No, it's actual news. And I forgot it was $200, not $600, and though it's currently limited to the Southwest border states, I would not be surprised about more currency surveillance such as this in the future in other areas of the US. https://www.fincen.gov/news/news-releases/fincen-issues-southwest-border-geographic-targeting-order
Discussion
This is coming to all of banking it seems. No loopholes left unclosed.
In terms of 'the state', if we look back on past years, it has only trended in a negative direction for all aspects of society. By design.