Policy
New WHO compendium charts 24 technologies to help low-resource nations with priority diseases
The World Health Organization (WHO) released a compendium this week consisting of 24 innovative health technologies that could be used by low and middle-income countries to advance disease preparedness and response. “Innovative technologies are accelerating access to healthcare everywhere, but... Read More »
Becerra declares public health emergencies in the wake of Hurricane Ida
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra declared public health emergencies on Monday for Louisiana and Mississippi due to the effects for Hurricane Ida. The declaration comes after President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency for the two states. Together, the declarations give... Read More »
DHS to Launch New Approach to Hiring Cyber Talent
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity Service has launched a new approach to hiring and retaining top cyber talent, the department said Friday. In order to recruit the best cybersecurity employees to work across cybersecurity specializations and DHS Component Agencies,... Read More »NTI analysis recommends immediate action to manage use of AI in nuclear weapons systems
According to a new paper from the nonprofit Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), artificial intelligence in nuclear weapons systems is a neutral wash of possibilities -- but it also appears inevitable, and as a result, immediate action is needed to balance benefits and risks while the technology is... Read More »
House Republicans press NIH and NIAID for further details on Wuhan Lab biosafety concerns
Republican leaders on the House Energy and Commerce Committee this week queried the director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dr. Francis Collins, with more questions in the saga of the Chinese Wuhan Institute of Virology, its research and the origins of COVID-19. Writers included... Read More »
Phase 2/3 trial launched for Chikungunya vaccine in Costa Rica
Vaccination has begun for a Phase 2/3 trial of Bharat Biotech International Ltd’s (BBIL) Chikungunya vaccine candidate, through a partnership with the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) in Costa Rica. The Costa Rican trial of BBV87, the official name for the candidate, marks the... Read More »
BARDA accepting partners to create diagnostic assays for respiratory RNA viral pathogens
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 »
Briefing sought on Taliban access to U.S. military equipment
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 »
U.S., Singapore expand cybersecurity cooperation initiative
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 »
Lawmakers express Taliban prisoner release concerns
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 »
WHO forms new advisory group on origins of novel pathogens
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 »
DoD Activates Civil Reserve Air Fleet to Assist with Afghanistan Efforts
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 »
FDA grants first full COVID-19 vaccine approval to Pfizer-BioNTech
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 »
Congressional watchdog: HHS, DHS, DOD, USDA must mutually prepare for biological threats
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 »
Rep. Pocan introduces bill to bolster efforts to vaccinate 30 percent of the world’s poorest populations
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 »
Abandoned Afghanistan military equipment accountability sought
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 »
Secretaries, Haaland, Vilsack announce new pay initiative for wildland firefighters
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 »
WHO asks for $7.7B in funding to stop Delta variant; end pandemic
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 »
CBP details unreported currency seizure
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 »
CBP details counterfeit vaccination card seizures
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 »
DOJ expands Firearms Technical Assistance Project to reduce domestic violence
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 »
CDC, FDA authorize third dose of COVID-19 vaccines for the immunocompromised
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 »
DOJ Office of Violence Against Women expands funding to help communities reduce gun-involved domestic violence
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 »
Border Patrol Seizes 2.8 Tons of Methamphetamine and Fentanyl
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 »
House human trafficking bill would provide grant for education on trafficking warning signs
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 »
Bipartisan senators call for federal strategy to address jet fuel shortages and wildfires
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 »
Several pandemic preparedness bills under consideration in U.S. Congress
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 »
GOP takes multi-pronged approach in demanding COVID-19 related health crackdown on Southern Border
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 »
Senate Republicans propose $50.2B budget amendment to support military infrastructure, PFAS remediation
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 »
Senate advances legislation protecting K-12 school systems from cyberattacks
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 »
McCaul introduces legislation targeting Havana Syndrome Attacks
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 »
Bill seeks to bolster infrastructure cybersecurity
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 »
Biden administration commits nearly $3.5B to reduce effects of climate change
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 »
CISA launches Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative
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 »