News
GAO makes recommendations to improve collaboration across Department of Defense
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released on Wednesday found that the Department of Defense (DoD) has implemented some — but not all — of statutory requirements outlined in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to address organizational challenges. The DoD drafted an... Read More »
CBP marks two-year anniversary of Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detailed its progress regarding the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (TFTEA) in a recent press release marking the two-year anniversary of the Act. TFTEA aims to reshape, strengthen and modernize how CBP accomplishes its trade mission... Read More »
Nuclear Threat Initiative, Emory University host radiological security workshop in Atlanta
The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and Emory University recently hosted a workshop on radiological security in Atlanta, Georgia. Workshop participants included representatives from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the Federal Bureau of... Read More »
Resolution calls for withdrawal of U.S. forces from conflict in Yemen
A bipartisan resolution introduced in the Senate on Wednesday calls for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from conflict in Yemen between a Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis movement that emerged there in the 1990s. The Obama Administration deployed U.S. military forces to Yemen in 2015 without... Read More »
DSI event: Joint Civil & DoD CBRN Symposium on March 5-6 in Alexandria, Va.
The 2018 Joint Civil & DoD CBRN Symposium presented by the Defense Strategies Institute will take place on March 5-6 at the Mary M. Gates Learning Center in Alexandria, Virginia. The event will provide a forum for members of the Department of Defense, federal government, private industry, academia,... Read More »
CDC contract continues stockpiling of therapeutic treatments for smallpox vaccine complications
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awarded a 12-month, $26 million contract to Emergent BioSolutions on Wednesday for the continued supply of Vaccinia Immune Globulin Intravenous (VIGIV) to the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile (SNS). Emergent BioSolutions developed VIGIV,... Read More »
Senate Democrats align behind push for assault weapon ban
An effort to ban the sale, transfer, manufacture, and importation of military-style assault weapons and high capacity ammunition magazines alike has been introduced to the U.S. Senate, and Democrats appear to be aligning behind the effort. Introduced by U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.),... Read More »
TSA, Amtrak test equipment that can detect suicide vests on travelers
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Amtrak are currently testing new technology that detects suicide vests and other improvised explosive devices (IED) concealed beneath travelers’ clothing at New York’s Pennsylvania Station. The standoff explosive detection unit sounds an... Read More »
Ministry of Health of Kenya reported 453 Chikungunya cases from Mombasa County
The Ministry of Health (MoH) of Kenya reported 453 cases, including 32 laboratory-confirmed cases and 421 suspected cases, of chikungunya from Mombasa County from mid-December 2017 through Feb. 3. Based on reports from peripheral health facilities, the outbreak spread to the six sub-counties... Read More »Senior justice, policing officials gather to discuss evolving ISIS threats
Senior justice and law enforcement officials and their diplomatic counterparts from approximately 90 countries and organizations met in Washington, D.C. this week to discuss the evolving threats posed by ISIS. The U.S. Department of State, the International Criminal Police Organization... Read More »
Bipartisan group of senators introduces bill to ban gun purchases for those on no fly list
Individuals who are on the “no fly list” maintained by the Terrorist Screening Center would be barred from purchasing firearms under a bill introduced by a bipartisan group of senators on Tuesday. The Terrorist Firearms Prevention Act would enable the attorney general to deny firearms sales... Read More »
Gen. Votel outlines use of A-10s to attack Taliban revenue streams
Twelve A-10s that were delivered to Kandahar, Afghanistan, in January have primarily been used to target Taliban revenue streams like narcotics trafficking, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Gen. Joseph Votel testified before a House panel on Tuesday. January marked the first time in... Read More »
Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense warns Congress against delaying federal funds tied to comprehensive strategy
With biological threats to America and its interests overseas increasing, waiting any longer to commit federal funds to national biodefense would not be in the best interests of the health and well-being of United States’ citizens, nor the country’s security, the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on... Read More »
DSI Event: DoD Information Warfare Symposium on March 28-29 in Alexandria, Va.
The DoD Information Warfare Symposium presented by the Defense Strategies Institute will take place on March 28-29 at the Mary M. Gates Learning Center in Alexandria, Virginia. Designed for members of the Department of Defense, federal government, private industry, academia, and other stakeholders,... Read More »
Forthcoming House bill would provide federal funding for metal detectors at schools
Local school districts would have access to federal grant funding to install metal detectors under a bill announced by U.S. Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) on Monday to help secure schools. The bill would require school districts that receive grant funding to limit the number of school entrances to... Read More »
Deportation officers arrest 145 in Texas during seven-day enforcement action
Deportation officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested 145 individuals in South and Central Texas during a seven-day enforcement action, which ended Feb. 16. Of the 145 arrested, 86 had criminal convictions. Thirty-nine were... Read More »
Researchers develop improved flu forecasting method
Researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health recently developed an improved system for predicting the geographic spread of seasonal influenza in the United States. According to a paper published in the journal PNAS, the forecasting system can accurately predict local... Read More »
Counter-propaganda Global Engagement Center moves forward with agreement between State Department, DoD
The State Department and Department of Defense (DoD) signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday that will operationalize the Global Engagement Center (GEC), which will be tasked with coordinating the U.S. government’s counter-propaganda efforts. GEC was established under a provision of... Read More »
Sen. Menendez applauds new North Korea sanctions, calls for diplomacy
U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) lauded new sanctions announced against shipping companies and vessels tied to North Korea on Friday as a necessary move to compel North Korea to engage in “a credible diplomatic process” with denuclearization as the ultimate goal. The Treasury Department’s... Read More »
GAO recommends measures to prevent counterfeit goods from entering U.S.
