Government
U.S. Sens. Chris Coons (D-DE) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced new legislation this week that would end the sale of wildlife species within live animal markets deemed high-risk for human consumption.
Tied to previous outbreaks of human diseases, such markets have gained increasing scrutiny... Read More »
A group of U.S. Senators, including Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), sent a letter to President Donald Trump regarding the COVID-19 Testing Blueprint that the Administration recently released.
The blueprint includes plans to expand state testing capacity and establish... Read More »
A group of U.S. Senators recently called on the Trump administration officials to help secure personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing kits for firefighters and federal law enforcement personnel charged with fighting wildfires.
“Peak fire season comes closer every day. However, it is... Read More »
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins co-wrote an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that a swift, coordinated effort across many sectors of society is necessary to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The article – co-written by Collins and... Read More »
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is awarding $11 billion in funding to support COVID-19 testing.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will provide $10.25 billion to states, territories, and local jurisdictions through its Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for... Read More »
In an effort to counter potential medical shortages, the United States federal government has awarded $354 million to the Phlow Corporation, with an eye on advanced manufacturing of essential medicines.
In all, that contract could stretch up to $812 million, thanks to a four-year base award of... Read More »
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) is encouraging lawmakers to pass the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act.
The measure provides direct assistance to state and local governments, protects critical public safety radio spectrum, funds essential... Read More »
The Trump administration appointed last week Dr. Moncef Slaoui and U.S. Army General Gustave F. Perna to lead the advancement of Operation Warp Speed, a program to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 medical countermeasures.
Slaoui, a former Chairman of both... Read More »
The leaders of Costa Rica and Chile, working with the World Health Organization (WHO), are spearheading an effort to create a technology platform that aims to lift access barriers to effective vaccines, medicines, and other health products against COVID-19.
“Our proposal relies on... Read More »
A bipartisan group of Senators introduced May 15 legislation designed to strengthen the nation’s bioeconomy.
The Bioeconomy Research and Development Act of 2020 seeks to advance research and development, advance biomanufacturing, develop the future bioeconomy workforce, and support various... Read More »
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has crafted a structure the agency said is designed to combat potential transportation sector insider threats.
The TSA Insider Threat Roadmap streamlines processes, identifies requirements and capabilities, and leverages partnerships to... Read More »
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) a series of recommendations regarding chemical facility cybersecurity oversight.
Officials said DHS’s Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program evaluates high-risk chemical... Read More »
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) started last week a clinical trial to evaluate if a combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin could treat COVID-19 in mild or moderate cases.
Adults meeting that description can express interest in participating by email.... Read More »
Another COVID-19 is being investigated for faults, resulting in the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to warn people that the Abbott ID NOW point-of-care test may return inaccurate, false negative results.
The warning stems from some scientific studies that have identified... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) introduced legislation that would create a new federal office responsible for stockpiling adequate supplies of critical medicines in the United States.
The Securing America’s Medicine Cabinet Act authorizes $100 million to create National Centers of Excellence... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced legislation that will facilitate innovation and breakthroughs in cybersecurity.
The Cyber Leap Act of 2020 would establish cybersecurity grand challenges on improving the economics related to federal... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Diana DeGette (D-CO) are asking officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the steps taken to further protect food production workers from the coronavirus.
There have been a series of COVID-19 outbreaks in food production... Read More »
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have issued a warning to organizations conducting research on the COVID-19 pandemic.
These agencies are warning that healthcare researchers are prime targets from fraudsters from the... Read More »
Concerned about the level of transparency being provided by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over the distribution of the antiviral remdesivir, senators on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee are pressing for information.
Remdesivir is a therapeutic... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) released this week a predictive modeling tool intended to chart the downfall of COVID-19 under natural conditions.
Specifically, the tool tracks the natural decay of SARS-CoV-2 -- the virus that causes COVID-19 --... Read More »
Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a $3 trillion aid package that would provide relief for Americans, fund COVID-19 testing, and bolster state and local health infrastructure and funding, among other initiatives.
The Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions... Read More »
The U.S. Departments of Defense (DoD) and Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded a $138 million contract to ApiJect Systems America for Project Jumpstart and RAPID USA, two programs designed to expand U.S. production of medical-grade injection devices.
The contract will create a U.S.-based... Read More »
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) has requested four government agencies combine efforts to allocate personal protective equipment (PPE) and rapid COVID-19 tests for federal wildland fire crews.
Murkowski recently forwarded correspondence to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) pressed the Trump administration this week to secure the medical supplies necessary to help immunize Americans against COVID-19 once such a vaccine is created.
These include things like needles, syringes, or other delivery devices. Such supplies have been compromised... Read More »
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Ports of Entry working within the Baltimore Field Office seized several shipments of counterfeit and unapproved coronavirus personal protective equipment (PPE) and pharmaceuticals.
Since March 23, CBP officers at the ports in Philadelphia,... Read More »
Several Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives are asking Attorney General William Barr for a briefing on legal action the Department of Justice has taken – or has threatened to take -- against state governments that have imposed strict public health and safety restrictions to combat... Read More »
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) is asking Congress and the Trump Administration to help offset firefighter job losses amid COVID-19, requesting $10 billion for the nation’s fire departments.
A recently released IAFC survey maintains COVID-19 related budget cuts have... Read More »
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently assessed Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) efforts to recruit and retain personnel after the agency indicated challenges attracting science and technology professionals.
The 21st Century Cures Act provides additional hiring and... Read More »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week moved to further development of prevention and treatment options for COVID-19 by providing new guidance with recommendations for innovators and researchers.
The FDA previously launched the Coronavirus Treatment Acceleration Program to help... Read More »
While many vaccine and treatment prospects have been put forward for dealing with COVID-19, health experts from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have advised in a new Science-published paper that a collaborative strategy for testing, scale-up, and distribution of candidates is... Read More »
Top U.S. health officials testified before the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Tuesday, discussing the potential for future response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for and capabilities of testing, and the dangers of reopening workplaces and schools too... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX) is seeking to hold a hearing in the House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health to examine concerns on the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS).
In a letter to Subcommittee Chair Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Burgess made the request, saying the committee... Read More »
U.S. Senate Democrats introduced legislation to provide an additional $9 billion to support international efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 International Response and Recovery Act (CIRRA) seeks to compel the Trump Administration to engage with other countries and... Read More »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) to Rutgers Clinical Genomics Laboratory for its COVID-19 laboratory developed test (LDT).
The action allows the testing of samples self-collected by patients at home using the Spectrum Solutions LLC... Read More »
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) recently announced the implementation of a series of organizational changes to save government resources and enhance other initiatives.
The actions would bolster ODNI's Department of Defense partner and customer support, strengthen the... Read More »
