Countermeasures
The United States Marine Corps recently invested in a next-generation water purification system, called the Individual Water Purification System Block II (IWPS II), which allows troops to obtain safe, drinkable water straight from its source.
Contemporary practices involve using filters for... Read More »
The Edgewood Chemical Biological Center’s (ECBC) Environmental Monitoring Laboratory (EML) recently participated in an exercise that simulated a domestic response to malathion contamination in both milk and water.
Malathion is a widely-used pesticide typically found in agriculture, residential... Read More »
Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) recently filed legislation intended to place potential terrorist or terrorist sympathizers, who are not citizens or permanent residents, eligible for immediate and mandatory removal proceedings.
The Terrorist Deportation Act would make those listed on the Terrorist... Read More »
A grant worth $12 million given to the National Ebola Training and Education Center (NETEC) was recently doubled to $24 million, allowing for the expansion of services for the center.
Specifically, the funds were given to the three co-leads of the NETEC, the University of Nebraska Medical... Read More »
U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Zapata Station in Texas recently stopped two separate drug smuggling incidents on Jan. 31.
The first incident began as agents, using the low-level airborne surveillance Aerostat system, observed two boats approaching the U.S. shoreline on Falcon Lake. As... Read More »
According to a recent study conducted by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a novel, gene-based investigational vaccine protected both mice and monkeys against Zika virus infection after a single dose.
The vaccine candidate was developed by researchers at the... Read More »
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released a report detailing the steps Israel has taken to secure its homeland, including the construction of a fence on the Egyptian border.
The report, entitled “Securing Israel: Lessons Learned... Read More »
Investigators at the University Of Miami Miller School Of Medicine and the University of Miami Health System were awarded 12 grants totaling $13,170,784 from the Florida Department of Health’s 2016-17 Zika Research Grant Initiative.
“I am proud to announce the recipients of these important... Read More »
The governments of Germany, Japan, and Norway, along with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust, recently pledged $460 million to launch the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to combat the spread of epidemics by developing effective vaccines against known... Read More »
PharmAthene, Inc. recently entered into a definitive agreement to merge with Altimmune, Inc. in an all-stock transaction to create an immunotherapeutics company, which will target infectious diseases.
The merged company will be a fully-integrated and diversified immunotherapeutics company with... Read More »
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) recently repatriated a group of 74 migrants to the Dominican Republic.
The repatriated migrants were part of a group of 105 individuals, consisting of 100 Dominicans, three Haitians and two Cubans, that were interdicted over three separate incidents in the... Read More »
Adam Segal, chair of the Council on Foreign Relations in emerging technologies and national security, recently released a report that examined the divide between the federal government and the U.S. technology sector.
“In addition to rising cybersecurity threats, the Trump Administration will... Read More »
Border Patrol agents assigned to the El Centro Sector discovered 46 people in several train boxcars early on the morning of Jan. 24.
Agents received a tip regarding possible undocumented immigrants hiding in train boxcars located near 8th Street and Cruikshank Drive in El Centro, California.... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), along with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and the Puerto Rican Police Department (PRPD), intercepted vessels carrying 126 undocumented migrants from the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Haiti over four separate incidents.
The first incident occurred on Jan. 20... Read More »
Emergent Biosolutions Inc. recently initiated a Phase 1b multiple ascending dose study to evaluate the safety and tolerability of UV-4B, the company’s novel antiviral candidate for the treatment of dengue viral infection.
Dengue is the leading cause of illness and death in the tropics and... Read More »
The U.S. House of Representatives recently advanced three homeland security bills to address issues related to the nation’s nuclear, transit and cybersecurity defenses.
All three bills were authored by Rep. Dan Donovan (R-NY) and advanced with bipartisan support.
The Securing Cities Act... Read More »
Three national security-related bills authored by U.S. Rep. Martha McSally recently advanced the U.S. House of Representatives.
The first bill, the CBRN Intelligence and Information Sharing Act, aims to improve information sharing practices between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)... Read More »
The United States-Israel Cybersecurity Cooperation Enhancement Act, which aims to create a cybersecurity grant program for joint research and development initiatives between American and Israeli organizations, advanced the U.S House of Representatives earlier this week.
The bill was introduced... Read More »
The U.S. House of Representatives recently advanced the Counterterrorism Advisory Board Act, which aims to coordinate and integrate intelligence activities and policy related to counterterrorism within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The bill was authored by Rep. John Katko... Read More »
The U.S. House of Representatives recently advanced the Fusion Center Enhancement Act, which aims to improve communication between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies when detecting and responding to terrorist threats.
The bill... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA) recently reintroduced a bill aimed at improving cooperation amongst federal, state, and local agencies in detecting, preventing and responding to terrorist-type threats.
The Fusion Center Enhancement Act would strengthen partnerships between the U.S. Department of... Read More »
Elusys Therapeutics, Inc. recently received $16.35 million for completing the second delivery of ANTHIM injection for the treatment of anthrax exposure.
The funds are part of a $45 million procurement contract to provide the treatment for the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile (SNS). Elusys... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) recently called for answers regarding a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General (IG) report that stated U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is planning to continue the use of a computer program that allowed 175 individuals to receive U.S.... Read More »
Emergent BioSolutions Inc. recently received approval by a regulatory agency under the German Federal Ministry of Health for its large-scale manufacturing facility in Michigan, paving the way for the company to market its anthrax vaccine BioThrax in Germany and other countries.
Emergent said its... Read More »
The Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC), the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, and North Carolina State University recently teamed up to develop a uniform that destroys chemical agents on contact using a type of... Read More »
Experts from 29 countries recently convened at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to prepare a safety guide for radiation exposure at security checkpoints in airports and other locations.
While ionizing radiation for human imaging has been a common practice in medicine for decades,... Read More »
Greater coordination between the Department of Agriculture and other federal agencies like the Department of Homeland Security is needed to help prevent a biological attack on the U.S. agriculture industry that threatens the nation’s food supply, a panel of experts on agrodefense said last... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Chris Coons (D-DE) introduced last week a bill to establish a Senate Select Committee on Cybersecurity that would focus exclusively on cybersecurity and cyberspace issues.
Currently, more than 20 committees claim jurisdiction over cybersecurity issues between... Read More »
The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) recently released two new tutorials on biological weapons nonproliferation and nuclear testing.
Each tutorial contains interactive images and information graphics, ending with a short quiz. Topics... Read More »
Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) recently introduced two bills in an attempt to protect local businesses and communities against potential terrorist attacks.
The first bill, the CBRN Intelligence and Information Sharing Act, would amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish chemical,... Read More »
Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) was renamed chair of the House Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee last week for the 115th Congress.
“The importance of cybersecurity to every aspect of society is becoming increasingly apparent,” Ratcliffe said.... Read More »
According to a recent report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) should evaluate the procedures used by the agency’s National Targeting Center (NTC) to determine its overall effectiveness at keeping high-risk travelers off of United... Read More »
Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA) released this week a letter he wrote to President Trump calling for an operational bipartisan Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board.
While the board itself does exist, it only consists of two members and no chairman. It also lacks the quorum necessary to do... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) Predator B returned to San Angelo Regional Airport for a 14-week deployment on Jan 17.
The first UAS deployment at a civilian airport occurred in Jan. and Feb. 2016 for a four-week... Read More »
Battelle, a nonprofit research and development institute, said the key to preparing for the rapidly growing threat of biological or chemical weapons is by developing countermeasures with technology that is tested against live agents.
Battelle’s recommendation was directed toward defense... Read More »
