Threats
Bechtel-led team begins final chemical stockpile destruction effort at Pueblo Army depot
The Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (PCAPP) team, led by engineering company Bechtel, began eradicating its final round of mustard agent weapons this week at a facility in Pueblo, Colo. “Safe elimination of the Pueblo stockpile helps the U.S. government meet its international... Read More »
Bill seeks to bolster municipal, school cybersecurity efforts
U.S. Rep. Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY) has joined colleagues in introducing a bill he said seeks to award grants to states, local governments, and educational institutions for cybersecurity curriculum and tools. Under the Director of the Cybersecurity Grants For Schools Act of 2022 (H.R. 6868),... Read More »
Anti-Defamation League launches machine-learning driven Online Hate Index to locate antisemitic content on social media
Social media has always struggled with the question of how to deal with hate speech, but a new Online Hate Index launched by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) this week showcased the full extent of the failure to confront it. According to the ADL, this machine-learning system combs hate... Read More »
Rep. Krishnamoorthi seeks to use COVID-19 aid as counter to Russian and Chinese influence worldwide
Reckoning with a world still navigating a pandemic and the changing diplomatic realities a war in Ukraine has wrought, United States Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) this week called for increased COVID-19 aid abroad to counter Russian and Chinese influence. “As Russian tanks roll into Ukraine... Read More »
Bill seeks bolstered small business cybersecurity
A group of lawmakers recently introduced a bill seeking to bolster small business cybersecurity efforts in the wake of potential Russian cyberattacks stemming from the Ukrainian invasion. U.S. Reps. Dave Joyce (R-OH), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), and Joe Morelle (D-NY)... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Peters leads collective call to bolster funding for border security, drug detection
Five senators, led by U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), are urging Senate leadership to support additional funding for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) efforts to boost security at U.S. ports of entry and improve its ability to detect and seize drugs. Peters, chairman of the Homeland Security... Read More »
Measure seeks to end northern border mandates
U.S. Rep. Chris Jacobs (R-NY) has introduced the Northern Border Reopening Act, which urges the Biden administration to end COVID-19 mandates for Canadians crossing the U.S. northern border. “Vaccine mandates being imposed upon our truckers, workers in other essential industries, families, and... Read More »
House No Surprises for COVID-19 Tests Act would extend free COVID-19 testing beyond emergency
U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Robert Scott (D-VA) introduced the No Surprises for COVID-19 Tests Act last week to close legislative loopholes and extend free COVID-19 testing. COVID-19 tests were meant to be free and widely available as a result of the CARES Act, but some companies... Read More »
New HHS report touts medical supply chain, industrial base gains over past year
The beginnings of the COVID-19 pandemic were a fraught time for the medical supply chain, but a new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) notes that significant gains were made by the United States health supply chain and industrial base over the last year. “The... Read More »
Rep. Buchanan hosts roundtable on crime, law enforcement threats
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) recently hosted a roundtable discussion with law enforcement personnel, which examined the overall crime uptick nationally and increased threats to first responders. The session with law enforcement personnel from Florida’s 16th District advocated for the... Read More »
Coast Guard vessel offloads over $1B in illegal narcotics
Coast Guard Cutter James recently offloaded over $1.06 billion in illegal narcotics. Coast Guard Cutter James offloaded 54,500 pounds of cocaine and 15,800 pounds of marijuana, at Port Everglades, Fla., on Feb. 17, 2022. During their 90-day patrol, the crew set new marks for the largest single... Read More »
BARDA extends partnerships with GSK, Sanofi and Seqirus to broaden influenza response
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) will continue long-standing partnerships with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Sanofi, and Seqirus to build up medical countermeasures to influenza pandemics and other public health emergencies. For years, these partnerships and other... Read More »
Three men convicted of conspiring to provide material support to plot U.S. power grid attacks
Three men pleaded guilty this week after seeking to provide material support to domestic terrorists in an attempt to destroy energy facilities throughout the United States. These charges were handed out to Christopher Brenner Cook, 20, of Columbus, Ohio; Jonathan Allen Frost, 24, of West... Read More »
Sanofi, GSK press forward with regulatory authorization request for COVID-19 vaccine
With test data showing their COVID-19 vaccine’s capabilities to fight COVI-19 in regular or booster form, Sanofi and GSK announced this week that they intend to submit data as the foundation of regulatory authorization requests. The Sanofi-GSK offering is a refrigerator temperature-stable,... Read More »
Bipartisan legislators address congressional authority regarding Russia-Ukraine conflict
A group of lawmakers is encouraging President Joe Biden to gain authorization from Congress before involving domestic armed forces in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. U.S. Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Warren Davidson (R-OH) joined 43 colleagues in signing off on the letter, which seeks the... Read More »
NTI, MSC initiate biological threat elimination exercise
Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and Munich Security Conference (MSC) personnel are espousing the benefits of a recently convened tabletop exercise to reduce high-consequence biological threats. The effort involved uniting senior leaders from across government, industry, and civil society to... Read More »
Moderna launches Phase 3 trial for mRNA RSV vaccine candidate
Following an endorsement from the independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board this week, Moderna, Inc. officially began the third phase of trials for its mRNA Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSC) vaccine candidate this week. The safety greenlight was based on preliminary Phase 2 safety and... Read More »
