A bomb threat was reported at the home of Judge Arthur Engoron hours before closing arguments

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The Extremism Roundup
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**Promoting Civil Discourse and Marginalizing the Extremes**
A weekly compilation of the most important developments in the struggle against radical ideologies

Militant-Right & Militant-Left Extremism
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*Former U.S. President Donald Trump and his lawyers attend the closing arguments in the Trump Organization civil fraud trial at New York State Supreme Court on January 11 - Shannon Stapleton-Pool/Getty Images*


**Judge in Trump Case Threatened With Bomb**


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A bomb threat was reported at the home of Judge Arthur Engoron, who is presiding over Donald Trump's civil fraud case, on Long Island just hours before closing arguments in the trial.


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The Nassau County bomb squad is investigating the threat; it remains unclear if Judge Engoron was at home during the incident.


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Tensions escalated between Judge Engoron and Trump's attorney over the former president's request to speak during closing arguments. The threat caused delays in courthouse security, and protesters gathered outside during the trial proceedings.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202401-18&utm_medium=email)**


**Trans Individual Arrested for Threatening to Kill ‘Transphobes’**


- Elizabeth West, an Oregon man who identifies as a woman, was charged with making interstate threats based on a Facebook post to a "trans woman support group" where he expressed frustration about being fired and facing transphobia.
- The FBI arrested West months later after monitoring his social media, which exhibited racial hatred toward black people, immigrants, and Jews. The arrest was based on a Facebook post fueled by transgender-related grievances, and West's social media exhibited animosity toward other races connected to his gender ideology.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202401-18&utm_medium=email)**
**Far-Left Agitators Attempt to Disrupt Comedy Show**


- Antifa and far-left extremists attacked Helium Comedy Club in Portland, Ore., with large explosive fireworks to protest comedian Michael Rapaport's show due to his support for Israel.
- The protesters, organized by the Bash the Fash account on social media, attempted to shut down Rapaport's performance, calling for the club to cancel the event.
- Rapaport, known for defending Israel on social media, responded by posting the protest flyer on Instagram, encouraging people to attend his show despite the demonstration.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202401-18&utm_medium=email)**
**Klan-Affiliated North Carolina Man Convicted of Racially Motivated Attack**


- Marian Hudak, 52, has been convicted of committing a hate crime against a Black man and a Hispanic man on separate occasions in Greensboro, N.C.
- Evidence presented during the trial showed that Hudak shouted racial slurs at a Black man, punched his car window, and later chased him to his home, threatening to shoot and kill him.
- Additional evidence included frequent anti-Hispanic comments, aggressive behavior toward minority motorists, and the discovery of a KKK flag, racist publication, and Nazi memorabilia in Hudak's residence.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202401-18&utm_medium=email)**
**Florida Man Arrested in Connection to White Supremacist Mass Casualty Threat**


- Alexander Lightner, 26, from Venice, Fla., has been arrested after allegedly posting online threats indicating plans for a racially or ethnically motivated mass casualty event.
- FBI agents conducted an interview and executed a search warrant at Lightner's home on January 5 in response to the threatening posts, which referenced "accelerationism" - inciting racially motivated events to spur a "race war."
- During the search, investigators discovered white supremacist literature in Lightner's bedroom. He is now facing charges of transmitting a threat to injure in interstate or foreign commerce and possession of an unregistered firearm.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202401-18&utm_medium=email)**

Islamist Extremism
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*Pro-Palestinian demonstrators let off a red smoke flare in Lafayette Square during the "March on Washington for Gaza" in Washington, DC - Probal Rashid/LightRocket via Getty Images*


**Anti-Israel Activists Attack White House**


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Anti-Israel protesters gathered outside the White House, chanting "Free, Free Palestine," damaging security fencing, and hurling objects at police.


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Some fences outside the White House were temporarily damaged during the demonstration, and staff members and journalists were relocated as a precaution. President Biden was at Camp David during the protest.


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No arrests were made.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202401-18&utm_medium=email)**


**Muslim YouTuber Harasses Customers at NYC Café**


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Adam Saleh, a controversial Muslim YouTuber known for street fight videos, faced backlash for posting footage of himself harassing customers in an Israeli café and a Manhattan Starbucks.


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In the video at Blue Stripes café, Saleh chanted "Free, free Palestine," pulled down the Israeli flag, and made claims about killing kids, echoing Hamas talking points.


