U.S. Policy
Officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Defense (DoD), and the FBI testified before a Senate panel on Friday about evolving international terrorist threats and the impact of $582.8 million in proposed cuts to counterterrorism programs.
U.S. Sen. Claire... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INM) recently launched a pilot program to collect and share biographic information on pedestrians leaving the United States for Mexico at the San Ysidro-El Chaparral Port of Entry.
The Joint Pedestrian Land... Read More »
Leaders of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) testified before a congressional panel on Thursday about the United States’ ability to counter weapons of mass destruction and additional emerging threats.
U.S. Rep. Dan Donovan (R-NY), the chairman of the House Homeland Security... Read More »
A new Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will consolidate the efforts to thwart and counter WMD attacks, the department announced on Thursday.
DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced the creation of the CWMD Office, which will... Read More »
A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposal to begin consolidation of chemical, radiological, nuclear and explosives (CBRNE) functions this month does not reflect recommendations made by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in August 2016.
Congress directed DHS to review its weapons... Read More »
A witness at a House subcommittee hearing on Thursday identified drone delivery of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons as one of the newest threats to homeland security, as lawmakers examined a proposal to reorganize and enhance U.S. defenses against weapons of mass destruction.
The... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported on Wednesday significant increases in seizures of cocaine and unreported currency at eight South Texas ports of entry in fiscal year (FY) 2017 as compared to FY2016.
CBP officers at the eight ports of entry from Brownsville to Del Rio that... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) requested information this week about how many government agencies have complied with a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) directive to identify Kaspersky Labs software on government computers and to plan for its removal.
DHS Binding Operational Directive (BOD)... Read More »
The United States Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) launched a program this week to improve information sharing with financial institutions.
The FinCEN Exchange program will include regular briefings with financial institutions to share information on... Read More »
Legislation introduced in the House of Representatives on Tuesday would add chip technology to Medicare identification cards to better protect seniors and to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.
Under the Medicare Common Access Card (CAC) Act, Medicare cards would use the same chip technology that... Read More »
Bipartisan leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee called on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Tuesday to lead the investigation into sonic attacks on personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba.
The State Department... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released Tuesday its end-of-year immigration enforcement statistics, which showed historically low border apprehension numbers but an increase in removals.
We have clearly seen the successful results of the President’s commitment to supporting the... Read More »
Efforts to enhance vetting of travelers to the United States, to intercept ISIS fighters fleeing Syria and Iraq, and to remain vigilant of “homegrown violent extremists” highlighted a Terror Threat Snapshot released by the House Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday.
Key developments... Read More »
The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Department of Justice (DoJ) initiated a regulatory process on Tuesday to determine if bump stocks are illegal under federal prohibitions on machineguns.
The ATF has submitted an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking to the Office of... Read More »
Businesses would have to adhere to new customer notification requirements for data breaches under a bill introduced in the Senate on Thursday, and corporate employees could face new criminal penalties for deliberately concealing breaches.
Democratic members of the Senate Commerce, Science and... Read More »
Efforts to modernize the Douglas Port of Entry in southeastern Arizona advanced on Friday with the General Services Administration (GSA) awarding a contract to Tuscon-based architectural firm Line and Space to conduct a feasibility study.
The feasibility study will aim to evaluate and identify... Read More »
With U.S. adversaries making steady gains in space capabilities in the decades following the first Gulf War, military leaders called for swifter action to secure U.S. space dominance and for reforms to procurement processes on Saturday.
Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson and Air Force Gen. John... Read More »
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Acting Director Elaine Duke testified before a House committee on Thursday that the Diversity Visa Lottery Program is “rife with fraud,” backing a bill that would eliminate the program.
During a House Homeland Security Committee hearing, Duke said that... Read More »
Romania agreed to purchase Raytheon Co.’s Patriot integrated air and missile defense system from the U.S. Army on Wednesday, a move that sets the stage for contract negotiations between Raytheon and the U.S. government.
Under the letter of offer and acceptance that the Romanian government... Read More »
The National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Radiological Assistance Program (RAP) team recently led three days of training on countering a potential nuclear threat for more than 70 local, state, and federal responders in Hawaii.
RAP held the event at the request of the state of... Read More »
A provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) used by the intelligence community to gather intelligence on terrorists located outside the United States would be amended under a bill introduced in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
The FISA Amendments Reauthorization... Read More »
Witnesses testified before a House subcommittee on Wednesday about the impact that two bills would have on efforts to eliminate access to banks by terrorist organizations, human traffickers, and drug cartels.
The Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit and Terrorism and Illicit Finance... Read More »
Top executives of the government’s national security agencies offered troubling assessments of the growing threats from terrorism, both internationally and domestically, during a congressional hearing on Thursday.
“Today, the magnitude of the threat we face from terrorism is equal to, and in... Read More »
At an American Security Today ceremony earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Science & Technology Directorate (S&T) found its efforts lauded, taking away four awards for current projects.
The annual ASTOR Homeland Security Awards recognizes physical, IT, and port... Read More »
Effective Jan. 1, 2018, Terry Wallace has been appointed director of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and president of Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS), which operates the laboratory for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).
Norman J. Pattiz and Barbara E. Rusinko,... Read More »
A Canadian national and resident pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges of computer hacking and other criminal offenses related to helping Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) to access webmail accounts.
Karim Baratov, also known as Kay, Karim Taloverov, and Karim Akehmet Tokbergenov, was charged... Read More »
Programs that work to secure railroads, buses, public areas of airports and other “soft targets” for terrorist attacks would be revamped and restored under a bill introduced in the House of Representatives on Monday.
The Surface Transportation and Public Area Security Act of 2017 seeks to... Read More »
Following North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile test on Monday, lawmakers called for action on legislation that would require a strategy to confront the nuclear threat and step-up sanctions on North Korea.
U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN), the ranking member of the Senate Armed Forces... Read More »
Researchers at Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) were recently recognized for developing testing methods for low-volatility agent permeation (LVAP) in clothing and protective gear, and for pioneering a system to use 3D printing to produce tactical gear.
The researchers were recognized... Read More »
A congressional proposal to cut the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) by 44 percent would lead to 67 million additional malaria cases in the next four years, according to a recent mathematical model’s estimates.
PMI was launched in 2005 with a goal to reduce malaria by 50 percent in 15... Read More »
President Donald Trump recently signed into law the Protecting Patient Access to Emergency Medications Act, which allows emergency medical responders to administer controlled substances under the supervision of a physician.
U.S. Representatives Richard Hudson (R-NC) and G.K. Butterfield (D-NC)... Read More »
More than $98 million in grants announced by the Department of Justice (DoJ) on Monday will help 179 law enforcement agencies across the nation hire 802 additional police officers in the coming years.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the funds would be awarded to state, local, and... Read More »
A visa program that allowed a terrorist who killed eight people on New York City bike path to enter the country would be eliminated under a bill introduced in the House of Representatives on Monday.
Sayfullo Saipov immigrated to the United States from Uzbekistan through the Diversity Immigrant... Read More »
In response to reports that Russia targeted voting systems in 21 states during the 2016 elections, leaders of the Congressional Task Force on Election Security called on House appropriators to fund state efforts to secure voting infrastructure on Monday.
Approximately $400 million remains... Read More »
After the Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK) was successfully used to coordinate multi-agency responses to recent hurricanes, additional training sessions have been held for federal, state, and local officials, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Friday.
ATAK, which was... Read More »
