Threats
Soligenix filovirus vaccine candidates prove effective, heat stable in preclinical data
According to preclinical data produced by Soligenix, Inc. this week, positive, effective results have been demonstrated by multiple filovirus vaccine candidates. In collaboration with the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Soligenix’s vaccines proved capable against three potentially deadly... Read More »
CDC to launch new center for disease outbreak forecasting, public health data access
Utilizing initial funding from the American Rescue Plan, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) unveiled plans this week for a new Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics, focused on forecasts of disease outbreaks and analytics for public health. The new center will be... Read More »
DHS releases parameters of proposed NYC airflow study
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) recently composed an Environmental Assessment draft regarding a New York City aerosol particle behavior study. “This study is part of the Department’s ongoing commitment to public safety against the... Read More »
FEMA resource examines natural hazard risks
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced this week that it has launched the National Risk Index, designed to provide guidance regarding nationwide natural hazard risks. Authorities indicated the resource also seeks to inform and educate communities as a means of helping to reduce the... Read More »
NIH to invest $53M in five-year funding for HIV cure research
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced this week that it will award approximately $53 million in annual funding across the next five years to 10 research organizations currently pursuing HIV cure research. “June marked the 40th anniversary of the first reported U.S. cases of what... Read More »
CEPI to provide up to $20.6M to Gritstone bio for mRNA COVID-19 variant vaccine
As part of a new agreement with Gritstone bio, Inc., the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) will provide up to $20.6 million to support the development of a new, self-amplifying mRNA vaccine candidate for the growing number of COVID-19 variants. These funds will cover a... Read More »
WHO asks for $7.7B in funding to stop Delta variant; end pandemic
The World Health Organization (WHO) is asking for $7.7 billion in funding for the Rapid ACT-Accelerator Delta Response (RADAR) to help stop the Delta variant and bring about an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding would allow for increased testing and better surveillance to detect and... Read More »
CBP details unreported currency seizure
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said officers staffing the Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) seized over $99,000 from a family bound to the Palestinian territories. “Customs and Border Protection wants to make clear that there is no limit to the amount of money that... Read More »
Battelle touts efforts combatting chemical, biological threats
Battelle recently showcased its Resource Effective Bioidentification System (REB+) and Multi-Threat Decontamination System (MTDS) as a means of demonstrating efforts to combat Chemical/Biological (CB) threats. The demonstration stemmed from the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) funding... Read More »
Preclinical data shows higher antibody action from CureVac, GSK’s second-generation mRNA COVID-19 vaccine candidate
A preclinical study conducted on non-human primates and published this week showed potential in a second-generation mRNA COVID-19 vaccine candidate, CV2CoV, created by the joint efforts of biopharmaceutical companies CureVac N.V. and GSK. Among cynomolgus macaques, the new candidate -- an... Read More »
NIH scientists produce simpler, faster and cheaper means of COVID-19 testing
With diagnostic testing as important as ever in the battle to contain COVID-19, researchers from various institutions under the umbrella of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have banded together to create a new sample preparation method for detecting SARS-CoV-2. The collaboration has... Read More »
DHS issues new National Terrorism Advisory Bulletin
In advance of the 20th Anniversary of 9-11, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has issued a new National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin. DHS said the country faced a heightened threat environment due to the terror attack’s anniversary and several religious holidays. The threats, the... Read More »
CBP details counterfeit vaccination card seizures
Area Port of Memphis Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel said the agency routinely seizes low-quality, counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination cards. This fiscal year, Memphis has initiated 121 seizures totaling 3,017 of the fake vaccination cards. The cards regularly contain typographical... Read More »
DOJ expands Firearms Technical Assistance Project to reduce domestic violence
The U.S. Department of Justice announced last week that its Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) is expanding its Firearms Technical Assistance Project (FTAP) to reduce domestic violence. The OVW awarded an estimated $6 million for up to 12 venues and $4 million for training and technical... Read More »
CDC, FDA authorize third dose of COVID-19 vaccines for the immunocompromised
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week authorized the use of third COVID-19 vaccine doses from Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. for patients with compromised immune systems. The decision follows months of build-up surrounding... Read More »
DOJ Office of Violence Against Women expands funding to help communities reduce gun-involved domestic violence
Promoting community response and assistance, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced this week that its Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) will expand efforts to reduce domestic violence inflicted with firearms, with $10 million on offer. Presented through the expansion of the... Read More »
Valneva initiates COVID-19 vaccine candidate third phase
The specialty vaccine firm Valneva SE has initiated a Phase 3 trial for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, VLA2001. VLA2001-304 seeks to generate data in the elderly and is designed to potentially enable variant-bridging through immune-comparability. Study data is slated to complement ongoing... Read More »
