News
A potential key to fighting drug-resistant bacteria? Communication
Experts from the Oregon State University, the Oregon Health and Science University’s College of Pharmacy and the Oregon Health Authority say that communication breakdowns are among the leading potentials for infection outbreaks of drug-resistant bacteria. Supported by a slew of organizations,... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection offers expedited NEXUS membership for Buffalo-Niagara Region
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is offering an expedited NEXUS enrollment process for the Ice Hockey World Juniors Championship, which will be held in Buffalo from Dec. 26, 2017 through Jan. 5, 2018. CBP is offering the expedited enrollment through Oct. 13 to residents of the... Read More »
NATO Council pushes back on UN treaty to legally prohibit, eliminate all nuclear weapons
Following a decision by the United Nations’ (UN) General Assembly to negotiate a legally-binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons and their eventual elimination, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) Council recently pushed back against the move, stating that a total ban would... Read More »
Lockheed-developed laser weapon system brings down unmanned aerial vehicles during testing
Lockheed Martin’s prototype laser weapon system recently demonstrated its ability to deliver decisive lethality against unmanned aerial threats through a series of tests with the U.S. Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command. The 30-kilowatt Advanced Test High Energy Asset (ATHENA) system... Read More »
NIAID awards $11.5 million for study of malaria parasite, relationship to drug resistance
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) recently awarded a total of $11.5 million to a team of researchers from the Texas Biomedical Research Institute, the University of Notre Dame and the Center for Infectious Disease Research (CIDR) to examine how the gene of the... Read More »Congress members inquire about NotPetya malware, effects on drug supplies
Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee recently sent public letters to the heads of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the global pharmaceutical company Merck concerning the NotPetya malware and its effects on drug supplies. On June 27, a malware known by a... Read More »
Texas to partner with FirstNet, AT&T to provide wireless broadband network for public safety community
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently announced that the state would partner with FirstNet and AT&T to establish a wireless broadband network, including modernized devices, apps, and tools, to enhance communication between the state’s first responders. "The safety and security of Texas... Read More »
Fucose sugar responsible for ricin’s lethal effects in humans, international study says
Two genes called Fut9 and SLc35c1, which regulate the metabolism of a particular sugar in cells, are responsible for making ricin so lethal to humans, according to a recently conducted study by researchers from the Austrian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA). The... Read More »Senate approves reform package for government information technology
The U.S. Senate approved this week a reform package aimed at making government IT spending more efficient and accelerating the government’s transition to modern technology. The Modernizing Government Technology (MGT) Act creates an incentive for the federal government to streamline IT systems... Read More »
Three IAEA Member States file legal documents for nuclear safety, security
Monaco, Syria and Bolivia, three Member States to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), recently filed legal documents related to nuclear material protection, nuclear safety, spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste management at a meeting of the IAEA General Conference. Specifically,... Read More »Tree-dwelling animals may be hosts for parasite that causes Chagas disease, study says
Animals such as tayra, new world monkeys, sloths, porcupines, and coatis may be incubators for a parasite that causes Chagas disease, according to a recent study conducted by researchers from the University of California-Riverside (UCR). Despite affecting approximately 8 million people... Read More »
NY/NJ Port Authority names Bilich as new Chief Security Officer
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey recently named John Bilich as the agency’s new permanent Chief Security Officer. Bilich, a former New York Police Department Deputy Commissioner of Operations, had most recently been serving as the Port Authority’s Acting Chief Security Officer... Read More »
US Health Department partners with Janssen Research & Development to develop new flu vaccines
A new public-private partnership between the federal government and Janssen Research & Development LLC seeks to jointly innovate new products in the constantly evolving battle against influenza. The partnership will see the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant... Read More »
Battelle introduces new version of DroneDefender counter-UAS device
Battelle introduced a new version of its DroneDefender device, which is used to counter threats from Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), at Air Force Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference’s Technology Symposium this week. The DroneDefender V2, a handheld and man-portable device, disrupts... Read More »
Key provisions secured for Ohio-based defense manufacturing in FY2018 NDAA legislation
Two key provisions that will benefit Ohio-based defense manufacturers were recently secured as part of the Senate version of the FY2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). In order to better protect aircraft within the 180th Fighter Wing based in Toledo, Ohio, the bill authorized a total... Read More »
Congress members request FCC investigation into Russian interference in 2016 presidential election cycle
In the wake of recent reports that Sputnik, a Russian radio network, allegedly used U.S. airwaves to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election cycle, members of Congress penned a public letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai requesting an investigation... Read More »
DHS discontinues visa issuance in four countries
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in conjunction with the U.S. State Department, recently implemented visa sanctions on Cambodia, Eritrea, Guinea and Sierra Leone in response to an overall lack of cooperation in accepting their nationals that have been removed from the United States.... Read More »
