Policy
Senators call for support for COPS hiring grants in fiscal year 2019 budget
A bipartisan group of 41 senators called for at least $225.5 million in funding for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program in the fiscal year 2019 federal budget on Wednesday. Hiring grants administered through the COPS program can be used by state, local and tribal law... Read More »
House advances bill to crack down on human trafficking through financial system
The U.S. House of Representatives advanced legislation on Tuesday that would help financial institutions and law enforcers identify human traffickers using the financial system. The End Banking for Human Traffickers Act, H.R. 2219, would add the secretary of the treasury to the President's... Read More »
United States removes travel restrictions placed on Chad
President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the Republic of Chad has raised its security standards to meet baseline U.S. national security requirements and that the United States would remove travel restrictions placed on the country, effective April 13. As a result of the removal, Chad... Read More »
OPCW to address Douma chemical weapons allegations
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will embark upon a mission to Douma, as a means of addressing chemical weapon allegations. Officials said the OPCW Technical Secretariat has requested the Syrian Arab Republic make the necessary arrangements for such a deployment.... Read More »
Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force highlights importance of speed, innovation
Gen. Stephen Wilson, vice chief of staff of the Air Force, spoke this week at the 2018 Future of War Conference in Washington, D.C., where he emphasized the importance of speed, connectivity, and innovation for future war. Wilson said that the Air Force must be able to quickly collect and... Read More »
Monthly terror threat assessment underscores fight against ISIS, homegrown terrorists
With the Iraqi government reclaiming control of more territory from ISIS, the focus has shifted to processing more than 19,000 individuals being held on terror-related charges, according to the April Terror Threat Snapshot released by the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday. The... Read More »
Senate bill would establish privacy bill of rights for American consumers
As Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified on Capitol Hill on Tuesday about the company’s policies related to user data, a bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate to establish a privacy bill of rights to protect the personal information of America’s online consumers. U.S. Sens. Edward Markey... Read More »
Santa Teresa border wall work underway
Officials said construction for a border wall replacement in Santa Teresa with new bollard style wall is underway. The existing barrier will be replaced with an 18- to 30-foot high bollard-style wall, officials noted, referencing the contract, which Customs and Border Protection (CBP) awarded to... Read More »
RAND study examines how U.S. can improve tactics to counter political warfare
The RAND Corporation recently released a study that explores modern political warfare and offers recommendations for how the U.S. government and its allies can counter these types of actions by adversaries. Political warfare refers to measures that do not fit the definition of conventional... Read More »
Lawmakers oppose inclusion of social media ‘scraping’ in ICE extreme vetting initiative
Democratic leaders of the U.S. House Homeland Security called on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Friday to abandon plans to include social media scraping in an “extreme vetting” initiative for visa applicants. In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, the... Read More »
F-35B Lightning II aircraft arrives at U.S. Central Command
The F-35B Lightning II aircraft recently arrived at U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on MacDill Air Force Base in Florida for a two-day visit to inform CENTCOM leadership about the capabilities and limitations of the F-35B platform. The aircraft is fully operational and ready for combat. It will... Read More »
DSI’s Border Security Summit to discuss border protection, advance intelligence capabilities
The 2018 Border Security & Intelligence Summit, presented by the Defense Strategies Institute, will provide an open forum for the discussion of initiatives in action that strengthen U.S. border protection and advance the development of intelligence capabilities. The summit, titled “Enhancing... Read More »
DoJ seizes control of Backpage.com, hands down indictments related to sex trafficking
The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) seized control of Backpage.com and indicted seven individuals on Friday amid allegations that the online classifieds website has facilitated human sex trafficking for years. After leading a two-year investigation into Backpage.com, U.S. Sen. Rob Portman... Read More »
Syria chemical attack condemned by President Trump, Sen. McCain
A suspected chemical weapons attack by the Asaad regime last week has been condemned by U.S. President Donald Trump, who also called out Russia and Iran for backing Asaad. “Many dead, including women and children, in mindless chemical attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and... Read More »
Measure seek to bolster civil defense preparedness
Reps. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) and Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI) recently introduced a bill designed to strengthen civil defense preparedness in Hawaii and across the country. Gabbard and Hanabusa said the Civil Defense Preparedness Act of 2018 would expand existing Department of Homeland Security (DHS)... Read More »
Delaware to receive $3 million to enhance election security
Rhode Island will receive $3 million in support from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to update elections equipment, reinforce cybersecurity measures and enhance overall election security, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) announced on Friday The funds are part of the $380 million in... Read More »
Sen. Portman highlights need for continued U.S. support following trip to Ukraine
Following a recent visit to Ukraine, U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) called on Wednesday for continued U.S. support after witnessing Russian aggression in Eastern Ukraine first-hand. Portman, the co-chairman of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, visited Ukrainian military positions and was briefed by... Read More »
Lawmakers call on FCC to investigate fake cell towers in Washington, D.C.
