News
Researchers use tumor-detecting technology to track dengue infection in mice
A team of researchers from the Duke-NUS Medical School and Singapore General Hospital recently repurposed a non-invasive cancer detection method in order to track dengue infection in mouse models in real time. Typically used to detect solid tumors, positron emission tomography (PET) has the... Read More »
Senate GOP members introduce bill to permanently instate intelligence-gathering program
A group of 14 Republican members of the U.S. Senate recently filed a bill to make Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Security Act (FISA) permanent before it is set to expire later this year. Specifically, Section 702 applies to surveilling communications of non-U.S. persons located outside... Read More »
McCaskill urges against funding cuts to terrorist response teams, stresses need to protect election infrastructure with DHS secretary
After President Trump released his FY2018 budget, which called for cutting the number of Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR) teams from 31 to just eight, U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) publicly urged Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly to maintain VIPR funding at current... Read More »
Bill to waive polygraph exams for open CBP positions advances House
A bill that would waive the required pre-employment polygraph examination for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) candidates under certain circumstances was recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. Introduced by U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ), the Anti-Border Corruption... Read More »
Sandia National Labs assist in development of nuclear warhead verification method
Researchers from the Sandia National Laboratories recently developed a new method for verifying attributes of a nuclear warhead, which could help address issues of conducting verification measurements while also protecting sensitive design elements. The method, described as Confirmation using... Read More »
National laboratory researchers provide support for intercontinental ballistic missile test flights
In recent tests of the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), researchers from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) observed radio chatter and flight data streams to help verify that the system could deliver a payload to target. LLNL researchers were on hand at... Read More »
Border patrol agents seize $1.4 million worth of cocaine concealed in bus toilet stall
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents stationed at the Sarita Checkpoint in Rio Grande Valley, Texas recently seized more than 44 pounds of cocaine in a single incident. The incident began as agents referred a local commercial bus for a secondary inspection after a K-9 unit alerted... Read More »
Clinical trial of chikungunya virus vaccine begins enrollment
A Phase 1/2 clinical trial to test an experimental chikungunya virus vaccine candidate, called MV-CHIKV, recently began enrolling healthy adults at three sites in the United States. A previous Phase 1 trial of MV-CHIKV was conducted in 2014 by vaccine developer Themis Bioscience of Vienna,... Read More »
House Homeland Security Committee opposes Trump’s budget cuts to local first responders at hearing
Members of the House Homeland Security Committee from both parties expressed opposition to the Trump administration’s proposed budget that would cut funding for training and deployment for local security programs by as much as 30 percent next year, even while the overall funding for the... Read More »
IATA adopts safety resolution to enhance aviation security
A resolution that reaffirms the airline industry’s commitment to keep air travel secure and promote greater public-private collaboration was recently adopted by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) at its 73rd Annual General Meeting. The resolution was used to highlight the... Read More »
OPCW training course held to enhance toxic chemical response capabilities in Latin America, Caribbean
A training course on strengthening toxic chemical response capabilities for first responders from Latin America and the Caribbean was recently co-hosted by Uruguay’s National Authority and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The course featured experts in the... Read More »
New Zika vaccine candidate gives single-dose protection from virus in mice models
A vaccine based on the Zika virus NS1 protein was shown to give single-dose protection against the virus in an immunocompetent lethal mouse challenge model, according to a recent study presented by Farshad Guirakhoo, chief scientific officer of GeoVax, Inc. Guirakhoo presented his findings at... Read More »
Biometric facial recognition exit system deployed at Washington-Dulles Int’l Airport
A new facial recognition biometric exit system was recently deployed to the Washington-Dulles International Airport to be used for one daily flight from the United States to Dubai, according to officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The biometric technology uses flight... Read More »
Organizations cite lack of resources to combat growing cyber threats, new study shows
Persistent resource challenges combined with new and evolving cyber threats have limited various organization’s ability to defend themselves against cyber threats, according to a second installment of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association’s (ISACA) 2017 State of Cyber Security... Read More »
New study to examine neurological effects of West Nile, Zika viruses
A five-year, $7.7 million grant to study the effects of Zika and West Nile virus on the human central nervous system was recently awarded to researchers at Georgia State University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Florida State University. The three-part study will aim to develop... Read More »
Asian States Parties emphasize push to implement Chemical Weapons Convention provisions at regional OPCW meeting
At a commemoration ceremony celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), more than 40 participants gathered from 29 Asian States Parties to offer robust cooperation practices to implement provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). ... Read More »
Anti-Sanctuary City bill may violate Tenth Amendment, according to National League of Cities
In the wake of the introduction of the Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act, which gives local police officers the ability to enforce federal immigration laws on undocumented immigrants, the National League of Cities (NLC) released a public statement coming out strongly against the legislation. ... Read More »
New study reveals how Lassa virus research provides pathway for development of vaccine treatments
