FDA approves Bavarian Nordic manufacturing capabilities, frees up 786,000 more monkeypox vaccine doses
Monkeypox vaccine production is about to experience a significant surge following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval this week of a supplement to the Bavarian Nordic JYNNEOS vaccine and its fill-and-finish capabilities. Through an expedited inspection and approval process,... Read More »
United States, Ukraine expand cybersecurity collaboration
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Ukrainian State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine (SSSCIP) recently announced an expanded cybersecurity Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC). “I am incredibly pleased to sign this MOC to deepen... Read More »
Senate advances legislation seeking to reduce U.S. homicide cold cases
The U.S. Senate recently advanced the Homicide Victims’ Families Rights Act, which will now move to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law. The bill, introduced by U.S. Reps. Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Eric Swalwell (D-CA), seeks to help address the nation’s growing number of... Read More »
USDA launches five-year, $1B Community Wildfire Defense Grant program
Drawing on funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that $1 billion is now being offered through the Community Wildfire Defense Grant program to assist at-risk communities. “Insight and guidance from the communities most at risk for... Read More »
DHS S&T, National Urban Security Technology Lab host Urban OpEx for first responders to evaluate new tech
To improve first responder operations and get them the best technology, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) hosted the Urban Operational Experimentation (OpEx) 2022 from July 18-22, 2022. At this gathering, S&T and its National Urban Security... Read More »
Report: Efforts by China to undermine U.S. Federal Reserve Banks ongoing
A new report from U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, has found that China’s efforts to undermine the U.S. Federal Reserve System have been going on since at least 2013. According to the report, China’s Threat to... Read More »
Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers details school safety summit
The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) recently outlined the results of a recent school safety summit tailored for federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, and campus law enforcement personnel. The School Safety Summit: Strategies for Prevention was conducted July 19-21, 2022,... Read More »
Congressional letters to White House mount over monkeypox response
More than 100 members of Congress, backed by more than 100 organizations, sent a letter to the Biden administration this week, urging additional funding for sexual health clinics dealing with the expanding monkeypox outbreak. Signatories of the letter, led by U.S. Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and... Read More »
Rep. Demings hosts disaster response, recovery roundtable in Orlando
U.S. Rep. Val Demings (D-FL), chair of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery, recently convened a roundtable in Orlando, Fla., addressing federal security and disaster response and recovery operations. The initiative allowed central Florida... Read More »
IPR Center, global partners seize $11M in illicit medicines
National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) authorities recently detailed collaboration with 94 Interpol member countries resulting in 7,800 illicit medication seizures totaling $11 million. Operation Pangea XV was conducted from June 23-30. The scope of work included... Read More »
Soligenix ricin antigen licensed to SERB Pharmaceuticals for treatment of ricin poisoning
The biopharmaceutical company Soligenix, Inc. signed a worldwide exclusive license this week guaranteeing supply of its ricin antigen to SERB Pharmaceuticals, which the latter intends to use in developing a therapeutic treatment for ricin toxin poisoning. "We are pleased to be partnering with... Read More »
Legislation seeks to increase penalties against southern border drug cartel spotters
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) recently introduced legislation to increase penalties against southern border drug cartel spotters illegally transmitting information regarding Border Patrol positions or destroying communication devices. Ernst noted the Transnational Criminal Organization Illicit... Read More »
HHS elevates Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response to standalone agency
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced last week that the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) has been renamed and elevated to the status of a standalone agency. In name, the office officially became the Administration for Strategic... Read More »
Senators push for federal acknowledgement of and work to change inequities in vaccine access amid monkeypox outbreak
As an international monkeypox outbreak continues to grow in scope, U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and 20 colleagues last week dispatched a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) calling for... Read More »