Countermeasures
A bicameral effort from United States Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) rebirthed the Flu Vaccine Act last week, which proposes a $1 billion investment into the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for research of a universal flu vaccine.
Such a vaccine would theoretically... Read More »
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and KIRO-AM 710 announced a joint upgrade effort last week to produce a modern emergency broadcast studio in Seattle focused on improved emergency alert systems.
Deemed critical to the nation’s emergency alert and warning system, the KIRO-AM... Read More »
A bipartisan group including U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AR) introduced legislation on Thursday that would bolster the country’s ability to respond to future public health emergencies.
The Bolstering Infectious Outbreak... Read More »
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) officials are espousing the benefits of ChemLock, a newly initiated voluntary chemical security program.
The endeavor is a voluntary program providing no-cost services and tools to chemical facilities to increase awareness of the risks... Read More »
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) committed another $36.9 million to expand a contract with Clover Biopharmaceuticals and support the development of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, SCB-2019, for use as a booster.
The new injection of funding increases CEPI’s investment... Read More »
In the wake of the group's creation earlier this year, members of the American Security Task Force recently conducted a roundtable discussion with law enforcement leaders regarding domestic policing.
Task force member participants included U.S. Reps. John Rutherford (R-FL), Michael Guest (R-MS),... Read More »
The Biden administration announced an agreement with Pfizer Inc. last week that will provide 10 million courses of the company’s COVID-19 oral antiviral Paxlovid, pending Emergency Use Authorization or approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“This promising... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Mike Crapo (R-ID) introduced this week an amendment that would formally authorize the National Guard’s Fireguard program and alter its year-by-year approval structure to a more certain, five-year authorization.
The senators argued... Read More »
Lockheed Martin recently announced that efforts to accelerate the production of its most advanced air defense missile have resulted in a milestone achievement.
Citing response to a government request last year, Lockheed Martin said it has completed production of its 1000th PAC-3 Missile Segment... Read More »
The U.S. government added to its supplies of COVID-19 treatments this week with the announcement of $1 billion worth of new deals to bring GlaxoSmithKline plc and Vir Biotechnology, Inc.’s sotrovimab into its stocks.
The agreements were clinched after final data was released from the COMET-ICE... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has identified Anchorage, Alaska, as the sole candidate city to host the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies.
The DoD would continue to navigate the Department of the Air Force Strategic Basing process to evaluate facilities within Anchorage to... Read More »
According to updates from AstraZeneca, the company and its partners managed to provide 2 billion doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to more than 170 countries within 11 months of its first approval and a little more than 18 months after AstraZeneca partnered with Oxford University on... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), chairman of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) announced Tuesday that they had introduced an amendment to the national defense bill that will strengthen and coordinate the federal government’s response to drug... Read More »
Dosing of the first volunteers for a Phase 1b clinical trial of Ebola vaccine candidate INO-4201 began this week to assess whether the vaccine could function as a booster for healthy, previously vaccinated patients.
The latest study followed positive results from pre-clinical and Phase 1 trials... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) recently introduced National Wildland Fire Risk Reduction Program Act amendments to improve wildfire communications and address meteorologist shortages.
The amendments occurred during a House Science, Space and Technology Committee markup on the measure, noting the... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Gary Peters (D-MI), Rob Portman (R-OH), and Mark Warner (D-VA) introduced this week an annual defense authorization bill amendment that focuses on bolstering cybersecurity.
The Cyber Incident Reporting Act and Federal Information Security Modernization Act of... Read More »
The United Nations-backed Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) gained access to Pfizer Inc.’s COVID-19 oral antiviral treatment candidate PF-07321332 this week, enabling the organization to produce and distribute the drug to generic sub-licensers for greater global access.
MPP intends to increase... Read More »
Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) is espousing the benefits of varied cybersecurity provisions he spearheaded that will be included in the recently passed infrastructure bill.
Officials indicated the Peters' efforts would provide $1 billion to state, local, tribal and territorial governments as a means of... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) recently responded to a report alleging the Chinese Communist Party is expressing opposition to his bill he said seeks to invest in technologies aiding in outcompeting China.
Young's rebuttal stemmed from a Reuters report alleging that the Chinese Embassy is... Read More »
Contained within the sprawling provisions of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act signed into law this week are production-minded provisions that will require federal agencies to focus long-term personal protective equipment (PPE) production on domestic companies.
These... Read More »
Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel recently detailed record seizures of counterfeit and prohibited merchandise.
During Fiscal Year 2021, which spans from Oct. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021, trade enforcement seizures increased by 24 percent and the overall... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA), and U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Ed Markey (D-MA) applauded President Joe Biden signing the Secure Equipment Act of 2021 into law on Friday.
The new law prohibits the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from reviewing or issuing... Read More »
Northrop Grumman recently attained a Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) first-stage solid rocket motor manufacturing milestone by successfully executing the first insulation and case wind processes.
“Working closely with the Air Force and nationwide team of industry partners, we continue... Read More »
With cybersecurity professionals in increased demand across the public and private sphere, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) this week launched the Cybersecurity Talent Management System (CTMS) to help it attract, develop and keep talent of its own.
“The DHS Cybersecurity Talent... Read More »
Ronapreve, a Roche and Regeneron-developed drug cocktail of casirivimab and imdevimab, gained marketing authorization from the European Commission last week for treatment of COVID-19 cases before hospitalization among adults and adolescents at least 12 years old.
Ronapreve can now be used in... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced legislation last week to expand upon a career preparation and training program designed to aid service members transitioning to civilian life.
The Onward to Opportunity Act increases the availability of the Onward to... Read More »
President Joe Biden signed the Ensuring Compliance Against Drug Diversion Act (H.R.1899) into law last week, codifying current drug regulations to make it harder for bad actors to create shell companies or transfer registration to evade crackdowns and continue distributing illegal... Read More »
As of Nov. 8, nearly $280 million in assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration has flowed into New York to help those affected by Hurricane Ida.
The September hurricane flooded streets and subway stations and left parts of the... Read More »
National Security Agency (NSA) recently announced a partnership with the National Cryptologic Foundation to strengthen domestic cybersecurity education and cybersecurity job possibilities.
The collaboration is expected to promote a deeper understanding of prior domestic cryptologic successes;... Read More »
Data from the latest global survey on implementation of the Global Action Plan on addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) showed that more countries than ever are determined to fight AMR, but also major setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Of the 163 countries that responded to the survey... Read More »
President Joe Biden on Nov. 12 announced he will nominate cardiologist Dr. Robert Califf to be the next commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a key role as the government continues to combat the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Current Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock’s... Read More »
A bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) would provide states with added flexibility to allow members of the National Guard to respond to emergencies.
Specifically, the bill would allow full-time Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) National Guard members with the ability to respond to... Read More »
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas has issued the agency's fourth National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin since January 2021.
DHS indicated the country continually faces a diverse and challenging threat environment. Several... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced this week that it will provide $143.5 million to expand community-based efforts at vaccination outreach, specifically to build vaccine confidence and break down barriers to COVID-19 vaccination.
“Today’s investments are part of... Read More »
A new effort by the COVAX Facility -- the COVAX Humanitarian Buffer -- received a shot in the arm this week through a new agreement with Johnson & Johnson, which will bring its single-shot COVID-19 vaccine to bear to help approximately 167 million displaced people around the world.
COVAX -- the... Read More »
