February 8, 2012

Note: All links were accessed and active on day of newsletter publication.

Government Affairs

A Defense Budget at the Crossroads (Council on Foreign Relations) The U.S. defense budget is an annual snapshot of national security priorities, including the resources an administration believes are necessary  to protect and promote the country's interests, safeguard the global commons, and provide humanitarian aid. Defense budgets viewed over time provide a rough narrative of the role the U.S. military plays in the global security environment, where the projection of power is tightly tethered to economic strength. Go to article

Kan. Gov. Says State Faces ‘Continuous Fight’ for Biosecurity Lab’s Funds; Lawmakers Surprised (AP/The Republic) Some state legislators said Tuesday they were surprised by remarks from Gov. Sam Brownback that Kansas and its congressional delegation face "a continuous fight" to obtain federal funding for a new lab that would research plant and animal pathogens.  Go to article

Biological Weapons Research Center's Status Upheld (San Francisco Chronicle/SFGate) A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld the continued operation of a biological weapons research center at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, rejecting opponents' claim that the government failed to consider fully the possible release of deadly organisms in a terrorist attack. Go to article 

Congress Considers More Power for Government Against Cyberthreats to Critical Infrastructure (AP/Washington Post with Bloomberg) A developing Senate plan that would bolster the government’s ability to regulate the computer security of companies that run critical industries is drawing strong opposition from businesses that say it goes too far and security experts who believe it should have even more teeth. Go to article

National & Homeland Security

In Syria: Fears of Terrorism out of Chaos (CNN: Security Clearance Blog) As the international community debates how to stop the bloodshed in Syria, intelligence experts are looking closely at possible terrorist scenarios that could occur should the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad go. Among those scenarios is the question of whether terrorists could get their hands on Syria's weapons arsenal, which includes not only stockpiles of chemical and biological agents that have not been accounted for with the international community, but also a sophisticated anti-ship missile system as well as a small fleet of surface to surface missiles. Go to article 

Pandemic & Avian Influenza

Ethical Issues in Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs) The public comment period on this Guidance is open from February 8, 2012, through April 9, 2012. Written comments may be submitted through http://www.Regulations.gov; by mail or hand delivery. Go to article

Public Health Preparedness & Response

Drug Shortages for Infectious Diseases Are Increasing (Medscape Today) More and more drugs for infectious diseases are in short supply, with serious consequences, according to a study published online January 19 in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Go to article 

Science & Biosecurity

Anthrax Toxicity Depends on Human Genetics (Scientific American Blogs) Researchers found that some people’s lymphocyte cells, when exposed to a laboratory mixture of the bacterium, were less likely to die than cells of others. That difference seemed to be related to the regulation of a gene.  Go to article

Health Information Technology

Health Information Exchanges and Megachange (Brookings Institution) In this paper, we analyze state health information exchanges (HIEs) as an example of what MITRE researcher John Piescik calls “megachange” challenges. To develop a better understanding of megachange and health care, we look at a variety of questions. Using interviews, case studies, and documentary research, we study how state-level HIEs are implemented, what drives policy and organizational change, what the opportunities for action are, what barriers come up, and how HIEs are moving forward to overcome particular problems. Go to article