News
Researchers discover effects of mutation linked to TB drug resistance
Tuberculosis (TB) is becoming more resistant to antibiotics over time through genetic changes, but researchers at Colorado State University have discovered that a single mutation may affect strains of TB bacteria in different ways. Specifically, this applies to isoniazid, one of the first-line... Read More »
GAO report determines most visas denied in 2017 not due to executive action
Though President Donald Trump signed an executive order in 2017 to restrict the issuance of visas and instigate changes to nonimmigrant visa (NIV) screening and vetting, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently found that 90 percent of visas remained unaffected by this change. Of the... Read More »
FirstNet board approves $84 million budget
The First Responder Network Authority’s board of directors, an independent authority within the U.S. Department of Commerce, recently approved an $81 million budget for operations in fiscal year 2019. The budget will be used for the focus on the deployment of the nationwide public safety... Read More »New technology can detect hidden explosives in transit areas
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently began testing technology that can detect weapon and explosive device security threats, including suicide vests. The portable technology, called a stand-off explosive detection unit, connects to a laptop and works by identifying objects... Read More »
DHS develops software tool to help fight human smuggling
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate has developed new technology that will assist federal agents in investigating human smuggling. The data analytics software program, called Igloo, is already in use by select units of U.S. Immigration and Customs... Read More »
Ebola-linked deaths reach 38 in Democratic Republic of the Congo
As the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to spread, with a total of 48 cases, including 38 killed, as of Aug. 9, the World Health Organization (WHO) is now calling for greater access to affected populations. This outbreak marks the country’s 10th, but it... Read More »
Lockheed Martin to develop hypersonic weapon prototype for US Air Force
The U.S. Air Force awarded this week a contract to Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control for the development of a second hypersonic weapon prototype. The weapon’s review, testing, and production readiness support will all be provided by Lockheed Martin, as part of the Air Force’s... Read More »
StratCom commander emphasizes need for advanced information, intelligence
Gen. John Hyten, commander of U.S. Strategic Command (StratCom), recently spoke at the 2018 Department of Defense Intelligence Information System Worldwide Conference on integrated command relationships and the role of information and intelligence to combatant commands. Without intelligence... Read More »
ICE arrests 45 illegal immigrants in Houston area
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested 45 illegal aliens in the Houston area for violating U.S. immigration laws. The arrests took place over a five-day period, which ended last Friday. At-large criminal aliens, many of whom had fled... Read More »
National defense funding measure signed into law
A group of lawmakers recently gathered at a military installation to witness President Trump sign the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019 into law. The bill supports $716 billion in funding for national defense for fiscal year 2019, per officials, and provides service... Read More »
Domestic terrorism suspected captured after 12 years on the run
Federal law enforcement officials said an accused domestic terrorist who spent 12 years on the run is now in custody and slated to face charges in three states. Officials said Joseph Mahmoud Dibee, 50, of Seattle, Washington, was recently apprehended after authorities learned he was traveling... Read More »
Checkpoint scanner instated at Washington Dulles International Airport for improved explosives detection
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently deployed a 3-D imaging scanner at a security checkpoint in Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) to combat explosives smuggling. “TSA is committed in getting the best technology to enhance security and improve the screening... Read More »
Ebola research consortium analyzes vaccine development progress
In an article published in The Lancet, experts from an international Ebola research consortium known as the Partnership for Research on Ebola Vaccination (PREVAC) have assessed the current Ebola vaccine candidates across the world, and what remains to be achieved for viability. PREVAC is... Read More »
Marines conduct recovery exercise
Marine Wing Support Detachment 31, aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, conducted an aircraft recovery convoy exercise earlier this month as part of a Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation. The purpose of the exercise is to evaluate if the Marines are adequately trained to recover... Read More »
Air Force provides progress update on modernization initiative
The U.S. Air Force recently provided an update on Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein’s initiative to revitalize squadrons. A task force, comprised of Total Force Airmen from diverse backgrounds, conducted an Air Force-wide review of survey data and gathered feedback from nearly... Read More »
Sweden to purchase Raytheon’s Patriot missile defense system
The Swedish government signed an agreement last week to purchase Raytheon's Patriot air and missile defense system from the U.S. Army. Raytheon's Global Patriot Solutions system is a missile defense system that consists of radars and command-and-control technology. The system also includes... Read More »
DHS’s Nielsen meets with Sen. Hoeven and UAS industry leaders in ND
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen toured the Grand Sky Technology Park in North Dakota last week and participated in a roundtable discussion with unmanned aerial systems (UAS) industry leaders. Grand Sky Technology Park, located at Grand Forks Air Force Base,... Read More »
Gary, Indiana airport opens state-of-the-art CBP facility
