News
House bill would permanently authorize Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership to prevent terrorism, extremism in West Africa
The Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership (TSCTP), which was created in 2005 to help West African nations counter terrorism and extremism, would be permanently authorized under a bill introduced last week in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership... Read More »
DHS launches national tour to educate small businesses about opportunities, challenges
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program will embark on a national tour this month to educate small businesses about funding opportunities through SBIR and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Sponsored by the Small... Read More »
Sandia Labs to test bomb squad teams in “Robot Rodeo” competition
Civilian and military bomb squad teams from across the country will take part in Sandia Labs’ 12th annual Western National Robot Rodeo this week, a competition that uses simulated scenarios to test the ability of first responders to use robots to complete hazardous tasks. Ten bomb squad teams... Read More »
DHS increases efforts to protect “soft targets” from attacks
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is increasing efforts toward securing “soft targets” from attacks, including places like music festivals, houses of worship or shopping centers, where there is often minimal security. DHS has released a new report called the DHS Soft Target and... Read More »
Researchers examines silent malaria, halting spread
University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers have determined treating silent malaria cases could help stop the spread of the disease to others. Officials said silent malaria cases are circumstances in which individuals are infected with malaria parasites without... Read More »
Amendment to increase defense programs domestic content
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) recently introduced an amendment to the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019, increasing the Buy American requirements to 100 percent domestic content. Murphy, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the revision... Read More »
Terror assessment highlights vulnerability of existing US-Mexico smuggling routes, efforts to secure World Cup in Russia
The U.S. House Homeland Security Committee Terror Threat Snapshot for June highlights growing concerns about terrorists gaining access to existing smuggling routes between the United States and Mexico. Rear Admiral Brian Hendrickson, director of the U.S. Southern Command Network Engagement... Read More »
DHS names winner of ‘Hidden Signals Challenge’ to develop early warning biothreat systems
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently named the “Pandemic Pulse” intuitive dashboard developed by the Computational Epidemiology Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital as the $150,000 grand prize winner of the Hidden Signals Challenge. Launched in October by the DHS Science &... Read More »
Air Force to shift cyber responsibilities to Air Combat Command
Cyber responsibilities within the U.S. Air Force will move from Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) to Air Combat Command (ACC), the Air Force announced. The realignment designates ACC as the lead Air Force command responsible for organizing, training and equipping Air Forces to conduct cyber... Read More »
Emergent BioSolutions unveils plans for $50 million expansion of Baltimore facility
Emergent BioSolutions Inc. plans to undertake a three-year, $50 million project that will expand the contract development and manufacturing capacity of the company’s Camden fill/finish facility in Baltimore. Slated for completion in 2021, the expansion project also aims to address... Read More »
House committee advances opioid anti-trafficking legislation
Reps. Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Peter King (R-NY) recently praised the efforts of the House Committee on Homeland Security in advancing legislation designed to address opioid trafficking. The congressmen said passage of their Joint Task Force to Combat Opioid Trafficking Act allows the Department... Read More »
Boeing, Kittyhawk form partnership in unmanned aircraft system development
Boeing and the San Francisco, California-based company Kittyhawk will collaborate to offer a unified approach to the safe operation of commercial unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Boeing officials said the company’s investment in Kittyhawk's technology would support the development of a UAS... Read More »
Subcommittee releases draft fiscal year 2019 NDAA totaling $674 billion in spending
A draft of the fiscal year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) released Wednesday outlines $68 billion in spending for the global war on terror, $144 for military personnel and pay, and $245.9 billion for operation and maintenance, including key readiness programs. The U.S.... Read More »
House approves bill establishing $50 mln grant program to combat transnational gangs
A bill that would authorize $50 million in federal grants for state and local governments to combat gang activity through 2021 cleared the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday with bipartisan support. U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-VA) introduced the Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant... Read More »
Nipah virus outbreak holds potential to escalate into ‘international incident’
With the death toll from the ongoing Nipah virus outbreak in India rising to at least 17, EcoHealth Alliance officials have warned that the outbreak could become an international incident if it spreads to neighboring states. The outbreak is centered in the Indian state of Kerala. Five nearby... Read More »
CBP Chicago Field Office fights drugs with canine teams
The Chicago Field Office (CFO) for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) employs 32 canine teams – each consisting of a dog and its handler – to detect drugs at airports, post offices, and other border entry locations. The dogs are typically one of three breeds -- Belgian Malinois, German... Read More »
House health subcommittee members prepare PAHPA reauthorization
Members of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health on Wednesday considered proposed updates to the nation’s law on preparing for and responding to national and global public health emergencies resulting from any chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) agent, toxin,... Read More »
