Threats
NIAID merges four clinical trials networks into COVPN, focusing on COVID-19 vaccine and antibody testing
Streamlining processes this week, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) created a new clinical trials network to gather thousands of volunteers together for testing of various investigational vaccines and monoclonal antibodies for use against COVID-19. NIAID -- a part... Read More »
Senators introduce bill that would require plan for pandemic testing
A bill that would require a plan for diagnostic testing and public health system integration for COVID-19 and future pandemics was introduced in the U.S. Senate this week. The bill, the Timely and Effective Systematic Testing (TEST) Act, was introduced by Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO), Michael... Read More »
Laredo CBP intercept hard narcotics worth over $11M
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) personnel in Laredo, Texas, recently executed actions resulting in the interception of narcotics valued at more than $11.4 million. "These drugs will not reach Main Street USA due to the efforts of the officers in our cargo... Read More »
HHS, DoD partner with Regeneron for large-scale manufacturing demonstration of potential COVID-19 treatment
Pressing forward with a potential antibody treatment for COVID-19 known as REGN-COV2, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Defense (DoD) announced an agreement with Regeneron, Inc. this week that will culminate in a commercial-scale manufacturing demonstration. REGN-COV2... Read More »
Novavax gains $1.6 billion from HHS, DoD for millions of potential vaccine doses
Rewards are rolling out from the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed this week, including $1.6 billion -- allotted from the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Defense (DoD) -- given to Novavax, Inc. for 100 million doses of a possible COVID-19 vaccine. While the... Read More »
Bill would require transnational response to global white supremacy terrorist threat
A bill designed to strengthen the U.S. government’s counter-terrorism efforts against transnational white supremacy and identity groups was introduced in Congress. The Countering Global White Supremacist Terrorism Act directs the U.S. Department of State to assess the global threat of the... Read More »
DHS S&T targets security technology transition
The George Washington University has been selected by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) to aid the effort focusing on security technology transition (STT). The university would establish a new Center of Excellence (COE) delivering a pilot Master... Read More »
FDA issues emergency use authorization for second SARS-CoV-2 antigen test: BD Veritor System
A second COVID-19 antigen diagnostic test has been added to the United States arsenal this week, under an emergency use authorization (EUA) issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the Becton Dickinson (BD) Veritor System. “Expanding America’s testing capabilities is the... Read More »
Chembio Diagnostics, BARDA work together on point of care COVID-19 diagnostic
A new partnership for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority’s (BARDA) ongoing efforts to grapple with COVID-19 has united it with Chembio Diagnostics, Inc. in an attempt to create a point-of-care in vitro diagnostic test. If successful, that test would be capable of... Read More »
Emergent BioSolutions signs manufacturing agreement with J&J on COVID-19 vaccine candidate
Emergent BioSolutions Inc. struck a five-year manufacturing services agreement with Johnson & Johnson's Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. for its investigational COVID-19 vaccine. Emergent will provide contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) services for large-scale drug substance... Read More »
House bill would require DNI to investigate Chinese government on COVID-19 pandemic
U.S. Reps. Max Rose (D-NY) Kendra Horn (D-OK), and Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) introduced legislation requiring the U.S. government to combat efforts by the Chinese government to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic. The Preventing China from Exploiting COVID-19 Act requires the Director of National... Read More »
Smiths Detection launches new algorithms to enhance airport scanner detection capabilities.
