Countermeasures
The U.S. government has changed course in terrorism prevention efforts since Sept. 11, 2001, relying more on community networks at the local level rather than a top-down approach from federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security.
That was part of the message delivered... Read More »
Reps. Jackie Walorski (R-IN) and Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA) recently praised the benefits of the Federal Firefighter Pay Equity Act, which they said is designed to ensure federal firefighters equal access to retirement benefits.
The measure would balance federal firefighter retirement benefit... Read More »
Air Force officials are touting the benefits of rigorous training as a means of yielding the branch's desired preparedness and force lethality results.
Under Secretary of the Air Force Matthew P. Donovan recently visited
Sheppard AFB to learn more about the manner in which the Air Force’s... Read More »
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the HIV Medicine Association praised last week the 2019 spending bill recently passed by the House and Senate, stating that it offers positive forward steps in combatting infectious diseases globally.
The 2019 spending bill includes an... Read More »
The U.S. Immigration
and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in collaboration
with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations
seized 221.7 pounds of cocaine last month.
The narcotic was concealed
in produce cargo vessels arriving to Port... Read More »
A group of Republican senators recently urged President Donald Trump to fully fund the F-35 fighter jet as opposed to investing in F-15X.
“We are extremely concerned that, over the last few years,
the DoD (Department of Defense) has underfunded the F-35 Program and relied on
Congress to fund... Read More »
Smallpox, although eradicated, has joined the growing list of potential biosecurity threats, according to experts, who say preparedness for the possible return of the virus should be prioritized around the world.
Smallpox, a contagious, disfiguring and often deadly disease, was eradicated... Read More »
Assistant Secretary for Threat Prevention and Security Elizabeth Neumann recently released report findings examining past terrorism prevention efforts and future measures.
The analysis stems from the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center (HSOAC), which is operated for the Department of... Read More »
As an African swine fever outbreak has moved rapidly through China and threatens to spread through new European countries, a Kansas State University researcher has studied possible routes for disease transmission and introduction, including primarily through shared feed.
Megan Niederwerder, a... Read More »
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is diving headfirst into the world of artificial intelligence, with a new program designed to make them more effective partners with human operators.
The program is called Science of Artificial Intelligence and Learning for Open-world... Read More »
A bill was released in the U.S. House of Representatives
that would codify the creation of Cyber Incident Response Teams within the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
These cyber response teams would protect the nation’s
information technology networks and critical infrastructure and... Read More »
Sens. Bob Casey (D-PA) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) are imploring the Department of Transportation (DOT) to enforce their travel safety law, which they maintain is not currently being applied as required.
The Saracini Aviation Act requires the installation of a secondary cockpit barrier between the... Read More »
Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) reintroduced Wednesday a measure designed to counter China’s political influence operations in the United States and worldwide.
The Countering the Chinese Government and Communist Party’s Political Influence Operations Act would... Read More »
Through the newly introduced Keep Americans Safe Act, U.S. Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) seek to ban the importation, sale, manufacture, transfer or even possession of gun magazines that carry more than 10 rounds of ammunition.
These high-capacity magazines have come under fire... Read More »
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee advanced three bills this week designed to bolster federal efforts to prevent cyberattacks and increase federal government transparency online.
One of the three bills that were passed in committee is the DHS Cyber Hunt and Incident... Read More »
An Orlando, Fla.-based firm has secured a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science & Technology Directorate (S&T) contract to begin prototype testing of canine wearable technology.
The $199,540 agreement with HaloLights, LLC is part of DHS S&T’s Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP),... Read More »
Reps. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) and Nita Lowey (D-NY) recently introduced a measure designed to provide Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening workforce employees the same worker rights and protections afforded to other federal workers.
The Rights for Transportation Security... Read More »
Department of Defense (DOD) officials have released a summary outlining the agency's intent to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) into the future.
Critical elements of Harnessing AI to Advance Our Security and Prosperity include accelerating the delivery and adoption of AI; establishing a... Read More »
A collection of international researchers recently developed a mathematical framework to estimate the global value of investing in bacterial infection antibiotics.
Specifically, the research pertains to Staphylococcus aureus infections, a drug-resistant infection that could potentially fuel... Read More »
New York State conducted counterterrorism exercises at 1,000 locations throughout the state in 2018.
The exercises were run by the state’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services' Office of Counter Terrorism where experts from state and local agencies went undercover as customers... Read More »
Extreme weather events, a CBRN incident, cyberthreats and infectious diseases having pandemic potential all put Americans on notice for 21st century health security hazards, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says in its newly developed National Health Security Strategy... Read More »
The Navy has awarded a $184 million firm-fixed-price modification contract to Lockheed Martin for full-rate production of Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block 2 systems.
“We are honored to continue to provide this critical fleet defense capability that our warfighters... Read More »
As a means of assessing new first responder technology solutions, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is hosting an initiative that evaluates innovations.
S&T officials said the agency had released a Request for Information (RFI) for... Read More »
Scientists at the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have conducted a detailed blood sample analysis of Ebola patients that is shedding light on the roles a molecular pathway and microvesicles play in both the virus and potential treatments.
The study turned... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Defense awarded $3 million to the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) to update terrorism-related datasets that serve intelligence community modeling and simulation efforts.
With this new award -- called Enhancing Datastreams... Read More »
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials said a recently granted waiver ensures construction and replacement of a section of California secondary wall near the international border.
The waiver for the 12.5 miles of coverage stems from authority granted to the Secretary of Homeland... Read More »
With 79 measles cases already confirmed this year, the top Democrat and Republican on the U.S. Senate health committee have dispatched a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), urging them to promote vaccine... Read More »
Oshkosh Defense was awarded a $232.7 million contract from the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) to rebuild and refurbish vehicles in the Army’s Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles (FHTV) fleet.
Oshkosh will rebuild, or recapitalize, 407 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical... Read More »
Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Cornyn (R-TX) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) recently introduced a measure designed to link the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium (NCPC) to combat cybersecurity risks.
The National Cybersecurity Preparedness... Read More »
The Boston University global partnership CARB-X has earmarked up to $4.4 million in non-dilutive funding for the development of a new antibiotic that will target infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria.
CARB-X officials said the funds would be allocated to Recida Therapeutics, based in ... Read More »
Preclinical trials shone for a new synthetic DNA vaccine developed by the Wistar Institute this week when results published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases showed complete protection offered against the mosquito-borne Mayaro virus (MAYV).
"Although MAYV was discovered a long time ago and... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) hosted 13 Houston-area public safety agencies and 20 industry partners at the Port of Houston in December to test first-responder technology integration.
The test also was hosted by the U.S. Coast Guard,... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) have asked the Department of Homeland Security to assess the national security risks stemming from foreign-made Virtual Private Network (VPN).
The senators specifically mention VPN networks affiliated with countries of national security concern,... Read More »
A bipartisan bill recently introduced in the U.S. House would require the installation of secondary cockpit barriers on existing commercial aircraft to prevent terrorist attacks.
The barriers would be lightweight wire-mesh gates installed between the passenger cabin and the cockpit door. The... Read More »
A bill to reform the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 was introduced in the U.S. Senate this week.
The legislation is designed to better align the act with its original intent as a trade remedy tool for the president and Congress to respond to threats to national security. In keeping with the... Read More »
