Protests at the South Portland ICE facility have occurred nearly nightly for weeks, opposing detentions and deportations.

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The Extremism Roundup
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*Focused on Evidence Instead of Narratives*
A weekly compilation of the most important developments in the struggle against radical ideologies

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A Word From the CEO
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Dear Reader,

Recent weeks exposed raw edges of U.S. extremism: A Pennsylvania man torched Gov. Shapiro’s mansion with Molotovs (25–50 years for terrorism); an Idaho man pledged loyalty to ISIS and nearly massacred churches; a Florida teen’s Snapchat school-shooting threat landed him in juvenile detention; and Portland anti-ICE mobs sparked arrests and pepper spray. Lone wolves and street agitators alike reveal a nation simmering.

Abroad, influence ops weaponize tech and bias: Captured Hamas files prove Al Jazeera’s hotline to Gaza editors for scripted “martyr” narratives; Russian disinformation floods ChatGPT and Grok, citing sanctioned news outlets in 1-in-5 Ukraine answers. From AI-poisoned chatbots to Qatari propaganda, foreign actors stoke division while extremists light the match.

Sincerely,

-------------------
A Word From the CEO
-------------------

Dear Reader,

Recent weeks exposed raw edges of U.S. extremism: A Pennsylvania man torched Gov. Shapiro’s mansion with Molotovs (25–50 years for terrorism); an Idaho man pledged loyalty to ISIS and nearly massacred churches; a Florida teen’s Snapchat school-shooting threat landed him in juvenile detention; and Portland anti-ICE mobs sparked arrests and pepper spray. Lone wolves and street agitators alike reveal a nation simmering.

Abroad, influence ops weaponize tech and bias: Captured Hamas files prove Al Jazeera’s hotline to Gaza editors for scripted “martyr” narratives; Russian disinformation floods ChatGPT and Grok, citing sanctioned news outlets in 1-in-5 Ukraine answers. From AI-poisoned chatbots to Qatari propaganda, foreign actors stoke division while extremists light the match.

Sincerely,

RIchard Green

CEO, Co-Founder

Clarionproject.org

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Militant-Right and Militant-Left Extremism
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Federal agents clash with anti-ICE protesters at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building on October 12, 2025, in Portland, Ore. - Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Getty Images ( [link removed] 202510-30&utm_medium=email )

Federal agents clash with anti-ICE protesters at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building on October 12, 2025, in Portland, Ore. - Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Getty Images

*Anti-ICE Protestors Arrested in Portland
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A female anti-ICE protester wearing a keffiyeh was arrested after crossing a restricted blue line outside the ICE facility, making contact with an officer, and triggering a clash with federal agents who deployed pepper spray.

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Video from TPUSA Frontlines shows officers detaining the woman as protesters shouted. The Portland Police Bureau confirmed two arrests for crimes during the demonstration, but did not release names or charges.

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Protests at the South Portland ICE facility have occurred nearly nightly for weeks, opposing detentions and deportations. Activists reportedly are using a nearby “safe house” for supplies and coordination. *Read More ( [link removed] 202510-30&utm_medium=email )*

*Man Pleads Guilty to Attack at PA Governor’s Mansion
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Cody Balmer, 38, scaled a security fence, broke into the Pennsylvania Governor’s Mansion, and ignited multiple fires using gasoline-filled beer bottle Molotov cocktails, while Gov. Josh Shapiro, his family, guests, and state troopers were inside.

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Balmer pleaded guilty to attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson, aggravated assault, and 22 counts of arson. Under a plea deal, he was sentenced to 25–50 years in prison.

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Video evidence showed Molotov cocktails exploding inside and outside the residence, causing millions in damage to the southern wing (causing no injuries). Balmer told police he intended to beat Shapiro with a sledgehammer if encountered. *Read More ( [link removed] 202510-30&utm_medium=email )*

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Islamist Extremism
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Alexander Scott Mercurio, 20 - FBI via People screenshot ( [link removed] 202510-30&utm_medium=email )

Alexander Scott Mercurio, 20 - FBI via People screenshot

*Idaho ISIS Supporter Pleads Guilty
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* ​Alexander Scott Mercurio, a 20-year-old from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to ISIS.
* Mercurio pledged allegiance to ISIS, created an online repository for pro-ISIS propaganda in early 2023, and planned a church attack in Coeur d’Alene on April 7, 2024, using weapons including knives and incendiary devices.
* He purchased items to execute the attack and recorded a video pledging loyalty while holding a knife in front of an ISIS flag; the FBI arrested him on April 6, 2024, one day before the planned assault.
* Sentencing is scheduled for January 27, 2026, with a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. *Read More ( [link removed] 202510-30&utm_medium=email )*

*U.S. Sen Tommy Tuberville’s Calls to "Shut Down Sharia Law"*
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Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) believes that radical Islam is the greatest threat to our national security and recently introduced two bills to counter this threat.

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The No Sharia Act ( [link removed] 202510-30&utm_medium=email ) would prohibit the application of Sharia in the United States where such application would violate constitutional rights.

