News
Hruby, Seydel join Nuclear Threat Initiative board
Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) officials said Jill Hruby and Laura Turner Seydel have joined the organization’s Board of Directors, “We are so pleased to welcome these outstanding leaders to NTI’s board,” Ernest J. Moniz, NTI co-chair and CEO, said. “Jill brings tremendous technical... Read More »
CBP, counterparts explore Enhance Preclearance efficiency, effectiveness
Efforts to enhance Preclearance efficiency and effectiveness served as the prime focus during the recent Preclearance Port Directors Summit in Abu Dhabi. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials met with counterparts from the Department of State and the United Arab Emirates personnel during... Read More »
Security Centers of Excellence develop tools to combat criminal organizations
Three Department of Homeland Security Centers of Excellence have developed open-source tools to help the U.S. government combat transnational criminal organizations (TCO) and drug cartels in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. Researchers examined foreign government documents for the... Read More »
Sens. Moran, Cortez Masto sponsor bill to research deepfakes
U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) introduced a bill to fund research into ways of detecting “deepfakes.” Deepfakes are online videos that are manipulated to realistically mimic a person’s identity. This legislation would seek to raise awareness of deepfakes... Read More »
Senate banking Committee advances bill to extend terrorism risk insurance
The Senate Banking Committee advanced legislation to extend the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program for seven years. The Terrorism Risk Insurance Program was established following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The program – created after Congress passed the Terrorism Risk... Read More »
NIAID report finds increased eastern equine encephalitis poses national threat
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) have begun to recognize eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus as an emergent threat, as an especially deadly year in the United States winds to a close. As of Nov. 12, there were 36 confirmed cases of EEE across eight states,... Read More »
DoD awards $48.9M to universities for major research equipment
Department of Defense (DoD) officials said the agency has earmarked nearly $49 million for university research endeavors through the Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP). “These awards provide research infrastructure to enable the most creative scientific minds in the... Read More »
GAO offers recommendation for TSA training coordination
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) a recommendation to enhance the agency’s security training program coordination efforts. After conducting a review of the TSA’s approach, the GAO has recommended the TSA Administrator... Read More »
Chinese biotechnology dominates U.S. Senate hearing on biological threats
China is rapidly gaining on the United States when it comes to creating technology that mitigates disease threats and developing pharmaceuticals faster, and it’s a phenomenon driven by a philosophy that the state, military, and the private sector are one in the same. That was the testimony of... Read More »
U.S. Senate holds hearing on Chinese talent recruitment plans
The U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations held a hearing on a report on a Chinese program that captures U.S. Intellectual property. Through its “talent recruitment plans” launched in the 1990s, China began recruiting U.S.-based scientists and researchers and providing... Read More »
House Committee advances Rep. Spanberger’s 5G bill
The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced legislation to protect 5G and next-generation wireless communications systems in the United States. The bill -- the Secure 5G and Beyond Act – was introduced by Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA). The bill would require the Trump... Read More »
Democratic senators address DHS over cybersecurity funding shortfall
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), along with U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), send a letter Tuesday to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to address a shortfall in funding efforts meant to support state and local data sharing and cybersecurity. The... Read More »
GAO offers transportation security recommendation
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) a recommendation regarding creating a federal transportation security national strategy governing document. GAO officials said after researching the issue, it has recommended DHS should, in... Read More »
DIA examines Iran’s military capability
The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has released findings regarding Iran’s military capability, providing details on that nation’s defense and military goals, strategy, plans, and intentions. “As Tehran expands its capabilities and role as both an unconventional and conventional threat... Read More »
Reps. Eshoo, Diaz-Balart honored by Global Health Technologies Coalition
U.S. Reps. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) were honored by the Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC) for their leadership in supporting global health research and development (R&D). The two were honored at GHTC’s 2019 Innovating for Impact Awards, which recognizes U.S.... Read More »
Democratic, Independent senators urge funding for election security
A group of Democratic and Independent U.S. senators recently urged the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to increase funding for election security grants and the Election Assistance Commission (EAC). The EAC is an independent, bipartisan commission charged with ensuring accessible,... Read More »
DHS funds target blockchain security development
Austin, Texas-based Factom, Inc. has secured $197,292 in funding from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) to enhance blockchain security system development. DHS officials said they envision agencies using the technology to create and verify... Read More »
Bill targets supply chain vulnerabilities
