Government
BAE Systems recently secured a $175 million Navy contract to modernize the USS Vicksburg (CG 69) guided-missile cruiser.
The Vicksburg will undergo 18 months of work at the company’s shipyard in Norfolk, Virginia, officials said, which serves as the ship’s homeport.
“Over the last few... Read More »
Lockheed Martin has received a $1.9 billion F-35 Joint Program Office contract to support operations and sustainment of the global F-35 fleet in 2020.
“The F-35 continues to deliver exceptional capabilities to the field, and this contract ensures F-35s are mission ready to meet warfighter... Read More »
Five members of New York’s congressional delegation recently sent a letter to top-ranking national security officials requesting an investigation into how foreign adversaries use social media to cause hate and civil unrest in the United States.
The letter was sent to Christopher Wray, Federal... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a new National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin following the U.S.-led airstrike that killed Qaseem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force.
Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf stated that there... Read More »
In a series of catches made over the last two months of 2019, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport intercepted 20 pounds of cocaine being transported by smugglers.
The amounts, which collectively accounted for around $280,000 in... Read More »
In a criticism of President Donald Trump, legislation has been introduced into both the Senate and House, respectively, which would require a debate and vote in Congress before any war with Iran would be allowed.
These War Powers Resolutions were introduced in the Senate by U.S. Sens. Dick... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will begin processing migrants for return to Mexico under the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) at the Nogales Port of Entry.
This is the seventh port of entry where MPP returns will be made. Any migrants making illegal or entry at the Southwest... Read More »
A mission from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) spotted and intercepted a vessel in the Eastern Pacific last week, seizing 3,600 pounds of cocaine and arresting three Columbian nationals in the process.
The efforts were thanks to a P-3 Orion Long Range... Read More »
U.S. Border Patrol agents in Texas seized more than $350,000 in marijuana over the final weekend of 2019. The seizures were the result of four narcotic smuggling attempts.
Three seizures were made Dec. 28.
Agents in Weslaco responded to a call about a suspicious man near Pharr, Texas. The... Read More »
A bill that would ensure that U.S. military service members are provided with ballots and registration cards necessary to vote while deployed overseas was signed into law by President Donald Trump.
The Military Voting Protection Act – introduced by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) – was included... Read More »
Though a vaccine for Valley Fever remains out of reach, U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) took time at the end of the year to list out all of the accomplishments made to bolster action against the disease over the past year.
“In order to fight this orphan disease, increasing awareness and... Read More »
An allotment of $1.1 million in federal funds has been earmarked for the inaugural Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps program at the University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Manoa.
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, noted the funds were included in the spending... Read More »
The U.S. Marines put a new amphibious combat vehicle (ACV) to the test this month, subjecting it to maneuverability and performance tests during low-light and night operations at Camp Pendleton, Calif.
“I am loyal to tracks, but the more I learn about these vehicles, the more impressed I get... Read More »
U.S. Space Operations Command (SPOC) became official on Dec. 20 after Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett re-designated the Fourteenth Air Force.
Air Force military and civilian personnel previously assigned to the Fourteenth Air Force are now assigned to SPOC. The SPOC supports the U.S.... Read More »
Motorola Solutions was awarded a $23.8 million contract by the U.S. Department of Defense to sustain the U.S. Navy’s enterprise land mobile radio (LMR) system.
The LMR system is used to coordinate the deployment of the first responder community at Navy bases. The LMR system connects Navy... Read More »
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a spending package that includes $25 million for gun violence research.
The bill—sponsored by Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) -- now moves to the Senate for consideration. The Senate will vote on final passage in the coming days.... Read More »
The U.S. Senate recently advanced a bipartisan bill designed to fight international corruption.
The Combatting Global Corruption Act (S. 1309), introduced by Sens. Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Todd Young (R-IN), would encourage greater transparency in U.S. foreign and security assistance and publicize... Read More »
BAE Systems has secured a $2.68 billion Navy contract for indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity purchase of thousands of additional Advanced precision kill weapon system (APKWS) Laser-Guided Rockets.