Smiths Detection -- a leader in threat detection and screening technologies for aviation, ports, and borders, urban security and defense -- has launched new algorithms that enhance its HI-SCAN 10080 XCT explosive-detection system (EDS) scanner’s detection capabilities. Smiths iCMORE detection... Read More »
CPB implementing Autonomous Surveillance Towers
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has officially begun deploying Autonomous Surveillance Towers (AST) systems along the southwest border, providing continuous surveillance operations. “These towers give agents in the field a significant leg up against the criminal networks that... Read More »
Northern Border Caucus presses US, Canadian governments for phased reopening of border
House members of the Northern Border Caucus are pushing for a phased reopening of that United States-Canadian border, which has been shut down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In all, 29 Congress members, led by caucus co-chairs Brian Higgins (D-NY) and Elise Stefanik (R-NY), called for... Read More »
Federal agencies issue joint safety guidance for air travel in the era of COVID-19
Last week, the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security (DHS), Transportation (DOT) and Health and Human Services (HHS) issued joint guidance for the air travel industry, meant to provide a framework for airlines and airports operating amidst a global pandemic. COVID-19 has spawned more than 11.4... Read More »
START joins RESOLVE network to help prevent, counter violent extremism
The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) has joined the RESOLVE Network, a group of individuals and organizations focused on issues related to violent extremism and community resilience. START Director William Braniff serves on the RESOLVE Network’s... Read More »
Trusted Traveler Programs Enrollment Centers reopening postponed
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said the agency has postponed reopening Trusted Traveler Programs Enrollment Center sites until at least Aug. 10, 2020. The action stems from the agency seeking to ensure the health and safety of program applicants, per the CBP, adding the decision... Read More »
BARDA, Sonica Health to develop wearable COVID-19 infection monitoring patch
Expanding on an existing partnership, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and Sonica Health announced last week that they will work together to create a wearable patch capable of monitoring for COVID-19 infections. The device is meant for high-risk clinical... Read More »
Report assesses coronavirus federal oversight response
The Homeland Security Committee has released a report assessing the government’s coronavirus oversight response, detailing the Committee’s actions amid the pandemic. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, recently released a majority staff report... Read More »
Sens. Warren, Rubio push legislation for federal study on pharmaceutical supply chain’s overreliance on foreign interests
Alarmed by heavy U.S. reliance on foreign nations for both its supply of drugs and pharmaceutical products, U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced a bill this week to require a study of that overreliance. Specifically, the bill would require the Federal Trade... Read More »
FDA issues guidance for COVID-19 vaccine developers on licensure
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is providing licensure guidance for those companies and organizations developing COVID-19 vaccines. The guidance, called the “Development and Licensure of Vaccines to Prevent COVID-19,” provides an overview of key considerations to satisfy requirements... Read More »
BAE Systems, Acuminor working on technology to help banks identify financial crimes
BAE Systems Applied Intelligence and Acuminor are developing new technology to help banks identify transactional behavior linked to human trafficking. They are working on a trial with a major Nordic bank for their new solution to test the effectiveness of its financial crime detection systems.... Read More »
HHS signs deal with Gilead to secure supplies of remdesivir
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) struck an agreement to secure large supplies of the drug remdesivir from Gilead Sciences. HHS has secured more than 500,000 treatment courses of remdesivir -- the first authorized therapeutic for COVID-19 -- for U.S. hospitals through... Read More »
Members of Congress ask EU to designate Hezbollah as terrorist organization
A bipartisan group of Congressional lawmakers is urging European Union (EU) member states to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. The lawmakers state that Hezbollah is using Europe as a launching pad for its criminal and terrorist activities, including money laundering, drug... Read More »
Collaboration yields automated mobile app software testing
A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP) collaboration has resulted in automated mobile application (app) software testing procedures. Officials said the partnership stems from efforts to ensure the... Read More »
Senate National Defense Authorization Act amendment would require state, federal cybersecurity coordinators
Hoping to improve cybersecurity, four senators introduced an amendment to the FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) this week that would require the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to appoint cybersecurity coordinators in every state. U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH), Maggie Hassan... Read More »
U.S. senator identifies ways to prepare for the next pandemic
Legislators are not waiting for the coronavirus pandemic to subside to suggest ways to combat future health emergencies. In his recently released white paper “Preparing for the Next Pandemic,” U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) outlines five recommendations Congress can act on in the next six... Read More »
Senators call for AIDS/HIV funding in next COVID-19 relief bill
A group of U.S. Senators recently called on Senate leadership to include federal funding for HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention, and housing programs in the next coronavirus pandemic response package. Specifically, the Senators, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), are... Read More »
CEPI, partners work to ensure equitable distribution of COVID vaccine
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) is part of an effort to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries. CEPI helped launch the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility (COVAX), part of the ACT Accelerator, which was established to ensure that the... Read More »
Sen. Blumenthal, colleagues call for end to gun background check loophole
With the introduction of the Background Check Completion Act last week, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and more than 20 of his colleagues took a stand against a legal loophole that has allowed gun sales to move forward if a background check is not finished in 72 hours. “No check, no sale... Read More »
Sens. Portman, Bennet introduce legislation to bolster DoD’s AI strategy and capabilities
U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced legislation last week designed to strengthen and improve artificial intelligence (AI) within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The Artificial Intelligence and National Security Act proposes to strengthen the department’s AI... Read More »
Biosecurity expert proposes medical countermeasures to address the next pandemic threat
Scientists did not anticipate the initial threat of SARS-CoV-2, but what if they could have. In a commentary released this month by Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, society could be prepared for the next pandemic through a medical... Read More »
GAO highlights opportunities to improve federal COVID-19 response, recovery efforts
In accordance with the CARES Act containing a provision for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report on ongoing COVID-19 monitoring and oversight efforts, six recommendations have been issued. The GAO indicated its recent analysis examined key actions the federal government has... Read More »
Bill introduced to establish National Cyber Director
Lawmakers have introduced a measure creating a National Cyber Director position within the White House, who would serve as the president’s principal advisor on cybersecurity issues. Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI), Cyberspace Solarium commissioner, joined five colleagues in presenting the National... Read More »