Countermeasures
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a lawsuit to block Lockheed Martin Corporation from the vertical acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc to prevent critical market consolidation.
Regulators argued the $4.4 billion acquisition effort would remove the last independent U.S.... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) is espousing the benefits of a bill that would bolster federal disaster response efforts.
Peters, chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, recently detailed how the Repeal of Obsolete DHS Contracting Requirements Act would address a... Read More »
Moderna, Inc. dosed the first participant this week for its Phase 2 study of a COVID-19 booster vaccine tailored to the omicron variant, mRNA-1273.529, kicking off a two cohort trial that will span the United States.
In all, approximately 300 participants will be enrolled in each cohort. One... Read More »
BAE Systems officials said the company has secured a Marine Corps contract award totaling $169 million for 33 Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACVs).
“BAE Systems is dedicated to helping the Marines meet their expeditionary and Force Design 2030 needs,” John Swift, director of amphibious programs... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) and James Comer (R-KY) introduced Tuesday legislation to bolster the federal government’s cyber defenses in the wake of a series of high-profile cyberattacks.
Maloney, chairwoman of the Oversight and Reform Committee, and Comer, ranking member of the... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) has introduced legislation requiring the federal government to partner with domestic personal protective equipment (PPE) manufacturers to ensure a supply during national emergencies.
The Domestic Security Using Production Partnerships and Lessons from Yesterday... Read More »
Drawing from a $200 million program meant to stimulate the development of vaccines with broad betacoronavirus protection, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) announced a $16.9 million award this week for development efforts by BioNet.
BioNet, a French-Thai vaccine... Read More »
Trying to bolster U.S. public health and medical preparedness and response systems after COVID-19 exposed their flaws, U.S. Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Richard Burr (R-NC) have released a discussion draft of a new bill calling for overhaul across the board.
Known as the Prepare for and Respond... Read More »
Building on the nearly $9 billion in funding already granted to the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) and healthcare providers since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced plans to make more than $2 billion of additional relief... Read More »
The Port of Los Angeles announced Monday it had launched its Cyber Resilience Center (CRC), a port community cyber defense solution that would improve the cybersecurity of the Port.
The CRC would enhance threat-sharing and recovery capabilities among supply chain stakeholders, the Port said.... Read More »
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued Monday its December 2021 operational statistics update, which offers a comprehensive view of agency initiatives.
“The dedicated men and women at CBP are committed to ensuring dangerous drugs and counterfeit products are off the streets, our... Read More »
In a move that prompted backlash from Florida in particular, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week announced revised and restricted authorizations of bamlanivimab/etesevimab and REGEN-COV for COVID-19 treatment.
While the two had been available before this, Dr. Patrizia... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) recently hosted a Human Trafficking Awareness Training (HTAT) in Gainesville, Fla.
“FLETC’s work with local law enforcement across the country is essential to ensuring that law enforcement can... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently introduced legislation that seeks to protect vulnerable civilian populations from a Russian military invasion.
U.S. Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said the... Read More »
Formerly only used for patients hospitalized with COVID-19, the Gilead Sciences Inc. drug veklury – also known as remdesivir – was expanded by order of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week to include treatment for mild to moderate cases as well.
Both non-hospitalized adults... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Tom Tiffany (R-WI), and Michael Guest (R-MS) recently introduced a measure they said would ensure fentanyl smuggler accountability for their role in the nation's opioid epidemic.
The Fentanyl Trafficker Elimination Act seeks to increase... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), chair of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, led a group of lawmakers in calling for funding to meet the needs of houses of worship to secure their facilities against potential terrorist attacks.
In a letter to the leaders of the Senate... Read More »
In support of the federal Project BioShield incentivization effort, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) recently launched a Request for Proposals for late-stage development, approval, and procurement of an antibiotic capable of overcoming... Read More »
A collection of more than 40 senators and representatives published a letter last week calling for members of the United States Conference of Mayors to crack down on and ban untraceable firearms, better known as “ghost guns.”
“We write today to request your consideration in addressing the... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Young Kim (R-CA) and Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) recently introduced legislation to bolster wildfire communications and information sharing among first responders.
The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) Wildland Fire Communications and Information Dissemination Act... Read More »
Backed by various law enforcement organizations and bipartisan appeal, U.S. Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and John Rutherford (R-FL) – together with 36 cosponsors – introduced the Invest to Protect Act of 2022 last week to support local police.
The House bill seeks critical investments into... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-ME), and Chris Murphy (D-CT), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism, joined U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and other members of Congress, in calling on President Joe Biden to overhaul the U.S.... Read More »
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations’ (CEPI) 100 Days Mission to reduce the vaccine development timeline received a $300 million investment from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Wellcome.
While a fraction of the organization’s overall fundraising goal of $3.5 billion,... Read More »
A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) report determined firearm discoveries at Georgia airports increased in 2021.
Per the analysis, officers at Georgia airports discovered 542 firearms in travelers’ carry-on luggage last year, with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport... Read More »
Introduced by U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and John Cornyn (R-TX) this week, the Satellite Cybersecurity Act proposes new requirements for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) to help commercial satellite owners and operators protect their networks.
“Hackers have already... Read More »
Citing the surge in Omicron cases nationwide, U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY) urged President Joe Biden to use research and technology from academic medical centers in Central New York, like SUNY Upstate Medical University, to guide the nation’s public health response and to improve testing.
In a... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Ann Wagner (R-MO), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) introduced this week legislation that seeks to reduce demand for sex trafficking worldwide.
The Sex Trafficking Demand Reduction Act would amend the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to reflect the need to... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Tuesday as part of their bipartisan Congressional Delegation to Ukraine.
The... Read More »
Under a long-term agreement with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced this week, Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics have agreed to provide 3 million courses of COVID-19 oral antiviral molnupiravir for use in low and middle-income countries.
Distribution will occur throughout... Read More »
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD) recently collaborated to advance COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing in Africa.
CEPI seeks to develop vaccines against future epidemics, while IPD is a non-profit public interest foundation located in... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Rick Scott (R-FL) introduced Tuesday a bill that requires federal agencies to consider disaster resilience when investing in and managing federal property and assets.
The legislators noted the Disaster Resiliency Planning Act stems from a 2021 Government... Read More »
A new partnership between governmental, military, and academic scientists seeks to collaboratively develop a vaccine over the next five years capable of protecting against tularemia, melioidosis, and plague from a single source.
Aided by a $10 million grant for the Defense Threat Reduction... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Tina Smith (D-MN), Susan Collins (R-ME), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced legislation Friday that would reinforce and expand the U.S. public health workforce in light of current shortages.
The legislation, Strengthening the Public Health Workforce Act, would... Read More »
A new bill introduced by U.S. Reps. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), and John Rutherford (R-FL) would provide $50 million in grants for small police departments to invest in training, equipment, personnel support, and mental health resources.
“Now more than ever, we need to make... Read More »
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) officials said the agency has selected 10 industry and university research teams for the Enhanced Night Vision in Eyeglass Form (ENVision) program.
Authorities indicated ENVision's goal is to leverage recent advances in night vision (NV) systems... Read More »
