Policy
Experts call for increased funding for diagnostics, biosurveillance across government agencies
Rapidly evolving wearables and 3D printed devices are among the inexpensive and portable diagnostic tools on the market today, some of which can detect and diagnose disease in less than an hour for biosurveillance. However, developing these devices on a much greater scale for biosecurity... Read More »
CBP expects extended El Paso processing times
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) El Paso Field Office officials are advising travelers of potential border processing delays in the wake of recent personnel adjustments related to the caravan. CBP officials said a large number of officers from the El Paso, Santa Teresa, and Tornillo ports of... Read More »
Healthcare professionals gather to explore research against drug-resistant bacteria
A workshop hosted by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America assembled in Baltimore, Md., this week to address the overuse of antimicrobials and to determine the best course for combating drug-resistant bacteria. The Antimicrobial Stewardship Research Workshop was based on the genuine... Read More »
Senators urge Homeland Security subcommittee to strength security at places of worship
U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) recently sent a letter to the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security urging funding to strengthen security at places of worship. The senators asked the committee to maintain the... Read More »
Congress passes bill to create new Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
The U.S. House of Representatives advanced legislation this week to create the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The bill, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act (H.R. 3359), would reorganize DHS’... Read More »
Survey examines antibiotic resistance concerns
A survey commissioned by the public education and advocacy group Research!America has determined Americans deem antibiotic resistance as a public health problem with a myriad of treatment implications. Research!America officials said 65 percent of survey respondents consider antibiotic... Read More »
FDA approves combination Ebola fingerstick test with battery-operated reader
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the first single-use fingerstick tests for Ebola virus detection, complete with a portable reader system more easily used outside of labs. While this is the second fingerstick test made... Read More »NATO scientists develop new bomb-detecting devices
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) recently announced the development of three new technologies designed to detect improvised explosive devices (IEDs) as part of its Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Program. The three technologies -- a semi-autonomous robot for detection of mines... Read More »
Laredo director of field operations wins DHS Secretary’s Award
David P. Higgerson, director of field operations at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Laredo Field Office recently was awarded the Secretary’s Meritorious Service Silver Medal 2018 from the Department of Homeland Security. The award honors exceptional individual service or... Read More »
Massachusetts first responders participate in largest ever security training exercise
Massachusetts State Police, the US Coast Guard, Massachusetts National Guard, local police and fire departments, and federal public safety officials all participated in the largest homeland security training exercise ever conducted in the state last week. The training exercise is designed to... Read More »
Trump proclaims November as Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month
President Donald Trump recently proclaimed November as Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month to keep infrastructure and communities safe and to build awareness and appreciation of critical infrastructure. Critical infrastructure is defined as infrastructure that is vital to... Read More »
November threat report reveals ‘Taliban 5’ appointed to terrorist organization’s political office in Qatar
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, released this week the latest Terror Threat Snapshot, which highlights threats the nation, the West and the world face from ISIS and other Islamist terrorists. The report highlighted that five senior members of the... Read More »
HHS officials reaffirm support for Global Health Security Agenda
Officials from the U.S. Health and Human Services Department attended the Fifth Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) Ministerial Meeting in Indonesia this week to reaffirm U.S. support for the initiative and commit additional funding. GHSA, which launched in 2014, is a worldwide effort to... Read More »
New device aids smuggling vehicle stop
El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Calexico Station recently used a new vehicle immobilization device known as the Grappler to stop a smuggling vehicle. Authorities said the immobilization effort, the first recorded within the United States Border Patrol using the device,... Read More »
CBP expanding its Los Angeles Global Entry Enrollment Center
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently announced it would be expanding and relocating its Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Global Entry Enrollment Center. The center’s improvements will double the number of applicants processed by allowing CBP officers to conduct up to 10... Read More »
Infectious Disease Society of America urges support for Global Health Security Agenda
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) is asking the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to increase its support of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA). The GHSA, launched following the West Africa Ebola outbreak in 2013, is focused on pandemic prevention. It helps... Read More »
BMT curriculum changes target readiness, core values
Air Force officials announced recent changes to the Basic Military Training (BMT) curriculum focus on readiness and lethality, Airmanship, fitness, and the warrior ethos. The modifications, which began Sept. 4, will transform trainees into more “combat ready Airmen.” “The future of BMT... Read More »
