Government
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently awarded a grant worth $112,000 to researchers at the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa (UH) to expand its studies of a proposed Ebola virus disease (EVD) vaccine candidate.
According to UH, the... Read More »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the CII-ArboViroPlex rRT-PCR Test.
The test is the first multiplex assay that simultaneously tests for the presence of Zika virus, all serotypes of dengue virus, chikungunya virus and West Nile... Read More »
Representatives of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) worked with the Turkish National Police last month to provide radiation detection systems and training.
Their goal was to enhance capabilities to detect smuggled nuclear and... Read More »
Using highly specific nuclear-derived techniques, a H5N8 avian influenza outbreak was recently identified in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and quickly put under control in the country’s Lake Albert region, according to scientists involved with the response efforts.
“This is the... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers stationed at various ports of entry in California recently intercepted shipments of illicit narcotics weighing more than 1,500 pounds and captured 17 fugitives over a series of incidents.
In total, officers seized more than 1,000 pounds of... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations officers recently seized 36,000 toy airplanes worth $575,000 that violated trademark laws and were headed for the Point of Entry (POE) in Ranier, Minnesota.
Officers targeted the rail container containing the merchandise at the... Read More »
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently named Steve Francis as head of its Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit based in Detroit, Michigan.
“As a native of this region, I’m honored to serve my community in this new capacity,” Francis said. “I look forward to... Read More »
The International Police Organization (INTERPOL) and Palo Alto Networks recently signed an agreement at the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation (IGCI) in Singapore that will increase collaboration between the two organizations on cybercrime issues.
The agreement provides a framework for... Read More »
Lockheed Martin recently announced plans to unveil its next generation air and missile defense radar demonstrator at the annual Space & Missile Defense Symposium this week in Huntsville, Alabama.
The active electronically scanned array (AESA) Radar for Engagement and Surveillance (ARES) is a... Read More »
An attempt to smuggle seven Mexican nationals onto U.S. soil this week resulted in the death of one of the smuggled individuals and the arrest of the 23-year-old man responsible.
“Due to this tragic result, the smuggler should face the highest consequences,” Acting Assistant Chief Patrol... Read More »
A bill that aims to increase the resources available at the nation’s borders, boost trade through ports of entry, and strengthen the enforcement of existing laws was recently introduced in the Senate by U.S. Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI), John Cornyn (R-TX), and John Barrasso (R-WY).
“The first... Read More »
A report that details the current threat landscape along the U.S.-Canada border and provides an assessment on threats across the air, land, and maritime domains was recently delivered to Congress by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The report’s publication was mandated as part... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) recently began working closely with local first responders to test new technologies, and the New York Police Department (NYPD) has benefited.
The directorate’s First Responder Group (FRG) recently engaged in several... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers recently seized an alleged $601,000 in cocaine in one enforcement action at the Lincoln-Juarez International Bridge, which connects Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.
After a CBP officer referred a 2008 Volvo commercial for further... Read More »
The United Kingdom’s Home Secretary Amber Rudd is set to face an uphill battle this week as she meets with leading tech companies in Silicon Valley to discuss issues related to terrorist exploitation of information and communications technologies (ICT), according to a recent blog from David P.... Read More »
Officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently met with representatives from the privacy community to discuss issues with CBP’s biometric exit system and individual privacy rights.
The meeting was the first of multiple planned... Read More »
Gov. Susana Martinez (R-NM) recently announced that New Mexico will become the eighth state in the country to opt-in to the nationwide public safety broadband network that is currently being developed by the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) and AT&T.
As part of the agreement,... Read More »
Dr. Robert Kadlec of Alexandria, Virginia, who was nominated last month by President Donald Trump to be assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is expected to be approved on Wednesday by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and... Read More »
The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), recently launched a new challenge in August aimed at developing algorithms to accurately predict the changes seen in a chemical’s infrared (IR) spectrum caused by... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a waiver this week regarding specific legal requirements and regulations in order to ensure the expedited construction of physical barriers and roads within the vicinity of the U.S. international border near San Diego, California.
According... Read More »
Thirty-two participants representing 31 Member States of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) recently convened at the organization’s headquarters in The Hague for the 18th edition of its flagship chemical capacity-building associate program.
In his opening speech,... Read More »
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Port of Seattle are enlisted a K-9 team to help screen passengers during what TSA projects will be Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s (Sea-Tac) busiest month to date.
TSA projects that it will screen 2 million departing passengers... Read More »
A bill that aims to increase security and decrease wait times at the nation’s ports of entry was recently introduced in the House by U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ).
The legislation specifically addresses issues with the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program, a global... Read More »
Legislation that aims to address a variety of issues related to illegal immigration, drug smuggling, human trafficking, law enforcement officer safety, and overall security along the nation’s international borders was recently introduced in the House by U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX).... Read More »
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently introduced new state-of-the-art screening technology equipment at Niagara Falls International Airport (IAG).
The Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) scans for potential threats and highlights the location of potential threats in yellow on... Read More »
A bill that mandates the deployment of practical and effective security technologies in order to achieve full situational awareness of the southern U.S. border with Mexico was recently introduced in the House by U.S. Reps. Will Hurd (R-TX), Henry Cuellar (D-TX), David Valadao (R-CA), Steve Knight... Read More »
An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch on Friday by North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un that landed roughly 200 miles from Japan’s coast, and reports this week that North Korea was threatening an ICBM strike against the United States, are fresh warnings that the country continues to... Read More »
The Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series Act of 2017 was advanced by the House Homeland Security Committee this week in effort to coordinate preparations for terrorist attacks between first responders.
The bill targets first responders at all levels--federal, state and local--by... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers made a huge bust in Laredo, Texas this week after seizing more than $1 million worth of narcotics.
In total, two captures on the Lincoln-Juarez International Bridge netted officers 48 pounds of methamphetamine, 25 pounds of cocaine, and one pound... Read More »
Additional actions are needed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to strengthen management and assess the effectiveness of land-based surveillance technologies for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operations, according to a recent report published by the U.S. Government... Read More »
Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) recently announced that New Jersey will become the sixth state in the country to opt-in to the nationwide public safety broadband network that is currently being developed by the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) and AT&T.
As part of the agreement, FirstNet... Read More »
Following reports that U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson plans to close the State Department’s Office of the Coordinator for Cyber Issues (S/CCI), a group of U.S. representatives sent him a letter urging him not to do so.
The S/CCI office organizes responses to cyber threats, mitigates... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) recently chaired a hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee to examine the role that technology plays in predicting, deterring, and detecting illicit activity along the nation’s southern border with Mexico.
The hearing comes as U.S. Customs and Border... Read More »
Responding to what he calls a need for a bio-defense strategy, the Trump Administration’s homeland security advisor, Thomas Bossert, has promised the White House is developing the first comprehensive plan for disease and biological attacks.
“At this point, we need to look clear eyed at the... Read More »
In Seoul, South Korea, dozens of countries are gathering this week to discuss the future of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), which seeks to protect the world from infectious disease threats and has formed the backbone of biosecurity initiatives across the globe for more than three years.
... Read More »
