NCITE Insights

Forecasting Post-Election Threats to Public Officials

Interim host Blake Ursch speaks with NCITE senior research faculty and policy associate Seamus Hughes about his research on threats to public officials in the light of the recent presidential election. Hughes draws from nearly a decade of researching such threats and discusses how the infrastructure and policies of the incoming Trump administration may affect their prosecution.

Threats to Election Workers

On the latest episode of the podcast, host Erin Grace speaks with NCITE researcher Steven Windisch, Ph.D., on his research investigating threats to election officials during the 2024 election cycle. Windisch draws from in-depth interviews with officials to scope the nature and prevalence of the threats, their impact, and what can be done to address them. 
Windisch is an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology and the associate director of the Crime and Security Data Analytics Lab (CASDAL) in the Terrorism Research Center (TRC) at the University of Arkansas.
Disclaimer: The views and conclusions contained in this podcast are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies or views, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the University of Nebraska, or guest-affiliated institutions.

Oct. 7: One Year Later

"The noise in America right now is very loud." 
One year following the attack on Israel by Hamas, the scope and intensity of the conflict has expanded beyond Israel's borders to Lebanon and Iran, increasing regional and global tensions. In a newly published white paper requested by DHS, the NCITE consortium weighs in on the key homeland security concerns resulting from the crisis. Erin sits down with NCITE director Gina Ligon, Ph.D., to discuss the anniversary. Ligon draws on her research on ISIS to analyze Hamas's online outreach and how it has increased the risk of homegrown violent extremism. 
Note: This episode was recorded on September 26. 

Middle East Conflict: A Closer Look At Hezbollah

Erin sits down with Martha Crenshaw, Ph.D., NCITE researcher and professor emerita from Stanford University, to discuss Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah, covering its conflict with Israel, its ties to Iran, and recent developments in the Middle East. 

Misogynist Extremism Part 2: Rudderless Men and the Ideological “Red Thread”

Erin sits down with Sam Hunter, Ph.D., NCITE head of strategic initiatives, to discuss what factors lead men to misogyny, and through it, extremism.

Misogynist Extremism Part 1: The Manosphere, Incels, and Cognitive Openings

Erin sits down with Brenna Helm, NCITE research associate and doctoral candidate (ABD) at Michigan State University, to discuss the rise of misogynist extremism today, the U.K. Home Office's labeling of misogyny as a form of extremism, and what opportunities exist to intervene.
 
Resources on Extremist Misogyny
- Leidig, E. (2023). The women of the far right: Social media influencers and online radicalization. Columbia University Press. The Women of the Far Right | Columbia University Press
- Perliger, A., Stevens, C., & Leidig, E. (2022). Mapping the ideological landscape of extreme misogyny. International Centre for Counter-Terrorism. Mapping the Ideological Landscape of Extreme Misogyny | International Centre for Counter-Terrorism - ICCT
 
Resource on Cognitive Openings
- Wiktorowicz, Q. (2004). Joining the cause: Al-Muhajiroun and radical Islam. The Roots of Radical Islam, 1-29. The theory of recruitment (syr.edu)

Extreme Rhetoric Online

Erin sits down with Matt Jensen, Ph.D., NCITE researcher and co-director of the Center for Applied Social Research at the University of Oklahoma, to discuss extreme rhetoric in online spaces. Key themes include: credibility, deception, social identities, and the mirror and boomerang effects of viewing extreme messaging.

Emergency Response to Critical Infrastructure Failures

Erin sits down with Diane Mack, director of emergency management for the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of Nebraska Medical Center, to discuss emergency response in the wake of critical infrastructure failures.
 
Resources
Plan For Disasters: https://www.ready.gov/
Team Rubicon: https://teamrubiconusa.org/

Outdoor Event Security

Erin sits down with NCITE senior research associate Tin Nguyen, Ph.D., to discuss the challenges of outdoor event security and the attempted assassination of former President Trump.
 
Tune in Thursday at 12 p.m. CT | 1 p.m. ET for the latest webinar in NCITE's 2024 Speaker Series: "Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management in the U.S.".
Link: https://events.unomaha.edu/event/ncite-webinar-behind-the-policy-threat-assessment-management-in-the-us?utm_campaign=widget&utm_medium=widget&utm_source=UNO+Events

Attempted Assassination

Erin sits down with Sam Hunter, Ph.D., NCITE head of strategic initiatives, to discuss the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania. Hunter shares his research examining the U.S. domestic violent extremist landscape.