Policy
Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense focuses on DOD role in protecting U.S. against bio attacks
There’s ample reason to concentrate on the role the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) plays in helping the nation defend against biological attacks, one of the most critical being the protection of America’s military troops, said experts Tuesday during a Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense... Read More »
Bill seeks to bolster border with seized drug funds
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) recently introduced legislation designed to enhance border security via funds seized from illegal entities such as drug cartels. The Securing the Border and Making Drug Cartels Pay for It Act would authorize the issuance of bonds to make billions of dollars available for... Read More »
Lawmakers lend support to RAIDERS Act
A group of legislators recently announced their support of the RAIDERS Act, which officials said is designed to prevent presidential use of National Emergencies Act of 1976 funds to build a border wall. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) joined Sens. Kamala Harris (D-CA), Tom Udall (D-NM), Martin... Read More »
Senate bill would create national strategy for threat assessment
A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate this week seeks to create a task force to provide recommendations for a national strategy on threat assessment and management. The Threat Assessment, Prevention, and Safety (TAPS) Act of 2019 (S. 265) would provide resources, training, and assistance in... Read More »
Bill seeks to enhance cybersecurity, homeland protection
Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) reintroduced last week a measure designed to prevent cyberattacks on federal agencies and the private sector while also bolstering homeland protection. The senators said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cyber Hunt and Incident Response... Read More »
More than 140 pounds of narcotics seized from car at San Diego port of entry
U.S. Border Patrol agents at the San Clemente Station in the San Diego Sector seized more than 140 pounds of narcotics, valued at more than $2.25 million hidden inside a car on Jan. 24. Agents conducted a vehicle stop on a 2016 Nissan Versa, and the driver consented to a search by a Border... Read More »
US to pull out of INF Treaty, Feinstein says doing so jeopardizes national security
The United States is backing out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) with Russia citing Russia’s failure to comply with the treaty. The INF Treaty was signed in 1987 in the waning days of the former Soviet Union by U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General... Read More »
DoD funds earmarked for counterterrorism decision making
The Department of Defense's (DoD) Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office (CTTSO) has committed nearly $3 million to an effort addressing key terrorism-related datasets and counterterrorism decision making. The funds are allocated to the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and... Read More »
S&T turns to social science projects to combat human trafficking
Recognizing that human trafficking is a crime often hidden from the public eye, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) announced two new social science, data-driven projects to tackle the crime this week. “Applying social science-based... Read More »
Bill would halt purchase of ballistic missiles unless conditions are met
A group of U.S. senators recently introduced the Prevention of Arms Race Act of 2019. The bill would prevent funding for the purchase, flight-testing or deployment of ballistic missiles or ground-launched missiles with a range of between 310.7 and 3,417.5 miles until the Trump Administration... Read More »
Sen. Portman introduces E-Verify Act
U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) today introduced a bill requiring employers to use an electronic employment verification to help combat illegal immigration. The current E-Verify program is an optional program for most employers. The bill, the E-Verify Act, would require all employers to use... Read More »
Lawmakers seek revisions to the DOD climate change report
Three lawmakers recently forwarded correspondence to the Department of Defense (DOD), requesting climate change report regions and impacts on national security. Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI), House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA) and Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) have urged... Read More »
Intelligence agencies meet to assess worldwide threats
Personnel representing several government entities delivered a worldwide threats assessment during recent open and closed Congressional committee sessions. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and Director Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley, joined Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, as well as the... Read More »
Sen. Warren, Rep. Smith seek to bind US from using nuclear weapons first
Calling the United States nuclear strategy outdated, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) introduced Wednesday bicameral legislation that would keep the nation from ever being the first to use nuclear weapons. The No First Use Act would undo existing policy, which... Read More »
FIRST State and Local Law Enforcement Act advances House
The U.S. House of Representatives advanced Tuesday the FIRST State and Local Law Enforcement Act, which would require the Department of Homeland Security Office for State and Local Law Enforcement (OSLLE) to provide an annual report on its activities for the next five years. The reports would be... Read More »
Justice Department launches campaign to disrupt North Korean-based malware
The U.S. Justice Department launched a campaign to disrupt the Joanap botnet – a global network of infected computers under the control of North Korean hackers that are used to facilitate cyberattacks. This effort follows charges in which a North Korean citizen, Park Jin Hyok, backed by the... Read More »
Bill targets Chinese technology threats
A group of lawmakers introduced legislation Tuesday designed to address Chinese technology threats. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Mark R. Warner (D-VA) said Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Susan Collins (R-ME) joined their efforts to create an Office of... Read More »
