Policy
Provision to delay potential closure of Ft. Detrick biodefense lab included in NDAA Conference Report
In a move that would head-off the potential closure of the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC) at Fort Detrick, the House of Representatives approved a mandatory study of the facility and the nation’s biodefense vulnerabilities on Tuesday. The House approved the... Read More »
DHS, FBI release joint technical alerts on malicious cyber activity by North Korea
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released Tuesday a pair of Joint Technical Alerts detailing tools and infrastructure used by the North Korean government to conduct malicious cyber activity. The activity noted in the alerts is part of a... Read More »
Acting DHS secretary tours Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers
During a visit to Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) headquarters in Glynco, Georgia, on Tuesday, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke received an operation briefing, observed training programs, and toured a port of entry training simulator. FLETC trains most of the... Read More »
Lawmakers raise questions about discontinued NIH funding for gun violence research
Questions were raised by members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Tuesday about reports that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) discontinued funding for research on gun violence under the Trump Administration. In a letter to NIH Director Francis Collins, U.S. Reps. Frank... Read More »
Senators urge Federal Elections Commission to close regulatory loophole for online political ads
A group of 15 Democratic senators urged the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) on Monday to subject online political ads to the same requirements as political ads aired on television, radio and satellite. U.S. Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) submitted... Read More »
Senate report addresses lack of information on cost and timeline for border wall land seizure
The Democratic staff of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee released a report Monday detailing a lack of information from the Trump Administration on costs and timeline for land seizures needed for the proposed border wall. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)... Read More »
House bill would better target money laundering, terrorism financing
Financial institutions would have more latitude to share suspicious activity reports when money laundering or terrorism financing is suspected, and the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) would be modernized, under a bill introduced in the House of Representatives... Read More »
Department of Homeland Security extends job offers to hundreds of veterans
Following a job fair called “Continue Your Service to America” held in August, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Thursday that job offers had been extended to 207 veterans. Approximately 2,500 veterans attended the two-day job fair. Onsite job interviews were given to... Read More »
Upcoming OPCW Conference of State Parties to consider new efforts to eliminate chemical weapons stockpiles
Progress in eliminating chemical weapons stockpiles and the appointment of a new director general will highlight the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons’ (OPCW) upcoming 22nd Conference of the States Parties (CSP-22) scheduled from Nov. 27 to Dec. 1. Hamid Ali Rao, the deputy... Read More »OPCW Deputy Director-General visits Mexico
The Deputy Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Hamid Ali Rao, recently visited Mexico where he discussed the importance of preparedness against chemical emergencies and peaceful uses of chemistry. Rao opened the Table Top Exercise on Chemical... Read More »
Rep. Dingell introduces legislation to strengthen electronic voting systems
New legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) this week is seeking to update voter system protections and out-of-date infrastructure. U.S. intelligence community assessments have found that at least 21 state election systems were attacked by Russian-affiliated hackers in the 2016... Read More »
Assault weapons ban introduced in Senate
Following the recent church shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, that left 26 people dead, Democratic lawmakers introduced a bill on Thursday that would make it illegal to sell, transfer, manufacture or import military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. The bill, titled the... Read More »
Sen. Blumenthal presses Department for Defense for answers, reforms following Texas mass shooting
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) sent a letter to the Department of Defense (DOD) seeking answers and reforms related to the reporting system failure that enabled the gunman in Sunday’s mass shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, to obtain firearms. Under the National Instant Criminal... Read More »
National Nuclear Security Administration awards $27.5 million to Cornell, Notre Dame researchers
The Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) awarded research grants totaling $27.5 million to researchers at Cornell University and the University of Notre Dame, NNSA announced this week. The researchers will receive the funds the Stewardship Science... Read More »
Democratic Senators push for Assault Weapons Ban in wake of year’s mass shootings
A new bill from the Democrat side of the aisle in Washington, D.C. seeks to ban the sale, transfer, manufacture, and importation of military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. The push is coming from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and ranking member of the Senate... Read More »
Security firm Chertoff Group granted SAFETY Act designation by DHS
The global security and risk management advisory firm known as The Chertoff Group has become one of a select few companies to be granted a SAFETY Act “qualified anti-terrorism technology” designation for its methodology by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The company uses what they... Read More »
House Homeland Security Committee pushes for CT scanning at all airports after briefing on terror threats
Members of the House Homeland Security Committee pressed David Pekoske, the newly confirmed administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), on how quickly the country could integrate computed tomography (CT) scanners into every airport in the country to thwart threats at a... Read More »
Committee releases report on security information-sharing hubs
