DSI Event: DoD Information Warfare Symposium on March 28-29 in Alexandria, Va.
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 »
Forthcoming House bill would provide federal funding for metal detectors at schools
Local school districts would have access to federal grant funding to install metal detectors under a bill announced by U.S. Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) on Monday to help secure schools. The bill would require school districts that receive grant funding to limit the number of school entrances to... Read More »
Deportation officers arrest 145 in Texas during seven-day enforcement action
Deportation officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested 145 individuals in South and Central Texas during a seven-day enforcement action, which ended Feb. 16. Of the 145 arrested, 86 had criminal convictions. Thirty-nine were... Read More »
Researchers develop improved flu forecasting method
Researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health recently developed an improved system for predicting the geographic spread of seasonal influenza in the United States. According to a paper published in the journal PNAS, the forecasting system can accurately predict local... Read More »
Counter-propaganda Global Engagement Center moves forward with agreement between State Department, DoD
The State Department and Department of Defense (DoD) signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday that will operationalize the Global Engagement Center (GEC), which will be tasked with coordinating the U.S. government’s counter-propaganda efforts. GEC was established under a provision of... Read More »
Sen. Menendez applauds new North Korea sanctions, calls for diplomacy
U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) lauded new sanctions announced against shipping companies and vessels tied to North Korea on Friday as a necessary move to compel North Korea to engage in “a credible diplomatic process” with denuclearization as the ultimate goal. The Treasury Department’s... Read More »
GAO recommends measures to prevent counterfeit goods from entering U.S.
Counterfeit goods entering the United States pose challenges for consumers and businesses that need to be addressed by federal agencies that enforce intellectual property rights (IPR), according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Counterfeit goods are hard to spot and, with the... Read More »
Concerns raised over TSA pre-check security screenings by House Homeland Security Committee
While the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) tries to grow its pre-check flight security system, members of a House panel on Tuesday raised concerns that the system is not being used properly. During a hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee Transportation and Protective... Read More »
U.S.-based clinical trial of potential Zika vaccine underway through Emergent BioSolutions, Valneva joint effort
A union of Emergent BioSolutions Inc. and Valneva SE has led to the initiation of a Phase 1 clinical trial for a Zika virus vaccine candidate in the United States. The purified inactivated vaccine candidate, VLA1601, has been developed using the same manufacturing platform as Valneva’s... Read More »
CBP arrests three subjects in New England within 24 hours
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers in New England, Boston Field Office arrested three subjects in a 24-hour period in two separate instances for narcotics possession and an active warrant. At the Port of Houlton in Maine, CBP officers encountered two 42-year old male U.S. citizens... Read More »
GAO reviews Next Generation 911 implementation nationwide ahead of roadmap development
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently reviewed the implementation of Next Generation 911 (NG911), which provides improved capabilities over the legacy 911 system. The GAO report examines state and local progress, challenges in implementing NG911 and federal actions to address... Read More »
Legislation aims to boost accountability, collaboration of DHS fusion centers
Legislation introduced in the House of Representatives on Friday aims to improve information sharing and engagement among the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) fusion centers, which collect and share information on threats with federal, state, local and private partners. The DHS Field... Read More »
Treasury Department sanctions 56 shipping companies, vessels for engaging in trade with North Korea
The Treasury Department announced a sanctions package on Friday that targets 27 entities and 28 vessels tied to North Korea, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and four additional countries violating earlier U.S. sanctions by engaging in trade with North Korea. The Treasury Department’s... Read More »
Vaccinations remain best path to stopping disease spread
Low flu shot counts this year in Europe have worried prompted worries among regional health experts and prompted a joint study from the Italian National Research Council and the European Commission Joint Research Centre that showcases the efficacy of vaccination efforts. The focus of this study... Read More »