News
FirstNet Authority Board approves $451M budget and enhancement package for 2024
In order to fund operations throughout Fiscal Year 2024 and pursue network upgrades, the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) Board last week approved a $451 million budget package. This included $95 million for an operating budget, $95 million for reserves and $261 million for... Read More »
U.S. Navy awards Lockheed’s Sikorsky $2.7B contract to build 35 helicopters
The U.S. Navy has awarded Sikorsky, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, a $2.7 billion contract to build 35 additional CH-53K King Stallion helicopters. It’s the largest procurement for the aircraft to date, and will see deliveries begin in 2026, divided into three parts. Under the arrangement,... Read More »
Feds conduct Human Trafficking Awareness Training in Florida
The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) on Aug. 23 conducted Human Trafficking Awareness Training for state, local and Tribal law enforcement. The training, which took place in Homestead, Florida, provided law enforcement with in-depth information on what human trafficking is and the... Read More »
DHS, FEMA release new resources for communities amid heat crisis
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released new resources for local community leaders this week to help in the face of extreme, record-breaking heat battering at least 17 states so far. “As extreme heat, worsened by the... Read More »
DOJ awards millions to support American Indians, Alaska Native crime victims
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Wednesday it had awarded nearly $70 million to provide support to American Indian and Alaska Native victims of crimes across the country. The 212 grants from the Department’s Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside (TVSSA) program would help to enhance... Read More »
Montana lawmakers urge revocation of new TSA employee screening policy
In a letter to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator David Pekoske, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines and U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, both Montana Republicans, called for the administration to undo a new employee screening policy they said would overly burden Montana airports. Under scrutiny... Read More »
Legislative push spawns Safer Supervision Act to improve federal supervised release system
In a bicameral, bipartisan effort, federal lawmakers recently introduced the Safer Supervision Act, proposing changes to the federal supervised release system to improve oversight, reduce recidivism and raise the bar for early termination provisions. “The widespread usage of supervised... Read More »
HHS awards more than $1.4B to develop new COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics
Through Project NextGen, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded more than $1.4 billion this week to support development of new tools, technologies and trials of vaccines and therapeutics for COVID-19. Of these funds, the bulk – $1 billion – went to vaccine clinical... Read More »
Republicans urge DOD to halt sale of border wall construction materials
Republicans on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee wrote to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) this week demanding that all sales of border wall construction materials be halted, and accused the department of brazenly attempting to circumvent Congressional decisions. At the heart of the... Read More »
DHS distributes more than $77M in funding to communities receiving migrants
Responding to the needs of migrant host communities throughout the country, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) this week announced more than $77 million would go to border and interior communities housing those awaiting immigration proceedings. It’s an extension of the Shelter and... Read More »
Space Development Agency contracts $816M satellite communications effort to Lockheed Martin
Looking to roll out a network of 36 small, Tranche 2 Transport Layer (T2TL) Beta satellites to advance its communications, the Space Development Agency (SDA) awarded Lockheed Martin a firm-fixed price contract of approximately $816 million this week. That contract will cover three dozen... Read More »
DARPA seeks non-cold storage preservation techniques for bio samples
While lab-based testing has advanced in many ways over the years, sample preservation still relies on refrigerated transport that can cause challenges in remote environments, and this month Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) launched a new program to solicit alternatives. At... Read More »
Passport Modernization Act introduced to speed up passport processing
Facing a post-pandemic travel surge, the State Department has struggled to address a nearly 40 percent increase in passport application requests since 2022, and now new legislation seeks to update and make the passport process more efficient to cut down on strain. Introduced by U.S. Rep. Buddy... Read More »
DHS campus in southeast Washington, D.C. to expand with $288M funding award
Drawing on $288 million in funds from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and General Services Administration (GSA) intend to expand DHS headquarters at St. Elizabeths campus in southeast Washington, D.C. “Locating more of our agencies together... Read More »
Biden administration launches online public awareness campaign for school safety resources
Working through several federal departments, the Biden administration began a new public awareness campaign last week that will highlight federal safety resources for schools and evidence-based practices through SchoolSafety.gov. The initiative is a joint effort between the departments of... Read More »
BAE Systems wins $14M contract from DARPA to develop technology for advanced signal processing, computing
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded a $14 million contract to BAE Systems this week for development of its Massive Cross Correlation (MAX) program. That program is developing technology related to next-generation sensing, imaging and communications systems, and DARPA... Read More »
Bipartisan, bicameral effort presses President Biden to hold Iran accountable for threats to American oil
Oil from an Iranian tanker off Texas remains in limbo despite its seizure by American personnel, and United States lawmakers from both parties and both chambers of Congress are growing fed up after the months-long delay in transfer. In a letter to President Joe Biden, led by U.S. Sen. Joni... Read More »
DoD hosting inaugural talent management innovation challenge for military, civilian employees
