News
Four PNNL researchers recognized for response efforts during West African Ebola epidemic
A group of scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) were recently recognized with the Secretary of Energy’s Appreciation Award for their contributions in the response efforts to the West African Ebola epidemic of 2014-2015. Katrina Waters, Mary Lancaster, Mike Spradling,... Read More »
Sens. Johnson, Schatz introduce bill to strengthen cybersecurity, promote government transparency
In the wake of the recent WannaCry ransomware attacks, U.S. Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced the Protecting Our Ability to Counter Hacking (PATCH) Act, which adds a layer of transparency and accountability to government procedures for retaining or disclosing... Read More »
Bill to address staffing shortages in CBP, Border Patrol approved by committee
A bill that addresses many of the staffing shortfalls seen at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) stations was recently approved by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The Boots on the Border Act was cosponsored by U.S. Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI), Jeff Flake... Read More »
Sens. Carper, Harris request information regarding ICE use of private, for-profit immigration detention facilities
U.S. Sens. Tom Carper (D-DE) and Kamala Harris (D-CA) recently sent a public letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John Kelly requesting information regarding the department’s use of privately operated immigration detention facilities. The senators’ concerns stem... Read More »
Bill to modernize, strengthen government IT systems advanced by House
A bill that seeks to reduce wasteful spending on the nation’s outdated IT systems and enhance security by expediting the government’s transition to modern technology like cloud computing was recently approved by the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill, titled the Modernizing Government... Read More »
Reps. Labrador, Goodlatte introduce bill to enhance immigration enforcement procedures
A bill to improve enforcement of the nation’s immigration laws by cracking down on sanctuary city policies was recently introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Reps. Raúl Labrador (R-ID) and Bob Goodlatte (R-VA). The Michael Davis, Jr. and Danny Oliver in Honor of State and... Read More »
Bipartisan bill introduced to allow fire departments more flexibility in hiring, training practices
A bipartisan bill to assist local fire departments in saving money and hire more trained first responders was recently introduced in the Senate by U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Susan Collins (R-ME). The Firefighters Retention Act of 2017 gives fire departments the ability to use Staffing... Read More »
Reps. Richmond, Payne, Jr. request hearings to examine cybersecurity capabilities of the nation’s healthcare, lifeline sectors
In the wake of the international WannaCry ransomware attacks, U.S. Reps. Cedric Richmond (D-LA) and Donald M. Payne, Jr. (D-NJ) recently called upon the House Homeland Security Committee to hold hearings on the cybersecurity posture of the nation’s healthcare and lifeline sectors. The... Read More »
Reps. Lynch, King introduce bill to secure government-leased buildings from potential espionage
A bipartisan bill to help mitigate security risks of potential foreign government espionage by collecting beneficial ownership information prior to the federal government leasing buildings for high-security purposes was recently introduced by U.S. Reps. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) and Peter King (R-NY).... Read More »
Rep. Ratcliffe’s cybercrime bill advanced House, companion bill introduced in Senate
A bill to provide state and local law enforcement offices with tools to combat cybercrime recently advanced the U.S. House of Representatives. The Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act of 2017 was introduced by U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX). Ratcliffe’s bill authorizes... Read More »
USDA announces $6 million in funding for antimicrobial resistance research initiatives
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), through its Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), recently announced the availability of $6 million in funding for research in combating antimicrobial resistance. The funds were authorized as part of the the 2014 Farm Bill and will be... Read More »
Sen. Wyden urges policy panel to recommend security measure to protect personal sensitive information
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) recently called for a federal panel to recommend enhanced data security measures, such as the use of privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs), to protect sensitive personal information in a forthcoming report to Congress on evidence-based policymaking. Wyden, in a letter... Read More »
Africa CDC activates its Emergency Operational Centre to monitor recent Ebola outbreak
The African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently activated its Emergency Operational Centre in response to the recently-declared Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in order to develop a concept of operations for the emergency.... Read More »
New report recommends policies to help United States achieve higher level of global health security
To achieve a goal of global health security, the United States must extend its legacy as a global leader through forward-looking policies, international partnerships, and continued investment into innovate medical advancements, according to a recent report from the National Academies of Sciences,... Read More »
Key congressional panel shows little support for proposed Trump cut in medical research funds
In a rare show of bipartisanship, members of a key House appropriations panel expressed opposition to the Trump administration’s proposed budget cuts for the National Institutes of Health, the main funding source for medical research in the United States. U.S. Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), the... Read More »
New tuberculosis vaccine candidate completes two successful studies
The results of two recent studies of Dartmouth University’s investigational tuberculosis (TB) vaccine, DAR-901, have expedited the vaccine’s acceptance for use in an upcoming randomized trial to determine if it can prevent the earliest stages of infection. The inactivated vaccine is... Read More »
Nuclear Threat Initiative holds dirty bomb workshop in California
During a recent workshop on ways to mitigate risk from dirty bombs, California Gov. Jerry Brown, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn (D-GA) cautioned more than 60 attendees to increase efforts to lock down, and if possible, completely eliminate radiological materials... Read More »
