Policy
US, INTERPOL discuss global security initiatives
A range of global security issues, including terrorism, were discussed during a recent meeting between U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock. Sessions and Stock touched on several joint initiatives, including a project to strengthen the capacity of law... Read More »
Verdon appointed to NNSA post
Charles P. Verdon is the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) new Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs. Verdon, who was recently sworn to duty by Deputy Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette, will lead NNSA’s mission to maintain a nuclear deterrent that is modern, robust,... Read More »
DHS releases strategy to protect United States from electromagnetic threats
A new Strategy for Protecting and Preparing the Homeland against Threats from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) and Geomagnetic Disturbance (GMD) was released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) this week. The strategy focuses on DHS efforts to counteract threats to critical... Read More »
Raytheon strike missiles meet US Army requirements
Raytheon Co.’s long-range DeepStrike missile recently met the U.S. Army's Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) requirement. In July in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Raytheon integrated its new launch pod missile container into the Army's M270 MLRS and M142 HIMARS launchers. Marines and soldiers assisted... Read More »
Department of Defense faces increasing challenges in weapons cybersecurity
Faced with mounting challenges in protecting its weapon systems from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has stepped up its efforts to address weapon systems cybersecurity. In a new report, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that... Read More »
Threats posed by China focus of Senate Homeland Security hearing
Leaders of the U.S. intelligence community focused on security threats posed by China, with little attention paid to Russia, during an annual oversight hearing by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday. FBI Director Christopher Wray and Homeland Security... Read More »
Commission targets global health security
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is working to determine the best method of crafting a 10-year global health security vision to protect national interests, according to a recent CSIS Commission on Strengthening America’s Health Security meeting. CSIS’s health... Read More »
Lockheed Martin upgrading US Army’s energy storage, resiliency capabilities
Private contractor Lockheed Martin is actively upgrading the U.S. Army’s operational capability through enhanced energy storage developments. Some of the upgrades have included a Lithium-based energy storage system, intelligent microgrids and supporting infrastructure to help them function.... Read More »
IAEA symposium explores ways to effectively communicate during emergencies
Experts in the areas of nuclear and radiological emergencies convened at an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) symposium this week to discuss ways to communicate during such emergencies effectively. "Communication is a challenge that we all face together," Juan Carlos Lentijo, deputy... Read More »
Next Generation 911 plan receives praise from National Emergency Number Association
In a report to Congress, the 911 Implementation Coordination Office addressed the $9.5 billion to $12.7 billion cost necessary to transition the United States into a next generation 911 system (NG911) that increasingly incorporates not just calls, but data as well. The National Emergency Number... Read More »
Disaster preparedness bill signed into law
On Friday, President Donald Trump signed into law H.R. 302, which includes the Disaster Recovery Reform Act, the largest reform of the U.S. disaster preparedness and recovery system since Hurricane Katrina. The act reforms the Federal Emergency Management Agency to include predisaster mitigation... Read More »
Terror snapshot shows “homegrown” Islamist extremism in US continues to be cause for concern
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, released the October Terror Threat Snapshot last week, highlighting that 159 homegrown Jihadist cases in 30 states have been uncovered since 2013. The cases included plots to attack the country, overseas travel,... Read More »
Raytheon, Northrop Grumman/Ball Aerospace to compete for payload provider role on US Air Force project
Defense contractors Raytheon and Northrop Grumman/Ball Aerospace will compete for the right to be mission payload providers on the U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared missile warning satellite system. The next-gen system replaced the traditional Space Based Infrared... Read More »
Connecticut launches school-safety programs
Connecticut recently launched three school safety programs -- Start With Hello, Say Something, and SOS Signs of Suicide -- designed to increase school safety. The programs will help train students, educators, and school administrators identify, assess, intervene, and get help for those... Read More »
Sen. Rubio applauds bill to improve justice for American victims of terrorism abroad
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) commended President Donald Trump for signing into law a bill to help Americans who are victimized by acts of terrorism while abroad get justice. Trump signed into law the Anti-Terrorism Clarification Act of 2018 (S. 2946), which will improve access to justice in... Read More »
Sen. Ernst seeking Syrian chemical weapons counter
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) is seeking information regarding how the nation’s military plans to counter Syria’s future use of chemical weapons. Ernst, who chairs the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities for the Senate Armed Services Committee, recently forwarded correspondence to... Read More »
Justice Department awards more than $30M to national crime combating effort
The U.S. Justice Department awarded this week $28 million in grants to Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) to support violent crime reduction efforts. An additional $3 million was awarded to PSN for training and victim services as well as the development and implementation of crime reduction... Read More »
