Policy
Indiana man sentenced 15 years for role in terrorist plot
An Indiana man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in a planned terrorist attack as well as distributing information on explosives. Authorities said Marlonn Hicks, 31, of Crown Point, Indiana, has also been handed down three years of supervised release following his sentence... Read More »
Southwest Airlines partners with CBP for canine training
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently entered into a public-private partnership with Southwest Airlines Co. as part of the Donations Acceptance Program. The program seeks tangible solutions to trade- and travel-enforcement challenges in both infrastructure and intellectual property... Read More »
Providence Fire Department receives $1 mln grant for safety, training
The Providence Fire Department in Rhode Island recently received a nearly $1 million federal grant award earmarked for the department’s safety and training, according to an announcement made by state and federal lawmakers last week. Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) joined... Read More »
Democrats urge tech companies to bar access to 3D gun plans
Following an announcement this month that a company called Defense Distributed would begin publishing blueprints for 3D printable firearms online, a group of Democratic senators are urging tech companies to ban publication of firearm blueprints on their platforms. While the opponents in court... Read More »
Chagas disease spreading beyond Latin America
Over the last 40 years, the parasite-driven disease Chagas has breached the borders of what was once its traditional territory, spreading from Latin America into the United States and Europe, according to a new report from the American Heart Association (AHA). There are an estimated 300,000... Read More »
FirstNet buildout progresses with AT&T active deployment of Band 14 spectrum
AT&T has been actively deploying Band 14 spectrum as part of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) build, bringing a much-needed technology upgrade to the public safety network. Band 14 is nationwide, high-quality spectrum set aside by the federal government for FirstNet that will... Read More »
DARPA’s Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites on track
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) review of its Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) program showed that it is on track to fulfill its mission of servicing at least 20 commercial and government spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit (GEO). There are... Read More »
CBP intercepts cans of baby formula filled with prohibited pork at Dulles Airport
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists at Washington Dulles International Airport recently discovered pork sausage links concealed in an El Salvadoran woman’s baby formula cans. Swine meat from El Salvador is not allowed to enter the United States because of the... Read More »
More than $100,000 in federal assistance directed to firefighters in New York
Funding from the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance in Firefighters Grant (AFG) program is bringing more than $100,000 to fire departments in two New York counties. The Richville Volunteer Fire Department in St. Lawrence County and the Whitesboro Fire Department in Oneida County... Read More »
Defense contractor to develop a business travel prototype
The Department of Defense (DoD) recently selected defense contractor SAP Concur to develop a business travel system prototype to replace the aging Defense Travel System. Annually, the DoD spends $9 billion on travel. Approximately 70 percent of all department travel vouchers is temporary duty... Read More »
Johns Hopkins hosts pandemic simulation exercise for congressional staffers
The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Global Health Council, NTI Bio, and PATH hosted a simulation exercise for congressional staffers to demonstrate the need for congressional support and action to prevent infectious disease threats. The exercise, called Clade X: A Global Health... Read More »
Aerial transport aids border security effort
Tucson Sector Border Patrol personnel recently touted the benefits of UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters toward the effort to bolster border security. Officials said the detail was deployed last month to assist in Operation Guardian Support, aiding transport capabilities in remote areas of southern... Read More »
Department of Homeland Security holds three-day exercise covering election security
With concerns over security for the midterms persisting, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) hosted a three-day exercise meant to help various agencies identify ways to improve cybersecurity, preparedness, identification, response, and recovery during elections. The program, called... Read More »
Small-business cybersecurity bill becomes law
President Donald Trump recently signed into law the NIST Small Business Cybersecurity Act, which requires the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop and provide resources to protect small businesses’ digital assets from cybersecurity threats. According to the bill,... Read More »
Rep. Denham hosts meeting to fight human trafficking
U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA) hosted Wednesday a roundtable with local community leaders, law enforcement officials, and the leaders of Uber, among others, to discuss how to combat human trafficking. The meeting, held at the Modesto Police Department in California, gave attendees an opportunity... Read More »
Proposed law changes target drone use
Last month the Uniform Law Commission (ULC) considered a proposed nationwide law change reflecting the impact of unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones. A ULC committee considered the Tort Law Relating to Drones Act for adoption by state governments. The effort, which provoked controversy across... Read More »
GAO report determines most visas denied in 2017 not due to executive action
Though President Donald Trump signed an executive order in 2017 to restrict the issuance of visas and instigate changes to nonimmigrant visa (NIV) screening and vetting, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently found that 90 percent of visas remained unaffected by this change. Of the... Read More »
