News
U2opia Technology licenses two cybersecurity monitoring technologies from Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Successful commercialization greeted the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) last week, as U2opia Technology purchased exclusive licensing to two of its technologies for advanced cybersecurity monitoring in real-time. U2opia is a consortium of technology and... Read More »
EBOV-based experimental Sudan virus vaccine shows promise among macaques
In use on macaques, at least, an experimental Sudan virus (SUDV) vaccine created by a National Institutes of Health (NIH) research group recently provided complete protection against a lethal case of SUDV. According to findings published in The Lancet Microbe, the vaccine candidate – VSV-SUDV... Read More »
CACI International secures Army research and development agreement
The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Technical Center (USASMDC-TC) has reached a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with CACI International. The five-year pact targets further development of advanced payload technologies, space sensor applications, and Positioning,... Read More »
New Senate bill would create a bipartisan, bicameral Joint Select Committee on Afghanistan
Looking to put the Biden administration’s withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan under greater scrutiny, several Republican senators led by U.S. Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) recently introduced legislation that would create a bicameral Joint Select Committee on Afghanistan. The bill, known only... Read More »
Legislation introduced to protect first responders from lethal substances, provide training
In a bicameral move, U.S. Reps. Dave Joyce (R-OH) and David Trone (D-MD) introduced the Protecting First Responders from Secondary Exposure Act last week to create a federal program providing local governments with resources to purchase containment devices for narcotics and offer training to first... Read More »
CBP proposed guidance eyes bolstered aviation security
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced a proposal to enhance international air travel security for commercial flight travelers to and from the United States. The published Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) addresses the expansion of existing advance data requirements via... Read More »
Reps. Comer, Lucas seek communications regarding DOE National Laboratories targeted by Russian hacking team
U.S. Reps. James Comer (R-KY) and Frank Lucas (R-OK) recently forwarded correspondence to the Department of Energy (DOE) requesting documents and communications regarding three DOE National Laboratories targeted by a Russian hacking team last year. Comer, chairman of the House Committee on... Read More »
Curtiss-Wright secures Army Enduring Shield platform support contract
The U.S. Army has awarded engineering solutions firm Curtiss-Wright Corporation a contract supporting the new Enduring Shield platform to meet the Army’s cruise missile defense needs. The contract scope calls for Curtiss-Wright to design and build electromechanical actuators for the first 16... Read More »
GAO, Rep. Clarke call for greater implementation of federal cybersecurity efforts
Although the majority – nearly 79 percent – of recommendations related to federal cybersecurity called for by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in 2010 have been implemented, major room for improvement remains, and this week, U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) added her voice to the... Read More »
Air Force to conduct next BRAVO hackathon in March to develop prototypes
The United States Department of the Air Force will conduct a BRAVO hackathon from March 20-24, 2023, as a way for American citizens to help it innovate using open-source software and data otherwise unapproved for production with classified or protected data. This event will take place at... Read More »
Legislation seeks to enable ATF to electronically search gun sale records
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) recently introduced the Crime Gun Tracing Modernization Act, which would enable the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to electronically search gun sale records following a crime committed with a... Read More »
DHS to implement victim-centered approach into policies for human trafficking
According to the second annual report from the Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT), a part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), 2022 brought implementation plans for a new victim-centered approach at the agency, along with hundreds of victims aided and thousands of... Read More »
Bipartisan Senate push yields Wildfire Emergency Act to address western wildfires
Seeking to increase preparedness for wildfires and reduce the risks they pose, a bipartisan group of senators this week introduced the Wildfire Emergency Act, using it to push for funding, new programs, and greater firefighter training efforts. “Wildfires throughout Western states,... Read More »
Bill targets bolstered student, educator human trafficking insight
U.S. Reps. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) recently introduced legislation that seeks to educate students and teachers regarding human trafficking. The Human Trafficking and Exploitation Prevention Training Act would establish a grant program within the Office of... Read More »
DARPA details FSHARP blood equivalent initiative
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) officials are espousing the benefits of its Fieldable Solutions for Hemorrhage with bio-Artificial Resuscitation Products (FSHARP) program, which addresses blood supply shortages. “When blood donations decline – as we have seen during the... Read More »
Marburg vaccine candidate deemed safe and effective in small, first-in-human study
According to results published in The Lancet this week, a Phase 1, first-in-human test of an experimental Marburg virus vaccine developed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), good safety profiles and an active immune response brought hope for the candidate’s... Read More »
Second test flight of Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept achieves speed, distance and altitude goals
The joint work of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), Lockheed Martin, and Aerojet Rocketdyne yielded a successful second flight test for the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) this week. HAWC is a cruise missile that uses its own... Read More »
North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs secures FEMA SAFER grant funds
