News
Homeland Security department announced over $11 million in grants for Nevada
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced over $11.1 million in grants under three different programs for the state of Nevada in Fiscal Year (FY) 2017. “Ensuring our state has what it needs to thwart potential terror attacks and protect our tourism economy is critical,... Read More »
Increases in earth’s temperature raises risk of dengue outbreaks, study says
The gradual increase of the earth’s surface temperature enhances the metabolism of mosquitoes and increases the risk of dengue fever outbreaks, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Liverpool, the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) and the National... Read More »
FirstNet-AT&T public safety broadband network reaches 20 state opt-ins
Since its rollout in early July, a total of 20 U.S. states and territories have decided to opt-in to the AT&T-First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) nationwide public safety broadband network. The interoperable communications system allows emergency response personnel to securely and... Read More »Karisch selected as new Border Patrol’s new chief patrol agent for Tucson Sector
Officials with U.S. Border Patrol recently announced the selection of Rodolfo Karisch as the Tucson Sector’s new Chief Patrol Agent and Commander of Joint-Task Force-West, Arizona. In his new role, Karisch will now oversee the operations of more than 3,900 border agents and related support... Read More »
Customs and Border Protection awards four contracts for border wall prototypes
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently announced that it awarded four contracts for concrete prototypes of a southern border wall, which will help deter illegal crossings where they are constructed and allow CBP to evaluate new designs. Caddell Construction Co., (DE), LLC based in... Read More »
Authorities warn against possible fraud attempts in the wake of Hurricane Harvey
Federal authorities are warning potential donors for Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts to be on the lookout for scammers. The call comes from multiple branches of the federal government, with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) sending warnings... Read More »
OPCW holds internship program for implementing Chemical Weapons Convention legislation into national laws
Legal representatives from Ghana, Djibouti, and Benin recently participated in an Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)-sponsored internship program aimed at providing insight for drafting country-specific national legislation related to the implementation of the Chemical... Read More »NNSA team conducts radiological training exercise aboard Maersk container ship
Scientists, engineers, and technicians from the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Nuclear/Radiological Advisory Team (NRAT) recently conducted advanced maritime training aboard the Maersk Detroit in order to expand their advanced shipboard operational skill sets while on the... Read More »
First BARDA-developed treatment for drug-resistant bacteria receives FDA approval
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the use of Vabomere, the first antibiotic drug in the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) portfolio, in order to help combat the rise of drug-resistant bacteria. Specifically, Vabomere was approved to treat... Read More »
Japan Air Self-Defense Force joins US Marine Corps for Patriot missile defense testing
In a unique opportunity for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), members of the 2nd Air Defense Missile Group were invited to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni for Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) deployment training this week. “We conduct many exercises with our partners in... Read More »
Immigration and Customs Enforcement launches new hiring web content, Twitter feed
In an effort to hire 10,000 new employees as directed by a presidential executive order, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently created an enhanced careers section on its website as well as a Twitter feed for career information. The new website content provides detailed... Read More »
More than half of small businesses are worried about cyber threats, survey finds
Almost 60 percent of U.S. small business owners are concerned about cybersecurity threats, according to the recently released MetLife and U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Index. Survey results revealed that companies with 20 to 99 employees were more likely to be concerned, with one in... Read More »Cameron begins tenure as new president of National Intelligence University
J. Scott Cameron recently began his tenure as the new president of the National Intelligence University (NIU) at a formal convocation ceremony held on Aug. 25. Established in 1962, Cameron becomes the 18th leader in the university’s history and the third overall to hold the title of... Read More »
Alabama Dept. of Public Health launching infectious disease response network
The Alabama Department of Public Health recently announced the launch of a serious infectious disease response network in order to help identify and respond to potential outbreaks as they occur. According to Mary McIntyre, chief medical officer for the Alabama Department of Public Health, the... Read More »
Raytheon’s SM-6 missile intercepts missile target at sea for third time
A missile developed by Raytheon, called the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6), recently intercepted a medium-range ballistic missile target at sea in its final moments of flight after being deployed from the destroyer USS John Paul Jones. According to Raytheon, the missile can perform anti-air warfare,... Read More »
FDA grants accelerate approval for treatment of Chagas disease in pediatric patients
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted accelerated approval to benzidazole for the treatment of Chagas disease in children aged 2 to 12 years old. While the drug is one of the few treatments approved for use in adults, benzidazole now becomes the only approved treatment... Read More »
Battelle’s Coleman: Small companies are key for new CBRN medical countermeasures
Start-ups and small biotech companies are the most-promising developers for new medical countermeasures for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats, but they face serious challenges, according to Battelle's Senior Market Manager for Medical and CBRN Products Russell Coleman.... Read More »