Wildfire management bill advances through committee
The U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee recently advanced the Wildfire Management Technology Advancement Act, which would better reduce the risks from wildfires, increase the effectiveness of wildfire response and increase the use of technology to keep firefighters and communities... Read More »
Homeland Security, Energy Department officials meet to discuss energy security
Officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) met with the Oil and Natural Gas Sector Coordinating Council this week to discuss how industry and government can work strategically to secure pipelines and other critical infrastructure. The meeting was led by Transportation Security... Read More »
Text messages viable for rapid information gathering during outbreaks, study finds
A study conducted by New York University confirmed that text messages are a rapid means of information spread amidst public health crises, representing an invaluable means of data sourcing. "Sourcing data from individuals directly, such as through mobile phones, has the potential to provide... Read More »
Facial recognition identifies third imposter at Dulles
U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) facial recognition technology identified its third impostor at Washington Dulles International Airport in 40 days Monday. The technology reported a mismatch between the photo embedded in a passport chip and a woman who presented a U.S. passport of a... Read More »
DHS conducting research on threat detection of homemade explosives
The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is researching the detection and prevention of homemade explosives at various labs and test facilities across the country. DHS reports that there are approximately 3,000 improvised explosive device (IED) incidents in... Read More »
FirstNet Authority names acting CEO
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) recently named Edward Parkinson acting CEO of FirstNet Authority. Parkinson was a staff member on the House Homeland Security Committee... Read More »
Texas A&M picked to lead consortium on cross-border screening defense
Texas A&M University was selected to lead a consortium of U.S. academic institutions, among others, for a new Center of Excellence (COE) for Cross-Border Threat Screening and Supply Chain Defense (CBTS). The project will be funded by a $3.85 million grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland... Read More »
Senate advances legislation for strengthening earthquake safety programs, preparation
Earthquake preparedness in the United States stands to benefit from the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act, a bill recently advanced by the Senate that would aid preparation and protection efforts through infrastructure improvements and risk assessments. The... Read More »
Legislation funds DOD for fiscal year 2019
The Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act and Continuing Appropriations Act will provide funding for the Department of Defense (DOD) for fiscal year 2019. The act, which became law Friday, provides $686 billion for the DOD and $30 billion for the Department of... Read More »
Boeing lands $9.2B Air Force contract
Boeing has secured a $9.2 billion Air Force contract to produce T-X aircraft, which officials said would replace the Air Education and Training Command's 57-year-old fleet of T-38C Talons. The agreement calls for Boeing to deliver 351 T-X aircraft, 46 simulators and associated ground equipment,... Read More »
DARPA selects participants for competition to advance understanding of underground operations
Whether for search and rescue or warfare operations, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced last week their efforts to advance current understanding of underground environments, and the formation of a competition of nine teams to do so. The recently selected teams... Read More »
CBP swears in new director of Nogales Port
U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Nogales Port Director Michael Humphries was recently sworn into office during a formal ceremony held at the Mariposa crossing in Arizona. Humphries will ensure customs and agriculture inspections are in-line with U.S. laws and regulations and will... Read More »
House approves bill to promote use of more bomb-sniffing dogs
A bill that promotes the use of dogs to detect explosives was included in the Federal Aviation Administration’s Reauthorization that passed in the U.S. House of Representatives last week. The legislation, called the Domestic Explosive Detection Canine Capacity Building Act (H.R. 4577), ensures... Read More »
UN holds first high-level meeting to address global TB threat
The United Nations set forth a goal of eliminating a global tuberculosis epidemic by 2030, as well as to treat 40 million people infected by the disease by 2022 and push forward infection prevention measures in the same timeframe. A meeting held by the body’s General Assembly this week marked... Read More »
ICE operation yields arrest of 98 criminal aliens, immigration violators
During a 10-day enforcement operation this month, officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) reported the arrest of 98 criminal aliens and immigration violators in North Texas and Oklahoma. Sixty-seven of those arrested had criminal... Read More »
House aviation bill reauthorizes FAA, TSA
The U.S. House advanced bipartisan resolution H.R. 302 Thursday that reauthorizes the Federal Aviation Administration for five years while also reauthorizing the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for three years. “Better protecting Americans requires a holistic approach to security... Read More »
House advances bill to improve pay structure for border patrol agents
The U.S. House of Representatives advanced this week legislation to improve safety, scheduling, and compensation for Border Patrol agents. The Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Amendment Act of 2018, sponsored by Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX), addresses pay and scheduling issues that have impeded the... Read More »