News
Bipartisan Senate bill seeks 9/11 style commission to investigate COVID-19 outbreak
Reckoning with the more the 750,000 Americans killed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the failures that stalked response, and the threat of future outbreaks, a bipartisan collection of four senators introduced a new bill last week to build a 9/11-style commission charged with investigating the outbreak... Read More »
Reps. Katko, Meijer express unfilled national security post concerns
U.S. Reps. John Katko (R-NY) and Peter Meijer (R-MI) expressed concerns regarding what they maintain is the nation's potential vulnerable security posture amid national security positions in the Biden administration being unfilled. Katko and Meijer sent a letter to President Joe Biden stating... Read More »
DHS funds target interoperable messaging capabilities
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science & Technology Directorate (S&T) recently awarded funds to a firm to advance first responder interoperable messaging capabilities. The $1,545,286.03 allotment to Mobility 4 Public Safety (M4PS) would aid in developing the Bridge 4 Public... Read More »
Infrastructure Act includes $20M for Office of National Cyber Director
U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH), Angus King (I-ME), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and Mitt Romney (R-MA) applauded the House’s passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for its inclusion of $21 million in funding for the Office of the National Cyber Director (NCD). The NCD is a new position... Read More »
Data shows Pfizer antiviral pill 89 percent effective in COVID-19 hospitalization, death prevention
Interim data from Pfizer Inc.’s novel COVID-19 antiviral candidate, PAXLOVID, revealed an oral treatment with the ability to cut the risk of hospitalization and death by as much as 89 percent among adult patients. These results, pulled from the randomized Phase 2/3 EPIC-HR (Evaluation of... Read More »
Legislation seeks to bolster intelligence capabilities
U.S. Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Rob Portman (R-OH) introduced legislation seeking to bolster the nation's intelligence capabilities. The lawmakers indicated the Advancing American AI Innovation Act (S. 3175) would establish a Department of Defense (DoD) pilot program forming artificial... Read More »
DHS selects Northeastern University to lead new Center of Excellence
On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) announced it had selected Northeastern University to lead a consortium of U.S. academic institutions for a new Center of Excellence for Engineering Secure Environments from Targeted Attacks... Read More »
House Comprehensive TB Elimination Act seeks to empower U.S. health officials to tackle tuberculosis
Last week, U.S. Reps. Ami Bera (D-CA), M.D. and Don Young (R-AK) introduced a bill to reauthorize a national tuberculosis strategy, authorize grants for state health departments to focus on TB in high-risk populations, and promote interagency coordination in containing the disease. Despite the... Read More »
Bills seek to reform federal wildfire disaster response
U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) introduced last week two bills to address the government's wildfire response and equitable distribution of natural disaster resources. The FIRE Act would revise the Stafford Act governing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),... Read More »
CISA issues guidance on reducing known exploited vulnerabilities
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued guidance to prioritize remediation of vulnerabilities presently actively exploited by adversaries. Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 22-01 - Reducing the Significant Risk of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities establishes a... Read More »
Rep. Katko, Sen. Wicker address potential TSA workforce shortage due to vaccination requirement
U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY) and U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) asked David Pekoske, administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), for an update on the agency’s contingency plan for a potential workforce reduction due to President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine requirement for... Read More »
UK authorizes Merck, Ridgeback’s oral COVID-19 medicine Molnupiravir for use on adults
The antiviral Molnupiravir became the first oral treatment for COVID-19 to receive authorization this week, winning approval from the U.K.’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency for treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 cases in adults. Specifically, users must have had at... Read More »
WHO grants emergency use listing to COVID-19 vaccine COVAXIN, the eighth to win authorization
The World Health Organization (WHO) made its eighth emergency use listing (EUL) for a COVID-19 vaccine this week, granting that honor to Bharat Biotech’s COVAXIN. COVAXIN is formulated from an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 -- the virus that causes COVID-19 -- antigen. Use of the vaccine by adults was... Read More »
NDAA amendment seeks to increase funding in Army vehicles manufactured in Wisconsin
U.S. Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced Wednesday a Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) amendment increasing funding to Army vehicles produced in Oshkosh, Wis. The action would apply to the heavy wheeled vehicles and add $109 million as a means of... Read More »
GOP senators score Biden’s COVID-19 response at Senate hearing
Republican U.S. senators took aim at the Biden administration’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 epidemic during a Thursday hearing, criticizing the new mandate on vaccinations and blaming federal policies for shortages of therapeutics, testing and other critical materials. “Cases and... Read More »
Global Partnership to focus on climate change fueled terrorism
As world leaders gather in Glasgow for the UN Climate Change Conference, COP26, a new global partnership has formed to focus on the impact of climate change on terrorism, the group said Tuesday. The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), Pool Re... Read More »
CEPI adds Q2 Solutions Beijing lab to centralized COVID-19 vaccine testing network
A Q2 Solutions Co., Ltd. lab facility in Beijing, China, became the first East Asian lab to join the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations’ (CEPI) centralized COVID-19 lab network this week. “I am delighted to today welcome Q2 Solutions’ facility in Beijing to this group of... Read More »
