Bavarian Nordic to supply smallpox vaccine to US under new contract
With the awarding of a contract from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Bavarian Nordic A/S will be the sole source for the freeze-dried IMVAMUNE smallpox vaccine to the U.S. government. The contract with BARDA, which operates as part of the U.S. Department of... Read More »
Russia completes destruction of chemical weapons
The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü, made a statement Wednesday marking the destruction of the remainder of the chemical weapons possessed by the Russian Federation. “The completion of the verified destruction of... Read More »
Bill to reform TSA organization structure, deploy new security technology introduced in Senate
A bipartisan bill to reform the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) organizational structure and to advance new security technologies was recently introduced to the Senate by U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-SD), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Roy Blunt (R-MO), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA). The bill,... Read More »
NASS questions DHS outreach to state election officials during 2016 presidential election cycle
Following reports that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) contacted 21 chief state election officials whose election systems were targeted during the recent presidential election cycle, the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) issued a statement questioning the timing and... Read More »
Qatari officials visit UNMC to discuss biosecurity efforts ahead of 2022 World Cup
Members of the Qatar National Committee for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (NCPW) recently visited with leaders from the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) to discuss potential collaborative efforts on developing Qatar as a leader in biosecurity ahead of the 2022 World Cup. The... Read More »
Plan ready to decontaminate subways in the event of a biological attack
A plan to protect subways in the event of a chemical or biological attack is ready to be put into place and implemented, scientists say. Mark Tucker, engineer at Sandia National Laboratories, is leading a project to study how to decontaminate chemical and biological weapons attacks, such as... Read More »
Construction of border wall prototypes begins
Construction began Tuesday in San Diego on eight prototypes for the wall along the Southwest U.S. border, which are designed to deter illegal crossings and inform future design standards. "We are committed to securing our border and that includes constructing border walls,” Ronald Vitiello,... Read More »
Blue Campaign announces new human trafficking training initiative for aviation personnel
The Blue Campaign, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) effort to stop human trafficking, announced Tuesday a new training program to help aviation industry personnel detect and report potential human trafficking. The training initiative utilizes an interactive online module that... Read More »
Health Department researching anthrax test that could determine infection within 15 minutes
Testing for anthrax could soon become a lot quicker, as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced it is in the midst of researching a point-of-care diagnostic test that could determine infection within 15 minutes. The test determines whether a patient has been infected with... Read More »Ebola virus uses the body’s immune system to spread throughout host, study finds
The Ebola virus uses the body’s natural defenses to speed the rate of infection and cause its lethal effects, according to a recent study conducted by researchers with the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB). The study was in collaboration with the University of Washington... Read More »
Dem. House members request briefing from Comtech CEO regarding 911 service outages
Democratic members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee recently sent a public letter to Comtech President and CEO Fred Kornberg, requesting a briefing regarding reports that company outages have prevented people from connecting with 911 operators. The letter was sent by U.S. Reps. Frank... Read More »
President Xi Jinping opens Interpol General Assembly with call for cooperation
The Interpol general assembly met this week in Beijing, China, bringing nearly 1,000 participants from 156 countries together at an event opened with a speech from Chinese President Xi Jinping. “No country can guarantee its absolute security all by itself,” Xi said. “China stands ready to... Read More »
TSA implements stronger security procedures at Clinton National Airport
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) began to implement new screening procedures for carry-on items at Clinton National Airport (LIT) this week to increase security for passengers. TSA announced the new procedures earlier this year, which require travelers to place all electronics... Read More »
Dengue antibodies shown to treat Zika infection in rodents, study finds
Antibodies taken from patients infected with dengue fever are effective in treating Zika virus infection in rodents, according to a recent study conducted by researchers from Imperial College London and the Washington University in St. Louis. Found in multiple regions throughout the world,... Read More »