Countermeasures
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently partnered with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to address the deceptive marketing of a nasal spray.
The agencies detailed civil enforcement action against defendants Xlear Inc. and Nathan Jones for alleged violations of the COVID-19 Consumer... Read More »
Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notified Moderna, Inc. that an assessment of an emergency use authorization request for its COVID-19 vaccine to be used on adolescents may not be completed before January 2022.
The delay was due to a stated necessity to evaluate recent... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) said two inventors within the National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) have received remote alarm patents.
Electronics engineer Norman Chiu and physicist Paul Goldhagen were granted U.S. Patent... Read More »
A new partnership between the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and RIVANNA seeks to develop the company’s Accuro XV device for the release of a portable 3D fracture detection and diagnosis system without radiation.
The rapid-working system is based on ultrasound... Read More »
In collaboration with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) SIGMA+ program announced Friday it had recently concluded a three-month-long pilot study of sensors intended to support early detection of weapons of mass... Read More »
The Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator released a new strategic plan last week that seeks $23.4 billion from international investors by September 2022 to patch inequalities in access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, vaccines, and personal protective equipment.
This is particularly... Read More »
Boeing officials announced that the aerospace company has broken ground on a 370,000 square-foot maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility located at Cecil Airport in Jacksonville, Fla.
The endeavor would support the company's ability to deliver readiness outcomes for domestic government... Read More »
U.S Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, said the Build Back Better Act addresses pressing national security challenges.
Thompson said the legislation would include $1.5 billion in investments to improve the national cybersecurity posture, help... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Young Kim (R-CA), Maria Salazar (R-FL), and Lou Correa (D-CA) are spearheading an effort with colleagues to introduce legislation seeking to aid veterans and law enforcement personnel.
The three legislators recently detailed the Supporting Every at-Risk Veteran in Critical Emergencies... Read More »
Reckoning with the threat of diseases present and future, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) announced a new collaboration last week with BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) to develop and win approval for diagnostics capable of identifying COVID-19, influenza, as... Read More »
FirstNet, which officials have deemed public safety's network built to strict specifications and requirements, is touting over 2.8 million nationwide connections through 18,500 public safety agencies.
"In less than five years, we've built a network with and for America's first responders and... Read More »
According to a new report from the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB), the world is broken in its inequality, division, and lack of accountability, making a health emergency ecosystem incapable of ending the COVID-19 pandemic or preventing another.
The opportunity for reform is... Read More »
This week, an agreement was reached between the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) and Merck pledges low-cost access to the investigational oral COVID-19 antiviral molnupiravir worldwide, with a particular focus on 105 low and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Jointly developed by Merck and Ridgeback... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) forwarded correspondence to three agencies seeking an outline regarding administration plans to vaccinate 70 percent of the world population by September 2022.
Markey and Krishnamoorthi, co-founders of the COVID-19... Read More »
On Monday, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) announced that Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman would serve the Biden administration as CISA's Senior Election Security Lead.
An expert on elections and an experienced Secretary of State, Wyman’s appointment... Read More »
Biotechnology company INOVIO finished enrollment for a West Africa-based Phase 1B clinical trial of INO-4500, its DNA vaccine candidate for Lassa Fever, this week.
A full complement of 220 participants will participate in this first trial for a Lassa fever vaccine in West Africa. The area was... Read More »
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) is encouraging Congress to support Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) programs to address efforts to combat nationwide wildfires.
IAFC personnel recently testified before the House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and... Read More »
Moderna Inc. announced Monday it had a new memorandum of understanding to make up to 110 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine available to the African Union.
The company said it is prepared to deliver the first 15 million doses in the fourth quarter of 2021, with 35 million doses... Read More »
With the investment of $26 million announced this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) hopes to modernize the science of infectious disease prediction and analytics.
The first investments from CDC’s Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics (CFA) -- which is expected... Read More »
House Committee on Homeland Security lawmakers said the panel has advanced 12 measures to bolster homeland security, which includes five Homeland Republican bills.
“Homeland Republicans continue to deliver results for the American people aimed at strengthening our homeland security and... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) announced the inclusion of HAVANA Act funding in the draft Department of Defense Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2022.
The bill authored by Collins authorizes the CIA Director and Secretary of State to provide additional financial support for American public... Read More »
Legislation from U.S. Reps. Lori Trahan (D-MA) and David B. McKinley (R-WV) will be considered in an upcoming hearing hosted by the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee, the legislators said Monday.
The Bolstering Infectious Outbreaks (BIO) Preparedness Workforce Act... Read More »
As part of ongoing efforts to increase COVID-19 test access, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced this week that it would trigger major investments into accelerating the regulatory pathway for at-home COVID-19 tests and hopes to revise the regulatory pathway... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Liz Cheney (R-WY) and Jason Crow (D-CO) introduced legislation this week limiting domestic terrorists from holding security clearances in the wake of the FBI announcing it has nearly tripled its domestic terrorism caseload.
The No Clearance For Domestic Terrorists Act (H.R. 5513)... Read More »
According to top line data from a Phase 2/3 study of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine among children ages 6-11, released this week, the company determined that two doses given a month apart produced a strong antibody response -- stronger, even, than those seen in adults.
Conducted in collaboration... Read More »
The Biden-Harris administration has reprioritized global health security at the top of America’s national security agenda in efforts to end the COVID-19 pandemic and bolster health systems worldwide by improving preparation, prevention, detection, and response to the next public health... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz (D-HI), John Thune (R-SD), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Ben Sasse (R-NE) forwarded correspondence last week to President Joe Biden encouraging the United States to take the global lead regarding COVID-19 vaccinations and pandemic combating efforts.
“We urge you in the... Read More »
U.S. Reps. John Katko (R-NY) and Henry Cuellar (D-TX) introduced bipartisan legislation Friday that would improve Shadow Wolves officers’ ability to stop illicit activity on tribal lands.
The Shadow Wolves Enhancement Act would allow officers to be reclassified as special agents, giving them... Read More »
Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) introduced legislation last week that would require the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to assess its cyber incident response plans and procedures.
The DHS Roles and Responsibilities in Cyber Space Act's original co-sponsors were three members of the... Read More »
Through a new cybersecurity fellowship announced last week by the State of Maryland and the National Security Agency (NSA), the partners intend to pursue best data practices, policies, standards, and security.
As part of this arrangement, NSA senior data analyst Jason Jabers joined Gov. Larry... Read More »
In recent weeks, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has invested more than $562 million into U.S. companies to boost domestic manufacturing of COVID-19 tests and supplies.
These funds, pulled from the American Rescue Plan Act, have benefited supplies such as pipette tips,... Read More »
U.S. Rep. John Joyce (R-PA) has introduced a bill he said seeks to protect from foreign threats biomedical research conducted or funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH).
The Securing and Fortifying Everyday Biomedical Research Act (SAFE Biomedical Research Act - H.R. 5626) would ensure... Read More »
Novartis officials said the company has established an agreement leveraging its manufacturing capacity and capabilities to address the COVID-19 pandemic by expanding Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine support.
The agreement targets the fill and finish of more than 50 million doses in 2021 at the Novartis... Read More »
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) announced it had joined the international Human Vaccines Project (HVP) Thursday, bringing its expertise and computing resources to the project to aid the development of a universal coronavirus vaccine and to improve understanding of immune response.... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Val Demings (D-FL) and Don Bacon (R-NE) last week introduced legislation to create a plan to continue federal anti-terrorism support for Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI)-funded homeland security capabilities.
The Homeland Security Capabilities Preservation Act (H.B. 5615) directs... Read More »