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Saleh also confronted Starbucks customers, accusing them of "funding a genocide" and mockingly asking for signatures for a petition supporting Israel, attributing false terms and conditions.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202401-18&utm_medium=email)**


**Brooklyn Man Arrested for Attack on Orthodox Jew**


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Mohamed Habachi, 23, from Brooklyn, has been arrested on hate crime charges for allegedly hurling a rock at a 45-year-old Orthodox man in Williamsburg in November.


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The incident, captured on video, shows Habachi throwing a rock from his bicycle, hitting the victim in the leg and causing a laceration. The attacker reportedly shouted "Free Palestine."


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Habachi faces almost half a dozen charges, including assault and menacing as hate crimes, after being apprehended by the NYPD. **[Read More]([link removed] 202401-18&utm_medium=email)**

**Times Square Machete Attacker Pleads Guilty**


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Trevor Bickford, 20, from Wells, Maine, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of attempting to kill NYPD officers in a jihadist attack using a machete-style knife in Times Square on New Year's Eve 2022.


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Bickford, a U.S. citizen, traveled to New York City intending to wage jihad, targeting the iconic New Year's Eve celebration. He ambushed three NYPD officers, injuring them seriously while declaring "Allahu Akbar." One officer shot Bickford in the shoulder, stopping the attack.


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Bickford admitted to planning the attack for months, consuming materials promoting radical Islamic ideology, contemplating overseas support for the Taliban, and eventually deciding to carry out an attack in the United States, aiming to kill U.S. government employees before becoming a martyr. He highlighted a passage in a book recovered from his backpack that advocated fighting in the name of Allah against non-believers.


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Bickford faces a potential aggregate sentence of 120 years in prison.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202401-18&utm_medium=email)**

  Hate Crime
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*Mohammed Meah - Macomb County Jail via Macomb Daily screenshot*
**


**Michigan Man Accused of Trying to Run Over Pedestrian in Alleged Hate Crime**


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Mohammed Meah, a 62-year-old man from Sterling Heights, Mich., is charged with a racially motivated hate crime for intentionally hitting a pedestrian with his vehicle.


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Meah faces charges including assault with intent to murder, ethnic intimidation, and failure to stop at the scene of a personal injury accident.


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The defendant claimed the victim was racist, and the bond was set at $500,000.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202401-18&utm_medium=email)**


**Maryland Man Sentenced for Death Threats to LGBT Group**


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Adam Michael Nettina, 34, of West Friendship, Md., has been sentenced to two years in prison for making death threats and calls for violence against an LGBT advocacy group, as well as threatening Maryland and Virginia state delegates who support transgender rights.


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Nettina left a threatening voicemail for an advocacy organization, referencing a recent mass shooting and making explicit threats, including cutting throats and putting bullets in heads. He intentionally targeted the organization based on the gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation of its members.


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Additionally, Nettina sent threatening messages on social media and via email to Maryland and Virginia state delegates who expressed support for transgender rights, using derogatory language and making violent threats against them based on their gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202401-18&utm_medium=email)**


**Michigan Man Charged With Making Racist Threats**


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Vincent Michael Moceri, 41, from Macomb County, Mich., has been charged with a hate crime for assaulting two individuals inside a Walmart store.


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Moceri allegedly yelled racial slurs, threatened to kill the victims, and pointed knives at them, while making discriminatory remarks. The victims, both Black, were unharmed physically.


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Moceri faces two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and ethnic intimidation, with a potential prison term of up to four years for assault and two years for intimidation if convicted.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202401-18&utm_medium=email)**

  School Threats
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*Jefferson High School, Lafayette, Ind. - via Google Maps screenshot*
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**Indiana Teen Arrested for Threatening to Bring a Gun to School**


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A 15-year-old male student was arrested by Lafayette, Ind., police for allegedly threatening to bring a gun to Jefferson High School.


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Concerned parents reported the threats posted on Snapchat. Another student reposted the threat on a community Snapchat affiliated with the school, informing parents.


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The student was found and arrested. Lafayette police believe the student acted alone in posting the alleged threat online.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202401-18&utm_medium=email)**


**Juvenile Arrested in Connection to Threat to Utah School**


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A juvenile from out of state has been arrested in connection with a hoax threat made at Snow Canyon High School in St. George, Utah.


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The incident occurred in September 2023 when a phone call threat prompted the school to go into "secure mode," initiating a large-scale response and investigation.


