Policy
Legislation reauthorizes small business defense innovation, technology programs
The Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act, which became law earlier this month, reauthorized the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. The SBIR and STTR programs award research and development grants to American small... Read More »
CBP launches Mobile Passport Control at four Washington state border crossings
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced the launch of Mobile Passport Control at four pedestrian border crossings in Washington state. The MPC mobile app allows U.S. citizens, and others, to use their mobile devices to submit passport and travel information in advance, which will speed up... Read More »
Space Force CSO debuts vision for force through 2041
Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of Space Operations for U.S. Space Force, outlined his vision for the service’s next 15 years during the Space Foundation’s Space Symposium on April 15. Saltzman introduced the “Future Operating Environment” and the “Objective Force” that will prepare the... Read More »
Treasury sanctions cartel-linked casinos on U.S.-Mexico border
The U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Controls (OFAC) sanctioned targets linked to alleged money laundering and cash smuggling by the Cartel del Noreste (CDN), officials said. The CDN is one of Mexico’s most violent drug trafficking organizations, the office said, and... Read More »
Federal grand jury indicts 52 gang members on drug, firearm charges
A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment on March 17 charging 52 gang members with intent to distribute, possession and distribution of controlled substances, and firearms violations. Forty defendants were charged with possession of firearms in furtherance of a... Read More »
CISA issues advisory on Iran-affiliated cyber threat to U.S. infrastructure
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) on April 7 issued a public advisory warning of cyberthreats to American critical infrastructure sectors from Iran-affiliated threat actors. The agency joined the National Security Agency (NSA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of... Read More »
Bill introduced to bolster Taiwan drone production
Legislation to expand opportunities for the development of unmanned aerial systems between the United States and Taiwan has been introduced in the Senate. The Blue Skies for Taiwan Act, introduced by U.S. Sens. John Curtis (R-UT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Andy Kim (D-NJ) would... Read More »
New Florida law prohibits courts from enforcing foreign or religious laws
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law on Monday that strengthens protections against the application of foreign and religious laws. HB 1471 reinforces that Florida courts may not apply or enforce foreign or religious law, including Sharia law, that violates constitutional rights. It... Read More »
FEMA awards North Carolina more than $103M for storm recovery efforts
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently provided North Carolina more than $103 million for Tropical Storm Helene and Hurricane Florence recovery efforts. Funding was awarded to more than 50 public assistance projects that help repair and protect critical infrastructure. Public... Read More »
Bipartisan bill seeks to fund DHS and reform ICE enforcement standards
Bipartisan legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that would fully fund the Department of Homeland Security for Fiscal Year 2026 while enacting targeted reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Tom Suozzi (D-NY) introduced the... Read More »
Boeing, DoW agree to 7-year deal to triple production of PAC-3 seeker
Boeing and the U.S. Department of War (DOW) said on April 1 they reached a seven-year framework agreement to triple production of PAC-3 missile seekers, a move officials say will significantly expand air and missile defense capabilities for U.S. and allied forces worldwide. The agreement, which... Read More »
DoD, Honeywell agreement would increase ammunitions stockpile
The U.S. Department of Defense and Arizona-based Honeywell Aerospace, a diversified technology and manufacturing company, recently partnered to create a framework to increase production of critical components for the ammunitions stockpile. Honeywell Aerospace will accelerate the delivery of... Read More »
DNI announces cybersecurity investment, modernization effort
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence recently announced that the year-long intelligence community-wide technology and cybersecurity modernization effort was beginning to fulfill its mission. On March 26, director Tulsi Gabbard announced the effort, spearheaded by the ODNI, was... Read More »
Defense Department, Lockheed Martin accelerate missile production to ‘wartime’ pace
The U.S. Department of Defense announced it had reached an agreement with Lockheed Martin to accelerate production of Precision Strike Missiles to a faster pace that would put the defense industrial base on a wartime footing. Calling for the building of an “Arsenal of Freedom,” the... Read More »
FEMA opens application period for Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) opened the application period for $1 billion in Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program funding. The application deadline to submit is July 23. The program provides states, local governments, territories and tribal nations... Read More »
Senate confirms Markwayne Mullin as head of U.S. Department of Homeland Security
The U.S. Senate confirmed Markwayne Mullin to head up the U.S. Department of Homeland Security following the exit of former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. Mullin, who previously served as both a U.S. senator and U.S. representative for Oklahoma, was approved in a partisan vote of 54-45 on Tuesday,... Read More »
Legislation would strip citizenship of naturalized citizens who commit or support terrorism
Bicameral legislation would strip the citizenship of naturalized U.S. citizens who commit or support terrorism and remove them from the United States. Under current law, it is difficult to strip citizenship once citizenship has been granted. The Expatriate Terrorists Act amends current law to... Read More »
