According to a recent study conducted by the University of Toronto and Public Health Ontario, Canadians who reported travel-related illnesses after returning from the Americas were commonly diagnosed with dengue, but actually were infected with cases of Zika virus that … Read More
Special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit recently arrested a former Colombian National Army battalion commander who was wanted for charges of forced disappearance, homicide of a protected person, and weapons and ammunition … Read More
Kansas State University (KSU) recently launched a new research fellowship aimed at studying highly-contagious epidemic animal diseases and the threats they pose to national security. The fellowship is supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and is administered … Read More
The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), in conjunction with the Council of Europe, recently launched a new initiative aimed at building capacity and enhancing cooperation amongst cybersecurity investigators around the world. The Global action on Cybercrime extended (GLACY+) project was … Read More
U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) introduced this week the Strengthening Oversight of TSA Employee Misconduct Act, which requires senior Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials to oversee the review of disciplinary actions given in response to employee misconduct. Under current rules, … Read More
FLIR Systems, Inc. recently received a delivery order valued at $54.2 million from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) for 50 U.S. Army chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear dismounted reconnaissance sets, kits and outfit (CBRN DR-SKO) systems. The order is … Read More
U.S. Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) recently introduced a bill that aims to strengthen immigration enforcement by targeting undocumented migrants who have a criminal record and bringing them into law enforcement custody. The bill, titled the Assuring Law Enforcement … Read More
U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and John Boozman (R-AR) received a briefing from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) leadership last week, regarding a number of training programs during a tour of CBP’s Advanced Training Center at Harpers Ferry, … Read More
U.S. Reps. Donald M. Payne, Jr. (D-NJ), David Young (R-IA) and Dan Donovan (R-NY) recently introduced a bill to ensure the safety of the nation’s food supply by combating the threat of potential agro-terrorism. The Securing our Agriculture and Food … Read More
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) recently adopted a resolution urging the European Commission to take measures to temporarily reintroduce visa reciprocity for citizens of the United States and all states within the European Union (EU). Currently, citizens of Bulgaria, … Read More
In the years since the United States ceased developing new nuclear weapons systems, Sandia National Laboratories have been conducting and developing a series of assessments for each nuclear weapons system to detect or anticipate potential functionality issues as the weapons … Read More
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) SIGMA program, a project aimed at preventing attacks from radiological or “dirty” bombs, recently completed its biggest test deployment of vehicle-mounted radiation detectors in Washington, D.C. The test, which began last July and … Read More
A research team at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine (PennVet) recently identified new therapeutic targets for the tropical disease leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease that can cause painful skin ulcers that can become metastatic after a period of … Read More
AM General, a manufacturer of military, commercial and consumer vehicles, recently received a $1.4 million Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant from the Michigan Strategic Fund to support a $9.5 million capital investment, and the creation of 55 new jobs … Read More
U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), chairman of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, along with U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham (R-LA), recently introduced a bill to examine the cybersecurity capabilities of various federal agencies and require regular audits of their … Read More
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) recently selected Kacey Ernst, associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Arizona’s Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, as a 2017-2018 public engagement fellow. As part of her … Read More
Civil Liberties Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voted for stronger entry protections and a shorter retention period for traveler data stored in the new European Union (EU) entry/exit system, which aims to modernize checks on non-EU nationals traveling to … Read More
Two members of the House Republican Caucus recently sent a public letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in an effort to examine the agency’s Laboratory Response Network (LRN), a system established to boost the government’s preparedness … Read More
U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) introduced legislation last week to require a “stress test” of U.S. government programs against potential terrorist travel. The Task Force on Combating Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel, on which McSally served, made the stress test … Read More
U.S. Sens. Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) introduced legislation last week to help protect against a terror-style attack on the nation’s agriculture industry and ensure food safety for American consumers. The Securing our Agriculture and Food Act would … Read More
U.S. Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) introduced a bill last week to help state, local, and tribal governments to identify, detect, protect, respond and recover from various cyber threats. The State Cyber Resiliency Act establishes a cybersecurity … Read More
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators recently sent a public letter to the Senate Homeland Security Committee, urging the committee to conduct hearings on the growing number of threats and attacks against faith-based community centers in the United States. U.S. … Read More
Meenakshi Malik, associate professor at the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, was recently awarded a $480,000 grant to expand her study into Francisella tularensis, the bacteria that causes the potentially fatal disease tularemia. The three-year grant was funded … Read More
According to a recent report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has made progress in planning for a biometric air exit system and reporting traveler overstays, but certain challenges have persisted in … Read More
Fifteen member states of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) took part in a training course last month aimed at preparing each member in handling emergency response to chemical incidents. The course was held in Colombo, Sri … Read More
Utah’s Davis Chamber of Commerce recently named BAE Systems Air Force Strategic Programs at the Hill Air Force Base as its Innovation Business of the Year at its annual awards banquet. The award is given to businesses that “demonstrate the … Read More
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework, Assessment, and Auditing Act of 2017 (H.R. 1224) this week, which examines the cybersecurity capabilities of various federal agencies and requires regular audits of … Read More
U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) sent a public letter this week to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting a review of the potential harms in eliminating rules that protect consumers’ privacy rights. Pallone’s letter comes in the wake … Read More
The World Health Organization (WHO) published a list of 12 anti-biotic resistant priority pathogens this week, which represent the 12 families of bacteria that pose the greatest threat to human health. WHO said the list was made to promote research … Read More
A team of scientists at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health recently discovered a new method to accurately predict the timing and intensity of West Nile virus outbreaks. The method uses a computer model to forecast multiple situations that … Read More
The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s (MEU) Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) detachment, along with Combat Logistics Battalion 15, recently conducted improvised explosive device (IED) training with a percussion actuated neutralizer at Camp Pendleton. Wearing protective suits, the teams worked together to … Read More
U.S. Rep. Mike Bishop (R-MI) recently re-introduced legislation that urges the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member nations either meet or exceed a two percent gross domestic product (GDP) commitment to defense spending. The resolution was introduced with bipartisan support … Read More
The U.S. House Homeland Security Committee recently launched a new task force aimed at shutting down the various pathways potential terrorists have into the United States. The Task Force on Denying Terrorists Entry into the United States will seek to … Read More
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently conducted a report on threats to the nation’s electricity grid, seeking to examine grid resiliency efforts implemented by federal agencies since 2013 and the extent to which those efforts might be duplicative and … Read More
U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), the ranking Democratic member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, recently visited the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas to observe actions that are being taken by various agencies to secure the border. McCaskill’s … Read More
