News
HHS reaches agreement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals for COVID-19 vaccine candidate
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Defense (DoD) struck a deal with the Janssen Pharmaceuticals, which is part of Johnson & Johnson, to demonstrate large-scale manufacturing and delivery of the company's COVID-19 vaccine candidate. As part of the agreement,... Read More »
Organizations seek nationwide mask requirements
Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) personnel have forwarded correspondence to the White House advocating nationwide mask requirements. The organizations are urging issuance of a federal mask directive to curtail the spread of COVID-19, protect the... Read More »
Justice Department funds to combat Alaska human trafficking
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has earmarked $1 million to combat human trafficking in Alaska via the agency’s Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Human Trafficking program. Officials said Covenant House Alaska and the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) would receive $500,000 each... Read More »
I-SPY COVID trial enrolls first patients to test various therapeutics
A clinical trial dubbed I-SPY COVID enrolled its first patients last week, setting into motion plans to evaluate the efficacy of several COVID-19 therapeutics under the collaborative efforts of the COVID R&D Alliance, AbbVie, Inc., Amgen Inc., and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. “I’m proud... Read More »
Reps. Pallone, Degette seek COVID-19 vaccine plan update
Reps. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ) and Diana DeGette (D-CO) forwarded correspondence Wednesday to Trump administration officials regarding an updated national COVID-19 vaccine plan. Pallone and DeGette recently sent a second oversight letter to White House Coronavirus Task Force Coordinator Dr.... Read More »
McCaul bills target potential China influence
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) introduced this week a pair of bills he said are designed to further empower the nation’s strategic competition against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). McCaul serves as Republican leader on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Chairman of the China Task... Read More »
Researchers raise election safety concerns over lax flexibility in voting, registration policies
There are ways to conduct safe elections even during a pandemic like COVID-19, but despite lessons provided by recent primary elections, researchers from RAND warn that nine states have adopted no policies key to safe voter participation in the 2020 presidential election. This lack of... Read More »
NIH creates AI-based effort to fuel early detection and treatment efforts for COVID-19
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the Medical Imaging and Data Resource Center (MIDRC) this week, beginning a new effort to fight the COVID-19 pandemic through a mix of artificial intelligence-created tools and medical imaging. MIDRC is a collaboration of multiple institutions,... Read More »
NTI report looks at the importance of cybersecurity at nuclear facilities
The Nuclear Threat Initiative’s NTI Index shows that only 47 percent of countries have a response plan in place for a cyberattack on a nuclear facility. Further, NTI reveals that most of those nations do not have adequate regulations for cybersecurity. The NTI Index found that only 34 percent... Read More »
Battelle offers PPE decontamination service to healthcare workers in Hawaii
Battelle is providing a service to healthcare workers in Hawaii to sterilize personal protective equipment (PPE). Any healthcare provider in the state qualifies for the free decontamination service. The masks are decontaminated through Battelle’s process, called the Critical Care... Read More »
Problem Solvers Caucus backs COVID-19 PREPARE Act
The House Problem Solvers Caucus has endorsed the COVID Preparedness, Response, and Effective Planning for Advanced Requirements by the Executive Branch (PREPARE) Act, a bill introduced by Reps. John Katko (R-NY) and Brad Schneider (D-IL). The Problem Solvers Caucus is a bipartisan group in... Read More »
Rep. Graves sponsored several cybersecurity bills that were approved by House
U.S. Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA) sponsored or cosponsored several cybersecurity bills that were passed recently by the U.S. House of Representatives in various funding bills. Graves worked to include a dozen cybersecurity related priorities in more than half of the 12 funding bills, which now move... Read More »
Measure targets PFAS firefighting foam alternative
A group of lawmakers recently introduced a bill they said is designed to find an alternative to PFAS contaminated firefighting foam. Reps. Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Dan Kildee (D-MI) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) said the PFAS Free Foam Research and... Read More »
DHS initiates NG911 systems viability testing
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and Department of Transportation (DOT) have initiated the Next Generation 911 (NG911) systems interoperability and compatibility testing process. The agencies have selected the Critical Infrastructure Resilience... Read More »
House EASE Act pushes protections for both in-person, mail-in voters
As the White House and states tussle over mail-in voting, U.S. Rep. Don Young (R-AK) introduced a bill this week known as the Emergency Assistance for Safe Elections (EASE) Act, which proposes to ensure safety at the polls and accuracy in mail-in counts. “The November election is fast... Read More »
NIAID to launch phase 2 clinical trial of experimental therapeutics aimed at mild, moderate COVID-19 cases
Researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) will lead a phase 2 clinical trial -- ACTIV-2 -- of experimental therapeutics, to see how an antibody-based treatment and others may fare against those with mild to moderate cases of COVID-19. Mild to moderate, in... Read More »
Bill seeks to proactively address threats of imminent violence
Reps. Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Jim Langevin (D-RI) introduced this week a measure designed to streamline the information transfer on imminent violence threats, whether the intent is to harm oneself or others. The Protecting America through Information Sharing Act empowers the Department of... Read More »
