Policy
Bill to provide Congressional oversight of military cyber operations introduced in House
A bill that aims to strengthen Congressional oversight of sensitive military cyber operations and cyber weapons was recently introduced in the House by U.S. Reps. Adam Smith (D-WA), Mac Thornberry (R-TX), James Langevin (D-RI), and Elise Stefanik (R-NY). In describing the bill, Smith said the... Read More »
National League of Cities criticizes concealed carry reciprocity bill
In the wake of reports that a large number of U.S. House and Senate members cosponsored a bill to extend concealed carry reciprocity to any locale in the United States, Yucel Ors, Program Director of Public Safety and Crime Prevention at the National League of Cities, released a public statement... Read More »
Jury convicts 27-year old U.S. citizen of providing material support to ISIS
A 27-year old Virginia man, Mohamad Jamal Khweis, was convicted by a federal jury on Wednesday of providing material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which is designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Department of Justice. According to court evidence,... Read More »
Personal electronic device ban must change, IATA director-general says
Speaking at the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Annual General Meeting in Cancun, Mexico, IATA Director-General Alexandre de Juniac said cracks were beginning to show in the natural partnership on security between governments and airlines. Specifically, de Juniac was... Read More »
Senate GOP members introduce bill to permanently instate intelligence-gathering program
A group of 14 Republican members of the U.S. Senate recently filed a bill to make Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Security Act (FISA) permanent before it is set to expire later this year. Specifically, Section 702 applies to surveilling communications of non-U.S. persons located outside... Read More »
Bill to waive polygraph exams for open CBP positions advances House
A bill that would waive the required pre-employment polygraph examination for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) candidates under certain circumstances was recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. Introduced by U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ), the Anti-Border Corruption... Read More »
Sandia National Labs assist in development of nuclear warhead verification method
Researchers from the Sandia National Laboratories recently developed a new method for verifying attributes of a nuclear warhead, which could help address issues of conducting verification measurements while also protecting sensitive design elements. The method, described as Confirmation using... Read More »
House Homeland Security Committee opposes Trump’s budget cuts to local first responders at hearing
Members of the House Homeland Security Committee from both parties expressed opposition to the Trump administration’s proposed budget that would cut funding for training and deployment for local security programs by as much as 30 percent next year, even while the overall funding for the... Read More »
IATA adopts safety resolution to enhance aviation security
A resolution that reaffirms the airline industry’s commitment to keep air travel secure and promote greater public-private collaboration was recently adopted by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) at its 73rd Annual General Meeting. The resolution was used to highlight the... Read More »
Asian States Parties emphasize push to implement Chemical Weapons Convention provisions at regional OPCW meeting
At a commemoration ceremony celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), more than 40 participants gathered from 29 Asian States Parties to offer robust cooperation practices to implement provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). ... Read More »
Anti-Sanctuary City bill may violate Tenth Amendment, according to National League of Cities
In the wake of the introduction of the Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act, which gives local police officers the ability to enforce federal immigration laws on undocumented immigrants, the National League of Cities (NLC) released a public statement coming out strongly against the legislation. ... Read More »
OPCW holds training exercise on chemical decontamination, rescue operations in Buenos Aires
A training exercise designed to teach participants on the use of individual protective equipment, chemical containment, rescue operations, forensic techniques, and decontamination procedures was recently held in Buenos Aires, Argentina and hosted by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical... Read More »Sen. Hoeven provides update on drone applications in North Dakota
Speaking at the third annual Drone Focus Conference in Fargo, North Dakota last week, U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) said that his state was positioned to take the lead on new developments in Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) applications. Hoeven said that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)... Read More »Sens. Blumenthal, Markey request information regarding airline bag fees, TSA screening procedures
U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Edward Markey (D-MA) recently sent a public letter to Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly requesting information regarding airline bag fees and their impact on screening procedures within the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The letter... Read More »
House Homeland Security Committee delegation travels to Europe to discuss cybersecurity, countering Russian aggression
In the wake of reports that the Russian Federation interfered with recent elections in the United States and Europe, a Congressional delegation of members from the House Homeland Security Committee recently visited France, Poland, Estonia, and Ukraine to examine cybersecurity issues and discuss how... Read More »
Bill to establish cyber bug bounty program at DHS introduced in Senate
A bill to establish a bounty program where white hats, also known as ethical hackers, identify bugs in computer systems at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in order to strengthen cyber defenses was recently introduced in the Senate by U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Maggie Hassan... Read More »
Sen. Hoeven discusses importance of drone technology with DHS Secretary Kelly