Counterfeit goods entering the United States pose challenges for consumers and businesses that need to be addressed by federal agencies that enforce intellectual property rights (IPR), according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Counterfeit goods are hard to spot and, with the... Read More »
Concerns raised over TSA pre-check security screenings by House Homeland Security Committee
While the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) tries to grow its pre-check flight security system, members of a House panel on Tuesday raised concerns that the system is not being used properly. During a hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee Transportation and Protective... Read More »
U.S.-based clinical trial of potential Zika vaccine underway through Emergent BioSolutions, Valneva joint effort
A union of Emergent BioSolutions Inc. and Valneva SE has led to the initiation of a Phase 1 clinical trial for a Zika virus vaccine candidate in the United States. The purified inactivated vaccine candidate, VLA1601, has been developed using the same manufacturing platform as Valneva’s... Read More »
CBP arrests three subjects in New England within 24 hours
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers in New England, Boston Field Office arrested three subjects in a 24-hour period in two separate instances for narcotics possession and an active warrant. At the Port of Houlton in Maine, CBP officers encountered two 42-year old male U.S. citizens... Read More »
GAO reviews Next Generation 911 implementation nationwide ahead of roadmap development
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently reviewed the implementation of Next Generation 911 (NG911), which provides improved capabilities over the legacy 911 system. The GAO report examines state and local progress, challenges in implementing NG911 and federal actions to address... Read More »
Legislation aims to boost accountability, collaboration of DHS fusion centers
Legislation introduced in the House of Representatives on Friday aims to improve information sharing and engagement among the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) fusion centers, which collect and share information on threats with federal, state, local and private partners. The DHS Field... Read More »
Treasury Department sanctions 56 shipping companies, vessels for engaging in trade with North Korea
The Treasury Department announced a sanctions package on Friday that targets 27 entities and 28 vessels tied to North Korea, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and four additional countries violating earlier U.S. sanctions by engaging in trade with North Korea. The Treasury Department’s... Read More »
Vaccinations remain best path to stopping disease spread
Low flu shot counts this year in Europe have worried prompted worries among regional health experts and prompted a joint study from the Italian National Research Council and the European Commission Joint Research Centre that showcases the efficacy of vaccination efforts. The focus of this study... Read More »
DARPA names Pandemic, Prevention, Platform program research teams
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) recently announced that its Pandemic Prevention Platform (P3) program has all performer institutions under contract and working to developing technology that can quickly prevent the spread of infectious diseases. P3 was launched last year in... Read More »
New drugs needed faster to fight antimicrobial resistant pathogens, IDSA-led group says
More than 50 groups marshalled by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) seek an act of Congress to rush urgently needed new antimicrobial drugs to market that protect America’s national security and the health of its citizens against biothreats posed by antimicrobial resistant (AMR)... Read More »
DSI event: Joint Civil & DoD CBRN Symposium on March 5-6 in Alexandria, Va.
The 2018 Joint Civil & DoD CBRN Symposium presented by the Defense Strategies Institute will take place on March 5-6 at the Mary M. Gates Learning Center in Alexandria, Virginia. The event will provide a forum for members of the Department of Defense, federal government, private industry, academia,... Read More »
CBP Erie Marine Unit, local law enforcement conduct active shooter drill
A multi-agency team of 30 law enforcement officers recently conducted an active shooter drill at an elementary school in Erie County, Pennsylvania. Marine Interdiction Agents assigned to Air and Marine Operations’ Erie Marine Unit, agents from U.S. Border Patrol’s Fairview Station and... Read More »
INTERPOL Digital Security Challenge addresses Internet of Things security risks
INTERPOL recently held its latest Digital Security Challenge in Vienna, Austria, during which 43 cybercrime and digital forensics experts from 23 countries investigated a simulated cyberattack on a bank launched through an Internet of Things (IoT) device. Through their analysis of the simulated... Read More »
OPCW director general calls for deeper ties to other international organizations to combat terrorism
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Director General Ahmet Üzümcü said that technology, threats and actors have altered the global landscape and that OPCW is adapting to “meet this changing environment and the risks and dangers it will create” during an address in... Read More »
New saliva-based test can diagnose Zika virus in minutes
A new saliva-based diagnostic test for Zika virus is being developed by researchers at New York University College of Dentistry, in collaboration with Rheonix, Inc., and allows test results to be delivered in minutes rather than hours or days. Current Zika testing is conducted using blood... Read More »