Bi-weekly News & Opinion - August 6, 2026

FEMA Grant Program Prioritizes the Manufactured Disaster of “Domestic Terrorism”

A Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Information Bulletin, dated Jul. 9, 2026, directed Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) recipients to implement Section 4 of National Security Presidential Memorandum-7 (NSPM-7). This section sets out “domestic terrorism” as a “National Priority Area” and calls for the distribution of grants to law enforcement bodies to carry out this priority. Read more on what this means for civil society at C&SN. (Aug. 6)

Navigating De-Risking: A Practical Response Guide for Nonprofits

Nonprofits, especially those working in conflict zones, may experience financial institution “de-risking” in one of the following forms: delayed or rejected payments, repeated requests for information, restrictions on particular banking services, difficulty opening an account, or the closure of an existing account. This guide is a resource for nonprofits outlining possible responses to de-risking and tools for navigating financial access challenges. Download the guide. (Aug. 5)

Contrived Threat of “Far-Left Terror” Balloons with Political Terrorism Summit & State Department Report

In July, the Trump Administration held a “Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism” bringing together political leaders from around the world to convince them of the threat of “Far-Left Terrorism,” and published a report, Cuba: The Capital of 21st Century Communism, which describes as an “unprecedented wave in left-wing terrorism on American soil” while naming organizations and individuals as threats to national security. Deborah Makari covers these latest developments, and what they mean for civil society at C&SN. (Aug. 5)

Timeline of Attacks on Nonprofits: Stay Alert & Push On

Since coming into office for a second term, President Trump has used counterterrorism measures and national security policies to narrow civic space and stifle dissent. The key moments in this trend have been highlighted with links to C&SN overviews and analysis. View the timeline at C&SN. (Jul. 31)

Document Retention: Managing Data & Documents In High-Threat Times

Have you been seeking to build a document retention policy to manage cyber security risk in today’s high-threat environment? In this training hosted by the New Left Accelerator, participants will walk away with an overview of how to assess if you have the capacity to adopt a document retention policy as well as with practical tools you can immediately apply to your organizations. Join the New Left Accelerator and The Capacity Shop to learn how to manage risk and strengthen data systems in our second installment of our Digital Security Series.

• The training will be held virtually on Wednesday, Aug. 12 from 1PM to 2:30PM ET. Register here. 

Consider registering as a C&SN Member (no financial commitment required) to receive our weekly Opportunity Spotlight Newsletter. There we share exclusive opportunities for civil society input, webinars, events, and working groups on key issue areas such as sanctions, material support, financial access, lawfare, civil society rights and resiliency, human rights in counter-terrorism and more. 

Trump Administration Has Dismantled Critical Counterterrorism Infrastructure and Weaponized What Remains Against Political Opponents, Leaving Americans Vulnerable to Terror Threats

Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released a new report detailing how the Trump Administration has diverted resources away from preventing terrorist attacks, while simultaneously weaponizing other counterterrorism authorities for political purposes. Read the press release. (Jul. 30)

House Committee Advances Nonprofit Bills in Contentious, Partisan Markup 

The House Ways and Means Committee advanced four bills impacting nonprofits, continuing their trend focusing on foreign influence, increased disclosure, and fiscal sponsorship in the sector. Ben Kershaw reports for Independent Sector. (Jul. 23)

If Federal Courts Don’t Trust Trump’s DOJ, Should Civil Rights Funders?

Funders should not place automatic trust in Trump’s Department of Justice, when federal courts have repeatedly and emphatically declined to do the same. Doing so exposes civil society and civil rights groups to a loss of funding the moment the government levels an accusation, regardless of its merits. Regan Rush, Megan Marks, and Dani Schulkin write at Just Security. (Jul. 22)

Explore a full list of resources designed to support the nonprofit sector as they prepare and respond to lawsuits, disinformation, and other forms of attack on civil society at C&SN’s Civil Society Rights & Resiliency hub.

