News
Sen. Rubio introduces No Coyote Cash bill to criminalize financing of unlawful border crossings
Although crossing into the United States unlawfully is a crime, some argue financially assisting that crime is only vaguely addressed as a crime itself - so this week, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and several colleagues set out to change that through the No Coyote Cash Act. “President... Read More »
DHS newest member of the U.S. Global Change Research Program
The United States Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) this week welcomed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), its first new member in nearly two decades. USGCRP members are agencies that conduct global change research and utilize it for their missions while providing a link... Read More »
Bill seeks to address Iranian regime corruption exposure
U.S. Reps. David Kustoff (R-TN) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) recently reintroduced the Stop Corrupt Iranian Oligarchs and Entities Act to address Iranian regime corruption via a compiled list of Iranian oligarchs and entities profiting off the Iranian people. "Over the years, the world has... Read More »
Justice Department outlines illegal exportation sentencing
Justice Department officials have detailed the sentencing of a dual citizen of the United States and Iran for alleged illegal exportation in violation of the International Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Kambiz Attar Kashani, 44, was sentenced to 30 months in prison in federal court in Brooklyn,... Read More »
Coalition of Republican attorneys general urge federal terrorist designation for Mexican Drug Cartels
A coalition of 21 Republican state attorneys general wrote President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week urging them to designate Mexican drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and provide additional federal resources for combating fentanyl. “The national... Read More »
Edwards Air Force Base gains new solar facility in largest DoD private-public collaboration with Terra-Gen
The largest private-public collaboration with the Department of Defense (DoD) to date yielded a new solar facility on the northwest corner of Edwards Air Force Base last week, built in collaboration with Terra-Gen LLC as part of the Edwards Solar Enhance Use Lease Project. It’s a unique land... Read More »
Bill seeks to extend benefits of fallen TSA officers
U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA) has introduced the Honoring Our Fallen TSA Officers Act, which extends benefits to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers killed in the line of duty. “Every day, TSA officers put their lives on the line in order to protect millions of Americans in... Read More »
Democratic lawmakers reintroduce Keep Americans Safe Act
A group of lawmakers recently reintroduced the Keep Americans Safe Act, which seeks to ban the importation, sale, manufacturing, transfer, or possession of gun magazines holding over 10 rounds of ammunition. U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) have joined 26 colleagues in... Read More »
DOJ Roadmap for Implementation for Columbus, Ohio police yields review, changes to problem solving
With the completion of a Roadmap for Implementation for the Columbus Division of Police (CDP) by the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), reformation work has begun in the Ohio city to examine and revise the use of force, problem-solving and more.... Read More »
DHS outlines Super Bowl LVII security initiatives
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is spearheading federal efforts to coordinate with Arizona state and local personnel to ensure safety and security during Super Bowl LVII. “At the Department of Homeland Security, our core mission is to ensure the safety of the American public,... Read More »
Representatives call for crackdown on Iranian drones, investigation of potential U.S. part connections
Despite major economic restrictions placed on Iran, U.S. intelligence has estimated that perhaps 75 percent of the components for Iranian drones recently used by Russia in suicidal bombing raids against Ukraine were U.S.-made, which caused a stir among House members this week. A bipartisan... Read More »
FBI, partners issue global financial sextortion warning
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has joined international law enforcement partners in issuing a warning regarding global financial sextortion. "Financial sextortion has a far wider impact than just our country and our kids—it is a global crisis that demands everyone’s attention,"... Read More »
Initiative seeks to strengthen international cybersecurity
The United States has joined Australia, India, and Japan in initiating the Quad Cyber Challenge, which seeks to improve cybersecurity across the nations. "We are inviting Internet users across the Indo-Pacific and beyond to join the Challenge and pledge to practice safe and responsible cyber... Read More »
Florida man, Maryland woman charged for extremist-motivated plots to destroy Maryland energy grid
A neo-Nazi leader from Florida and a woman with whom he had a personal relationship were charged by federal prosecutors with plotting to attack electrical substations around Baltimore and cripple the city, according to authorities this week. In an unsealed federal criminal complaint, Sarah Beth... Read More »
U.S. Border Patrol trains Mexican counterparts in search, rescue efforts
As part of ongoing bi-national efforts, Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue (BORSTAR) agents spent Jan. 9-20, 2023, training 13 members of Mexico’s border rescue agency, Grupos Beta, to undertake migrant rescue along the United States-Mexican border. “It is important that we continue... Read More »
Curtiss-Wright secures IDIQ contract to provide aerospace instrumentation system technology
Aerospace and defense firm Curtiss-Wright Corporation has secured a 10-year, $287 million indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract from Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) – Air Force Test Center (AFTC). The contract maintains a base period of five years, valued at $123 million,... Read More »
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 »