Collaboration to yield Iron Dome Weapon System production facility
Raytheon Missiles & Defense officials said the firm has partnered with the Israeli-based defense technology company RAFAEL Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. to establish a domestic Iron Dome Weapon System production facility. "This will be the first Iron Dome all-up-round facility outside of Israel,... Read More »
Researchers develop antiviral compounds
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) maintains researchers have engineered antiviral compounds proven to kill several types of coronaviruses in both cells and mice. The work has also proven effective against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The compounds... Read More »
Center for American Progress outlines COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing, distribution plan
Rapid manufacturing and distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine will rank as one of the most challenging U.S. government initiatives ever undertaken, though it can successfully happen with aggressive planning, management, and funding, concludes a newly released report that includes a powerful indictment... Read More »
Study looks at effectiveness of travel bans on slowing COVID-19 spread in Europe
A study by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) examined the effectiveness of government travel bans in Europe on slowing the spread of COVID-19. The study found that international flight connections played a particularly important role in the early stages of the... Read More »
University of Texas researchers find mutation that led to 2015-2016 Zika outbreak
A team from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has found a Zika virus mutation that may be responsible for the outbreak that occurred in 2015 and 2016. Mosquitoes primarily transmit the Zika virus. Because it circulates between mosquitoes and animals/humans, they are prone to... Read More »
DoD and Air Force host virtual “Hack-a-Sat” challenge
The U.S. Department of the Air Force and Department of Defense are hosting a virtual event for cybersecurity professionals on securing space systems. The Space Security Challenge 2020, which will run Aug. 7-9, features a mixture of virtual workshops and prize challenges along with a live... Read More »
Johns Hopkins researchers get $35M grant to test COVID-19 outpatient treatment
The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) awarded Johns Hopkins researchers $35 million for clinical trials to test a convalescent blood plasma outpatient treatment to fight COVID-19. The treatment... Read More »
Inovio’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows promise in trials
Inovio, a biotechnology company, revealed that its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, INO-4800, was effective in protecting non-human primates, specifically rhesus macaques, from the virus 13 weeks after the last vaccination. These results demonstrate that vaccine candidates reduced viral load in... Read More »
Report examines nuclear weapons modernization costs
Findings from a Government Accountability Office (GAO) analysis requested by a pair of lawmakers determined nuclear weapons modernization costs will be larger than estimated unless programs are scaled or scrapped. Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) requested the GAO... Read More »
TSA initiates new traveler ID technology
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has initiated new technology at John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia Airports capable of validating traveler identification and confirming flight information in near real-time. The TSA said JFK International Airport has 22 credential... Read More »
House FY 2021 budget incorporates Strategic National Stockpile stocking provisions
In a $1.3 trillion government funding bill advanced by the House last week, pandemic preparedness remained front and center, with several provisions incorporated to demand adequate stocking of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) and regular reports on that stockpile. The provisions were... Read More »
NIH invests $248.7M into seven companies for COVID-19 tests
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced last week that it will award $248.7 million worth of contracts to seven biomedical diagnostic companies for new COVID-19 tests capable of increasing the number, type, and availability of tests by millions per week in short order. With the need... Read More »
DHS S&T, EPA and Coast Guard team up to combat potential anthrax attack
Recognizing the threat of both natural and terrorist-directed anthrax, the U.S. Coast Guard recently undertook its first decontamination field test to determine the best method of decontaminating facilities and vessels exposed to the deadly disease. This was facilitated by the Analysis for... Read More »
BARDA reaches deal with Regeneron for Ebola treatment
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) has reached an agreement with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals to procure Ebola virus treatment as part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) effort to prepare for public health emergencies. The treatment, known as... Read More »
FirstNet executes NY expansion effort
First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) officials said the high-speed broadband communications platform dedicated to and purpose built for America’s first responders is expanding across New York state. Officials are espousing the benefits of adding 22 new FirstNet cell sites and other... Read More »Election Day response plans tested
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recently hosted the third Tabletop the Vote initiative, which officials said serves as a test of Election Day response plans. The exercise executed July 28 to 30 included 37 states and approximately 2,100 total participants, officials... Read More »
U.S. to pay $2.1 billion for 100 million doses of coronavirus vaccine from Sanofi and GSK
Under an agreement reached with global biopharmaceutical companies Sanofi and GSK, the U.S. government will pay as much as $2.1 billion for development and delivery of 100 million doses of a vaccine to combat COVID-19. It’s the largest agreement yet negotiated by Operation Warp Speed and it... Read More »