The House Homeland Security Committee majority staff released a new report reviewing the nation’s network of fusion centers, hubs for sharing information related to security between federal, state and local government entities. The new report, Advancing the Homeland Security Information... Read More »
Reed calls for review of criminal record reporting systems, answers in Texas church shooter case
U.S. Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released a statement Monday calling for a review of criminal record reporting systems, including the system that allowed a Texas gunman to illegally acquire a firearm. The statement came after the Air Force... Read More »
Dem. Senators request information from CDC on spread of water- and vector-borne diseases on Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands
As Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands continue to recover from the devastating effects of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, a group of Democratic U.S. Senators recently sent a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Brenda Fitzgerald requesting information on the... Read More »
DHS joins major sports leagues to upgrade stadium security
Under the Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies (SAFETY) Act, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate is assisting the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), and National Basketball League (NBA) in updating sports... Read More »
Moore named permanent director of Army’s Edgewood Chemical Biological Center
After serving as the acting director of the Army’s Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) since May, Eric Moore was named the permanent director of ECBC by Maj. Gen. Cedric Williams effective Oct. 29. ECBC is tasked with research and development efforts related to non-medical components of... Read More »
President signs bill reauthorizing nationwide task force programs that help protect children, prosecute online predators
The Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force will continue its efforts help state and local police departments and prosecutors prevent, investigate and respond to technology-enabled crimes against children under a bill signed into law on Friday. Established in 2008, the ICAC Task... Read More »
Senators aim to boost federal investments in Next Generation 911 technology
Existing federal grant programs would be expanded to help state and local governments deploy modern 911 systems that enable citizens to text for help and send audio, text or video files during emergencies under legislation introduced on Thursday. The Next Generation 911 Act of 2017, which was... Read More »
GAO warns of need to strengthen pathogen research lab oversight in wake of safety incidents
The labs working to protect the United States from hazardous pathogens are themselves in need of oversight updates, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), owing to several lapses in safety. The labs in question--overseen by the Federal Select Agent Program--amount to more... Read More »
Recent WPA2 protocol vulnerability highlights critical need for information sharing, according to DHS
A vulnerability recently identified in the Wi-Fi Protected Access II (WPA2) protocol that secures most wireless network traffic highlights the critical nature of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) information sharing, according to a recent DHS release. Jeanette Manfra, the assistant... Read More »
President signs bill formally authorizing National Computer Forensics Institute
State and local law enforcers will continue to receive specialized training to incorporate cyber and digital tools into criminal investigations following the President’s signed a bill last week that formally authorizes the National Computer Forensics Institute (NCFI). The NCFI has trained... Read More »
Emerging threats to air cargo prompts legislation to enhance screening, partnerships
Under a bill introduced in the House of Representatives on Thursday, 3D imaging technology and stronger public-private partnerships would be leveraged to enhance Transportation Security Administration (TSA) air cargo security protocols. The Air Cargo Security Improvement Act of 2017, H.R.... Read More »
Infectious Diseases Society of America opposes House bill seeking to eliminate Prevention and Public Health Fund
A federal fund that helps state and local efforts to detect and respond to disease outbreaks, supports immunization and critical health responses is at risk of legislative elimination, according to the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). The bill that would do so--the CHAMPION Act--is... Read More »
Half of states commit to FirstNet, committee hears concerns about tight state deadlines
The first nationwide public safety broadband network, known as FirstNet, secured partnership commitments from about half of the states and two U.S. territories by the end of October, according to testimony before a congressional panel on Wednesday. Members of the House Energy and Commerce... Read More »
Effort to enhance health care system’s cybersecurity capabilities relaunches in House
A bill reintroduced in the House of Representatives on Wednesday would better equip the U.S. Department Health and Human Services’ (HHS) to address cyber threats to the health care system following recent malware attacks like WannaCry and NotPetya. U.S. Reps. Billy Long (R-PA) and Doris... Read More »
CBP announces 30 public-private partnerships under Reimbursable Services Program
Thirty private sector and government stakeholders would reimburse U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for providing additional cross-border trade and travel inspection services under tentative partnership agreements announced on Tuesday. The Reimbursable Services Program (RSP) was launched... Read More »
Senate bill aims to secure state voting systems against security threats
State-run election systems would be deemed critical infrastructure, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would be enlisted to protect registration data, voting systems, and ballots from foreign interference, under bipartisan legislation introduced in the Senate on Tuesday. The Securing... Read More »
US Border Patrol announces new Chief Patrol Agent of the Del Rio Sector
U.S. Border Patrol announced Tuesday the appointment of Felix Chavez as the new Chief Patrol Agent of the Del Rio Sector, effective Oct. 29. As Chief Patrol Agent, Chavez will manage nine stations and more than 1,500 agents and support staff. He will also oversee 210 miles of border and over... Read More »