/
US to Deploy 200 Troops for Counter-IS Efforts in Syria
Published on
US to Deploy 200 Troops for Counter-IS Efforts in Syria


US to Deploy 200 Troops for Counter-IS Efforts in SyriaThe U.S. government will deploy approximately 200 additional troops to Syria in support of coalition efforts to remove the Islamic State militant group from the IS’ hub in Raqqa, DoD News reported Saturday.

Shannon Collins writes Defense Secretary Ash Carter said at the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain that the additional forces will include special operations forces, trainers, advisers and explosive ordnance disposal teams.

Carter added the new troops will join 300 U.S. special operations forces that are currently in Syria to help organize, train and equip local forces to combat the Islamic State group, Collins reported.

The defense secretary noted Bahrain, U.S. and coalition forces are engaged in a mission to isolate and remove the Islamic State’s control over Raqqa, Syria and Mosul, Iraq, the report stated.

Carter met with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to discuss the U.S.-Bahraini defense relationship, U.S. presence in Bahrain, U.S. commitment to regional security and the counter-IS coalition’s progress in Mosul and Raqqa, DoD News stated.

Senate Clears Stopgap Measure in 63-36 Vote
Published on
Senate Clears Stopgap Measure in 63-36 Vote


Senate Clears Stopgap Measure in 63-36 VoteThe Senate on Friday voted 63-36 to approve a continuing resolution that would fund the federal government through the end of April, the New York Times reported Friday.

Thomas Kaplan and Jennifer Steinhauer write the Senate passed the stopgap spending bill less than an hour prior to a possible government shutdown and after the lawmakers voted 61-38 to clear a procedural measure to advance the CR.

The House on Thursday approved the stopgap bill in a 326-96 vote.

The upper chamber’s move came after Senate Democrats dropped threats to reject the stopgap measure in order to get a yearlong extension for retired coal miners’ healthcare benefits, according to a report by Burgess Everett, Seung Min Kim and Ben Weyl for Politico.

The stopgap bill would extend for four months the health insurance of retired miners in Appalachian states, according to the report.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucy) told Politico that they will continue the fight for the retired miners’ health benefits in 2017.

/
Ash Carter, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Discuss Strategic Partnership for Afghanistan’s Security
Published on
Ash Carter, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Discuss Strategic Partnership for Afghanistan’s Security


Ash Carter, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Discuss Strategic Partnership for Afghanistan's SecurityU.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani have met in Kabul to discuss U.S.-Afghanistan strategic partnership in support of Afghanistan’s security, DoD News reported Friday.

Terri Moon Cronk writes Carter said at a press conference that U.S. and coalition partners will continue to aid Afghan troops and that the U.S. remains committed to Afghanistan’s security and sovereignty.

Carter noted that combined international community pledges to support Afghan forces amount to approximately $5 billion per year through 2020, Moon Cronk reported.

The secretary added these force and financial commitments support U.S. counterterrorism mission and help maintain the stability of Afghanistan, the U.S. homeland and the coalition.

Afghan and U.S. troops carried out two operations against the Islamic State militant group which killed the organization’s top leader in Afghanistan, according to Carter.

U.S. forces also fought al-Qaida in Afghanistan which led to the death of the group’s top plotter, the report stated.

Carter also honored the sacrifices of Defense Department personnel in Afghanistan including three service members and two contractors who died in a suicide attack at Bagram in November.

/
CIA: Russia’s Cyber Intrusions Sought to Influence US Presidential Election
Published on
CIA: Russia’s Cyber Intrusions Sought to Influence US Presidential Election


CIA: Russia’s Cyber Intrusions Sought to Influence US Presidential ElectionA secret assessment by the CIA says Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election through cyber intrusions in order to help Donald Trump get elected as U.S. president, the Washington Post reported Friday.

Senior U.S. officials said the CIA told U.S. senators in a closed-door briefing that individuals linked to the Russian government shared with WikiLeaks thousands of breached emails from the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign chief, Adam Entous, Ellen Nakashima and Greg Miller wrote.

Trump told the Time magazine that he doesn’t believe that Russia intervened in the election.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said in an interview that Russia is not the source of the hacked emails, according to the Washington Post.

President Barack Obama has asked intelligence agencies to perform a “full review” of Russia’s involvement in the cyber intrusions during the election and submit a report before he leaves the White House on Jan. 20, according to a report by Jeff Mason for Reuters.

Lisa Monaco, Obama’s homeland security adviser, said at a Christian Science Monitor-hosted event that the administration will share the report’s findings with Congress and other stakeholders, the report added.

/
US, China Reaffirm Cooperation to Address Cybercrime & Network Protection
Published on
US, China Reaffirm Cooperation to Address Cybercrime & Network Protection


CyberCrimeKeyboardGovernment representatives from U.S. and China have reaffirmed the two countries’ commitment to cooperate on cybersecurity efforts such as cyber crime investigations and network protection.

The Department of Homeland Security said Thursday Attorney General Loretta Lynch, DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson and Chinese public security ministry leader Guo Shengkun co-chaired the third U.S.-China High-Level Joint Dialogue on Cybercrime and Related Issues.

Both countries agreed to cooperate on the investigation of hacking and cyber fraud incidents; share cybercrime-related leads and information; and identify priority cases for law enforcement cooperation, DHS added.

U.S. and China also plan to continue the provision of status reports to gauge the effectiveness of case cooperation.

DHS noted the two sides aim to hold remote or in-person meetings on network protection regularly and that the next meeting should be planned for 2017.

The two countries seek to host a roundtable discussion with technology companies on mutual cybersecurity concerns.

Both sides proposed to share malicious Internet Protocol addresses, malware samples, analytic products and network protection information; promote network hygiene and protection practices; and establish standard operating procedures on network protection cooperation.

