Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Financing the Terrorism Threat: Trends, Typologies, and the Policy Response

1 2

Program On Extremism @gwupoe.bsky.social · 4d

🎙️How do terrorist groups raise and move money today? In this podcast episode, retired FBI agent Eliza Odom unpacks how funds flow through charities, crowdfunding, trade, and virtual assets - and what policymakers and banks can do to stop it.

Inside the U.S. Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell | Program on Extremism | The George Washington University

Program On Extremism @gwupoe.bsky.social · 4d

📢NEW EVENT
Inside the US Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell
🗓️Oct 16 | 🕐1PM ET

Hear from Rajiv Maan, former Director of the Fusion Cell, as he shares how it unifies efforts to bring kidnapped US citizens home

🎙️Moderated by David Collins

Featuring Rajiv Maan; moderated by David Collins.

Episode 20: We Came To Dance

Program On Extremism @gwupoe.bsky.social · 6d

🎙️Ep 20 INTIFADA: Hamas in the US is out now
This episode opens at the Nova Music Festival, where one survivor shares their harrowing story of escape, loss, and resilience.
Warning: Some content is violent and disturbing

YouTube video by INTIFADA: HAMAS in the US

www.youtube.com

Program On Extremism @gwupoe.bsky.social · 11d

We’re excited to welcome Barry Jonas, a seasoned federal prosecutor, to PoE as our new Senior Research Fellow. He’ll lead work on legal issues tied to extremism and counterterrorism - and help shape cutting-edge training programs.

Jonas, Barry | Program on Extremism | The George Washington University

Barry Jonas

Online radicalization, extremism and the efforts to recruit American youth

Program On Extremism @gwupoe.bsky.social · 12d

Our researcher @jonlewis27.bsky.social joined @npr.org @wfae.bsky.social to discuss how extreme ideologies spread online, why young people are increasingly recruited into violent ideology and what’s being done to push back.

Check it out here 👇

Violent extremist movements continue to thrive in online spaces. We examine how extreme ideologies spread, why young people are increasingly recruited into violent ideology and what’s being done to pu...

www.wfae.org

Program On Extremism @gwupoe.bsky.social · 13d

📄New report!
Armed, organized, and overlooked - left-wing militias are quietly rising across the U.S. Our report profiles groups like NFAC and Redneck Revolt, revealing how they recruit veterans, spread online, and escape federal scrutiny.

The Silent Rise of the Left-Wing Militia | Program on Extremism | The George Washington University

Authored by the Program on Extremism

‘It’s all performative’: why are shooters leaving messages on shell casings?

Program On Extremism @gwupoe.bsky.social · 16d

Research Fellow @jonlewis27.bsky.social was recently featured in an article from The Guardian that explores why some of the most recent acts of political violence exhibit the characteristic of leaving behind written messages on their weapons and ammunition.

The use of markings on ammunition is a new trend of shooters trying to ensure their messages are disseminated publicly, experts say

www.theguardian.com

Program On Extremism @gwupoe.bsky.social · 17d

"Left-Wing Terrorism Is on the Rise"
Read about it in this article by Daniel Byman and Riley McCabe

Left-Wing Terrorism Is on the Rise

For the first time in more than 30 years, attacks by the far left outnumber those by the far right.

www.theatlantic.com

Program On Extremism @gwupoe.bsky.social · 17d

📄New report: DAMPL is a US-based extremist group that emerged in early 2025. Rooted in anti-Zionist, anti-imperialist ideology, it has escalated from online rhetoric to vandalism, intimidation, and attempted incendiary attacks-posing new domestic threats.

What is DAMPL (Direct Action Movement for Palestinian Liberation)? | Program on Extremism | The George Washington University

Authored by Jennifer Baker

Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS

Program On Extremism @gwupoe.bsky.social · 18d

Awais Chudhary, sentenced for plotting an ISIS-inspired knife attack in Queens, is one of over 200 individuals charged in the U.S. for ISIS-related offenses since 2014

📊 Explore his case and others in our ISIS in America Tracker
extremism.gwu.edu/isis-america

A New York man was sentenced today to 108 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a desi...

justice.gov

Program On Extremism @gwupoe.bsky.social · 19d

🎙️Ep 19 "We Can't Say That to the Americans" is out!

In 2017, Hamas amended its charter to appear more moderate. Was it real, or just a PR move? Experts weigh in, plus a revealing clip of AMP’s leader on Hamas' dual messaging. We also cover the Abraham Accords & CAIR’s opposition.

Episode 19: We Can't Say That to the Americans

YouTube video by INTIFADA: HAMAS in the US

www.youtube.com

Program On Extremism @gwupoe.bsky.social · 19d

Anarchist violent extremism remains an under-studied & often misunderstood threat. Our analysis examines how these threats fit into the broader DVE landscape - & why continued attention is critical.

