News
Nuclear forensic group to present results of Collaborative Materials Exercise
Representatives of the Nuclear Forensics International Technical Working Group (ITWG) recently presented the results of the organization’s fifth Collaborative Materials Exercise (CMX) at the American Chemical Society's national meeting in Washington D.C. The group of scientists, law... Read More »
Nationwide in 2016, TSA uncovered nearly 3,400 attempts to bring firearms onto airplanes
In strict violation of U.S. law, the TSA has announced a rising trend in attempts to bring firearms into the skies, with 3,391 uncovered at security checkpoints in 2016--a 28 percent increase over 2015. Thus far, 2017 does not seem to be doing any better. At San Antonio International Airport... Read More »
American Society for Microbiology urges caution following lab salmonella outbreak
The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) recently published a reminder about safety practices for microbiology labs following a July 2017 outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium associated with clinical and teaching microbiology labs. The outbreak infected 24 people infected in 16 states. The... Read More »Rep. Goodlatte highlights immigration actions from Judiciary Committee ahead of Trump’s visit to Arizona Border Patrol station
In anticipation of President Trump’s official visit to the Border Patrol Station in Yuma, Arizona, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) applauded the president’s decision to visit the station while highlight the work his committee has done towards immigration issues.... Read More »New advanced imaging technology installed at DuBois Regional Airport in Pennsylvania
A new advanced imaging technology (AIT) machine was recently installed at the DuBois Regional Airport (DUJ) in Reynoldsville, Pennsylvania, according to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The state-of-the-art machine’s target recognition software enables passengers a more... Read More »
Researchers warn Oropouche fever may be spreading throughout Brazil
After a Zika virus epidemic in 2015 and an outbreak of yellow fever earlier this year, Brazil runs a serious risk of being affected by Oropouche fever, a tropical viral infection similar to dengue fever, according to a recent study by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) in Brazil.... Read More »
NIH scientists create model for study of tick-transmitted viruses
National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists reported a new step forward in understanding and developing tools against tick-borne viruses this week, with the development of a laboratory model to study flaviviruses. Specifically, it was researchers at Rocky Mountain Laboratories--a part of the... Read More »
Lt. Gen. Ashley to become 21st Defense Intelligence Agency director
Lt. Gen. Robert P. Ashley, Jr., U.S. Army, was recently confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the 21st Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). Currently serving as deputy chief of staff, G-2, for the U.S. Army, Ashley is scheduled to begin his duties as DIA director in October, where he... Read More »
DARPA issues agreement awards to three teams for counter-sUAS mobile force protection program
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) recently awarded three Phase 1 agreements for its mobile force protection (MFP) program, an initiative that focuses on countering the proliferation of small, unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS). The agreements were awarded to Dynetics, Inc. of... Read More »
Cholesterol-lowering medication may help fight salmonella infection, but increase risk of typhoid fever
A gene variant that affects cholesterol levels could increase a person’s risk of contracting typhoid fever while a common cholesterol-lowering medication can protect zebrafish against the bacterium Salmonella Typhi, according to a recent study by researchers at Duke University. Intrigue for... Read More »
Border patrol agents discover 60 illegal aliens in icy produce trailer
Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Sector Border Patrol Agents discovered this week 60 illegal aliens attempting to cross the border in a produce trailer that reached a temperature of 49 degrees Fahrenheit. After a canine unit alerted agents about the truck, it was referred to secondary inspection.... Read More »
Researchers examine protein’s role in spread of Ebola virus
A multi-institution team of researchers recently published a study examining the role of a tiny protein called a delta peptide in making the Ebola virus more contagious. Researchers from Tulane University, Louisiana State University and the Johns Hopkins University Institute for... Read More »
Trump authorizes elevation of US Cyber Command to more important defense role
With the recommendation of the Secretary of Defense and the order of the President, the Department of Defense is now moving to make the U.S. Cyber Command a unified combatant command. The process is more symbolic than anything, but it will cause reorganization in how the department approaches... Read More »
San Diego-area Border Patrol agents make drug seizure after spotting drone flying over border
Border Patrol agents stationed near the San Ysidro Port of Entry in San Diego, California recently made a seizure of more than 13 pounds of methamphetamine after a would-be smuggler was observed using a remote-controlled drone to fly over the international border. “Due to the agents’... Read More »New director formally assumes command of Customs and Border Protection Baltimore Field Office
Casey Durst formally assumed command of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Baltimore Field Office this week where she will oversee border security and trade and travel facilitation operations in the mid-Atlantic states. Previously, Durst served as the Area Port Director of St. Albans,... Read More »
Saudi-led coalition largely responsible for Yemen’s cholera outbreak, researchers say
Due to Saudi-led air strikes and blockades, the cholera outbreak in Yemen is disproportionately affecting rebel-controlled areas, a letter recently published by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) researchers in The Lancet Global Health said. According to the analysis, eight out of 10... Read More »Sen. Schatz, Rep. Pallone call for GAO review of cybersecurity in wake of reported FCC attack
