Policy
Rep. McCarthy introduces bill to fund up to $23B for border wall
The bill that would fund a roughly $23 billion wall along the southern border was introduced in Congress last week. The Build the Wall, Enforce the Law Act of 2018, H.R. 7059, also includes measures to cut off funds to sanctuary cities and facilitates the deportation of immigrant gang... Read More »Measure addresses China, nuclear material acquisition
Department of Energy (DOE) officials said the agency has adopted national security measures designed to prevent China’s diversion of U.S. civil nuclear technology for military or other unauthorized purposes. “The United States cannot ignore the national security implications of China’s... Read More »
Former Colombian intelligence officer arrested for fraudulent immigration to US
Javier Alfredo Valle Anaya, a former intelligence agent of a disbanded Colombian intelligence agency, was arrested Oct. 5 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for immigrating under false pretenses. The former agent was convicted and wanted in Colombia for the 2004 murders of a... Read More »
Ballistic imaging equipment deployed in 22 agencies
Ballistic imaging equipment used by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) recently was deployed in 22 state and local law enforcement agencies. NIBIN is the nation’s only crime gun ballistic network. It... Read More »
Democratic senators request info from Trump Administration on Chinese hacking
A group of Democratic U.S. Senators are calling on the Trump Administration to look into reports of Chinese government efforts to secretly manipulate U.S. technology. The request is in response to an Oct. 4 article in Bloomberg Businessweek that said the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA)... Read More »
GAO recommends equipment, personnel, training and management updates to guarantee US Air Force preparedness
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report this week detailing four recommendations to improve the nation’s Air Force, which they noted has declined in readiness for nearly 20 years. A lack of modernization is a critical part of this problematic scenario. The Air... Read More »
Chinese operative charged with espionage, stealing trade secrets
Yanjun Xu, a deputy division director of the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), was extradited to the United States this week and was charged with conspiring and attempting to commit economic espionage and stealing trade secrets from multiple U.S. aerospace and aviation companies. The... Read More »
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 »