News
Bolster U.S. missile defense system, ‘massively retaliate’ if needed, Sen. Sullivan says
An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch on Friday by North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un that landed roughly 200 miles from Japan’s coast, and reports this week that North Korea was threatening an ICBM strike against the United States, are fresh warnings that the country continues to... Read More »
OPCW director calls for ethics in science during Australia visit
Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü, the director-general of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), recently visited Australia to meet with leaders of various agencies to discuss continued efforts to prevent the use of chemical weapons. “Every science holds the potential for... Read More »
House Homeland Security Committee advances bill to aid first responder terrorism preparations
The Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series Act of 2017 was advanced by the House Homeland Security Committee this week in effort to coordinate preparations for terrorist attacks between first responders. The bill targets first responders at all levels--federal, state and local--by... Read More »
Rep. McSally introduces bill to require DHS threat assessment for southwest border
A bill that directs the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct a full mile-by-mile analysis of threats to the nation’s southern international border with Mexico was recently introduced in the House by U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ). The bill, titled the Southwest Border... Read More »
Reps. Pallone, Engel call for Trump Administration to fully staff CDC
U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Eliot Engel (D-NY) recently called upon the Trump Administration to immediately staff up the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cautioning that neglecting the agency presented a grave risk to both global health and the nation’s... Read More »
New Sandia National Lab Fellowship named after first female nuclear security lab director
Sandia National Laboratories established this week a new fellowship program, which it named after Jill Hruby, its immediate past director and the first woman to direct a National Nuclear Security Administration laboratory. The Jill Hruby Fellowship Program will provide postdoctoral candidates... Read More »
Customs agents seize 74 pounds of narcotics at Laredo Port of Entry
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers made a huge bust in Laredo, Texas this week after seizing more than $1 million worth of narcotics. In total, two captures on the Lincoln-Juarez International Bridge netted officers 48 pounds of methamphetamine, 25 pounds of cocaine, and one pound... Read More »Emergent Biosolutions secures Valneva’s Zika virus vaccine technology
Emergent Biosolutions said on Wednesday it has entered into a licensing agreement with Valneva SE for the global exclusive rights to the company’s Zika vaccine technology, ZIKV. “Emergent is focused on providing preparedness solutions to public health threats and emerging infectious... Read More »
Additional actions needed by CBP to assess effectiveness of land-based surveillance technology, according to GAO report
Additional actions are needed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to strengthen management and assess the effectiveness of land-based surveillance technologies for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operations, according to a recent report published by the U.S. Government... Read More »
FirstNet’s nationwide project gains another state amid ongoing challenges
FirstNet’s deployment of an interoperable National Public Safety Broadband Network for first responders is an unprecedented undertaking, CEO Michael Poth testified last week on Capitol Hill. “Every step forward presents new challenges and requires identification of innovative solutions,”... Read More »
New Jersey to become sixth state to opt-in to FirstNet’s communications network
Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) recently announced that New Jersey will become the sixth 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, FirstNet... Read More »Representatives urge Secretary Tillerson not to close cybersecurity office
Following reports that U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson plans to close the State Department’s Office of the Coordinator for Cyber Issues (S/CCI), a group of U.S. representatives sent him a letter urging him not to do so. The S/CCI office organizes responses to cyber threats, mitigates... Read More »Hearing addresses technology’s role in mitigating illicit activity along southwest border
U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) recently chaired a hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee to examine the role that technology plays in predicting, deterring, and detecting illicit activity along the nation’s southern border with Mexico. The hearing comes as U.S. Customs and Border... Read More »White House working on pandemic, biosecurity strategy
Responding to what he calls a need for a bio-defense strategy, the Trump Administration’s homeland security advisor, Thomas Bossert, has promised the White House is developing the first comprehensive plan for disease and biological attacks. “At this point, we need to look clear eyed at the... Read More »
With GHSA conference underway, world considers best path forward for disease control
In Seoul, South Korea, dozens of countries are gathering this week to discuss the future of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), which seeks to protect the world from infectious disease threats and has formed the backbone of biosecurity initiatives across the globe for more than three years. ... Read More »
UC San Diego researchers selected for DARPA project against mosquito-borne diseases
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) recently selected the University of California - San Diego (UCSD) to be part of a research team on a project aimed at curbing the spread of infectious diseases like Zika virus and dengue fever. UCSD’s selection by DARPA now entitles it to a... Read More »
Anti-human trafficking groups applaud Justice Department’s criminal inquiry into Backpage.com
A number of leading anti-human trafficking organizations are applauding a recommendation made by a bipartisan group of U.S. senators that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) conduct a criminal inquiry of Backpage.com over concerns that the website is facilitating acts of human trafficking. On... Read More »