Reps. Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) recently introduced legislation they said would facilitate information sharing from the federal government to the private sector regarding supply chain vulnerabilities. The Network Security Information Sharing Act addresses the need for greater... Read More »
GOP committee leaders object to DHS proposal on drones
Republican leaders on the U.S. House Homeland Security and Transportation and Infrastructure Committees blasted the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) proposal to allow counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) equipment to operate near airports. This includes equipment that could be... Read More »
Colorado State awarded $1.2 million for tuberculosis research
Researchers at Colorado State University were awarded a $1.2 million subcontract from the Infectious Disease Research Institute in Seattle for immunology research to accelerate progress in tuberculosis vaccine development. The institute is part of the National Institutes of Health, which gave a... Read More »
Bill offers Terrorism Risk Insurance extension
A pair of lawmakers have introduced a measure extending the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program for seven years. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Tina Smith (D-MN), proponents of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2019, said the 2020 RNC and DNC Conventions, NASCAR, the NFL and... Read More »
FDA final guidance clarifies stance on smallpox drug development
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week issued final guidance for developing smallpox treatment studies, providing clarity to drug manufacturers. “Despite recent advances in developing an effective treatment for smallpox, drug developers still face challenges in bringing... Read More »
DARPA espouses benefits of new program to quickly detect pathogens
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) officials are espousing the potential benefits of new technology to quickly address endemic, emerging and engineered pathogenic threats. The organization’s newest biotechnology funding opportunity, the Detect It with Gene Editing Technologies... Read More »
With new EB-5 program regs going into effect, Grassley goes after bad actors
Federal regulatory updates to the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program that go into effect on Nov. 21 could receive some additional muscle to knock out bad actors if recently introduced federal legislation is enacted. “I still have concerns about fraud and abuse in the program that can only be... Read More »
Bill seeks to bolster CBP hiring, retention
Bipartisan legislation in the U.S. Senate was introduced to improve the hiring and retention of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents and officers. U.S. Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and John Hoeven (R-ND) said the CBP Hiring and Retention Innovation Act, S. 2813, creates a Customs and... Read More »
DHS awards Digital Bazaar funding to develop blockchain security technology
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate awarded $199,984 to Digital Bazaar, a company based in Blacksburg, Va., to develop blockchain security technology. The award was made by S&T’s Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP). The Phase 1 award... Read More »
NIAID awards contract to Integral Molecular to advance understanding of human immune response
Integral Molecular won a $5.5 million National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) contract last week that will, over the next five years, fund efforts to define antibody responses to various pathogenic viruses and advance along the path to making vaccines for them. "Our nearly... Read More »
BARDA awards contract to Inflammatix for innovative diagnostic test systems
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) awarded a $6 million contract to Burlingame, Calif.-based Inflammatix Inc. to develop a new testing technology that reads gene expression patterns in the immune system. The innovative technology, known as host-response testing,... Read More »
Federal funds target NH human trafficking
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has earmarked $780,038, for the New Hampshire Department of Justice (NHDOJ) to combat human trafficking in that state. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) joined Reps. Annie Kuster (D-NH) and Chris Pappas (D-NH) to announce that NHDOJ would... Read More »
Online platform crowdsources predictions about disease outbreak
An online platform launched earlier this year crowdsources intelligence to predict the outcomes of disease outbreak. The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security implemented its publicly available disease prediction policy dashboard 10 months ago, and officials hope forecasting efforts might... Read More »
Rep. Rose urges terrorist organization designation for white nationalist groups
U.S. Rep. Max Rose (D-NY) issued a statement related to the U.S. State Department's response to his request to designate violent white nationalist extremist groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO). Rose was among 40 members of Congress who called upon the State Department to designate... Read More »
PFAS protection for firefighters bill advances
Legislation introduced by a pair of lawmakers designed to examine and address health concerns regarding firefighters’ occupational exposure to per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has advanced in the Senate. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) said the Guaranteeing... Read More »
Lawmakers tout election security measure
A group of legislators have introduced a bill designed to bolster election security via new resources enabling research promoting voting systems modernization. U.S. Reps. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH), Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Frank Lucas (R-OK) said the Election... Read More »
NTI releases new report on Russia’s nuclear weapons systems
The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) released a report assessing the five new nuclear weapon systems announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Based on its analysis, NTI called for an extension of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty or START Treaty. The report, called Russia’s New... Read More »