During an official visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran on July 2-3, Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü reiterated the need to protect and strengthen the global norm against the use of chemical weapons … Read More
After the completion of a fact-finding mission (FFM) from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the organization recently confirmed the use of sarin gas on April 4 in the Khan Shaykhun area, Idlib Province in the Syrian … Read More
A bill that aims to strengthen the nation’s preparedness of its food, agriculture, and veterinary systems against terrorism and other high-risk events through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was recently signed into law by President Trump. The bill … Read More
Latin American and Caribbean State Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) recently convened at a meeting at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons’ headquarters in The Hague to commemorate the CWC’s 20th anniversary and discuss the full … Read More
In the wake of mounting reports that actors within the Russian government worked to compromise the 2016 President election, a group of Democratic House leaders recently announced a new task force that aims to ensure the health and security of … Read More
A new DNA vaccine candidate was shown to induce persistent humoral and cellular immune responses and provided protection from the DV1 dengue virus serotype among inoculated mice, according to a recent study conducted by Capital Medical University in Beijing and … Read More
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has fully implemented its chemical facility anti-terrorism standards (CFATS) expedited approval program, but participation to date has been limited, according to a recent report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Each facility … Read More
Following the international WannaCry ransomware attack, which has reportedly infected approximately 300,000 computer systems in more than 150 nations, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill that aims to combat cyberattacks and cybercrime against U.S. computer networks. The Promoting … Read More
The United States Secret Service and the Bankers Electronic Task Force, a group of state bank regulators, recently issued a series of industry best practices for managing risks related to cyber threats. The recommendations were made after recent reports of … Read More
In the wake of reports that a new ransomware attack has affected computer systems in multiple countries, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, called for strengthening cybersecurity for the nation’s energy … Read More
According to a new study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, a new antiviral drug was shown to inhibit a variety of coronaviruses, such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), which could provide … Read More
In the wake of a massive cyberattack that led to the closure of the largest terminal at the Port of Los Angeles, U.S. Rep. Norma Torres (D-CA) said she would be reintroducing a bill that aims to improve coordination between … Read More
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers stationed at the San Ysidro Port of Entry recently seized more than $3.2 million in illicit narcotics during a single traffic stop. The incident began as officers encountered a 50-year old male Mexican … Read More
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) recently introduced a series of amendments to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2017 that will help enhance the safety of airline passengers at local airports and ensure that relevant stakeholders are consulted … Read More
In the wake of the international WannaCry ransomware attacks, reports have recently surfaced that another attack, potentially related to an existing strain of malware called Petya, has been infecting computer systems throughout Europe and the United States. While little is … Read More
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) recently announced that U.S. Rep. Ron Estes (R-KS) would be the newest addition to the House Homeland Security Committee. “Ron has a proven record of streamlining operations and increasing efficiency—and … Read More
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents stationed at the Port of Nogales in Arizona recently made a series of narcotics seizures and arrested four Mexican nationals over separate incidents. The first incident occurred on Sunday as officers assigned to … Read More
A bill that seeks to enhance Congressional oversight of future Guantanamo Bay (Gitmo) detainee transfers by closing a loophole that allowed the executive branch to keep secret the terms under which terrorist detainees were released was recently introduced in the … Read More
U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) recently sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions requesting that he reenact Operation Streamline’s zero-tolerance approach to illegal border crossings and reverse actions from the Obama Administration that undermined the program’s intent. Flake’s … Read More
Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) researchers recently received a patent for their field deployable hydrolysis system (FDHS), which was used to destroy approximately 600 tons of Syrian chemical warfare material aboard a maritime vessel in international waters back in 2014. … Read More
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents stationed at the San Ysidro Port of Entry and the PedWest facility in southern California recently seized more than $1 million in cocaine and apprehended a U.S. fugitive wanted for homicide in separate incidents. … Read More
Democratic members of the House Homeland Security Committee recently sent a public letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John Kelly requesting information regarding plans to work with states to secure election infrastructure in the wake of intelligence officials … Read More
The Kingdom of Denmark’s Permanent Under-Secretary of State Michael Starbæk Christensen recently visited the headquarters of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague to discuss ways to strengthen international cooperation against chemical weapons use. Christensen, … Read More
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced 26 awards totaling $10 million for the Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Grant Program, which seeks to address the issue of violent extremism in the United States through a series of community-led … Read More
A group of scientists from the Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, the University of Copenhagen, and North Carolina State University recently published a joint statement that called attention to the lack of information regarding worldwide distribution of disease-causing organisms. … Read More
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently released a proposal to add an alert option to the nation’s Emergency Alert System (EAS) that aims to protect law enforcement officers by allowing them to notify the public of various threats to officers … Read More
In a recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang and its role in proliferating illegal immigration along the country’s southern border, U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) addressed the fact that lawmakers need to tune out both … Read More
According to a report published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Brazilian researchers recently identified for the first time an Aedes aegypti species mosquito that was naturally infected with the East-Central-South-African (ECSA) genotype of Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in Brazil. Aedes aegptyi … Read More
A group of Democratic members of the U.S. Senate recently sent a public letter to President Trump, urging the U.S. Department of Energy to conduct a thorough analysis of Russian cyber capabilities on the nation’s energy infrastructure. The letter specifically … Read More
In preparation for National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins’ testimony before the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Appropriations, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) released a public statement urging Senators … Read More
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) recently announced a grant of $600,000 to GeoVax Labs, Inc. to support its novel Zika virus (ZIKV) vaccine development program. The company is in the process of developing two novel Zika … Read More
A new report from the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) recently described for the first time a patient’s immune response at the cellular level in response to infection with the Lassa virus. The patient involved with the study is … Read More
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents stationed at various ports of entry along the California border with Mexico recently made a series of narcotics seizures that resulted in the interception of more than 230 pounds of illicit substances, valued … Read More
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) recently exercised an operation for the evaluation of Soligenix, Inc.’s ricin toxin vaccine, called RiVax, to fund additional animal efficacy studies. RiVax is a recombinant heat-stable subunit vaccine that contains a … Read More
Members of the House Armed Services Committee’s (HASC) Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities (ETC) recently passed their subcommittee mark for the FY2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes provisions for cybersecurity, counterterrorism initiatives, and defense innovation. According to … Read More
