Terrorism
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 »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it has worked with state and local law enforcement personnel to ensure employee, player, and fan safety during Super Bowl LVI.
“The Department of Homeland Security is fundamentally a department of partnerships, and those... Read More »
According to the latest National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), threat levels throughout the country remain heightened due to mis-, dis-, and mal-information, stoked by foreign and domestic sources.
While much focus has been paid to... Read More »
The Office of Justice Programs’ (OJP) National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has released study findings regarding traits of persons who engaged in mass shootings between 1966 and 2019.
“This study — one of the most extensive assessments of mass violence to date—reveals a deeply unsettling... Read More »
In introducing the Active Shooter Alert Act (H.R.6538) to the House this week, U.S. Reps. David Cicilline (D-RI) and Fred Upton (R-MI) proposed creating a system similar to the AMBER Alert system for law enforcement to use in notifying the public of active, local gun violence.
AMBER Alerts are... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) introduced this week the Drone Act of 2022, which seeks to criminalize dangerous drone activity, including actions of drug and human traffickers embracing drone technology to facilitate operations.
The legislators noted... Read More »
The University of Maryland (UMD) has secured a Department of Defense (DOD) award totaling nearly $4 million to support data collection efforts on terrorism-related projects and other asymmetric threats.
The DOD would fund data collection on several projects that include the Study of Terrorism... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), chair of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, led a group of lawmakers in calling for funding to meet the needs of houses of worship to secure their facilities against potential terrorist attacks.
In a letter to the leaders of the Senate... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-ME), and Chris Murphy (D-CT), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism, joined U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and other members of Congress, in calling on President Joe Biden to overhaul the U.S.... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) recently commended the passage of their legislation, the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Location Act, which enables the placement of a National Mall memorial honoring Global War on Terrorism veterans.
“In the wake of 9/11, millions of... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Justice announced it would be providing nearly $126 million in funding to advance school safety under the STOP School Violence Act.
The grants fund safety measures in and around primary and secondary schools, as well as school violence prevention efforts, training for... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, praised the Build Back Better Act on Friday, especially for its inclusion of $1.5 billion for investments at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The funding would improve the country’s cybersecurity... Read More »
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas has issued the agency's fourth National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin since January 2021.
DHS indicated the country continually faces a diverse and challenging threat environment. Several... Read More »
Block MEMS, LLC has secured a $2,622,082 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) award to develop vehicle-borne explosives detection technology.
The funding, provided through S&T’s Long-Range Broad Agency Announcement (LRBAA) process, would result in... Read More »
On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) announced it had selected Northeastern University to lead a consortium of U.S. academic institutions for a new Center of Excellence for Engineering Secure Environments from Targeted Attacks... Read More »
As world leaders gather in Glasgow for the UN Climate Change Conference, COP26, a new global partnership has formed to focus on the impact of climate change on terrorism, the group said Tuesday.
The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), Pool Re... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently forwarded correspondence to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), noting concerns regarding energy infrastructure security.
U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, (R-MO), ranking member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and U.S. Sen. Roger... Read More »
U.S Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, said the Build Back Better Act addresses pressing national security challenges.
Thompson said the legislation would include $1.5 billion in investments to improve the national cybersecurity posture, help... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Liz Cheney (R-WY) and Jason Crow (D-CO) introduced legislation this week limiting domestic terrorists from holding security clearances in the wake of the FBI announcing it has nearly tripled its domestic terrorism caseload.
The No Clearance For Domestic Terrorists Act (H.R. 5513)... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Val Demings (D-FL) and Don Bacon (R-NE) last week introduced legislation to create a plan to continue federal anti-terrorism support for Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI)-funded homeland security capabilities.
The Homeland Security Capabilities Preservation Act (H.B. 5615) directs... Read More »
The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday voted 397-22 to approve a bipartisan bill that aims to reform how the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) is administered and managed. The legislation now heads to the U.S. Senate for consideration.
The Strengthening America’s Strategic National... Read More »
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) awarded $999,644 to a California-based small business, Karagozian & Case, Inc., for development of an advanced software option that would allow security professionals to view their environments through a mobile device.
“As crowded places... Read More »
U.S. Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY) and Jim Risch (R-ID) have joined 21 Senate colleagues in introducing a measure they said addresses concerns regarding Afghanistan's leadership and accountability.
The Afghanistan Counterterrorism, Oversight, and Accountability Act would, among other provisions, form... Read More »
Nerve agent poisoning can result in a quick death, causing the central and peripheral nervous systems to shut down. For those fortunate enough to receive medical care and survive exposure, long-lasting side effects are probable, including seizures, extreme muscle spasms, and diminished mental... Read More »
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials said the agency has earmarked grant funding totaling $20 million to address domestic violent extremism and terrorism prevention.
Officials indicated the 37 grant awards would be allocated via the Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) Targeted Violence and... Read More »
Lawmakers are touting the benefits of the U.S. House of Representatives recently advancing the Oversight of Munitions Exports amendment in conjunction with the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
U.S. Reps. Norma J. Torres (D-CA) and Katie Porter (D-CA) said the measure... Read More »
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 last week with a number of homeland security-related amendments, including measures that would strengthen the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and Department of Homeland... Read More »
Lawmakers examined the nationwide evolution of post 9/11 threats during a recent Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing.
"This hearing is timely," Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said. "A... Read More »
A group of lawmakers have introduced a bill preventing the Biden Administration from recognizing Afghanistan's Taliban-controlled government in international organizations.
Rep. John Curtis (R-UT) joined Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) in detailing the... Read More »
In letters to the CEOs of three of the top social media sites -- Facebook, Twitter and Youtube -- United States Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) pressed for information this week on respective policies for monitoring and removing both extremist and conspiratorial content posted online.
“Online... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) joined forces in introducing legislation directing the U.S. Secretary of State to designate the Afghan Taliban as a terrorist organization.
The... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) introduced resolutions Tuesday urging Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to designate the Afghan Taliban as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
The resolution introduced into both chambers of Congress calls for freezing the Government of... Read More »
A pair of lawmakers have forwarded correspondence to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, expressing disapproval of the Taliban’s recently announced cabinet appointees.
Reps. John Katko (R-NY), ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland Security and August Pfluger (R-TX),... Read More »
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas assured Thursday the growing effort to combat domestic terrorism and the mass influx of Afghan refugees will not distract the agency from its ongoing efforts to guard against attacks from international terrorism.
Speaking at the National Press Club... Read More »
A new report from Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) has found that 20 years after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, America is not fully prepared for public health emergencies.
The report, 2021 Ready or Not: Protecting the Public’s Health from Diseases,... Read More »