Threats
U.S. Surgeon General stresses continued threat of health misinformation amid COVID-19 vaccination efforts
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy recently issued the first Surgeon General's Advisory of this administration warning of the urgent dangers posed by health misinformation and disinformation, threatening COVID-19 vaccination efforts in the United States. The American public needs to be aware... Read More »
DHS S&T collaborates with Beacon NGO to broaden reach of incident command system
A new, joint effort between the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and the nonprofit Beacon NGO will seek to build upon S&T’s Next-Generation Incident Command System (NICS) and pitch it to a larger emergency response community. To achieve... Read More »
Bills to strengthen cybersecurity advance in Senate
The U.S. Senate advanced this week legislation authored by U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) designed to protect public and private networks from cyber threats. Peters' two pieces of legislation - The K-12 Cybersecurity Act and the Supply Chain Security Training Act - passed unanimously in the... Read More »
Appropriations Committee approves Defense Funding Bill for FY 2022
On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee approved the Defense Funding bill for FY 2022 on a 33-23 vote. The bill provides $705.9 billion in defense spending, an increase of 1.4 percent over 2021’s budget. The increase reflects President Joe Biden’s budget... Read More »
Cyber, infrastructure investments included in approved Homeland Security funding bill
The U.S. House Appropriations Committee announced this week the approval of the fiscal year 2022 Homeland Security funding bill, which invests in cyber and infrastructure security while combating domestic extremist violence. The action also expands the Coast Guard's Arctic reach and the maritime... Read More »
HHS awards $398M from the American Rescue Plan to aid small rural hospitals with COVID-19 efforts
Approximately $398 million was issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) this week through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as a means of helping 1,540 small rural hospitals address COVID-19 testing and mitigation. “Our state-based SHIP grantees... Read More »
Bechtel teams begins elimination of new batch of VX nerve gas-bearing rockets
Teams from the Bechtel Corporation at the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (BGCAPP) near Richmond, Ky., have begun purging another batch of chemical weapons, continuing a campaign that intends to destroy nearly 18,000 rockets bearing the VX nerve agent. The latest round begins... Read More »
Congress launches probe into Covid-19 origins
A congressional panel began the formal process of investigating the origins of Covid-19 Wednesday amid recriminations over allegations of researchers being intentionally misled by the Chinese government and American media and politicians. U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL) labeled it “a bit... Read More »
IAEA breaks ground on International Nuclear Security Training Center
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced it had broken ground on a new facility to strengthen countries’ abilities to tackle nuclear terrorism Monday. According to Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of IAEA, the new IAEA Nuclear Security Training and Demonstration Centre... Read More »
Gavi to purchase COVID-19 vaccine candidates from Sinopharm, Sinovac
With a pair of new advance purchase agreements arranged this week, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, intends to add two inactivated virus vaccines for COVID-19 to its stores for COVAX -- one from Sinopharm and one from Sinovac. Sinopharm’s offering is BBIBP-CorV, which will become available this... Read More »
Former NSA official Jen Easterly confirmed as director of CISA
After an eight-month void in official leadership, the U.S. Senate this week confirmed former Obama-era senior National Security Agency official Jen Easterly to lead the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) amid increasingly frequent digital attacks. Easterly, who formerly... Read More »
Measure seeks domestic genomics protections
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) is encouraging Senate passage of his legislation, The Genomics Data Security Act (S.1744), which establishes protections addressing Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) national security risks. S.1744 was presented in the wake of a recent Office of... Read More »
First participants dosed in Phase 1/2 study of new mRNA-based, Moderna seasonal flu vaccine
The first healthy adult participants of the Phase 1/2 randomized and observer-blinded test of Moderna’s new quadrivalent seasonal flu vaccine were dosed last week, officially beginning a trial much desired by global health experts. The World Health Organization (WHO) has a list of targets for... Read More »
CDC, FDA disagree with Pfizer on whether COVID-19 vaccine boosters necessary
Questions were spurred last week with news from Pfizer and BioNTech that progress was being made on a COVID-19 vaccine booster the companies indicated would likely be needed in the future -- a stance promptly contradicted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease... Read More »
DHS assesses Privacy Technology Demonstration results
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) officials have assessed the 2020 Privacy Technology Demonstration results. The endeavor sought to advance efforts to protect the privacy of individuals appearing in photos and videos. Five privacy systems... Read More »
CEPI, Norwegian partners fund COVID-19 vaccine efficacy study of immunosuppressed and organ transplant patients
While the efficacy of many COVID-19 vaccines has largely been established, more specific questions remain, such as their effectiveness on the immunosuppressed and transplant patients -- a fact that has prompted a new study, led by the Oslo University Hospital and funded by a series of national and... Read More »
LightDeck Diagnostics awarded $35.1M DoD contract to increase production of COVID-19 antibody tests
LightDeck Diagnostics, which produces both SARS-CoV-2 Ultra-Rapid Antigen and COVID-19 Total Antibody Tests, was awarded a $35.1 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) last week to increase production capacity for these speedy diagnostics. Both tests are point-of-care tests... Read More »