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The Preserving a Sharia Free America Act ( [link removed] 202510-30&utm_medium=email ) would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to include advocacy for Sharia law to be a ground for inadmissibility and deportability. *Read More ( [link removed] 202510-30&utm_medium=email )*

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Hate Crime
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Shawnee Park, Skokie, Ill., scene of antisemitic hate crime involving youths - via Fox 32 video screenshot ( [link removed] 202510-30&utm_medium=email )

Shawnee Park, Skokie, Ill., scene of antisemitic hate crime involving youths - via Fox 32 video screenshot

*Jewish Kids Assaulted at Park
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A group of minors aged 13–15 chased another group of youth at Shawnee Park in suburban Skokie, Ill., using antisemitic slurs and firing gel pellets from a toy “gel blaster” gun. One victim was struck in the leg.

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The incident began in the park and spilled onto a nearby street. Skokie Police classified it as a hate crime after identifying all involved youth and the individual who discharged the toy gun.

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Reports of an adult responding with a real firearm were investigated and deemed not credible. *Read More ( [link removed] 202510-30&utm_medium=email )*

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School Threats
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Stone Magnet Middle School, Melbourne, Fla. - via Homes.com screenshot ( [link removed] 202510-30&utm_medium=email )

Stone Magnet Middle School, Melbourne, Fla. - via Homes.com screenshot

*Student Arrested for Alleged Threats Against Florida Middle School
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A 15-year-old student at Stone Middle School was arrested at his home for posting threats of a mass shooting targeting Central Middle School in West Melbourne, Fla., via Snapchat, according to the Palm Bay Police Department.

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Detectives from the Special Victims Unit interviewed the teen's parents and obtained a statement from him. It's unclear if the tip came from another student, a school official, or Snapchat monitoring, with no information on his ability to execute the threat or having accomplices.

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The boy faces a felony charge of making a written threat of a mass shooting and was detained at the county juvenile facility, pending a hearing before a juvenile judge. *Read More ( [link removed] 202510-30&utm_medium=email )*

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Foreign Influence Operations
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The headquarters of the Qatari state-funded news television network Al Jazeera in the capital Doha - Karim JAAFAR / AFP via Getty Images ( [link removed] 202510-30&utm_medium=email )

The headquarters of the Qatari state-funded news television network Al Jazeera in the capital Doha - Karim JAAFAR / AFP via Getty Images

*Captured Documents Show Al Jazeera’s Ties to Hamas
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Captured Hamas documents obtained by the Israel Defense Forces reveal systematic cooperation between Hamas and Al Jazeera, including a secure "Al Jazeera phone" line for emergency editorial control over coverage to align with Hamas's narrative.

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The Qatari network served as a propaganda platform for Hamas during the Gaza War, broadcasting exclusive content like hostage handover videos, proof-of-life footage, and statements from Hamas officials, while using terminology such as "resistance fighters" and "martyrs" for terrorists.

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Documents detail direct editorial instructions from Hamas, such as minimizing reports on Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket failures, coordinating with Hamas military before airing stories, and silencing on-air criticism of the group. In one instance, a critic was interrupted during a live interview.

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Many Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza were Hamas operatives, including some who participated in the Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of Israel. Qatar's hosting of Hamas leadership and financial support further enables the network's role in amplifying terrorist propaganda. *Read More ( [link removed] 202510-30&utm_medium=email )*

*AI Pushing Russian Propaganda
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A new Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) report reveals that OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, DeepSeek, and xAI’s Grok frequently cite sanctioned Russian state media (e.g., RT, Sputnik, EADaily) and pro-Kremlin sources in responses to queries about Russia’s war in Ukraine, with nearly 18 percent of outputs across 300 tested questions in five languages linking to such entities.

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Researchers exploited "data voids" in real-time information gaps to test neutral, biased, and malicious prompts on topics like NATO perceptions, peace talks, Ukrainian recruitment, refugees, and war crimes. Malicious queries yielded pro-Russian content 25 percent of the time, compared to 10 percent for neutral ones, showing confirmation bias in LLMs.

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The EU has sanctioned at least 27 Russian media outlets since 2022 for disinformation, including recent 2025 bans on eight more (e.g., Fondsk, NewsFront, SouthFront). Chatbots' amplification raises regulatory concerns under the Digital Services Act, as ChatGPT nears Very Large Online Platform status with 120M+ EU users.

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Russian networks like "Pravda" flood the web with 3.6M+ AI-generated articles yearly to "poison" LLM training data, per NewsGuard; OpenAI attributes issues to search integrations, while xAI dismissed claims as "Legacy Media Lies," highlighting foreign influence risks as AI replaces traditional search. *Read More ( [link removed] 202510-30&utm_medium=email )*

QUOTABLE
“When all men of all religions...shall enjoy equal liberty, property, and an equal chance for honors and power...we may expect that improvements will be made in the human character and the state of society.”

-- John Adam

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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