In response to reports that foreign actors may have placed surveillance equipment around Washington, D.C., that mimics cellular towers, Democratic leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives called on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to crack down on Wednesday. The cell-site... Read More »
Global Entry endeavor reaches milestone
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said its flagship Trusted Traveler Program, Global Entry, has eclipsed the five million member milestone. CBP personnel said Global Entry provides expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States. As of... Read More »
DHS drill leads to formation of Virtual Operation Support Team in Washington state
As part of a simulation last year, digital disaster services volunteers from Whatcom County, Washington, and the Township of Langley, British Columbia, Canada, practiced discerning fact from fiction online to keep responders informed during the hypothetical eruption of Mt. Baker, an active volcano... Read More »
Democratic committee leaders renew call for congressional review on election security
Democratic leaders of the U.S. House Science, Space and Technology Committee formally called for a congressional review of election security on Wednesday for the third time since January. In a letter to U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), the chairman of the committee, U.S. Reps. Eddie Bernice... Read More »
President’s deployment of National Guard to southern border praised by Rep. McCaul
President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard to the southern border on Wednesday was lauded by the leader of the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee as an important step to keep the country safe. Citing legal loopholes, asylum fraud, immigration court backlogs and... Read More »
CDC seeks to address antibiotic resistance
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials said the agency is working to address instances of germs with unusual antibiotic resistance genes in the United States. A CDC Vital Signs report referenced health departments working with the CDC’s Antibiotic Resistance (AR) Lab... Read More »
Mid-Atlantic hurricane scenario to highlight FEMA’s 2018 National Level Exercise
Lessons learned during the 2017 hurricane season will highlight Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) 2018 National Level Exercise, which will bring government agencies, the private sector, non-profits, and individuals together from April 30 to May 11. The biennial national exercise... Read More »Swanton Sector Border Patrol agents apprehend 20 individuals in one weekend
U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Swanton Sector apprehended 20 individuals in four incidents for entering the country illegally over the past holiday weekend in New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire. “The men and women of the United States Border Patrol work diligently to protect the border... Read More »
Twenty-four multidisciplinary research teams to receive $169 million in DoD funding
After fielding white papers from 436 academic institutions seeking federal funding through the Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) program, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced on Monday that it will issue 24 awards totaling up to $169 million over five years. The MURI... Read More »
Senators argue Pentagon has no legal authority to divert funds to border wall
In response to reports that President Donald Trump has directed Pentagon to explore diverting a portion of military funding to construct a border wall, U.S. Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) asserted on Monday that the Pentagon lacks legal authority to build a border wall. In a... Read More »
CBP continues to aid missing migrants initiative
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel recently joined two other agencies as a means following up on a program designed to bring closure for Mexican families missing loved ones in southern Arizona. CBP agents paired with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers from the Tucson Field... Read More »
CRED fellow to open dialogue between students, administrators about hate bias incidents
Fellows of the Study of Terrorism and Response to Terrorism (START) Community Resilience, Engagement and Dialogue (CRED) initiative will discuss more than a year of research into responses to hate bias incidents at the University of Maryland at a “Dialogue Dinner” planned for Wednesday. As... Read More »
Atlanta workshop focuses on efforts to strengthen radiological security, response
Atlanta-area nuclear regulators, researchers, medical providers and first responders to discuss their roles in the event of a “dirty bomb” attack relying on a radiological dispersal device in a recent workshop. The workshop was hosted by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)... Read More »
Ahead of 2022 FIFA World Cup, cybersecurity experts gather in Qatar
Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy hosted global cybersecurity experts on March 25 to explore cyber threats posed to major sporting and public events as part of ongoing preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Qatar. The third Cyber Security Expert Group... Read More »
Deputy Defense Secretary outlines priorities for Evolving the Future Force initiative
Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick M. Shanahan recently discussed the priorities of the Evolving the Future Force project while speaking at an event sponsored by the Center for a New American Security on March 29. The multiyear initiative examines steps the joint force can take to adapt to... Read More »
Screening tool aids Chicago CBP drug fight
Chicago O’Hare International Mail Facility Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers are using a hand-held device to screen packages that may contain common drugs and industrial chemicals. Officials said the Gemini uses analytical techniques to screen packages using either the Raman... Read More »
Poland agrees to purchase Patriot air and missile defense system from U.S.
The government of Poland recently signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) agreement to purchase Raytheon's Patriot integrated air and missile defense system from the U.S. Army. This LOA is for Phase I of Poland's two-phase medium-range Integrated Air and Missile Defense procurement and... Read More »