U.S. Policy
A group of lawmakers recently introduced legislation designed to address healthcare industry personnel personal protective equipment shortages amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Gary Peters (D-MI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Chris Murphy (D-CT) said the... Read More »
After displaying 95 percent efficacy in their COVID-19 vaccine candidate, Pfizer and BioNTeach have filed a request to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to grant them an emergency use authorization (EUA) that would allow its rollout next month.
High-risk populations will be the first... Read More »
Pennsylvania state officials are encouraging the poultry industry to expedite biosecurity practices in the wake of East Asia and Europe reporting Highly-Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) cases.
"Written biosecurity plans are good, but they are only effective when deliberately acted upon day in... Read More »
Republican leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives are seeking information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on BioSafety Level (BSL)-3 and Animal BSL (ABSL)-3 laboratory capacity to conduct animal model research for COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and... Read More »
A group of Senate Democratic recently urged the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to work with state and local officials to identify gaps in ultra-cold storage capability, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
This... Read More »
A new Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and Center for Energy and Security Studies (CENESS) report seeks U.S. and Russia support in sustaining International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) work.
The Future of IAEA Safeguards: Rebuilding the Vienna Spirit through Russian-U.S. Expert Dialogue resulted... Read More »
A partnership between the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Defense (DoD) known as Operation Warp Speed has accelerated efforts to develop COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics, but transparency is lacking, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said.
Typically, vaccine... Read More »
Federal lawmakers from Oregon are requesting financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help offset the costs of fighting the wildfires.
Specifically, they are asking FEMA to assume 100 percent of the cost share for debris removal and emergency protective... Read More »
Distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in the United States could be imperiled by President Donald Trump’s decision to fight a transition to the incoming administration under Joe Biden, a new report from U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) warned this week.
Peters, ranking member of the Homeland Security... Read More »
Officials from the nation’s leading health care organizations sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging his administration’s full cooperation in sharing critical COVID-19 information with the Biden transition team.
“As organizations representing the nation’s hospitals and health... Read More »
The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday approved 10 healthcare bills, including several aimed at tackling the nation’s ongoing opioid crisis, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The measures advanced today aim to address some of the many challenges Americans are facing... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), the leader of the House Homeland Security Committee, is urging House leadership to support the expansion of the Committee’s jurisdiction to ensure it has the authority necessary to fully authorize the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Thomas said the 9/11... Read More »
According to the Center for American Progress, an independent thinktank, violent crime rates dropped in 10 jurisdictions that enacted comprehensive police reform.
The group analyzed violent crime rates in 10 jurisdictions where the police department fulfilled a reform agreement with the U.S.... Read More »
Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) have joined colleagues in advocating for an Air National Guard C-130 aircraft fleet to support active duty missions and domestic emergencies.
Duckworth and Durbin were among the 18 lawmakers penning and forwarding correspondence to the Armed... Read More »
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is advocating federal lawmakers and law enforcement agencies enhance hate crimes data collection and reporting in the wake of incidents rising.
The ADL said the call to action stems from the FBI’s annual Hate Crime Statistics Act (HCSA) report, determining 2019... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) announced that approximately $43 million in funding will be made available for New York City’s Office of Management and Budget to cover COVID-19 related expenses.
Specifically, this funding covers the cost of enhanced protective... Read More »
President Donald Trump issued an executive order to prohibit U.S. investments in Chinese firms on the U.S. Department of Defense list of Chinese military companies.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), who introduced legislation in October that mirrors the EO, applauded the move. Rubio’s American... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently encouraged the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to enhance air travel safety and support the nation’s travel and tourism industry recovery.
Sens. Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) recently joined Sens. Richard... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is partnering with large chain pharmacies and networks of independent pharmacies and regional chains to maximize access to COVID-19 vaccines.
This effort will cover approximately 60 percent of pharmacies throughout the 50 states, the... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently urged Armed Services Committee conferees to ensure the final National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) bill offers an inventory of C-130 aircraft in West Virginia and nationwide.
Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) recently joined a Senate... Read More »
A Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)-supported COVID-19 treatment by AbCellera Biologics has gained emergency use authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week, representing a major success for all involved.
Specifically, the therapeutic... Read More »
While Germany, South Korea, and Taiwan implemented aggressive testing strategies and infrastructure during the early spread of SARS-CoV-2, the United States failed to develop and distribute reliable diagnostic tests when the pandemic initially hit the country, according to a new report.
This... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Justice has awarded more than $96 million in grants to fund drug courts and veterans’ treatment courts, the department announced Wednesday.
The courts, funded through the DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs, work to get nonviolent juveniles, veterans, and adults with... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) is co-sponsoring a bill that would provide health coverage for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans exposed to toxic burn pits.
The Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act was drafted after a veteran in Buchanan’s district,... Read More »
The U.S Navy has issued task orders for Consolidated Afloat Network Enterprise Services (CANES) for two Arleigh Burke class destroyers, a Virginia class submarine, and two Blue Ridge class command ships.
CANES serves as a single support framework for all command, control, communications,... Read More »
Citing Agent Orange's wide impact, two Democratic senators are urging the inclusion of Senate Amendment 1972 in the final National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (NDAA).
Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Jon Tester (D-MT) said the amendment would establish a presumption of... Read More »
The Justice and Community Services section of the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security recently awarded the state a $6 million grant through the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site-based Program.
Funding will be used for two strategies that provide addiction... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced a bill in the Senate Appropriations Committee to fund the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021.
The $69.8 billion spending plan includes funding to support investments in border security, disaster recovery and... Read More »
Department of Justice officials said its Office of Justice Programs (OJP) has awarded a total of $2.6 million to four jurisdictions to disrupt and mitigate violence threats.
“Disruption and early engagement programs are part of the Department of Justice’s national strategy to disrupt... Read More »
U.S. Reps. TJ Cox (D-CA) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) are seeking information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on a nationwide COVID-19 wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) surveillance program.
As coronavirus cases are rising across the United States, WBE is an... Read More »
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has determined the Department of State, the Department of Labor, and the U.S. Agency for International Development have taken steps to strengthen global anti-trafficking projects.
The GAO indicated while the entities acknowledged challenges that made it... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Kathy Castor (D-FL) and David McKinley (R-WV) announced Monday the introduction of bipartisan legislation aimed at reducing the flow of opioids to pill mills.
The Preventing Pill Mills Through Data Sharing Act would require drug wholesalers that ship opioids to drug stores and... Read More »
A neutralizing antibody developed by Eli Lilly and Company -- bamlanivimab --for use on COVID-19 earned emergency use authorization from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week, specifically for treating mild to moderate cases.
Now, the drug can be utilized on those 12... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has awarded $198,407 to iProov Ltd. to help the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) streamline cross-border travel at ports of entry while still ensuring a high degree of confidence when verifying the... Read More »
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) is urging Congress to pass legislation that would help protect and preserve retirement benefits for firefighters and emergency workers.
The Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2020 (H.R. 8696), introduced by Reps. Richard Neal (D-MA) and Kevin... Read More »
