Policy
House bill would enhance accountability for gun dealers engaging in illegal sales practices
Firearms dealers that engage in illegal sales practices would face stronger oversight from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and stiffer penalties under a bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday. U.S. Reps. Jim Langevin (D-RI), Ted Deutch (D-FL), and Gwen... Read More »
New software to aid military insight into world conflicts
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is partnering with BAE Systems to develop software aiding military planners in understanding and addressing dynamics driving world conflicts. Through a $4.2 million Phase 1 contract awarded by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the... Read More »
Milestone aircraft delivered to Air Force
Touting the achievement as a testament to the effort’s continued progress and momentum, the F-35 Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin recently delivered the 300th production aircraft to the Air Force. Pentagon officials said the 300th aircraft, a U.S. Air Force F-35A, was delivered to... Read More »
Senate bill would prohibit preemptive strike against North Korea without congressional approval
Ahead of the summit between the United States and North Korea in Singapore, U.S. Sens. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced a measure that would prohibit war with North Korea without congressional authorization. The amendment to the John S. McCain National Defense... Read More »
Bipartisan group of senators raise concerns about Chinese efforts to undermine democracy
Amid China’s growing influence around the world, a bipartisan group of senators raised concerns on Monday about Chinese efforts to undermine democratic institutions, weaken U.S. relationships abroad and interfere with financial markets. The letter was sent to U.S. Secretary of State Mike... Read More »
ICE targeted-operation in New Jersey results in 91 foreign national arrests
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) led a five-day operation in New Jersey last week that resulted in the detention of 91 foreign nationals suspected of being criminal aliens, illegally re-entering the country or violating other immigration laws, the agency announced Monday. The... Read More »
Homeland Security launches new training course to counter online terrorist activities
The Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Task Force has launched an online training course designed to educate social media companies about how terrorists may seek to exploit their platforms. The training course, called “Countering Terrorists Exploitation... Read More »
SECURE Act funding supports CDC efforts to recruit physicians to respond to disease outbreaks
Officers in the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS), a program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have for seven decades tackled some of the most pressing public health challenges in the United States and abroad. However, student loans might deter many potential EIS officers, who... Read More »
House bill would permanently authorize Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership to prevent terrorism, extremism in West Africa
The Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership (TSCTP), which was created in 2005 to help West African nations counter terrorism and extremism, would be permanently authorized under a bill introduced last week in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership... Read More »
DHS launches national tour to educate small businesses about opportunities, challenges
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program will embark on a national tour this month to educate small businesses about funding opportunities through SBIR and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Sponsored by the Small... Read More »
Amendment to increase defense programs domestic content
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) recently introduced an amendment to the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019, increasing the Buy American requirements to 100 percent domestic content. Murphy, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the revision... Read More »
Terror assessment highlights vulnerability of existing US-Mexico smuggling routes, efforts to secure World Cup in Russia
The U.S. House Homeland Security Committee Terror Threat Snapshot for June highlights growing concerns about terrorists gaining access to existing smuggling routes between the United States and Mexico. Rear Admiral Brian Hendrickson, director of the U.S. Southern Command Network Engagement... Read More »
Air Force to shift cyber responsibilities to Air Combat Command
Cyber responsibilities within the U.S. Air Force will move from Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) to Air Combat Command (ACC), the Air Force announced. The realignment designates ACC as the lead Air Force command responsible for organizing, training and equipping Air Forces to conduct cyber... Read More »
House committee advances opioid anti-trafficking legislation
Reps. Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Peter King (R-NY) recently praised the efforts of the House Committee on Homeland Security in advancing legislation designed to address opioid trafficking. The congressmen said passage of their Joint Task Force to Combat Opioid Trafficking Act allows the Department... Read More »
Subcommittee releases draft fiscal year 2019 NDAA totaling $674 billion in spending
A draft of the fiscal year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) released Wednesday outlines $68 billion in spending for the global war on terror, $144 for military personnel and pay, and $245.9 billion for operation and maintenance, including key readiness programs. The U.S.... Read More »
House approves bill establishing $50 mln grant program to combat transnational gangs
A bill that would authorize $50 million in federal grants for state and local governments to combat gang activity through 2021 cleared the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday with bipartisan support. U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-VA) introduced the Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant... Read More »
House health subcommittee members prepare PAHPA reauthorization
Members of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health on Wednesday considered proposed updates to the nation’s law on preparing for and responding to national and global public health emergencies resulting from any chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) agent, toxin,... Read More »
