News
U.S. House advances Disaster Reform Recovery Act
The U.S. House of Representatives recently advanced the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA), which proposes broad reforms at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). DRRA, introduced by U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA), was included in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, H.R. 4. DRRA... Read More »
Researchers pinpoint potential spread of yellow fever
Scientists have determined the yellow fever virus has the potential to spread into cities around the world where it previously hasn't been seen. The study findings of St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization detailed the mapping of yellow fever... Read More »
Tester calls on Attorney General to back bill extending anti-drug grant programs
After U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions called the opioid epidemic the “deadliest drug crisis in our nation’s history” during an address to members of Montana law enforcers on Friday, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) called for support of legislation he introduced to continue critical anti-drug... Read More »
Bipartisan senators introduce bill to reauthorize COPS hiring program
A bipartisan coalition of senators introduced legislation on Friday that would reauthorize the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program through fiscal year 2023 to help law enforcement agencies at all levels hire new personnel and provide training and technical assistance. In fiscal... Read More »
New technique allows quickened detection of virus in bodily fluids
Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard researchers have created a new tool that better prepares the CRISPR-based diagnostic tool, SHERLOCK, for rapid response to viral outbreaks. The updates allow clinicians to quickly and cheaply diagnose patient samples and track epidemic spread directly in... Read More »
U.S. Army awards BAE systems contract to develop missile warning system for aircraft
The U.S. Army recently awarded BAE Systems a contract worth up to $97.9 million to develop a Quick Reaction Capability (QRC) next-generation missile warning system for aircraft. Under the Limited Interim Missile Warning System (LIMWS) contract, the company’s 2-Color Advanced Warning System... Read More »
Sens. Collins, King announce support for “red flag” bill
U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) recently announced their support for the Extreme Risk Protection Order and Violence Prevention Act. The legislation is designed to encourage states to give law enforcement the authority to prevent individuals who pose a threat to themselves... Read More »
Bipartisan legislation to assist law enforcement identify fentanyl, illegal substances
A new federal grant program would help state and local police departments purchase screening equipment that can rapidly identify fentanyl and other dangerous substances in the field under a bill introduced in the U.S. Senate on Thursday. Under the Providing Officers with Electronic Resources... Read More »
House panel probes border security, sanctuary cities, immigration law loopholes
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen testified before a House panel on Thursday about border security, sanctuary cities, immigration law loopholes exploited by transnational gangs, and deployment of the U.S. National Guard to the southern border. During a U.S. House Homeland... Read More »
Bipartisan effort to improve bioterrorism, pandemic response drafted in Senate HELP Committee
Bipartisan members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee released a discussion draft on Thursday aimed at improving the nation’s ability to prepare for and respond to deliberate bioterrorist attacks or naturally occurring pandemics in the United States. The draft... Read More »
GAO recommends closer relationship between DHS, Congress to improve spending oversight
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) made a three-point recommendation regarding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) this week, after finding that their current budget reporting fails to account for how much it actually spends on its acquisitions. The issue is that DHS... Read More »
Imperial Valley border patrol officers intercept three narcotic smuggling attempts worth over $1.2M
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Andrade and Calexico West ports of entry intercepted this past weekend three attempts to smuggle cocaine and methamphetamine valued at more than $1.2 million. At about 5:07 p.m. on April 20, a CBP officer encountered an 81-year-old male... Read More »
GAO analyzes DOD weapon purchasing reforms
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released details of its annual analysis of the Department of Defense’s (DOD) revised weapon system portfolio and purchasing reform policies. GOA officials said the agency reports on the programs DOD uses to buy its 86 major weapon systems,... Read More »
Nuclear Threat Initiative highlights separated plutonium security risks
A new paper from the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) provided recommendations for mitigating risks related to separated plutonium. As compared to highly enriched uranium (HEU), separated plutonium has not received enough attention as a security risk, NTI Counselor John Carlson said in the... Read More »
House hearing focuses on border security policies, deployment of National Guard
With 22,000 unaccompanied minors and 40,000 families arriving at the U.S. border since January, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Kevin McAleenan testified before a House panel on Wednesday that transnational criminal organizations are “preying on these individuals.”... Read More »
Senate bill would expand National Threat Assessment Center to enhance school safety
The U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) would be expanded to include a national program that conducts research and provides resources on school violence across the country. Named for Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School’s mascot, the Eagles Act, S. 2759, would... Read More »
Alliance for Biosecurity testifies before House subcommittee on need for long-term funding to counter biological threats
Leadership from the Alliance for Biosecurity urged Congressional lawmakers at a hearing on Thursday to increase funding for programs to protect Americans from biological and chemical threats. Speaking before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and... Read More »
