Policy
OPCW holds ceremony marking completion of destruction of Russia’s chemical weapons stockpiles
The Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) recently participated in a ceremony marking the completion of the destruction of the Russian Federation’s remaining chemical weapons stockpiles under OPCW verification protocols. Held at the residence of... Read More »FirstNet faces challenges in implementing its public safety broadband network, GAO report says
The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) faces various challenges in implementing its public safety broadband network, according to a recent review conducted by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). GAO was tasked by Congress to asses FirstNet’s efforts to establish the... Read More »GAO reviews federal development efforts of biological threat awareness
In an effort to help federal agencies identify biodefense capabilities and identify priorities for spending, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a study Wednesday tracking national activities that contribute to biological threat awareness. Key players involved in the study... Read More »
Representatives introduce bill to update reporting requirements of multiple long gun sales
Reps. Norma J. Torres (D-CA), Bradley S. Schneider (D-IL), and Eliot L. Engel (D-NY) introduced a bill Wednesday that would require federal firearms licensees to report the sale of two or more long guns within a five-day period. This requirement already exists for handguns, but long guns, such... Read More »
Rep. Pallone requests FCC review of wireless communications resiliency
Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) recently wrote to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai to ask for an evaluation of the resiliency of the United States’ wireless networks. Pallone requested that the commission review the... Read More »
DOJ unseals charges against three men who plotted series of attacks in New York City
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently unsealed federal terrorism charges against three men who allegedly plotted attacks in New York City in summer 2016 in support of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which were ultimately stopped by law enforcement. The three men, a 19-year... Read More »
Border Security for America Act passed by committee, includes McSally provisions
Amendments to the Border Security for America Act that include provisions to conduct thorough threat assessments, equip front-line agents with the latest technology and ensure accountability from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) were recently passed by the House Homeland Security... Read More »
Bill to ban high-capacity gun magazines introduced in Senate
In the wake of the recent shooting in Las Vegas, which left 59 dead and hundreds more injured, a group of 18 Democratic U.S. senators introduced a bill that effectively bans the importation, sale, manufacture, transfer or possession of gun magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition.... Read More »
Rep. Hurd introduces amendments that provide alternatives to border wall deployment
Building on the Border Security for America Act, U.S. Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) has proposed two amendments that would seek alternatives to physical border walls in certain areas and give prior national park agreements precedence. “As I have been saying for years, a wall from sea to shining sea is... Read More »
House Homeland Security Committee advances Border Security For America Act
The U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee advanced on Wednesday the Border Security for America Act, which would enhance security infrastructure on the U.S. northern and southern borders. The bill, introduced by Homeland Security Chair Michael McCaul (R-TX), would introduce... Read More »
Senators introduce bill to ban accessories that accelerate rate of fire following Las Vegas shooting
Democratic Senators introduced Wednesday a bill regarding the ban the sale of accessories that accelerate the rate of fire of semi-automatic weapons, such as those used by the gunman during the shooting in Las Vegas on Sunday. This bill would prohibit the sale, transfer, importation,... Read More »
State Department needs to improve data collection, participant oversight of its Antiterrorism Assistance program, GAO report says
The U.S. State Department needs to improve data collection and participant oversight of its Antiterrorism Assistance (ATA) program, according to a recently published report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). GAO was tasked by Congress to examine the State Department’s... Read More »
Senate committee advances DHS ethical hacker bill to help identify vulnerabilities within networks
A bipartisan bill that would establish a bug bounty program using “white hat” ethical hackers to search for and identify vulnerabilities within U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) networks was recently advanced by the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.... Read More »
TSA phasing in new checkpoint procedure for carry-on electronics
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently began implementing new screening procedures at airports across the country that require travelers to place all electronics larger than a mobile phone in bins for X-ray screening at checkpoints. Passengers at various U.S. airports,... Read More »
Security Industry Association endorses Border Security for America Act
The Security Industry Association (SIA) announced Tuesday its endorsement of H.R. 3548, the Border Security for America Act of 2017 (BSAA), which would strengthen tactical infrastructure on the U.S. northern and southern borders. SIA sent a letter to the House Homeland Security Committee last... Read More »
Maryland Lt. Governor visits Smiths Detection to learn about opioid detection, identification technology
Maryland Lt. Gov. Boyd K. Rutherford visited Smiths Detections, Inc. (SDI) facility near Edgewood, Maryland this week where he was given a demonstration of technologies to detect and identify opioids to help protect first responders from exposure. Smiths Detection develops and manufactures... Read More »
Bipartisan bill to help secure electric grid introduced in House
A bipartisan bill that would require a report from the U.S. Departments of Defense, Energy and Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on the security risks to the national electric grid was recently introduced to the House by U.S. Reps. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Elise... Read More »
OPCW oversees effort to destroy more than 39,000 metric tons of chemical weapons in Russia
