Countermeasures
Approximately $200 million has been allocated for the creation of a universal influenza vaccine that could protect against multiple strains of the flu virus in Congress’s year-end spending package.
U.S. Sen, Edward Markey (D-MA) has spearheaded the effort to boost funding for the flu vaccine.... Read More »
Five U.S. companies joined a coalition of pharmaceutical companies that advocates for public policies and funding to support medical countermeasures to prevent and respond to a variety of threats.
Opiant, Roche Diagnostics, SCYNEXIS, Tonix, and Venatorx are the five newest members of this... Read More »
Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) recently espoused the benefits of public and private sector cybersecurity legislation ready to be signed into law as part of the fiscal year 2020 budget agreement.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cyber Hunt and Incident Response Teams... Read More »
A Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) research initiative examining worldwide critical infrastructure attacks determined America was the country most often targeted for cyberattacks regardless of motive.
The work showed the United States accounted for more than 19 percent of... Read More »
Recent tests of an experimental Zika virus vaccine in rhesus macaques, a primate, show the vaccine lowered levels of virus in pregnant monkeys and improved fetal outcomes, according to a new study in Science Translational Medicine.
Zika is transmitted via mosquitoes and through sex. It causes... Read More »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Thursday the approval of a vaccine created by Merck & Co., Inc. as a preventative measure against the Zaire strain of the Ebola virus in individuals 18 years of age or older.
In 2018, the World Health Organization and the Democratic Republic... Read More »
The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry advanced a bill to create as a national security laboratory to combat bio-and agro-terrorism threats.
The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) Act of 2019 (S. 2695) would establish the National Bio and Agro-Defense... Read More »
A group of New York State Congress members recently urged the U.S. Air Force to select Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, N.Y., for the installation of a new Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (AES).
U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), along with U.S. Rep. Sean... Read More »
Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) | bio hosted two events during the 2019 Biological Weapons Convention Meeting of States Parties in Geneva, Switzerland, earlier this month.
A panel of international biosecurity experts was the focus of the first event. The experts discussed efforts to reduce... Read More »
Rep. Xochitl Liana Torres Small (D-NM) introduced Wednesday a measure designed to address Customs and Border Protection (CBP) challenges, including the need for a new position providing migrant processing administrative support.
The Border Workforce Efficiency Act creates a processing... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently forwarded correspondence to Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials to address concerns over national security threats posed by Chinese drones.
Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Rick Scott (R-FL), John... Read More »
Bolstering what could become the first antibiotic developed and acquired by Project BioShield to treat drug-resistant bioterrorism agents, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) intends to supply up to $169 million to Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc. over the next five years.
The... Read More »
Security officials from the United States and Panama struck an agreement this week that would improve collaboration between the two countries in battling security threats.
The Security Cooperation agreement will strengthen cybersecurity cooperation and policy planning, enhance customs processes... Read More »
Provisions from the Volunteer Responder Incentive Protection Act (VRIPA) were included in the final appropriations agreement, which passed in the House this week.
The Volunteer Responder Incentive Protection Act would allow communities to provide volunteer firefighters and EMS workers with up to... Read More »
The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) recently awarded BAE Systems a more than $17 billion, 10-year multiple award indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract for Solutions for Intelligence Analysis 3 (SIA 3).
An IDIQ contract is awarded when the U.S. General Services Administration... Read More »
Provisions included in the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) promise substantial federal funding for New Mexico’s military, labs, PFAS contamination cleanup efforts, and other initiatives throughout the state.
The funds track numerous fields, promising boosts to military... Read More »
The Terrorism Risk Insurance Program is expected to be extended for seven years as is it part of a government funding package that is anticipated to pass in Congress this week.
The Terrorism Risk Insurance Program was established following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Through a... Read More »
The U.S. House of Representatives advanced a bill Monday designed to secure the nation’s telecommunications supply chain.
The Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act (HR 4998) would prohibit the use of federal funds to purchase communications equipment or services from any company that... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Justice recently awarded West Virginia nearly $38 million to improve community safety and fight crime associated with the opioid crisis.
The grants are part of more than $333 million awarded to states, tribes, and communities.
The Department of Criminal Justice... Read More »
Three lawmakers recently forwarded correspondence to the Acting Director of National Intelligence seeking answers regarding the possible expiration of the Russia and China New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START).
Sens. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Todd Young (R-IN) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)... Read More »
Sens. David Perdue (R-GA) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) introduced Monday legislation designed to impose consequences on drug cartels.
The Significant Transnational Criminal Organization Designation Act would subject certain foreign criminal organizations, such as drug cartels, to the same level of... Read More »
Researchers from Princeton University have found that climate change has the potential to make respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) outbreaks less severe but more common in high-risk areas.
The studies consisted of climate condition influence on annual outbreaks of RSV in the United States and... Read More »
The U.S. House Appropriations Committee on Monday released the domestic priorities and international assistance appropriations minibus, which includes ramped-up final budget amounts for several biodefense-related items, including the Strategic National Stockpile.
In releasing the text of the... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) applauded the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for passing his bill that would prohibit any president of the United States from withdrawing from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) without congressional approval.
“Recent actions have raised serious... Read More »
Attorneys general from every U.S. state and territory have endorsed a bill by U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) that would permanently criminalize fentanyl-related substances.
In February 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a temporary order to criminalize fentanyl-related... Read More »
Researchers from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, recently developed a self-cleaning, plastic surface that repels bacteria.
The goal is to prevent the transfer of dangerous bacteria and antibiotic-resistant superbugs.
The surface is a treated form of conventional transparent wrap... Read More »
Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) recently advocated for the Department of Defense to reestablish Space Command in the state, maintaining it is the epicenter of national security space.
Bennet met with Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett and talked with the Commander of U.S. Space Command... Read More »
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has initiated a program providing deployed units technology to capture potable water from the air in quantities sufficient to meet daily needs.
The Atmospheric Water Extraction (AWE) program seeks to aid the water resource effort even in... Read More »
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), long a source of concerted health efforts to combat one of the largest Ebola outbreaks ever recorded, experienced a sharp increase in cases last week -- and many may be linked to an individual’s reinfection.
In all, 27 new cases were confirmed last... Read More »
One of the most searing memories Thomas Frieden had during the 2014 West African Ebola outbreak was one in which he deeply questioned the international community’s effectiveness in supporting the health infrastructure of Ebola-plagued nations.
Then head of the Centers for Disease Control and... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General is initiating an audit of the $400 million border wall construction contract the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded to Fisher Sand and Gravel Co.
"We intend to initiate an audit of the solicitation and award of the $400 million... Read More »
A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate would allow the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to subpoena Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to offer information when necessary.
The bill gives CISA authority to detect, identify, and receive information only related to critical... Read More »
The Senate Commerce Committee recently advanced legislation with a provision to preserve first responders’ access to T-band spectrum, which is used by police and firefighters for emergency public safety communication.
The provision, included in the 5G Spectrum Act, repeals a 2012 requirement... Read More »
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) personnel have joined a Kansas City-area task force targeting drug traffickers and violent criminals.
U.S. Attorneys for the districts of Kansas and western Missouri said the Kansas City Metro Strike Force is a... Read More »
IDSS and One Resonance received the top two monetary awards in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate’s (S&T) Opioid Detection Challenge.
The $1.55 million global competition searches for rapid, nonintrusive detection tools that will help find illicit... Read More »
