Threats
Infectious Diseases Society of America awards excellence designation to 14 institutions
A total of 14 organizations earned the Infectious Diseases Society of America’s (IDSA) Antimicrobial Stewardship Centers of Excellence designation last week, for programs advancing science to better fight antimicrobial resistance. The program emphasized these institutions’ abilities to... Read More »
Sen. Cotton introduces No ICBMS or Drones for Iran Act to hit Iran with new sanctions
Seeking to halt aerial development, U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK), echoed by U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) in the House, introduced the No ICBMS or Drones for Iran Act last week, brandishing the legislative threat of additional sanctions for the long-time American adversary. The bill was... Read More »
House intelligence committee report calls for reauthorization, reform of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Section 702
Without action from Congress, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) will soon expire, and in a report released last week by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, lawmakers called for its swift reformation and reauthorization. Section 702 authorizes... Read More »
IMPACTT Human Trafficking Act advanced by Senate to boost human trafficking victim support
The U.S. Senate advanced with unanimous consent legislation this week that seeks to combat human trafficking and expand support for its victims. The IMPACTT Human Trafficking Act (S.670) is now under consideration in the U.S. House. “The federal government must increase support for... Read More »
CISA releases first Roadmap for Artificial Intelligence to guide federal AI approach
Following up on President Joe Biden’s executive order on artificial intelligence last month, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released its first roadmap detailing a federal approach to developing and implementing AI... Read More »
Federal NCARS Act introduced to push national resilience strategy against natural disasters
A group of federal lawmakers recently introduced the National Coordination on Adaptation and Resilience for Security (NCARS) Act to create a national resilience strategy in the face of increasingly prevalent natural disasters spurred on by climate change. Backed by U.S. Reps. Maria Elvira... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Lankford and Rosen lead letter to UN urging designation of Hamas as terrorist organization
In a letter to the United Nations, several United States senators this week pressed for the international body to designate the Hamas organization of Palestine as a terrorist organization following terrorist attacks on Israel in October that left hundreds dead, others kidnapped, and kicked off a... Read More »
FDA approves world’s first Chikungunya vaccine
Valneva SE won approval for the world’s first Chikungunya vaccine – IXCHIQ – last week from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is a major milestone for a viral disease that has plagued humanity for decades, thanks to the bites of mosquito carriers. Although originally found... Read More »
House Homeland Security Committee advances measure targeting alleged Chinese infiltration of universities
Through advancement of the DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act (H.R. 1516), this week the House Homeland Security Committee took aim at American funds going to universities connected to Chinese entities of concern. Authored by Homeland Security... Read More »
DARPA’s SIGMA+ program working to detect threats to New York, New Jersey
Building on past collaboration between DARPA and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey focused on threat detection, DARPA’s SIGMA+ program is actively pursuing an automated, networked, and mobile system for continuous city-scale monitoring. This monitoring will focus on chemical,... Read More »
DOJ announces indictment in PG&E bombings
On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the indictment of a San Jose engineer for his attack on energy facilities in California. According to court documents, Peter Karasev, 36, was indicted Oct. 19 for attacking two PG&E transformers in San Jose on Dec. 8, 2022 and Jan. 5,... Read More »
Senate Republicans introduce proposal to secure Southern border
On Monday, U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and James Lankford (R-OK) unveiled a proposal to secure the country’s southern border. The group said their proposal would address policies that have led to a crisis at the southern border. Drawn from H.R. 2, the proposal would... Read More »
DHS to add nearly 65,000 H-2B visas in 2024
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced Friday it would make nearly 65,000 H-2B visas available in Fiscal Year 2024. The temporary nonagricultural worker visas will add to the 66,000 H-2B visas mandated by Congress each year. According to DHS, the additional visas represent the... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Daines seeks to designate Yemen’s Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization over Israel attacks
Following missile attacks on Israel by the Houthis of Yemen – also known as Ansarallah – and more intercepted by U.S. military units in the region in recent days, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) introduced a bill last week to redesignate the group as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO). The... Read More »
Justice Department Civil Rights Division hosts virtual forum on combating hate
On the 25th anniversary of the murders of James Byrd Jr. and Matthew Shepard, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division held a virtual forum on the launch of the United Against Hate (UAH) initiative and efforts to fight hate crimes. “As I see in my daily threat briefings, there has... Read More »
U.S. Reps. McCaul, Gallego ask House for greater funding for first responders dealing with migrants
In a letter to the House Appropriation Committee this week, U.S. Reps. Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) urged leadership to include funding for first responder aid programs in any FY 2024 supplemental appropriations to support those affected by immigration. “Increased operations... Read More »
Bipartisan resolution underlines support for International Atomic Energy Agency
Working together, U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) introduced a resolution this week to support the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) role in promoting nuclear security. “The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) plays a crucial role in bolstering... Read More »
