Countermeasures
During the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on Sept. 25, Alex Azar, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Secretary, will call on world leaders to address the evolving threat of antibiotic resistance.
Failure to prepare for and reverse antibiotic resistance could lead to... Read More »
Researchers from Harvard University urged government officials this week to develop new measures to detect and prevent the spread of infectious diseases, like dengue fever, in Tokyo ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics.
In a report published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, the researchers --... Read More »
Rockwell Collins, a commercial and military aviation systems company, recently was awarded a long-term contract with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to supply the department with the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS).
MUOS are airborne radios and ancillaries for ground installations and... Read More »
President Donald Trump launched the National Cyber Strategy last week, the first “fully articulated” cyber strategy since 2003.
The strategy calls for integrating cyber into the four pillars of the National Security Strategy. Specifically, the strategy is designed to defend the homeland by... Read More »
As part of an effort to counter multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) and the TB Alliance are collaborating -- with monetary support from the Medical Research Council (MRC) -- to investigate new combination TB therapies.
A £1 million ($1.3... Read More »
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has made a series of recommendations for evolution within the Department of Homeland Security, better defining its roles and responsibilities to make it less of a risk due to lack of cohesiveness.
Efficacy is a huge issue within the department. DHS’... Read More »
A senior leader panel discussed Tuesday the Air Force integration of Guard and Reserve personnel into missions during the Air Force Association Air, Space, and Cyber Conference in National Harbor.
Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, part-time forces heavily have been relied upon to meet manpower... Read More »
The recently passed Fiscal Year 2019 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related (MILCON-VA) Appropriations Bill includes funding for four military construction (MILCON) projects in New York State.
Specifically, $188.2 million was allocated to fund the construction of a perimeter fence... Read More »
Researchers from Imperial College London are taking a new tack in the battle against malaria, focusing on
the compounds that could prevent malaria parasites from being able to infect mosquitoes, halting the spread of disease.
As a disease delivery system, mosquitoes are infamous, but... Read More »
Roughly $1.5 billion in funding to upgrade 135 of Abrams tanks was approved by the Senate on Sept. 18 in the fiscal year 2019 Department of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies conference report.
“This funding supports our troops both at home and around... Read More »
The nation-spanning public safety communications platform known as FirstNet is now used by more than 2,500 public safety agencies in the United States.
This system was built to upgrade public safety information technology, and was developed through the joint efforts of AT&T and the First... Read More »
Restoring force readiness, space operations and the future served as the prime topics during the Secretary of the Air Force’s recent update on the state of the branch.
Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson addressed the 2018 Air Force Association Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National... Read More »
BAE Systems sealed a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) to begin transitioning military-developed semiconductor technology to their Advanced Microwave Products (AMP) Center for enhancement and cost-cutting.
The U.S. Air Force created gallium Nitride (GaN)... Read More »
A Phase 1 trial is underway for a new nasal flu vaccination designed for ages 9 to 17 years old.
Testing is taking place at Saint Louis University, with support from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Unlike traditional flu vaccines, which must be reformulated... Read More »
A team of U.S. Border Patrol Grand Forks (North Dakota) Sector agents recently were deployed along the East Coast in the areas impacted by Hurricane Florence to assist with support, response, and recovery.
The Border Patrol Search Trauma and Rescue team (BORSTAR) is part of the team. BORSTAR is... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has developed an online tool to help security professionals for commercial office buildings perform assessments.
The web-based tool streamlines from the application process for building owners applying for... Read More »
The Sept. 18 release of the 2018 National Biodefense Strategy and a newly signed National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM) will bolster the nation’s defenses against man-made, accidental or intentional, and naturally occurring biological threats to Americans’ health and safety, said U.S.... Read More »
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is recommending the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) provide funding estimates for its mandated nuclear proliferation plan.
A federal law introduced in 2015 and 2017 directed the President to submit a proliferation plan to Congress. A... Read More »
A new test, according to information presented to the European Respiratory Society International Congress, can identify viral infections in just 50 minutes -- something that could save hospitals approximately €2,500 ($2922) per patient prevented from requiring admission.
The other advantage of... Read More »
With federal attention focused on rescue and aid efforts in the wake of Hurricane Florence, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warns of stiff fines for any drone users operating without authorization in affected areas.
The reason for this is to keep unmanned aircraft from inadvertently --... Read More »
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations and the New Orleans Air and Marine Branch recently announced they would be participating in Hurricane Florence relief efforts in the Carolinas.
They will be joined by the Jacksonville office and will support the Atlanta... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) awarded contracts to five researchers to develop new methods to identify Network/Internet-scale Disruptive Events (NIDEs).
When internet connectivity is disrupted, it can have a major impact on critical... Read More »
Reps. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) are encouraging the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to assess threats posed by deepfake technology.
The three representatives forwarded correspondence last week to DNI chief Dan Coats requesting the Intelligence... Read More »
The Active Assailant Training, Readiness and Response Act, introduced to the House by U.S. Rep. Tom Marino (R-PA) last week, will seek to establish a Department of Education grant for active assailant situation training.
The grant would be used to improve security through university-based... Read More »
Seeking to expand the workforce for cybersecurity, U.S. Reps. Dan Donovan (R-NY) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced last week the Cyber Ready Workforce Act, which would support the creation and expansion of apprenticeship programs therein.
“Cybersecurity threats will continue to present... Read More »
The U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security recently advanced the Hack Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Act that was introduced by Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Rob Portman (R-OH).
The act would establish a bug bounty pilot program to strengthen cyber defenses at the Department of... Read More »
The U.S. House of Representatives advanced legislation last week to help the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) fight terrorist threats from weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
The House unanimously approved the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Act of 2018 (H.R. 6198), which enables DHS... Read More »
Senate lawmakers have approved a report earmarking $61 million for the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC), which is located at Ohio’s Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
The Armed Services Committee authorized the funding as part of the FY 2019 National Defense Authorization Act... Read More »
A research team has uncovered how W protein -- a viral protein that factors into both Nipah and Hendra virus infections -- targets critical cell functions, leading to suppression of immune responses and spreading of these viruses.
W protein binds to proteins in the host cells and allows for... Read More »
As the U.S. Air Force considers removing the A-10 Warthog from active use, U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) has written a letter to the Defense Appropriations Conference Committee urging for the committee to fully fund the $144 million to re-wing them instead.
While some say the A-10 aircraft is... Read More »
A group of five bipartisan senators recently urged the State Department to adopt cybersecurity measures to protect against phishing and other cyberattacks.
The letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo follows multiple reports by the Office of Inspector General that outside auditors found the... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Mike Bishop (R-MI) and Mike Conaway (R-TX) introduced a bill to require the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to submit a report to Congress on Iran’s use of assets received from sanctions relief.
The bill, the Iran Payments Accountability Act of 2018 (H.R. 6774), states that... Read More »
Tuberculosis (TB) has been successfully treated in animals utilizing a non-antibiotic drug, according to scientists at the University of Manchester.
The success makes the drug the first non-antibiotic to successfully treat TB -- a disease that kills around 1.7 million people worldwide each year.... Read More »
Cocaine valued at more than $25 million was seized last month during a Joint Interagency Task Force South interception of a low-profile vessel moving in the international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
In all, nearly a ton of cocaine was pulled from the vessel after it was spotted by a... Read More »
Raytheon Co.'s intelligence, information and service business recently allied with HawkEye 360 to focus on providing innovative commercial technologies and precision data to the government.
The alliance includes investment in HawkEye 360 and gives Raytheon access to data that will enhance its... Read More »
