Countermeasures
The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) Global Biosecurity Dialogue (GBD) brought more than 60 government officials, international organizations, nuclear experts and civil society leaders together in London last week to discuss solutions to strengthen global biosecurity and biosafety.... Read More »
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is preparing for a record-breaking number of travelers this summer at airports in the Washington, D.C. area.
TSA expects 243 million passengers and crew to come through security checkpoints between Memorial Day and Labor Day in the nation’s... Read More »
University of Kansas students recently created a tool designed to enhance emergency preparedness efforts.
Officials said military, veteran, and civilian students in the university’s new homeland security master's program developed and implemented an emergency plan for a long-term blackout... Read More »
A 23-year-old Alabama man who pleaded guilty to acquiring bomb-making materials and planning an ISIS-inspired attack on a local police station was sentenced in a federal court Wednesday to 15 years in prison on Wednesday.
Aziz Ihab Sayyed of Huntsville pleaded guilty in March to a charge of... Read More »
The first West Nile virus-infected mosquito sample of the year was recently identified by the Dauphin County Conservation District in Washington Township, Pa., but no human cases have been reported.
The vector-borne West Nile virus can infect humans with an infection known as West Nile... Read More »
A bipartisan group of lawmakers raised concerns on Wednesday about the national security implications of a new strategic partnership between Google and Huawei, a Chinese telecommunications company.
The lawmakers argued in a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai that Chinese telecommunication... Read More »
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Make-It Program is making progress toward fully automated rapid molecule production.
The Make-It research teams are developing automated devices that create the desired chemical based on the software-generated recipe. These software tools... Read More »
Imperial College London researchers have determined that the use of a pair of experimental anti-malarial vaccines may reduce the number of malaria infections.
Details of the probe in eLife outlined the testing of two types of vaccines in mice: those preventing mosquitoes from transferring the... Read More »
Raytheon is the recipient of the nation’s 10 millionth patent, which covers a system for obtaining real-time readings on speed and distance from the data stream created by laser radars.
The company currently holds 13,000 active patents, which includes nearly 4,500 based in the United States,... Read More »
Federal, state, and local officials discussed efforts to disrupt the flow of illegal opioids into communities and to break up criminal networks during a field hearing held on Tuesday in Harrisburg, Pa.
The hearing, “Opioids in the Homeland: DHS Coordination with State and Local Partners to... Read More »
In response to evolving terror threats, the U.S. House of Representatives approved bills on Tuesday to enhance federal efforts to protect against vehicular terrorism and to establish a federal laboratory to develop new technologies for use by law enforcers and first responders.
U.S. Rep. Dan... Read More »
A $55.15 billion homeland security appropriations bill that emphasizes border security, cybersecurity, the nationwide opioid epidemic, and state and local support cleared the U.S.
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security on Tuesday.
The Fiscal Year 2019 Homeland Security... Read More »
BAE Systems was awarded a $198 million contract by the U.S. Marine Corp to deliver 30 Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACV).
The contract also includes an option for a total of 204 vehicles which could be worth up to $1.2 billion.
“We are well positioned and ready to build the future of... Read More »
Researchers from the University of Waterloo recently touted the benefits of a pesticide-free approach to limiting mosquito populations that also addresses the spread of West Nile virus.
The work, published in Plos One, outlined the process of introducing hungry minnows into bodies of water where... Read More »
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently conducted a nuclear proliferation reporting analysis, determining the documents did not address several requirements and lacked vital details.
The work stemmed from the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2015, which... Read More »
The Air Force recently highlighted the ability of Eagle Vision, technology that is capable of processing satellite imagery in near real-time, to assist in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts, including those the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
First deployed during... Read More »
Legislation enacted in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks to shield developers of anti-terrorism technologies from liability has now resulted in more than 1,000 innovative breakthroughs that enhance public safety, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science & Technology Directorate... Read More »
The U.S. Senate approved a national defense spending bill for fiscal year 2019 Monday that totals $716 billion, including a $550 million increase in military readiness funding to address critical shortfalls and a $450 million increase in military facilities sustainment funding.
The Fiscal Year... Read More »
The government services business of KBR, KBRwyle, is one of six contractors awarded a $900 million indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Engineering Research and Development Center.
KBRwyle was selected to fix problems identified through... Read More »
Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) announced last week their support of legislation prioritizing urgent public health and research priorities.
“We look forward to learning more about allocations to the Prevention and Public Health Fund and hope to see robust support for... Read More »
Purdue University researchers maintain a newly identified compound has proven to be as potent as FDA approved infection-fighting drugs and is less susceptible to bacterial resistance.
Investigators said preliminary testing, outlined via the European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, determined F6... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Treasury issued sanctions against five Russian entities and three Russian individuals last week for engaging in “significant malicious cyber-enabled activities.”
The Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued sanctions against one entity... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) approved 20 new reimbursable service agreements with non-federal entities on Friday that will allow CBP to be reimbursed for providing enhanced services for cross-border trade and travel.
CBP approved reimbursable service agreements with private... Read More »
Austin-based startup Factom, Inc. has been awarded $192,000 for beta testing of a new system that uses blockchain technology to secure data generated from internet-connect devices through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T).
Administered... Read More »
The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) launched an advisory group for its recently expanded Global Biological Policy and Programs.
The advisory group provides strategic guidance on the program’s effort to reduce global biological risks. It will be chaired by former commissioner of the Food and... Read More »
The United States may be prepared for emerging biological terror and disease outbreaks, but members of Congress questioned during a recent hearing whether coordination among federal agencies, local health departments, and private companies are optimal to tackle such threats.
The purpose of... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has added Waterton, Alberta, as a pilot location for its Reporting Offsite Arrival Mobile (ROAM) application that aims to streamline border crossing processes for pedestrians in high-tourism areas, the agency announced on Thursday.
Expansion of the ROAM... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is assisting the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in drafting a report assessing hurricane damage in Puerto Rico and outlining a plan to rebuild that is due to Congress by Aug. 8.
DHS S&T has... Read More »
Oshkosh Defense, LLC has secured a $159.6 million government contract for 771 Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) after the Army Contracting Command placed the four additional orders.
Oshkosh Defense was first awarded the FMTV A1P2 contract in 2009.
The current generation FMTV is... Read More »
Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) are seeking to amend the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to ensure Congress continues a role in authorizing the development of new nuclear weapons.
The senators said the amendment is needed because the Trump Administration is... Read More »
Terrorism cost the European Union an estimated $209 billion in economic losses from 2004 to 2016, with the psychological impacts of witnessing terrorism contributing to negative economic growth and changes in economic behavior, according to a new report by RAND Europe.
The United Kingdom and... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has made progress in managing the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program, according to a report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).
DHS established the CFATS program in 2007 to identify and assess the security risk... Read More »
Lockheed Martin has secured a $2.6 million contract to advance the Miniature Hit-to-Kill (MHTK) interceptor project.
Army Cruise Missile Defense Systems Project Office officials said the agency awarded the contract as a means of evaluating the project’s effectiveness and manufacturing... Read More »
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued Wednesday a series of recommendations to the Department of Defense (DOD), as a means of resolving ongoing data access issues with suppliers.
GAO officials said while the DOD relies on a network of suppliers to provide the materials and equipment... Read More »
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme will support efforts led by researchers in Serbia and Italy to leverage laser spectroscopy to detect explosive materials and prevent terrorist attacks on public transportation.
Launched on Thursday in... Read More »
