News
NIH signs $60M contract with university researchers to create TB immunology research centers
Under the terms of a seven-year contract with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), $60 million will be given to Dr. W. Henry Boom and a team of researchers from universities throughout the United States, in an effort to accelerate tuberculosis vaccine development. The first year of the... Read More »
CBP New Orleans participates in Homeland Security anti-counterfeiting operation in Louisiana
Customs and Border Protection (CBP), New Orleans Field Office, has partnered with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to stop counterfeiting efforts during the Holiday season for the third consecutive year. Operation Safety Claus, an anti-counterfeiting law enforcement operation in metro New... Read More »
DoD seeking 5G technology proposals
The Department of Defense (DoD) announced Wednesday that it will issue a draft Request for Proposals (RFP) in November targeting 5G technology large-scale experimentation and prototyping. “History is replete with examples of the DoD partnering with the private sector to foster innovation and... Read More »
Experts, lawmakers call for improved drug pipeline to treat superbugs
Antimicrobial resistant (AMR) microorganisms, also known as superbugs, increasingly threaten every person on Earth, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and national experts. “Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most urgent health risks of our time and threatens to undo a... Read More »
Medical professionals take course in chemical-casualty management
Medical professionals from 20 countries recently attended an international course on the medical management of chemical casualties at the Air Force Medical University in Xi’an, China. Participants were trained in the advanced hospital care of the victims of toxic chemicals or chemical weapons... Read More »
TSA on pace to catch record number of guns at BWI checkpoints
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) are on pace to catch a record number of guns at airport checkpoints. TSA officials have caught 26 guns so far this year at BWI, tying the record set in 2017. The 26th gun... Read More »
Anti-Defamation League report says 12 white supremacists arrested since Tree of Life attacks
In the year since the attack on Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue, 12 white supremacists have been arrested for their alleged roles in terrorist plots, attacks or threats against the Jewish community, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported. The ADL’s Center on Extremism reports... Read More »
DoD-funded research at Kansas State University focuses on disease prevention
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) recently provided a three-year grant to Kansas State University (KSU) for the development of a tool used to assess infection risk and implementing prevention efforts. Led by KSU professor Caterina Scoglio, PICTUREE: Predicting Insect Contact and Transmission... Read More »
Bill seeks to offer election protections against foreign interference
A bipartisan delegation of legislators recently supported legislation seeking to prohibit foreign ownership or control of the nation’s elections systems. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (D-NJ) recently joined Reps. Kendra Horn (D-OK), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), Xochitl Torres Small (D-NM), Dan Crenshaw... Read More »
Legislation targets IoT cybersecurity
Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Rep. Ted W. Lieu (D-CA) recently introduced a measure they said would create a voluntary cybersecurity certification program for Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The Cyber Shield Act would establish an advisory committee of cybersecurity experts from academia,... Read More »
Task force launched to address challenges fire departments face in Pennsylvania
A recently launched joint federal/state task force will address workforce challenges and budgetary faced by volunteer fire companies in Pennsylvania. The task force was created by U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Congressional Fire Services Caucus member, and state Reps. Frank Farry (R-... Read More »
House bill would give border agents tool to detect synthetic opioids
A bill that would give U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents the equipment to detect synthetic opioids has been introduced in the U.S. House. The DHS Opioid Detection Resilience Act of 2019 requires the Commissioner of CBP to procure chemical screening devices that allow border patrol... Read More »
European Medicines Agency gives approval to Merck Ebola vaccine
The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) gave the okay for a conditional marketing authorization for V920 Ebola Zaire vaccine developed by Merck. If affirmed by the European Commission, the vaccine will be authorized under the brand name... Read More »
CDC supports multi-national study for disease surveillance in Central America, Caribbean
The ministries of health in Belize, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic announced the development of a surveillance network to identify and track acute febrile illnesses (AFIs), now with the assistance of experts from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and academic... Read More »
Bill addresses IoT risks, cybersecurity training
Rep. Ro Khanna introduced Monday a measure designed to consider federal employee cybersecurity training and information on the risks of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. “The Internet of Things Cybersecurity Training for Federal Employees Act will ensure that our federal workforce is aware of... Read More »
Effort targets satellite protection enhancement
Sandia National Laboratories researchers have embarked upon a seven-year campaign focusing upon developing the science, technology, and architecture to aid autonomous satellite protection initiatives. STARCS (Science and Technology Advancing Resilience for Contested Space) will fund dozens of... Read More »
Legislation would establish assistant secretary of defense for space
Rep. Mark Green (R-TN) recently introduced H.R.4720, legislation that would establish an assistant secretary of defense for space. The position would be responsible for the growth and expansion of the United States Space Force and would report to the secretary of defense. “As China and... Read More »
