U.S. Policy
Assessing the security efforts of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in regards to Cuba-bound U.S. flights, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) determined that more could have been done to track and inspect these flights.
Their investigation, which was carried out in... Read More »
Lockheed Martin and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) personnel recently executed a series of flight tests designed to demonstrate seamless weapons systems integration.
The effort, which involved using Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works development program and executed at the Naval... Read More »
A variant of the Raytheon, Co. Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM) scored a direct hit on an aerial target in a guided flight test after being launched from the U.S. Navy’s self-defense test ship off the coast of southern California on Sunday.
The ESSM Block 2 intermediate-range, surface-to-air... Read More »
The U.S. Army announced the selection of Austin, Texas, as the headquarters for the new Army Future Command on Friday, marking the most significant reorganization of the Army since the early 1970s.
The Futures Command, which began operating on July 1, will evaluate emerging threats, operational... Read More »
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations along with U.S. Border Patrol arrested 18 smugglers at the country’s southern border.
Law enforcement officials seized cash, vehicles and more than 1,000 lbs. of marijuana from these alien smugglers.
“We... Read More »
Following a hearing on strategies to strengthen U.S. cybersecurity capabilities on Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) highlighted legislation he previously introduced to expand scholarship opportunities for students studying cybersecurity.
The U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and... Read More »
Several organizations, including the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) biosecurity program, received a grant last week to create a Global Health Security (GHS) Index.
The GHS Index will assess countries’ capabilities to prevent, detect, and respond to high consequence biological events. This... Read More »
Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN) has been named to the conference committee charged with the responsibility of negotiating a final national defense bill.
The Senate passed the measure, which officials said included several provisions Donnelly led or supported to reinforce Indiana’s role in national... Read More »
Ongoing efforts to advance school security and emergency preparedness were the topic of a congressional hearing held on Wednesday that included testimony from government officials, educators, and police representatives.
U.S. Reps. Dan Donovan (R-NY) and Donald Payne, Jr. (D-NJ), the respective... Read More »
In response to growing calls to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a group of 15 Republican senators introduced a resolution on Wednesday voicing support for the agency.
U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Joe Kennedy (R-LA) noted that ICE agents rescued 1,422 victims of... Read More »
Jack Staton was named special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in El Paso, Texas.
HSI El Paso is responsible for the 18 westernmost counties of Texas, and the entire state of New Mexico, encompassing about 156,000... Read More »
Legislation that would authorize at least $3.3 billion in annual security assistance to Israel through 2028 and extend war reserve stockpile authority in Israel through 2023 cleared the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday with bipartisan support.
Introduced by U.S. Sens. Marco... Read More »
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued recommendations on Tuesday to help the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) better identify foreign investments in American companies that could potentially jeopardize national security.
A GAO review found that the DoD Office of Manufacturing... Read More »
State Minority Leader, and former law enforcement officer, Sen. Jay Costa (D-43rd District) recently announced that he would introduce measures designed to bolster police training initiatives in the wake of officer-involved shootings across the commonwealth and nation.
“I believe it is... Read More »
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will establish a Firefighter Cancer Registry to evaluate whether firefighters’ exposure to toxins and dangerous fumes is linked to cancer under a bill that was signed into law on Monday.
Under the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act, the CDC... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is partnering with public safety agencies from Harris County, Texas, to conduct operational tests for first responders.
The Next Generation First Responder (NGFR) – Harris County Operational... Read More »
The United States and Canada launched last week an initiative designed to explore the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and situational awareness technologies during critical incidents.
Officials representing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T)... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has now approved more than 1,000 anti-terrorism technologies used in public places for legal protections over the last 15 years.
Established under the Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective... Read More »
Boeing and Embraer recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create a strategic partnership to accelerate growth in global aerospace markets.
The agreement, which is non-binding, proposes a joint venture comprising the commercial aircraft and services business of Embraer and the... Read More »
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said recently released numbers reflect June showed a decline in Southwest Border apprehensions and inadmissibles by 18 percent compared to May.
In June, a total of 34,114 individuals were apprehended between ports of entry on the Southwest Border,... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) filed a lawsuit on July 3 to revoke the naturalized U.S. citizenship of an Indian national convicted of providing material support to ISIS and traveling abroad with intent to murder or maim U.S. service members.
Khaleel Ahmed, 37, pleaded guilty to the... Read More »
The Mobile Endpoint Security platform developed by Lookout, Inc. with funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is now on iOS and Android operating systems.
DHS S&T announced the transition of the enhanced endpoint and anti-phishing... Read More »
Philadelphia Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials recently seized a shipment of 108 counterfeit Super Bowl rings that, if authentic, had a retail value of $1,080,000.
Officials said the seizure stemmed from an express consignment parcel that arrived in June from Hong Kong manifested as... Read More »
Russian cyber operations went beyond the hack of Democratic National Committee emails during 2016 elections, and the Intelligence Committee Assessment (ICA) on Russian activities is “well-supported,” according to a summary released on Tuesday by the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.... Read More »
Ronald Vitiello has been tapped to serve as the deputy director and acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) effective June 30, replacing retiring ICE Acting Director Tom Homan.
In making the announcement, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen noted that... Read More »
Amid reports that federal authorities have been unable to take action against irresponsible gun owners due to vague gun licensing regulations, members of Rhode Island’s congressional delegation backed legislation on Monday that aims to enhance accountability.
U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse... Read More »
A new online tool called the Neighborhood Atlas has been launched to help researchers to view socioeconomic data on communities.
The platform, developed at the University of Wisconsin, allows researchers to rank and map neighborhoods according to income, education, employment, housing quality... Read More »
School districts can now apply for resources to enhance coordination with local police, install metal detectors and other protective measures, and provide additional training to prevent student violence through the School Violence Prevention Program.
The School Violence Prevention Program’s... Read More »
A meeting of the U.S.-Lebanon Joint Military Commission held in Washington, D.C., last week focused on the partnership between the two nations to secure regional security, to counter terrorism and to protect Lebanon’s sovereignty.
Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security... Read More »
Federal authorities arrested last week more than three dozen darknet vendors across the country, seizing drugs, weapons, and more than $23.6 million in cash and cryptocurrency.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Postal Inspection... Read More »
The fiscal year 2019 Defense Appropriations Act, which the House advanced last week, includes increased funding for several Arizona military programs and installations.
The package includes $144 million for new A-10 wings which will re-wing between 14-20 planes, Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) said.... Read More »
The Curtiss-Wright Corporation has secured a $28 million government contract to provide valves for the Navy’s Virginia-class submarines.
The global innovative company’s role supports ship construction and spare parts procurement, noting the contract includes FY18 orders for two ship sets of... Read More »
The U.S. House of Representatives advanced last week the Defense Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2019, which marks a roughly 2.5 percent increase over 2018 funding levels.
The bill provides $674.6 billion for the Department of Defense, including $606.5 billion in base discretionary funding... Read More »
The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee on June 27 passed the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act of 2018 (PAHPRA), sending it to the full committee along with four other public health bills under consideration.
“The mark up of these five important bills... Read More »
Four New York lawmakers led an effort to defeat a proposal to separate the World Trade Center Health Program, which provides treatment services for first responders and survivors with 9/11-related health conditions, from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, according to a June... Read More »
