The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Protective Service wants to obtain a virtual reality system to train law enforcers on the proper use of force and de-escalation techniques when responding to hazardous scenarios. According to a request for information posted on SAM .gov, the FPS is only interested in partnering with vendors with readily available […]
Congressionally mandated reforms to the GI Bill are expected to be effective by Aug. 1, though they may not immediately be felt by the beneficiaries, a ranking Veterans Affairs official said. It was explained that most of the amendments introduced under the John Isakson and Phil Roe Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of […]
Another set of small businesses developing advanced scientific tools and clean, secure energy solutions have received contract awards from the Department of Energy amounting to $127 million. The department provided funding for 110 projects across 26 states with the goal of developing technological solutions that will support the clean energy goals of the Biden-Harris administration. […]
The Department of Homeland Security has issued Phase II Small Business Innovation Research contracts totaling approximately $2 million to spur the development of handheld aviation screening devices. One of the awardees, California-based Spectral Labs, will focus on producing a compact and transportable handheld anomaly recognition tool for checking people’s clothing at checkpoints for a variety […]
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Saturday expressed disappointment over a ruling made by a Texas federal judge suspending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program on grounds that the Obama-era immigration initiative is illegal. He said that while the decision is certain to impact families across the U.S., it will not derail the Biden-Harris […]
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that it will not perform immigration enforcement activities at select areas barring exigent circumstances amid continued wildfires in the western part of the country. The list primarily includes disaster recovery locations such as sites used for sheltering or the distribution of emergency supplies, food or water, […]
The House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health recently held a legislative hearing to discuss a measure that would improve the research program and other health care-related bills in support of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Rep. Mark Takano, the chair of the full committee, testified on his draft legislation titled the VA Infrastructure Powers Exceptional […]
The Department of Energy has launched a free web-based tool designed to speed up the approval process of solar panel installation permits. DOE said it launched the SolarAPP+ platform as part of its Summer of Solar 2021 program. The app is expected to make solar panel deployments significantly easier, supporting President Joe Biden’s goal of […]
The Department of Veterans Affairs will implement governance and management changes to address issues affecting its electronic health records program. Speaking at a July 14 Senate hearing, VA Secretary Denis McDonough announced that future EHR rollouts will no longer be simply based on time and location. Instead, he said the agency will follow an evidence-based […]
The Biden-Harris administration has appointed new officials to the Department of Energy to advance the president’s Build Back Better agenda to tackle climate change, create good-paying jobs and achieve a clean energy future. Arpita Bhattacharyya has been named chief of staff of the Office of the Deputy Secretary, which is led by David Turk. Bhattacharyya […]
