Policy
Rep. Lynch calls on State Department to step-up counter-propaganda efforts
Citing Russian efforts to meddle in U.S. elections, U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) called on the State Department on Tuesday to use $120 million allocated by Congress to counter foreign propaganda and disinformation since 2016. The State Department’s Global Engagement Center (GEC) hasn’t... Read More »
Senate committee approves DHS reauthorization bill
The first-ever Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reauthorization bill cleared the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday with bipartisan support. The Department of Homeland Security Reauthorization Act, H.R. 2825, would establish a framework for regular DHS... Read More »
Experts analyze Trump’s Nuclear Posture Review
Nuclear experts recently met on Capitol Hill for a panel discussion on the Trump Administration’s recently released Nuclear Posture Review (NPR). The panel compared the NPR to past U.S. nuclear policy and expressed concerns about the future of the nuclear relationship between the United... Read More »
Sen. Rubio highlights steps to curb gun violence on Senate floor, highlights importance of bipartisanship
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) took to the U.S. Senate floor on Tuesday to outline steps that he’s taken or supported to curb gun violence in the wake of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 people dead on Feb. 14. Rubio co-sponsored the... Read More »
Terror Threat Snapshot highlights ongoing efforts to combat ISIS
A Terror Threat Snapshot released by the House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday notes that State Department has designated seven ISIS-affiliated groups to its Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) and that ISIS fighters returning to their home countries continue to pose security threats.... Read More »
Gun safety bill aims to help states better enforce existing gun laws
A bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Senate on Monday would require federal authorities to alert state officials when attempted gun purchases are denied because individuals don’t have legal rights to possess a firearm in an effort to better enforce existing gun laws. Currently, federal... Read More »
CBP, ICE report record number of Intellectual Property Rights seizures for fiscal year 2017
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) seized a record number of shipments of goods that violated Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in fiscal year (FY) 2017, CBP announced Monday. The two agencies seized 34,143 shipments of goods that... Read More »
Science and Technology Directorate seeks feedback on first responder technology integration guide
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) requested feedback on Monday on its Next Generation First Responder Integration Handbook, which it released in February. The handbook serves as a guide for industry and public safety agencies on the development,... Read More »
Bipartisan bill aims to shore up school security through increased federal support for training, school security infrastructure
The Department of Justice (DoJ) would be able to award grants that support training that helps students, teachers and law enforcers recognize early warning signs of violence and intervene under a bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Senate on Thursday. U.S. Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Amy... Read More »
Senators raise concerns about Vietnam-era helicopters patrolling nuclear sites
A bipartisan coalition of senators raised questions on Monday about the use of Vietnam-era Huey helicopters to patrol intercontinental ballistic missile sites across the country, noting that replacement helicopters for a handful of Air Force bases were recently delayed. In a letter to Air Force... Read More »
Raytheon, NOAA recognized for developing unmanned aerial vehicle to gather data in hurricanes
Aviation Week magazine named Raytheon Corp. and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as the recipients of its Laureate award on Friday for the development of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can gather life-saving data during hurricanes in near real-time. The Raytheon... Read More »
Smallpox re-emergence is real possibility world must prepare for, disease expert warns
Advances in medicine have meant many lives saved over the years, but it also has led to weakened immune systems that would leave people vulnerable to the resurrection of an older, incredibly deadly disease: smallpox. Professor Raina MacIntyre of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) is... Read More »U.S. ASPR to headline political group’s seminar at European Parliament on CBRN
Dr. Robert Kadlec, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will present the keynote address during a March 7 seminar in Brussels for members of the European Parliament and will discuss “CBRN — An Invisible Risk. Is... Read More »
NNSA, INTERPOL host training session radiological and nuclear investigations
The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) recently hosted a workshop on radiological and nuclear investigations with representatives from Eastern Europe and the Caucasus region law enforcement agencies in Tbilisi,... Read More »
Study shows United States unprepared for potential pediatric pandemic
Researchers at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) recently published a study that found that the United States is unprepared for the surge in pediatric patients that an infectious disease pandemic could cause. The paper, which was published in the American Journal of Disaster Medicine,... Read More »
Nevada lawmakers call on DHS to reconfigure risk assessment, urban security funding formula for Las Vegas
Citing the Las Vegas mass shooting that left 58 concert goers dead in October, Nevada lawmakers called on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to reconfigure the funding formula for its Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant program on Friday. In a letter to Homeland Security Kirstjen... Read More »
Sen. King calls for national doctrine of cyber deterrence
Warning that the United States is engaged in or at the brink of cyber war, U.S. Sen. Angus King (I-ME) called for a national doctrine of cyber deterrence during two separate hearings on Thursday. King spoke about the importance of a national cybersecurity policy during a Senate Armed Services... Read More »
WHO advises increased attention to community, hygiene to combat Nigerian Lassa outbreak
