News
Senate committee approves NDAA with more than 30 amendments from Sen. Cruz
Highlighting the importance of “peace through strength,” U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced more than 30 amendments to the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2019 during U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee markup, which concluded on May 24. In total,... Read More »
DARPA kicking off four-year effort to leverage gene tuning to mitigate threats
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) plans to host an informational event on June 13 for those interested in participating in a new program that seeks to temporarily leverage the human body’s natural genetic responses to counter biological, chemical, and radiological threats.... Read More »
DHS seeks to better secure federal assets from cybersecurity threats
The Department of Homeland Security is seeking to enhance its approach to securing the federal government’s High Value Assets (HVAs) from cybersecurity threats. DHS has worked for the past several years with federal agencies to identify, prioritize, and assess the cybersecurity needs of the... Read More »
Operation yields human trafficking arrests
A three-week Border Patrol operation west of Yuma, Arizona, between April and May yielded the arrests of 170 human trafficking suspects. Special Operations Detachment (SOD) and Intelligence Border Patrol agents detected the suspects near the Imperial Sand Dunes. Operation Sandman apprehended a... Read More »
Homeland Security Department awards $3 million to small businesses for research projects
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program recently announced that it awarded $2.94 million across 20 competitive research contracts to 19 small businesses in 10 states. Each of the Phase I awardees will... Read More »
FBI seizes control of key server used in massive Russian botnet cyberattacks
A Russian botnet that has infected about a half million routers used in homes and business around the world with malware was disrupted on Thursday by the FBI’s seizure of a key server. Referred to by federal officials and cybersecurity experts as “VPNFilter,” the botnet has attacked... Read More »
Sen. Portman calls for continued “maximum pressure campaign” against North Korea
In response to reports that President Donald Trump had canceled the planned June 12 summit with North Korea, U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) called on Thursday to maintain pressure by continuing talks, engaging the international community and upholding tougher sanctions. Portman, a member of the... Read More »
GAO finds mixed results in HHS performance standards for infectious disease funding
A U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) review has found that most states meet performance standards for infectious disease threats related to safety and coordination of first responders, but states reported mixed results regarding electronic lab reporting, epidemiology capacity, and... Read More »
BAE technology for incident response sees growth
A growing number of local law enforcement, private security, and public safety organizations are using new technology from BAE Systems to enhance public safety incident response. BAE Systems’ Geospatial eXploitation Products OpsView product increases the safety of infrastructure by offering... Read More »
Researchers develop portable malaria screening instrument
A team of USC Viterbi School of Engineering researchers recently announced the development of a new prototype for a portable instrument capable of early-stage malaria detection. Details of the portable optical diagnostics system (PODS) prototype featured in ACS Sensors outline the process of... Read More »
Sens. Rubio, Nelson applaud committee advancement of emergency preparedness bill
U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Bill Nelson (D-FL) praised on Wednesday the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions’ (HELP) advancement of the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act (PAHPAIA). The bill, S. 2852, would reauthorize various Pandemic... Read More »
EU-U.S. Joint Ministerial Meeting highlights counterrorism, information sharing, security among
The European Union (EU)-U.S. Joint Ministerial Meeting on Justice and Home Affairs held in Bulgaria on Tuesday and Wednesday allowed leaders to discuss joint efforts to combat terrorism, information sharing, efforts to prevent radicalization, aviation security, and chemical, biological,... Read More »
CBP-National Guard lead first joint aviation mission near southern border
In the first joint U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. National Guard mission near the southern border, three Missouri Guard aviators and a CBP agent provided aerial reconnaissance support for CBP agents on the ground in the Tucson area on May 17. The first aviation mission of... Read More »
DHS’s Science and Technology Directorate fosters launch of new cyber defense technology
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) announced the launch of new technology, the Autonomic Intelligent Cyber Sensor (AICS), through its Transition to Practice (TTP) Program. This is the 20th technology that has been developed and commercialized... Read More »
CEPI invests $25 million to develop Nipah virus vaccine
Amid a deadly outbreak of the bat-borne Nipah virus in India that has already killed 10 people, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) said on Thursday it will provide up to $25 million to Profectus BioSciences Inc. and Emergent BioSolutions Inc. for the development and... Read More »
BAE Systems lands critical electronic warfare systems contract
BAE Systems has secured a five-year contract to ensure the readiness of critical electronic warfare (EW) systems on the F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft. As part of the agreement with Lockheed Martin, officials said BAE Systems would manage the supply chain and establish the infrastructure... Read More »
FEMA awards San Antonio $1.5 million for terrorism preparedness operations
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently awarded the City of San Antonio, Texas $1.5 million in grants to help prevent, protect against, mitigate, and respond to acts of terrorism. “San Antonio is one of the fastest-growing cities... Read More »
ICE arrests 49 foreign nationals in Philadelphia in less than a week
