U.S. Policy
Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) are seeking information regarding the U.S. Coast Guard’s (USCG) preparedness in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The legislators recently forwarded correspondence to Admiral Karl Schultz, expressing concern the pandemic could threaten... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has modified the FY2019 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant program to allow firefighting organizations greater access.
Following the revisions, certain cost share, salary cap, supplanting, and minimum budget restrictions... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MI) introduced a bill designed to improve the Strategic National Stockpile and strengthen the domestic manufacturing of supplies.
The lack of critical medical supplies across the domestic supply chain forced the... Read More »
A group of Republican senators introduced legislation requires national security evaluation and clearance for all Chinese student visa holders taking part in activities related to COVID-19 vaccine research.
The COVID-19 Vaccine Protection Act – sponsored by Sens. Martha McSally (R-AZ), Rick... Read More »
Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) are advocating the state become the permanent home of U.S. Space Command after gaining provisional headquarters status for at least the next six years.
The senators recently forwarded correspondence to Colorado Gov. Jared Polis seeking support... Read More »
Air Force officials have launched a new initiative designed to keep the branch’s supply chain system independent of the civilian medical market amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Air Force Rapid Agile Manufacturing Platform (AFRAMP) seeks to leverage the full capacity of the nation's... Read More »
Through its COVID-Local site, the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) has released a guide of new metrics meant to guide local leaders and state officials in safely reopening the United States.
The site now includes interactive graphics and downloadable PDFs, meant to aid assessment of existing... Read More »
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulators have moved against dozens of supposed COVID-19 antibody tests that have never been shown to work, publishing a list of those that failed to file applications or have already pulled their products voluntarily.
There are 28 on that list so far,... Read More »
Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell announced several reforms to increase efficiency within the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), which is part of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).
The changes, based on the recommendations of career... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has begun distributing billions in additional relief funds to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nursing homes have faced unique challenges as their population of high-risk seniors are more vulnerable to... Read More »
Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) has introduced two measures he said are designed to address medical supply chain vulnerabilities while increasing capacity for domestic manufacturing of drugs and medical devices.
The Pharmaceutical Accountability, Responsibility, and Transparency (PART) Act would expand... Read More »
Two agencies are espousing the benefits of the Innovation Summit for Preparedness and Resilience (InSPIRE), which is dedicated to fostering policy and technology innovation for preparedness and resilience.
The summit was hosted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology... Read More »
Members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a teleconference forum former director of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) to improve its readiness for events like COVID-19 pandemic.
The Strategic National Stockpile is a federal resource designed to supplement state and local... Read More »
Several U.S. Senators have reached out to the leadership at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) about attempts by the Chinese to steal intellectual property related to COVID-19.
The FBI and CISA had sent out a joint notice,... Read More »
Marine Corps personnel said the Systems Command’s Program Manager for Infantry Weapons (PM IW) has initiated a modernization project designed to increase infantry squad lethality.
“This is the largest modernization of the infantry squad in the last 25 years,” Lt. Col. Tim Hough, Marine... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Chris Coons (D-DE) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced new legislation this week that would end the sale of wildlife species within live animal markets deemed high-risk for human consumption.
Tied to previous outbreaks of human diseases, such markets have gained increasing scrutiny... Read More »
A group of U.S. Senators, including Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), sent a letter to President Donald Trump regarding the COVID-19 Testing Blueprint that the Administration recently released.
The blueprint includes plans to expand state testing capacity and establish... Read More »
A group of U.S. Senators recently called on the Trump administration officials to help secure personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing kits for firefighters and federal law enforcement personnel charged with fighting wildfires.
“Peak fire season comes closer every day. However, it is... Read More »
With an underwritten public offering of $1.25 billion in shares of common stock, Moderna, Inc. hopes to entice buyers to raise funds for the manufacturing of mRNA-1273, the company’s vaccine candidate for use on SARS-CoV-2 -- the virus responsible for COVID-19.
Additionally, underwriters will... Read More »
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) is encouraging lawmakers to pass the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act.
The measure provides direct assistance to state and local governments, protects critical public safety radio spectrum, funds essential... Read More »
The Trump administration appointed last week Dr. Moncef Slaoui and U.S. Army General Gustave F. Perna to lead the advancement of Operation Warp Speed, a program to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 medical countermeasures.
Slaoui, a former Chairman of both... Read More »
A bipartisan group of Senators introduced May 15 legislation designed to strengthen the nation’s bioeconomy.
The Bioeconomy Research and Development Act of 2020 seeks to advance research and development, advance biomanufacturing, develop the future bioeconomy workforce, and support various... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) introduced legislation that would create a new federal office responsible for stockpiling adequate supplies of critical medicines in the United States.
The Securing America’s Medicine Cabinet Act authorizes $100 million to create National Centers of Excellence... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced legislation that will facilitate innovation and breakthroughs in cybersecurity.
The Cyber Leap Act of 2020 would establish cybersecurity grand challenges on improving the economics related to federal... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Diana DeGette (D-CO) are asking officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the steps taken to further protect food production workers from the coronavirus.
There have been a series of COVID-19 outbreaks in food production... Read More »
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have issued a warning to organizations conducting research on the COVID-19 pandemic.
These agencies are warning that healthcare researchers are prime targets from fraudsters from the... Read More »
Concerned about the level of transparency being provided by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over the distribution of the antiviral remdesivir, senators on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee are pressing for information.
Remdesivir is a therapeutic... Read More »
Boeing has secured a combined $3.1 billion Navy contract for Harpoon and Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM ER) weapon systems in support of Foreign Military Sales (FMS).
Officials indicated about $2.6 billion of the agreement was recently contracted, with the remainder having... Read More »
Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a $3 trillion aid package that would provide relief for Americans, fund COVID-19 testing, and bolster state and local health infrastructure and funding, among other initiatives.
The Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions... Read More »
The U.S. Departments of Defense (DoD) and Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded a $138 million contract to ApiJect Systems America for Project Jumpstart and RAPID USA, two programs designed to expand U.S. production of medical-grade injection devices.
The contract will create a U.S.-based... Read More »
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) has requested four government agencies combine efforts to allocate personal protective equipment (PPE) and rapid COVID-19 tests for federal wildland fire crews.
Murkowski recently forwarded correspondence to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) pressed the Trump administration this week to secure the medical supplies necessary to help immunize Americans against COVID-19 once such a vaccine is created.
These include things like needles, syringes, or other delivery devices. Such supplies have been compromised... Read More »
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Ports of Entry working within the Baltimore Field Office seized several shipments of counterfeit and unapproved coronavirus personal protective equipment (PPE) and pharmaceuticals.
Since March 23, CBP officers at the ports in Philadelphia,... Read More »
Several Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives are asking Attorney General William Barr for a briefing on legal action the Department of Justice has taken – or has threatened to take -- against state governments that have imposed strict public health and safety restrictions to combat... Read More »
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) is asking Congress and the Trump Administration to help offset firefighter job losses amid COVID-19, requesting $10 billion for the nation’s fire departments.
A recently released IAFC survey maintains COVID-19 related budget cuts have... Read More »
