A report detailing both the current and emerging threats to the federal government’s use of mobile devices, complete with a number of security recommendations, was recently submitted to Congress by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology … Read More
Indonesia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi recently visited the headquarters of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to meet with OPCW Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü and discuss the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Üzümcü first briefed … Read More
In testimony provided to a Senate panel on Tuesday, Navy Adm. Michael S. Rogers stated that U.S. Cyber Command (Cybercom) is continually increasing its cyber mission forces’ readiness to hold targets that are at risk in the face of intensified … Read More
Mosquito-borne viruses, such as Zika, dengue, and chikungunya, are being transmitted at lower temperatures than previously believed, according to a recent study published by researchers at the University of South Florida (USF) and Stanford University. The study, which was published … Read More
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-TN) recently appeared on CNN to respond to a video that showed the aftermath of the reported chemical weapons attack in southern Idlib, Syria by Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The attack provided the impetus … Read More
A scenario-based discussion, centering around how the United States and the People’s Republic of China could better cooperate to address nuclear threats, was recently conducted amongst representatives from the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and the China Institutes of Contemporary International … Read More
A 20-year old New Jersey man, Gregory Lepsky, recently appeared in federal court to face allegations that he planned to construct and detonate a pressure cooker-style explosive in support of the extremist group the Islamic State and Iraq and Syria … Read More
The United States is continuing its fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria’s (ISIS) Afghanistan branch by recently deploying its most-powerful, non-nuclear bomb on a network of underground tunnels which killed 36 members of the extremist group, according … Read More
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) issued a statement of public support last week for the recent congressional passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which helps support a variety of infectious disease programs for public health benefit in the … Read More
The fragmented, ineffective set of information technology (IT) systems stifles efforts by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to track visa overstays, according to a recent report published by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of the Inspector General … Read More
Three bills to strengthen the federal government’s disaster response and recovery programs of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) were unanimously approved last week by the U.S. House of Representatives. Each piece of legislation ensures that the federal government fairly … Read More
A health alert notice was issued last week by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which provides guidance for healthcare professionals for interpreting Zika virus test results for women to who live in, or travel to, areas … Read More
Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley (UC Berkeley) recently described 10 clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) enzymes that have “Pac-Man-like” behaviors that chew up RNA, which could be used to detect infectious viruses. Each enzyme is … Read More
Emergent Biosolutions unveiled its new Center for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing (CIADM) on Tuesday, which is designed to enable manufacturing of various medical countermeasures to address urgent public health threats. The 112,000-sq. ft. facility was supported through a … Read More
Independent testing of approximately three dozen biodetection products was recently conducted by researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in order to evaluate their effectiveness in detecting biothreat agents like anthrax and ricin for first responders. The independent testing … Read More
The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), in conjunction with the California Department of Public Health and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, recently held a radiological security workshop May 2-3 to discuss radiological materials and ways to reduce the risks … Read More
U.S. Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Claire McCaskill (D-MO), the committee’s ranking member, recently sent a public letter to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Inspector General John Roth, regarding … Read More
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) efforts to address high risk travelers and strengthen visa security programs have experienced progress in some areas and challenges in others, according to a recently-published report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). … Read More
A computer model to assess the impact of a Zika virus epidemic in the United States, taking into account important data such as population dynamics, historical infection rates, socioeconomic status and mosquito density, was recently developed by researchers from the … Read More
An international team scientists recently determined the three-dimensional (3-D) atomic structure of more than 1,000 proteins that are viewed as potential drug and vaccine targets, helping researchers develop new treatments to combat some of the world’s most dangerous infectious diseases. … Read More
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently released a report, which includes policy recommendations that would help align the United States and the European Union (EU), regarding frameworks, standards, and best practices for cybersecurity. The report, titled Transatlantic Cybersecurity: Forging a … Read More
A recent computational analysis revealed that even a mild outbreak of Zika virus in the United States could cost more than $183 million in medical expenses and productivity losses, according to a study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of … Read More
The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) recently awarded a $35 million contract to Engility Holdings, Inc. to provide specialized advisory services to the organization’s Nuclear Enterprise Support Directorate. The Cost Plus Fixed Fee contract has a one year base period … Read More
A bill authored by U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) to address staffing shortages among U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and Border Patrol agents by getting rid of duplicative mandated polygraph tests was recently approved by the House Committee … Read More
An amendment that requires mass-gathering venue operators to be included in law enforcement and first responder exercises to inform response plans was unanimously approved to be added to the Community Counterterrorism Preparedness Act by the House Committee on Homeland Security. … Read More
Drugs that activate a cell’s pathways to inhibit the replication of pathogens were revealed in a recent study to be a promising approach to treating dangerous infections caused by Zika virus, dengue fever, and chikungunya. The study was conducted by … Read More
The Patriot Integrated Air and Missile Defense System has reportedly shot down more than 100 tactical ballistic missiles in combat operations throughout the world, according to a recent release by Patriot manufacturer, Raytheon Company. The Patriot system utilizes multiple interceptor … Read More
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers assigned to the port of entries in San Diego and Imperial Valley counties in California recently intercepted more than 700 pounds of narcotics and apprehended 13 fugitives with outstanding felony warrants over the … Read More
Officials from the United States recently announced a pledge of $1.091 million (€1 million) to modernize the laboratories of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Siebersdorf, Austria, which provide key nuclear research in various areas of human and animal … Read More
The U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on Tuesday unanimously approved the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Small Business Cybersecurity Act of 2017, which aims to provide small businesses with guidance to help them manage various … Read More
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a report on the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) efforts into curbing subterranean, aerial, and maritime drug smuggling, stating that while the number of incidents have declined over the past five years, … Read More
On his first day as the new director of Sandia National Laboratories, Steve Younger stated in a speech to the lab’s workforce that it would maintain its strong missions in nuclear deterrence, nuclear nonproliferation, energy, and national security. “I see … Read More
The Critical Path to TB Drug Regimens (CPTR), a division of the Critical Path Institute (C-Path), was recently awarded a $1.1 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to enhance its Relational Sequencing TB Data Platform (ReSeqTB), which … Read More
Former top executives at various Department of Defense research facilities called on Congress Wednesday to ease hiring restrictions and contracting rules to facilitate the Pentagon’s work on cutting-edge weapons and other technology. The ongoing federal budget freeze and strict regulations … Read More
The nation’s supply of U.S.-licensed YF-VAX yellow fever vaccine is expected to be depleted by mid-2017 due to delays in the manufacturing process at Sanofi Pasteur, according to a recent report published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and … Read More
