Government
The Calexico Port of Entry gained a new port director this week, with the United States Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) appointment of Roque Caza, previously the director of the CBP Counter Network Division (CND).
Calexico is the third busiest of six land border crossings under the... Read More »
In a letter to leadership at the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) revealed nine whistleblowers had disclosed concerns of mislabeling and unauthorized manufacturing of... Read More »
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is seeking proposals to enhance microelectronics manufacturing efforts.
DARPA’s Next-Generation Microelectronics Manufacturing (NGMM) seeks to create a new, domestic-based center for research and development and 3DHI microsystems... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) recently introduced two pieces of legislation to combat gun violence by establishing gun manufacturer accountability.
The Firearm Industry Fairness Act would tax firearm manufacturers producing semiautomatic weapons and high-capacity magazines at a rate of 20... Read More »
At the first summit of its kind in 15 years, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and various national law enforcement organizations gathered in Alexandria, Va., Aug. 17-18, 2022, to network and improve information sharing on national and public security.
“In the 20 years since 9/11,... Read More »
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said a Maryland couple faces CBP trusted traveler status revocation after failing to declare nearly $100,000 in designer brand consumer goods purchased overseas.
Both individuals were Global Entry trusted traveler members. Global Entry is the... Read More »
Bavarian Nordic reached an agreement last week with pharmaceutical contract manufacturer Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing (GRAM), making arrangements backed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to create the first U.S. fill and finish line for the JYNNEOS vaccine.
JYNNEOS... Read More »
With signature from President Joe Biden, the TBI and PTSD Law Enforcement Training Act became law last week, authorizing $270 million over five years to continue the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP) and to fund a new police training program.
The legislation seeks to... Read More »
Textron Aviation has delivered two Beechcraft King Air 260 aircraft to the U.S. Forest Service, with the aircraft manufacturing noting the aircraft would perform wildfire mapping missions.
“We are honored the U.S. Forest Service has added the King Air 260 to its fleet,” Textron Aviation... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), and Angus King (I-ME) recently applauded the passage of their legislation (S. 3451) that cuts "bureaucratic red tape" for certain computer-related projects, such as the development of semiconductors, which was signed as Public Law 117-173 on... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has detailed final allocations of $550 million for seven Fiscal Year 2022 competitive preparedness grant programs.
“As the threats to the homeland evolve, so too must the grant programs intended to prepare communities for those threats,”
DHS... Read More »
During some COVID-19 surges, U.S. hospitals were hampered in terms of staff, supplies, or space to care for patients that exceeded their normal operating capacity, though health care coalitions helped fill some gaps.
According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a review of eight... Read More »
With no signs the monkeypox health emergency is set to lessen, a group of 14 U.S. senators wrote to congressional leadership this week in search of additional funding for a public health response in any future legislative package.
“Monkeypox is a serious threat to public health, and we need to... Read More »
The Integrated Public Alert Warning System (IPAWS) used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) may soon be capable of providing hazard and evacuation alerts directly to vehicles’ infotainment screens.
This week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) recently released its first department-wide social media policy detailing how DoD military and civilian personnel should use official social media accounts.
"It's long overdue," Office of the Secretary of Defense Director of Digital Media Andy Oare said.... Read More »
Though border crossing attempts remain high, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported in its July 2022 operational update that encounters at the Southwest border decreased by 4 percent, trending down for two months.
In terms of individuals encountered, the figures went up by 1 percent,... Read More »
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) officials have collaborated to offer a competition to expeditiously aid critical mineral resources assessment initiatives.
The AI for Critical Mineral Assessment Competition stems from the nation's dependence on... Read More »
In coordination with state and local partners this August, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced successfully identified and located 84 minors victimized by sex trafficking and sexual exploitation, as well as 37 children who had been actively missing.
Dubbed Operation Cross... Read More »
Defense, aerospace, and security firm BAE Systems has secured an $88 million Marine Corps contract to build multiple ACV-30 Production Representative Test Vehicles (PRTVs).
“We are committed to equipping the Marine Corps with the best technology available to provide them with a decisive... Read More »
Utilizing money from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) put up more than $3 billion in funding last week for two grant programs meant to help communities improve resilience to climate change and extreme weather.
“Climate change is... Read More »
A collection of 14 U.S. senators wrote to Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) last week to request funding for the monkeypox outbreak response be included in any upcoming legislative package.
Designated a Public Health Emergency (PHE) earlier... Read More »
Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) recently convened a roundtable in Janesville, Wis., to address the fight against fentanyl.
The effort focused on Rock County and targeted methods the federal government could aid in keeping Wisconsin communities safe.
The session involved leaders from the Rock County... Read More »
Responding to the ongoing monkeypox outbreak worldwide, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) last week exercised procurement options for SIGA Technologies, Inc.’s intravenous TPOXX treatments of smallpox.
Those treatments, valued at approximately $26 million,... Read More »
Lawmakers and educators are espousing the benefits of the Cybersecurity Opportunity Act's recent enactment, which officials maintain would bolster cybersecurity job training programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson... Read More »
Responding to the ongoing American struggle with opioids in general and fentanyl in particular, United States Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) joined the Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition (HC ARC) and other stakeholders in his state to address the larger issue of addiction and overdose.
Last... Read More »
Writing to Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Anne Milgrim this week, a group of Republican senators requested details on the agency’s moves to crack down on illegal narcotics and their suppliers.
Citing the ongoing opioid crisis that, as of Feb. 9, 2022, led to more than... Read More »
Through letters dispatched to the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Energy, Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee have requested briefings on federal network... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Tim Scott (R-SC), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) have introduced the Solidify Iran Sanctions Act (SISA), which seeks to make the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 permanent.
Through SISA, the sanctions regime serves as the nation's best tool to restrain... Read More »
As the monkeypox virus continues to spread and health officials warn that vaccine supply is not meeting demand, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) to intradermal injections of Bavarian Nordic’s JYNNEOS vaccine.
The... Read More »
In a request for information published this week, the United States Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) reached out for details on the scientific capabilities to support its Food, Agriculture and Veterinary Defense (FAV-D) Program.
Part of a larger... Read More »
A group of lawmakers have introduced a bill they said seeks to enable Afghans with temporary status, who undergo additional vetting, to apply for permanent legal residency.
Sens. Roy Blunt (R-MO), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chris Coons (D-DE), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Richard... Read More »
With approval from the House Appropriations Committee, some $30 million has been marked for Justice Department use on the Community-Based Approaches to Advancing Justice Grant Program -- an effort begun just last year to reduce violent hate crimes in communities nationwide.
The funding was added... Read More »
A group of Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) lawmakers are requesting a hearing to address Chinese influence and information theft at Federal Reserve Banks.
HSGAC Ranking Member Rob Portman (R-OH) joined Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Rand Paul... Read More »
Curtiss-Wright Corporation officials said the firm has secured
contracts valued over $220 million from Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc. (BPMI) and General Dynamics Electric Boat to aid the Navy's defense platforms.
“Curtiss-Wright is proud to have been awarded these important naval defense... Read More »
In the latest letter to United States Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, a group of Republican Senators pressed for plans to secure the U.S.-Mexico border, claiming that it is beyond U.S. operational control and open for terrorist infiltration.
Despite the fact that no deadly... Read More »