US Nuclear Security Administration pulls last known nuclear material from Ghana
With support from China, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Ghana itself, the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has pulled the last kilogram of highly-enriched uranium (HEU) from Ghana. “Ghana demonstrated an exemplary commitment to helping reduce the risk of... Read More »
Aegis Combat System successfully completes against medium-range ballistic missiles
The USS John Paul Jones recently fired from the Aegis Combat System two Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) Dual I missiles to successfully intercept a medium-range ballistic missile target in a test off the coast of Hawaii. The test, supported by the U.S. Navy, Missile Defense Agency and Lockheed... Read More »
International conference seeks to strengthen global collaboration on intellectual property crime
The 11th annual International Law Enforcement IP Crime Conference, held this week in New York, aims to increase international partnerships to prevent intellectual property crime and form enforcement strategies. The event was co-hosted by INTERPOL and the National Intellectual Property Rights... Read More »
Synthetic biology, biosecurity expert addresses Edgewood Chemical Biological Center
Gigi Gronvall, a senior associate at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, recently spoke about the role of synthetic biology in national security at Edgewood Chemical Biological Center’s 100th Anniversary Speaker Series at Aberdeen Proving Ground near Aberdeen, Maryland. Gronvall is... Read More »
Nebraska Public Health Lab reaccredited by College of American Pathologists
The Nebraska Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) recently underwent an inspection of its patient care, quality control, and other critical facets and was subsequently reaccredited by the College of American Pathologists. The reaccreditation places the lab among 7,700 other accredited facilities... Read More »
New IAEA-managed low-enriched uranium bank opens in Kazakhstan
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in conjunction with the Government of Kazakhstan and the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), recently opened a new low-enriched uranium bank in Kazakhstan to provide countries that are developing nuclear power plants with uranium without incurring the... Read More »
Interpol hosts capacity building training event for southeast Asian nations in Singapore
A five-day training course aimed at building the capacity of countries in southeast Asia to address border management issues tied to illicit immigration and human trafficking was recently hosted by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) at its Global Complex for Innovation (IGCI)... Read More »
Air Force, NNSA conduct second B61-12 gravity bomb test
The U.S. Air Force (USAF) and the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) recently completed tests of its B61-12 gravity bombs at the Tonopah Test Range in Nevada. Dropped from an F-15E aircraft, the tests sought to evaluate the weapon’s non-nuclear... Read More »
Border patrol discovers smuggling tunnel, arrests 30
After arresting 30 illegal aliens near the Otay Mesa port of entry in the San Diego sector, U.S. Border Patrol agents discovered a tunnel apparently being used to smuggle illegal aliens into the United States. The agents encountered 30 people including 23 Chinese nationals and seven Mexican... Read More »
Department of Homeland Security holds hiring event for veterans
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently held a two-day hiring event in an effort to employ hundreds of veterans for both mission critical and support positions. Thousands of veterans attended the event, called Continue Your Service to America. “Hiring veterans is a top priority... Read More »
African health, veterinary and wildlife experts gather in Vienna to address disease outbreaks
A meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) assembled experts in human and animal health last week to address early warning systems for animal-to-human (zoonotic) disease outbreaks. “Early detection is the key,” Trevor Shoemaker, a CDC epidemiologist formerly based in Uganda,... Read More »
WHO confirms four cases of chikungunya virus in southeastern France
Four confirmed cases of chikungunya virus were recently been diagnosed in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France as of Aug. 23, 2017 with one probable and eight suspected cases, according to a recent announcement by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to WHO,... Read More »Mathematical model predicted when cholera epidemic would peak in war-torn Yemen
A recently developed mathematical model accurately forecasted that a large-scale cholera outbreak would peak in war-torn Yemen by early July 2017, triggering more than 750,000 cases. The model was developed by researchers at Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan. While various amounts of... Read More »
Childhood immunization rates should be main focus of future measles vaccination strategies in high-fertility countries, study says
Future measles vaccination strategies in high-fertility countries should focus on increasing childhood immunization rates, while immunization campaigns targeting adolescents and young adults should be required in low-fertility countries, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at... Read More »
Battelle DroneDefender, Dedrone to develop airspace security solutions posed by unauthorized drones
Battelle’s DroneDefender recently announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Dedrone to examine ways to develop an end-to-end solution to provide complete airspace security for sensitive infrastructure. The nonbinding, non-exclusive memorandum will aim to explore potential... Read More »
DHS, NIST to jointly sponsor Global City Teams Challenge for “smart city” solutions in 2018
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in conjunction with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), recently announced that they will jointly sponsor the 2018 Global City Teams Challenge (GCTC), a competition that will focus on designed-in cybersecurity solutions for... Read More »
Los Alamos researchers investigate biothreat lookalikes to aid biological surveillance efforts
Researchers are tracking down biothreats like tularemia but are facing a number of challenges including avoiding false positive tests, according to a recent study by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Specifically, the laboratory is investigating the... Read More »