News
World Economic Forum warns of growing threats, disparities for cybersecurity
Cyber insecurity remains among the top 10 risks globally, according to the latest report from the World Economic Forum, amid growing inequity and increasing worries over cybercrime. Released ahead of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2024 in Switzerland, the Global Risks Report was... Read More »
Record number of firearms blocked at airport security checkpoints in 2023
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported this week that it intercepted 6,737 firearms people attempted to take through airport security checkpoints and onto aircraft in 2023. It is the highest total on record, topping 2022’s record 6,542 firearms, which was itself... Read More »
New York Gov. Hochul announces new crime and public safety initiatives in 2024 State of the State address
Using her 2024 State of the State address this week as a springboard, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced new initiatives on crime and public safety, including crackdowns on retail theft and gun violence, and support for both domestic violence and hate crime prosecution. “If government... Read More »
Homeland Security releases 2024 Law Enforcement Resource Guide for departments nationwide
For Law Enforcement Appreciation Day this week, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a 2024 Law Enforcement Resource Guide for state, local, tribal, territorial and campus law enforcement to check for training and resource support. It was the third annual release of... Read More »
U.S. Navy sailor sentenced to prison for transmitting military information to Chinese intelligence
A service member in the U.S. Navy was sentenced this week to 27 months in prison and fined $5,500 for taking bribes and transmitting sensitive military information to an intelligence officer from the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The court named the sentenced as Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao... Read More »
U.S. Air Force’s 18th Maintenance Group wins 2023 Phoenix Award for Maintenance Excellence
In a ceremony held in conjunction with the annual Department of Defense Maintenance Symposium in San Diego California last month, the department handed out the Phoenix Award for Maintenance Excellence to the U.S. Air Force’s 18th Maintenance Group. The award honored the Japan-based group for... Read More »
Justice Department has barred more than 500 illegal firearm purchases due to enhanced background checks
Since the 2022 implementation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) reported that, as of December 2023, it had stopped more than 500 unlawful firearm purchases by people under 21 years old. “In the 19 months since the passage of the Bipartisan... Read More »
U.S. Science and Technology Directorate seeks ideas for secure generation of synthetic data
The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) this week solicited the public for ideas on synthetic data generation. This data would model and replicate the shape and patterns of real data, but in a more secure fashion the department could use to... Read More »
Energy sector physical and cyber security projects focus of $70M federal funding opportunity
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response (CESER) last week announced up to $70 million would be made available for projects working to improve the energy sector’s security. The security improvements, addressing both physical and... Read More »
BAE Systems to supply U.S. Army with M777 howitzer structures in $50M contract
Through a new, up to $50 million agreement reached last week with the U.S. Army, BAE Systems will begin delivering M777 lightweight howitzer major structures as of 2025. “This restart of production of the major structures for the U.S. Army’s M777s comes at a critical time, with howitzers... Read More »
Raytheon to produce more than 1,500 StormBreaker smart weapons for U.S. Air Force
Under a $400 million contract awarded this week, the defense contractor Raytheon will build and supply more than 1,500 StormBreaker air-to-surface, network enabled smart weapons for the United States Air Force. Launched by air, the StormBreaker weapons can be mounted on the F-15E Strike Eagle... Read More »
Colorado delegation urges FEMA to increase support for those assisting migrant arrivals
With more than 32,000 migrant arrivals in the city of Denver alone as of December 2023, federal Democratic lawmakers from Colorado have called on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to increase support for cities and nonprofits assisting those migrants. In a letter, the lawmakers –... Read More »
Massachusetts delegation urges President Biden to remove Cuba from terrorism sponsor list
In a letter to President Joe Biden at the beginning of this year, senators and representatives from Massachusetts called on President Joe Biden to strike Cuba from the State Sponsor of Terrorism List, in a rebuke of Trump-era decisions. While President Barack Obama removed Cuba from that list... Read More »
Senate advances legislation to expand domestic semiconductor chip manufacturing
The Securing Semiconductor Supply Chains Act (S.229) passed its first legislative hurdle without trouble last month, advancing through the Senate with unanimous consent and setting up the possibility of expanded federal help to improve domestic semiconductor chip manufacturing. The bill,... Read More »
Biden administration releases up to $250M worth of additional assistance for Ukraine
With support from its allies wavering and a still-determined invader to deal with, Ukraine received a much-needed boost last week from the Biden administration, which provided additional security assistance and equipment for its war effort to the tune of up to $250 million. The 54th round of... Read More »
Justice Department reforming clemency process for transparency, accessibility
Big changes could be underway for the constitutional clemency power granted to the president of the United States, as the Justice Department (DOJ) announced work last week to review, streamline and improve the clemency application process. These reform efforts could be separated into three... Read More »
Raytheon to design, build and test anti-air microwave antenna systems for U.S. military
Under a three year, $31.3 million contract with the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, RTX company Raytheon has been tasked with rolling out two high-power microwave antenna systems that will aid air defense by firing off directed energy. All work on them will take place in Arizona,... Read More »