FCC updates list of foreign-made routers that threaten national security
On Monday, the Federal Communications Commission updated a list of foreign-made routers that post a threat to national security. The list includes all consumer-grade routers that were determined by the White House-convened Executive Branch interagency body that “pose unacceptable risks to the... Read More »
Southern District of New York settles Iranian state-sponsored terrorism case
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York has settled a 17-year forfeiture litigation that will result in the payment of approximately $318 million to hundreds of victims of Iranian state-sponsored terrorism. The forfeiture action exposed an Iranian government-owned bank’s secret... Read More »
Congressman requests GAO review of threats posed by AI-enabled terrorism
U.S. Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) has requested the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to perform a comprehensive review of how foreign terrorists use emerging technologies against the United States. In a letter to the GAO, Pfluger, the chair of the House Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and... Read More »
Congressional subcommittee hearing focuses on risks posed by Chinese AI, robotics and other technologies
The U.S. House Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection held a hearing on March 17 to examine the national security risks stemming from artificial intelligence, robotics, and autonomous sensing technologies developed by companies affiliated with the People’s Republic of China... Read More »
FEMA awards FIFA host cities $625M
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently awarded the 11 cities hosting FIFA World Cup 2026 matches $625 million to boost security preparations. “The 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected to be the largest sporting event in history, so it must also be the most secure,” Karen Evans,... Read More »
Justice Department unseals case regarding more than $14.9M in money laundering
The U.S. Department of Justice unsealed a civil case filed in 2024 on Friday that details the seizure of more than $14.9 million seized from an international drug money laundering scheme and alleges a complex pattern of trade-based drug-money laundering. Trade-based money laundering is defined... Read More »
Report: U.S. space supply chain approaching inflection point
A new analysis of the U.S. space sector finds that the U.S. space industrial base has not kept pace with industry growth, and that the space supply chain is approaching an inflection point, risking national security, civil and commercial space programs. The report, Strengthening America’s... Read More »
International law enforcement moves to disrupt crypto fraud
American law enforcement agencies joined those from the United Kingdom and Canada to conduct a joint international law enforcement initiative focusing on crypto assets. The initiative, Operation Atlantic, worked to identify victims who may have lost, or are at risk of losing, crypto assets... Read More »
Joint Task Force Southern Border commemorates one year in operation
The Joint Task Force Southern Border (JTF-SB), which was created to safeguard U.S. territorial integrity, commemorated its one-year anniversary on Saturday. "During this first year, Joint Task Force-Southern Border and partners have proven what a whole-of-government approach to our nation's... Read More »
Legislation would help fight drug-resistant pathogens
Bipartisan legislation recently re-introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would prepare the United States for future pandemics. The Saving Us from Pandemic Era Resistance by Building a Unified Global Strategy (SUPER BUGS) Act would direct the Department of Health and Human Services to... Read More »
Defense Department secretary directs military branches to assess legal functions, operations
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said he wants a “ruthless, no-excuses review” of the assorted legal support functions and operations of the U.S. Department of Defense, referred to as the U.S. Department of War by the Trump administration. In a video on social media, Hegseth said... Read More »
U.S. Eighth Army participating in 10-day exercise with South Korea
The U.S. Eighth Army, the ground component for U.S. Forces Korea and Combined Forces Command, is participating in Freedom Shield 26, a 10-day defensive exercise conducted by the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) that began on Monday. The purpose of the exercise is to modernize the... Read More »
Reps. Landsman, Pfluger introduce bill seeking to reimburse local law enforcement for Secret Service support
Legislation introduced by U.S. Reps. Greg Landsman (D-OH) and August Pfluger (R-TX) would reimburse local law enforcement agencies $61 million per year for three years for any services, personnel and equipment required to support the Secret Service’s mission. The Secret Service-Local Law... Read More »
Defense Department names chief data officer
The U.S. Department of Defense, referred to by the Trump administration as the Department of War, announced Gavin Kliger would assume the position of the chief data officer for the department. Kliger, previously a senior member of the technical staff at DataBricks, will serve as a key leader in... Read More »
Federal jury convicts Iranian terrorist
A federal jury convicted on March 6 Asif Merchant, a trained operative of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iranian government’s global terrorist force, and was a murder-for-hire who attempted to commit an act of terrorism. Merchant faces a sentence of life in... Read More »
Trump signs executive order combating cybercrime, fraud
President Donald Trump issued an executive order on March 6 that would require his administration to address cybercrime, fraud and predatory schemes targeting Americans as a way to protect U.S. interests. “Cybercrime, fraud, and predatory schemes are draining American families of their life... Read More »
Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response releases cybersecurity module
The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services division, recently launched a cybersecurity module within its Risk Identification and Site Criticality (RISC) 2.0 Toolkit. RISC 2.0 is a free, web-based platform that health systems,... Read More »