Countermeasures
U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and National Fire Academy (NFA) officials are espousing the benefits of the U.S. Arson Investigation Training program in Dubai slated for launch in 2023.
As a means of preparing for the program's formal launch, authorities noted U.S. Fire Administrator Lori... Read More »
The Army Applications Laboratory, U.S. Army Futures Command has awarded Sarcos Defense a $1 million contract earmarked for testing a robotic solution Sarcos developed for ammunition handling and maneuvering.
The Sarcos robotic ammunition handling solution utilizes a dexterous robotic arm... Read More »
Launch and space systems company Rocket Lab USA has created Rocket Lab National Security LLC (RLNS), a subsidiary the firm said would serve the defense and intelligence community.
RLNS is slated to deliver reliable launch services and space systems capabilities to the domestic government and its... Read More »
The deadline for enforcement of the federal REAL ID requirements looks to be delayed again after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced its intention this week to push it back to May 7, 2025, to give states more time to meet requirements.
“DHS continues to work closely with... Read More »
With President Joe Biden’s signature, the Disaster Resiliency Planning Act became law this week, launching a bipartisan measure that requires federal agencies to factor in disaster resilience for investments in and management of federal property and assets.
Extreme weather has picked up pace... Read More »
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials have outlined the extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti for an additional 18 months, from Feb. 4, 2023, through Aug. 3, 2024.
DHS Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas noted the action stems from extraordinary and temporary conditions... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB) is slated to conduct a second review of cybersecurity attacks connected to the global extortion-focused hacker group Lapsus$.
“The Cyber Safety Review Board has quickly established itself as an innovative and enduring... Read More »
Moving to increase supply chain visibility and more swiftly identify high-risk shipments, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced the beginnings of a pilot program known as the Global Business Identifier (GBI) last week.
Undertaken with 13 partner government agencies, the concept behind GBI... Read More »
Lockheed Martin officials are touting the security and aerospace company's initial delivery of the Mid-Range Capability (MRC) battery to the Army's Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technology Office (RCCTO).
“Our collaboration with the U.S. Army enabled us to form a deeper understanding of its... Read More »
With its passage in the House last week, the Protecting Firefighters from Adverse Substances (PFAS) Act cleared its final legislative hurdle after having passed the Senate last summer.
If President Joe Biden signs the bills as expected, it will require federal agencies to create best practices,... Read More »
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) have signed an agreement to improve law enforcement in Indian Country.
“The FBI is committed to ongoing, and continued collaboration with the Bureau of Indian Affairs,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said. “The... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced last week the Holding Russian Mercenaries (HARM) Act to designate the Russian-based PMC Wagner Group as a foreign terrorist organization.
The bill – which also has a companion measure in the House led by U.S. Reps. Steve Cohen... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and John Katko (R-NY), ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, recently introduced the CBP Behavioral Health Act, which seeks to provide behavioral health support to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel working to secure the Southwest... Read More »
First Responder Network (FirstNet) officials are espousing the benefits of delivering more coverage and boosting capacity for Rhode Island first responders and the communities they serve.
Authorities noted FirstNet, built with AT&T, serves as the only nationwide, high-speed broadband... Read More »
In a move that will affect every jurisdiction in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced this week that $3.2 billion will be issued to state, local, and territorial jurisdictions to strengthen their public health workforce and its infrastructure.
The... Read More »
Security and aerospace company Lockheed Martin is slated to support cyber readiness and training for up to 17,000 Army civilian cyber personnel via an Other Transaction Agreement.
Lockheed Martin's Mission Readiness & Reporting (MR2) cyber management solution enables the Army to identify,... Read More »
Following accusations that it had violated the False Claims Act by failing to provide certified cost or pricing data when negotiating with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), PowerSecure, Inc. agreed to pay $8.4 million this week and settle the case.
PowerSecure was tapped to repair and... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program has revealed the seven topics for its SBIR 23.1 Pre-solicitation.
“The SBIR program provides an opportunity for small businesses, including those that have never partnered with us before, to engage... Read More »
Boeing, an aerospace and defense company, recently announced that its High Altitude Anti-Submarine Warfare Weapon Capability (HAAWC) satisfies all Navy requirements for initial operational capability status.
“The initial operational capability milestone marks the readiness of HAAWC for fleet... Read More »
Over the last week, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials reported that three methamphetamine and cocaine seizures at the Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry yielded narcotics with a street value of more than $14.4 million.
These events occurred on Nov. 16 and Nov. 17,... Read More »
As part of its Antiviral Program for Pandemics (APP), meant to accelerate the discovery, development, and manufacturing of antivirals, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) recently awarded more than $12 million to three institutions for new therapies.
These new... Read More »
Although the United States has largely withdrawn from Iraq in recent years, U.S. Reps. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) and Mike Waltz (R-FL) last week urged the Biden administration to respond to recent Iranian attacks in the country and deter future aggression.
“As Iran continues to sow chaos and... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) and Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) recently requested the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct a study evaluating the efforts of two agencies identifying wastewater utilities vulnerable to potential shutdowns.
Thompson, chair of the Committee on Homeland... Read More »
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials are espousing the benefits of the agency implementing the next generation of Credential Authentication Technology (CAT) at Denver International Airport.
The CAT-2 units used to verify the identity of travelers possess the same capabilities... Read More »
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) announced last week that ZeroEyes, a company with an artificial intelligence (AI)-based gun detection video analytics platform, will run a pilot program designed to reduce violence on train platforms.
Currently, ZeroEyes’ automated... Read More »
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSHAC) personnel, spearheaded by Chairman Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), noted they recently convened a hearing to explore expanding homeland security threats.
“More than 20 years ago, the September 11th terrorist attacks changed our nation... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) cautioned consumers heading into the holiday shopping season to be on the lookout for counterfeit products in the wake of the agency’s largest seizure of fake products to date.
Most pirated items include apparel, accessories, watches, jewelry, and... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Mike Thompson (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), and U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) applauded the recent House of Representatives advancement of the FEMA Improvement, Reform, and Efficiency (FIRE) Act, which seeks to improve wildfire preparedness and... Read More »
In exchange for new solutions to identify and resolve issues, and to promote resilience and wellness among its workforce, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) awarded five companies more than $730,000 in total funding last week.
Awards stemmed... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Rick Scott (R-FL) are commending the House of Representatives' passage of the Disaster Resiliency Planning Act, which now moves to President Joe Biden's desk to be signed into law.
The measure, which garnered Senate approval in June, requires federal agencies to... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, this week released the results of an investigation into the rise of domestic terrorism and federal actions against it – and alleged that it has come up short.
Specifically, he pointed to... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, recently joined U.S. Sen. Jon Osoff (D-GA) in urging the Department of Defense (DoD) to protect military families from private housing contractors... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently touted the initial Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) Grantee symposium, uniting over 200 representatives from 73 grantees and partner organizations.
The effort involved sharing practices; increasing awareness of DHS... Read More »
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recommendations to address Chinese nationals potentially transferring technology to foreign entities.
Per the GAO, a third of foreign graduate students studying science, technology, engineering, and... Read More »
A team at Sandia National Laboratories completed four years of work on and published a summary of various vulnerabilities in electric vehicle charging infrastructure this week in the journal Energies, drawing attention to the risks of evolution.
While all growth comes with its share of risks,... Read More »
