A hearing of the House Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response and Communications recently examined the status of emergency communication networks for first responders. Chaired by U.S. Rep. Dan Donovan (R-NY), the committee reviewed communications issues observed in the wake of … Read More
The Seychellois Ministry of Health recently notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of a probable case of pneumonic plague emanating from a man who visited Madagascar, which has been experiencing an outbreak of plague in its major cities and other … Read More
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers stationed at the Santa Teresa Port of Entry in New Mexico recently made a seizure of 9.5 pounds of heroin in a single incident. The seizure occurred on … Read More
Officials with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently convened with representatives from state and federal agencies for the first Government Coordinating Council (GCC) for the Election Infrastructure Subsector. Joining DHS were representatives from the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), … Read More
Officials with U.S. Cyber Command (CYBERCOM) recently said they have begun executing a new limited acquisition authority to speed up its acquisitions processes for cyber-specific tools. The command awarded its first contract under its new authority of Sept. 29, which … Read More
The Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) recently participated in a ceremony marking the completion of the destruction of the Russian Federation’s remaining chemical weapons stockpiles under OPCW verification protocols. Held at the residence … Read More
The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) faces various challenges in implementing its public safety broadband network, according to a recent review conducted by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). GAO was tasked by Congress to asses FirstNet’s efforts to establish … Read More
Two Ebola vaccine candidates pose no major safety concerns and can elicit immune responses by one month after initial vaccination, according to a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial conducted in Liberia The clinical trial was coordinated by researchers with the Partnership … Read More
The U.S. Border Patrol, in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney Office for the District of Vermont, recently announced criminal charges for three individuals connected to a 15-person human smuggling attempt in Derby, Vermont. Hector Ramon Perez-Alvarado, a 25-year old Honduran … Read More
The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) and AT&T recently launched a developer program aimed at encouraging public safety innovation to equip first responders with state-of-the-art communication tools. FirstNet said the initiative would also bring public safety professionals closer to having … Read More
A group of Latin American and Caribbean first responders recently participated in an emergency response training event involving chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals held at the Spanish National NBC Defense School in Madrid, Spain. Developed by the Organization … Read More
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) recently entered into a nine-month, $12 million contract with Achaogen, Inc to develop an antibiotic called C-scape that could treat certain types of drug-resistant bacteria and infections caused by bacteria used in … Read More
A research team at the George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) was recently awarded more than $2 million from Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc. to begin a Zika virus vaccine trial in Brazil. Led by David … Read More
In response to reports that more than 230 cases of plague have appeared in Madagascar since August, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently sent a shipment of 1,190,000 doses of antibiotics and released $1.5 million in emergency funds in order … Read More
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently unsealed federal terrorism charges against three men who allegedly plotted attacks in New York City in summer 2016 in support of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which were ultimately stopped … Read More
Amendments to the Border Security for America Act that include provisions to conduct thorough threat assessments, equip front-line agents with the latest technology and ensure accountability from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) were recently passed by the House Homeland … Read More
A next-generation Zika virus vaccine candidate was the first to safely elicit an immune response in humans, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the Wistar Institute, Inovio … Read More
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently announced it had the busiest summer in its history, screening 239,511,319 passengers and crew at various TSA checkpoints throughout the country from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. “It is a testament to … Read More
In the wake of the recent shooting in Las Vegas, which left 59 dead and hundreds more injured, a group of 18 Democratic U.S. senators introduced a bill that effectively bans the importation, sale, manufacture, transfer or possession of gun … Read More
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Field Operations (OFO) agents stationed at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility in Texas recently seized approximately $4,199,321 worth of alleged methamphetamine and marijuana in separate incidents. The first incident began on … Read More
The U.S. State Department needs to improve data collection and participant oversight of its Antiterrorism Assistance (ATA) program, according to a recently published report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). GAO was tasked by Congress to examine the State … Read More
A bipartisan bill that would establish a bug bounty program using “white hat” ethical hackers to search for and identify vulnerabilities within U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) networks was recently advanced by the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental … Read More
The Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC), an initiative of more than 50 United Nations’ agencies, academic institutions, and nongovernmental organizations, recently announced the launch of a new strategy that aims to reduce deaths from cholera by 90 percent … Read More
At a recent hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Subcommittee, members examined how the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) is carrying out the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) national cybersecurity mission. Throughout the meeting, … Read More
Emergent BioSolutions Inc. said on Wednesday it was awarded a contract valued at up to $25 million from the U.S. State Department to supply Trobigard, an intramuscular auto-injector treatment to be used in the event of chemical threats such as … Read More
Officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Tucson Office of Field Operations recently hosted a two-day conference for law enforcement personnel on the dangers of the synthetic opioid fentanyl. Held at the headquarters of the Tucson Police Department, the … Read More
A collaborative effort aimed at bringing together a variety of health and security experts to chart the future of U.S. leadership in global health security was recently launched by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Officially slated to … Read More
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and Applied Research Associates, Inc. recently partnered to advance the development of respirators that can be reused up to 100 times for use in public health emergencies. Under the agreement, which spans … Read More
A bipartisan bill that would require a report from the U.S. Departments of Defense, Energy and Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on the security risks to the national electric grid was recently introduced to … Read More
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced it deactivated its emergency response for Zika virus on Sept. 29 in order to transition its efforts to normal program operations. Beginning on Jan. 22, 2016, the CDC activated … Read More
Hamid Ali Rao, Deputy Director-General for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), recently participated in a ceremony marking the completion of the full destruction of 39,967 metric tons of chemical weapons previously possessed by the Russian Federation. … Read More
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced it will purchase a lyophilized, or freeze-dried, smallpox vaccine for use by women who are pregnant or nursing and for people of any age who have HIV or atopic … Read More
In response to the damage left by Hurricane Maria, more than 500 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) personnel were recently deployed to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to assist in medical and public health efforts. … Read More
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) needs to improve the management policy and practices of its Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (DNN), according to a recently published report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) For its report, GAO was … Read More
A new initiative aiming to utilize the benefits of distributed energy resources (DERs), such as customer-produced solar energy for restoration and recovery purposes after severe storms, was recently launched by researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Led by … Read More