Sen. Toomey introduces three bills to help protect law enforcement officers
U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) recently introduced three separate bills intended to provide additional layers of protection for law enforcement officers across the country. “My legislation stands for two simple propositions: First, America's law enforcement officers should be at least as well... Read More »
Nationwide ICE operation results in 1,378 arrests of gang members, immigration violators
A six-week, nationwide gang operation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit netted a total of 1,378 arrests across the country, the largest such operation conducted by HSI to date. In total 1,098 individuals were arrested on federal... Read More »
CBP agents seize 159 pounds of cocaine, arrest three off Puerto Rican coast
A single engine marine vessel, carrying approximately 159 pounds of cocaine, was recently intercepted north of Arecibo, Puerto Rico by officers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) and the Puerto Rico Police Department. The incident began as a CBP... Read More »
Rep. Langevin, DHS provide update on WannaCry ransomware attacks
A malicious ransomware software known as WannaCry has recently infected more than 200,000 computer systems across multiple nations, forcing users to pay the equivalent of $300 in the cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, before users regain access to their files. The ransomware reportedly infects systems... Read More »
UMD students launch program to help prevent individuals from becoming radicalized
A group of students at the University of Maryland-College Park (UMD) recently developed a program for family and friends of individuals at risk of radicalizing, with a goal of finding new ways of challenging extremism in the United States. The initiative, “It Takes Just One,” is a... Read More »
Sen. Kaine questions Cybercom commander on the impact of potential government shutdown
In a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing held last week, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) heard testimony from Navy Adm. Mike Rogers, commander of U.S. Cyber Command (Cybercom), on how a potential government shutdown could complicate Cybercom’s mission. Kaine’s concerns stem from a recent... Read More »
USDA has made progress in protecting against avian influenza, evaluation still needed
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has taken numerous steps to reduce the risk of avian influenza, but needs a plan to evaluate its efforts going forward, according to a recent report issued by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). In preparing its report, GAO was asked to... Read More »
Centers for Disease Control updates immunization recommendations for Vaxchora cholera vaccine
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently adopted and published a recommendation made by its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP), concerning the use of PaxVax’s cholera vaccine, Vaxchora. The recommendation, which was unanimously approved by the CDC’s... Read More »
WHO’s regional director to Africa travels to the Congo to discuss Ebola response plans
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti recently visited Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), to hold a meeting with the country’s national authorities to discuss an effective response plan in regards to the recently-verified outbreak of... Read More »
Trump issues Executive Order to strengthen cybersecurity for federal networks and critical infrastructure
President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order last week, which aims to strengthen the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) role in securing federal networks from potential cyberattacks. “Our nation’s economic and national security rely on a safe, secure, and reliable cyber... Read More »
Sens. Wyden, Schatz request information on recent Federal Communications Commission cyberattack
U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) recently sent a public letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai requesting information on the reported distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) cyberattack on the FCC’s website and the ability of the agency to defend... Read More »
NIST researchers develop new screening techniques to avoid accidental exposure to illicit substances
A team of scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently began an initiative on developing technologies to detect trace amount of fentanyl, heroin, and other substances to help prevent accidental exposure for law enforcement. Through a research paper... Read More »
BAE Systems selected by Treasury Department to assist in investigating financial crimes from terrorist organizations, drug cartels
BAE Systems was recently selected by the U.S. Department of the Treasury (DoT) to assist its Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (TFI) in protecting the nation’s financial systems against threats from terrorist organizations, drug cartels, and rogue actors. The company is part of a... Read More »
Bavarian Nordic hires Tommi Kainu as executive vice president, chief business officer
Tommi Kainu was recently named executive vice president and chief business officer at Bavarian Nordic effective July 1, where he will oversee operations in both commercial and government affairs, along with various business development initiatives. Kainu’s new role will be based at Bavarian... Read More »
Congo’s new Ebola cases make global, national health security strategy critical, IDSA expert says
News on Friday about the reemergence of several Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) highlights the need for both a robust global and national health security strategy, said Dr. Jeffrey Duchin, immediate past chairman of the public health committee for the Infectious Diseases... Read More »
DHS Science and Technology Directorate publishes study on government mobile device security
A report detailing both the current and emerging threats to the federal government’s use of mobile devices, complete with a number of security recommendations, was recently submitted to Congress by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T).... Read More »
Indonesian Foreign Minister visits OPCW headquarters, discusses chemical weapons convention implementation
Indonesia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi recently visited the headquarters of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to meet with OPCW Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü and discuss the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Üzümcü first... Read More »