News
House approves Rep. Brooks’ pandemic, all-hazards reauthorization bill
The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday advanced bipartisan legislation sponsored by U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN) to bolster America’s preparedness and response to public health emergencies, including biological threats like emerging infectious diseases, as well as chemical, bio or nuclear... Read More »
DHHS, MediWound cooperate on sulfur mustard injury treatment
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is teaming up with Israeli company MediWound Ltd. in the creation of a new treatment of skin injuries resulting from exposure to sulfur mustard. Sulfur mustard, more commonly known as mustard gas, has seen devastating use since World War I,... Read More »
Administration transfers funding from infectious disease response to unaccompanied alien children program
In a move the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the HIV Medicine Association warn could threaten public health responses, the Trump Administration has transferred funds from infectious disease prevention, care, and biomedical research programs into its unaccompanied alien children... Read More »
Three Pennsylvania counties added to drug-trafficking program
Pennsylvania’s Allegheny, Beaver, and Washington counties were designated this week as part of the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s (ONDCP) High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program. Congress created HIDTA under the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. It was designed to assist... Read More »
Air Force awards Boeing $2.38B helicopter contract
The U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing a $2.38 billion contract for replacement helicopters. The original cost estimate for the program was about $4.1 billion. Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson said that the $1.7 billion in savings was due to strong competition. The first helicopter... Read More »
GAO says DHS’s Countering WMD Office should be better coordinated
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has recommended that the Department of Homeland Security’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office develop a plan to help DHS coordinate chemical defense programs and activities. The GAO’s study came about in response to concerns about... Read More »
Military construction bill to improve both VA and military bases signed into law
An appropriations bill signed into law on Sept. 21 by President Donald Trump will increase funding to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) through 2019 and fund military construction throughout the country. For the VA, this represents a massive influx of funding at more than $86.5 billion,... Read More »
Quanergy Systems to create LiDAR technology for CBP after $200,000 award from DHS
Quanergy Systems, Inc. received $200,000 from the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) last week for the development of LiDAR-based technology for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). LiDAR – Light Detection and Ranging – is a means of... Read More »
CBP seizes $4.2 mln in drugs at Pharr International Bridge
U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations (CBP OFO) seized $4.2 million worth of heroin and methamphetamine last week at the Pharr International Bridge, between Texas and Mexico. The narcotics were hidden inside a commercial trailer carrying fresh produce. A red Kenworth... Read More »
Simulation highlights holes in preparedness response for smallpox outbreaks
Fiji is subjected to a smallpox outbreak where social norms breakdown and medical experts scramble to get the outbreak under control. This wasn’t reality, but it was the simulation exercise for participants of a workshop held last month at the University of New South Wales Sydney. The event... Read More »
United States calls for global cooperation in quelling antibiotic resistance
During the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on Sept. 25, Alex Azar, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Secretary, will call on world leaders to address the evolving threat of antibiotic resistance. Failure to prepare for and reverse antibiotic resistance could lead to... Read More »
Researchers push greater infectious disease controls in Tokyo ahead of 2020 Summer Olympics
Researchers from Harvard University urged government officials this week to develop new measures to detect and prevent the spread of infectious diseases, like dengue fever, in Tokyo ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics. In a report published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, the researchers --... Read More »
Rockwell Collins awarded DoD contract for radio systems
Rockwell Collins, a commercial and military aviation systems company, recently was awarded a long-term contract with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to supply the department with the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS). MUOS are airborne radios and ancillaries for ground installations and... Read More »
DHS says National Cyber Strategy will enhance efforts to combat cybercrimes
President Donald Trump launched the National Cyber Strategy last week, the first “fully articulated” cyber strategy since 2003. The strategy calls for integrating cyber into the four pillars of the National Security Strategy. Specifically, the strategy is designed to defend the homeland by... Read More »
LSTM, TB Alliance investigate of new TB drug therapies
As part of an effort to counter multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) and the TB Alliance are collaborating -- with monetary support from the Medical Research Council (MRC) -- to investigate new combination TB therapies. A £1 million ($1.3... Read More »
DHS struggling to create a cohesive, effective department, GAO says
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has made a series of recommendations for evolution within the Department of Homeland Security, better defining its roles and responsibilities to make it less of a risk due to lack of cohesiveness. Efficacy is a huge issue within the department. DHS’... Read More »
Panel discusses Air Force integration of part-time servicemembers
A senior leader panel discussed Tuesday the Air Force integration of Guard and Reserve personnel into missions during the Air Force Association Air, Space, and Cyber Conference in National Harbor. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, part-time forces heavily have been relied upon to meet manpower... Read More »
