Threats
CDC, HHS award $200M to 59 jurisdictions supporting disease intervention specialist workers
A combined supplement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) last week spread $200 million among 59 jurisdiction public health programs to expand the disease intervention specialists (DIS) workforce. This funding is... Read More »
Bill targets law enforcement cybercrime prevention
U.S. Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Thom Tillis (R-NC) recently reintroduced a measure designed to provide law enforcement with resources to enhance cybercrime combating initiatives. The International Cybercrime Prevention Act would update... Read More »
Public-private partnership vaccine effort leads to mRNA vaccine capable of full protection against malaria in mice
A novel mRNA vaccine developed to protect against malaria has demonstrated full defense against the disease in mice, according to the latest research published in npj Vaccines. Developed by joint efforts from Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), the Naval Medical Research Center, the... Read More »
Johns Hopkins study finds two SARS-CoV-2 variants less likely to be asymptomatic, despite increased transmission risk
The results of a Johns Hopkins-led study into the potential causes of increased transmission among certain SARS-CoV-2 variants has determined that at least two of these variants showed no evidence of higher viral loads but less likelihood of carriers presenting as asymptomatic. Utilizing whole... Read More »
Senators introduce bill to create U.S-Israel Artificial Intelligence R&D Center
U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced legislation Thursday that would create a U.S.-Israel Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Center to further collaborate in AI and contribute to the field’s advancement.... Read More »
Sens. Merkley, Wyden introduce legislation banning government use of biometric technology
U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) led a group of eight lawmakers who introduced legislation this week banning federal agencies from using facial recognition and other biometric technologies. The Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act would also prohibit the... Read More »
Bill seeks to bar Chinese military scientists from entering United States
A group of lawmakers recently reintroduced legislation they said would require the government to develop a list of scientific and engineering institutions affiliated with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Tommy... Read More »
Lawmakers advocate bolstered education sector cybersecurity
Citing an increased number of cyberattacks, a pair of lawmakers are encouraging bolstered cybersecurity efforts for the K-12 education sector. U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Susan Collins (R-ME), a member of the Senate Intelligence... Read More »
Senate Pray Safe Act would provide faith-based organizations with safety info, federal grants
The Pray Safe Act, introduced to the U.S. Senate last week, represents a joint effort on the part of U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) to provide faith-based organizations and houses of worship with easy access to security best practices, federal grant programs, and... Read More »
American Rescue Plan allows more than $3B investment into COVID-19 antiviral development strategy
Utilizing funds provided for in the American Rescue Plan, the Biden Administration announced last week that it will invest more than $3 billion into the Antiviral Program for Pandemics, promoting the pursuit, development, and manufacturing of antivirals for COVID-19. That program will be run... Read More »
Rep. McCaul, Sen. Risch urge Biden administration to impose sanctions on Russia for Navalny poisoning
U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Sen. James Risch (R-ID) called on President Joe Biden to immediately impose legally mandated sanctions against the Putin regime in a letter Wednesday. McCaul, the House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead and Risch, the Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign... Read More »
Measure targets reduced dependence on foreign supply chain
A group of lawmakers recently reintroduced a bill they said is designed to make the nation's pharmaceutical supply chain less dependent on foreign countries like China. U.S. Reps. Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-GA), Tom Rice (R-SC), Darren Soto (D-FL), Matt Cartwright (D-PA), and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott... Read More »
Rep. Katko opposes Biden administration’s removal of sanctions on Iran
U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY), ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, has expressed opposition to the Biden administration’s decision to lift Iranian sanctions. In recent correspondence to U.S. Department of the Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Katko detailed what he deemed... Read More »
United States purchases additional 200 million doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine
An additional order of 200 million doses of the Moderna, Inc. COVID-19 vaccine, mRNA-1273, this week has brought the total U.S. government's order commitment to 500 million. As of June 14, Moderna has supplied 217 million total doses to the government. Another 110 million doses are slated for... Read More »
StrataGraft treatment for adult thermal burns marks 61st FDA approval for BARDA-supported projects
Stratatech Corporation and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) achieved major milestones this week with the announcement of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for StrataGraft, a treatment for adults with thermal burns. Stratagraft is specifically... Read More »
FEMA, FCC plan nationwide Emergency Alert Test for Aug. 11
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission, will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) at 2:20 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 11. The WEA portion of the test will be sent only... Read More »
DHS offers funding for research, development of first responder technology
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) announced this week that funding opportunities are available for research and development into 10 new first responder technology areas. To that end, the agency is seeking documents from industry, academia,... Read More »
