Government
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) officials recently launched this year's initial Innovation Challenge, which organizers said seeks to find ways for NATO to respond to security challenges and crises.
NATO officials said they are seeking solutions from entrepreneurs, designers,... Read More »
Several U.S. senators are asking federal security officials
to review the Trump Administration’s compliance with security clearance
policies and procedures.
This request comes following reports that President Donald
Trump ignored objections from White House Counsel Donald McGahn and Chief... Read More »
As a means of targeting gangs and violent crime, a pair of North Carolina lawmakers are advocating additional funding for the Middle District of the state's U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Richard Burr (R-NC) recently forwarded correspondence to Jim Crowell, director of... Read More »
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers in Laredo, Texas, recently intercepted an alleged cocaine smuggling effort yielding a $109,000 forfeiture.
The March 5 seizure at the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge stemmed from a CBP officer referring a... Read More »
An influenza season forecasting challenge issued annually by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has shown the value of cooperation among international researchers working to forecast influenza outbreaks.
The influenza season forecasting challenge is one issued annually by... Read More »
Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson announced Friday her
resignation, which will go into effect in May.
As secretary, Wilson oversees the welfare, organizing,
training and equipping of active-duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian employees
and their families.
Wilson also oversees the... Read More »
A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators introduced a bill to support the U.S. government’s efforts to reduce violent extremism and address global fragility.
The Global Fragility Act requires the Secretary of State, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently introduced a measure designed to combat Russian influence while creating economic opportunities at home and abroad.
Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) said the European... Read More »
Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) recently introduced the Anti-Border Corruption Improvement Act, which she said is designed to quicken the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) hiring process.
McSally said the bill eliminates the polygraph test, which officials said is a requirement in the CBP hiring... Read More »
A bill designed to help law enforcement and financial
institutions identify and report suspected human traffickers was approved by
the House Foreign Affairs Committee last week.
The End Banking for Human Traffickers Act, sponsored by U.S.
Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Bill Keating (D-MA),... Read More »
Sens. Todd Young (R-IN) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced Wednesday a measure designed to repeal a pair of Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against Iraq and end Gulf and Iraq war authorizations.
Specifically, the legislation will repeal the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs.
“There is no... Read More »
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said the agency's Chicago Field Office (CFO) set a record number of seizures during fiscal year 2018.
CBP authorities said in fiscal year 2018, the CFO intercepted more than 24,000 packages of narcotics while weighing more than 30,000 pounds in mail... Read More »
Gaps have emerged in the Department of Defense’s (DOD’s) efforts to create and maintain a cyber operation, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which has released a series of recommendations on the topic.
The DOD Cyber Mission Force (CMF) is dedicated to defending U.S.... Read More »
House Minority
Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), co-chairman of the Congressional Valley Fever Task
Force, held a Valley Fever roundtable on Wednesday, hosting scientists
from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National
Institutes of Health (NIH), doctors, patient... Read More »
The Israel – U.S. Binational Industrial Research and
Development (BIRD) Foundation is seeking proposals for advanced technologies related
to homeland security.
The BIRD Foundation is seeking proposals in six areas:
Advanced first responder technologies; Border protection, including... Read More »
A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) readiness review site visit of the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) has resulted in the agency receiving stellar reviews.
The CDC assessment determined the OSDH ranks in the top 14 percent of all medical countermeasure supply... Read More »
The Department of
Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and the
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have collaborated to develop the
Opacity and Complexity Analysis Software Tool (OCAST).
OCAST will be
used to assist X-ray operators in determining possible... Read More »
The U.S. House of Representatives advanced a bill
last week that would expand federal background checks for gun purchases and
transfers.
The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 was approved
by a vote of 240-190 with only 8 Republicans supporting it. It now moves to the
Senate for action.... Read More »
Lockheed Martin and industry partners are touting the results of a recent Army Modular Active Protection Systems (MAPS)-enabled systems test demonstrating the effectiveness of the active protection system.
The effort supported the Army’s integration of three countermeasures and a cueing... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently introduced Singh’s Law, a measure designed to prevent known gang members and those convicted of dangerous crimes from entering the country.
Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA)... Read More »
The U.S. Customs
and Border Protection (CBP) ports of entry in Arizona are urging travelers to
prepare for the upcoming Spring Break by enrolling in trusted traveler programs
and using Ready Lanes.
Non-immigrant
visa, passport holders are urged to apply for tourist permits online.
To use... Read More »
A group of legislators introduced last week a measure designed to bolster greater cyber transparency, security, and data privacy initiatives.
Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mark Warner (D-VA), John Kennedy (R-LA) and Doug Jones (D-AL) said the Cybersecurity Disclosure Act of 2019... Read More »
Air Force officials said cyber domain restructuring efforts will aid in achieving the overarching goal of streamlining oversight, policy, and guidance.
The branch is merging its headquarters staffs to integrate intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance with cyber effects operations. The... Read More »
Several units of reserve Marines conducted simulated
training during Night Watch, a Marine Air Command and Control System exercise, last
month.
During the simulation, the reservists trained in a scenario that
involved degraded communication. This situation could happen during a
cybersecurity... Read More »
Several groups, including the National Sheriff’s
Association, voiced their support for a bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton
(R-AR) that would bar aliens associated with a criminal gang and convicted of a
crime from entering the United States.
The bill, called Singh's law, says aliens... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently petitioned the Justice Department to implement information from requisite agencies via the Fix NICS Act, which requires steps to assess progress in database correction.
Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Dianne... Read More »
Reps. Will Hurd (R-TX), Xochitl Torres Small (D-NM) and Henry Cuellar (D-TX) introduced last week a measure designed to streamline and amend the overtime payment process, enabling border patrol personnel greater compensation flexibility.
The Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Amendment Act of 2019... Read More »
In a letter released this week, more than 400 physicians and scientists called on Congress to increase the nation’s funding for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.
The United States is the largest contributor to the fund to date, comprising a third of total funding.... Read More »
A bill introduced
in the U.S. House last week would aim to improve employee morale at the Department
of Homeland Security (DHS), which ranked last among the 17 major Federal
agencies for morale in 2018, according to the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey.
Since being in
2003, DHS has... Read More »
Emergent BioSolutions announced today
that the company has signed a deal with the U.S. Department of State to
establish a supply chain for certain medical countermeasures that address
chemical warfare agents.
The five-year, indefinite-delivery,
indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract includes five... Read More »
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently assessed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) efforts to enhance the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program, offering input on progress and challenges.
The GAO recommended the department identify high-risk chemical... Read More »
Several federal government agencies, including the
Department of Homeland Security, introduced a program this week called the
Opioid Detection Challenge, a $1.55 million competition to develop opioid
detection technologies.
The Opioid Detection Challenge calls upon innovators
to submit plans... Read More »
The U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command Life
Cycle Management Command recently placed a $75 million order with Oshkosh
Defense, a tactical wheeled vehicles and life cycle sustainment services
company.
The order is for 354 Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles
(FMTV) A1P2 trucks and... Read More »
Recognizing the potential for public health emergencies to be exacerbated by lack of cooperation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have created a joint task force to make... Read More »
Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) recently reintroduced a measure designed to bolster the financial support for a universal influenza vaccine protecting against multiple strains and offering longer protection.
The Flu Vaccine Act targets a total investment of $1 billion,... Read More »
