House lawmakers, Alliance for Biosecurity urge Senate to pass pandemic, all-hazards reauthorization bill
Federal officials are pushing for the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2018 (PAHPA), which was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives in September, to be signed into law this year. In a discussion on Wednesday hosted by the Alliance for Biosecurity... Read More »
Measure targets worldwide violence, instability
A group of lawmakers recently praised the House advancement of legislation designed to reduce worldwide violence, enhance engagement, and address instability in other countries. Reps. Michael McCaul (R-TX), Eliot L. Engel (D-NY), Ted Poe (R-TX), Adam Smith (D-WA) and Bill Keating (D-MA) said the... Read More »
Air Force awards 100 contracts in 40 hours
As a means of expediting the acquisition process, Air Force officials recently awarded more than 100 contracts to small businesses in 40 hours. Officials said personnel from varied departments met at the AFWERX Innovation Hub in Austin, Texas to streamline contracting processes and develop new... Read More »
TSA could better measure effectiveness of cargo screening, GAO says
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently issued three recommendations to improve how the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) inspects air carriers and assesses foreign airports in regards to U.S.-bound air cargo. The GAO examined the TSA’s screening process to monitor the... Read More »
Accident Response Group shifts departments, potentially improving ability to respond to nuclear incidents
The Accident Response Group (ARG), a group of technical experts within the Department of Energy (DOE) meant to respond to nuclear weapons accidents, has been regrouped into the Military Liaison Department, more closely aligning it with military interests. Department officials hope that this will... Read More »
DHS to host event on new technologies for first responders in Houston
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate S&T will host an event for first responders in the Houston area on new technologies available to them. The event -- called the Next Generation First Responder (NGFR) Harris County Operational Experimentation (OpEx)... Read More »
Lockheed Martin donation targets cyber research
Lockheed Martin has contributed $1.5 million to the University of Central Florida (UCF) as a means of aiding the development of a new cyber research lab. The Lockheed Martin Cyber Innovation Lab ensures UCF remains a leader in educating and empowering future cyber experts. “Our... Read More »
Groups seek funds countering biological threats
The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) has joined over 60 global health security organizations in calling for bolstered funding in the Trump Administration’s 2020 budget request to counter biological threats. The groups forwarded correspondence to Secretary of Health and Human Services and Chair... Read More »
Researchers begin Ebola trials in Democratic Republic of the Congo
A team of international researchers began enrolling confirmed Ebola patients this week for clinical trial testing of multiple therapies in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Organized by a research consortium coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO), the trials are in response to... Read More »
Thanksgiving 2018 marks busiest travel holiday for TSA history
Thanksgiving 2018 was the busiest travel period in the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA)17-year history. More than 25.6 million passengers and crew members were screened, a 6 percent increase from 2017, and more than 15 million bags were checked. The busiest travel day in... Read More »
Council on Foreign Relations encourages global initiative to combat botnets
A global initiative of public and private organizations is needed to eliminate computer-effecting botnets, according to a new paper from the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). The report was written by Robert Knake, senior fellow for cyber policy at CFR and senior research scientist at... Read More »
New device bolsters trauma treatment efforts
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) researchers have developed a device that enhances the efforts of first responders while treating patients in trauma-induced environments. The patent-pending VitalTag is a stick-on sensor designed to measure and track a patient's vital signs to help... Read More »
USC researchers create polio vaccine that no longer needs refrigeration
In a leap forward for vaccination efforts, researchers from the University of Southern California (USC) have created a polio vaccine that maintains its usefulness without refrigeration. Though initially believed to be entirely eradicated, there were 22 reported cases worldwide in 2017 due to its... Read More »
New York woman pleads guilty to providing material support to ISIS
Zoobia Shahnaz, from Brentwood, New York, recently pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert to providing material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). Between March and August 2017, Shahnaz defrauded numerous financial institutions, according to prosecutors.... Read More »