Hamid Ali Rao, Deputy Director-General for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), recently participated in a ceremony marking the completion of the full destruction of 39,967 metric tons of chemical weapons previously possessed by the Russian Federation. Largely... Read More »
NNSA needs to improve management of its Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation programs, GAO report says
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) needs to improve the management policy and practices of its Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (DNN), according to a recently published report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) For its report, GAO was tasked by... Read More »RAND report recommends cooperation between US, Russia, and China to deter proliferation of hypersonic missiles
A new report by the RAND corporation recommends that the United States, Russia, and China cooperate to hinder the proliferation of hypersonic missiles to reduce the risk of strategic missile-based war. All three countries are currently developing hypersonic missile technology. Technologies such... Read More »
TSA has taken steps to enhance foreign airport assessments but issues remain, GAO report says
Since 2011, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has taken steps to enhance its foreign airport assessments and air carrier inspection including aligning program resources based on risk and resolving airport access issues, according to a recently published report from the U.S.... Read More »
Russia completes destruction of chemical weapons
The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü, made a statement Wednesday marking the destruction of the remainder of the chemical weapons possessed by the Russian Federation. “The completion of the verified destruction of... Read More »
Bill to reform TSA organization structure, deploy new security technology introduced in Senate
A bipartisan bill to reform the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) organizational structure and to advance new security technologies was recently introduced to the Senate by U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-SD), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Roy Blunt (R-MO), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA). The bill,... Read More »
NASS questions DHS outreach to state election officials during 2016 presidential election cycle
Following reports that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) contacted 21 chief state election officials whose election systems were targeted during the recent presidential election cycle, the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) issued a statement questioning the timing and... Read More »
Qatari officials visit UNMC to discuss biosecurity efforts ahead of 2022 World Cup
Members of the Qatar National Committee for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (NCPW) recently visited with leaders from the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) to discuss potential collaborative efforts on developing Qatar as a leader in biosecurity ahead of the 2022 World Cup. The... Read More »
President Xi Jinping opens Interpol General Assembly with call for cooperation
The Interpol general assembly met this week in Beijing, China, bringing nearly 1,000 participants from 156 countries together at an event opened with a speech from Chinese President Xi Jinping. “No country can guarantee its absolute security all by itself,” Xi said. “China stands ready to... Read More »
Bill to give full Pell Grants to children of fallen firefighters, EMS and law enforcement officers advanced by Senate
A bill that gives the children of fallen law enforcement officers, firefighters, and EMS workers the maximum Pell grant authorized by federal law was recently advanced by the U.S. Senate. The legislation, titled the Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship Act, was introduced by U.S. Sens. Bob... Read More »
NNSA collaborates with South Africa’s NTP to convert its molybdenum-99 production processes to low-enriched uranium
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), in tandem with the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation’s NTP Radioisotopes SOC Ltd (NTP), recently completed conversion of its molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) production process from highly-enriched uranium (HEU), which is frequently used for... Read More »
NNSA assists in removal of all highly-enriched uranium from Kazakhstan-based reactor
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), in tandem with the Institute for Nuclear Physics (INP) of Almaty, Kazakhstan recently announced that the last remaining stores of highly-enriched uranium (HEU) have been repatriated from the institute’s VVR-K reactor. In total, more than... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection offers expedited NEXUS membership for Buffalo-Niagara Region
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is offering an expedited NEXUS enrollment process for the Ice Hockey World Juniors Championship, which will be held in Buffalo from Dec. 26, 2017 through Jan. 5, 2018. CBP is offering the expedited enrollment through Oct. 13 to residents of the... Read More »
NATO Council pushes back on UN treaty to legally prohibit, eliminate all nuclear weapons
Following a decision by the United Nations’ (UN) General Assembly to negotiate a legally-binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons and their eventual elimination, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) Council recently pushed back against the move, stating that a total ban would... Read More »
Congress members inquire about NotPetya malware, effects on drug supplies
Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee recently sent public letters to the heads of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the global pharmaceutical company Merck concerning the NotPetya malware and its effects on drug supplies. On June 27, a malware known by a... Read More »
Senate approves reform package for government information technology
The U.S. Senate approved this week a reform package aimed at making government IT spending more efficient and accelerating the government’s transition to modern technology. The Modernizing Government Technology (MGT) Act creates an incentive for the federal government to streamline IT systems... Read More »
Key provisions secured for Ohio-based defense manufacturing in FY2018 NDAA legislation
Two key provisions that will benefit Ohio-based defense manufacturers were recently secured as part of the Senate version of the FY2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). In order to better protect aircraft within the 180th Fighter Wing based in Toledo, Ohio, the bill authorized a total... Read More »