News
Legislation would secure access to mineral supply chains
Bipartisan legislation recently introduced in the U.S. Senate would help secure U.S. access to critical mineral supply chains and counter Chinese industry dominance. The Critical Minerals Security Act would direct the U.S. Department of the Interior to evaluate ownership of critical minerals and... Read More »
Legislation would simplify federal disaster recovery assistance application process
Bipartisan legislation recently reintroduced in the U.S. Senate would simplify the application process for federal disaster recovery assistance. The Disaster Assistance Simplification Act would require the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish a universal application across... Read More »
Legislation combatting China’s influence on the supply chain passes House
Two bills officials say will counter the influence of China’s Communist party on the supply chain passed in the U.S. House of Representatives Monday. The bills, the “Decoupling from Foreign Adversarial Battery Dependence Act,” H.B. 1166, and the “SHIELD Against the CCP Act,” H.R. 708,... Read More »
Republicans ask for information about TSA’s cybersecurity measures
Republicans in the House Homeland Security Committee are requesting information from the Transportation Security Administration on its measures and resiliency following recent cybersecurity incidents. U.S. Reps. Mark Green, MD (R-TN), Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), Andre Garbarino (R-NY), and Sheri... Read More »
Social research projects cut from Department of Defense
The U.S. Department of Defense recently announced its Office of the Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering will discontinue its entire social science research portfolio. The portfolio consists of 91 studies concerning social trends, access to food, climate change impacts, global... Read More »
DHS Science and Technology Directorate launches technology challenges
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) recently launched the Remote Identity Validation Rally (RIVR), a series of technology challenges that will be held throughout the year. DHS S&T completed the Remote Identity Validation Technology Demonstration... Read More »
Coast Guard Reauthorization bill passes Senate
With a possible government shutdown looming, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan Coast Guard Reauthorization Act to fund the U.S. Coast Guard through 2026. The bill, introduced last month by U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Tammy Baldwin... Read More »
ISIS-K member charged for role in attack on U.S. service members in Afghanistan
The United States charged Mohammad Sharifullah on March 2. Sharifullah is a member of Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), a terrorist organization. He was charged with providing and conspiring to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist... Read More »
Canadian nationals charged in multi-million dollar “grandparent scam”
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have uncovered a scam by nearly two dozen Canadian nationals that allegedly defrauded Americans of more than $21 million. Officials said 23 Canadian nationals were indicted by a federal grand jury in Vermont and arrested provisionally by Canadian law... Read More »
CBP discovers 16 illegals working at New Jersey-area warehouse
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the Port of New York/Newark discovered 16 illegal aliens working at a CBP bonded warehouse during an unannounced inspection on Feb. 26 to determine whether imported merchandise was properly secured. The inspection was conducted in collaboration with... Read More »
Bill ensuring Coast Guard personnel gets paid during government shutdown reintroduced
Members of the Senate Commerce Committee reintroduced bipartisan legislation ensuring Coast Guard personnel would receive pay in the event of a government shutdown Tuesday. U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chair and ranking member of the committee, along with Sens. Roger... Read More »
Legislation would assess how terrorists groups use technology
Legislation recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would examine how foreign terrorist organizations use the internet and emerging technology to recruit, radicalize, and inspire attacks in the homeland. The Generative AI Terrorism Risk Assessment Act would require the... Read More »
Legislation introduced to improve DHS Intel office
U.S. Reps. Gabe Evans (R-CO), August Pfluger (R-TX), and Laurel Lee (R-FL) re-introduced legislation this week they said would improve transparency and oversight of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A). The legislation would require the office... Read More »
Legislation introduced to combat online radicalization
In response to the treat posed to the U.S. by terrorist organizations like ISIS and al Qaeda, U.S. Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) introduced legislation to examine how foreign terrorist organizations use the internet and other technology to recruit and radicalize members against the U.S. Pfluger,... Read More »
Legislation would prevent individuals tied to Hamas from entering United States
Bipartisan legislation recently introduced in the U.S. Senate would prevent any migrant tied to Hamas from entering the United States. The No Immigration Benefits For Hamas Terrorists Act would prohibit any migrant who carried out, participated in, planned, financed, afforded material support... Read More »
Bill addressing the threat of vehicular terrorism introduced
U.S. Reps. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) and Mark Green (R-TN) introduced last week legislation addressing the rising threat of vehicular terrorism. Coming on the heels of the attack on New Orleans on New Year’s Day, the Department of Homeland Security Vehicular Terrorism Prevention and Mitigation... Read More »
Legislation would provide small law enforcement agencies with funding opportunities
Bipartisan legislation recently reintroduced in the U.S. Senate would increase grant funding for small law enforcement agencies. The majority of law enforcement agencies nationwide have less 175 full-time sworn officers. The Invest to Protect Act would establish a grant program through the... Read More »
