U.S. Policy
A report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) estimates to refurbish components of nuclear bombs were cost-effective and followed best practices, but the process could use improvements.
NNSA estimated that the cost to... Read More »
A recent Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS) symposium focused on the global response to the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa and strategies since to put health security policies into practice.
The symposium was part of the Commission on Strengthening America’s Health... Read More »
Information technology and consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. (Booz Allen) has been awarded a spot on the Program and Systems Support (PASS) professional services contract by the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Corporate Business Office (CBO), the company announced on Tuesday.
Valued... Read More »
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently recommended that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) facilitate better collaboration among first responders during emergencies.
After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf region in 2005, Congress passed a law... Read More »
In a worldwide ranking of the most innovative cybersecurity companies, Raytheon, based in Waltham, Massachusetts, ranked fourth.
The rankings, called the Cybersecurity 500, is conducted by Cybersecurity Ventures, a cybersecurity research and publishing company. Raytheon's high ranking was... Read More »
At her swearing-in ceremony last week, CIA Director Gina Haspel highlighted the need for the agency to bolster its foreign language proficiency, build stronger partnerships and deploy more field officers.
Haspel, the first woman to lead the CIA in the agency’s 70-year history, was joined by... Read More »
FLIR Systems, Inc. introduced last week three new radar and thermal imaging systems that can be used by militaries and government border patrol agencies to detect objects on land and in the air, including microdrones.
The FLIR Ranger R8SS-3D and R8SS radars can provide mid-range detection... Read More »
Cellular service providers would be required to provide limited cell phone data to police departments in emergency situations like missing persons cases under a bill introduced in the U.S. Senate on May 24.
The Kelsey Smith Act is named for an 18-year-old woman who was abducted and murdered in... Read More »
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is requesting input on concepts for advanced research, development, and demonstration of systems for military missions regarding national security.
The agency’s Tactical Technology Office will host a Virtual Proposers Day June 6-7 to... Read More »
Highlighting the importance of “peace through strength,” U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced more than 30 amendments to the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2019 during U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee markup, which concluded on May 24.
In total,... Read More »
A three-week Border Patrol operation west of Yuma, Arizona, between April and May yielded the arrests of 170 human trafficking suspects.
Special Operations Detachment (SOD) and Intelligence Border Patrol agents detected the suspects near the Imperial Sand Dunes. Operation Sandman apprehended a... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program recently announced that it awarded $2.94 million across 20 competitive research contracts to 19 small businesses in 10 states.
Each of the Phase I awardees will... Read More »
In response to reports that President Donald Trump had canceled the planned June 12 summit with North Korea, U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) called on Thursday to maintain pressure by continuing talks, engaging the international community and upholding tougher sanctions.
Portman, a member of the... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Bill Nelson (D-FL) praised on Wednesday the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions’ (HELP) advancement of the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act (PAHPAIA).
The bill, S. 2852, would reauthorize various Pandemic... Read More »
The European Union (EU)-U.S. Joint Ministerial Meeting on Justice and Home Affairs held in Bulgaria on Tuesday and Wednesday allowed leaders to discuss joint efforts to combat terrorism, information sharing, efforts to prevent radicalization, aviation security, and chemical, biological,... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently awarded the City of San Antonio, Texas $1.5 million in grants to help prevent, protect against, mitigate, and respond to acts of terrorism.
“San Antonio is one of the fastest-growing cities... Read More »
U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested 49 foreign nationals in Philadelphia during an operation that extended from May 14 to May 20 that targeted aliens with criminal records, fugitives, re-entrants and other violators of federal immigration laws.
Of the 49 individuals... Read More »
An active shooter response training simulation recently organized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) from the Laredo Port of Entry enabled supervisors to focus on bolstering active shooter preparedness and prevention efforts.
Hosted by the Use of Force... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that New York was awarded hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding to enhance security preparedness and anti-terror activities through grant programming in fiscal year 2018.
New York City will receive $178 million under the... Read More »
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced this week that it is working with the Government of Puerto Rico to train emergency and healthcare workers to respond to mass casualty incidents.
FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness is running a four-day training course from May 29 to... Read More »
The U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee on May 23 approved 22-1 the pending Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2018, S.2852.
S. 2852, introduced on May 15 by U.S. Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), would reauthorize certain programs under... Read More »
Results of a recent survey examined the thoughts of Americans concerning the potential impact infectious and emerging diseases facing other countries will have in the United States.
The effort, commissioned by Research!America and the American Society for Microbiology, showed 95 percent of... Read More »
With tuberculosis killing 1.7 million people in 2016, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) led more than 900 doctors, scientists, and researchers in calling United Nations (UN) Ambassador Nikki Haley to secure “concrete commitments” in this fall’s UN General Assembly High Level... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced Monday that $1.6 billion in funding would be made available to state and local governments, nonprofits, transportation authorities and the private sector to bolster terrorism prevention, response, recovery, and mitigation efforts in fiscal year... Read More »
Las Vegas will receive $5 million to help prevent terrorist attacks under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) grant program, reflecting an increase of $2.13 million from the previous year.
U.S. Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) has been leading a push... Read More »
The Laredo Sector Border Patrol Foreign Operations Branch (FOB), working with the Government of Mexico (GoM), prevented a large shipment of narcotics from entering the United States last week.
Border Patrol agents with the Foreign Operations Branch, along with officials from the Mexican... Read More »
U.S. Reps. James Langevin (D-RI) and Peter King (R-NY) and Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) recently introduced the Joint Task Force to Combat Opioid Trafficking Act.
The bill would enable Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to create a Joint Task Force to improve coordination of the interdiction... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) would have a greater capacity to track and prevent exposure to blasts that can leave service members with traumatic brain injury (TBI) under a bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Senate on Friday.
Introduced by U.S. Reps. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Elizabeth... Read More »
The director of national intelligence would be required to report on efforts by foreign governments, individuals or entities to bribe President Trump, the Trump family or Trump Administration officials under an amendment to the fiscal year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) introduced... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Treasury would be authorized to create a “Border Wall Trust Fund” to accept public donations for the planning, design, construction or maintenance of a southern border wall under legislation introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday.
Introduced by U.S.... Read More »
The lack of both a protective vaccine and a proactive worldwide plan for tackling the spread of a catastrophic global pandemic resulted in the death of 150 million people across Earth during the recent Clade X simulation exercise hosted by the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
And minus... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) recently launched its Reporting Offsite Arrival – Mobile (ROAM) app, which operators of small vessels can use to report their entry into Florida.
To use the app, travelers input their biographic, conveyance and trip details and submit their trip for... Read More »
The U.S. House of Representatives approved four bills last week that would take steps to enhance protections for law enforcement officers through stricter penalties, additional resources and improved collaboration with local communities.
The Protect and Serve Act, H.R. 5698, aims to prevent... Read More »
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is calling on students and young professionals from around the world to offer new ideas regarding communication around nuclear and radiological emergencies.
Calling the effort the “Young Innovative Communicators Competition,” participants must... Read More »
In the wake of being recently tapped Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Port Director at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Raymond S. Polley is embracing his new post.
“Houston is a great place to be,” Polley said. “I am very happy to be here and look forward to working with the... Read More »