Policy
Wisconsin first responders to conduct “Dark Sky” power outage training
The Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs is conducting a training exercise from May 15-17 in the state simulating a long-term mass power outage. The training exercise, known as Dark Sky, will take place in Brown, Calumet, Dane, Fond du Lac, Milwaukee, Outagamie, and Winnebago Counties. It is... Read More »
Firm to provide combat-ready equipment to Marines
A professional services and technology firm has been awarded a contract to provide combat-ready equipment to Marines worldwide. KBR, Inc. officials said the contract calls for a modification by the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) to provide prepositioning and logistics support services for the USMC... Read More »
DARPA awards BAE Systems contract to demonstrate optical seeker for precision munitions
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), through the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, recently awarded BAE Systems a $13.1 million contract to demonstrate an optical seeker for precision-guided munitions. The seeker uses passive electro-optical and infrared sensors to... Read More »House bill would reform U.S. military assistance, security assistance to foreign powers
U.S. diplomats would have access to new tools to rein in state sponsors of terrorism, to counter violent extremism, and to enhance regional and global security under a bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday. The International Security Assistance Act of 2018, H.R. 5677,... Read More »
NIST develops virtual reality testbed for first responder user interfaces
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) staff recently developed virtual reality environments designed to support industry in designing user interfaces for use by first responders. These interfaces could include visual indicators, sounds or voice commands that could be embedded... Read More »
Gen. Nakasone named director of U.S. Cyber Command, National Security Agency
U.S. Army Gen. Paul Nakasone became commander of U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) and director of the National Security Agency (NSA) during a change-of-command ceremony held in Fort Meade, Maryland, on Friday. Nakasone assumed command from retiring U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Rogers. Nakasone, who was... Read More »
DHS to end temporary protected states for 50,000 Hondurans in United States
After concluding that conditions in Honduras have “notably improved” since a 1999 hurricane led to Hondurans being granted temporary protected status (TPS) in the United States, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced plans on Friday to terminate TPS designation in January... Read More »CBP highlights efforts to intercept dangerous pests at Area Port of Baltimore
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists at the Area Port of Baltimore have conducted 3,534 container searches since January, issuing 360 emergency action notifications and executing 625 actionable interceptions of commodities. The Area Port of Baltimore has witnessed... Read More »
First responders from Latin America, Caribbean enhance chemical incident response preparedness
A regional basic training course offered by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in Panama from April 23-27 allowed first responders from Latin America and the Caribbean to improve chemical incident response capabilities. Organized jointly by OPCW and the Panamanian... Read More »
Raytheon to design, maintain air traffic management system for New York UAS testing corridor
The Raytheon Company has been selected to help design, build and support a next-generation air traffic management system for an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) testing airspace corridor in New York State, the Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research (NUAIR) Alliance announced on Thursday.... Read More »
TSA PreCheck initiative adds six international carriers
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) had added six international airlines to its PreCheck program, the administration announced on Wednesday. The six new partnering airlines include Air Serbia, Condor Airlines, Porter Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Thomas Cook Airlines (UK), and... Read More »
Air Force selects locations for three B-21 Raider aircraft
The Air Force announced Wednesday that it will host the new B-21 Raider aircraft at three existing bomber bases beginning in the mid-2020s. The B-21 Raider will replace B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit aircraft at Dyess Air Force Base (AFB), Texas; Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota; and Whiteman AFB,... Read More »
DHS S&T, TSA seeks small business solicitations to enhance security screening technology
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) invited small businesses to submit ideas to enhance security screening to the Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP) on Wednesday for a chance to receive up... Read More »
U.S. Navy awards Engility $90 million enterprise services support task order
Engility Holdings, Inc. recently announced that it was awarded a five-year, $90 million task order to provide software engineering and production support to the U.S. Navy's tactical afloat and submarine local area networks. Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic awarded the Tactical... Read More »
CBP announces expansion of ROAM pilot program for small boaters in boundary waters
In an effort to enhance security in the boundary waters between the United States and Canada, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced on Tuesday that it has expanded pilot locations for its Reporting Offsite Arrival-Mobile (ROAM) application for operators of small boats. The ROAM... Read More »
NTI cites verifiable, irreversible denuclearization as critical challenge in North Korea talks
Ahead of an anticipated meeting between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un later this month, the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) noted on Tuesday that the “critical question” is whether North Korea is willing to relinquish nuclear facilities, materials, and bombs in a “verifiable,... Read More »
DHS S&T takes part in weeks-long assessment of National Security Cutters’ capabilities
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) recently collaborated with the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard (USGC) to assess critical mission capabilities of two National Security Cutters (NSC) through weeks of at-sea testing. The cutters, the USCGC... Read More »
NATO team wins Locked Shields live-fire cyber exercise
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) announced Monday that the NATO “Blue team,” made up of 30 cyber defenders, won Locked Shields 2018, the world’s largest live-fire cyber exercise. The exercise required participants to counter high-intensity attacks on a fictitious country’s... Read More »
Rep. Donovan hosts security officials for school safety roundtable
Rep. Dan Donovan (R-NY) hosted on Monday senior officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), New York City Police Department (NYPD), and the New York City Department of Education (DOE) for a roundtable discussion on school... Read More »
White House cites “new” information on Iranian nuclear ambitions following presentation by Israeli prime minister
Amid conflicting reports about a presentation by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Iran’s alleged nuclear ambitions, the White House said on Monday it is consistent with what the United States has long known in that Iran currently has a clandestine nuclear weapons... Read More »
Democratic senators call on appropriators to rein in Trump administration immigration enforcement
Citing “indiscriminate enforcement” of immigration laws, a Democratic coalition of senators called on U.S. Senate appropriators on Friday to reject the Trump administration’s request for border wall funding, additional border patrol agents and additional Immigration and Customs Enforcement... Read More »
German Society for Disaster Medicine to hold first DGKM-CBRN Forum on May 5
Relief units and firefighters, police, rescue services and disaster management emergency physicians are all too familiar with the process of caring for patients who have become ill, or were injured by contact with chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) agents, according to the German... Read More »
Sen. Portman urges committee to continue funding Stryker vehicle modernization
U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) recently led a letter to Senate Armed Services Committee Chair John McCain (R-AZ) and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI) urging the continuation of funding for modernizing Stryker A1 Vehicles in the fiscal year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act. The funding would... Read More »
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 »