Employees at all levels of the Department of Defense (DoD) will be able to participate in its inaugural talent management program that began earlier this month as an idea generator for how to recruit, retain and promote a diverse workforce. Hosted by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense... Read More »
DHS S&T prepares to debut ExPRT database on explosives threats
Building on more than $60 million in basic and applied research and 20 years of work in the field, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is nearing release of a comprehensive database on explosives. ExPRT, as the database is known, will assist... Read More »LEAD Act introduced in Senate in bid to improve VA accountability
With the introduction of the Leadership, Engagement, Accountability, and Development (LEAD) Act this week, United States Sens. Mike Rounds (R-SD), Jon Tester (D-MT), and Jerry Moran (R-KS) proposed reforms of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) to crack down on bad actors. This oversight... Read More »
Senators urge Department of State action on tobacco smuggling over health, security concerns
In a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, a group of five senators raised alarms over illicit trafficking of tobacco products, denouncing them as threats to public health and a significant source of revenue for transnational criminal organizations. U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy, M.D.... Read More »
DoD launches generative AI task force to guide innovation, risk assessment
Reckoning with the growing attention on and potential of artificial intelligence, the United States Department of Defense (DoD) last week created a generative AI task force to analyze, integrate and responsibly utilize large language models, and more. These efforts were gathered under the... Read More »
DHS to conduct cyber safety review of cloud security
Through the Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB), the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) intends to review the targeting of cloud computing, providing recommendations for security among government, industry, and Cloud Service Providers (CSPs). “Organizations of all kinds are... Read More »
China, climate change and new technologies top concerns in latest U.S. National Intelligence Strategy
With the release of the 2023 National Intelligence Strategy (NIS) last week, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines laid out the goals of the Intelligence Community (IC) for the next four years. “The National Intelligence Strategy articulates what the Intelligence Community will need... Read More »
Cyber Safety Review Board cites 10 recommendations for government, industry amid report on hacker group Lapsus$
Global hacker group Lapsus$ took top billing in the latest report from the United States Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB), and though its techniques were found to be simple, its threat is anything but, prompting a series of recommendations for greater protections. The CSRB operates under the... Read More »
New York launches first-ever statewide cybersecurity strategy
For the first time, New York laid out a range of high-level objectives for its cybersecurity and resilience this week, guided by Gov. Kathy Hochul and backed by $600 million in funding. With the release of an official cybersecurity strategy, the state laid out various agencies’ roles and... Read More »
Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act introduced in bid to up federal firefighter pay
With wildfires more aggressive than ever, and climate change threatening worse to come, a bicameral collection of lawmakers introduced the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act (H.R. 5169) this week to boost recruitment, retention and well-being of federal firefighters. Chief sponsor of... Read More »
CONVENE Act to bolster cooperation with Pacific islands in countering China included in NDAA
Through introduction of the Connecting Oceania’s Nations with Vanguard Exercises and National Empowerment (CONVENE) Act, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) proposed building partnerships with Pacific island nations and gathering allies against China – a proposal that has been included in the National... Read More »
ASPR divides $50M in awards between states, jurisdictions to build up Medical Reserve Corps
A total of $50 million in awards will be split between 33 states and jurisdictions as an Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR)-led effort to build up the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) network. Such was the end result of the first-ever, competitive state, territory and... Read More »
DHS adds $374.9M in available grant funds for state, local cybersecurity
As the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP) enters its second year, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) this week announced a boost to its coffers, amounting to $374.9 million in available funding. Overall, the program will provide $1 billion in funding over four years... Read More »
CREATE AI Act proposes shared national research to maintain safe artificial intelligence
As artificial intelligence (AI) advancements continue to develop, a bipartisan group of senators this week proposed a way to keep it advancing while also maintaining safety standards: the Creating Resources for Every American To Experiment with Artificial Intelligence Act of 2023 (CREATE AI... Read More »
Fair Pay for Federal Firefighters Act proposes short-term base pay raise despite USDA funding issues
U.S. Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) introduced the Fair Pay for Federal Firefighters Act (H.R. 4831) last week, offering a base pay raise for federal firefighters as a stopgap against U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) pay cuts caused by lack of funds. “Our firefighters... Read More »
DHS to provide $7.5M in security grants for faith-based organizations and nonprofits in Michigan
Some $7.5 million in grant funding will be awarded to nonprofits and faith-based organizations in Michigan from the United States Department of Homeland Security’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) in the days ahead, to help these organizations secure their facilities. In recent years,... Read More »
Justice Department details espionage, bribery charges against Navy personnel
Justice Department officials have detailed two separate cases in which Navy personnel have been charged with espionage and bribery, respectively. According to the Justice Department, Navy sailor Jinchao Wei, aka Patrick Wei, was recently arrested on espionage charges as he arrived for work at... Read More »