Policy
Agencies conduct large-scale active shooter drill at LAX
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) recently led other agencies in conducting an active shooter drill at the airport's Terminal 4. The CBP's Office of Field Operations at LAX joined forces with other federal and local law enforcement... Read More »
Iowa governor declares public health disaster from flooding
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds declared a public health disaster emergency for the state following the widespread flooding and flash flooding that began March 13. The declaration authorizes the Iowa Department of Public Health to take the necessary actions to protect the public’s health. It also... Read More »
Rep. Katko introduces bill to create cybersecurity advisory committee
Rep. John Katko (R-NY) introduced legislation to create a cybersecurity advisory committee to help fight cyberattacks. The Cybersecurity Advisory Committee (CSAC) would be comprised of cybersecurity professionals from every major business sector that are responsible for protecting... Read More »
Ellsworth AFB to house first B-21 bomber
Air Force officials have selected Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., to house the first operational B-21 Raider bomber and its formal training unit. Officials also noted Whiteman AFB, Missouri, and Dyess AFB, Texas, will receive B-21s as they become available. "These three bomber bases are well... Read More »
Legislation would work to prevent domestic terrorism
A U.S. Senate bill aims to address the growing threat of white supremacists and other violent right-wing extremists by requiring federal law enforcement agencies to regularly assess this threat and provide training and resources to officers. The bill, the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act,... Read More »
Senate bill would allow state, local law enforcement to easier detect drugs
A bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate that would equip state and local law enforcement with high-tech devices to detect dangerous drugs like fentanyl. The legislation – called the Providing Officers with Electronic Resources (POWER) Act -- would create a new grant program through the U.S.... Read More »
Sen. Tester visits southern border to discuss border security, law enforcement
Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) recently visited McAllen, Texas, to assess the situation along the southern border, meeting with law enforcement officials, landowners, agriculture producers, and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers. Challenges and resources needed to secure the border in a... Read More »
Military funding transfer spurs DOD inquiry
A group of lawmakers recently questioned the Department of Defense's transfer of $1 billion in military personnel funding to an account designated for border wall funding. Democratic members of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on... Read More »
Hawaii Gov. Ige appointed co-chair for Council of Governors
The White House appointed this week Hawaii Gov. David Ige as one of the two newest co-chairs of the Council of Governors. Ige, along with his nine other council colleagues appointed this year, will serve a two-year term in their positions. “Hawai‘i is home to the U.S. Indo-Pacific... Read More »
DHS Secretary Nielsen meets with Central American leaders to discuss immigration, border security
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen met this week with senior officials from Mexico and other central American nations to discuss border security and immigration. On March 26, Nielsen met with Mexican Secretary of the Interior Olga Sanchez Cordero and other senior Mexican... Read More »
Legislation would provide military firefighters with blood tests for chemicals
A bill recently introduced in the U.S. House would provide blood testing for military firefighters who were potentially exposed on the job to toxic chemicals. The Protecting Military Firefighters from PFAS Act would test for per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances during annual physicals... Read More »
US Missile Defense Agency tests new “kill vehicles” to destroy ICBMs
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency tested two Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicles (EKV), which destroyed a threat representative intercontinental ballistic missile during a test of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense System (GMD). One EKV intercepted the target and the other gathered test data in what is... Read More »
Authorities seize $28.5M cocaine shipment
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) and Coast Guard personnel recently thwarted an attempt to smuggle 2,513 pounds of cocaine valued at $28.5 million. Authorities arrested three Dominican Republic aliens found operating the vessel. Bales of narcotics were... Read More »
GAO finds limitations in DHS border security reporting, calls for improved quality
In an assessment of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) annually required reporting on 43 measures of border security effectiveness, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found data limitations and issues with statistical models. It should be noted: most of what GAO... Read More »
Cocaine seized at Philadelphia port
A multi-agency examination of shipping containers at the Area Port of Philadelphia discovered more than 1,100 pounds of cocaine on March 19. The cocaine, weighing 1,185 pounds, was discovered in a shipping container commodity of natural rubber from Guatemala. The narcotics have a street value... Read More »
Navy officials urge lethality, culture of excellence
While addressing the recent Commander’s Training Symposium (CTS), Navy Vice Adm. Richard Brown urged leaders to transition readiness into lethality, reinvigorate mission command and drive toward a culture of excellence. “Driving to a culture of excellence is not a top-down management... Read More »
SAFETY Act building guidelines available
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science Technology Directorate (S&T) and the Office of SAFETY Act Implementation (OSAI) have helped develop guidelines to aid building owners with operations evaluations. The entities have partnered with the National Institute of Building Sciences... Read More »
Government health officials meet Congress members