DoD opens Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program to feedback
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) this week published a proposed rule for the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program, designed to keep defense contractors compliant with information protection requirements and the protection of sensitive data. Applicable to both contractors... Read More »
Justice Department settles case with North Carolina towing company over violations of Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
The owner and operator of Goines Towing & Recovery in North Carolina settled with the Justice Department this week to resolve allegations he violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) in towing and selling servicemembers’ vehicles without disclosing that fact to the court. Billy Joe... Read More »
Senate advances bills to overhaul, expand U.S. weather radio system and alerts
With the U.S. Senate voting unanimously last week to pass the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio Modernization Act (S.1416) and the National Weather Service Communications Improvement Act (S.1414), the House holds the future of the nation’s weather radio network... Read More »
South Dakota lawmakers call on Interior Secretary to coordinate on resources for tribal law enforcement
Following up on a letter from June that requested additional support for tribal law enforcement agencies in South Dakota, federal lawmakers from the state last week urged Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to coordinate those resource issues with other federal departments. U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds... Read More »
BARDA awards $117M contract for clinical trial of three ARDS novel therapeutics
A $117 million contract for the simultaneous evaluation of three novel therapeutics to treat hospitalized adult patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) went to PPD Development, LP, care of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) last week. BARDA, as... Read More »
Boeing delivers first fully autonomous undersea Orca vehicle to U.S. Navy
Following acceptance testing earlier this month, Boeing delivered the first of its new autonomous Orcas – extra large unscrewed undersea vehicles (XLUUV) – to the United States Navy this week, potentially pushing the boundaries of long duration missions. The vehicles are capable of... Read More »
FEMA announces second, $150M funding opportunity for natural hazards-focused capitalization grants
With funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in-hand, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced a second funding opportunity for its Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to provide capitalization grants to disaster-vulnerable communities. Meant to help... Read More »
Senate bill proposes new reporting requirements for attacks on law enforcement
With the introduction of the Improving Law Enforcement Officer Safety and Wellness Through Data Act this week, five senators sought to increase the information that can be supplied about anti-police attacks and explore their impacts on officers’ mental health. According to the group, it would... Read More »
Sen. Peters calls out cumbersome terrorist screening practices, recommends changes for civil liberties
A new report released by U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, called out cumbersome traveler screening among federal agencies and insufficient oversight of discrimination. The report was looking into the terrorist watchlist... Read More »
BARDA obtains 85th FDA regulatory approval for supported products
It has been a busy year for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), which announced this week its 85th Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory approval for supported products – and brought its total approvals and clearances for the year to 20. “BARDA has... Read More »
Report deems 2022 midterm elections free of foreign compromise by Departments of Justice, Homeland Security
A report on the 2022 United States midterm election was declassified and released jointly by the U.S. Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) this week, prominently stating that no foreign government-affiliated actor was found to have compromised the integrity of that... Read More »
TSA partners with Amtrak, Transport Canada for international exercise on cross-border system threats
In a first for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the agency joined an exercise in Canada with Amtrak and Transport Canada last week to address surface and critical infrastructure threats to cross border systems. They held an exercise scenario developed by TSA’s Surface... Read More »
Congress authorizes speedy transfer of seven C-130 aircraft to help California fight wildfires
After significant lobbying by the Newsom administration, Congress last week authorized and hastened the transfer of seven United States Coast Guard-owned C-130 aircraft to CAL FIRE, for California’s use in fighting wildfires. “These are aircraft that can mobilize quickly and attack... Read More »
Treasury Department sanctions Malas Mañas organization over human smuggling, drugs trafficking
In response to a report by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the Malas Mañas transnational criminal organization (TCO) over its human smuggling and drug trafficking at the southwest border. The action... Read More »
Congress passes 2024 defense funding bill
Despite a rocky approval process this year, last week both the U.S. House and Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, teeing it up for signature by President Joe Biden. It was a rebuke of last minute efforts by the far right to scuttle the bill, as Democrats... Read More »
Sens. Peters, Cornyn introduce bill to keep Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office open
With a looming sunset date for the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD) at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced a bill this week to keep the agency open for another two years. At stake, according to Peters, is... Read More »
Justice Department releases reporting, storage models for states to consider for gun safety
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) this week published two models for states to consider in terms of legislation to address gun violence and improve gun safety. The first model would lock in requirements for securing firearms in residences and vehicles to prevent their acquisition by... Read More »