Researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), released a study on Wednesday that found six Zika virus antibodies, including four that neutralize African, Asian and American strains of … Read More
A coalition 10 of U.S. senators wrote a letter on Wednesday to the Obama administration requesting action on nuclear weapons policy in the time the president has left in office. The letter was co-signed by U.S. Sens. Edward Markey (D-MA), … Read More
U.S. Rep. Dan Donovan (R-NY) on Tuesday decried actions by his congressional colleagues for jeopardizing the development of a vaccine for the Zika virus. Donovan’s statement came in the wake of three different companies threatening to halt their developments due … Read More
The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) produced its first biosafety curriculum for police colleges to advance law enforcement capability and preparedness in responding to biological incidents on Tuesday. The initiative was developed under Project Rhino and seeks to address the … Read More
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), along with United Airlines, released plans on Wednesday to install automated security screening lanes at select United Airlines hubs this fall. The automated lanes will incorporate technology that enhances overall effectiveness, while also speeding up … Read More
The House Homeland Security Committee released its “Terror Gone Viral” report that shows that the wave of terror attacks in the past month have helped ISIS reach a record-level of plotting following the attacks in Germany, France and Orlando. “ISIS … Read More
The Alliance for Biosecurity applauded the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Friday for passing the Strengthening Public Health Emergency Response Act, H.R. 3299, which now heads to the House floor for a vote. The bill was sponsored by U.S. … Read More
Soligenix released positive preliminary proof-of-concept results on Monday from its collaboration with Axel Lehrer to develop a heat-stable subunit Ebola virus vaccine. Lehrer is a doctor in the Department of Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Pharmacology at the John A. Burns … Read More
The House Energy and Commerce Committee passed a bill on Thursday introduced by U.S. Reps. Susan Brooks (R-IN) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA) aimed at incentivizing investments in vaccines and treatments for dangerous and deadly diseases identified as threats to our … Read More
Campaign Eastern Front, the enforcement operation of the U.S. Border Patrol, San Diego, on Thursday reported on a strong month of affecting criminal smuggling organizations operating in East County. The period from June 12 to July 9 saw agents arrest … Read More
U.S. Sens. Tom Carper (D-DE) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced legislation on Wednesday to assist communities in preparing for and responding to active shooter events. The bill, the Active Shooter Preparedness Enhancement Act of 2016, would ensure that the Department … Read More
Researchers at the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) and CBI Polymer recently explored how a HydroGel can be modified to decontaminate surfaces contaminated with harmful biological agents, such as the anthrax-inducing Bacillus anthracis. HydroGel is a biosynthetic polymer that can … Read More
U.S. Sen. Angus King (I-ME) urged the Senate on Tuesday to move forward with his legislation that seeks to protect critical U.S.-based energy infrastructure from a potential catastrophic cyber-attack. King urged his colleagues to take action on the Securing Energy … Read More
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Monday authored by U.S. Rep. Bill Keating (D-MA) to strengthen security at the nation’s airports. The bill stems from an investigation into the death of a 16 year-old boy who managed … Read More
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began a series of actions this week designed to combat the emerging threat of Zika virus and to mitigate its spread throughout the U.S. and the world. The FDA began with important steps … Read More
The European Commission launched a privacy shield for the United States and the European Union (EU) on Tuesday to strengthen protection for transatlantic data flows. The framework of the project protects the fundamental rights of anyone in the EU whose … Read More
The U.S. House of Representatives passed four bills on Monday to better provide homeland security. The bills prevent foreign fighter travel to the U.S., improve airport security measures and improve internal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) practices and reviews. “We … Read More
The U.S. House of Representatives passed U.S. Rep. Martha McSally’s (R-AZ) legislation on Monday to require a stress test of U.S. government protection and prevention programs against terrorist travel. The bill, the Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel Exercise Act, is … Read More
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a detailed account on Thursday of the agency’s response to the Ebola virus epidemic of 2014-2016. The report, a special supplement to the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), … Read More
The House Homeland Security Committee released a report on Thursday critiquing the misconduct of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in recent months. The report, titled “Misconduct at TSA Threatens the Security of the Flying Public,” is the result of a … Read More
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) announced its support on Thursday for a bill authored by U.S. Sen. Angus King (I-ME) that aims to control the spread of Zika virus. The Strengthening Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health (SMASH) … Read More
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Tuesday to work with Congress to strengthen efforts to protect children’s personal information on internet-connected “smart toys” that collect and store data on minors and their parents. Warner … Read More
The Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) recently announced that is has developed a decontamination spray that enables soldiers at the unit level to decontaminate vehicle surfaces in the field immediately after exposure to a chemical warfare agent and continue with … Read More
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) released his monthly assessment of terrorist threats facing the nation and our allies on Wednesday. “This past month’s ISIS-inspired rampage in Orlando marked the deadliest terror attack in our homeland since 9/11,” … Read More
U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) on Friday met with federal and local partners to discuss security operations and procedures at the Philadelphia International Airport. During his trip, Carper toured the airport’s checkpoint areas that screen approximately 31 million passengers per … Read More
The European Commission launched a new public-private partnership on cybersecurity on Tuesday that is expected to trigger $1.9 billion of investment by 2020. The partnership is part of a series of a new initiatives to better equip Europe against cyber … Read More
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and American Airlines (AA) will install new screening technology at select American Airlines hubs nationwide this fall. The new technology includes automated security screening lanes and computed tomography (CT) scanners. The automated lanes incorporate technology … Read More
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) agents arrested two Pennsylvania men last week at Boston’s Logan International Airport on cocaine smuggling allegations. The two men, Erick Dominguez-Santos and Ezra Mendez, were arrested after officers discovered … Read More
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) provided BioCryst Pharmaceuticals with additional funding on Monday for efficacy studies of BCX4430 in non-human primates to further assist effective dose regimens. BCX4430 is a broad-spectrum antiviral that is advancing toward … Read More
An independent panel of public health, emergency response and communication experts issued a report on Friday on the Ebola epidemic of 2014, identifying recommendations to improve the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) response to urgent public health … Read More
The Partnership for Research on Ebola virus in Liberia (PREVAIL) on Monday opened PREVAIL IV, a treatment trial for men who have survived Ebola virus disease (EVD) but continue to have evidence of Ebola virus genetic material – RNA – … Read More
A coalition of Rhode Island lawmakers said on Friday that the state would receive more than $8 million in federal funds to assist first responders in response to a range of security challenges and crises. The coalition included U.S. Sens. … Read More
U.S. Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) pushed the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on Friday for an update on a local pilot program designed to improve the quality and accessibility of healthcare for veterans. The senators … Read More
The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) moved forward on Friday with its preparations for a public-private partnership to deploy and operate a nationwide public safety broadband network. During their meeting in Chicago, the FirstNet board of directors provided strategic guidance … Read More
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) allocated $275 million on Wednesday for six FY2016 DHS competitive preparedness and grant programs to support state, local, tribal and territorial partners. The grant program funds come in addition to the more than … Read More
