Dr. John Nkengasong Welcomed as New U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator

The world's first human-monkey hybrid has been successfully created in a laboratory, according to shocking research from Chinese scientists. This horrifying development occurred in 2021, after a team of researchers from the United States and Spain traveled to China in order to get around regulations that forbade this kind of research in their own nations.

On January 19, 2023, the United States filed a civil complaint in federal court in Brooklyn against two firearm companies, and two individuals associated with these companies (collectively, “Defendants”), alleging that Defendants have conspired to defraud the United States and consumers, and have engaged in the ongoing commission of mail fraud and wire fraud, by unlawfully selling machine gun conversion devices. The devices, called FRT-15s, are specifically designed and intended to be used to convert AR-15 type rifles into machineguns and are therefore themselves “machineguns” under federal law. With limited exceptions not applicable to Defendants’ conduct, the manufacture, sale and possession of machine guns is illegal under the National Firearms Act and the Gun Control Act of 1968. The Government’s complaint seeks injunctive relief under the Anti-Fraud Injunction Act. The United States also sought a temporary order immediately halting any sales of the FRT-15 or any forced reset trigger until and unless otherwise ordered by the Court. On January 25, 2023, United States District Judge Nina R. Morrison entered a temporary restraining order against Defendants.

A federal court in New York today unsealed murder-for-hire and money laundering charges against three members of an Eastern European criminal organization for plotting the murder of a U.S. citizen who has been targeted by the Government of Iran for speaking out against the regime’s human rights abuses. According...

The U.S. Department of Transportation is marking National Human Trafficking Prevention Month by taking several actions to raise awareness about human trafficking and how to recognize and prevent this terrible crime. Combating human trafficking in the transportation sector is a top priority for the Department. “Every year, human traffickers seek...

The Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC) announced its 2023 Planning Agenda. This release marks a major milestone in the continued evolution and maturation of the collaborative’s planning efforts. JCDC’s Planning Agenda brings together government and private sector partners to develop and execute cyber defense plans that achieve specific risk reduction goals focused on systemic risk, collective cyber response, and high-risk communities.

Every day, the Intelligence Community (IC) labors to provide policymakers with insightful analysis to answer and inform on some of the toughest national security questions and issues. More often than not, the IC is able to provide ground-truth on seemingly murky problems that may otherwise not be discovered or explained.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has appointed Charles R. Armstrong as the agency’s new Chief Information Officer (CIO). Armstrong was formerly the Assistant Commissioner (AC) and CIO of the Office of Information and Technology (OIT), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). In these roles, Armstrong was responsible for managing and integrating all of CBP’s IT solutions in alignment with overarching Department of Homeland Security (DHS) strategies.

CDC launched the COVID-19 Testing Locator website, which will allow consumers to search for free COVID-19 testing sites near them. The locator is part of the CDC Increasing Community Access to Testing (ICATT) program, which provides access to COVID-19 testing, focusing on communities at a greater risk of being impacted by the pandemic, people who do not have health insurance, and surge testing in state and local jurisdictions.

The Department of Defense (DoD) released its Small Business Strategy today. The strategy promotes a strong, dynamic, and robust small business industrial base by focusing on reducing barriers to entry, increasing set-aside competitions, and leveraging programs to grow the industrial base. “From manufacturers providing the critical parts that we need...

The Famous-class medium endurance USCGC Spencer (WMEC 905) arrived in Lomé, Togo for a scheduled port visit, Jan. 25, 2023 marking the first U.S. ship visit to Togo since 2012. Spencer’s port visit will also coincide with the arrival of Vice Adm. Thomas Ishee, commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet. While...

The COVID-19 pandemic placed unprecedented demands on our nation’s public health workforce, in particular emergency responders and syndromic surveillance experts. The pandemic also created an enormous need for agencies and jurisdictions involved in responding to the emergency – and healthcare providers – to share health data necessary to appropriately manage and treat COVID patients.

Obangame Express (OE23), the largest multinational maritime exercise in Western and Central Africa, kicked off its 12th year with 33 participating nations, Jan. 23, 2023. The exercise, hosted in Lagos, Nigeria, will feature both in-port and at-sea training scenarios including maritime operations center familiarization and exchanges on medical care, search and rescue operations, and boarding techniques.