stop this. It's going to be a larger issue on how to address this, but it's important for us as society to put a finger on the scale and say, this is unacceptable," Hughes said.
August
"A man was killed after threatening Biden. It's not just him: Threats are on rise across US"
Aug. 21, 2023 | USA Today
Seamus Hughes, NCITE senior research faculty and policy associate, spoke with USA Today about a trend of increasing public threats. He tracked the number of federal charges for threats cases in the first eight months of 2023 – 44. "We're on track to meet, if not surpass, the number of federal arrests when it comes to communicating threats against public officials this year ... Trend lines are going up — violent rhetoric is on the rise, and is unfortunately becoming normalized, and that's concerning.”
"Barron Trump recieved death threats from an Illinois woman, prosecutors say"
Aug. 18, 2023 | Insider
The article cited NCITE research first published by NPR, while describing threats to kill Barron Trump. "Last year, there were 74 federal arrests tied to threats against public officials, up from 38 in 2013, NPR reported, citing research from the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education Center."
"'We Are Coming to Kill You': Woman Charged in Threat to Judge Chutkan"
Aug. 16, 2023 | Newsweek
While describing threats to kill U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, this article cited NCITE's research on arrests related to threats against public officials. "Experts warn that threats against public officials appear to be steadily rising. According to research conducted by the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE) at the University of Nebraska, federal law enforcement issued 38 charges in 2013 for such attacks, while 74 were issued last year."
"Neo-Nazi protests warrant more coverage, extremism experts say"
Aug. 14, 2023 | News Center Maine
NCITE PI Karyn Sporer, associate professor at the University of Maine, discusses the need for news coverage on hate groups after a neo-Nazi group called NSC 131 protested giving aid to migrant families in Maine. "I don't think [the protest] was unusual, we have these organizations mobilizing and this is not a new issue or a new problem... While some express concern increased coverage will fuel recruitment, I think the reality is that increased coverage is one tool among many we have to educate our communities about the very real threat extremism has in Maine."
"Violent threats against public officials are rising. Here's why"
Aug. 12, 2023 | NPR
Seamus Hughes, NCITE senior research faculty and policy associate, talks about threats to public officials. "So, you know, if we have another event like a COVID or another event like an election ... they'll change the targets. You have a subset of people that are angry, that have been told to be angry, and they're focusing their energy on whatever they need to in terms of to show their anger."
"Reports: Neo-Nazi buys Penobscot County land to build 'white supremacist community'"
Aug. 2, 2023 | News Center Maine
NCITE PI Karyn Sporer, associate professor at the University of Maine, commented on Christopher Polhaus, a neo-Nazi with many followers, wanting to build a community of neo-Nazis in Maine. "These spaces provide an escape from the mainstream, where they can spew their rhetoric without being doxed or outed from the community."
July
"'It's about the little victories': Government closer to paying $125 million it overcharged for court records"
July 18, 2023 | VICE
Seamus Hughes, NCITE senior research faculty, discussed a lawsuit concerning fees paid to use PACER, a U.S. court records system. "It's a good start, puts the judiciary on notice that PACER fees should not just be a black hole slush fund for the courts," he said.
"Google 'lacked manpower' to help FBI investigate 'neo-Nazi murder threat,' feds report
July 18, 2023 | Forbes
Seamus Hughes, NCITE senior research faculty, commented on the ability of large social media companies to police their sites. "Social media companies have assured the public, in particular Congress, for years that they are able to police their own sites and have said they made safety on their platforms a priority over profits. The facts laid out in this search warrant questions that assertion," he said.
June
"ISIS soldier from Dearborn sentenced in rare terrorism case"
June 15, 2023 | The Detroit News
Seamus Hughes, NCITE PI, described the sentencing of a man who fought with ISIS in Syria. "His trial gave an eye-opening window into the inner workings of ISIS and how it used Americans in its terror group," he said.
"Jan. 6 cases yield courtroom wins but no change in extremist threat"
June 8, 2023 | Washington Post
Gina Ligon, director of NCITE, described the persistent threat of extremist organizations despite blows to their leadership structures as a result of the Jan. 6 prosecutions. “It doesn’t mean they’ll be less organized. It just means they may not be so public about it,” she said.
"UNO Magazine: A Brave New Virtual World"
June 8, 2023 | UNO Magazine
Sam Hunter, head of strategic operations at NCITE, and Austin Doctor, head of counterterrorism research initiatives, were interviewed for UNO's alumni magazine about their research into malevolent uses of the metaverse.
'Neo-Nazi leaders will not face penalties in New Hampshire Attorney General charges'
June 7, 2023 | News Center Maine
NCITE PI Karyn Sporer, associate professor at the University of Maine, added context to this story about authorities dismissing charges against members of NSC-131, a violent extremist organization.
"'The Comm': The Group Linked to a Nationwide Swatting Rampage"
June 6, 2023 | Vice
Seamus Hughes, NCITE researcher and deputy director of the George Washington University Program on Extremism, alerted Vice to an affidavit about the group.
