Security

Justice Department announces charges against hundreds of alleged COVID-19 fraudsters Hundreds of people have been charged with the theft of more than $830 million in COVID-19 emergency aid following a nationwide operation conducted by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, the U.S. AP News

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Biden administration suspends funding to Wuhan lab The Biden administration is suspending all federal funding to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), the Chinese lab at the center of a controversy over the origins of the coronavirus, according to… nweixel The Hill

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The memo from an HHS official said the facility has repeatedly refused to provide documents and answer questions from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) about safety and security. HHS also told the lab it’s seeking to cut off funding permanently.

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The role of police enforcement in public health emergencies The COVID-19 pandemic, which has lasted for nearly 3 years, has killed millions of people worldwide. Globally, during this public health emergency of international concern, the police have played an important role in maintaining social stability and preventing the crisis from further escalating during lockdowns.1 They also partnered with local centres for disease control and prevention (CDC) to track citizens’ information to prevent the virus from spreading and conducted crisis communication to keep people away from misinformation. The Lancet

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Biden pushes for $1.6B funding for pandemic fraud measures President Joe Biden's administration is asking Congress to approve more than $1.6 billion to help clean up the mess of fraud against the massive government coronavirus pandemic relief programs . AP NEWS

...In a strategy announced Thursday, the administration called for money and more time to prosecute cases, to put into place new ways to prevent identity theft and to help people whose identities were stolen. ..