News
BARDA seeks partners in developing solutions for acute respiratory distress
BARDA’s Division of Research, Innovation, and Ventures (DRIVe) announced a new Area of Interest (AOI) and that it is looking for new partners to evaluate intervention strategies for acute respiratory distress. The goal of the AOI is to improve long-term patient recovery after receiving... Read More »California Gov. Newsom introduces plan to reduce crime in state
California Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled an enhanced public safety plan this week that looks to combat and prevent crime statewide. The Real Public Safety Plan, in conjunction with local law enforcement, focuses on improving law enforcement response, ensuring prosecutors hold perpetrators... Read More »
WHO grants emergency use listing for Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine
The fight against COVID-19 earned another contender last week with the granting of an emergency use listing from the World Health Organization (WHO) to NVX-CoV2373, a vaccine created by Novavax and the first protein-based COVID-19 vaccine to earn that listing. Better known as COVOVAX, as... Read More »
Top NIH scientists call for global collaboration in pursuit of universal coronavirus vaccine
With a growing body of evidence that novel coronaviruses will continue to infect animals to afflict humans anew, top scientists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have called for collaboration in pursuit of a universal coronavirus vaccine. Drs. Anthony Fauci, Jeffery Taubenberger, and... Read More »
Rep. Thompson, Sen. Warren release report on disaster recovery barriers, equitable outcomes
U.S. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) released a report Thursday from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) on Federal Government disaster recovery programming and equitable outcomes. The... Read More »
DEA warns criminal drug networks mass-producing fentanyl to flood U.S.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has revealed that criminal drug networks based in Mexico are mass-producing fentanyl and fentanyl-laced products for sale in the United States. Fentanyl has been one of the major drivers of overdose deaths in recent years. Today, the DEA claims that... Read More »
Boost global vaccine rates for faster U.S. pandemic recovery, experts testify
A growing, immediate need exists to accelerate global coronavirus vaccination efforts to help ensure America’s continued economic recovery, experts testified during a Dec. 14 hearing held by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. To date, nearly eight billion coronavirus... Read More »
Senate advances bipartisan legislation to recruit, retain federal cybersecurity workforce
Legislation from U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI), John Hoeven (R-ND), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) that aims to revamp and reenergize the federal cybersecurity workforce passed a major hurdle this week after it won advancement through the Senate. Reckoning with a world at times inseparable from its... Read More »
Sanofi, GSK continue COVID-19 booster vaccine Phase 3 trial after positive preliminary showing
With recommendations from an independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) and positive antibody and safety showings from preliminary studies, Sanofi and GSK announced this week that their COVID-19 vaccine booster candidate will continue its Phase 3 trial. So far, the DSMB has identified no... Read More »
Artificial intelligence bills included in FY 2022 National Defense Authorization Act
U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM), co-founders of the Senate Artificial Intelligence Caucus, said two of their bipartisan bills addressing Artificial Intelligence and the U.S. government have passed as part of the FY 2022 National Defense Authorization Act. The bills, the... Read More »
National Guard’s FireGuard wildfire detection program slated for extension through 2026
Among the many items nearing approval through the federal defense authorization bill this month is the National Guard’s FireGuard wildfire detection and tracking program in California. The defense bill has been advanced by both the Senate and House and merely awaits the signature of President... Read More »
Sens. Wicker, Hyde-Smith tout Huntington Ingalls, Navy contract
U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) are touting the benefits of the Navy awarding a $70.8 million contract to Huntington Ingalls to purchase materials for construction of the LHA 9 ship, an America-class amphibious assault craft. The ship will be built in Pascagoula,... Read More »
DHS S&T awards funds for aviation self-screening prototype
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Screening at Speed Program announced Tuesday it had awarded more than $2.5 million to Vanderlande Industries to develop a passenger self-screening concept design and prototype to streamline TSA PreCheck... Read More »
DHS initiates bug bounty program
The U.S Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the recent launch of its Hack DHS bug bounty program represents an effort to identify potential agency cybersecurity vulnerabilities while increasing cybersecurity resilience. “As the federal government’s cybersecurity quarterback, DHS... Read More »
Senate’s Medical Device Integrity Act would require medical device manufacturers comply with FDA record requests
With as many as 40 percent of medical device manufacturing facilities refusing to submit records when asked by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-IL) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) have proposed a bill that would encourage compliance. The requests were made between... Read More »
Johns Hopkins report cites failure to integrate primary care providers into COVID-19 response as missed opportunity
A new report released by the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security this week determined that the failure to incorporate primary care providers into the frontline response to COVID-19 and the larger public health system could have improved care, testing, and vaccination acceptance. In... Read More »
Northrop Grumman expands participation in SkyRange program
Northrop Grumman has secured an Air Force agreement to expand the company's participation in the Department of Defense's (DoD) SkyRange program. Northrop Grumman's engineering and planning work to reconfigure four United States Air Force EQ-4 Block 20 Global Hawk aircraft for use in the SkyRange... Read More »