Hawaii to receive $6.1 million from CDC to support public health emergency preparedness efforts
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently awarded a total of $6,125,363 to the Hawaii Department of Public Health (DOH) to support its Disease Outbreak Control Division’s Public Health Preparedness Branch to help address a variety of public health threats and emergencies.... Read More »
Enhanced security measures now in effect for all 180 airlines around the world
Global aviation security is undergoing another change, this time in response to measures laid out by U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly earlier this year. Foremost among the changes, which affect all 180 airlines and 280 last-point-of-departure airports globally, are the lifting... Read More »
Model developed to determine risk time frame for mosquito-borne virus infection
A new mathematical model developed at Upstate Medical University in New York will help guide researchers to make monthly predictions on when populations are at greatest risk of contracting mosquito-borne diseases, like Zika virus and dengue fever, The model was developed by Upstate Medical... Read More »
Bill to improve data collection in officer-involved fatal incidents introduced in Senate
A bill that would require states that receive federal funds for law enforcement programs to properly document all relevant details surrounding an officer-related shooting that result in the death of a civilian was recently introduced to the Senate by U.S. Sens. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Chuck Grassley... Read More »
New ampule-sealing machine improves safety in handling dilute chemical agent solutions
The Edgewood Chemical Biological Laboratory (ECBC) recently acquired a new machine that improves the efficiency and safety in processing orders of dilute chemical agents used for research and testing. Brandon Bruey, chemist at ECBC’s Chemical Transfer Facility (CTF), said the dilute samples... Read More »
DHS testing will be used to offset evolving threats of car bombs in Middle East
Recent testing conducted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on large-scale vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIED) at Fort Polk will be used to develop new mitigation capabilities and secure vulnerable targets in the Middle East. The DHS Science and Technology... Read More »
Google search history, historical data used to accurately estimate dengue fever prevalence in developing countries
A combination of Google search data and government-supplied clinical data can be used to accurately track mosquito-born illnesses like Dengue fever in developing countries, researchers at Harvard University recently found. Researchers used Google Trends to track the top 10 dengue related search... Read More »
FirstNet agrees to fully explore tribal concerns, execute long-term staffing plan
The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet), which is charged with establishing a nationwide wireless broadband network for first responders, should more fully address the concerns voiced by tribal stakeholders and proactively develop a long-term staffing plan as the public-safety project... Read More »
House advances first Homeland Security reauthorization bill in department’s history
A bill that reauthorizes the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its agencies for the first time since its inception in 2002 recently advanced the U.S. House of Representatives in a bipartisan vote of 386-41. The legislation’s introduction stems from a memorandum of understanding... Read More »
Savannah River Tritium Facility triples extraction capacity
A National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) tritium extraction facility in South Carolina recently surpassed its own mining records by conducting three extractions in fiscal year 2017. Tritium is a radioactive component that is critical to the U.S. nuclear stockpile. Previously, the... Read More »
IAEA hosts nuclear, radiological emergency response training event in Sudan
More than 300 public safety professionals representing 20 African nations convened in Khartoum, Sudan for an educational event hosted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), where participants trained in various aspects of response operations, radiological hazards, and emergency public... Read More »
No valid evidence supporting TSA’s list of behavioral indicators for dangerous persons, GAO reports
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) does not have valid evidence to support the effectiveness of its list of behavioral indicators for individuals who may post a threat to aviation security, according to a recent report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).... Read More »
FEMA awards Phoenix $1.5 million in terrorism prevention grant funds
The City of Phoenix. Arizona received a boon for its terrorism preparedness efforts last week with the announcement that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would be providing them $1,565,000 in grant funds for that purpose. The funds were provided through the 2016 Complex Coordinated... Read More »
Sri Lankan Ministry of Health reports dengue fever outbreak
The Epidemiology Unit of Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Health (MoH) recently reported a total of 80,732 cases of dengue fever throughout the first six months of 2017, a figure that is 4.3 times higher than the average number of cases reported from 2010-2016 and includes 215 deaths. According to the... Read More »
Battelle receives $13 million contract to assist CBRNE teams to combat weapons of mass destruction
Battelle recently received a Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) Homeland Defense and Security Technical Area Task (HD TAT) award with a total value of $13,781,575 to support the National Guard Bureau’s (NGB) Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Division initiative. The... Read More »
House committee advances bill to combat international foreign terrorist fighter travel
The House Foreign Affairs Committee Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade recently advanced legislation that aims to establish international border security standards to close security gaps that could potentially allow foreign terrorist fighters to travel internationally. ... Read More »
Hetner to remain as senior advisor for cybersecurity policy at SEC
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently announced that Christopher R. Hetner will remain as senior advisor for cybersecurity policy to SEC Chairman Jay Clayton. Hetner, who served under previous SEC Chairman Mary Jo White and Acting Chairman Michael Piwowar, will continue his... Read More »