Countermeasures
The Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC) is equipping infantry, reconnaissance, and special operation units with suppressors for use on the M27, M4, and M4A1 rifles.
Small arms suppressors are designed to reduce a weapon’s noise, flash, and recoil – and they only take seconds to attach and... Read More »
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials said the nationwide Operation No Safe Haven Plus resulted in 18 foreign nationals sought for human rights violations or human smuggling and trafficking activity being arrested.
“These arrests are a critical piece of our ongoing mission to... Read More »
Laredo Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers noted the seizure of methamphetamine totaling over $2.5 million in street value at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge.
“While drug trafficking organizations employ a variety of methods to smuggle their illicit... Read More »
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced this week that the Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis will continue into the new year and the 117th Congress, still under the leadership of Chairman and Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC).
The subcommittee has been running since April 23, 2020. In the months... Read More »
A peer-reviewed report chronicling the phase three trial data of mRNA-1273, Moderna, Inc.’s COVID-19 vaccine, was released in the New England Journal of Medicine last week and confirmed its 94.1 percent efficacy in preventing COVID-19.
Distribution of the vaccine has already begun in the... Read More »
The nations of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras have all signed the Asylum Cooperation Agreement (ACA) with the United States, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced.
In 2019, more than 71 percent of migrants apprehended at the U.S. Southwest border came from El Salvador,... Read More »
CEPI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, is collaborating with an India-based pharmaceutical company to develop a COVID-19 subunit vaccine candidate.
The partnership is with Biological E Limited, or Bio E, a Hyderabad-based vaccine and pharmaceutical company. CEPI will... Read More »
The first U.S. case of a new strain of COVID-19 that originated in the U.K. has been confirmed in Colorado’s Elbert County, according to the Colorado State Laboratory.
The variant has cropped up in numerous locations throughout the world since its recent discovery -- and rapid spread -- in the... Read More »
Emergent BioSolutions and Mount Sinai Health System began a program to evaluate Emergent’s COVID-19 Human Hyperimmune Globulin (COVID-HIG) candidate for phase one trials of its preventative capabilities among individuals at high risk of exposure.
“Emergent is pleased to partner with Mount... Read More »
The U.S. Congress has passed the REAL ID Modernization Act, which updates identification requirements set 15 years ago by the 9/11 Commission.
“This new law marks another important step toward meeting the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations to close dangerous vulnerabilities to terrorist... Read More »
A provision to encourage local governments to adopt the .gov domain for websites and email accounts was signed into law as a part of the year-end omnibus funding bill.
The provision was originally introduced as the DOTGOV Online Trust in Government Act. It directs the Department of Homeland of... Read More »
Lockheed Martin personnel are touting the company's ability to produce and deliver F-35 aircraft amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The firm recently delivered the 123rd F-35 aircraft of the year. In 2020, 74 F-35s were delivered to the U.S. military, 31 to international partner nations, and 18 to... Read More »
Chris T. Clem has been named Yuma Sector’s Chief Patrol Agent, bringing 25 years of Border Patrol experience to the post.
Authorities noted Clem’s career includes a variety of leadership roles involving serving as senior patrol agent, supervisory border patrol agent, field operations... Read More »
The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) delivered its 2021 Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan (SSMP) to Congress this week, laying out a specific path to producing 80 plutonium pits annually and delivering first-time production units for various programs.
The... Read More »
In an effort funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Novavax, Inc. has begun enrolling volunteers for a phase three trial of NVX-CoV2373, a COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
Volunteers can be... Read More »
Law enforcement officials in the United States and worldwide have taken down a virtual private network (VPN) called “Operation Nova” that had been allegedly assisting cybercriminals.
United States Attorney Matthew Schneider said the investigation revealed three domains— INSORG.ORG;... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) applauded the inclusion of $25 million in the 2021 budget federal gun violence prevention research.
It builds on $25 million in funding inlude3d in the budget last year for research on firearms safety and gun violence prevention.... Read More »
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials noted operational successes within its fiscal year 2020 annual report, focusing on immigration laws enforcement and customs and immigration violation investigations.
“The men and women who represent ICE have risen to the challenges presented... Read More »
Navy officials said the service branch has awarded a $57 million award potentially worth up to $250 million to Northrop Grumman to produce Coyote supersonic sea-skimming target (SSST) vehicles.
The initial 19 vehicles could result in an additional 84 target vehicles, bringing the GQM-163A... Read More »
The U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded a $1.5 million grant to Soligenix, Inc. last week to aid manufacture, formulation, and characterization of COVID-19 and ebola virus disease vaccine candidates.
All will be pursued in conjunction with the CoVaccine HT... Read More »
Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have discovered a chemical compound capable of working with natural bodily processes to break through antibiotic resistant bacteria and have published the results in the journal PLOS Pathogens.
Although attentions for many scientists have... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday that it had filed suit against Walmart for its part in the opioid epidemic.
According to the complaint filed in federal court, the DOJ alleges that Walmart Inc. unlawfully dispensed opioids from its pharmacies across the country, resulting in... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Mark Warner (D-VA) commended the inclusion of the Intelligence Authorization Act for 2021 as part of the COVID-19 relief package.
The bill, approved by the Senate on July 23, would authorize funding, provide legal authorities, and enhance Congressional... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security issued a business advisory warning to American businesses about the risks of using data services and equipment from firms associated with China.
This advisory cites the increasing risk of government-sponsored data theft due to newly enacted laws in China that... Read More »
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) is extending gratitude to lawmakers for efforts to sustain the T-Band spectrum via the Don’t Break Up the T-Band Act.
Officials maintain the band is critical to public safety interoperable radio communications in major metropolitan areas and... Read More »
The Department of Energy has awarded a $3.8 billion contract to Battelle Savannah River Alliance (BRSA) to manage the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL).
The agreement, which would span 10 years if all options are exercised, forms a partnership with a Battelle organization that includes... Read More »
The top Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), announced a pending examination of the Trump Administration’s planning, coordination, and execution of preparation and response efforts to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This... Read More »
Under the Expanding COVID-19 Testing Capacity Act, introduced this week by U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), the federal government would be required to manufacture and expand the number of institutions to which it distributes diagnostic tests to increase access to free COVID-19 testing.
Based... Read More »
The federal government announced Wednesday that it would purchase an additional 100 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to be delivered next year.
Coordinated through the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Defense (DoD), Pfizer will have to meet several... Read More »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a treatment for the Zaire Ebolavirus infection in adults and children.
The treatment is called Ebanga, a human monoclonal antibody that blocks the virus's binding to the cell receptor, thus preventing its entry into the cell.
Zaire... Read More »
A group of U.S. Senators is commending the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for their efforts to protect against counterfeit vaccines and personal protective equipment through Operation Stolen Promise 2.0.
“In April U.S. Immigration and Customs... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently touted the Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Government Act, which was included in the must-pass government funding deal and set to become law.
Sens. Brian Schatz (D-HI), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Rob Portman (R-OH), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) said the... Read More »
In the wake of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) probe, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland seized two fraudulent COVID-19 websites.
The domain names, mordernatx.com and regeneronmedicals.com, purported to be the websites of... Read More »
As the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded more than $107 million to support new, non-traditional means of plugging gaps in COVID-19 testing and surveillance, as well as to develop platforms for future outbreaks.
The awards were given under a program... Read More »
Congress passed a $900 billion pandemic relief package Monday, which includes legislation that will provide more than $73 billion to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for federal response efforts.
While much attention has been put on the $600 direct stimulus payment and $300 per... Read More »