During a recent hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Homeland Security, U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) discussed the importance of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for securing the nation’s international borders. In speaking to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John... Read More »
Workshop on strengthening security around radiological sources in Central Asia held in Kazakhstan
The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), in conjunction with the Moscow-based Center for Energy and Security Studies (CENESS), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the Government of Kazakhstan, recently sponsored a workshop on radiological security and safety procedures. The event... Read More »
CBP approves Reno-Tahoe Airport proposal to participate in agency’s Reimbursable Services Program
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently approved an application from the Reno-Tahoe Airport to participate in the agency’s Reimbursable Services Program (RSP), which allows the airport to hire additional CBP personnel to help process international travelers. CBP’s approval also... Read More »Rep. Delany expresses “very little support” of FY2018 budget, closing of National Biodefense Center
In response to the President’s recently-proposed fiscal year 2018 budget, which includes zeroing out funding for and closing the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC) in Frederick, Maryland, U.S. Rep. John K. Delaney (D-MD) used a public letter to come out strongly... Read More »
Bill to counter terrorist financing efforts introduced in House
A bill that would expand the ability of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) to collect information under geographic targeting orders (GTOs) to prevent money laundering for terrorist groups was recently introduced in the House by U.S. Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA). The bill, titled... Read More »
Defense officials offer testimony on nuclear modernization, replacement programs
Modernizing and replacing programs related to the United States nuclear triad is the first priority for both the U.S. Departments of Energy and Defense, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Navy, according to testimony from key defense officials at a recent House Armed Services Strategic Force... Read More »
Bill to manage the use of recreational drones introduced in Senate
A bill that would establish a process for federal, state and local governments to work together to manage the use of recreational and commercial drones was recently introduced in the Senate by U.S. Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). ... Read More »
Biodefense plan requires U.S. cabinet-level oversight coupled with global financial strategy
A leadership spot at the highest level in the United States government would be best positioned to harness and focus available resources and influence governors and the private sector on a common biodefense vision, a Texas A&M University (TAMU) international affairs expert said this... Read More »
House Committee advances legislative package to authorize FEMA, Coast Guard, improve employment among veterans
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee recently approved a series of bills that would provide authorizations for the Coast Guard, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Federal Maritime Commission, among other provisions. The first of six bills passed by the committee,... Read More »
Bill to reauthorize FEMA, drive down costs of disaster recovery advanced by key House Committee
A bill that seeks to address the rising costs of disaster recovery, provide additional support for first responders, and reauthorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the first time ever was recently advanced by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The... Read More »Sen. Feinstein introduces bill to keep firearms away from individuals with severe mental illness
As the third anniversary passes of the deadly Isla Vista, California shootings, which killed six people and injured 14 others, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) introduced a bill that would allow family members to keep guns away from those who have a severe mental illness. The Gun Violence... Read More »Bipartisan bill to enhance the nation’s domestic missile defense systems submitted to Senate
A bipartisan bill that aims to strengthen the nation’s homeland missile defense reliability and capacity was recently introduced in the Senate. The Advancing America’s Missile Defense Act was introduced by U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ted Cruz... Read More »
Rep. Hurd introduces bills to strengthen visa screening procedures, identify suspected terrorists
In the wake of the deadly bombing in Manchester, United Kingdom, which killed 22 people, U.S. Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) introduced two separate bills that aim to prevent would-be terrorists from traveling in and out of Western countries undetected. The first bill, the Strong Visa Integrity Secures... Read More »
Interpol discusses mitigating strategies for affected countries of WannaCry ransomware attack
In the wake of the international WannaCry ransomware attack, the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) recently hosted a virtual conference with officials from affected countries to discuss mitigating actions to be taken. The malicious software has reportedly infected more than... Read More »
House advances legislation to address terror threats, improve national security
Two bills that seek to improve law enforcement training and enhance information sharing in combating cyber terror threats were recently advanced by the U.S. House of Representatives. The Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act of 2017, authored by U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe... Read More »
United States, Saudi Arabia establish center to target terrorist financing networks
Officials with the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia recently signed an agreement to establish a joint Terrorist Financing Targeting Center (TFTC), which seeks to address new and evolving threats related to extremist financing. U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin said the... Read More »
Challenges hobble U.S. public health response to Zika virus
The United States appears ill-prepared to deal with a Zika virus outbreak although the nation’s federal public health agencies have learned valuable information during the last few years about the disease, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) says in a new report released on Tuesday to... Read More »