Check it out here👇

Anarchist/Left-Wing Violent Extremism in America | Program on Extremism | The George Washington University

Authored by Program on Extremism

Goose Creek Man Indicted for Lying about Ties to ISIS

Program On Extremism @gwupoe.bsky.social · 25d

"Goose Creek Man Indicted for Lying about Ties to ISIS"
www.justice.gov/usao-sc/pr/g...

📊This latest arrest makes 272 ISIS in America cases according to our tracker
www.poemonitoring.org/isis-in-amer...

CHARLESTON, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Charleston returned a four-count indictment against Ala Aldeen Alshaikh, 31, of Goose Creek, for making false statements in connection with his naturalizatio...

www.justice.gov

Program On Extremism @gwupoe.bsky.social · 26d

Research fellow @lbaum94.bsky.social speaks with NBC's Gadi Schwartz about youth radicalization in online groups

Investigators trace online activity of Colorado gunman

Political violence: Current era compared to 1968 | CNN Politics

Program On Extremism @gwupoe.bsky.social · 27d

Catch our research fellow @jonlewis27.bsky.social on @cnn.com at the 2:30mins mark-

"When you have individuals who are predisposed to violence, looking for that justification, all they have to do is wake up and look at their phone."

edition.cnn.com/2025/09/13/p...

The current rash of political violence prompts comparisons between today, and the time when MLK and RFK were assassinated.

edition.cnn.com

Program On Extremism @gwupoe.bsky.social · 27d

PoE Head of Terrorism Research Lara Burns is featured in JNS warning that Hamas remains deeply entrenched in the U.S. through front groups, propaganda & campus outreach. “When they’re quiet, they’re most lethal.”

Former FBI official: Hamas remains entrenched in US

"When organizations like Hamas are quiet, that’s when they’re the most lethal," Lara Burns told journalists in Tel Aviv.

www.jns.org

Program On Extremism @gwupoe.bsky.social · Sep 11

Join us for today's online event "A Conversation with the former Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs"

There's still time to register!

A Conversation with the former Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs | Program on Extremism | The George Washington University

Featuring Steve Gillen; moderated by David Zimmermann.

Studying Kinocide: Terrorists' Weaponization of Families as a Form of Torture | Program on Extremism | The George Washington University

Program On Extremism @gwupoe.bsky.social · Sep 10

There's still time to join this event! We're kicking off.
extremism.gwu.edu/studying-kin...

Featuring Cochav Elkayam-Levy, Anila Ali, Mutasim Ali, and Abid Shamdeen; moderated by Lara Burns.

Mayhem, Murder, and Misdirection: Violent Extremist Attack Plots Against Critical Infrastructure in the United States, 2016-2022 | Program on Extremism | The George Washington University

Program On Extremism @gwupoe.bsky.social · Sep 10

His attack fits a disturbing trend: our 2022 report found white supremacist plots targeting the energy sector “dramatically increased in frequency” from 2016–2022.

Available here👇

Authored by Ilana Krill and Bennett Clifford

Man Pleads Guilty to Planning Attack on Power Substation in Tennessee

Program On Extremism @gwupoe.bsky.social · Sep 10

A man motivated by white supremacist ideology who tried to bomb a Nashville power substation with a drone pleaded guilty this week.

www.nytimes.com

Retired FBI Agent Exposes Hamas’ Long Game in America - The Media Line

Program On Extremism @gwupoe.bsky.social · Sep 9

In this latest piece in The Media Line, PoE Head of Terrorism Research Lara Burns describes how Hamas shifted its US strategy from fundraising to propaganda, focusing on campuses and media influence

Available here👇

The Hamas terrorist network in the United States […]

themedialine.org

Program On Extremism @gwupoe.bsky.social · Sep 8

Don't forget- two important webinars this week:

📅 Wed 9/10, 10am ET: Studying Kinocide: Terrorists' Weaponization of Families

📅 Thu 9/11, 11am ET: A Conversation with the former Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs

Register now!

Events | Program on Extremism | The George Washington University

All upcoming events at the Program on Extremism

Episode 18: A Common Enemy

Program On Extremism @gwupoe.bsky.social · Sep 5

🚨New ep Intifada: HAMAS in the US

Burns & Baker explore the unlikely alliance between Islamist groups like Hamas and leftist groups like the PFLP - partnering in Gaza and on US campuses - to unite against a common enemy: the West.

YouTube video by INTIFADA: HAMAS in the US

www.youtube.com

Program On Extremism @gwupoe.bsky.social · Sep 4

Our Senior Research Fellow Dr. Omar Mohammed today on Connect the World With Becky Anderson discussing the reconstruction of Mosul after the reign of ISIS

Inside Mosul's reconstruction after the reign of ISIS

The Muslim Brotherhood's Pan-European Structure | Program on Extremism | The George Washington University

Program On Extremism @gwupoe.bsky.social · Sep 4

As detailed in this extensive report by @gwupoe.bsky.social Director Vidino and Senior Researcher
@altuna.bsky.social, the IESH is part of the broad pan-European network of organizations created and managed by the Muslim Brotherhood to expand its influence.

Authored by Lorenzo Vidino and Sergio Altuna