FirstNet board approves $84 million budget
The First Responder Network Authority’s board of directors, an independent authority within the U.S. Department of Commerce, recently approved an $81 million budget for operations in fiscal year 2019. The budget will be used for the focus on the deployment of the nationwide public safety... Read More »DHS develops software tool to help fight human smuggling
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate has developed new technology that will assist federal agents in investigating human smuggling. The data analytics software program, called Igloo, is already in use by select units of U.S. Immigration and Customs... Read More »
Lockheed Martin to develop hypersonic weapon prototype for US Air Force
The U.S. Air Force awarded this week a contract to Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control for the development of a second hypersonic weapon prototype. The weapon’s review, testing, and production readiness support will all be provided by Lockheed Martin, as part of the Air Force’s... Read More »
StratCom commander emphasizes need for advanced information, intelligence
Gen. John Hyten, commander of U.S. Strategic Command (StratCom), recently spoke at the 2018 Department of Defense Intelligence Information System Worldwide Conference on integrated command relationships and the role of information and intelligence to combatant commands. Without intelligence... Read More »
National defense funding measure signed into law
A group of lawmakers recently gathered at a military installation to witness President Trump sign the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019 into law. The bill supports $716 billion in funding for national defense for fiscal year 2019, per officials, and provides service... Read More »
Domestic terrorism suspected captured after 12 years on the run
Federal law enforcement officials said an accused domestic terrorist who spent 12 years on the run is now in custody and slated to face charges in three states. Officials said Joseph Mahmoud Dibee, 50, of Seattle, Washington, was recently apprehended after authorities learned he was traveling... Read More »
DHS’s Nielsen meets with Sen. Hoeven and UAS industry leaders in ND
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen toured the Grand Sky Technology Park in North Dakota last week and participated in a roundtable discussion with unmanned aerial systems (UAS) industry leaders. Grand Sky Technology Park, located at Grand Forks Air Force Base,... Read More »
Defense Secretary Mattis undertakes first South American trip
For the first time since he took office as the United States Secretary of Defense, James Mattis traveled to South America to solidify the Department's strong defense ties with Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Colombia. "These relationships are critical to a collaborative, prosperous and secure... Read More »CDC joins efforts to contain Ebola outbreak in Republic of the Congo
As the World Health Organization (WHO) and health agencies in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) seek to clamp down quickly on a new Ebola outbreak in the country, they can now count on the expertise of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well. The CDC has... Read More »
Valley Fever therapies show potential for humans although long way from market
Researchers are still a decade away from seeing a Valley Fever vaccine realized for humans, who are in recent years being infected at a greater degree with the fungal spores that cause the disease. The illness primarily affects people living in the Southwestern United States. Federal officials... Read More »
GAO urges DHS to share more info on chemical facilities with first responders
Warning of the potential danger presented by attackers targeting hazardous chemical facilities, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is urging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to share more information with first responders who may need to respond to security incidents.... Read More »
House Homeland Security Committee chairman urges Senate action on cybersecurity
Warning that the cyber threats to the United States are not going away, and in fact continue to grow, House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) has urged the Senate to take action. To make his case, McCaul pointed to three separate bills the House has already advanced on... Read More »
Rep. Denham concludes trip to Mexican border
U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA) recently completed a multiday, congressional delegation visit to the California-Mexico border. During the trip, the Congress members visited a U.S. Naval Air Station and tunnel site, a U.S. Border Patrol station, the San Ysidro Port of Entry, and the Otay Mesa Detention... Read More »
Military construction projects in New York receive nearly $200 million in funding
Five Military Construction projects in upstate New York have received $199.1 million in federal funding from the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). “New York State is home to some of the nation’s top military installations,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY),... Read More »
Facebook tells DHS, election officials how its combatting malicious actors
In a meeting with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS and the nation’s leading election security officials, Facebook officials discussed the company’s actions to remove inauthentic behavior by malicious actors who seek to undermine democratic institutions. On the call -- attended by... Read More »
DHS releases 2017 figures for foreign admissions to the US
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), 52,656,022 nonimmigrants visited the country in 2017, and of these, only a small fraction -- 701,900 -- overstayed their original trips. The report based its findings on lack of identifiable evidence of departures, extensions of... Read More »
Air Force exploring Light Attack Aircraft option
The Air Force has crafted a Light Attack Aircraft plan, which they said is the first step toward working with industry to generate the final RFP expected at the end of the year. A draft request for proposal was shared with Sierra Nevada /Embraer and Textron Aviation following the conclusion of... Read More »