DEA details seizure of over one ton of cocaine
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officials said three men have been indicted for their alleged role in participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy that resulted in the seizure of over one ton of cocaine. Jorge Aponte-Guzman, Nelson Agramonte-Minaya, and Carlos Maisonet-Lopez were... Read More »
Lawmakers levy energy infrastructure security concerns
A group of lawmakers recently forwarded correspondence to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), noting concerns regarding energy infrastructure security. U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, (R-MO), ranking member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and U.S. Sen. Roger... Read More »
Bill addresses wildfire preparedness, response
U.S. Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Jerry McNerney (D-CA), and Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) recently introduced the National Wildland Fire Risk Reduction Program Act (H.R. 5781), which seeks to enhance wildfire preparedness, resilience, and response. The measure aims to identify and... Read More »
NSA, CISA issue 5G cloud infrastructure guidance
National Security Agency (NSA) and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) personnel have issued 5G cloud infrastructure guidance the agencies indicated address building and configuration. “This series provides key cybersecurity guidance to configure 5G cloud... Read More »
DOJ offers $44.5M in funds for state efforts to fight illegal opioids, heroin and meth
In an effort to better crackdown on illegal drugs at the source, the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) announced $44.5 million in funding this week for state-level law enforcement agencies. This money will specifically go toward these agencies’... Read More »
Johns Hopkins, Council on Foreign Relations report urges immediate efforts to strengthen pandemic vaccine planning
The failures, successes, and lessons learned from the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines should be incorporated immediately into future pandemic vaccine planning if the world hopes to avoid the delays and pitfalls of the modern ecosystem, according to a new report from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health... Read More »
Rep. Katko introduces legislation countering anti-police attitudes
U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY) announced Monday that he has introduced legislation to strengthen public safety and counter anti-police sentiment. The Stop Enabling Repeat Violence and Endangering (SERVE) Our Communities Act would provide incentives for states to adopt policies that would hold... Read More »
Justice Department, FTC file suit to address deceptive marketing of nasal spray as COVID-19 treatment
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently partnered with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to address the deceptive marketing of a nasal spray. The agencies detailed civil enforcement action against defendants Xlear Inc. and Nathan Jones for alleged violations of the COVID-19 Consumer... Read More »
FDA delays assessment of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents until January 2022
Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notified Moderna, Inc. that an assessment of an emergency use authorization request for its COVID-19 vaccine to be used on adolescents may not be completed before January 2022. The delay was due to a stated necessity to evaluate recent... Read More »
DHS inventors earn remote alarm patent
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) said two inventors within the National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) have received remote alarm patents. Electronics engineer Norman Chiu and physicist Paul Goldhagen were granted U.S. Patent... Read More »
BARDA partners with RIVANNA for portable Accuro XV device to provide radiation-free fracture detection
A new partnership between the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and RIVANNA seeks to develop the company’s Accuro XV device for the release of a portable 3D fracture detection and diagnosis system without radiation. The rapid-working system is based on ultrasound... Read More »
DARPA: WMD threat sensors tested in police vehicles
In collaboration with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) SIGMA+ program announced Friday it had recently concluded a three-month-long pilot study of sensors intended to support early detection of weapons of mass... Read More »
ACT Accelerator calls for $23.4B by September 2022 to close access gaps for COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments
The Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator released a new strategic plan last week that seeks $23.4 billion from international investors by September 2022 to patch inequalities in access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, vaccines, and personal protective equipment. This is particularly... Read More »
Boeing details Florida facility construction plans
Boeing officials announced that the aerospace company has broken ground on a 370,000 square-foot maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility located at Cecil Airport in Jacksonville, Fla. The endeavor would support the company's ability to deliver readiness outcomes for domestic government... Read More »
Rep. Thompson says Build Back Better Act address national security challenges
U.S Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, said the Build Back Better Act addresses pressing national security challenges. Thompson said the legislation would include $1.5 billion in investments to improve the national cybersecurity posture, help... Read More »
Bill seeks to aid veterans, law enforcement
U.S. Reps. Young Kim (R-CA), Maria Salazar (R-FL), and Lou Correa (D-CA) are spearheading an effort with colleagues to introduce legislation seeking to aid veterans and law enforcement personnel. The three legislators recently detailed the Supporting Every at-Risk Veteran in Critical Emergencies... Read More »
BARDA reaches development agreement with BD to create combination COVID-19, flu and coronavirus tests
Reckoning with the threat of diseases present and future, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) announced a new collaboration last week with BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) to develop and win approval for diagnostics capable of identifying COVID-19, influenza, as... Read More »