Pfizer study confirms 89 percent reduction in hospitalizations and death for COVID-19 oral antiviral
Results came in this week from a Phase 2/3 trial of Pfizer Inc.’s COVID-19 oral antiviral treatment, and the data showed a drug capable of cutting risks of hospitalization or death by 89 percent among high-risk adults, when given within a few days of their first symptoms. The final data from... Read More »
CEPI to invest up to $4.5 million for Affinivax COVID-19 variant vaccine
Seeking broader protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants and other betacoronaviruses, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) announced this week that it would invest up to $4.5 million into development of a vaccine candidate based on Affinivax, Inc.’s Multiple Antigen Presenting... Read More »
Lawmakers initiate Hypersonics Caucus
Lawmakers in the House of Representatives have launched the Hypersonics Caucus to promote hypersonic weapons utilization in accordance with national security strategy initiatives. Reps. Mo Brooks (R-AL) and Jim Banks (R-IN) spearheaded the effort. “Russia and China have spent the past two... Read More »
Senators applaud inclusion of unidentified aerial phenomena in national defense bill
U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), along with U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), applauded the inclusion of their Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon (UAP) amendment in the FY 2022 National Defense Authorization Act. The congressmembers said because UAPs appear in sensitive... Read More »Senators urge DoD to address risk from overreliance on foreign pharmaceuticals
U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) urged the U.S. Department of Defense to address the DOD’s overreliance on pharmaceuticals produced abroad in a letter on Friday. The letter, to Gregory Kausner, acting Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, said... Read More »Lawmakers host cybersecurity roundtable session
Republicans members of the House American Security Task Force recently hosted a cybersecurity roundtable session with industry leaders. Reps. John Katko (R-NY) and Tony Gonzales (R-TX) spearheaded the effort, which focused on the present state of the nation's cybersecurity and what Congress can... Read More »
DHS issues RFP for information on automatically activated body cameras
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) officials said the agency is soliciting information regarding automatically activated body cameras. Officials said a request for information (RFI) has been issued regarding the commercially available body cameras... Read More »Moderna: 20 million additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine for COVAX
On Friday, Moderna, maker of one of the FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines, announced it will amend its contract with Gavi, the vaccine alliance, to accelerate the supply of 20 million doses of the vaccine to COVAX by the end of the year. The total number of vaccines supplied to COVAX in 2021 now... Read More »
HSI-led investigations net seizure of Iranian weapons, fuel
An investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigation’s (HSI) Washington D.C. Field Office and Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Mid-Atlantic Field Office has led to the seizure of Iranian arms from vessels in the Arabian Sea.... Read More »
Global experts endorse legislation creating COVID-19 commission
More than 100 COVID-19 experts called on Congressional leaders Thursday to pass bipartisan legislation to create a COVID-19 Commission. The legislation, introduced by U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Richard Blumenthal... Read More »
Document highlights TSA air cargo security goals
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently published a document identifying and addressing emerging threats and ensuring the efficient flow of commerce. The document, the Air Cargo Security Roadmap, is the result of collaboration within the air cargo industry with stakeholders. It... Read More »
Senate Homeland Security Committee holds hearing on PFAS contamination
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing recently to examine the harmful impacts of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) at military sites. U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) convened the hearing after a Department of Defense (DoD) Inspector... Read More »
Pfizer, BioNTech SE reveal lab study findings on Omicron variant
Pfizer and BioNTech officials recently provided an update regarding the Omicron variant, noting results of an initial laboratory study demonstrating serum antibodies via BNT162b2 neutralize the variant after three doses. “Although two doses of the vaccine may still offer protection against... Read More »
AstraZeneca COVID-19 antibodies garner FDA approval
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved this week an emergency use authorization (EUA) for AstraZeneca’s Evusheld, authorizing the use of monoclonal antibodies to reduce specific COVID-19 risk. Evusheld is tixagevimab co-packaged with cilgavimab and administered together to... Read More »
Public awareness campaign urges support for program to end pandemic threat
The Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense announced launched a public awareness campaign Wednesday to support the Apollo Program for Biodefense, a project that aims to eliminate pandemics in ten years and reduce other biological threats. The campaign, similar in scope and importance to landing... Read More »
New report shows countries around the world remain ill-prepared for another pandemic
A new report from the Nuclear Threat Initiative has found that nations around the world remain “dangerously unprepared” to meet future epidemic and pandemic threats, The report – the 2021 Global Health Security (GHS) Index -- measured the capacities of 195 countries to prepare for... Read More »
Lockheed S-70M Black Hawk helicopter receives FAA airworthiness certification
Lockheed Martin's Sikorsky division has received a Restricted Category Special Airworthiness Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its S-70M Black Hawk helicopter. “With type certification, new production S-70M Black Hawk helicopters in the latest configuration are... Read More »