Senate appropriations bill includes funding for military construction projects in New York State
The recently passed Fiscal Year 2019 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related (MILCON-VA) Appropriations Bill includes funding for four military construction (MILCON) projects in New York State. Specifically, $188.2 million was allocated to fund the construction of a perimeter fence... Read More »
Researchers investigate drugs to stop malaria from infecting mosquitoes
Researchers from Imperial College London are taking a new tack in the battle against malaria, focusing on the compounds that could prevent malaria parasites from being able to infect mosquitoes, halting the spread of disease. As a disease delivery system, mosquitoes are infamous, but... Read More »
Senate report includes increased funding for Abrams tanks, Stryker vehicles
Roughly $1.5 billion in funding to upgrade 135 of Abrams tanks was approved by the Senate on Sept. 18 in the fiscal year 2019 Department of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies conference report. “This funding supports our troops both at home and around... Read More »
FirstNet grows to more than 2,500 public safety agency subscribers
The nation-spanning public safety communications platform known as FirstNet is now used by more than 2,500 public safety agencies in the United States. This system was built to upgrade public safety information technology, and was developed through the joint efforts of AT&T and the First... Read More »
Bicameral bill would forbid low-yield nuclear warheads on submarine missiles
The bicameral Hold the Low-Yield Nuclear Explosive Act, or the Hold the LYNE Act, was introduced in Congress on Sept. 18, a measure that would prohibit the research, development, production and deployment of a low-yield nuclear warhead for submarine-launched ballistic missiles. The legislation,... Read More »
Air Force Secretary Wilson lends branch status update
Restoring force readiness, space operations and the future served as the prime topics during the Secretary of the Air Force’s recent update on the state of the branch. Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson addressed the 2018 Air Force Association Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National... Read More »
BAE Systems signs agreement with Air Force to transition semiconductor tech for further enhancement
BAE Systems sealed a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) to begin transitioning military-developed semiconductor technology to their Advanced Microwave Products (AMP) Center for enhancement and cost-cutting. The U.S. Air Force created gallium Nitride (GaN)... Read More »Researchers conduct early trials of nasal influenza vaccine for kids, teens
A Phase 1 trial is underway for a new nasal flu vaccination designed for ages 9 to 17 years old. Testing is taking place at Saint Louis University, with support from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Unlike traditional flu vaccines, which must be reformulated... Read More »
Grand Forks sector agents deployed to the Carolinas
A team of U.S. Border Patrol Grand Forks (North Dakota) Sector agents recently were deployed along the East Coast in the areas impacted by Hurricane Florence to assist with support, response, and recovery. The Border Patrol Search Trauma and Rescue team (BORSTAR) is part of the team. BORSTAR is... Read More »
DHS offers online tool to help building owners apply for SAFETY Act protections
The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has developed an online tool to help security professionals for commercial office buildings perform assessments. The web-based tool streamlines from the application process for building owners applying for... Read More »
White House authorizes national biodefense strategy; HHS to take governance lead
The Sept. 18 release of the 2018 National Biodefense Strategy and a newly signed National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM) will bolster the nation’s defenses against man-made, accidental or intentional, and naturally occurring biological threats to Americans’ health and safety, said U.S.... Read More »
GAO examines nuclear proliferation plan costs
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is recommending the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) provide funding estimates for its mandated nuclear proliferation plan. A federal law introduced in 2015 and 2017 directed the President to submit a proliferation plan to Congress. A... Read More »
Quick test for viral infections reduces hospital admissions and antibiotic use, European research finds
A new test, according to information presented to the European Respiratory Society International Congress, can identify viral infections in just 50 minutes -- something that could save hospitals approximately €2,500 ($2922) per patient prevented from requiring admission. The other advantage of... Read More »
FAA warns drone operators against interfering with hurricane response efforts
With federal attention focused on rescue and aid efforts in the wake of Hurricane Florence, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warns of stiff fines for any drone users operating without authorization in affected areas. The reason for this is to keep unmanned aircraft from inadvertently --... Read More »
CBP New Orleans office to participate in Hurricane Florence relief
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations and the New Orleans Air and Marine Branch recently announced they would be participating in Hurricane Florence relief efforts in the Carolinas. They will be joined by the Jacksonville office and will support the Atlanta... Read More »
DHS awards $11M to researchers to identify internet disruptions
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) awarded contracts to five researchers to develop new methods to identify Network/Internet-scale Disruptive Events (NIDEs). When internet connectivity is disrupted, it can have a major impact on critical... Read More »
Lawmakers urge exploration of deepfake threats
Reps. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) are encouraging the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to assess threats posed by deepfake technology. The three representatives forwarded correspondence last week to DNI chief Dan Coats requesting the Intelligence... Read More »