NTI welcomes new staff members
The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) has added four new staff members, with the organization noting the actions serve as a means of enhancing its overarching mission. Peggy Knudson has been tapped as chief development officer; Richard Johnson as senior director of NTI’s International Fuel Cycle... Read More »
FEMA wildfire recovery funds available
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said wildfire recovery funds are available via the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). The initiative spans Fire Management Assistance declarations for fiscal years 2017-2018 from Oct. 1, 2016, through Sept. 30, 2018, noting 85 events in 19... Read More »
CBP agriculture specialists intercept rare pest at port of entry
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists recently found a rare invasive pest known as Cerambycidae in a shipment of Persian limes at the Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry in Texas. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) entomologists report that the pest, a member of... Read More »
GAO: Congress should considering withholding F-35 program funds until key deficiencies are addressed
As the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) prepares to shift its F-35 program into full-rate production, a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released on Tuesday recommends that Congress consider withholding funding until “key deficiencies” are addressed. Slated for full-rate... Read More »
NIST adds popular drone models to forensic reference datasets to assist investigators
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has added forensic images of 14 popular drone models to its Computer Forensic Reference Datasets (CFReDS) to assist criminal investigations involving drones, the agency announced on Tuesday. Forensic images consist of a complete data... Read More »
Health and Human Services picks accelerators to drive new medical technologies
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) selected the University City Science Center of Philadelphia as one of eight accelerators to drive innovation in medical technologies. Accelerators look for innovative technologies and products that can be developed to solve healthcare... Read More »
Global conference examines vehicle crime, criminal activity
INTERPOL recently hosted a conference designed to spur discussion regarding the latest vehicle crime investigation patterns, new law enforcement technologies available to law enforcement, and challenges in vehicle supply chain security. Officials said the INTERPOL Global Conference on Vehicle... Read More »
Pfeifer retires as chief patrol agent of Swanton Sector
Swanton Sector Chief Patrol Agent John Pfeifer has retired from the U.S. Border Patrol, closing out a career that spanned 31 years. “It has been my honor to serve as the Chief Patrol Agent for the past seven years,” said Pfeifer, who began his career in Uvalde, Texas, after entering on duty... Read More »
IAEA launches effort to expand access to radiation medicine in Caribbean
With cancer, diabetes, heart conditions and other chronic diseases on the rise in the Caribbean, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently launched a four-year project to improve radiation medicine capabilities across the region’s 32 island countries. IAEA convened a coordination... Read More »
Senate bill would require ATF to create computerized, searchable gun record database
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) would be directed to establish a computerized, searchable database of gun records under a bill introduced in the U.S. Senate on Monday. The Crime Gun Tracing Modernization Act would strike a current federal prohibition on the creation of a... Read More »Researchers identify migratory birds as potential carriers of tick-borne hemorrhagic fever virus
Traces of Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever virus have been found in ticks embedded in birds migrating from Africa to Europe, providing new insights about how the virus spreads to new regions, according to a recent study led by researchers at Uppsala University. First identified in Saudi Arabia in the... Read More »
FLIR Systems wins contract from US Army for video surveillance drones
FLIR Systems has been awarded a $2.6 million order from the United States Army for airborne video surveillance units. Specifically, FLIR will provide its Black Hornet Personal Reconnaissance Systems (PRS), which is used by soldiers for surveillance and reconnaissance. The FLIR Black Hornet... Read More »
ICE probe yields drug trafficking indictments
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) led investigation has resulted in 11 individuals facing federal drug charges in multiple indictments. Officials said the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics joined in the... Read More »
San Diego border wall construction underway
The San Diego portion of the border wall construction project is underway, just east of Border Field State Park. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said the $147 million project, which replaces 14 miles of eight-to-10 foot high scrap metal wall with an 18-to-30 foot bollard-style wall... Read More »
Four-day mass casualty training course tests healthcare, first responder capabilities
A four-day training course coordinated by federal and territorial agencies in Puerto Rico last week culminated in a practice scenario that tested the ability of first responders and health care workers to respond to a simulated traffic crash that resulted in the release of chlorine gas. The... Read More »
Africa CDC dispatches 18 volunteers to DRC as Ebola death toll rises
Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has dispatched a team of volunteer epidemiologists, physicians, communication experts, injection prevention and control experts and data managers to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). As of June 2, the World... Read More »
Navy awards Raytheon contract for over-the-horizon weapons systems
The U.S. Navy has awarded Raytheon Co. and Kongsberg Gruppen a contract to manufacture and deliver a long-range precision missile for littoral combat ships and future frigates over-the-horizon weapons systems. The $14.8 million contract for offensive missiles and a single fire control suite... Read More »