The two nations also look to exchange feedback on the use of network protection information and regularly provide principals with summaries of collaborations.

U.S. and China plan to continue information sharing to mitigate the use of internet for terrorists and criminals.

The countries launched a hotline mechanism for cyber crime and related issues and both parties will run a routine review on the use of the hotline.

The two sides recommend to continue the annual dialogue and that the fourth event should be held in 2017.

/
Andrew Ceresney to Step Down as SEC Enforcement Director
Published on
Andrew Ceresney to Step Down as SEC Enforcement Director


Securities and Exchange CommissionAndrew Ceresney is set to leave the Securities and Exchange Commission by the end of 2016 as enforcement director after nearly four years in the job.

SEC said Thursday Stephanie Avakian, deputy director at SEC’s enforcement division, will succeed Ceresney on an acting basis after he steps down.

“Andrew’s tremendous work ethic, commitment to do what is right, and deep dedication to his entire team have made him an incredibly effective leader,” said SEC Chair Mary Jo White.

SEC filed more than 2,850 enforcement actions and obtained approximately $13.8 billion in monetary sanctions during Ceresney’s time as head of the enforcement division.

He joined the commission from Debevoise & Plimpton where he served as a litigation partner and co-chair of the law firm’s white collar group.

Ceresney previously worked as deputy chief appellate attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

He also served as a law clerk to Dennis Jacobs, former chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and to Michael Mukasey, former chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

/
Obama Authorizes 2.1% Federal Worker Pay Raise for 2017
Published on
Obama Authorizes 2.1% Federal Worker Pay Raise for 2017


investment money exchangePresident Barack Obama has decided to increase the salary of federal civilian employees by 2.1 percent in fiscal 2017 to equal military pay raise mandated under the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, Federal News Radio reported Thursday.

Jason Miller writes the Obama made the decision after Democratic members of Congress asked him to increase the raise of civilian workforce.

“I have concluded it would be appropriate to revise my original alternative plan for locality payments so that the total combined cost of the 1.0 percent across-the-board base pay increase and varying locality payments will be 2.1 percent of basic payroll,” Obama told House and Senate leaders in a letter obtained by Federal News Radio.

The $619 billion NDAA was approved by Congress Wednesday and now awaits Obama’s signature.

/
Pentagon Officials Recognize DoD Staff, Military Organizations at Defense Acquisition Workforce Awards
Published on
Pentagon Officials Recognize DoD Staff, Military Organizations at Defense Acquisition Workforce Awards


PentagonFrank Kendall, defense undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, recognized several Defense Department personnel and military organizations during the Defense Acquisition Workforce awards held Thursday in Virginia, DoD News reported Thursday.

Amaani Lyle writes Kendall discussed at the event DoD’s efforts to develop data-driven procurement policies as part of the Better Buying Power program.

Kendall was joined by Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work as speaker and Air Force Gen. Paul Selva, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as presenter.

The 431st supply chain management squadron at the Air Force Materiel Command received the gold award in the 2016 Workforce Development Awards’ large organization category.

DoD officials also presented silver and bronze awards to the Army Contracting Command and the Defense Contract Audit Agency.

Awardees in the small organization category include the resource management division at the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s contracting directorate, airborne anti-submarine warfare systems at the Navy’s aircraft division and the special operations forces acquisition, technology and logistics at the Special Operations Command.

Click here to view the full list of 2016 Workforce Individual Award recipients.

/
Arati Prabhakar: DARPA Continues to Innovate Through Sustained DoD Support
Published on
Arati Prabhakar: DARPA Continues to Innovate Through Sustained DoD Support


Arati Prabhakar
Arati Prabhakar

Arati Prabhakar, director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, highlighted  technologies DARPA developed through sustained support from the Defense Department in the past six decades during a Center for Strategic and International Studies-hosted panel discussion, DoD News reported Thursday.

Cheryl Pellerin writes Prabhakar said that DoD supported DARPA’s efforts to develop technologies in areas such as artificial intelligence, internet, modern microelectronics, precision strike and stealth.

“We have to design systems that are inherently able to keep progressing at the pace of the underlying technology,” said Prabhakar.

“I think that’s the only way we’re going to get ahead in the kind of technological environment that we’re in today.”

She noted thatDARPA allots resources on projects with ambitious goals and performs work to mitigate risks of the technologies that are then handed off to people and companies that make such technologies operational.

Prabhakar added that technology works to help people reduce poverty around the world and the private sector works to increase research-and-development efforts work to help grow economies.

/
NASA Updates Tech Commercialization Readiness Program for Small Businesses; Jenn Gustetic Comments
Published on
NASA Updates Tech Commercialization Readiness Program for Small Businesses; Jenn Gustetic Comments


technology testNASA has updated the space agency’s Civilian Commercialization Readiness Pilot Program  to help companies accelerate development of new technologies with up to 2 million in funding opportunities.

CCRPP is available to small businesses that completed Phase II awards under any Small Business Innovation Research or Small Business Technology Transfer program of a federal agency, NASA said Friday.

“One of our goals is to create more opportunities to transition and commercialize technologies funded by the [SBIR and STTR programs],” said Jenn Gustetic, SBIR/STTR program executive for NASA’s space technology mission directorate.

Gustetic added NASA will provide an opportunity for “program year 2017 Phase I awardees to participate in the [National Science Foundation’s] I-Corps program.”

NASA’s CCRPP is also open to small businesses that have no prior or existing CCRPP award from any federal agency for the Phase II technology under solicitations issued from 2010 through 2014.

Companies that have investors outside the SBIR/STTR program to match the funding for technology maturation will also be eligible to the program.

1 … 2,404 2,405 2,406 2,407 2,408 … 2,703