Policy
FDA, DoD launch joint program to expedite development of needed medical products, treatments for military personnel
A joint program launched by the FDA and Department of Defense (DoD) on Tuesday will prioritize the development of medical products that can help save the lives of military personnel. Using expanded authorities granted under a provision of the fiscal year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act,... Read More »
Experts tell Congress China is best avenue for North Korea intervention
A panel of international policy experts told lawmakers Wednesday the best way to help rein in the nuclear ambitions of North Korea is through the intervention of the Chinese government, though none of the panelists expressed much optimism in Chinese assistance any time soon. “I think getting... Read More »
Biodefense panel convenes to address state and local cooperation in midst of major health disasters
In order to respond accordingly in the midst of large-scale biological events such as a terrorist attack or natural disaster, public and private organizations need to coordinate, but on Wednesday public health experts at a Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense meeting cited obstacles that highlight... Read More »
Sens. Rubio, Van Hollen introduce bill to defend against foreign interference in US elections
U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) introduced legislation Tuesday designed to prevent foreign actors from interfering in U.S. elections. The Defending Elections from Threats by Establishing Redlines (DETER) Act would implement measures such as sanctions and blocking... Read More »
NTI’s Moniz warns policy of deterrence not enough to prevent use of nuclear weapons
Seventy-five years after the first controlled nuclear chain reaction, Ernest Moniz, co-chair and CEO of the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), recently warned that the United States faces “a different nuclear age” with miscalculation, diplomatic tensions, terrorism, technological advancements and... Read More »House advances 12 bills to strengthen defenses against terrorism
The House of Representatives recently advanced 12 legislative proposals derived from recommendations from the Homeland Security Committee’s Task Force on Denying Terrorists Entry to the United States final report. The legislation included various initiating designed to prevent terrorists from... Read More »
OPCW director-general commends destruction of Libya’s chemical weapon stockpile
The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü, applauded the complete destruction of Libya’s stockpile of Category 2 chemical materials at a ceremony held recently in Munster, Germany. The remainder of the country’s... Read More »
Bill will modernize department’s fire-fighting equipment
U.S. Sens Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) recently introduced the Wildfire Management Technology Advancement Act of 2017, which seeks to modernize fire departments by requiring the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior to provide GPS locators for crews fighting... Read More »
GAO report finds CBP has failed to guarantee proper licensing of all imported radiological materials
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently announced that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has failed to verify some licenses for radiological shipments through U.S. airports. Warning that such material as contained within these shipments could be used by terrorists to make... Read More »
House immigration bill would authorize border wall, modernize ports of entry
A bill introduced in the House of Representatives Wednesday would authorize construction of a border wall, invest in new technology and expand ports of entry, and add 5,000 Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents. The Securing America's Future Act would also require the use of a biometric... Read More »
GAO recommends FCC actions to bolster network resilience
The number of wireless network outages increased from 189 in 2009 to 1,079 in 2016, making safety-related communications like calling 911 and receiving weather alerts increasingly unavailable to the public, a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) review found. The increase in wireless... Read More »
House approves bill aiming to bolster domestic breeders of bomb detecting dogs
A working group consisting of government officials, private-sector representatives, academics, and veterinarians would be formed to develop standards for breeding and training dogs to detect explosives under a bill that the House of Representatives approved on Tuesday. The Domestic Explosives... Read More »
House bill calls for drafting traveler vetting best practices, international collaboration
The Department of Homeland Security would be directed to draft best practices for using biographic traveler information and information about reservations and itineraries for counterterrorism screening under a bill introduced in the House of Representatives on Tuesday. The Screening and Vetting... Read More »
FCC proposal focuses on improvements to wireless emergency alerts system
The FCC’s forthcoming proposal to improve wireless emergency alerts will focus on making geographical targeting more precise so alerts can be used more effectively in local emergencies and disasters, the commission announced on Monday. The FCC’s full proposal to revamp the wireless... Read More »
DHS S&T looking for collaborators on new emergency response technologies
A request for innovators (RFI) has been released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), officially beginning the search for partners on emergency response technology development by 2020. There are three projects on which the department is... Read More »
Customs and Border Patrol releases updated border search of electronic device directive
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently released an update to its directive regarding border searches of electronic devices, which was designed to enhance the transparency, accountability, and oversight of the searches. CBP currently searches the electronic devices of fewer than... Read More »
Transportation Security Administration sets screening record during holiday season
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened a record number of passengers during the 2017 holiday travel period, Dec. 15, 2017, through Jan. 2, 2018. TSA officers screened 42 million passengers and more than 30.6 million checked bags screened nationwide. Dec. 22 was the busiest day... Read More »
Terror threat assessment highlights rise in homegrown extremism
