News
DHS drill leads to formation of Virtual Operation Support Team in Washington state
As part of a simulation last year, digital disaster services volunteers from Whatcom County, Washington, and the Township of Langley, British Columbia, Canada, practiced discerning fact from fiction online to keep responders informed during the hypothetical eruption of Mt. Baker, an active volcano... Read More »
Sikorsky launches promotional tour of Latin America for Black Hawk aerial firefighting solution
Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, launched Wednesday a two-month promotional tour of Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, and Peru to raise awareness of the Black Hawk’s aerial firefighting capabilities. Many of the Black Hawk helicopters delivered to the region’s militaries and... Read More »
Democratic committee leaders renew call for congressional review on election security
Democratic leaders of the U.S. House Science, Space and Technology Committee formally called for a congressional review of election security on Wednesday for the third time since January. In a letter to U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), the chairman of the committee, U.S. Reps. Eddie Bernice... Read More »
President’s deployment of National Guard to southern border praised by Rep. McCaul
President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard to the southern border on Wednesday was lauded by the leader of the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee as an important step to keep the country safe. Citing legal loopholes, asylum fraud, immigration court backlogs and... Read More »
Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle benefits highlighted
The Army’s Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) was recently touted as a key component in delivering command and control, troop transport, mortar, medical evacuation, and medical treatment to the battlefield. Under the Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) formation, officials said the AMPV,... Read More »
International infection experts lay out antimicrobial stewardship programs to address antimicrobial resistance
Focused on the growing threat of antimicrobial drug resistance among their targets, infection specialists have joined researchers from India and France in an antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) program meant to limit use of antimicrobial drug therapies in hospitals. Currently, there exists no... Read More »
FBI leads enforcement actions to disrupt online opioid sales
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) led an enforcement action, called Operation Disarray, last week that led to hundreds of interactions and arrests of individuals involved in the online sale of opiates. The operation, the first of its kind to occur at the same time in all 50 states, was... Read More »
Council on Foreign Relations releases brief on cybersecurity issues in space activities
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) released a Cyber Brief this week on cybersecurity issues related to space activities as part of its Digital and Cyberspace Policy program. “New government actors, companies, goals, and technologies are expanding and transforming space activities,” the... Read More »
CDC seeks to address antibiotic resistance
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials said the agency is working to address instances of germs with unusual antibiotic resistance genes in the United States. A CDC Vital Signs report referenced health departments working with the CDC’s Antibiotic Resistance (AR) Lab... Read More »
Mid-Atlantic hurricane scenario to highlight FEMA’s 2018 National Level Exercise
Lessons learned during the 2017 hurricane season will highlight Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) 2018 National Level Exercise, which will bring government agencies, the private sector, non-profits, and individuals together from April 30 to May 11. The biennial national exercise... Read More »New therapy targets West Nile Virus
Yale University researchers have developed a new RNA therapy as a means of combating the West Nile Virus. Study details published in Cell Host & Microbe showed how the approach, delivered through the nose of mice infected with the virus, reduced the virus in the brain, allowing the immune system... Read More »FDA approves Leukine for treating radiation in nuclear emergencies
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week approved Leukine for use in adult and pediatric patients afflicted with Acute Radiation Syndrome, adding a third medical countermeasure to the nation’s stock for radiological and nuclear emergencies. The drug counters myelosuppression -- a... Read More »
MITRE seeks participants for endpoint detection, response product evaluations
MITRE, a public interest research and development company, recently announced that it is seeking commercial cybersecurity vendors to participate in an evaluation of endpoint detection and response (EDR) products based on MITRE’s ATT&CK knowledge base. ATT&CK is a globally accessible knowledge... Read More »
Swanton Sector Border Patrol agents apprehend 20 individuals in one weekend
U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Swanton Sector apprehended 20 individuals in four incidents for entering the country illegally over the past holiday weekend in New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire. “The men and women of the United States Border Patrol work diligently to protect the border... Read More »
Twenty-four multidisciplinary research teams to receive $169 million in DoD funding
After fielding white papers from 436 academic institutions seeking federal funding through the Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) program, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced on Monday that it will issue 24 awards totaling up to $169 million over five years. The MURI... Read More »
Senators argue Pentagon has no legal authority to divert funds to border wall
In response to reports that President Donald Trump has directed Pentagon to explore diverting a portion of military funding to construct a border wall, U.S. Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) asserted on Monday that the Pentagon lacks legal authority to build a border wall. In a... Read More »
CBP continues to aid missing migrants initiative
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel recently joined two other agencies as a means following up on a program designed to bring closure for Mexican families missing loved ones in southern Arizona. CBP agents paired with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers from the Tucson Field... Read More »
