Government
Security agencies from the United States and the United Kingdom are warning healthcare policymakers and researchers to be on the lookout for cybersecurity threat campaigns amid the COVID-19 response.
Officials representing the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the... Read More »
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said the recent inspection of express-consignment shipments at the Rochester New York Airport yielded seizure of counterfeit COVID-19 test kits.
“I’m proud of the continued efforts of our CBP officers here in Rochester,” Rochester Port Director... Read More »
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) introduced legislation to fund the increased production of health care equipment in the fight against COVID-19.
The Emergency Medical Supplies Procurement Act would provide $75 billion for the Trump administration to purchase or manufacture... Read More »
An overwhelming bipartisan majority in the U.S. House of Representatives is calling on the Trump Administration to extend the United Nations arms embargo on Iran.
The embargo is set to expire in October of this year.
A group of 387 members of Congress -- including Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick... Read More »
The Government Accountability Office has issued a series of recommendations to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regarding efforts to strengthen national preparedness.
The GAO indicated while FEMA uses several scenarios, including pandemic influenza similar to COVID-19, to allow... Read More »
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) is collaborating with the Mayo Clinic on an expanded access program that will get patients hospitalized with COVID-19 access to convalescent plasma.
Convalescent plasma’s use is built on the idea that those who recover from... Read More »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to Roche for its Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2, or COVID-19, antibody test.
The test is designed to help determine if a patient has been exposed to the virus and if the patient has developed antibodies against... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Susan Brooks (R-IN) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA) introduced legislation that would establish a committee of experts to analyze the impact of U.S. dependence on the foreign manufacturing of lifesaving drugs.
The Prescription for American Drug Independence Act would require the National... Read More »
Reps. Ami Bera (D-CA) and Ted S. Yoho (R-FL) recently forwarded correspondence to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, stating that America should participate in and lead global initiatives to coordinate COVID-19 vaccine production and distribution.
“The U.S. should consider participating in the... Read More »
Rep. Bobby L. Rush (D-IL) introduced Friday legislation initiating a $100 million grant program administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to mobilize coronavirus testing and contact tracing.
COVID-19 Testing, Reaching and Contacting Everyone (TRACE) Act grantees would... Read More »
Following the results of two clinical trials for the experimental antiviral drug remdesivir, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) last week, opening it to use as a treatment for those with severe cases of COVID-19.
“Based on evaluation of the... Read More »
A group of 14 Democratic U.S. senators is calling on Congress to include $8 billion in new funding for contact tracing to fight the COVID-19 virus.
Contact tracing is the process of tracking infected people to find out who they have been in contact with to stop the spread of the virus.... Read More »
The U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) placed a new order under the contract awarded in 2017 to Bavarian Nordic for the manufacturing and supply of Jynneos, a smallpox and monkeypox vaccine.
The new award is for $202 million. It is in addition to the existing... Read More »
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) recently introduced a measure designed to increase the nation’s supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other medical supplies.
The COVID-19 Emergency Manufacturing Act authorizes the federal government to manufacture... Read More »
Global security and aerospace company Lockheed Martin has secured a $6.07 billion Army contract to produce Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptors and associated equipment.
"This contract demonstrates our customer's continued confidence in our ability... Read More »
Among Senate Democrats, concerns are growing that political influence and interference at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) played a role in the removal of Dr. Rick Bright from the helm of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) earlier this month.
In a... Read More »
Senate Democrats introduced legislation that lays out a framework for a coordinated federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Medical Supply Transparency and Delivery Act requires the president to utilize all available authorities under the Defense Production Act to mobilize a federal... Read More »
Several Congressional leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives are urging federal government officials to take action on the recommendations made by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on the problem of antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotic resistance occurs when germs develop the ability... Read More »
Puritan Medical Products has been awarded a Department of Defense (DoD) contract to produce COVID-19 testing swabs.
“The Department of Defense will invest $75.5 million in Defense Production Act Title 3 funding to increase swab production by 20 million per month starting in May,” Lt. Col.... Read More »
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) launched a new web page with information on COVID-19 related fraud schemes.
The web site -- called Operation Stolen Promise -- will also highlight the investigative efforts the agency is taking to counter... Read More »
A group of Democrats in Congress are asking the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) about measures the agency has taken to keep homemade firearms – or ghost guns -- from falling into the wrong hands during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“While the surge in firearm sales from... Read More »
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said nearly $165 million has been earmarked to help rural communities combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funding allotment via the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) seeks to assist 1,779 rural hospitals while providing additional... Read More »
The Cerus Corporation has created the INTERCEPT Blood System as a means to reduce pathogens in red blood cells, and now, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) is collaborating with it to test the system’s capabilities against SARS-CoV-2.
SARS-CoV-2 is the virus... Read More »
The Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense is poised to assist a national COVID-19 commission that would be created under legislation introduced earlier this month.
Specifically, recommendations and pandemic plans issued by the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense would be reviewed and evaluated by... Read More »
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) is calling on Congress to clear regulatory logjams to get relief money from the CARES Act to firefighters and first responders.
IAFC leaders say legal and regulatory minutiae is preventing funding from the Assistance for Firefighter Grant... Read More »
Laredo Port of Entry Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers recently executed a narcotics interception effort yielding hard narcotics with an estimated street value of more than $25 million.
Authorities indicated the seizure occurred at the World Trade Bridge when an officer referred a... Read More »
Criticizing President Donald Trump’s unilateral decision to end funding for the World Health Organization (WHO) as reckless, Democratic members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs called on the president to restore funding and to stop putting COVID-19 blame on the organization.
Chairman... Read More »
Professional services and technology firm KBR has secured a $63.9 million Department of Defense (DoD) task order to develop interoperability solutions resulting in expanded military testing and training capabilities.
KBR’s scope of work on the DoD’s Test Resource Management Center (TRMC)... Read More »
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) announced two partnerships this week in its ongoing fight against COVID-19: America’s Blood Centers, to help collect and distribute convalescent plasma, and InBios International, Inc. to hasten the development of serological... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK) introduced a bill in the House that authorizes additional scientific research to fight the novel coronavirus and other infectious diseases.
The legislation -- the Computing Opportunities to Vanquish Infectious Diseases Research Act of 2020 (the COVID Research Act)... Read More »
U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) is urging the Trump Administration to shore up the safety of the personal protective equipment (PPE) supply chain and protect hospitals from scammers.
“Hospitals and health care workers are busy saving lives and protecting the... Read More »
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) recently announced that the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Keyport and the Tech Bridge program are providing those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic with needed equipment.
The entities have manufactured over 500 face shields and... Read More »
Global health, industry, and nonprofit leaders joined this week in pledging support to defeat COVID-19, uniting them in a virtual event that recommitted to the accelerated development and delivery of vaccines, tests, and treatments.
“We will only halt COVID-19 through solidarity,” Dr. Tedros... Read More »
Fallout from Dr. Rick Bright’s sudden removal from his post as director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) is growing, as U.S. Sen. Edward Markey calls for an official investigation into the motivations behind the move.
Bright has served as BARDA director... Read More »
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced last week that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is awarding $631 million to 64 jurisdictions in support of the COVID-19 response.
“This new funding secured from Congress by President Trump will help public health... Read More »