"UAlbany Research Looking for Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities"
June 5, 2023 | Government Technology
Gary Ackerman, NCITE PI and Associate Dean of the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity at the University at Albany, commented on two new labs exploring social media monitoring, digital forensics, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and geospatial analysis. "These new labs will play integral roles in our college’s growing research ecosystem.”
May
"UNO team considers how 'Metaverse' tech could be used by terrorists; heads to D.C. to share findings"
May 8, 2023 | KMTV 3
Sam Hunter, head of strategic operations at NCITE, was interviewed about his project exploring malevolent use of the metaverse in advance of a demonstration in Washington, D.C. "I hope that the research that we do stops these things from happening," Hunter said. "Unfortunately, I think there is a sense that this is a matter of 'when,' not 'if.'" Alexis d'Amato, a Ph.D. student working on Hunter's project was also interviewed. "Everyone hears 'The Metaverse' and gets very excited from what they've heard about in the news," d'Amato said. "But we kind of look at it through a different lens."
"Tactics extremist groups use to influence followers"
May 2, 2023 | KMOX – Total Information AM
NCITE resesarchers Matthew Jensen, Shane Connelly, and Shaila Miranda talked about their project exploring radicalization in online microblog platforms. "By reading, internalizing, considering extremist messages, this has an effect in shifting attitudes and shifting, however gradually, the way that we see the world," Jensen said.
April
"The 500 most influential people shaping policy"
April 27, 2023 | Washingtonian
Seamus Hughes, NCITE researcher and deputy director of the George Washington University Program on Extremism, was recognized by Washingtonian magazine as one of Washington, D.C.'s 500 most influential people shaping policy.
"UNO panel explores future job impact of AI"
April 24, 2023 | WOWT 6 News
Joel Elson, assistant professor at UNO and head of information science and technology research initiatives at NCITE, spoke on a panel at UNO's Future of Work Symposium discussing what job skills are needed as artificial intelligence advances.
"DHS adds $25 million in potential funding for UNO counterterrorism center"
April 21, 2023 | Omaha World-Herald
NCITE signed a new basic ordering agreement (BOA) with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to increase maximum funding to $35 million. “By increasing the limit of NCITE’s award funding, our government stakeholders have communicated that they’ve found real value in the work we’ve done,” Gina Ligon, director of NCITE, said.
"Discord, used by suspect accused of leaking classified docs, has become more popular with extremists"
April 13, 2023 | ABC News
Thomas Holt, professor of criminal justice at Michigan State University and NCITE researcher, was featured in an article about how messaging platforms, particularly Discord, have been under scrutiny for their lack of content moderation. "In these forums you can kind of act as you wish, and it just depends on the moderators of either the subsection or the overall site to take action, and that's highly variable," Holt said.
"Trump's calls to protest fall on weary, wary ears"
April 4, 2023 | New York Times
Jon Lewis, research fellow with George Washington University's Program on Extremism, discussed the conditions necessary for the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol to occur and how difficult they would be to replicate. “The further away we get from Jan. 6, the more it is being recognized as a unique perfect storm of events, of actors, of circumstances,” Lewis said.
"Midlands Voices: The terror threat picture in the U.S. is dark, but NCITE is on the case"
April 2, 2023 | Omaha World Herald
Erin Grace, director of strategic communications and external relations, wrote an opinion piece about NCITE's role in understanding and preventing terrorism in the current threat landscape after attending a discussion by Nick Rasmussen, DHS counterterrorism coordinator. “The threat picture in the U.S. is indeed dark, with adversaries, inspired by foreign and domestic violent extremist groups, intent on committing violence and harming innocents. It’s enough to keep anyone awake. But what offers hope is dedicated, knowledgeable public servants like Rasmussen committed to the cause and mission-oriented experts on the case. Right here in Omaha,” Grace writes.
March
"SDSU has a new home for research into artificial intelligence"
March 29, 2023 | KPBS
Aaron Elkins, director of the James Silerrad Brown Center for Artificial Intelligence and an NCITE researcher, described the artificial intelligence tools the center is developing and researching. “We work on the kind of problems you can’t get any other way than getting into the environment and capturing those data,” Elkins said.
"UNO researchers make progress on preventing violent acts through chatbots"
March 24, 2023 | WOWT
Joel Elson, NCITE's head of information science and technology research initiatives, and Erin Kearns, head of prevention research initiatives, were interviewed about an ongoing research project which aims to develop a chatbot for suspicious activity reporting. “When it comes to suspicious activity reporting, this can often be sensitive or difficult-to-talk-about material, and in some circumstances, using technology instead of a person helps to facilitate trust,” Elson said.
"Trump warns of 'potential death & destruction' if he's charged in hush-money case"
March 24, 2023 | Washington Post
Pete Simi, NCITE researcher and associate professor at Chapman University, described the violent language used against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg incited by former president Donald Trump: "You take the image of him with the bat and now the next day it’s followed with actual words: violence, destruction. His base of supporters are connecting the dots.”
