Policy
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 »
Bill seeks to assist law enforcement with drug-control efforts
Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) recently introduced the Law Enforcement Resources and Community Safety Act of 2018, which addresses state and local problems associated with drug trafficking, gangs and organized crime, strengthen witness protection programs, and provide resources to keep first responders safe... Read More »
House advances four bills to improve homeland security
The U.S. House of Representatives advanced four bills this week designed to protect the country from external threats and foreign adversaries. The four different measures include the Public-Private Cybersecurity Cooperation Act, introduced by Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA); Border Tunnel Task Force... Read More »
United States challenges UN to fight antibiotic resistance
The United States announced during the United Nations General Assembly in New York Tuesday the AMR Challenge, the “most ambitious global initiative” for combating antibiotic resistance (AMR). Led by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Centers for Disease Control and... Read More »
House approves Rep. Brooks’ pandemic, all-hazards reauthorization bill
The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday advanced bipartisan legislation sponsored by U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN) to bolster America’s preparedness and response to public health emergencies, including biological threats like emerging infectious diseases, as well as chemical, bio or nuclear... Read More »
Administration transfers funding from infectious disease response to unaccompanied alien children program
In a move the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the HIV Medicine Association warn could threaten public health responses, the Trump Administration has transferred funds from infectious disease prevention, care, and biomedical research programs into its unaccompanied alien children... Read More »
Three Pennsylvania counties added to drug-trafficking program
Pennsylvania’s Allegheny, Beaver, and Washington counties were designated this week as part of the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s (ONDCP) High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program. Congress created HIDTA under the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. It was designed to assist... Read More »
Air Force awards Boeing $2.38B helicopter contract
The U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing a $2.38 billion contract for replacement helicopters. The original cost estimate for the program was about $4.1 billion. Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson said that the $1.7 billion in savings was due to strong competition. The first helicopter... Read More »
GAO says DHS’s Countering WMD Office should be better coordinated
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has recommended that the Department of Homeland Security’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office develop a plan to help DHS coordinate chemical defense programs and activities. The GAO’s study came about in response to concerns about... Read More »
Military construction bill to improve both VA and military bases signed into law
An appropriations bill signed into law on Sept. 21 by President Donald Trump will increase funding to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) through 2019 and fund military construction throughout the country. For the VA, this represents a massive influx of funding at more than $86.5 billion,... Read More »
United States calls for global cooperation in quelling antibiotic resistance
During the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on Sept. 25, Alex Azar, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Secretary, will call on world leaders to address the evolving threat of antibiotic resistance. Failure to prepare for and reverse antibiotic resistance could lead to... Read More »
Researchers push greater infectious disease controls in Tokyo ahead of 2020 Summer Olympics
Researchers from Harvard University urged government officials this week to develop new measures to detect and prevent the spread of infectious diseases, like dengue fever, in Tokyo ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics. In a report published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, the researchers --... Read More »
DHS says National Cyber Strategy will enhance efforts to combat cybercrimes
President Donald Trump launched the National Cyber Strategy last week, the first “fully articulated” cyber strategy since 2003. The strategy calls for integrating cyber into the four pillars of the National Security Strategy. Specifically, the strategy is designed to defend the homeland by... Read More »
DHS struggling to create a cohesive, effective department, GAO says
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has made a series of recommendations for evolution within the Department of Homeland Security, better defining its roles and responsibilities to make it less of a risk due to lack of cohesiveness. Efficacy is a huge issue within the department. DHS’... Read More »
Panel discusses Air Force integration of part-time servicemembers
A senior leader panel discussed Tuesday the Air Force integration of Guard and Reserve personnel into missions during the Air Force Association Air, Space, and Cyber Conference in National Harbor. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, part-time forces heavily have been relied upon to meet manpower... Read More »