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Detectives identified the suspect as part of an organized group responsible for serial swatting offenses across the country. Charges related to school threats, threats of terrorism, and false emergency reporting have been filed.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202401-18&utm_medium=email)**


**Florida 12-Year-Old Arrested for Threatening a Shooting With Replica Gun**


- A 12-year-old boy was arrested at Carwise Middle School in Palm Harbor, Fla., for bringing a replica gun to school and making threats of a shooting. Upon questioning, the boy admitted he brought the gun to be "cool," according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
- The boy was charged with a false report related to planting a bomb or using firearms in a violent manner.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202401-18&utm_medium=email)**
**Florida 12-Year-Old Arrested After Threatening School Shooting on Social Media**


- A 12-year-old girl was arrested in St. Petersburg, Fla., after sending Instagram messages threatening a school shooting at Azalea Middle School.
- The girl admitted to sending the messages but claimed she was not serious about the threats. She was charged with written threats to kill or conduct a mass shooting and was taken to the Pinellas Juvenile Assessment Center.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202401-18&utm_medium=email)**

Hostile Foreign Influence Operations
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*An aerial view of aircraft carriers of the U.S. Navy USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower together in the eastern Mediterranean on November 3, 2023 - U.S.Navy Janae Chambers/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images*
**


**Navy Sailor Sentenced for Transmitting Sensitive Military Information to China**


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U.S. Navy service member Wenheng (Thomas) Zhao has been sentenced to 27 months in prison and fined $5,500 for transmitting sensitive U.S. military information to a Chinese intelligence officer in exchange for bribes.


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Zhao pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring with the intelligence officer and one count of receiving a bribe in October 2023.


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Between August 2021 and at least May 2023, Zhao received over $14,800 in bribes and transmitted sensitive U.S. military information, including plans for a maritime training exercise and critical infrastructure details.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202401-18&utm_medium=email)**


**Iran Editing Wikipedia to Downplay Its Crimes and Discredit Dissidents**


- Iranian government agents or supporters reportedly have been altering Wikipedia entries to downplay the regime's crimes and discredit dissidents, according to a new report.
- The edits involve minimizing details about Iranian human rights abuses, such as mass executions in 1988, and presenting government publications as impartial sources.
- Instances include the removal of information about senior officials' involvement in ordering the hanging of political prisoners and attempts to set up a page about human rights activist Vahid Beheshti, who campaigns to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group, with the edits believed to be linked to the Iranian cyber army.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202401-18&utm_medium=email)**
**Suspected Chinese Hackers Target US Research Organization**


- Suspected Chinese hackers exploited two undisclosed software vulnerabilities to breach a U.S.-based research organization, gaining "unfettered access" as part of a persistent spying campaign focused on collecting intelligence aligning with China's interests.
- The victim organization, engaged in geopolitical research, particularly on China-related issues, drew attention from state-backed hackers.
- The hackers targeted popular virtual private networking (VPN) software by Ivanti, prompting the company to develop a software update to address the vulnerabilities.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202401-18&utm_medium=email)**

Research and Trends in Extremism
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* The presidents of Harvard, UPenn and MIT testify before the House Education and Workforce Committee on December 5, 2023 as part of its investigation of antisemitism on college campuses - Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images*
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**Antisemitic Incidents Have Tripled Since Oct. 7**


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The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported that antisemitic incidents in the U.S. more than tripled in the three months following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel, with 3,283 documented incidents between October 7, 2023, and January 7, 2023. This represents a 360 percent increase from the same period a year earlier.


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The incidents included physical assaults, harassment, and vandalism. About two-thirds of these incidents were directly related to the Israel-Hamas war.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202401-18&utm_medium=email)**


**Substack Deplatforms Neo-Nazis**


- The newsletter platform Substack has removed "some" pro-Nazi publications, including five newsletters flagged by Platformer, amid growing pressure and controversy over its content moderation rules.
- The move follows Substack's previous refusal to remove publications promoting white nationalist and pro-Nazi views, which drew criticism. In November, The Atlantic reported finding numerous such newsletters on Substack, some monetized by their authors.
- Substack maintains its original stance on content moderation, emphasizing its commitment to free speech. The company is working on new moderation tools to allow users to set up and refine their own experience on the platform.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202401-18&utm_medium=email)**

Have You Found A Story You Think We Should Cover?
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If you see an article on violent extremism in the U.S. or hostile foreign influence that is reliable, timely, and fits into one of the six categories that we cover in this newsletter, please send us a note, either by replying directly to this email or by [**submitting a contact form**]([link removed] 202401-18&utm_medium=email) under the appropriate "news tip" category.  

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*- Thomas Jefferson on the Islamic Barbary pirates*

NOTE TO OUR READERS: We have pulled out the salient points of the articles in this newsletter to keep you informed and focused on the most relevant, important and timely news in national security and extremism. While our national security experts stand behind the summary bullets and deem them trustworthy, Clarion Project does not endorse all the views expressed in the articles linked.

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