Homeland Security Committee advances Cyber Pivott Act
The Cyber Pivott Act, legislation strengthening the cybersecurity workforce, advanced out of the House Committee on Homeland Security this week. The legislation, formally H.R. 1000, the Providing Individuals Various Opportunities for Technical Training to Build a Skills-Based Cyber Workforce... Read More »
Project provides access to violent incident data
The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism recently launched the Terrorism and Targeted Violence (T2V) project. The project will provide the homeland security community with data and analysis on violent events occurring in the United States and its territories... Read More »
GAO offers DHS guidance on improving transparency in acquisitions
A new report from the General Accountability Office offers the U.S. Department of Homeland Security guidance on how to increase the department’s transparency in its acquisition goals. As part of the DHS Appropriations Act of 2015, the GAO is required to review DHS’s major acquisitions on an... Read More »
DHS publishes guide for responsible positioning, navigation, and timing use
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) recently published a guide to help service providers, owners, and operators understand their role in responsible positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) use. PNT is essential for critical infrastructure... Read More »
State Department increases pressure on Iran oil sanctions
The U.S. State Department announced increased pressure on entities and vessels involved in Iran’s oil industry Monday. The State Department and the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said they were sanctioning a total of 22 people and identified 13 vessels as... Read More »
Legislation would create Office of Public Safety Communications
Legislation recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would establish the Office of Public Safety Communications. The Public Safety Communications Act would amend the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Organization Act to create an Office of Public... Read More »
Legislation reintroduced to strengthen security at major events
U.S. Reps. Dina Titus (D-NV) and Richard Hudson (R-NC) reintroduced legislation that would strengthen the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s ability to support security at major sporting and entertainment events. The DHS Special Events Program and Support bill would permanently codify... Read More »
Legislation aims to stop Chinese espionage
A bipartisan, bicameral bill reintroduced on Friday in the U.S. House of Representatives aims to stop Chinese Communist Party (CCP) espionage, intellectual property theft and economic warfare against the United States. The Protect America’s Innovation and Economic Security from CCP Act would... Read More »
Legislation would enhance counterterrorism efforts
Legislation recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would enhance the Department of Homeland Security’s counterterrorism efforts. The Syria Terrorism Threat Assessment Act would require an evaluation of the threat posed to the United States by individuals in Syria with ties to... Read More »
Pratt & Whitney awarded $1.5B for F119 engine contract
Pratt & Whitney announced it had secured a three-year, $1.5 billion contract to sustain F119 engines, the power behind the U.S. Air Force’s F-22 fighter jets. The company, an RTX business, said the contract would improve the readiness and lower costs for the more than 400 engines in the U.S.... Read More »
California seizes nearly 22,000 pounds of fentanyl in 2025
California’s Counter Drug Task Force has confiscated of nearly 22,000 pounds of illegal fentanyl and more than 37 million pills containing fentanyl so far this year. The drugs have a street value of nearly $300 million. In January, 557 pounds of fentanyl and 319,732 pills with a street value... Read More »
Congress members urge USDA to fight avian flu outbreak
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) and a bipartisan group of Congress members asked U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to explore all available options to address the latest avian flu outbreak. In a Feb. 18 letter, the group said the USDA should explore all the mitigation and prevention... Read More »
Justice Department fines companies $11M for cybersecurity violations
The U.S. Department of Justice said Health Net Federal Services Inc. (HNFS) and Centene Corporation will pay more than $11 million to resolve claims they violated cybersecurity requirements. The DOJ said HNFS, based in Rancho Cordova, Calif., and its parent company Centene, based in St. Louis,... Read More »
Raytheon demonstrates technology for U.S. Army
Raytheon, a defense solutions company, recently completed 10 subsystem demonstrations of the U.S. Army's Next-Generation Short-Range Interceptor (NGSRI). The technology eventually will replace the Stinger surface-to-air missile. Tests include: The NGSRI advanced seeker assembly demonstrated... Read More »
FDA approves vaccine for chikungunya
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a single-dose chikungunya vaccine developed by Denmark-based Bavarian Nordic A/S, a global vaccine company, for people age 12 years and older. Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne disease caused by the chikungunya virus. The virus has been... Read More »
Legislation to reform school safety introduced on school shooting anniversary
Legislation to reform school safety measures was introduced last week, officials said. The legislation, the Measures for Safer School Districts Act, introduced by U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) would modernize the school safety... Read More »
FBI, DOJ’s Antitrust Division launch online portal on international antitrust fugitives
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division recently launched an online portal containing information on international fugitives who have been charged with antitrust offenses and other crimes affecting the competitive process. “The FBI is focused... Read More »