Government
Elusys Therapeutics, Inc. announced Wednesday that it delivered the first doses of its treatment for inhalational anthrax, ANTHIM (obiltoxaximab) Injection, to the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile (SNS).
The company is providing the treatment to the SNS, the U.S. government’s store of... Read More »
Reps. Norma J. Torres (D-CA), Bradley S. Schneider (D-IL), and Eliot L. Engel (D-NY) introduced a bill Wednesday that would require federal firearms licensees to report the sale of two or more long guns within a five-day period.
This requirement already exists for handguns, but long guns, such... Read More »
The U.S. Border Patrol, in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney Office for the District of Vermont, recently announced criminal charges for three individuals connected to a 15-person human smuggling attempt in Derby, Vermont.
Hector Ramon Perez-Alvarado, a 25-year old Honduran citizen, was charged... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced Wednesday it would conduct a technical demonstration of facial recognition biometric technology at one Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) for 30 days.
As part of the... Read More »
Looking to a drug already on the market for treating thrombocytopenia, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has joined a private corporation in evaluating its use against radiation injuries.
The drug in question is approved for use to treat low blood platelet counts resulting... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Office of Field Operations at Charleston Seaport as well as local, state, federal law enforcement and emergency services agencies recently participated in a training session aboard the Carnival Ecstasy cruise ship.
The training session, led by CBP,... Read More »
Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) recently wrote to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai to ask for an evaluation of the resiliency of the United States’ wireless networks.
Pallone requested that the commission review the... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently unsealed federal terrorism charges against three men who allegedly plotted attacks in New York City in summer 2016 in support of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which were ultimately stopped by law enforcement.
The three men, a 19-year... Read More »
Amendments to the Border Security for America Act that include provisions to conduct thorough threat assessments, equip front-line agents with the latest technology and ensure accountability from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) were recently passed by the House Homeland Security... Read More »
A joint project between private, academic and military interests has the potential to make screening and treating populations for infectious diseases easier and safer.
The $11.7 million multi-year project, to create a new universal surveillance platform for infectious disease outbreaks, will be... Read More »
Democratic Senators introduced Wednesday a bill regarding the ban the sale of accessories that accelerate the rate of fire of semi-automatic weapons, such as those used by the gunman during the shooting in Las Vegas on Sunday.
This bill would prohibit the sale, transfer, importation,... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Field Operations (OFO) agents stationed at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility in Texas recently seized approximately $4,199,321 worth of alleged methamphetamine and marijuana in separate incidents.
The first incident began on Sept.... Read More »
The U.S. State Department needs to improve data collection and participant oversight of its Antiterrorism Assistance (ATA) program, according to a recently published report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).
GAO was tasked by Congress to examine the State Department’s... Read More »
A bipartisan bill that would establish a bug bounty program using “white hat” ethical hackers to search for and identify vulnerabilities within U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) networks was recently advanced by the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced plans this week to join Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in a partnership focused on the development of infectious disease treating products.
Specifically, it will be the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA)... Read More »
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently began implementing new screening procedures at airports across the country that require travelers to place all electronics larger than a mobile phone in bins for X-ray screening at checkpoints.
Passengers at various U.S. airports,... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) announced Tuesday that it would sponsor the development of radiation exposure tests.
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a component of... Read More »
At a recent hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Subcommittee, members examined how the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) is carrying out the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) national cybersecurity mission.... Read More »
Emergent BioSolutions Inc. said on Wednesday it was awarded a contract valued at up to $25 million from the U.S. State Department to supply Trobigard, an intramuscular auto-injector treatment to be used in the event of chemical threats such as nerve agents, in countries outside of the United... Read More »
With the threat of chemical incidents growing worldwide, an international assortment of medical professionals gathered in Xi’an, China last month to train for the danger.
The event lasted from Sept. 18-22 and saw experts trained in advanced hospital care for victims of toxic or weaponized... Read More »
Officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Tucson Office of Field Operations recently hosted a two-day conference for law enforcement personnel on the dangers of the synthetic opioid fentanyl.
Held at the headquarters of the Tucson Police Department, the event featured... Read More »
The World Health Organization (WHO) is stepping up its presence in Madagascar to contain an outbreak of plague that has infected more than 100 people and led to the death of a foreign national in recent weeks.
According to WHO, the plague has struck both port towns and the capital alike. Thus... Read More »
Emergent BioSolutions Inc. said on Tuesday it completed the acquisition of raxibacumab, an antibody for treatment and prophylaxis of inhalational anthrax, from GSK.
Emergent said raxibacumab is the only fully human monoclonal antibody approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for... Read More »
The recent active shooter attack in Las Vegas serves as a reminder of the ever-present threats facing the United States and the importance of such events as New York’s Excelsior Challenge.
Modeled after other real-world incidents that have recently occurred in Orlando, London, Paris, and... Read More »
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced it deactivated its emergency response for Zika virus on Sept. 29 in order to transition its efforts to normal program operations.
Beginning on Jan. 22, 2016, the CDC activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) as a... Read More »
Hamid Ali Rao, Deputy Director-General for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), recently participated in a ceremony marking the completion of the full destruction of 39,967 metric tons of chemical weapons previously possessed by the Russian Federation.
Largely... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced it will purchase a lyophilized, or freeze-dried, smallpox vaccine for use by women who are pregnant or nursing and for people of any age who have HIV or atopic dermatitis.
The vaccine, developed by Denmark-based... Read More »
More than $3.2 million in crystal meth was seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in two separate attempted smuggling incidents across the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge last week.
One incident involved a 40-year-old Mexican citizen crossing the bridge from Nuevo... Read More »
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) needs to improve the management policy and practices of its Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (DNN), according to a recently published report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)
For its report, GAO was tasked by... Read More »
A new report by the RAND corporation recommends that the United States, Russia, and China cooperate to hinder the proliferation of hypersonic missiles to reduce the risk of strategic missile-based war.
All three countries are currently developing hypersonic missile technology. Technologies such... Read More »
The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü, made a statement Wednesday marking the destruction of the remainder of the chemical weapons possessed by the Russian Federation.
“The completion of the verified destruction of... Read More »
Members of the Qatar National Committee for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (NCPW) recently visited with leaders from the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) to discuss potential collaborative efforts on developing Qatar as a leader in biosecurity ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
The... Read More »
A plan to protect subways in the event of a chemical or biological attack is ready to be put into place and implemented, scientists say.
Mark Tucker, engineer at Sandia National Laboratories, is leading a project to study how to decontaminate chemical and biological weapons attacks, such as... Read More »
The Blue Campaign, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) effort to stop human trafficking, announced Tuesday a new training program to help aviation industry personnel detect and report potential human trafficking.
The training initiative utilizes an interactive online module that... Read More »
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) began to implement new screening procedures for carry-on items at Clinton National Airport (LIT) this week to increase security for passengers.
TSA announced the new procedures earlier this year, which require travelers to place all electronics... Read More »