More than 80 local, state, and territorial health officials met Wednesday with Congress members with the goal of advocating for public health funding. The officials told Congress members that investing in public health agencies is critical to protect and promote health. Federal... Read More »
Rep. Thompson urges social media companies to remove terrorist content in wake of New Zealand attack
Following last week’s terrorist attack on two New Zealand mosques where the shooter live-streamed it on social media, U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) is calling on the CEOs of four major social media companies to immediately remove violent terrorist content. The request was sent to the CEOs... Read More »
AMO intercepts cocaine smuggling attempt
Air and Marine Operations (AMO) personnel are being credited with intercepting an international cocaine smuggling attempt in which the narcotics were valued at over $76 million. Authorities said officers patrolling the Eastern Pacific ocean aboard a P-3 aircraft detected suspects transporting... Read More »
Nielsen delivers State of Homeland Security address
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen delivered Monday the 2019 State of Homeland Security Address, which included operational challenges, the ever-changing security landscape and the department’s strategic plan. The address also included the department’s major... Read More »
Hearing explores nuclear forces, training and missions
A recent Senate Defense Appropriations Committee hearing explored the importance of updating the nation’s nuclear forces, developing pilot training programs and advancing the Arctic mission. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) reviewed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 budget with Air Force (USAF) Secretary... Read More »
Senate hearing highlights value of Ebola investments White House proposal would cut
The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo was the topic of a hearing before the Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services Subcommittee this week, highlighting successes and failures in the fight against it. Foremost, it was shown that the outbreak not only... Read More »
CBP swears in new port director for Los Angeles airport
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently swore in Donald R. Kusser as port director for the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). In this role, Kusser is responsible for managing all operational and administrative aspects of port security and trade facilitation, including air cargo,... Read More »
House committee requests briefing on domestic terrorism
U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, is requesting a briefing by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Justice Department on the threat of domestic terrorism. “Recent high-profile acts of violence and attempted violence have... Read More »
Blue Ribbon Study Panel praises congressional action to unify biodefense budget
Members of the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense praised the passage of legislation that incorporates its recommendation to direct the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to conduct a detailed analysis of the Trump Administration's budget for biodefense as part of the annual budget... Read More »
Sen. Rubio introduces effort to provide funding for disaster relief, border support
New relief and border support efforts could be available to Florida and Puerto Rican communities hit by hurricanes last year if a new bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) gains traction. The Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Border Security and Disaster Relief Act of 2019... Read More »
Bill to regulate facial recognition technology introduced in Senate
Legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate last week would prohibit commercial users of facial recognition technology (FR) from collecting and sharing consumer data without their consent. The Commercial Facial Recognition Privacy Act of 2019 was co-sponsored by Sens. Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Brian... Read More »
States’ response to measles re-emergence, tuberculosis concerns federal health officials
Several states are grappling with how to handle current public health threats around the re-emergence of measles just as they also continue efforts to end the ongoing tuberculosis (TB) epidemic. Both threats came up during discussions at the March 14 hearing, entitled the “Review of the Ebola... Read More »
U.S., global partners struggle to contain Ebola outbreak in Congo, federal officials say
The United States is struggling to support the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other partners in fighting what has become the world’s second-largest Ebola outbreak, federal public health officials on Thursday told members of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and... Read More »
GAO offers IT, cyber workforce tracking recommendations
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a series of recommendations to aid agencies in identifying critical workforce needs and categorize IT and cyber-related positions. The analysis, which resulted in 28 recommendations, stemmed from having a qualified, well-trained... Read More »
Bills combat small business cybersecurity threats
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, introduced Wednesday a pair of measures designed to address small cybersecurity threats. The SBA Cyber Awareness Act would require the Small Business Administration (SBA) to develop a cyber... Read More »
Bill enhances Internet-connected cybersecurity
A group of lawmakers recently crafted legislation designed to enhance Internet-connected devices cybersecurity. The Internet of Things (IoT) Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2019 is being introduced in the Senate by Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Cory Gardner(R-CO), co-chairs of the Senate... Read More »
Bill seeks 9-1-1 dispatcher reclassification
Reps. Norma J. Torres (D-CA) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) recently introduced a bill reclassifying 9-1-1 dispatchers in the Office of Management and Budget Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) catalog to ensure classification standards place public safety first. The 911 Supporting... Read More »