Government
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has taken numerous steps to reduce the risk of avian influenza, but needs a plan to evaluate its efforts going forward, according to a recent report issued by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).
In preparing its report, GAO was asked to... Read More »
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti recently visited Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), to hold a meeting with the country’s national authorities to discuss an effective response plan in regards to the recently-verified outbreak of... Read More »
President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order last week, which aims to strengthen the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) role in securing federal networks from potential cyberattacks.
“Our nation’s economic and national security rely on a safe, secure, and reliable cyber... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) recently sent a public letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai requesting information on the reported distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) cyberattack on the FCC’s website and the ability of the agency to defend... Read More »
News on Friday about the reemergence of several Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) highlights the need for both a robust global and national health security strategy, said Dr. Jeffrey Duchin, immediate past chairman of the public health committee for the Infectious Diseases... Read More »
In testimony provided to a Senate panel on Tuesday, Navy Adm. Michael S. Rogers stated that U.S. Cyber Command (Cybercom) is continually increasing its cyber mission forces’ readiness to hold targets that are at risk in the face of intensified international conflicts and cyberspace threats.... Read More »
A scenario-based discussion, centering around how the United States and the People’s Republic of China could better cooperate to address nuclear threats, was recently conducted amongst representatives from the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and the China Institutes of Contemporary International... Read More »
A 20-year old New Jersey man, Gregory Lepsky, recently appeared in federal court to face allegations that he planned to construct and detonate a pressure cooker-style explosive in support of the extremist group the Islamic State and Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Lepsky is charged with one count of... Read More »
The United States is continuing its fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria’s (ISIS) Afghanistan branch by recently deploying its most-powerful, non-nuclear bomb on a network of underground tunnels which killed 36 members of the extremist group, according to the House Homeland... Read More »
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) issued a statement of public support last week for the recent congressional passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which helps support a variety of infectious disease programs for public health benefit in the United States and... Read More »
The fragmented, ineffective set of information technology (IT) systems stifles efforts by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to track visa overstays, according to a recent report published by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG).... Read More »
Three bills to strengthen the federal government’s disaster response and recovery programs of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) were unanimously approved last week by the U.S. House of Representatives.
Each piece of legislation ensures that the federal government fairly considers... Read More »
A health alert notice was issued last week by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which provides guidance for healthcare professionals for interpreting Zika virus test results for women to who live in, or travel to, areas with a CDC Zika travel notice.
The CDC said the... Read More »
Emergent Biosolutions unveiled its new Center for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing (CIADM) on Tuesday, which is designed to enable manufacturing of various medical countermeasures to address urgent public health threats.
The 112,000-sq. ft. facility was supported through a... Read More »
The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), in conjunction with the California Department of Public Health and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, recently held a radiological security workshop May 2-3 to discuss radiological materials and ways to reduce the risks they pose.
The... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Claire McCaskill (D-MO), the committee’s ranking member, recently sent a public letter to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Inspector General John Roth, regarding assaults... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) efforts to address high risk travelers and strengthen visa security programs have experienced progress in some areas and challenges in others, according to a recently-published report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).
GAO... Read More »
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently released a report, which includes policy recommendations that would help align the United States and the European Union (EU), regarding frameworks, standards, and best practices for cybersecurity.
The report, titled Transatlantic Cybersecurity: Forging a... Read More »
An amendment that requires mass-gathering venue operators to be included in law enforcement and first responder exercises to inform response plans was unanimously approved to be added to the Community Counterterrorism Preparedness Act by the House Committee on Homeland Security.
Venues included... Read More »
The Patriot Integrated Air and Missile Defense System has reportedly shot down more than 100 tactical ballistic missiles in combat operations throughout the world, according to a recent release by Patriot manufacturer, Raytheon Company.
The Patriot system utilizes multiple interceptor missiles... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers assigned to the port of entries in San Diego and Imperial Valley counties in California recently intercepted more than 700 pounds of narcotics and apprehended 13 fugitives with outstanding felony warrants over the past weekend.
In total,... Read More »
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a report on the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) efforts into curbing subterranean, aerial, and maritime drug smuggling, stating that while the number of incidents have declined over the past five years, the department could... Read More »
Former top executives at various Department of Defense research facilities called on Congress Wednesday to ease hiring restrictions and contracting rules to facilitate the Pentagon’s work on cutting-edge weapons and other technology.
The ongoing federal budget freeze and strict regulations... Read More »
The nation’s supply of U.S.-licensed YF-VAX yellow fever vaccine is expected to be depleted by mid-2017 due to delays in the manufacturing process at Sanofi Pasteur, according to a recent report published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
YF-VAX is the only yellow... Read More »
A delegation of Namibian representatives recently visited the headquarters of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to discuss various initiatives related to the full implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
The delegation included members of the... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents stationed at the Dennis DeConcini crossing at the Port of Nogales in Arizona recently stopped attempted fentanyl smuggling by a single individual.
The incident began as officers stopped a 28-year old Mexican national driving a Chevrolet SUV for a... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents assigned to the Tucson Sector recently interdicted a human smuggling attempt at the State Route 86 immigration checkpoint near Three Points, Arizona.
The incident began as agents stopped a Chevrolet Impala sedan with two visible occupants for a... Read More »
Fourteen members of the U.S. House of Representatives reintroduced this week the First Responders Passport Act, which allows the Secretary of State to waive passport fees for American first responders when making trips abroad to assist in natural disaster response efforts.
The bipartisan group... Read More »
The U.S. House of Representatives passed this week the Homeland Security for Children Act, which requires future disaster preparedness planning initiatives to include the needs of children as well.
The bill was introduced by U.S. Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr.
(D-NJ).
“Children are not tiny... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Chris Coons (D-DE) introduced this week the Counterterrorism Screening and Assistance Act, which aims to strengthen national security by coordinating with foreign partners to identify international airport vulnerabilities that could allow a potential terrorist to... Read More »
A new global coalition is laying the groundwork to achieve an ambitious goal of speeding up the development of vaccines to combat the spread of deadly emerging infectious diseases that pose great risk to public health.
Launched in January, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations... Read More »
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) division recently completed a four-day immigration operation, the result of which led to the arrest of 95 undocumented migrants with criminal histories throughout the southeast Texas area.
The agency... Read More »
Roman Valeryevich Seleznev, a 32-year old Russian cybercriminal, was sentenced to 27 years in prison last week for defrauding various small businesses and financial institutions, causing more than $169 million in damages.
Seleznev, known by the pseudonym Track2, was convicted in August of 38... Read More »
With the nation’s signature preparedness law due for reauthorization in 2018, leaders now are readying public health stakeholders across local, state and federal levels for battle on Capitol Hill.
Not only should those in the public health sector be battle-ready to support renewal of the... Read More »
The nation’s biodefense response to emerging diseases and outbreaks is on an endless loop that, without a proper foundation, is not allowing for progressive countermeasure operations, according to Merck Pharmaceuticals Executive Director Julie Gerberding, former director of the Centers for... Read More »
