Countermeasures
House members of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure are urging leadership at the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to adopt the recommendations from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report on unmanned systems, or UxS.
The NAS report, "Unmanned Systems for Coast Guard Missions: A... Read More »
A delegation of Maine lawmakers said they are seeking insight from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding transparency and communication with state partners on COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) recently joined Reps. Chellie... Read More »
The International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) is commending the inclusion of provisions benefiting IAFF members in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021.
“In a year when COVID-19 has been the primary focus of Congress, I am proud of yet another successful... Read More »
Three nurse practitioners have been sentenced for their roles in prescribing massive quantities of opioids from pill mills in Knoxville, Tennessee, representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice said Thursday.
In a press release, Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt with the... Read More »
U.S. Reps. John Larson (D-CT) and Joe Courtney (D-CT) recently introduced the Pandemic Supplies Production Act designed to nationalize the production and distribution of supplies deemed essential to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As we fight through this second surge of COVID-19, we need to... Read More »
As of Jan. 1, 2021, all international mail coming into the United States will have to provide Advance Electronic Data (AED) for added detection measures as part of a law designed to help reduce the supply of opioids shipped into the United States through the U.S. Postal Service. But federal... Read More »
Congress backed away from restrictions on drone purchases from Chinese manufacturers in the final push to approve the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), but there is still concern on Capitol Hill that measures must be taken to close a potential espionage peephole that could be built... Read More »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is preparing to quickly authorize the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, following an advisory committee's recommendations.
That committee voted 17 to 4 in favor of approval. Once emergency use authorization (EUA) is granted, the... Read More »
A bill by U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins’ (R-LA), the ranking member of the Border Security Subcommittee, that would provide border patrol agents with stronger opioid detection equipment has passed in the Senate, his office said Wednesday.
H.R. 4761, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Opioid... Read More »
A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators is urging the Senate Appropriations Committee to ensure that the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) is adequately funded to meet the needs of at-risk organizations.
The funding support nonprofit organizations that are deemed most at risk of terror... Read More »
Roche has formed a partnership with Moderna to use its Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S, or COVID-19, antibody test in Moderna’s mRNA-1273 vaccine research trials.
The Roche tests will provide a quantitative measurement of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and help to establish a correlation between... Read More »
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a $2 million R01 grant to a Virginia Tech research team to develop a single-dose Zika virus vaccine candidate.
"This grant focuses on a new strategy that we developed to produce safe and effective flavivirus vaccines," Jonathan Auguste, an... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently forwarded correspondence to the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requesting a written assessment regarding QAnon threats domestically and abroad.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined a group of Democratic colleagues that includes Sens. Chuck Schumer... Read More »
Those in need of a COVID-19 test may no longer need to leave the privacy of their homes, even to gather a prescription for it, with news of authorization granted by the United States Food and Drug Administration to the LabCorp Pixel COVID-19 Test Home Collection Kit.
The first no prescription... Read More »
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) will provide up to $10 million for the cost of a phase 1/2 study and materials manufacturing for a recombinant protein vaccine candidate (GBP510) created by South Korea-based SK bioscience.
This vaccine is meant for use against... Read More »
In the United States, more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur annually, killing some 35,000 people, yet scant financial incentives exist to develop drugs that could treat many of these infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In response,... Read More »
Top executives of FedEx and UPS assured Congress Thursday their firms have been preparing for months and are ready to transport hundreds of millions of doses of the fledgling COVID-19 vaccines, the first of which is expected to be approved by federal regulators as soon as Thursday.
“We’ve... Read More »
The Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has awarded $14.4 million to states, universities, and other partners with projects addressing livestock biosecurity.
The funding allotment would aid 76 projects seeking to strengthen animal health... Read More »
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) recently launched a new initiative designed to expedite solutions for its most immediate pressing security challenges.
Hacking for Homeland Security (H4HS) S&T identifies, develops, and adapts technologies addressing... Read More »
In tests conducted on mice, the ricin toxin vaccine RiVax -- developed by Soligenix, Inc. -- provided at least a full year’s worth of protection against the deadly agent.
Ricin is a lethal plant-derived toxin feared for its potential use as a bioterrorism and chemical warfare agent. Highly... Read More »
Two Pennsylvania state legislators have introduced a measure necessitating Lyme disease treatment insurance coverage.
State Sens. Michele Brooks (R-50th District) and Doug Mastriano (R-33rd District) circulated a co-sponsorship memo on Dec. 1 seeking support for the bill, which would ensure... Read More »
In a new report, the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) warns of the risks related to the digitization and automation upgrade plans for U.S. nuclear weapons systems.
The report, U.S. Nuclear Weapons Modernization: Security and Policy Implications of Integrating Digital Technology, calls on the U.S.... Read More »
CARB-X, or Combatting Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, recently won an award from the Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC) for its progress in expanding the pipeline of innovative products to address antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The 2020 Innovating for Impact Partnership Award honors an... Read More »
With Americans on the cusp of receiving the first doses of COVID-19 vaccinations, experts from across the public health system on Wednesday recommended specific preparedness actions be taken to ensure that the vaccines will be distributed with the most equity and effectiveness.
“There have... Read More »
According to research published this week in The Lancet journal, the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine AZD1222 is safe and effective at preventing the disease, as well as protecting against illness and death.
No severe cases and no hospitalizations were required more than 21 days after the... Read More »
Legislation requiring security standards for any Internet of Things (IoT) device purchased with government money was signed into law this week.
The IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act, introduced by Reps. Will Hurd (R-TX) and Robin Kelly (D-IL), requires the National Institute of Standards and... Read More »
The demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) has continued to increase while supply has been limited by rapid consumption and supply chain disruptions, according to a new study by the Congressional Research Service.
The Congressional Research Service report – called COVID-19 and... Read More »
Coast Guard officials said the crew of the Cutter Polar Star recently embarked upon a months-long Arctic deployment to protect the nation’s maritime sovereignty and security throughout the region.
“Polar Star is poised to head into the cold, dark Arctic winter to carry out a historic... Read More »
A recently released National Security Agency (NSA) Cybersecurity Advisory maintains Russian entities have exploited virtual workspace vulnerability in VMware products to access protected data on affected systems.
The advisory details the importance for National Security System (NSS), Department... Read More »
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced plans this week to release guidance on the systematic screening of tuberculosis (TB), including an updated means of addressing the disease through new approaches, new technologies, and the latest evidence.
“Systematic screening is critical to... Read More »
Organizations gained an easy way to assess the costs of COVID-19 testing plans this week, in the form of a free, online calculator funded and launched by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Recognizing that... Read More »
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes a bill introduced by U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz (D-HI) and John Thune (R-SD) that will ensure more people receive emergency alerts.
The bill, the Reliable Emergency Alert Distribution Improvement (READI) Act, would bolster the emergency alert... Read More »
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) conference report includes provisions from the Artificial Intelligence for the Armed Forces Act, which looks to bolster the military’s artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.
“The complexity of 21st-century warfare requires that our armed... Read More »
Experts from 21 countries, industry, and non-government organizations gathered virtually last month for the 12th meeting of the Global Dialogue on Nuclear Security Priorities - focusing on enhancing nuclear security engagement.
The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) indicated the session addressed,... Read More »
The Department of Defense (DoD) has initiated eight Defense Production Act Title III actions as a means of retaining workforce capabilities throughout disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The action would also restore some jobs lost due to the pandemic while sustaining and strengthening... Read More »