Fourteen cases of chikungunya appear in Italy, according to WHO
Fourteen confirmed cases of chikungunya virus have recently been diagnosed in Italy, six of which appeared in Rome with another eight appearing in the coastal region of Anzio, according to a recently published report from the World Health Organization (WHO). The first case was identified on... Read More »House advances appropriations package to fund border wall, increase military funding
The U.S. House of Representatives recently advanced an appropriations bill that would fund President Trump’s wall on the Mexican border and various other security initiatives. The bill includes funding for the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, Military Construction and Veterans... Read More »
Emergent BioSolutions awarded contract from HHS to develop first cyanide antidote spray
Emergent BioSolutions said on Monday it has been awarded a contract valued at approximately $63 million by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) for the development of the first antidote spray device for treatment of acute cyanide poisoning. The single-use... Read More »
Sens. Graham, Gillibrand bill to establish commission to investigate cyberattacks during 2016 presidential election cycle
A bipartisan bill was recently introduced in the Senate by U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), aiming to establish a National Commission of the Cybersecurity of United States Election Systems. Based on a similar structure set by the 9/11 Commission, the new... Read More »
Rep. McSally selected for Congressional group to address border security, DACA
Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) recently announced that Speaker of the House Paul Ryan selected her to participate in an informal group of Republican members of Congress focusing on border security and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. “Since taking office, I’ve made it... Read More »
House votes to update immigration law in gang crackdown
The U.S. House of Representatives recently voted to change immigration law to make membership in a criminal gang both a deportable offense and justification for barring entry in the first place. The bill, entitled the “Criminal Alien Gang Member Removal Act,” would allow the Department of... Read More »
Reps. Royce, Engel introduce Cyber Diplomacy Act
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY) recently introduced the Cyber Diplomacy Act, which would create a U.S. international cyber policy and promote working with other countries on promoting this policy. “The U.S. is increasingly under... Read More »
TSA recognizes Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada for safety, security efforts
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently presented the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) with its Baseline Assessment for Security Enhancement (BASE) Gold Standard Award. The review assesses 17 categories of fundamental security and emergency... Read More »
Rep. Royce sponsors bill to strengthen anti-money laundering system
Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) proposed legislation last week to strengthen the anti-money laundering (AML) and countering terrorism financing (CTF) system in the United States. The draft legislation, the Anti-Money Laundering Modernization Act, seeks to modernize the system and update the regulatory... Read More »Bill to streamline DHS intelligence gathering efforts advanced by House
A bill to help streamline and enhance intelligence sharing at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was recently advanced by the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation, titled the Unify DHS Intelligence Enterprise Act, was authored by U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), who serves as... Read More »
Border Patrol to begin pilot unmanned aircraft testing program
Officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently announced that U.S. Border Patrol will soon begin testing small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) in an operational environment as part of a pilot program in late September. According to CBP, each sUAS unit will allow agents in the... Read More »
CBP seeks veterans during Baltimore job fair
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently announced its intent to hire military veterans at the Military Job Fair scheduled last week in Baltimore, Maryland. “Customs and Border Protection is hiring, and we’re offering qualified candidates an opportunity to pursue a challenging and... Read More »
FirstNet Board approves $73.5 million FY2018 budget
The Board of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) recently approved its FY2018 budget of $73.5 million, which will provide a focus on continued deployment, operation, and oversight of its nationwide public safety broadband network. The budget also includes provisions for public... Read More »
CBP officers seize more than $9.7 million in narcotics over three separate incidents
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers stationed at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge near Laredo, Texas recently seized more than $9.7 million of alleged cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine over three separate incidents. On Thursday, Sept. 7, officers encountered a 2000 Ford Explorer SUV... Read More »
GAO report assesses medical technologies for rapidly diagnosing infectious diseases
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently conducted a study on the capabilities and challenges of medical device technologies in order to assess their abilities to rapidly diagnose infectious diseases. As infectious diseases continue to pose a public health threat throughout the... Read More »
House advances Homeland Threat Assessment Act
The U.S. House of Representatives advanced this week a bill that would require the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Intelligence and Analysis to evaluate the terrorist threat to the homeland for each of the next five fiscal years. “The 9/11 Commission revealed that a “failure of... Read More »
Georgia Tech-developed vaccine exploits weaknesses of Leishmania parasite
A new experimental vaccine immunized genetically-altered mice from the Leishmania parasite, according to a recent study conducted by researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). With more than 30 different strains, Leishmania is classified at the world’s... Read More »