Massachusetts Congress members urge DHS to help municipalities fight cyber attacks
Democratic members of Congress from Massachusetts are urging the Department of Homeland Security to broaden its efforts to help state and local governments to fight the growing number of ransomware attacks. The lawmakers expressed their concern with the rise in these attacks on police... Read More »
NIH researchers shown promising results from Ebola vaccine tests
Tests conducted by National Institutes of Health scientists showed that a single dose of a highly diluted VSV-Ebola virus (EBOV) vaccine is fully protective against the disease in infected monkeys. The dose is approximately one-millionth of what is in the vaccine being used to help control the... Read More »
Parliamentarians call for broader implementation of Chemical Weapons Convention
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) officials recently joined global parliamentarians in discussing means of implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). During the 141st Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Belgrade, Serbia, parties met to exchange... Read More »
Marines execute Island Marauder initiative
Marine Corps personnel recently joined subject matter experts in executing Island Marauder, an annual technology demonstration involving the integration of current and future technology in a realistic combat environment. Marine Corps Base Hawaii served as the site of the endeavor, which... Read More »
WHO Emergency Committee updates Ebola situation in DRC, emphasizes multimodal response as case numbers slow
New cases in the ongoing Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Ebola outbreak slowed in the 21 days from Sept. 23 to Oct. 13, 2019, a World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Committee heard this week. While the epidemic is primarily concentrated on the Mandima health zone in the DRC, new... Read More »
Commerce Department announces two appointments to FirstNet Board
The Department of Commerce has appointed Karima Holmes and Matt Slinkard to the First Responder Network Authority Board (FirstNet Authority). The FirstNet Authority’s mission, per authorities, is to ensure the building, deployment, and operation of FirstNet, the nationwide broadband network... Read More »
DHS targets emergency responder collision prevention
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) officials said the agency is partnering with a firm to develop technology designed to prevent emergency responder collisions. Chicago-based HAAS Alert is standardizing C-V2X cellular vehicle-to-everything technology... Read More »
Sen. Ernst seeks ISIS elimination strategy
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) is calling upon the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of State to deliver a plan to Congress outlining efforts to eliminate ISIS permanently. Ernst recently issued a resolution in which the agencies would submit the plan of action within 30 days as a means of... Read More »Researchers examine ways to combat Lyme disease
Ways to develop effective vaccines for Lyme disease and the need to stop the infection were published Thursday in an issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases. The paper is based on highlights from a conference of industry, government, and academia experts earlier this year. Lyme disease is caused... Read More »
North American study says mathematical modelling critical to halting disease outbreaks
Mathematical modelling could make efforts to predict and control disease outbreaks much easier and more reliable, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Waterloo, University of Maryland, and Yale's School of Public Health. "Mathematical models of disease spread... Read More »
IAEA opens new low enriched uranium “bank” in Kazakhstan
A new facility, or bank, opened that will deliver low enriched uranium (LEU) to an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) facility in Kazakhstan. “This is a historic achievement for the IAEA and the government of Kazakhstan, and I am grateful for the hard work and perseverance needed to... Read More »
Experts testify United States is underprepared for bioterrorism threats
Terrorist threats against the United States continue to grow and evolve, including the use of non-conventional weapons, begging the question of whether this country is well-equipped for such attacks. The conclusion of experts who testified Thursday before the U.S. House Homeland Security... Read More »
Battelle awarded two-year contract for CDC influenza strain vaccines
The global nonprofit research and development organization Battelle won a two-year contract with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week, for research on vaccines for influenza strains. Under the terms of the contract, Battelle will assist the CDC in expanding its vaccine... Read More »
DHS, Houston partner to combat human trafficking
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced this week that it has partnered with the City of Houston and the Houston Airport System (HAS) as a means of combating human trafficking. The effort stems from the Blue Lightning Initiative (BLI) program, officials said, which is an extension of the... Read More »
Senate confirms Barrett as Air Force secretary
Barbara Barrett has garnered Senate confirmation to become the nation’s 25th Secretary of the Air Force, with lawmakers voting 85-7 to approve the action. “I can think of no position that offers more excitement, challenge and meaning than the secretary of the Air Force,” Barrett, replacing... Read More »
London-based start-up awarded DHS grant
The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) recently awarded CrowdVision Ltd. $160,902 to develop an airport passenger counting and measuring system for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Funding is for phase one of the project. The company, a... Read More »
US senators ask DoD to look at rising suicide rates among National Guard members
A group of U.S. Senators recently urged the Department of Defense (DoD) to address the increasing suicide rate among members of the National Guard. Recent reports show that the suicide mortality rate for the National Guard has been consistently higher than the rate among active duty and reserve... Read More »