GAO issues NNSA lithium activity recommendations
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued seven recommendations to the National Nuclear Security Administration (NSSA) regarding lithium activities. The analysis and recommendations stem from NSSA facilities deteriorating and the agency proposing a new facility to meet lithium... Read More »
New Moderna vaccine study shows antibodies maintain against variants for six months
According to a new manuscript published in Science last week, the majority of people given Moderna Inc.’s COVID-19 vaccine maintained antibodies not just against SARS-CoV-2, but against many of its variants of concern, for six months after a second dose. The two-dose vaccine has been... Read More »
HHS places COVID-19 vaccine mandate on its healthcare workforce
The more than 25,000 healthcare workers employed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19, adding it to a list of requirements that include influenza and other routine vaccinations. “Our number one goal is the health and safety of... Read More »
Border Patrol Seizes 2.8 Tons of Methamphetamine and Fentanyl
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility seized nearly 3 tons of methamphetamine and fentanyl powder hidden in a shipment of household articles, officials said Tuesday. The seizure was the largest methamphetamine drug smuggling seizure along the... Read More »
House human trafficking bill would provide grant for education on trafficking warning signs
With the introduction of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation Prevention Training Act (H.R. 4989) this week, U.S. Reps. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) have proposed a grant to educate students, teachers, and school personnel on the warning signs of human... Read More »
Bipartisan senators call for federal strategy to address jet fuel shortages and wildfires
In a letter to federal officials, eight senators from the Western United States called for coordination and development of a strategy to counter jet fuel shortages, which they fear could exacerbate the dangers of wildfire season through grounded aircraft. “As you are well aware, the 2020... Read More »
Several pandemic preparedness bills under consideration in U.S. Congress
Members of Congress this summer ramped up bipartisan efforts with the introduction of at least eight bills that seek to help the United States prepare for and respond to pandemics and other public health emergencies. Most recently, the Disease X Act, S. 2640, proposed on Aug. 5 by U.S. Sens.... Read More »
Textron Systems unveils all-electric firefighting robot
Howe & Howe Inc., a subsidiary of Textron Systems Corporation, recently unveiled the Thermite EV2, an all-electric firefighting robot, as well as a new handheld controller. “It’s important that we give our first responders the best we have to offer so that they can complete their missions... Read More »
Lockheed Martin secures missile defense system pact
Lockheed Martin has secured a $157 million Missile Defense Agency contract to upgrade Command, Control, Battle Management & Communications (C2BMC) system capability. Officials indicated the scope of work would include augmenting C2BMC’S engagement support capability for the Ground-Based... Read More »
GOP takes multi-pronged approach in demanding COVID-19 related health crackdown on Southern Border
This week yielded multiple attempts from Republican legislators to crack down on what they see as massive health concerns at the United States-Mexico border, urging COVID-19 tests for migrants, a field hearing on illegal immigration and border health protections, and increased support for... Read More »
Senate Republicans propose $50.2B budget amendment to support military infrastructure, PFAS remediation
A budget push from U.S. Sens. Richard Shelby (R-AL), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) seeks to require the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) to report reconciliation legislation of $50.2 billion for military infrastructure improvements, among other items. If accepted, their... Read More »
Senate advances legislation protecting K-12 school systems from cyberattacks
Legislation introduced by U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Rick Scott (R-FL) that would enhance cybersecurity assistance to K-12 schools systems pass the Senate, the Congressmen announced Tuesday. The bill, the K-12... Read More »
DARPA selects three teams to develop novel therapeutics through HEALR program
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency recently selected three teams to support the Harnessing Enzymatic Activity for Lifesaving Remedies (HEALR) program. The HEALR program, which bolsters chemical biology, medicinal chemistry, and microbiology expertise to transform the field of... Read More »
New vaccine recommendation, infection study address COVID-19, pregnancy
Groups of medical experts this week proposed a standardized definition for defining and evaluating placental SARS-CoV-2 infections to optimize both clinical care and new research, as well as the pursuit of COVID-19 vaccinations for pregnant individuals. The first came from a panel of experts... Read More »
INO-4800 COVID-19 vaccine to undergo two trials for heterologous boosting in China
Regulatory approval was granted for two new clinical trials of INO-4800 in China this week, allowing its creator INOVIO and its partners Advaccine Biopharmaceuticals Suzhou Co. Ltd. and Sinovac Biotechnology to investigate the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of different... Read More »
McCaul introduces legislation targeting Havana Syndrome Attacks
U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced Monday that he had introduced legislation responding to sonic attacks on U.S. diplomatic personnel worldwide. Called the Havana Syndrome Attacks Response Act, the legislation seeks to protect... Read More »
Bill seeks to bolster infrastructure cybersecurity
U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) introduced last week legislation designed to strengthen critical infrastructure cybersecurity and address foreign governments knowingly harboring cybercriminals. The Sanction and Stop Ransomware Act seeks to initiate critical... Read More »