Countermeasures
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently highlighted a four-year Underground Transport Restoration project conducted with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to prepare for and respond to bioterrorism attacks on subway systems.
Conducted by the DHS Science and Technology... Read More »
AT&T and the First Responder Network Authority announced the launch of the FirstNet network core on Tuesday, a critical step in establishing the first dedicated public safety communications platform for first responders.
Serving as the brain of Firstnet, the LTE evolved packet network core... Read More »
A pair of lawmakers recently touted the benefits of an increase in the U.S. – Israeli missile defense programs federal funding bill.
Senate Minority Leader Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said the omnibus spending bill provides $705.8 million in funding to the... Read More »
New technology under development by Raytheon BBN Technologies could unleash swarms of small, autonomous air and ground vehicles, working in tandem and under the control of remote operators.
As part of DARPA’s Offensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics program, the company is developing technology to... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) introduced Monday the Ammunition Background Check Act of 2018, which would require instant background checks for the purchase of gun ammunition.
“Ammunition sales should be subject to the same legal requirements... Read More »
New technology acquired by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport, as well as draft legislation introduced by Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN), could help CBP prevent opioids from entering the United... Read More »
The Trump Administration’s announcement on Monday that 60 Russian diplomats would be expelled from the country, and the Russian consulate in Seattle would be closed, in response to chemical weapons attacks on British soil met applause from U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ).
The United Kingdom has... Read More »
The federal spending bill signed into law by President Donald Trump on Friday maintains or increases funding for a number of U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant programs that help protect against and respond to terrorist threats and natural disasters at the state and municipal levels.... Read More »
United States preparedness against terrorist attacks from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) agents includes prep and planning for the public, as well as for the first responders who will be on the front lines during a catastrophic emergency event.
Dr. Robert Kadlec, Assistant... Read More »
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and the European Commission Joint Research Centre recently held a pilot training course in Tbilisi, Georgia, to further develop technical capabilities to support nuclear forensics investigation.
The four-day program covered crime-scene... Read More »
Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently announced a proposed rulemaking from the Department of Justice that would clarify that bump stocks fall within the definition of “machinegun” under federal law.
The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) would amend the regulations of the Bureau of... Read More »
Nine Iranian hackers have been charged by the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) with leading a four-year campaign of cyberattacks on universities and professors, private businesses, and the U.S. government on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to an indictment unsealed on... Read More »
The U.S. House Homeland Security Committee approved eight bills last week that seek to enhance the nation’s cybersecurity, surface transportation security, and air travel and cargo security.
U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), the committee’s chairman, said America must “continue to evolve... Read More »
The DoD Information Warfare Symposium presented by the Defense Strategies Institute will take place on March 28-29 at the Mary M. Gates Learning Center in Alexandria, Virginia. Designed for members of the Department of Defense, federal government, private industry, academia, and other stakeholders,... Read More »
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and HIV Medical Association (HIVMA) have released policy and research recommendations regarding infectious diseases and the opioid epidemic.
IDSA and HIVMA members said they are encouraging Congress and the Trump Administration to pursue... Read More »
A study conducted by the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in Brazil shows that triclosan, an antimicrobial compound, may inhibit deadly enzymes and fight otherwise resistant parasites.
Triclosan is a compound used in basic bathroom items like soap, toothpaste, and deodorant. The new study showed... Read More »
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) recently said that it will soon deliver the next generation of Global Burst Detector (GBD) payloads, the latest space-based nuclear explosion sensors, to the U.S. Air Force.
Following delivery to the U.S. Air Force, GBD payloads will continue... Read More »
The U.S. House of Representatives recently advanced an omnibus spending bill, which includes the largest increase in defense funding in 15 years.
The bill, advanced with a vote of 256 to 167, includes funding to fight terrorism, secure borders, enhance first responder capabilities, improve... Read More »
Penalties for distributing the synthetic opioid fentanyl would be enhanced under a bill introduced in the U.S. Senate on Thursday, and the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) would be given new tools to intercept drug shipments from overseas.
The bill would lower the amount of fentanyl or fentanyl... Read More »
The omnibus federal spending bill that gained approval in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday contains provisions that would increase support for border security, local police departments, and firefighters.
U.S. Sens. Jon Tester (D-MT) and John Boozman (R-AK) secured $85 million in... Read More »
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report is touting the benefits of a program credited with expediting Ugandan virus detection.
The CDC-UVRI Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Surveillance and Laboratory Program was lauded in a CDC report published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. The... Read More »
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) U.S. announced collaboration this week with Georgetown University through a cooperative academic and research agreement, focusing on training potential for future students and scientists.
"It's exciting to collaborate with CEPI U.S. to... Read More »
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) recently unveiled a new smaller radiation detector invented at the lab that uses a sweeping beam to quickly pinpoint a radiation source to reduce radiation exposure risks for workers.
The detectors use directional sensors to scan through a narrow angle... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced Wednesday that it will hold two Global Entry mobile enrollment events in Indianapolis where it will conduct interviews for conditionally approved applicants.
Global Entry is a voluntary expedited clearance program for pre-approved low-risk... Read More »
With U.S. Senate approval of a bill that would end civil and criminal protections under current law for websites that take part in online sex trafficking on Wednesday, the measure will advance to the president’s desk.
The Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA), S. 1693, would amend the... Read More »
More individuals working for organizations that promote foreign interests in the United States would have to register as foreign agents under a bill introduced in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday.
Under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) of 1938, individuals working for foreign-supported... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has been researching ways to minimize risk from a dam failure while improving response capability of stakeholders.
Officials said the Kentucky Division of Water and S&T’s Flood Apex program are working together... Read More »
Researchers from an international team have pinpointed a genetic fingerprint of proteins linked to deadly Malaria strains, which they say could herald a game changer for vaccine development.
Scientists were focused on the child aspect in this case, which is to say, the fact that the most common... Read More »
An industry team led by Lockheed Martin recently completed upgrades to the Command, Control, Battle Management and Communications (C2BMC) system of the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS).
The C2BMC network connects traditionally separate space, sea and terrestrial sensors and their... Read More »
Raytheon Technology recently participated in a Maneuver Fires Integrated Experiment (MFIX) at the U.S. Army Fires Center of Excellence, in which its advanced high-power microwave and laser dune buggy engaged and destroyed 45 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Raytheon's high-power microwave system... Read More »
Army Secretary Mark Esper’s decision to dismantle the 1-285th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion (ARB) in Marana, Arizona, met resistance from U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) on Tuesday.
McSally, the former commander of the 354th Fighter Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, voiced her... Read More »
The U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has concluded that the country’s election infrastructure remains resilient despite Russian attempts to hack state voting systems, but the committee released recommendations on Tuesday to better defend against future attempts to undermine... Read More »
The United States is part of the international plan to prevent the naturally occurring, accidental or deliberate spread of infectious diseases, but remains among many countries hampered by the inadequate or underprepared systems around the world that can’t effectively deal with rapidly emerging... Read More »
The DoD Information Warfare Symposium presented by the Defense Strategies Institute will take place on March 28-29 at the Mary M. Gates Learning Center in Alexandria, Virginia. Designed for members of the Department of Defense, federal government, private industry, academia, and other stakeholders,... Read More »
Researchers from Sahlgrenska Academy in Sweden are exploring the possibilities of a drinkable antidote to address cholera.
The work of the scientists published in PLOS Pathogens and ACS Infectious Disease showed how the drinkable protection is distributed during an ongoing cholera epidemic to... Read More »