Biden administration announces first-ever National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism
With acts of domestic terrorism occurring with increasing regularity in the United States, the Biden administration signaled an effort to counter such attacks with the release of the country’s first National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism. The federal government has provided the... Read More »
NIH study reveals SARS-CoV-2 may have been in U.S. earlier than believed
A new antibody testing study conducted by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) All of Us Research Program has just altered the timeline for SARS-CoV-2 growth in the United States, revealing the viral cause of COVID-19 may have been in-country nearly a month earlier than established. Until... Read More »
GAO: TSA changes could reduce spread of infectious disease
Better monitoring of safety measures taken to prevent the spread of infectious diseases by the Transportation Security Administration could prevent the spread of infectious diseases, a new report by the U.S. General Accountability Office (GAO) said. According to the GAO, while the TSA... Read More »
Officials address future NATO agenda
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) leaders said the body chartered the Alliance’s course over the next decade in the wake of concluding the recent NATO Summit in Brussels, Belgium. “To do more, Allies agreed that we need to invest more together in NATO,” Secretary General Jens... Read More »
Louisiana awards LSU Health New Orleans $2.38M contract to sequence COVID-19 variants
With $2.38 million in grant support from a new contract with the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) and a National Institute of General Medical Sciences supplement, LSU Health New Orleans intends to form partnerships to sequence SARS-CoV-2 variants. A team led by Dr. Lucio Miele, professor and... Read More »
HHS awards $125M in grants for community-based COVID-19 vaccination efforts in underserved communities
In an effort to create and support a community-based vaccination workforce in underserved communities, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded $125 million in workforce grants this week to 14 nonprofit private or public organizations. All funds derive from the American... Read More »
Pending legislation would revamp Strategic National Stockpile
Proposed congressional legislation would overhaul the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), expand domestic manufacturing of medical supplies and improve America’s preparedness for public health emergencies. U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) on June 8 unveiled the... Read More »
DHS Secretary Mayorkas, Mayor Garcetti tour Los Angeles Cyber Lab
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti toured Thursday the Los Angeles Cyber Lab to receive a briefing on its operational capabilities. The lab, funded by public-private partnerships, was established in 2017 by the Mayor’s office to better... Read More »
DHS outlines allocation plan for border barrier funds
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently outlined the plan for allocating border barrier funds ending wall expansion to the extent permitted by law. The prior administration sought to spend over $15 billion on wall construction, diverting more than $10 billion of those funds from... Read More »
Reps. Stefanik, Brooks seek full funding missile defense program
U.S. Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Mo Brooks (R-AL) recently forwarded correspondence to the House Appropriations Committee requesting full funding for missile defense programs in the Fiscal Year 2022 budget. The representatives sent a letter to House Appropriations Chair Betty McCollum (D-MN)... Read More »
Senate Homeland Security Committee leaders press for federal action on infrastructure-targeting ransomware
The chairman and ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee -- U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Rob Portman (R-OH) -- wrote to the Biden administration this week to urge efforts to counter mounting ransomware attacks on critical infrastructure. In the... Read More »
U.S. Phase 3 trial reveals Novavax COVID-19 vaccine to be 90 percent effective against COVID-19
A fourth strong contender appears to have emerged for COVID-19 vaccines in the United States, as this week’s results from the Phase 3 PREVENT-19 trial of the Novavax, Inc. COVID-19 demonstrated a 90 percent overall efficacy against the disease. The NVX-CoV2373 vaccine fully protected against... Read More »
FDA: Two batches of COVID-19 vaccine manufactured at Emergent BioSolutions facility good to go
Two batches of COVID-19 vaccine solution that Emergent BioSolutions Inc. manufactures for Johnson & Johnson at its Baltimore Bayview facility are suitable for use, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Friday. “These actions followed an extensive review of records,... Read More »
DHS S&T Evaluates Wildfire Sensors with California Emergency Responders
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) announced Thursday that it had successfully tested early wildfire detection technology prototypes this week in California. Conducted during a controlled, prescribed burn at the Dye Creek Preserve near Red... Read More »
CBP, NICB partnership targets criminal smuggling operations
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) personnel said a recently formed partnership would target criminal smuggling enterprises. The partnership is tied to Operation Sentinel, a new counter-network targeting operation launched in April 2021. Operation... Read More »
NTI offers U.S. nuclear policies, reengagement guidance
Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) personnel said the recent offering of its U.S. Nuclear Policies for a Safer World seeks to bolster efforts to reduce growing nuclear risks. The set of papers calls for establishing a bipartisan liaison group between Congress and the administration and policy... Read More »
Moderna files to expand authorization of its COVID-19 vaccine for 12-18 year olds
Following positive test results, Moderna, Inc. filed last week with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to expand the scope of its COVID-19 vaccine’s emergency use authorization (EUA) to include adolescents between 12 and 18 years old. This expansion push follows the results of a... Read More »