Kansas State University researches risk posed to U.S. by African swine fever through feed shipments
Kansas State University (KSU) researcher Megan Niederwerder released a study last week of the risks posed to the United States by swine fever smuggled in by way of simulated feed shipments. It is the first documentation of the survival of African swine fever in feed ingredients. If swine fever... Read More »
FLIR Systems, DJI to collaborate on thermal imaging for commercial drone camera
FLIR Systems, Inc. recently announced that DJI would integrate FLIR thermal imaging sensor technology into its new DJI Zenmuse XT2 drone camera and join the ‘Thermal by FLIR’ partner program, which aims to support thermal innovation. “The arrival of the DJI Zenmuse XT2 with a FLIR sensor... Read More »
DARPA seeks proposals to enhance swarm autonomy
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced recently that it is seeking proposals for the second “swarm sprint,” which focuses on improving autonomy through enhancements of drone platforms or autonomy elements. The proposal aims to continue the technology development of... Read More »
CRED fellow to open dialogue between students, administrators about hate bias incidents
Fellows of the Study of Terrorism and Response to Terrorism (START) Community Resilience, Engagement and Dialogue (CRED) initiative will discuss more than a year of research into responses to hate bias incidents at the University of Maryland at a “Dialogue Dinner” planned for Wednesday. As... Read More »
Atlanta workshop focuses on efforts to strengthen radiological security, response
Atlanta-area nuclear regulators, researchers, medical providers and first responders to discuss their roles in the event of a “dirty bomb” attack relying on a radiological dispersal device in a recent workshop. The workshop was hosted by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)... Read More »
Ahead of 2022 FIFA World Cup, cybersecurity experts gather in Qatar
Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy hosted global cybersecurity experts on March 25 to explore cyber threats posed to major sporting and public events as part of ongoing preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Qatar. The third Cyber Security Expert Group... Read More »
NIH study finds extra iron interferes with proteins that protect against malaria infection
Researchers with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently made a breakthrough on the link between iron supplements and worsening malaria infections, as well as a curious mutation in African populations. The findings, published in Science, utilized mice and samples from malaria patients.... Read More »
CBP offers two options to aid summer travelers
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials are touting the benefits of a pair of options designed to aid summer travelers. Officials said the Global Entry program and the Mobile Passport Control (MPC) app could help travelers get home quicker. CBP officials said the critically acclaimed... Read More »
Deputy Defense Secretary outlines priorities for Evolving the Future Force initiative
Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick M. Shanahan recently discussed the priorities of the Evolving the Future Force project while speaking at an event sponsored by the Center for a New American Security on March 29. The multiyear initiative examines steps the joint force can take to adapt to... Read More »
Operation Matador results in 24 arrests on gang-related charges in New York
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the arrest of 24 alleged members of MS-13 and other transnational criminal gangs in the Long Island and Hudson Valley areas of New York on Thursday. The arrests were made under Operation Matador, a joint initiative launched in May 2017 by... Read More »
Screening tool aids Chicago CBP drug fight
Chicago O’Hare International Mail Facility Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers are using a hand-held device to screen packages that may contain common drugs and industrial chemicals. Officials said the Gemini uses analytical techniques to screen packages using either the Raman... Read More »
New Zika test boasts speed, high specificity
A Brazilian-designed test shows great potential in identifying Zika, being capable of discriminating it from dengue infections with high accuracy, while doing so with an estimated cost of just $3 - $3.70 per patient. The test detects antibodies against Zika virus in samples of blood serum,... Read More »
Poland agrees to purchase Patriot air and missile defense system from U.S.
The government of Poland recently signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) agreement to purchase Raytheon's Patriot integrated air and missile defense system from the U.S. Army. This LOA is for Phase I of Poland's two-phase medium-range Integrated Air and Missile Defense procurement and... Read More »
Rep. McCaul highlights need to restructure DHS cybersecurity functions
U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) highlighted the need to reform U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) on Wednesday. Legislation introduced by McCaul to restructure and rename the NPPD the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure (CISA) agency... Read More »
Senators call on State Department to counter anti-Semitic Russian propaganda
A group of senators called on Wednesday for the U.S. State Department to counter anti-Semitic Russian propaganda, train diplomats to recognize disinformation and collaborate with U.S. allies to advance a unified response on Wednesday. In a letter to U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan,... Read More »
Technology to bolster army vehicle protections
The Army's Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) recently awarded Lockheed Martin a contract to help bolster army vehicle protections. Officials said Lockheed Martin would continue developing the Modular Active Protection Systems (MAPS), which is designed to... Read More »
New study concludes antiviral drug may be Ebola-effective in high doses
Countering previous tests conducted in low doses, a study published by INSERM, France’s Jeremie Guedj and international colleagues concluded that high doses of the antiviral favipiravir may ward off Ebola’s deadly capabilities. Tests were undertaken on 26 non-human primates infected with... Read More »