Biden administration issues executive order for A.I. developmental guardrails
In a wide-ranging Executive Order issued this week, President Joe Biden sought to preempt threats posed by the development of artificial intelligence with new safeguards and oversight, while calling on Congress to pass data privacy legislation and enshrine such guardrails permanently. While AI... Read More »
Internal memo leak from DHS prompts document demand from House Homeland Security Republicans
After an internal memo from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warning that foreign fighters from the Israel-Hamas conflict could be encountered at the southwest border leaked to the press, House Republicans demanded documents and information from Department Secretary Alejandro... Read More »
Department of Defense eyes new nuclear gravity bomb variant
Although nuclear disarmament and de-escalation has been the focus for years, last week the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) changed course in a proposal to Congress, wherein it sought approval for a modern variant of the B61 nuclear gravity bomb. "Today's announcement is reflective of a... Read More »
Bill to simplify requirements for FEMA hazard mitigation grants clears Senate committee
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee advanced a bill from U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) last week that would make the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) update its cost-effectiveness requirements for hazard mitigation grants. The... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection updates strategy to combat fentanyl, synthetic drugs
According to an updated approach released last week by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) remains focused on the opioid epidemic while reckoning with an ever-changing landscape. CBP planted its focus firmly around four areas: ... Read More »
Holding Iranian Leaders Accountable Act reintroduced to crack down on financial institutions connected to Iran
With the war between Hamas and Israel dragging attention on Iran once more to the fore, U.S. Reps. French Hill (R-AR) and Juan Vargas (D-CA) reintroduced the Holding Iranian Leaders Accountable Act this week, seeking new means to crackdown on their financial support. “The Iranian regime has... Read More »
U.S. Chamber of Commerce report concludes organized retail crime could double this year
In a new report that urged governmental action, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce this week found that organized retail crime this year surpassed those in 2022 by 43 percent, and could nearly double it by year’s end. “The scourge of organized retail crime has become increasingly pervasive, with... Read More »
Advanced Border Coordination Act seeks improvements to communication along U.S.-Mexico border
The United States-Mexico remains a focus of Congressional interest, and the latest offshoot of that emerged this week in the form of the Senate’s Advanced Border Coordination Act, which aims to improve law enforcement communication and coordination. “From local sheriffs to Border Patrol and... Read More »
TSA renews cybersecurity requirements for railroad carriers
On Monday, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced it had renewed updates to security directives that regulate passenger and freight railroad carriers. The revised directives, part of an effort to enhance the cybersecurity of surface transportation systems and associated... Read More »
Nuclear Threat Initiative paper provides analysis, contemplates shape of nuclear planning
In a far-ranging paper on the past, present, and future of nuclear policy and conflict released this week, the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) called for a renewed investigation into the effects of nuclear conflict. Faced with conflicts currently ranging from Ukraine to Israel and threats of... Read More »
Facilitating Hazard Mitigation Projects Act would require FEMA simplify grant requirements
A joint effort from U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) last week yielded the Hazard Mitigation Projects Act, which would require the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to simplify requirements surrounding hazard mitigation grants. “Too often, complex application... Read More »
BEST Facilitation Act introduced to speed up cargo screenings at ports of entry
With the bicameral introduction of the Border Enforcement, Security, and Trade (BEST) Facilitation Act (H.R. 5990) last week, supporters seek to allot for a series of new image technicians within Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to expedite screenings at U.S. ports of entry. Created by U.S.... Read More »
DHS Science and Technology Directorate calls for innovative approaches to targeting illegal cargo
With an eye on both inbound and outbound cargo, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) issued a request for information (RFI) last week to call up new approaches to targeting illegal cargo and aiding delivery of legitimate cargo. "Researching and... Read More »
Customs and Border Protection integrating supply chain data following startup exchange testing
Real-time, standards-based tests for exchanging supply chain data from three U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) collaborating startups have opened the door for Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) to begin integrating data from them and their customers. Companies mesur.io, Neoflow and... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Kelly, Zinke call for locking down U.S. northern border for fear of suspected terrorists
Calling on Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, a group of representatives led by U.S. Reps. Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Ryan Zinke (R-MT) introduced a resolution this week to recognize an outsized number of suspected terrorists recently seized at the northern border. This year, Customs and... Read More »
Final report of U.S. Strategic Posture Commission pushes urgent build up to deter China, Russia simultaneously
A comprehensive report from the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States found that, on examination, the long-term strategic posture of the United States is flagging amid worsening global security, and pointed to looming threats from China and Russia alike. The... Read More »
GAO: Crew shortfalls remain problem to Navy readiness
According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Navy has taken steps to address fatigue in its ranks – an ongoing problem that has plagued its ranks for years, even contributing to fatal ship collisions. Essentially, this was a follow-up to an analysis conducted in 2021,... Read More »