NTI welcomes new staff members
The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) has added four new staff members, with the organization noting the actions serve as a means of enhancing its overarching mission. Peggy Knudson has been tapped as chief development officer; Richard Johnson as senior director of NTI’s International Fuel Cycle... Read More »
FEMA wildfire recovery funds available
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said wildfire recovery funds are available via the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). The initiative spans Fire Management Assistance declarations for fiscal years 2017-2018 from Oct. 1, 2016, through Sept. 30, 2018, noting 85 events in 19... Read More »
GAO: Congress should considering withholding F-35 program funds until key deficiencies are addressed
As the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) prepares to shift its F-35 program into full-rate production, a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released on Tuesday recommends that Congress consider withholding funding until “key deficiencies” are addressed. Slated for full-rate... Read More »
Global conference examines vehicle crime, criminal activity
INTERPOL recently hosted a conference designed to spur discussion regarding the latest vehicle crime investigation patterns, new law enforcement technologies available to law enforcement, and challenges in vehicle supply chain security. Officials said the INTERPOL Global Conference on Vehicle... Read More »
IAEA launches effort to expand access to radiation medicine in Caribbean
With cancer, diabetes, heart conditions and other chronic diseases on the rise in the Caribbean, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently launched a four-year project to improve radiation medicine capabilities across the region’s 32 island countries. IAEA convened a coordination... Read More »
Senate bill would require ATF to create computerized, searchable gun record database
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) would be directed to establish a computerized, searchable database of gun records under a bill introduced in the U.S. Senate on Monday. The Crime Gun Tracing Modernization Act would strike a current federal prohibition on the creation of a... Read More »Four-day mass casualty training course tests healthcare, first responder capabilities
A four-day training course coordinated by federal and territorial agencies in Puerto Rico last week culminated in a practice scenario that tested the ability of first responders and health care workers to respond to a simulated traffic crash that resulted in the release of chlorine gas. The... Read More »
Africa CDC dispatches 18 volunteers to DRC as Ebola death toll rises
Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has dispatched a team of volunteer epidemiologists, physicians, communication experts, injection prevention and control experts and data managers to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). As of June 2, the World... Read More »
Navy awards Raytheon contract for over-the-horizon weapons systems
The U.S. Navy has awarded Raytheon Co. and Kongsberg Gruppen a contract to manufacture and deliver a long-range precision missile for littoral combat ships and future frigates over-the-horizon weapons systems. The $14.8 million contract for offensive missiles and a single fire control suite... Read More »
US Marines, British Commandos complete Red Dagger training exercises
U.S. Marines along with members of the British army Commandos concluded their Red Dagger training exercises last week. This year's exercise is the fifth iteration of the bilateral training program, which took place at Fort Indiantown Gap (FTIG), Pennsylvania, May 12-25. The exercise featured... Read More »
Additional visas available to foreign workers
Homeland Security officials have increased the number of temporary non-agricultural worker visas as a means of aiding American businesses. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen said an additional 15,000 H-2B temporary visas would be available for Fiscal Year 2018, in addition to the... Read More »
Secretary Nielsen tours southwest border, commits to building 150 miles of border wall
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen visited multiple locations along the nation’s southwest border on Thursday, meeting with elected officials, local residents and representatives of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the U.S. National Guard. Nielsen was joined by... Read More »
RAND Corporation tapped to oversee collaborative effort to generate data on gun violence, identify solutions
The RAND Corporation has been selected to oversee a five-year effort supported by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation (LJAF) to use data to better understand gun violence patterns and to find solutions. LJAF has pledged $20 million to the collaborative effort, called the National Collaborative... Read More »
New bill would strengthen evacuation routes as hurricane season begins
Legislators in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives marked the beginning of the 2018 hurricane season Friday by introducing legislation that would dedicate $1 billion to improve the capacity and resilience of the nation’s evacuation routes. The Enhancing the Strength and... Read More »
Cost estimates for nuclear bomb refurbishment program need improvement, GAO says
A report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) estimates to refurbish components of nuclear bombs were cost-effective and followed best practices, but the process could use improvements. NNSA estimated that the cost to... Read More »
CSIS symposium focuses on lessons learned from Ebola, putting global health policy into practice
A recent Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS) symposium focused on the global response to the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa and strategies since to put health security policies into practice. The symposium was part of the Commission on Strengthening America’s Health... Read More »
Booz Allen to compete on NAVAIR PASS contract
Information technology and consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. (Booz Allen) has been awarded a spot on the Program and Systems Support (PASS) professional services contract by the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Corporate Business Office (CBO), the company announced on Tuesday. Valued... Read More »