NIH study: COVID-19 surges increased patient mortality
A recent study by scientists at the National Institutes of Health suggests that one in every four COVID-19 deaths in the United States may be attributed to hospitals strained by surging caseloads. Published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the study looked at data from 150,000 COVID-19... Read More »
Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security proposes 13 initiatives to improve future pandemic response
Is the United States prepared for the next pandemic? That question has forced experts to either rethink preparedness strategies or find ways to bolster existing policy in the era of COVID-19. For the researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, this has meant identifying 13... Read More »
Sens. Collins, Bennet introduce opioid, substance abuse training legislation
U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced bipartisan legislation Wednesday to standardize opioid and substance abuse training for prescribers. The Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act would require controlled substance providers to complete substance... Read More »
Rep. Langevin applauds CISA funding allocation
U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI) recently applauded the inclusion of $2.42 billion for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in the House's draft Homeland Security Appropriations bill. Langevin and Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) previously forwarded correspondence to appropriators... Read More »
FDA grants breakthrough therapy designation to Valneva’s Chikungunya vaccine candidate
A chikungunya vaccine candidate created by Valneva SE is proceeding through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pipeline, having been awarded a breakthrough therapy designation this week after already gaining fast track designation. A single shot therapy, the vaccine -- known as VLA1553... Read More »
VA, DHS launch noncitizen service member initiative
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced this week the launch of a new initiative to support noncitizen service members, veterans, and their immediate family members. "It’s our responsibility to serve all veterans as well as they... Read More »
DHS seeking component technology support
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program announced last week that it is seeking information in three topic areas to support component technology needs. “DHS SBIR is uniquely positioned to support DHS’s broad mission by finding ways to... Read More »
Huntington Ingalls Industries in $1.65B deal to acquire Alion Science and Technology
Huntington Ingalls Industries announced this week that it entered a definitive agreement to purchase Aion Science and Technology from Veritas Capital for $1.65 billion in cash, providing further inroads for Huntington into the global defense marketplace. As a result of the agreement, Alion will... Read More »
RECOVER study finds mRNA vaccines cut risk of COVID-19 infection by 91 percent
A nationwide study from the University of Utah found that those who receive mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are 91 percent less likely to develop the disease than those who are unvaccinated. This news came from the RECOVER (Research on the Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Essential Response Personnel)... Read More »
Senators call for end to mask mandate on planes, public transportation
U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) joined several senators in introducing legislation calling on the Biden administration to end the mask mandate for fully vaccinated individuals on public transportation throughout the United States, including airports, commercial airplanes, buses, and rail systems.... Read More »
FBI, partners release Russian cyber activity report
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recently announced that it has joined law enforcement partners in releasing a Cybersecurity Advisory addressing Russian military intelligence cyber activities. The FBI, along with the National Security Agency (NSA), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure... Read More »
Rep. Thompson, Homeland Security Democrats reintroduce legislation initiating DHS reform
House Committee on Homeland Security Democrats reintroduced last week legislation designed to initiate reform within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). U.S. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, recently joined Committee Democrats in... Read More »
NIH funds five additional projects to research safe means of returning to in-person school
As part of its Safe Return to School Diagnostic Testing Initiative, the National Institutes of Health funded five additional research projects last week to investigate ways of safely returning people to in-person learning in areas with vulnerable and underserved populations. Up to $15 million... Read More »
New York City subway system adds chemical, biological threat sensors as part of major safety collaboration
In an effort to keep transportation safe without slowing the flow of traffic, the New York City subway system, together with a series of collaborators in the federal, academic, and private sectors, is rolling out a testbed and series of biosensors to scan for chemical and biological threats.... Read More »
Mayorkas announces largest DHS cybersecurity hiring initiative
DHS Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced last week the agency's largest cybersecurity hiring initiative, noting the onboarding of nearly 300 cybersecurity professionals as well as the extension of an additional 500 tentative job offers. In May, Mayorkas established a goal to hire 200 new... Read More »
Bill targets supply chain security training
U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) recently introduced legislation designed to enhance supply chain security via vigorous training initiatives. The Supply Chain Security Training Act creates a standardized training program to help federal employees responsible for purchasing... Read More »
U.S. lawmakers seek to fund program supporting academic medical centers in pandemic preparedness, response
A new legislative effort is pushing for a new program to designate academic medical centers as research and communication hubs in the American preparation for and response to pandemics. While COVID-19 is firmly in mind with the program, it also seeks to aid developments for fighting future... Read More »