The North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs (NCAFC) has received a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant. The two-year, $839,380 funding allotment would support firefighter recruitment and retention. The NCAFC is partnering... Read More »
Rep. Feenstra introduces legislation addressing farmland foreign threats
U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-IA) recently touted the benefits of the newly introduced Foreign Adversary Risk Management (FARM) Act, which offers supply chains and family farms foreign threats protections. “American farmland belongs to American farmers – period,” said Feenstra, who helped... Read More »
Citizenship and Immigration Services leadership detail new strategic plan
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officials said the agency's newly released FY 2023-2026 Strategic Plan targets strengthened capabilities and aids the nation in attaining its highest ideals. “The work of USCIS makes the possibility of America a reality for immigrants from... Read More »
Legislation seeks to strengthen wildfire detection initiatives
U.S. Reps. Mike Garcia (R-CA), Young Kim (R-CA), Julia Brownley (D-CA), and Judy Chu (D-CA) recently introduced the Fire Information and Reaction Enhancement (FIRE) Act, which seeks to enhance wildfire detection efforts. Specifically, the legislation would enable the National Oceanic and... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Green, Bishop urge TSA for answers on No-Fly List hack
Fallout continues for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) over the hack and release of data from its official No-Fly List earlier this month, as U.S. Reps. Mark Green (R-TN) and Dan Bishop (R-NC) demanded answers and oversight of how this happened. Green is the chairman of the... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Peters reintroduces bill to increase scrutiny of foreign influences
The Disclosing Foreign Influence in Lobbying Act was reintroduced last week by U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) in a continued push to open up the Lobbying Disclosure Act and close loopholes that would increase awareness of foreign lobbying in the federal government. Peters noted that the bill... Read More »
Pacific Northwest National Lab earns FLC award for commercializing radiological materials tracking system
For successfully licensing its electronic radiological material tracker, Mobile Source Transit Security (MSTS), to private industry, a Pacific Northwest National Laboratory team was honored last week with a 2023 Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) Excellence in Technology Transfer Award. The FLC... Read More »
Boeing secures Army NGATS diagnostic tool contract
Aerospace company Boeing has secured a $92 million, three-year U.S. Army award to produce additional Next Generation Automated Test System (NGATS) units. NGATS is a single, mobile diagnostic tool providing real-time testing in the field while supplying automated fault diagnosis of over 100... Read More »
Sens. Peters, Hawley advocate for GAO to examine contractor, Chinese government risks
U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) are urging the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to examine the national security risks of consulting companies contracting with the U.S. government and the Chinese government. The senators also seek GAO examination of potential national... Read More »
U.S. Department of Justice dismantles Hive ransomware group
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, agents last week concluded efforts ongoing since July 2022 to infiltrate the computer networks of the Hive ransomware group, seize its decryption keys and offer them to victims targeted for more than $130 million in demands. “Last night, the Justice... Read More »
New border enforcement measures drop unlawful border crossings 97 percent in January
According to preliminary figures touted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), new measures deployed by the Biden administration have led to drastic reductions in illegal border crossings in the first month of 2023, setting January up for the lowest levels of monthly border encounters since... Read More »
Bill seeks permanent fentanyl analogues scheduling
U.S. Reps. Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Bob Latta (R-OH), and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) recently introduced the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act, which seeks to permanently schedule fentanyl analogues while granting researchers the ability to conduct fentanyl substance... Read More »
Essential Medicines Strategic Stockpile Act seeks bipartisan solution to drug shortages, foreign supply chain reliance
United States Reps. Earl Carter (R-GA) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) took a second go at introducing the Essential Medicines Strategic Stockpile Act (H.R.405) this week, seeking to create a pre-plotted list of generic medications essential for public health emergencies and cut dependence on China... Read More »
CISA report offers school cybersecurity threat protections
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) officials said a recently released report and toolkit seeks to aid K-12 schools in protecting against cybersecurity threats. CISA noted Partnering to Safeguard K-12 Organizations from Cybersecurity Threats provides insight into the current... Read More »
Air Force, Howard University detail research partnership
Air Force officials have detailed a Howard University partnership in which the Historically Black College or University (HBCU) will lead a University Affiliated Research Center. The focus on military systems tactical autonomy technology earmarks $12 million annually for Howard University for five... Read More »
Democrats in renewed Senate push for Assault Weapons Ban following California shootings
This week, U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CN), and Chris Murphy (D-CN) introduced two bills to increase protections against guns nationwide following another series of mass shootings in California. Respectively, the bills proposed were the Assault Weapons Ban and the Age... Read More »
Customs and Border Protection December update showed illegal encounters up, but crossings down
In its latest operational update, covering the final month of 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) figures showed a mix of figures, with overall encounters along the border increasing even as unlawful crossings fell and migration patterns shifted overall. Large numbers of people... Read More »