Policy
HHS partners with Proniras to develop nerve agent-induced seizure countermeasure
Until now, a deadly effect of certain chemical weapons has been unstoppable seizures that can lead to death or brain damage, but a partnership between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Proniras Corporation seeks to develop a drug treatment to end those effects. HHS’... Read More »
U.S. House advances Disaster Reform Recovery Act
The U.S. House of Representatives recently advanced the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA), which proposes broad reforms at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). DRRA, introduced by U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA), was included in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, H.R. 4. DRRA... Read More »
Tester calls on Attorney General to back bill extending anti-drug grant programs
After U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions called the opioid epidemic the “deadliest drug crisis in our nation’s history” during an address to members of Montana law enforcers on Friday, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) called for support of legislation he introduced to continue critical anti-drug... Read More »
Bipartisan senators introduce bill to reauthorize COPS hiring program
A bipartisan coalition of senators introduced legislation on Friday that would reauthorize the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program through fiscal year 2023 to help law enforcement agencies at all levels hire new personnel and provide training and technical assistance. In fiscal... Read More »
Sens. Collins, King announce support for “red flag” bill
U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) recently announced their support for the Extreme Risk Protection Order and Violence Prevention Act. The legislation is designed to encourage states to give law enforcement the authority to prevent individuals who pose a threat to themselves... Read More »
Bipartisan legislation to assist law enforcement identify fentanyl, illegal substances
A new federal grant program would help state and local police departments purchase screening equipment that can rapidly identify fentanyl and other dangerous substances in the field under a bill introduced in the U.S. Senate on Thursday. Under the Providing Officers with Electronic Resources... Read More »
House panel probes border security, sanctuary cities, immigration law loopholes
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen testified before a House panel on Thursday about border security, sanctuary cities, immigration law loopholes exploited by transnational gangs, and deployment of the U.S. National Guard to the southern border. During a U.S. House Homeland... Read More »
Bipartisan effort to improve bioterrorism, pandemic response drafted in Senate HELP Committee
Bipartisan members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee released a discussion draft on Thursday aimed at improving the nation’s ability to prepare for and respond to deliberate bioterrorist attacks or naturally occurring pandemics in the United States. The draft... Read More »
GAO recommends closer relationship between DHS, Congress to improve spending oversight
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) made a three-point recommendation regarding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) this week, after finding that their current budget reporting fails to account for how much it actually spends on its acquisitions. The issue is that DHS... Read More »
GAO analyzes DOD weapon purchasing reforms
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released details of its annual analysis of the Department of Defense’s (DOD) revised weapon system portfolio and purchasing reform policies. GOA officials said the agency reports on the programs DOD uses to buy its 86 major weapon systems,... Read More »
Nuclear Threat Initiative highlights separated plutonium security risks
A new paper from the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) provided recommendations for mitigating risks related to separated plutonium. As compared to highly enriched uranium (HEU), separated plutonium has not received enough attention as a security risk, NTI Counselor John Carlson said in the... Read More »
House hearing focuses on border security policies, deployment of National Guard
With 22,000 unaccompanied minors and 40,000 families arriving at the U.S. border since January, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Kevin McAleenan testified before a House panel on Wednesday that transnational criminal organizations are “preying on these individuals.”... Read More »
Senate bill would expand National Threat Assessment Center to enhance school safety
The U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) would be expanded to include a national program that conducts research and provides resources on school violence across the country. Named for Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School’s mascot, the Eagles Act, S. 2759, would... Read More »
Alliance for Biosecurity testifies before House subcommittee on need for long-term funding to counter biological threats
Leadership from the Alliance for Biosecurity urged Congressional lawmakers at a hearing on Thursday to increase funding for programs to protect Americans from biological and chemical threats. Speaking before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and... Read More »
Senate bill would give DHS new authority to remove corrupted software from federal systems
With the volume of cyber attacks on government computer systems jumping from 5,500 in 2006 to more than 77,000 in 2015, legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday would give the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) tools to better protect against foreign attacks. The Federal... Read More »
DHS needs to enhance cybersecurity risk mitigation efforts despite progress, GAO finds
Despite recent efforts to mitigate cybersecurity risks to networks supporting the nation’s critical infrastructure, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has “not taken sufficient actions” to accomplish that goal, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released... Read More »
DHS S&T conducts land and maritime drone testing in January
For the first time, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) was able to test drones for land and maritime usefulness to federal agencies, conducting tests at two sites in Mississippi back in January. To do so, they worked with the United States... Read More »
GAO makes FEMA grant assessment recommendations