The Gary/Chicago International Airport recently held a ribbon cutting ceremony for its $1.5 million state-of-the-art U.S. Customs and Border Protection general aviation facility. The facility will allow general aviation aircraft to arrive directly at the Gary airport without having to clear U.S.... Read More »
Army research director addresses CBRN defense
Eric Moore, director of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command Chemical & Biological Center (RDECOM C&B) recently spoke at an industry conference about technology and innovation in development to bolster chemical and biological defense. The CBRN (chemical, biological,... Read More »
Defense Secretary Mattis undertakes first South American trip
For the first time since he took office as the United States Secretary of Defense, James Mattis traveled to South America to solidify the Department's strong defense ties with Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Colombia. "These relationships are critical to a collaborative, prosperous and secure... Read More »CDC joins efforts to contain Ebola outbreak in Republic of the Congo
As the World Health Organization (WHO) and health agencies in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) seek to clamp down quickly on a new Ebola outbreak in the country, they can now count on the expertise of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well. The CDC has... Read More »
Valley Fever therapies show potential for humans although long way from market
Researchers are still a decade away from seeing a Valley Fever vaccine realized for humans, who are in recent years being infected at a greater degree with the fungal spores that cause the disease. The illness primarily affects people living in the Southwestern United States. Federal officials... Read More »
GAO urges DHS to share more info on chemical facilities with first responders
Warning of the potential danger presented by attackers targeting hazardous chemical facilities, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is urging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to share more information with first responders who may need to respond to security incidents.... Read More »
House Homeland Security Committee chairman urges Senate action on cybersecurity
Warning that the cyber threats to the United States are not going away, and in fact continue to grow, House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) has urged the Senate to take action. To make his case, McCaul pointed to three separate bills the House has already advanced on... Read More »
Rep. Denham concludes trip to Mexican border
U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA) recently completed a multiday, congressional delegation visit to the California-Mexico border. During the trip, the Congress members visited a U.S. Naval Air Station and tunnel site, a U.S. Border Patrol station, the San Ysidro Port of Entry, and the Otay Mesa Detention... Read More »
Migration over Southwest border decreases 7 percent in July
Migration over the Southwestern border dropped nearly 7 percent in July compared to June, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) rates fell nearly 23 percent while Family Units declined less than 1 percent. “This decrease shows that when there... Read More »
Emergent BioSolutions to buy PaxVax and its infectious disease vaccines
Emergent BioSolutions said on Thursday it would expand its reach in the public health threats market by acquiring PaxVax, a company that develops specialty vaccines that protect against infectious diseases, including typhoid fever and cholera. Included in the purchase will be the typhoid fever... Read More »
Five universities selected for defense science initiative
The Department of Defense (DoD) recently selected five university-industry teams for the Defense Enterprise Science Initiative (DESI). The initiative’s goals are to identify technological gaps and apply new discoveries and knowledge on existing capabilities and to accelerate the basic... Read More »
Military construction projects in New York receive nearly $200 million in funding
Five Military Construction projects in upstate New York have received $199.1 million in federal funding from the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). “New York State is home to some of the nation’s top military installations,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY),... Read More »
Facebook tells DHS, election officials how its combatting malicious actors
In a meeting with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS and the nation’s leading election security officials, Facebook officials discussed the company’s actions to remove inauthentic behavior by malicious actors who seek to undermine democratic institutions. On the call -- attended by... Read More »
DHS releases 2017 figures for foreign admissions to the US
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), 52,656,022 nonimmigrants visited the country in 2017, and of these, only a small fraction -- 701,900 -- overstayed their original trips. The report based its findings on lack of identifiable evidence of departures, extensions of... Read More »
Lab-created mosquitoes could see pilot deployment in Brazil in anti-disease effort
The University of São Paulo's Biomedical Science Institute has created a line of genetically modified male mosquitoes with defective sperm, which could see deployment in the next year. By deploying these lab creations en masse, scientists are hopeful they could help control outbreaks of dengue... Read More »
Air Force exploring Light Attack Aircraft option
The Air Force has crafted a Light Attack Aircraft plan, which they said is the first step toward working with industry to generate the final RFP expected at the end of the year. A draft request for proposal was shared with Sierra Nevada /Embraer and Textron Aviation following the conclusion of... Read More »
Raytheon facility targets radar testing, integration
Raytheon announced Monday the opening of a new facility designed to solely focus upon radar testing and integration, with an overarching goal of developing manufacturing innovations. The $72 million, 30,000 square-foot facility, based in Andover, Mass., is the primary location for testing and... Read More »