Counterterrorism measure advances House
House legislators recently advanced a measure designed to require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) coordinates its counterterrorism efforts to limit duplication, inefficiency, and waste. Rep. John Katko (R-NY) authored the Counterterrorism Advisory Board Act of 2019, which is the first... Read More »
Lockheed Martin awarded contract to develop electronic warfare systems
The U.S. Army recently awarded Lockheed Martin an $18 million Prototype Project Agreement to design, develop and test a cyber/electronic warfare podded system for the “Air Large” component of the army’s Multi-Function Electronic Warfare family of systems program. The agreement is part of... Read More »
Sen Markey, Rep. Lieu reintroduce bill to require Congressional approval for nuclear strike
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) reintroduced legislation to prevent the president from launching a nuclear first strike without congressional approval. Their bill, the Restricting First Use of Nuclear Weapons Act of 2019 (H.R.669/S.200), was also introduced in the 115th... Read More »
Boeing lands $2.4B Poseidon aircraft contract
Boeing has secured a $2.4 billion Navy contract to produce the next 19 P-8A Poseidon aircraft. The agreement calls for 10 aircraft to be added to the current inventory of P-8As in the Navy’s fleet, in addition to all five jets currently under contract for Norway and the four aircraft remaining... Read More »
CBP officers seize nearly $1M in currency
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Juarez-Lincoln Bridge, between Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, seized $988,550 in unreported currency Friday. The funds were discovered during a physical examination of a 2010 Nissan Maxima driven by a 20-year-old female U.S. citizen.... Read More »
Senate advances bill to bolster US-Israel alliance
The U.S. Senate advanced a bill this week that includes several measures to bolster the U.S.-Israel strategic alliance. The Strengthening America’s Security in the Middle East Act of 2019 (S. 1) would authorize security assistance to Israel over a 10-year period, reauthorize the United... Read More »
Michigan residents charged with conspiracy to support ISIS militants
FBI agents in Lansing, Mich., arrested and charged three people with conspiracy to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) last week. A criminal complaint, issued through the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan, alleges that one of the... Read More »
Sen. Tester tapped to lead group to find border security solution
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester will lead a bipartisan group of lawmakers tasked with crafting border security legislation following the agreement last Friday to end the 35-day government shutdown temporarily. President Donald Trump agreed to end the shutdown last Friday for three weeks while negotiations... Read More »
Rep. Hill introduces bill top provide protections for banks
U.S. Rep. French Hill (R-AR) introduced legislation last week designed to provide protections for financial institutions and banks against regulatory agency backlash when cooperating with a federal or state law enforcement agency investigation. Rep. Hill first introduced the bill -- the... Read More »
Customs and Border Protection to enforce no-fly zone during Super Bowl
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will be supporting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to enforce temporary flight restrictions around Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta during Super Bowl Sunday. The restrictions will be in effect from 3 p.m.... Read More »
Federal government resources available to support first responders during fourth generation agent incident
A federal interagency working group convened by the White House National Security Council last week released new resources to help first responders prepare for and respond to an emergency incident involving fourth generation agents — also known as chemical warfare agents. “These resources... Read More »
Reps. McCaul, Engel introduce Cyber Diplomacy Act
Reps. Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Eliot Engel (D-NY) introduced last week the Cyber Diplomacy Act of 2019 (H.R. 739), which they said seeks to globally ensure the Internet is kept open, reliable and secure. The legislators introduced H.R. 739 to ensure American leadership on the world stage in... Read More »
Project assesses extremist group interactions, behaviors
A group of Sandia National Laboratories researchers, social-behavioral scientists, and computational modelers recently completed a program designed to assess extremist group interactions and behaviors. The purpose of “Mustang,” a two-year effort, stemmed from the goal of informing U.S. and... Read More »
DARPA program aims to improve military readiness
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Biological Technologies Office recently launched a program that assists the Department of Defense with enhancing and sustaining military readiness both by changing how troops train, perform and recover. The Measuring Biological Aptitude (MBA)... Read More »
Security expert says government should shut down federal IT infrastructure
An expert with the Council on Foreign Relations argued that federal government should shut down as much federal IT infrastructure as possible during the shutdown to avoid security risks. In a recent blog post, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations Robert Knake contended that the... Read More »
GAO issues Army modernization recommendations
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued four recommendations to the Army as a means of enhancing the branch's modernization goals. GAO officials said the recommendations stem from the Army's aim to maintain its technological edge over potential adversaries by investing in near and... Read More »
Europe, India fund record growth in neglected disease research
In recent years, India and the nations of Europe have poured a record amount of funding into research and development surrounding neglected diseases, reaching more than $3.5 billion in 2017, according to the annual G-FINDER report. The G-FINDER report -- a survey of R&D funding for neglected... Read More »