The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) placed a call for partners this week to aid the organization in developing new sequencing-based, agnostic diagnostic tests better capable of detecting respiratory RNA viruses.
Potential partners will be able to help guide the... Read More »
A pair of lawmakers have forwarded correspondence to the Department of Defense, seeking a briefing and information related to the Taliban’s access to U.S. military equipment in Afghanistan.
In a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, House Committee on Oversight and Reform Ranking Member... Read More »
The United States and Singapore reached an agreement that seeks to expand cybersecurity cooperation efforts between the nations.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) -- signed by Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Jen Easterly and Chief Executive of the Cyber... Read More »
A trio of lawmakers have forwarded correspondence to White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan regarding detainees reportedly released from detention facilities in Afghanistan after Taliban seizure of the country.
Reps. John Katko (R-NY), Michael McCaul (R-TX), and Mike Rogers (R-AL)... Read More »
With the formation of a new Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO), the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for experts to lend their knowledge on the origins of pathogens with wide-reaching potential.
This multidisciplinary group will consist of up to 25... Read More »
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin ordered the Commander of the U.S. Transportation Command to activate Stage I of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) on Sunday.
The activation will provide the U.S. Department of Defense with access to commercial air mobility resources to help in the... Read More »
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday granted full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for use among patients 16 years and older, making it the first of the disease’s vaccines to cross beyond conditional use.
Since Dec. 11, 2020, the mRNA-based vaccine had... Read More »
While key federal agencies prepared interagency response plans and conducted 74 interagency exercises from 2009 through 2019 to prepare for and respond to a wide variety of biological incidents, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently determined that the agencies weren’t on the same... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) introduced legislation Wednesday that seeks to divert a small percentage of military spending towards global vaccination efforts, vaccinating potentially an additional 30 percent of the world’s low-income population within a year.
The COVID Defense Act would... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently forwarded correspondence to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin seeking a complete account of military equipment left behind in Afghanistan.
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) joined 23 Senate colleagues in penning the letter to Austin. The equipment has already or risks... Read More »
U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Tuesday that they would be implementing President Joe Biden’s pay increases for federal wildland firefighters.
The announcement ensures that the approximately 3,500... Read More »
The World Health Organization (WHO) is asking for $7.7 billion in funding for the Rapid ACT-Accelerator Delta Response (RADAR) to help stop the Delta variant and bring about an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funding would allow for increased testing and better surveillance to detect and... Read More »
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said officers staffing the Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) seized over $99,000 from a family bound to the Palestinian territories.
“Customs and Border Protection wants to make clear that there is no limit to the amount of money that... Read More »
Area Port of Memphis Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel said the agency routinely seizes low-quality, counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination cards.
This fiscal year, Memphis has initiated 121 seizures totaling 3,017 of the fake vaccination cards. The cards regularly contain typographical... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Justice announced last week that its Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) is expanding its Firearms Technical Assistance Project (FTAP) to reduce domestic violence.
The OVW awarded an estimated $6 million for up to 12 venues and $4 million for training and technical... Read More »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week authorized the use of third COVID-19 vaccine doses from Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. for patients with compromised immune systems.
The decision follows months of build-up surrounding... Read More »
Promoting community response and assistance, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced this week that its Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) will expand efforts to reduce domestic violence inflicted with firearms, with $10 million on offer.
Presented through the expansion of the... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility seized nearly 3 tons of methamphetamine and fentanyl powder hidden in a shipment of household articles, officials said Tuesday.
The seizure was the largest methamphetamine drug smuggling seizure along the... Read More »
With the introduction of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation Prevention Training Act (H.R. 4989) this week, U.S. Reps. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) have proposed a grant to educate students, teachers, and school personnel on the warning signs of human... Read More »
In a letter to federal officials, eight senators from the Western United States called for coordination and development of a strategy to counter jet fuel shortages, which they fear could exacerbate the dangers of wildfire season through grounded aircraft.
“As you are well aware, the 2020... Read More »
Members of Congress this summer ramped up bipartisan efforts with the introduction of at least eight bills that seek to help the United States prepare for and respond to pandemics and other public health emergencies.
Most recently, the Disease X Act, S. 2640, proposed on Aug. 5 by U.S. Sens.... Read More »
This week yielded multiple attempts from Republican legislators to crack down on what they see as massive health concerns at the United States-Mexico border, urging COVID-19 tests for migrants, a field hearing on illegal immigration and border health protections, and increased support for... Read More »
A budget push from U.S. Sens. Richard Shelby (R-AL), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) seeks to require the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) to report reconciliation legislation of $50.2 billion for military infrastructure improvements, among other items.
If accepted, their... Read More »
Legislation introduced by U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Rick Scott (R-FL) that would enhance cybersecurity assistance to K-12 schools systems pass the Senate, the Congressmen announced Tuesday.
The bill, the K-12... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced Monday that he had introduced legislation responding to sonic attacks on U.S. diplomatic personnel worldwide.
Called the Havana Syndrome Attacks Response Act, the legislation seeks to protect... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) introduced last week legislation designed to strengthen critical infrastructure cybersecurity and address foreign governments knowingly harboring cybercriminals.
The Sanction and Stop Ransomware Act seeks to initiate critical... Read More »
President Joe Biden approved more than $3.46 billion Thursday for Hazard Mitigation Grants to increase state’s resilience to the impacts of climate change.
The investment will be available for natural hazard mitigation measures across the 59 major disaster declarations issued due to the... Read More »
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recently partnered with a group of stakeholders to initiate the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC).
The endeavor to develop and implement cyber defense operations plans with federal interagency, private sector, and state, local,... Read More »
Following a recent local law enforcement roundtable discussion in Austin, Texas, a Republican group of representatives shared their takeaways from the meeting, focusing on an increase in violent crimes and officer effectiveness.
Since Austin cut its police budget by $150 million last year, the... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced legislation last week that would allocate $2 billion to the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).
The Disease X Act would provide $2 billion over the next four years -- $500 million per year, beginning in 2022 -- for BARDA to... Read More »
Legislation re-introduced by U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Rob Portman (R-OH), chairman and ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, had advanced in the Senate.
The State and Local Government Cybersecurity Act would promote stronger cybersecurity... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Gary Peters (D-MI), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, are commending committee advancement of their legislation, the Domains Critical to Homeland Security Act.
The legislation is designed to address... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer (R-MI), a House Committee on Homeland Security member, has joined committee Republicans in introducing legislation they said would bolster border security.
The Border Security for America Act of 2021 would require the federal government to secure the nation’s... Read More »
The U.S. Coast Guard recently released an updated Cyber Strategic Outlook as a means of addressing increased maritime system cyber-attack threats against the economy and security.
“The Coast Guard is taking important and necessary steps to increase safety and security where physical and cyber... Read More »
A new report released this week by United States Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Gary Peters (D-MI) revealed glaring cybersecurity failures at eight federal agencies over the past decade, along with the inability of seven of them to comply with basic cybersecurity requirements.
The Federal... Read More »