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Russian Facebook posts may have inspired militia in Kansas bombing plot, CSUSB professor saysThe Wichita Eagle/Kansas City StarJune 10, 2018

The three southwest Kansas men recently convicted in a militia plot to bomb Somali immigrants may have been motivated by Russian manipulation of U.S. social media, a terrorism expert says.

Brian Levin, director of the Cal State San Bernardino Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, said the domestic terrorism attack was being planned at the same time the Russians were conducting a cybercampaign that included posting material on Facebook designed to heighten racial tension in the United States.

And, he said, his center has found that hate crimes spiked after the Russian operatives ramped up the volume of racially charged posts in the months leading up to the 2016 election.

Prosecutors said the bombing attack on a mosque and an apartment complex in Garden City where Somali immigrants lived and worshiped was planned for the day after the election. The plot was thwarted by federal authorities in October 2016.

“Here’s a militia group that was active on social media and they were going to do their attack the day after Election Day at a time when the Russians were engaging in a stealth cyberattack on our democracy,” Levin said. “We don’t know for sure if there’s a connection to this effort by Russia, but at the very least, they were adding gasoline on a fire that they knew would take place.

“Social media has been weaponized, and these militia folks were People’s Exhibit A of how that could happen. And this is now something that authorities have to be aware of.”

Read the complete article at “Russian Facebook posts may have inspired militia in Kansas bombing plot, expert says.”

Bob Knop to direct CSUSB’s Jazz Ensemble at ‘June Blues’ fundraiser at Lake Arrowhead on June 28The SunJune 8, 2018

The Cal State San Bernardino Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of CSUSB music professor Bob Knop, is one of the bands scheduled to perform for the “June Blues” fundraiser, the Blue Jay Foundation’s Tribute to Chicago-style blues on June 28 at the Burnt Mill Beach Club in Lake Arrowhead.

The award-winning ensemble, fluent in various jazz styles including swing, funk and Latin, as well as ballads, has performed at regional jazz festivals such as the Western States Jazz Festival, Reno Jazz Festival and Oceanside Jazz Festival.

The concert is a fundraiser supporting the foundation’s music education programs, including its Adopt an Instrument student lending library and Future Generation Music Scholarship, said Blue Jay Jazz Foundation President Chris Levister.

Read the complete article at “Performances planned for Blue Jay Jazz Foundation fundraiser.”

These news clips and others may be found at “In the Headlines” on the Inside CSUSB website.