The Threat Podcast

When Technology Becomes the Target: The Rise of Anti-Tech Extremism

A man throws a Molotov cocktail at the home of OpenAI's CEO. Gunshots are fired at a lawmaker's house over a data center. Extremist groups with names like the Volcano Group are forming across Europe and Latin America — all united by one thing: opposition to AI and technology. Jay Solomon and Hagar Chemali sit down with Dr. Mauro Lubrano, lecturer at the University of Bath and author of Stop the Machines: The Rise of Anti-Technology Extremism, to unpack a threat most people never saw coming. They discuss how anti-tech violence has roots going back to the Luddites and the Unabomber, why fear of AI is now radicalizing a new generation, and where democracies should draw the line between legitimate dissent and terrorism. Find Dr. Lubrano's work at the University of Bath or on LinkedIn. His book Stop the Machines is available on major digital platforms.

Beijing’s Long Reach: How China Exports Repression Beyond Its Borders

How far is the Chinese Communist Party willing to go to silence critics overseas? In this episode of The Threat Podcast, Jay Solomon and Hagar Chemali speak with pro-democracy activist and Hong Kong Democracy Council Board Chair Anna Kwok about Beijing’s growing campaign of transnational repression. From secret police stations and surveillance networks to intimidation, bounties, and political influence operations, Anna shares her firsthand experience as a target of the Chinese government and explains how authoritarian regimes extend their reach far beyond their borders. The conversation explores the CCP’s global influence apparatus, threats to democratic societies, and what the United States can do to counter foreign repression on American soil.

Cuba on the Brink? Inside Trump’s Pressure Campaign Against the Castro Regime

As tensions between Washington and Havana escalate, The Threat Podcast examines whether the Cuban regime is facing its most dangerous moment in decades. Hosts Jay Solomon and Hagar Chemali sit down with investigative journalist and ADN Cuba founder Gelet Martinez Fragela to unpack the Trump administration’s growing pressure campaign against the Castro government — including new sanctions, espionage concerns, military signaling, and accusations of Cuban involvement in global extremist networks. The conversation explores Cuba’s historic ties to the Soviet Union, Venezuela, Iran, and Palestinian militant groups, as well as allegations of intelligence operations targeting the United States. Fragela also discusses the regime’s influence campaigns, the role of activist networks in the U.S., and what a potential post-Castro transition could look like after nearly 70 years of communist rule. Could the Cuban government actually collapse? Is the U.S. preparing for regime change? And what would the fall of the Castro system mean for Latin America and American national security? This week on The Threat, we go deep inside one of the world’s longest-running authoritarian regimes.

Inside the Mind of a Lone Wolf Assassin

On April 26th, 31-year-old software engineer Cole Tomas Allen allegedly attempted to assassinate President Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C. Despite having no known history of violence and recently being named “Teacher of the Year” by his tutoring program, Allen reportedly charged toward Secret Service agents armed with multiple weapons before being stopped. In this episode of The Threat, we examine the psychology, history, and evolution of the lone wolf assassin in America. From John Wilkes Booth’s assassination of President Lincoln to John Hinckley Jr.’s attempt on Ronald Reagan, what drives seemingly isolated individuals to commit acts of political violence? Are these attacks ideological, personal, or fueled by a deeper obsession with fame, power, and notoriety? Host Jonathan Schanzer is joined by Program on Extremism colleague Jeffrey Parsons, a former federal prosecutor and counterterrorism expert who spent two decades investigating terrorism and political violence in the United States and abroad, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Together, they discuss the warning signs of lone wolf terrorism, the rise in domestic political violence, possible foreign influence operations, and how law enforcement distinguishes between dangerous rhetoric and credible threats. They also explore what more can be done to prevent political violence before it turns deadly.

A “Pop Up” Terrorism Network Has Ensnarled Europe

Since the U.S. war on Iran broke out in late February, a rash of terrorist attacks have struck Europe and primarily targeted Jewish communities. Western intelligence agencies believe Iran is likely behind these operations. But London-based counter-terrorism expert, Roger Macmillan, tells The Threat that this network is nearly impossible to track. It’s recruitment and propagandizing takes place through social media channels. and most of its operatives are simply paid teenagers. This is the story of the HAYI terrorist network.