GAO makes recommendations to DOD on inspections of ammunition storage sites
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) made several recommendations to the Department of Defense on how security inspections of locations that store Security Risk Category (SRC I) ammunition are done in accordance with policy. The DOD maintains stockpiles of SRC I ammunition—which... Read More »
GAO assisting nuclear arsenal budget estimate prep
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is assisting the Departments of Defense and Energy in updating 10-year nuclear arsenal cost estimates and reporting them to Congress. GAO officials said an essential element of the effort involves capturing fundamental programmatic changes in nuclear... Read More »
New technology better detects drones
A camera combined with machine learning is assisting Sandia National Laboratories and the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) create more precise drone detection capability than possible with visuals alone. Acoustic, radio or thermal detection of drones... Read More »
Tyndall AFB to resume missions after Hurricane Michael damage
After a month-long recovery from Hurricane Michael, Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, Fla., will resume operations with many key missions returning, following a U.S. Air Force announcement made last week. Among the units that will resume operations at Tyndall AFB are the 601st Air Force... Read More »
National Nuclear Security Administration releases annual Stockpile Stewardship, Nuclear Nonproliferation report
The Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) recently released its annual reports outlining its efforts to maintain the U.S. nuclear stockpile and prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. “The Trump Administration’s 2018 Nuclear Posture Review sets a clear... Read More »
Raytheon awarded $191M contract for advanced radars
The Ku-band radio frequency radar (KuRFS) developed by Raytheon is front and center in a new, $191 million contract awarded to them by the U.S. Army. KuRFS has already seen deployment with “sense and warn” capabilities in several areas, from rocket detection to swarming unmanned aircraft... Read More »
Triad National Security takes over management of national laboratory
Triad National Security (Triad) recently began the management and operation of the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. In June, Triad signed a contract with the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The contract took effect Thursday and expires... Read More »
DHS unveils virtual training program for critical school safety situations
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has introduced a new training platform to help teachers, staff, first responders, and local law enforcement prepare for response plans to critical incidents at schools. The virtual training platform is called the... Read More »
Conference addresses chemical terrorism
INTERPOL’s General Secretariat headquarters served as the backdrop for the recent Global Congress on Chemical Security and Emerging Threats conference, which was designed to address chemical terrorism and related factors. “This Congress comes at a pivotal time in the international security... Read More »
Lawmakers seek Saudi nuclear pact talks suspension
In the wake of recent developments in Saudi Arabia, several lawmakers are seeking suspension of civil nuclear cooperation talks with that nation's government. Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-MA) has forwarded correspondence to President Donald Trump requesting... Read More »
New FirstNet board members appointed
The Board of the First Responder Network Authority gained six new members this week, appointed by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. Its newest members include Richard Carrizzo, chief of the Southern Platte Fire Protection District in Kansas City, Missouri; Welton Chase, former General... Read More »
Chagas disease threatens US service dogs
Researchers have found dogs working for the U.S. government are at an increased risk of Chagas disease, and the associated parasite is riddling them with heart disease. At one time found only in Mexico, Central America and South America, Chagas has begun pressing forward into the United States,... Read More »
Man Charged with Federal Hate Crimes for Pittsburgh Synagogue Murders
The man charged with murdering 11 people at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh last Saturday was indicted on 44 counts, including hate crimes, by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Robert Bowers, 46, of Baldwin, Pa., was indicted on 44-counts,... Read More »
Groups address nuclear waste, fuel disposal
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently met with waste management personnel to discuss safe, efficient disposal of high level radioactive waste (HLW) and spent nuclear fuel. The session at the IAEA in Vienna included a delegation from the International Association for... Read More »
Payan named Chief Patrol Agent for Buffalo Sector in New York
Eduardo Payan, a 31-year veteran of the U.S. Border Patrol, was recently appointed as Chief Patrol Agent for Border Patrol’s Buffalo Sector, the regional water border between ports of entry in New York and Pennsylvania. Payan was appointed by U.S. Border Patrol Chief Carla Provost, following... Read More »
Lockheed Martin presses forward on laser-based missile interception system
Defense contractor Lockheed Martin is proceeding with a Missile Defense Agency contract to develop a Low Power Laser Demonstrator (LPLD) missile interceptor, which utilizes a laser and beam control system to intercept hostile missiles. Under the contract, Lockheed Martin will improve and mature... Read More »
DHS hosts international first responders conference
The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) recently hosted the first North American International Forum to Advance First Responder Innovation (IFAFRI) Industry Stakeholder Summit. IFAFRI’s goal is to advance the development of innovative yet... Read More »