DHS S&T, Israeli partners seek advanced technology proposals
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Israel – U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Homeland Security (HLS) program indicated they are seeking advanced technology project proposals. The 2022 Call for Proposals focuses on mission-critical homeland... Read More »
New York to form, host Joint Security Operations Center for local, state and federal cybersecurity efforts
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the creation of a Joint Security Operations Center (JSOC) in Brooklyn that will provide data sharing and cyber coordination for local, state, and federal cybersecurity efforts. It is the first such cyber command center in the nation, and the partners involved... Read More »
Secret Service initiates cryptocurrency public awareness hub
The U.S. Secret Service said it has initiated a cryptocurrency public awareness hub to protect the national financial infrastructure. “Blockchain technology has brought massive development to many sectors, especially within finance," Secret Service Office of Investigations Assistant Director... Read More »
Memphis CBP personnel detail drug seizure efforts
Memphis, Tennessee, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel said the division has seized 2,509 pounds of drugs since the beginning of this fiscal year. China, Mexico, and Brazil are among the countries of origin for the contraband, which includes fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, ketamine, DMT,... Read More »
Global government officials, technical experts virtually address vaccine development, equitability and more
A virtual event organized by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research last week pulled in government officials and technical experts to address the best means of accelerating... Read More »
CBP details methamphetamine, fentanyl seizure in Arizona
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials recently detailed a Port of Lukeville, Ariz., operation resulting in the seizure of 880 pounds of methamphetamine and over 110 pounds of suspected fentanyl. Port of Lukeville officers referred a 47-year-old Phoenix man for additional inspection of... Read More »
DHS addresses unruly airline passenger actions
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas said the agency does not tolerate behavior placing the safety of airport and airline personnel as well as the traveling public at risk. “We will continue to use our authorities to hold accountable those passengers that... Read More »
Senators press HHS to detail plans for developing new COVID-19 vaccines
Seven senators last week urged the Biden administration to outline plans to develop more durable COVID-19 vaccines following a year of emerging variants that have tested the efficacy of current treatments. Led by U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and... Read More »
More than 160 House Republicans demand Biden administration include Congress in any future Iran nuclear agreement
More than 160 House Republicans sent a letter to the Biden administration last week, denouncing the Obama-era nuclear agreement with Iran and demanding that any future agreement make a greater role for Congressional insight and approval. "The Iranian regime brutally represses, persecutes,... Read More »
House SUPPORT Act pledges support for Ukrainian insurgency against any Russian occupation
With worries of a Russian incursion into Ukraine ongoing, U.S. Reps. Marc Veasey (D-TX), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), and Mike Turner (R-OH) today introduce the Supplying Ukraine with Provisions to Protect against Ongoing Russian Threats (SUPPORT) Act to guarantee support to the latter. For the... Read More »
DARPA ReVector program to reduce mosquito attraction to humans reaches second phase
The ReVector program – an anti-mosquito Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) creation undertaken at Stanford University – entered its next research phase this month, advancing to animal testing. “Phase 1 of the program focused on identifying microbial or metabolic targets... Read More »
Reps. Katko, Thompson lead legislation seeking to combat human trafficking
U.S. Reps. John Katko (R-NY) and Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) have joined 14 colleagues to introduce legislation that bolsters the nation’s ability to combat human trafficking. The Countering Human Trafficking Act would provide the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Center for Countering Human... Read More »
Collection of 10 senators call on Biden to demilitarize police through executive action
A group of 10 senators – nine Democrats and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) – wrote a letter to President Joe Biden this week, urging him to use executive action to demilitarize the nation’s police forces and reform Department of Defense programs that transfer or sell military equipment to... Read More »
More than 30 Republican senators introduced legislation seeking to impose Russian sanctions
A group of lawmakers recently introduced legislation that sanctions Russia for present and potential future aggression against Ukraine. U.S. Sens. John Kennedy (R-LA) and Jim Risch (R-ID) recently joined over 30 other Republican colleagues in presenting the Never Yielding Europe’s Territory... Read More »
NTI paper on COVID-19 lessons notes improvements needed to properly prepare for nuclear emergencies
Lessons from one disaster can provide insights into the next and maybe even help prevent them – an idea carried forward in a new paper on COVID-19 commissioned by the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and written by retired Major Gen. Julie Bentz. In the paper, Bentz – a former major general... Read More »
KBR secures Defense Department contract for missile defense system
Engineering firm KBR has secured a Department of Defense (DoD) Information Analysis Center contract to support the Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target (PATRIOT) missile defense system. The scope of the $207 million contract involves analyzing PATRIOT's overall performance while... Read More »
Republican legislators requesting southern border hearing
A group of lawmakers recently forwarded correspondence to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, requesting a hearing regarding the nation's southern border. U.S. Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Rob Portman (R-OH), Ron Johnson (R-WI), James Lankford... Read More »