Congressional Valley Fever Task Force introduces legislative support for research, treatment
U.S. Reps. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and David Schweikert (R-AZ), co-chairs of the Congressional Valley Fever Task Force, joined three other task force members this week to introduce legislation seeking to advance research and treatment of the fungal disease. There are currently more cases of Valley... Read More »
Grants earmarked for Massachusetts fire departments
Eighteen Massachusetts fire departments are slated to receive $4.8 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants. Officials said 17 of the departments received funding through FEMA's Assistance to Firefighter Grants (AFG) program, which provides resources for firefighters and... Read More »
Gen. Brown Jr. assumes command of PACAF
Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. was welcomed last week as the 35th commander of Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). The PACAF includes 46,000 airmen and covers more than 100 million square miles, extending from the nation’s west coast to the east coast of Africa and from the Arctic to the... Read More »
Defense act authorizes Air Force test facilities
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the Conference Report for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, which authorizes the Air Force Test Center’s top military construction priorities. The projects prioritized included a Joint Simulation Environment (JSE)... Read More »
House advances measure to reduce US service members’ reliance on Russian energy
The U.S. House voted this week to advance a legislative provision seeking to reduce reliance on Russian energy for troops serving in Europe, while also authorizing funding for military members and their families. The John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019... Read More »
Nebraska, Iowa universities helm national institute addressing antimicrobial resistance
While the inherent danger of antimicrobial resistance is growing, increasing the threat of a global public health crisis, a new national institute to address the threat has been created through a partnership between universities in Nebraska and Iowa. The new Institute for Antimicrobial... Read More »
Bill targets international tourism, national security
Reps. Tom Rice (R-SC) and Mike Quigley (D-IL) recently introduced legislation designed to enhance international tourism to America while improving national security. The Jobs Originating through Launching Travel (JOLT) Act would also reform outdated visa laws, create jobs, and rename the Visa... Read More »
Rep. Royce seeks compliance with chemical weapons measure
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) forwarded correspondence last week urging the Trump Administration to hold Russia accountable for its likely use of chemical weapons in recent attacks on civilians in the United Kingdom. In his letter, Royce noted the Administration missed... Read More »
Border patrol creates Incident Management Team for Rio Grande Valley
The U.S. Border Patrol Rio Grande Valley Sector (RGV) recently established an Incident Management Team, which will work with the Emergency Operation Center during natural disasters or wide-scale emergencies. The team, comprised of Border Patrol personnel from across the RGV, met last week to... Read More »
Tick-induced infections on the rise
The spread of tickborne infections has risen significantly in the past decade, with the upward trend likely to continue, according to a recent report by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Lyme disease represents the majority of tickborne infections in the United... Read More »
GAO issued more than 3,000 recommendations to better US cybersecurity since 2010
The United States remains critically vulnerable to cyber attack, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which also found 10 crucial steps agencies need to take and four major cybersecurity challenges circling the nation’s information security. Security... Read More »
KBR acquires $36.5 million missile systems contract
KBRwyle, a subsidiary of professional services and technology provider KBR, Inc., has been awarded a $36.5 million Air Force Installation Contracting Agency (AFICA) missiles system contract. Officials said KBRwyle would provide sustainment engineering support to the 414th Supply Chain Management... Read More »
Report tracks nuclear, radioactive material trafficking
An updated database released this week has identified more than 170 incidents of nuclear and radioactive material trafficking across 14 countries in 2017. Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) officials said the Global Incidents and Trafficking Database, produced for NTI by the Center for... Read More »
Puerto Rican airport installs new federal inspection station
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently installed a new Federal Inspection Station at Puerto Rico’s Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport. The $6 million station uses advanced technology and allows passengers to move through a single point of control, speeding up entry to the... Read More »