U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested 49 foreign nationals in Philadelphia during an operation that extended from May 14 to May 20 that targeted aliens with criminal records, fugitives, re-entrants and other violators of federal immigration laws. Of the 49 individuals... Read More »
Laredo Port of Entry holds three-day active shooter training session
An active shooter response training simulation recently organized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) from the Laredo Port of Entry enabled supervisors to focus on bolstering active shooter preparedness and prevention efforts. Hosted by the Use of Force... Read More »
DHS announces funding for NYC anti-terrorism activities, programs, equipment
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that New York was awarded hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding to enhance security preparedness and anti-terror activities through grant programming in fiscal year 2018. New York City will receive $178 million under the... Read More »
FEMA to assist Puerto Rico with mass casualty training exercise
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced this week that it is working with the Government of Puerto Rico to train emergency and healthcare workers to respond to mass casualty incidents. FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness is running a four-day training course from May 29 to... Read More »
Senate HELP Committee advances Burr’s bipartisan bill to reauthorize PAHPA
The U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee on May 23 approved 22-1 the pending Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2018, S.2852. S. 2852, introduced on May 15 by U.S. Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), would reauthorize certain programs under... Read More »
Survey examines infectious, emerging disease feedback
Results of a recent survey examined the thoughts of Americans concerning the potential impact infectious and emerging diseases facing other countries will have in the United States. The effort, commissioned by Research!America and the American Society for Microbiology, showed 95 percent of... Read More »
Marines, first responders conduct hazmat exercise
Marines and first responders with Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF), the Provost Marshal’s Office, and MCAS Miramar Fire Department recently conducted an exercise that simulated a bioterrorism attack at MCAS Miramar, California. Marines with... Read More »
IDSA calls on UN Ambassador Haley to secure ‘concrete commitments’ to end tuberculosis
With tuberculosis killing 1.7 million people in 2016, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) led more than 900 doctors, scientists, and researchers in calling United Nations (UN) Ambassador Nikki Haley to secure “concrete commitments” in this fall’s UN General Assembly High Level... Read More »
DHS announces $1.6 billion to protect against terror threats in fiscal year 2018
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced Monday that $1.6 billion in funding would be made available to state and local governments, nonprofits, transportation authorities and the private sector to bolster terrorism prevention, response, recovery, and mitigation efforts in fiscal year... Read More »Las Vegas to receive $5 million in counterterrorism funds under revamped DHS funding formula
Las Vegas will receive $5 million to help prevent terrorist attacks under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) grant program, reflecting an increase of $2.13 million from the previous year. U.S. Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) has been leading a push... Read More »
Border patrol agents in Laredo help seize drug shipment from Mexico
The Laredo Sector Border Patrol Foreign Operations Branch (FOB), working with the Government of Mexico (GoM), prevented a large shipment of narcotics from entering the United States last week. Border Patrol agents with the Foreign Operations Branch, along with officials from the Mexican... Read More »
Oakland airport to utilize passenger screening dogs
In anticipation of what is projected to be the busiest summer travel season ever nationwide, the Oakland International Airport will be using highly visible canines specially trained to detect explosives and explosive components. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Alameda County... Read More »
Reps. Langevin, King, McCaskill introduce legislation to fight opioid trafficking
U.S. Reps. James Langevin (D-RI) and Peter King (R-NY) and Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) recently introduced the Joint Task Force to Combat Opioid Trafficking Act. The bill would enable Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to create a Joint Task Force to improve coordination of the interdiction... Read More »
Senate bill aims to advance DoD research into brain injury treatment, prevention
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) would have a greater capacity to track and prevent exposure to blasts that can leave service members with traumatic brain injury (TBI) under a bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Senate on Friday. Introduced by U.S. Reps. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Elizabeth... Read More »
Amendment to NDAA would require reports on foreign influence over Trump, associates
The director of national intelligence would be required to report on efforts by foreign governments, individuals or entities to bribe President Trump, the Trump family or Trump Administration officials under an amendment to the fiscal year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) introduced... Read More »
House bill would establish “Border Wall Trust Fund” to accept public donations
The U.S. Department of Treasury would be authorized to create a “Border Wall Trust Fund” to accept public donations for the planning, design, construction or maintenance of a southern border wall under legislation introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday. Introduced by U.S.... Read More »
Harvard scientists discover link that could create vaccine for multiple hemorrhagic fever viruses
Scientists at Harvard Medical School have discovered that antibodies made in response to a vaccine for one hemorrhagic fever virus -- Junin -- can also disarm another virus, Machupo. This breakthrough is significant because it sets the stage for the design of vaccines that can work against... Read More »