A team of scientists led by Katherine Hastie and Erica Ollmann Saphire from the Scripps Research Institute recently discovered the means in which the Lassa virus uses to enter human cells, which they believe provides a blueprint to design a potential vaccine for the virus. Lassa virus, which... Read More »OPCW holds training exercise on chemical decontamination, rescue operations in Buenos Aires
A training exercise designed to teach participants on the use of individual protective equipment, chemical containment, rescue operations, forensic techniques, and decontamination procedures was recently held in Buenos Aires, Argentina and hosted by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical... Read More »Sen. Hoeven provides update on drone applications in North Dakota
Speaking at the third annual Drone Focus Conference in Fargo, North Dakota last week, U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) said that his state was positioned to take the lead on new developments in Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) applications. Hoeven said that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)... Read More »Zika may have spread undetected for up to one year prior to identification, according to NIH study
The Zika virus may have circulated undetected for up to a year in certain regions before public health officials could identify it, according to a recent study conducted by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIH... Read More »
Sens. Blumenthal, Markey request information regarding airline bag fees, TSA screening procedures
U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Edward Markey (D-MA) recently sent a public letter to Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly requesting information regarding airline bag fees and their impact on screening procedures within the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The letter... Read More »
Defense Department biomedical facility researching, developing various infectious disease vaccines
Researchers at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) are taking a leading role in the development of vaccines to combat some of the world’s most-infectious diseases, including Zika virus, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), malaria, and chikungunya virus. After the... Read More »
California border patrol officers seize 270 pounds of narcotics, arrest 14 fugitives from justice
Over the Memorial Day weekend, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents stationed at various ports of entry in California intercepted a total of 270 pounds of narcotics and apprehended 14 fugitives with outstanding felony warrants. From May 27-29, CBP officers seized approximately 120... Read More »
House Homeland Security Committee delegation travels to Europe to discuss cybersecurity, countering Russian aggression
In the wake of reports that the Russian Federation interfered with recent elections in the United States and Europe, a Congressional delegation of members from the House Homeland Security Committee recently visited France, Poland, Estonia, and Ukraine to examine cybersecurity issues and discuss how... Read More »
New strategy identified for potential treatment of Chikungunya, other viruses
A manganese-based peptide antioxidant of Deinococcus combined with radiation was shown to be a promising step in developing a vaccine to counter both the Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus (VEEV) and Chikungunya virus, according to a recent study conducted by the Uniformed Services University... Read More »
Common microbe could help control dengue-spreading mosquitoes in large areas, according to new study
Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes are significantly worse vectors for transmitting dengue fever, however, the means in which spread is established and continued among urban mosquito populations remains unclear, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the University of California at Davis... Read More »Air Force veteran sentenced to 35 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to ISIS
A former member of the U.S. Air Force, Tairod Nathan Webster Pugh, was recently sentenced to 35 years in prison after being found guilty of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and obstruction of justice. Pugh first traveled from Egypt to Turkey... Read More »
Bill to establish cyber bug bounty program at DHS introduced in Senate
A bill to establish a bounty program where white hats, also known as ethical hackers, identify bugs in computer systems at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in order to strengthen cyber defenses was recently introduced in the Senate by U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Maggie Hassan... Read More »
Sen. Hoeven discusses importance of drone technology with DHS Secretary Kelly
During a recent hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Homeland Security, U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) discussed the importance of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for securing the nation’s international borders. In speaking to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John... Read More »
Workshop on strengthening security around radiological sources in Central Asia held in Kazakhstan
The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), in conjunction with the Moscow-based Center for Energy and Security Studies (CENESS), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the Government of Kazakhstan, recently sponsored a workshop on radiological security and safety procedures. The event... Read More »
CBP approves Reno-Tahoe Airport proposal to participate in agency’s Reimbursable Services Program
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently approved an application from the Reno-Tahoe Airport to participate in the agency’s Reimbursable Services Program (RSP), which allows the airport to hire additional CBP personnel to help process international travelers. CBP’s approval also... Read More »Ridge to give keynote address on cybersecurity issues facing financial services industry
Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge is scheduled to deliver a keynote address on cybersecurity issues to 700 financial services professionals at the 2017 American Bankers Association (ABA) Stonier Graduate School of Banking program in Philadelphia on June 3. The program will take place June 1-8... Read More »Rep. Delany expresses “very little support” of FY2018 budget, closing of National Biodefense Center
In response to the President’s recently-proposed fiscal year 2018 budget, which includes zeroing out funding for and closing the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC) in Frederick, Maryland, U.S. Rep. John K. Delaney (D-MD) used a public letter to come out strongly... Read More »