Lassa Fever has broken out in Nigeria, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), with 1081 suspected cases spread across 18 states. Among these, 72 deaths have been confirmed as linked to the fever, though as many as 90 may have actually died from it. Four of the dead were health care... Read More »Senate bill would expand extreme risk protection orders for guns
A bipartisan bill announced in the U.S. Senate on Thursday would enable law enforcers and family members to petition courts to temporarily restrict access to firearms for those who are deemed an imminent threat to themselves or others. U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Lindsey Graham... Read More »
DHS seeks submissions for demonstrations of first responder technology
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science & Technology (S&T) Directorate plans to hold a Next Generation First Responder (NGFR) Operational Experimentation (OpEX) in December to evaluate first responder technology solutions. The DHS S&T Directorate issued a request for information (RFI)... Read More »
‘It’s all about preparedness,’ U.S. Congresswoman Brooks says
U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN) this week maintained her laser focus on improving the preparedness of the United States to respond to a pandemic or chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats via formation of the new bipartisan Congressional Biodefense Caucus. Rep. Brooks and... Read More »Infectious Diseases Society of America throws support behind STAAR Act
A new bill being considered by the Senate seeks to formulate a concrete strategy against antibiotic resistance and lower the inappropriate use of antibiotics which is fueling the condition’s rise. The legislation comes from U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and has been dubbed the Strategies to... Read More »
GAO makes recommendations to improve collaboration across Department of Defense
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released on Wednesday found that the Department of Defense (DoD) has implemented some — but not all — of statutory requirements outlined in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to address organizational challenges. The DoD drafted an... Read More »
CBP marks two-year anniversary of Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detailed its progress regarding the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (TFTEA) in a recent press release marking the two-year anniversary of the Act. TFTEA aims to reshape, strengthen and modernize how CBP accomplishes its trade mission... Read More »
Nuclear Threat Initiative, Emory University host radiological security workshop in Atlanta
The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and Emory University recently hosted a workshop on radiological security in Atlanta, Georgia. Workshop participants included representatives from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the Federal Bureau of... Read More »
Resolution calls for withdrawal of U.S. forces from conflict in Yemen
A bipartisan resolution introduced in the Senate on Wednesday calls for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from conflict in Yemen between a Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis movement that emerged there in the 1990s. The Obama Administration deployed U.S. military forces to Yemen in 2015 without... Read More »
Senate Democrats align behind push for assault weapon ban
An effort to ban the sale, transfer, manufacture, and importation of military-style assault weapons and high capacity ammunition magazines alike has been introduced to the U.S. Senate, and Democrats appear to be aligning behind the effort. Introduced by U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.),... Read More »
Senior justice, policing officials gather to discuss evolving ISIS threats
Senior justice and law enforcement officials and their diplomatic counterparts from approximately 90 countries and organizations met in Washington, D.C. this week to discuss the evolving threats posed by ISIS. The U.S. Department of State, the International Criminal Police Organization... Read More »
Bipartisan group of senators introduces bill to ban gun purchases for those on no fly list
Individuals who are on the “no fly list” maintained by the Terrorist Screening Center would be barred from purchasing firearms under a bill introduced by a bipartisan group of senators on Tuesday. The Terrorist Firearms Prevention Act would enable the attorney general to deny firearms sales... Read More »
Gen. Votel outlines use of A-10s to attack Taliban revenue streams
Twelve A-10s that were delivered to Kandahar, Afghanistan, in January have primarily been used to target Taliban revenue streams like narcotics trafficking, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Gen. Joseph Votel testified before a House panel on Tuesday. January marked the first time in... Read More »
Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense warns Congress against delaying federal funds tied to comprehensive strategy
With biological threats to America and its interests overseas increasing, waiting any longer to commit federal funds to national biodefense would not be in the best interests of the health and well-being of United States’ citizens, nor the country’s security, the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on... Read More »
Forthcoming House bill would provide federal funding for metal detectors at schools
Local school districts would have access to federal grant funding to install metal detectors under a bill announced by U.S. Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) on Monday to help secure schools. The bill would require school districts that receive grant funding to limit the number of school entrances to... Read More »
Deportation officers arrest 145 in Texas during seven-day enforcement action
Deportation officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested 145 individuals in South and Central Texas during a seven-day enforcement action, which ended Feb. 16. Of the 145 arrested, 86 had criminal convictions. Thirty-nine were... Read More »
Counter-propaganda Global Engagement Center moves forward with agreement between State Department, DoD
The State Department and Department of Defense (DoD) signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday that will operationalize the Global Engagement Center (GEC), which will be tasked with coordinating the U.S. government’s counter-propaganda efforts. GEC was established under a provision of... Read More »