“Our armed forces customers are looking to apply just the right amount of force at the right... Read More »
The announcement last week that antibiotic maker Melinta had descended into Chapter 11 bankruptcy highlighted the problems facing the antibiotic industry, as well as the danger corporate issues could cast over medication availability.
Melinta was the second antibiotic producer to file for... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Angus King (I-ME) and Jim Risch (R-ID) commended the enactment of a bill they introduced that would develop defenses for the U.S. energy grid.
The Securing Energy Infrastructure Act, which passed as part of the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act, would seek to develop defenses... Read More »
The Senate recently passed legislation that authorizes $75 million annually for the Department of Homeland Security’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program for fiscal years 2020 through 2024.
The program provides grants to nonprofits and faith-based organizations to protect against a potential... Read More »
A group of Democratic lawmakers recently crafted legislation designed to combat Valley Fever through enhanced diagnosis, treatment, and vaccine development.
Reps. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), TJ Cox (D-CA), Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ), Josh Harder (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ), Ann... Read More »
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Rep. Anthony Brindisi (D-NY) recently introduced legislation classifying seven Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) as defined by section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
The Identifying Drug Cartels as Terrorists Act would... Read More »
President Donald Trump signed the $738 billion defense bill into law last week, which includes funding to create the sixth branch of the military – the U.S. Space Force.
“Today [also] marks another landmark achievement as we officially inaugurate the newest branch of the military [United... Read More »
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has delivered a cautious appraisal of the federal spending bill for FY 2020, noting that while it will strengthen public health and research efforts, it undercuts -- at Americans’ peril -- HIV investment and immunization efforts, among... Read More »
It’s a disease that’s killed millions of pigs globally, crippled farming, and has no cure. African swine fever has devastated the Asian pork industry, as China has culled about half of its total swine population since the disease took hold of that country in August 2018.
Outbreaks of African... Read More »
Approximately $200 million has been allocated for the creation of a universal influenza vaccine that could protect against multiple strains of the flu virus in Congress’s year-end spending package.
U.S. Sen, Edward Markey (D-MA) has spearheaded the effort to boost funding for the flu vaccine.... Read More »
Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) recently espoused the benefits of public and private sector cybersecurity legislation ready to be signed into law as part of the fiscal year 2020 budget agreement.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cyber Hunt and Incident Response Teams... Read More »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Thursday the approval of a vaccine created by Merck & Co., Inc. as a preventative measure against the Zaire strain of the Ebola virus in individuals 18 years of age or older.
In 2018, the World Health Organization and the Democratic Republic... Read More »
The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry advanced a bill to create as a national security laboratory to combat bio-and agro-terrorism threats.
The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) Act of 2019 (S. 2695) would establish the National Bio and Agro-Defense... Read More »
A group of New York State Congress members recently urged the U.S. Air Force to select Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, N.Y., for the installation of a new Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (AES).
U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), along with U.S. Rep. Sean... Read More »
Rep. Xochitl Liana Torres Small (D-NM) introduced Wednesday a measure designed to address Customs and Border Protection (CBP) challenges, including the need for a new position providing migrant processing administrative support.
The Border Workforce Efficiency Act creates a processing... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently forwarded correspondence to Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials to address concerns over national security threats posed by Chinese drones.
Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Rick Scott (R-FL), John... Read More »
Bolstering what could become the first antibiotic developed and acquired by Project BioShield to treat drug-resistant bioterrorism agents, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) intends to supply up to $169 million to Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc. over the next five years.
The... Read More »
Security officials from the United States and Panama struck an agreement this week that would improve collaboration between the two countries in battling security threats.
The Security Cooperation agreement will strengthen cybersecurity cooperation and policy planning, enhance customs processes... Read More »
