Government
After fielding white papers from 436 academic institutions seeking federal funding through the Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) program, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced on Monday that it will issue 24 awards totaling up to $169 million over five years.
The MURI... Read More »
In response to reports that President Donald Trump has directed Pentagon to explore diverting a portion of military funding to construct a border wall, U.S. Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) asserted on Monday that the Pentagon lacks legal authority to build a border wall.
In a... Read More »
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel recently joined two other agencies as a means following up on a program designed to bring closure for Mexican families missing loved ones in southern Arizona.
CBP agents paired with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers from the Tucson Field... Read More »
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced recently that it is seeking proposals for the second “swarm sprint,” which focuses on improving autonomy through enhancements of drone platforms or autonomy elements.
The proposal aims to continue the technology development of... Read More »
Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy hosted global cybersecurity experts on March 25 to explore cyber threats posed to major sporting and public events as part of ongoing preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Qatar.
The third Cyber Security Expert Group... Read More »
Researchers with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently made a breakthrough on the link between iron supplements and worsening malaria infections, as well as a curious mutation in African populations.
The findings, published in Science, utilized mice and samples from malaria patients.... Read More »
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials are touting the benefits of a pair of options designed to aid summer travelers.
Officials said the Global Entry program and the Mobile Passport Control (MPC) app could help travelers get home quicker.
CBP officials said the critically acclaimed... Read More »
Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick M. Shanahan recently discussed the priorities of the Evolving the Future Force project while speaking at an event sponsored by the Center for a New American Security on March 29.
The multiyear initiative examines steps the joint force can take to adapt to... Read More »
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the arrest of 24 alleged members of MS-13 and other transnational criminal gangs in the Long Island and Hudson Valley areas of New York on Thursday.
The arrests were made under Operation Matador, a joint initiative launched in May 2017 by... Read More »
Chicago O’Hare International Mail Facility Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers are using a hand-held device to screen packages that may contain common drugs and industrial chemicals.
Officials said the Gemini uses analytical techniques to screen packages using either the Raman... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) highlighted the need to reform U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) on Wednesday.
Legislation introduced by McCaul to restructure and rename the NPPD the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure (CISA) agency... Read More »
A group of senators called on Wednesday for the U.S. State Department to counter anti-Semitic Russian propaganda, train diplomats to recognize disinformation and collaborate with U.S. allies to advance a unified response on Wednesday.
In a letter to U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan,... Read More »
The Alliance for Biosecurity recently commended congressional leaders for a “historic increase” to Project BioShield as well as significant increases to accounts such as the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), Pandemic Flu, and the Biomedical Advanced Research Development Authority... Read More »
During a trip by Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen to Mexico City, Mexico, the United States and Mexico entered three agreements regarding trade and customs.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Kevin McAleenan and the Tax Administration Service (SAT) signed a... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently highlighted a four-year Underground Transport Restoration project conducted with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to prepare for and respond to bioterrorism attacks on subway systems.
Conducted by the DHS Science and Technology... Read More »
A pair of lawmakers recently touted the benefits of an increase in the U.S. – Israeli missile defense programs federal funding bill.
Senate Minority Leader Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said the omnibus spending bill provides $705.8 million in funding to the... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) introduced Monday the Ammunition Background Check Act of 2018, which would require instant background checks for the purchase of gun ammunition.
“Ammunition sales should be subject to the same legal requirements... Read More »
New technology acquired by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport, as well as draft legislation introduced by Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN), could help CBP prevent opioids from entering the United... Read More »
The Trump Administration’s announcement on Monday that 60 Russian diplomats would be expelled from the country, and the Russian consulate in Seattle would be closed, in response to chemical weapons attacks on British soil met applause from U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ).
The United Kingdom has... Read More »
The federal spending bill signed into law by President Donald Trump on Friday maintains or increases funding for a number of U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant programs that help protect against and respond to terrorist threats and natural disasters at the state and municipal levels.... Read More »
United States preparedness against terrorist attacks from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) agents includes prep and planning for the public, as well as for the first responders who will be on the front lines during a catastrophic emergency event.
Dr. Robert Kadlec, Assistant... Read More »
Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently announced a proposed rulemaking from the Department of Justice that would clarify that bump stocks fall within the definition of “machinegun” under federal law.
The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) would amend the regulations of the Bureau of... Read More »
Nine Iranian hackers have been charged by the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) with leading a four-year campaign of cyberattacks on universities and professors, private businesses, and the U.S. government on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to an indictment unsealed on... Read More »
The U.S. House Homeland Security Committee approved eight bills last week that seek to enhance the nation’s cybersecurity, surface transportation security, and air travel and cargo security.
U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), the committee’s chairman, said America must “continue to evolve... Read More »
The DoD Information Warfare Symposium presented by the Defense Strategies Institute will take place on March 28-29 at the Mary M. Gates Learning Center in Alexandria, Virginia. Designed for members of the Department of Defense, federal government, private industry, academia, and other stakeholders,... Read More »
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) recently said that it will soon deliver the next generation of Global Burst Detector (GBD) payloads, the latest space-based nuclear explosion sensors, to the U.S. Air Force.
Following delivery to the U.S. Air Force, GBD payloads will continue... Read More »
The U.S. House of Representatives recently advanced an omnibus spending bill, which includes the largest increase in defense funding in 15 years.
The bill, advanced with a vote of 256 to 167, includes funding to fight terrorism, secure borders, enhance first responder capabilities, improve... Read More »
Penalties for distributing the synthetic opioid fentanyl would be enhanced under a bill introduced in the U.S. Senate on Thursday, and the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) would be given new tools to intercept drug shipments from overseas.
The bill would lower the amount of fentanyl or fentanyl... Read More »
The omnibus federal spending bill that gained approval in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday contains provisions that would increase support for border security, local police departments, and firefighters.
U.S. Sens. Jon Tester (D-MT) and John Boozman (R-AK) secured $85 million in... Read More »
With U.S. Senate approval of a bill that would end civil and criminal protections under current law for websites that take part in online sex trafficking on Wednesday, the measure will advance to the president’s desk.
The Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA), S. 1693, would amend the... Read More »
More individuals working for organizations that promote foreign interests in the United States would have to register as foreign agents under a bill introduced in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday.
Under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) of 1938, individuals working for foreign-supported... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has been researching ways to minimize risk from a dam failure while improving response capability of stakeholders.
Officials said the Kentucky Division of Water and S&T’s Flood Apex program are working together... Read More »
Army Secretary Mark Esper’s decision to dismantle the 1-285th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion (ARB) in Marana, Arizona, met resistance from U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) on Tuesday.
McSally, the former commander of the 354th Fighter Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, voiced her... Read More »
The U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has concluded that the country’s election infrastructure remains resilient despite Russian attempts to hack state voting systems, but the committee released recommendations on Tuesday to better defend against future attempts to undermine... Read More »
The United States is part of the international plan to prevent the naturally occurring, accidental or deliberate spread of infectious diseases, but remains among many countries hampered by the inadequate or underprepared systems around the world that can’t effectively deal with rapidly emerging... Read More »