Steven Windisch, NCITE researcher and assistant professer at Temple University noted: “The fact that (Bragg) is trending is not surprising... What’s surprising is the combination of what’s being searched: his address, his home and his phone, and general contact information. We even saw one spike where it was his family."
"7 Experts on Trump's Call for Protests and Social Media Threat Models"
March 23, 2023 | Just Security
Pete Simi, NCITE researcher and associate professor at Chapman University, discussed the reinstatment of former President Donald Trump being reinstated on social media platforms: "What is clear, however, in terms of the threat landscape is that threats to public officials are at all time highs, and many of those threats are communicated on these very same platforms. The threat environment is not receding as some of the social media officials claim, and most experts that I am aware of have grave concerns about the current threat level and a rapid increase in the threat landscape as we inch closer to the 2024 presidential election."
"ADL: 400+ extremist incidents in Virginia in 2022"
March 20, 2023 | WVTF
Pete Simi, NCITE researcher and associate professor at Chapman University, described the messaging of white nationalist groups are created to recruit. "By defend labor what they really mean is that they are strongly opposed to immigration, in particular what they would call non-white immigration. They claim we have an open border and we are being overtaken by non-white immigrants... So when they say defend labor, they mean defend white labor."
"How Hate Groups Use National Unease to Thrive in NC and Beyond"
March 17, 2023 | Governing
Jon Lewis, NCITE researcher and research fellow at George Washington University's Program on Extremism, described the threat of hate groups' messaging being accepted and spread by people not necessarily involved in them. The story, originally published in the Charlotte Observer, was picked up by several outlets.
"Extemist memes more dangerous because of their viral nature and coded messaging"
March 15, 2023 | Nebraska Examiner
Erin Grace, director of strategic communications and external relations at NCITE, explained how memes can be used to propograte extremist ideology. "Panelists speaking at a livestreamed NCITE event on Feb. 23 referred to memes as 'a gateway drug' and 'open door' to those most vulnerable to extremist messaging – aggrieved, socially isolated individuals who are searching for community and meaning online," she writes.
"UNO counterterrorism expert warns vigilance after Furnas Co. communications tower wrecking"
March 8, 2023 | KETV
Austin Doctor, head of counterterrorism research initiatives, added context to a developing story about a downed communications tower in Furnas County, Nebraska. Authorities are investigating the act as intentional. "Looking and keeping a sharp eye and to remain vigilant to this potential threat in both urban and rural areas will be an important priority moving forward," he said.
"SDSU Launches New Era of Artificial Intelligence Research With Boost From Brown Foundation"
March 7, 2023 | KETV
Aaron Elkins, director of San Diego State University's Artificial Intelligence Lab, and his team showcased students' projects in cybersecurity, mixed reality technologies, and human-robot interactions after a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating a boost in funding for Artificiall Intelligence. "This center is going to provide access to some of the most advanced instruments that we can possibly have at this moment in time for our students," he said.
February
"Memes tools of terrorism: University of Nebraska-Omaha leads international discussion"
Feb. 23, 2023 | WOWT
Omaha's NBC affiliate WOWT covered the Terrorist Use of Memes panel discussion on Feb. 23. NCITE's Gina Ligon spoke about the the cross-ideological appeal of memes to extremists. “It’s not just ISIS using memes, it’s not just al-Qaeda. There are lots of antisemitic memes that are floating around out there from some of the domestic groups. We saw a huge spike in those over the last year alone," she said.
"'Countless number of persecutions': UNO panel discusses Yazidi genocide and its impact"
Feb. 14, 2023 | KETV
NCITE's Austin Doctor, lead of counterterrorism research initiatives, participated in a panel discussion about the Yazidi genocide. Doctor spoke about efforts to dismantle ISIS ideology and the ongoing fight against violent extremism.
"Omaha For Us maps security plans as it prepares to open LGBTQ+ center"
Feb. 8, 2023 | KETV
NCITE's Erin Kearns, lead of prevention research initiatives, spoke with KETV about the risks facing LGBTQ+ people and spaces. "Looking at the trends, there's been an increase in threats against this community, attacks against this community," she said.
"Michigan man convicted of joining ISIS in Syria, faces 50 years in prison"
Feb. 1, 2023 | USA Today
This story cites data from NCITE partners at the George Washington University Program on Extremism. The man in the story is noted as one of 83 known American adults who traveled to Syria and/or Iraq to join jihadist groups since 2011, according to the Program on Extremism.
January
"Counterterrorism experts weigh in on Maine teen charged in NYC attack"
Jan. 3, 2023 | WMTW
NCITE Director Gina Ligon and Karyn Sporer, an NCITE principal investigator at the University of Maine, added context to the machete attack on three New York City police officers on New Year's Eve. "Homegrown violent extremists are a pernicious problem in the U.S.," Ligon said.