Four U.S. citizens were arrested and charged with providing material support to ISIS in December, marking an uptick in the number of cases of homegrown terrorism, according to an assessment released by the House Homeland Security Committee on Friday. The Terror Threat Snapshot indicates that... Read More »
Sen. Hoeven calls for North Dakota to play key role in UAS national security efforts
U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) made the case last Thursday that North Dakota should serve a hub for federal efforts to integrate more unmanned aerial systems (UAS) into northern border security. In a meeting with officials from the Department and Homeland Security (DHS) and Customs and Border... Read More »
Treasury Department sanctions five entities linked to Iran’s ballistic missile program
Five businesses tied to Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group (SBIG), which plays a key role in Iran’s ballistic missile program, were sanctioned last week by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The five businesses — Shahid Kharrazi Industries, Shahid Sanikhani... Read More »
DePaul University law professor concerned about U.S. biothreat response capabilities
North Korea denies claims made in the Trump administration’s recently released National Security Strategy that it “has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on nuclear, chemical and biological weapons” nor that it has researched “chemical and biological weapons which could be delivered by... Read More »
CBP Air and Marine Operations seize $61.7 million in cocaine from Caribbean Sea over three-day stretch
More than 4,735 pounds of cocaine was intercepted in the Caribbean Sea over a three-day period in December as part of Operation Full Court Press, which is being led by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO). Operation Full Court Press is an interagency effort to... Read More »
Attorney General Sessions supports review of DEA program targeting Hezbollah drug trafficking
In light of allegations that a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) initiative targeting Hezbollah drug trafficking was improperly handled, Attorney General Jeff Sessions renewed his support of a full review. The initiative, known as Project Cassandra, as launched in 2008 in response to evidence that... Read More »
Tucson man charged with alien smuggling, firearm offenses among other charges
A Tuscon, Arizona man was recently charged in U.S. District Court with the transportation of illegal aliens resulting in serious bodily injury, high-speed flight from a Border Patrol checkpoint, assault on a federal officer and use of a firearm Court documents allege that Roberto Ramirez, 21,... Read More »
Consortium for Verification Technology highlights nuclear nonproliferation efforts
The Consortium for Verification Technology highlighted how students from partner universities contribute to nuclear nonproliferation research conducted at national laboratories during a recent annual meeting held at the University of Michigan. Through the Consortium for Verification, the... Read More »
CTIA releases best practices for local governments to promote resilience, restoration of wireless services during disasters
New best practices recently released by the wireless industry group CTIA outline steps for local governments to help maintain and restore wireless services during natural disasters and emergencies. The guidelines call for better coordination and communication between wireless service providers... Read More »
European anti-terrorism package prioritizes CBRN preparedness, expert says
Experiencing an escalating threat level of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) attacks across its region, the European Commission’s related preparedness plan is extremely important, a London-based expert recently told Homeland Preparedness News. “I consider this to be... Read More »
All 50 states, DC opt-in to FirstNet wireless broadband network for first responders
All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and two U.S. territories accepted a Radio Access Network (RAN) buildout plan for the FirstNet wireless broadband network for first responders by the time a 90-decision period came to a close on Dec. 28. Congress approved a bill establishing FirstNet in... Read More »ICE removes MS-13 gang member accused of 8 counts of murder
An alleged MS-13 gang member who was recently removed from the country by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) will face eight murder charges in El Salvador. Leandro Cruz, 24, was previously convicted of assault and battery in Massachusetts. After... Read More »
Bill reauthorizing grant programs for local fire, rescue departments heads to President’s desk
The Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant programs will be reauthorized through fiscal year 2023 under a bill that the U.S. Senate recently approved. The Fire Grants Reauthorization Act would ensure that the nation’s fire and... Read More »
Michigan delegation pushes for Fort Custer to be named midcourse missile defense site
Members of Michigan’s congressional delegation recently advocated for the Missile Defense Agency to name the Michigan National Guard Fort Custer Training Center in Augusta as a ground-based midcourse missile defense site. The lawmakers made the plea in a letter to U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen.... Read More »
Major US cities sue Defense Department over gun background check reporting failures
San Francisco, New York, and Philadelphia filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against the Department of Defense (DoD) for its failure to report dishonorable discharges and criminal conviction information to the national criminal background check system for gun sales. The military is required to... Read More »
ICE deports former drug-trafficking leader to face charges in Colombia
A former leader of the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia drug-trafficking ring was deported to Columbia on Tuesday after spending eight years in federal custody for conspiracy to import and distribute cocaine in the United States. Hebert Veloza Garcia, 50, was deported to his native Columbia to... Read More »
Dark web gun sellers make illegal firearms sales to undercover GAO agents
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) made two firearms purchases on the dark web without disclosing required background information during a recent review of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) ability to regulate online firearm sales. The GAO review was... Read More »