A US Navy executive has conceded they have “a long ways to go” to increase shipbuilding to the necessary level to deliver on an agreement to provide nuclear-powered submarines to Australia. Navy representatives have been questioned by members of Congress who are concerned about the Biden administration’s budget proposal to halve next year’s procurement of the submarines. The proposal, to build one Virginia-class submarine instead of two, comes despite a significant shortfall in America’s own fleet, and a need to increase production to provide submarines to Australia under the AUKUS deal. Read ..read more

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell has announced that 16 states and one Tribal Nation are eligible for a total of up to $295 million in funding for flood resilience through the fiscal year 2023 Swift Current funding opportunity, made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. “These allocations, thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, will help provide more funding for flood-prone communities as they continue to grapple with the climate crisis,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. “Flooding is only getting more frequent and severe. In just a few months ..read more

It has cost around $1 billion to counter the missiles and drones fired by Iran and the Tehran-backed Houthis in the Middle East, the United States Navy’s leading civilian official told lawmakers on Tuesday. “We have actually countered over 130 direct attacks on US Navy ships and merchant ships,” Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro said at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense budget hearing for the upcoming fiscal year. Over the past six months, the sea service has fired nearly $1 billion in air defense missiles to counter aerial threats from Iran and its proxy forces. The disclos ..read more

The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Charles David Jr. repatriated 16 migrants to Cuba, Friday, following an interdiction of a migrant venture near Key West, Florida. A good Samaritan notified Sector Key West watchstanders of a suspected migrant voyage at approximately 9:30 a.m., Sunday. The Coast Guard and its Homeland Security Task Force – Southeast partners will continue to be a presence in the air and on the waters to detect and deter migrants from attempting to unlawfully enter the U.S. by sea. “The Coast Guard’s primary mission is to preserve human life at sea,” said Lt. Matthew Miller, Coast ..read more

The U.S. Navy was more helpful in defending Israel from an Iranian attack than initially reported. Half of Iran’s projectiles failed in flight, a defense source told The Intercept, and American forces shot down the majority of the 160 remaining threats headed for Israeli territory. This includes as many as seven ballistic missiles that were destroyed by USS Arleigh Burke and USS Carney in mid-flight. It is the first time that the Navy has ever used the SM-3 antiballistic missile interceptor in combat, and the results appear to have been a success. The SM-3 is an advanced d ..read more

A Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter aircrew conducted a medevac for a Disney Fantasy cruise ship passenger, Monday, in the Atlantic Ocean 180 miles northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The medevac patient was a 35-year-old pregnant woman, U.S. citizen, who experienced health complications and required a higher level of medical care ashore. Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan received a communication from the Disney Fantasy Monday morning requesting medevac assistance as the cruise ship was transiting 260 nautical miles northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.  Watchstanders coor ..read more

New research shows that the health consequences of wildfire smoke exposure stretch well beyond the smoky days themselves, contributing to nearly 16,000 deaths each year across the U.S., according to a National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) analysis released in April. The analysis warns that number could grow to nearly 30,000 deaths a year by the middle of the century as human-driven climate change increases the likelihood of large, intense, smoke-spewing wildfires in the Western U.S. and beyond. “This really points to the urgency of the problem,” says Minhao Qiu, a researcher at Stanford ..read more

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas today announced more than $1.8 billion in funding for eight fiscal year 2024 preparedness grant programs. These grant programs provide critical funding to help state, local, tribal and territorial officials prepare for, prevent, protect against and respond to acts of terrorism and disasters. “As threats continue to evolve, the Department of Homeland Security is committed to providing state, local, tribal and territorial governments, as well as transportation authorities and nonprofit organizations, with vital resources to hel ..read more

In response to the growing threat of online child exploitation, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has introduced a new public awareness campaign titled “Know2Protect.” DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas made the announcement. The campaign aims to educate families about the dangers of online predators and the best practices for safeguarding children. Describing online child exploitation as an “unimaginable horror,” Secretary Mayorkas emphasized the urgent need for increased awareness and preventative measures. “We just have to raise awareness and teach children, and everyone around them ..read more

Sean Connelly, a prominent figure in federal cybersecurity, has announced his departure from federal service, leaving behind a significant legacy of contributions to national cybersecurity infrastructure. As the senior cybersecurity architect and Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) program manager at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Connelly has played a pivotal role in shaping critical cybersecurity initiatives over the last decade. During his tenure, Connelly spearheaded several major projects, most notably the evolution of the TIC program, which is essential for ..read more