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued recommendations to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regarding the manner in which the agency assesses its grant programming. In 2012 the GAO identified coordination challenges among Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)... Read More »
As ‘migrant caravan’ approaches southern border, Trump administration threatens prosecution
A “migrant caravan” from Central America began approaching the southern U.S. border on Monday, prompting Trump administration officials to warn that any violators of immigration law will face prosecution. The caravan totaled about 1,500 people when it embarked from the Mexico-Guatemala... Read More »
Senior police officials participate in international training course on major event security
Senior police officials from 24 countries recently participated in a hands-on training course on securing major sporting events. The International Criminal Police Organization’s (INTERPOL) Project Stadia and the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) developed and... Read More »
Cyber experts participate in world’s largest cyber defence exercise
Approximately 1,000 cyber experts from nearly 30 nations are participating this week in Locked Shields, the largest international live-fire cyber defence exercise in the world. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE), which is based... Read More »
Sen. Tester highlights homeland security funding priorities in government funding bill
During a roundtable discussion in Montana on Friday, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) highlighted provisions of the federal omnibus spending bill that are designed to bolster homeland security by increasing resources for critical security and local police departments. Tester, the ranking member of... Read More »
State Department reauthorization bill outlines personnel, IT, and embassy security enhancements
The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a markup on Thursday of State Department reauthorization bill that would enhance training and recruitment of diplomats, make embassies more secure, crack down on public corruption, and harden information technology (IT) systems. Under the... Read More »
Science and Technology Directorate working to improve analytics capabilities across Homeland Security Enterprise
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is working to introduce its System of Systems Operational Analytics (SoSOA) program, which aims to improve analytical capabilities for decision-making across the Homeland Security Enterprise. S&T is currently... Read More »
Air Force Intelligence Squadron holds Artificial Intelligence and Design Thinking seminar
The 526th Intelligence Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base (AFB), Nevada, recently hosted an Artificial Intelligence and Design Thinking seminar at AFWERX Vegas, which more than 100 Airmen, contractors, and Department of Defense employees attended. AFWERX Vegas, a branch of DEFENSEWERX, is a... Read More »
Senate bill calls for national strategy to combat global financial networks used by criminal syndicates
Bipartisan legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate on Thursday would require President Trump to draft a national strategy to identify and disrupt global financial networks used by transnational criminal organizations to transfer an estimated $870 billion around the world. Under the Criminal... Read More »
Navy-Coast Guard collaboration on drug interdiction efforts discussed in Senate hearing
Noting that only an estimated 25 percent of drug shipments coming into the United States by sea are intercepted, U.S. Sen. Angus King (I-ME) called on the Navy and Coast Guard to better coordinate interdiction efforts during a U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday. King... Read More »
United Nations Department of Safety and Security unable to enter Douma, Syria, for reconnaissance
A reconnaissance mission led by the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) was forced to turn back from Douma, Syria, this week under fire. The mission was meant to be a preliminary for an Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Fact-Finding Mission in the... Read More »
NSA hosts researchers from six Science and Security Privacy initiative ‘lablets’
The National Security Agency (NSA) recently hosted researchers from “lablets” taking part in its Science of Security and Privacy (SoS) initiative, which advances the design of trusted systems across disciplines ranging from computer science to behavioral science. Since its launch in 2012,... Read More »
U.S. Attorney Stuart announces major enforcement action against drug trafficking organization
U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart announced Tuesday a major enforcement action targeting for arrest approximately 100 defendants recently indicted by a federal grand jury in Huntington, West Virginia for drug-related charges, including involvement in the Peterson Drug Trafficking Organization... Read More »
Rep. Cole advocates sustained funding for biodefense and emergency health response
U.S. agencies need a more predictable and accessible source of funds to support a rapid response to public health emergencies, including outbreaks of disease and bioterror attacks, U.S. Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) said Wednesday. Cole addressed a panel of government officials testifying at a House... Read More »
Information sharing aids coastal surveillance efforts
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) officials said information sharing has proven beneficial to coastal surveillance initiatives. Officials said the Integrated Maritime Domain Enterprise - Coastal Surveillance System (IMDE-CSS) has evolved beyond the... Read More »
Brunei Darussalam makes progress toward Chemical Weapons Convention legislation implementation
Brunei Darussalam created a plan to establish a National Authority and draft implementing legislation on the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) during a National Awareness-Raising and Legislative Assistance Workshop held recently April in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. Workshop participants... Read More »
House bill seeks to bolster military electromagnetic spectrum operations readiness
The U.S. military would take steps to secure access to the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) needed to use many communication and navigational devices and to ward off enemy attempts at jamming or deception, under a bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday. The U.S.... Read More »