Britain's Ban on Palestine Action Group To Be Considered by Top Court

The legal battle over the UK’s attempted designation of Palestine Action as a terrorist organization continues, as the Supreme Court will hear an appeal against a lower court ​ruling that the designation was lawful. Reuters reports. (Jul. 30)

Greg Abbott’s CAIR Terrorist Desgiantion Looks Awfully Similar to an Anti-Muslim Think Tank’s Work

Emerging evidence suggests the Texas Governor’s fiery attacks on the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) might be influenced by the Center for Security Policy, a notorious far-right and anti-Muslim think tank. Nicholas Gutteridge reports for TexasMonthly. (Jul. 29)

DOJ Tapped Never-Used ‘Alien Terrorist’ Court to Deport Mother of Convicted ISIS Supporter

Resurrecting the “alien terrorist” deportation court was triggered after the Trump Administration’s found that traditional immigration courts would not suffice. Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney report for POLITICO. (Jul. 29)

The Professor Facing Prison in ‘Antifa’ Case: ‘They Want to Scare All Whoo Oppose ICE’

A college professor is facing 6 years in prison for facilitating a community meeting and posting in a Signal group chat about protests against ICE. “They’re trying to portray being part of a community as an illegal conspiratorial act.”Sam Levin reports for The Guardian. (Jul. 28)

Life on the List

In 2017 a regional Yemeni governor found himself added to the UN’s al-Qaeda sanctions list on mysterious grounds. Then his world started to unravel. Caitlin L. Chandler reports for The New York Review of Books. (Jul. 26)

The Antifa Terrorism Threat the Trump Administration Describes Does Not Exist

“Groups like the Islamic State group and al-Qaida have killed tens of thousands of people and have a documented chain of command. Antifa does not. You cannot decapitate a movement with no head, and you cannot sanction an organization that does not exist.” Jason M. Blazakis writes in The Conversation. (Jul. 22)

How ICE Is Weaponizing Social Media Against Its Critics 

The Wall Street Journal reports that ICE has been working with contractors to surveil social media websites, looking for messages they say endanger the agency’s mission and operations—activity that could threaten free speech. (Aug. 3)

Philanthropist Who Inspires Fear: How George Soros Became the Political Right’s Chief Enemy Worldwide

The philanthropic work of George Soros has been accompanied by conspiracy theories from the beginning—and are a continuation of anti-semetic conspiracies of the last century centered on the Rothschilds and the Rockefellers. Read more at The Insider. (Jul. 31)

McCarthyism Has Returned to the United States – and this Time It’s even more Dangerous

Trump and McCarthy both use flagrantly unconstitutional means to cleanse the nation of the spectral menace—“an enemy within, well-organized and financed, secretive and violent, allied with evil foreigners and bent on overthrowing capitalism, democracy and Christian morality.” Judith Levine writes at The Guardian. (Jul. 31)

Cuba Loosens Control of Its Private Sector in a Struggle with a Mounting Humanitarian Crisis

In an effort to fend off a mounting humanitarian crisis, Cuba eased up on longtime restrictions on private vendors and imports, opening up a sector firmly controlled by the Communist-led government. Andrea Rodriguez and Ariel Fernandez report for ABC News. (Jul. 29)

Sanctions Watch July 2026

Read the Center for Economic and Policy Research’s latest edition of Sanctions Watch, which provides updates and analysis on U.S. sanctions regimes across key contexts, such as Afghanistan, Syria, Iran, and more. (Jul. 31)

Statement of Enforcement Policy in Support of Venezuela’s Economic Recovery and Earthquake Relief Efforts

Federal bank regulators issued a statement underscoring that financial institutions that choose to provide earthquake-related financial services in Venezuela “will not be subject to any supervisory action, including citing a violation of law, or subject to an enforcement action by the agencies related to a Bank Secrecy Act.” Read more at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. (Ju. 21)

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