Langevin commends signing of cyber incident coordination directive
U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI) applauded President Barack Obama this week for signing Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) 41, entitled “United States Cyber Incident Coordination.” The directive complements the Cybersecurity National Action Plan, which was introduced earlier this year to build... Read More »
CBP opening London Global Entry enrollment center
A Global Entry enrollment center will be opened for 60 days in London at the U.S. Embassy by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) beginning on Sept. 26. The CBP Trust Traveler’s Program’s Global Entry Applicants program allows for expedited clearance of preapproved, low-risk travelers.... Read More »
Global Hawk UAS surpasses 200,000 flight hours
The autonomous Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system (UAS) from Northrop Grumman Corp. surpassed 200,000 flight hours this week, with the U.S Air Force’s Global Hawks logging 88 percent of the hours. The remaining hours were flown by NASA Global Hawks, Germany’s Full Scale Demonstrator and... Read More »First evidence that Zika transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquito discovered by UTMB researchers
University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston researchers, working in collaboration with colleagues from Mexico, recently discovered a direct connection between the Aedes aegypti mosquito and Zika transmission in the Americas during an outbreak in southern Mexico. The findings,... Read More »
OPCW, UN endorse urgent action to destroy Libya’s remaining chemical weapons
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) recently adopted a decision that calls for the necessary international assistance in response to a request from the Libyan Government of National Accord to destroy its remaining Category 2 chemical weapons on an expedited basis outside... Read More »
FirstNet to hold Southwest border region forum on public safety communications
The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) will hold its inaugural forum in the Southwest border region in August to engage with federal and regional public safety stakeholders about the communications challenges they face ahead of the deployment of a nationwide public safety broadband... Read More »Senators urge president to restrain and reduce stockpile of nuclear weapons
A coalition 10 of U.S. senators wrote a letter on Wednesday to the Obama administration requesting action on nuclear weapons policy in the time the president has left in office. The letter was co-signed by U.S. Sens. Edward Markey (D-MA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Al Franken (D-MN), Barbara... Read More »Donovan decries partisan fights as Zika research remains underfunded
U.S. Rep. Dan Donovan (R-NY) on Tuesday decried actions by his congressional colleagues for jeopardizing the development of a vaccine for the Zika virus. Donovan’s statement came in the wake of three different companies threatening to halt their developments due to funding uncertainty.... Read More »
INTERPOL reveals new biosafety curriculum for law enforcement
The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) produced its first biosafety curriculum for police colleges to advance law enforcement capability and preparedness in responding to biological incidents on Tuesday. The initiative was developed under Project Rhino and seeks to address... Read More »Johnson unveils renovated state-of-the-art forensic laboratory
Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Deputy Director Dan Ragsdale and U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) unveiled a major renovation to the ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Forensic Laboratory on Tuesday. “The men and women who work at this... Read More »TSA, United Airlines release plans for new security screening technology
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), along with United Airlines, released plans on Wednesday to install automated security screening lanes at select United Airlines hubs this fall. The automated lanes will incorporate technology that enhances overall effectiveness, while also... Read More »
CBP officers arrest two wanted fugitives at Charlotte airport
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) agents stationed at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport recently arrested two wanted fugitives. CBP officers arrested Shawnette Jones of Waldorf, Maryland, on charges of second-degree child abuse and second degree... Read More »House Homeland Security Committee releases “Terror Gone Viral” report
The House Homeland Security Committee released its “Terror Gone Viral” report that shows that the wave of terror attacks in the past month have helped ISIS reach a record-level of plotting following the attacks in Germany, France and Orlando. “ISIS terrorists have reached an alarming and... Read More »Energy and Natural Resources subcommittee examines protections against energy disruptions
U.S. Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), the chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy, chaired a hearing on the Securing Energy Infrastructure Act, S. 3018, and to examine protections designed to guard against energy disruptions last week. “In the United States, we too often we... Read More »