University of Miami study concludes antibody cocktails fail as protection for Zika-vulnerable fetuses
Though found to prevent Zika virus infection in primates, a cocktail of monoclonal antibodies was deemed ineffective in a new study led by the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine. Pregnant rhesus macaques were infected, the infection spread to the amniotic fluid and fetal deaths... Read More »
Traffic stop results in alien rescues
A recent inquiry by border patrol agents resulted in 59 illegal aliens being rescued from a tractor-trailer. Border Patrol officials said on April 20, 2018, agents at the checkpoint on Interstate Highway 35, north of Laredo, Texas, observed a tractor-trailer at the primary inspection lane,... Read More »
RAND Corporation paper says artificial intelligence could upend nuclear stability by 2040
A new paper from the RAND Corporation warns that artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to capsize the foundations of nuclear deterrence by 2040. RAND researchers based the paper, titled “How Might Artificial Intelligence Affect the Risk of Nuclear War?,” on a series of workshops... Read More »
Senate bill would give DHS new authority to remove corrupted software from federal systems
With the volume of cyber attacks on government computer systems jumping from 5,500 in 2006 to more than 77,000 in 2015, legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday would give the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) tools to better protect against foreign attacks. The Federal... Read More »
DHS needs to enhance cybersecurity risk mitigation efforts despite progress, GAO finds
Despite recent efforts to mitigate cybersecurity risks to networks supporting the nation’s critical infrastructure, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has “not taken sufficient actions” to accomplish that goal, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released... Read More »
DHS S&T conducts land and maritime drone testing in January
For the first time, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) was able to test drones for land and maritime usefulness to federal agencies, conducting tests at two sites in Mississippi back in January. To do so, they worked with the United States... Read More »
Transportation Security Administration sets screening record during 2018 spring travel period
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) set a new screening record during the 2018 spring travel period, March 15 through April 15. TSA screened more than 72 million passengers and almost 45 million checked bags, a nearly 5 percent increase over the same period last year. Of all... Read More »
GAO makes FEMA grant assessment recommendations
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued recommendations to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regarding the manner in which the agency assesses its grant programming. In 2012 the GAO identified coordination challenges among Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)... Read More »
BAE Systems, Dell EMC announce collaboration to offer cloud solution for U.S. government
BAE Systems and Dell EMC announced Monday a collaboration to offer a scalable, hybrid cloud solution for the U.S. government. “Our federated secure cloud is not just a modified commercial cloud environment for government use,” Al Whitmore, president of BAE Systems’ Intelligence & Security... Read More »
HHS announces purchase of anthrax antitoxin to enhance national biomedical preparedness
In an effort to bolster national biomedical preparedness efforts, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness Response (ASPR) announced Monday the purchase of the anthrax treatment Anthim for $25.2 million. Developed through a... Read More »As ‘migrant caravan’ approaches southern border, Trump administration threatens prosecution
A “migrant caravan” from Central America began approaching the southern U.S. border on Monday, prompting Trump administration officials to warn that any violators of immigration law will face prosecution. The caravan totaled about 1,500 people when it embarked from the Mexico-Guatemala... Read More »
Tools enhance cybersecurity initiatives
The National Security Agency (NSA) has developed a set of tools, called Unfetter, designed to bolster cybersecurity initiatives. Officials said Unfetter offers critical research insights to anyone, positioning decision-makers in various industries to incorporate network-protection... Read More »
West Nile Virus struck again after two year hiatus, reaching new areas
A recently released study, presented to the 28th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, demonstrated a 2017 reemergence of West Nile Virus (WNV) spreading to new areas in Greece. In all, scientists found 26 patients with the disease. An additional 19 had WNV fever.... Read More »
Senior police officials participate in international training course on major event security
Senior police officials from 24 countries recently participated in a hands-on training course on securing major sporting events. The International Criminal Police Organization’s (INTERPOL) Project Stadia and the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) developed and... Read More »
Cyber experts participate in world’s largest cyber defence exercise
Approximately 1,000 cyber experts from nearly 30 nations are participating this week in Locked Shields, the largest international live-fire cyber defence exercise in the world. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE), which is based... Read More »
Sen. Tester highlights homeland security funding priorities in government funding bill
During a roundtable discussion in Montana on Friday, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) highlighted provisions of the federal omnibus spending bill that are designed to bolster homeland security by increasing resources for critical security and local police departments. Tester, the ranking member of... Read More »
State Department reauthorization bill outlines personnel, IT, and embassy security enhancements
The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a markup on Thursday of State Department reauthorization bill that would enhance training and recruitment of diplomats, make embassies more secure, crack down on public corruption, and harden information technology (IT) systems. Under the... Read More »