In the wake of a reported cyberattack on the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) electronic comment filing system, U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) recently called upon the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct an independent review on... Read More »
Report from former Energy Secretary lays out critical defense of US nuclear industry
While some claim nuclear power is past date, former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz published a report last week that claims the commercial nuclear energy industry remains vital to national defense and must be supported. The report, “The U.S. Nuclear Energy Enterprise: A Key National Security... Read More »
Rep. Torres holds seminar for local government leaders on cyber threat preparation
Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-CA) recently convened a seminar to help local government leaders prepare for potential cybersecurity threats in Ontario, California. Federal officials from the Department of Homeland Security, the National Institute of Standards and Technology as well as private-sector... Read More »FDA provides standardized patient samples for Zika virus test evaluation
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced that it made available a panel of human plasma samples for regulatory evaluation of serological tests to detect recent Zika virus infection. “By providing manufacturers of these tests with standardized patient samples to use in... Read More »
Frederick National Laboratory to support multiple phase Zika virus vaccine trials
The Frederick National Laboratory recently announced it is producing an additional round of a Zika virus vaccine for use in ongoing studies to determine the most effective delivery methods and dosages. According to David Lindsay, director of the laboratory’s Vaccine Clinical Materials Program... Read More »Smiths Detection’s Frunzi to host seminar on illicit fentanyl exposure prevention at ASIS International
Michael Frunzi, Senior Product Manager at Smiths Detection Inc. (SDI), is set to moderate an upcoming roundtable seminar on the dangers of illicit fentanyl exposure for first responders and how a new series of detectors and identifiers could be used to mitigate the drug’s risks. “Smiths... Read More »
House Committee on Homeland Security set to hold hearings on domestic terrorism in wake of Charlottesville attack
In response to the recent domestic terrorist attack in Charlottesville, Virginia by a reported white supremacist, 12 Democratic members of the House Homeland Security Committee sent a public letter on August 15 to Committee Chair U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) urging the committee to hold hearings... Read More »
Penn State receives grant to study malaria-bearing mosquitoes in search of control methods
Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences has received a $1.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study a virus that infects malaria-bearing mosquitos and develop a means of genetically modifying mosquitoes more easily. With that money, professor Jason Rasgon and his... Read More »Florida man pleads guilty after attempting attack on synagogue
James Gonzalo Medina pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime and a charge of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction after attempting to attack a synagogue in Aventura, Florida. Medina admitted during the plea proceeding to planning an attack on the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center in... Read More »
INTERPOL conducts training course on countering terrorist use of social media
The International Police Organization (INTERPOL) recently conducted a first-of-its-kind specialized training course for law enforcement in the Middle East and North Africa on countering the use of social media for terrorist activities. The program aimed to improve methods for identifying and... Read More »
Kansas to become 14th state to opt-in to nationwide public safety broadband network
Gov. Sam Brownback (R-KS) recently announced that the state of Kansas will become the 14th state in the country to opt-in to the nationwide public safety broadband network that is currently being developed by the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) and AT&T. As part of the agreement,... Read More »
GAO report provides update on Air Force oversight efforts for NC3 Weapons System modernization
The U.S. Air Force (USAF) has continued to take steps to provide a department-wide nuclear command, control and communications (NC3) oversight structure for the NC3 Weapons System, but its focus has mainly centered on sustaining the current system as it adds personnel for the new structure,... Read More »NIAID awards $5 million grant for study of anti-cancer drug as a new TB treatment
A team of international researchers were recently awarded a three year, $5 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to test a cancer drug called imatinib as a repurposed tuberculosis (TB) treatment. Commercially sold under the name Gleevec, imatinib... Read More »Researchers discover immune signaling pathway for control of Yellow Fever Virus infection
Researchers at Princeton University recently found a critical role for a new immune signaling pathway in controlling infection by the flavivirus Yellow Fever Virus (YFV). "An improved understanding of the complex mechanisms regulating YFV-17D attenuation will provide insights into key... Read More »
Raytheon’s Air and Missile Defense Radar completes second successful test
Raytheon Company’s AN/SPY-6(V) Air and Missile Defense Radar successfully completed its second live-target flight test at the U.S. Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kauai, Hawaii. The system acquired and maintained the long-range missile target track from launch through flight. The test... Read More »
Smuggling attempts in Port of Nogales net CBP nearly $950,000 in heroin, methamphetamine
In two foiled attempts to smuggle heroin and methamphetamine into the United States, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Port of Nogales seized nearly $950,000 worth of heroin and methamphetamine this week. The smuggling methods varied, of course. In one case, a 45-year-old... Read More »NIST, Michigan State researchers develop algorithm to automate fingerprint identification process
An algorithm that automatically determines how much useful information is contained in latent crime scene fingerprints was recently developed by scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Michigan State University. During the crime scene discovery process, the... Read More »