Department of Homeland Security

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US Seeks 'Ethical Hackers' to Combat Cyber Threats

(Newser) - To combat the rising threat of attack on the nation’s computer networks, the US government is turning to the dark side for help, the AP reports. A call has gone out for so-called “ethical hackers” who “think like the bad guy” to work with Homeland Security to...

Napolitano Apologizes to Vets for Report

DHS had painted soldiers as prone to right-wing extremism

(Newser) - Janet Napolitano apologized today for language in a recent Homeland Security report suggesting that veterans were more likely to be wooed by far-right extremist groups, CNN reports. “The return of military veterans facing significant challenges,” said the report evaluating domestic threats, “could lead to the potential emergence...

Obama to Create Border Czar Post

(Newser) - A former Justice Department official has been picked to be the Southwest border czar—a new position created by the Obama administration to handle illegal immigration and border issues. The new Homeland Security Department post will be responsible for issues related to drug-cartel violence along the US-Mexico border and the...

Foreign Cyberspies Threaten Electrical Grid

(Newser) - It may sound like a B-grade espionage thriller, but foreign cyberspies have infiltrated the US electrical grid and stand ready to wreak havoc at the right moment, the Wall Street Journal reports. The foreign hackers—from China, Russia, and elsewhere—have left behind software programs that could theoretically allow them...

US Mulls Coastal Security in Wake of Mumbai

(Newser) - The recent terrorist attack in Mumbai has US officials redoubling efforts to secure America’s coastline, the Christian Science Monitor reports. The Coast Guard is planning to increase security by issuing ID cards to workers and installing transponders on boats to keep track of activity in US waters. But some...

Mexican Border Arrests Hit 30-Year Low

Recession, enforcement keep Mexicans at home

(Newser) - The number of people trying to sneak into the US appears to be plummeting, thanks to tougher enforcement and the beleaguered US economy, USA Today reports. Just 705,000 people were caught trying to sneak in from Mexico in fiscal 2008, the lowest total since 1976. “We're definitely making...

Chertoff's Cleaner Hired Illegals

Fined owner says he's a 'scapegoat,' blasts Homeland Security system

(Newser) - A cleaning service whose illegal workers got past Secret Service checks to scrub Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff’s home is facing fines for hiring undocumented laborers, the Washington Post reports. The owner calls the enforcement uneven, saying his small business may go under while customers and large companies enjoy...

Napolitano Pick Suggests Focus on Immigration
Napolitano Pick Suggests Focus on Immigration
ANALYSIS
Nov 21, 2008 12:45 PM CST

Napolitano Pick Suggests Focus on Immigration

Rumored Homeland Security nominee has hawk cred on border

(Newser) - If Janet Napolitano is indeed Barack Obama’s pick for Homeland Security chief, it likely signals a shift in the department away from terrorism and toward immigration issues, CQPolitics reports. The Arizona governor has been on the front lines of the immigration battle. “She would do a pretty serious...

Sources: Napolitano Tapped for Homeland Security

Insiders say Arizona governor has accepted the job, subject to vetting

(Newser) - Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano is Barack Obama's first choice to head Homeland Security, transition insiders tell CNN. Napolitano, the focus of Cabinet speculation for weeks, plans to accept the job following vetting from the president-elect's team, according to sources. Napolitano's office, contacted by the Arizona Republic, declined to confirm—or...

1M New Citizens Break Century Record

Fee increase helps immigration service clear huge backlog

(Newser) - Over a million new American citizens took the oath of allegiance last year—the highest number since the government began keeping records a century ago, reports CNN. The number of people going through the naturalization process has been steadily climbing for decades. The clearing of a major 2007 backlog—along...

Homeland Security Chief: Terror List Isn't So Long

Feds to take over airline passenger screening from next year

(Newser) - The terrorist watch list isn't the million-name behemoth it’s been reported as, the Homeland Security chief says. Only 2,500 people are on the no-fly list, according to Michael Chertoff, and just 10% of them are US citizens. Less than 16,000 people are on another, lower-level threat list,...

US Composer Says Feds Are After Him

John Adams claims agents have targeted him for his politics

(Newser) - One of the most famous composers in America insists that Homeland Security has targeted him for his liberal views, the Guardian reports. John Adams, who achieved fame with his Nixon in China opera 20 years ago, says airport immigration grills him whenever he comes home. "I'm perfectly aware that...

Judge Orders 17 Gitmo Inmates Freed

Major blow to White House as judge refers to nation's 'founding principle'

(Newser) - In a huge blow to the Bush administration a federal judge has ordered the immediate release of 17 Chinese Muslims who have been imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay for seven years, reports the Washington Post. He said the men must be released to volunteer Uighur families by Friday for possible resettlement...

US Illegal Immigration Plunges
 US Illegal Immigration Plunges 
Oct 3, 2008 3:00 AM CDT

US Illegal Immigration Plunges

For the first time in years, legal immigrants outnumber incoming illegals

(Newser) - The number of illegal immigrants entering the US has plummeted in the last several years, a new study has found. Close to 800,000 illegal immigrants entered the US each year from 2000-2004, but 500,000 have entered each year since, reports the Washington Post. For the first time in...

Surveillance Plan Moves Forward, Despite Concerns

Homeland Security program would allow local government to access spy photos

(Newser) - A Government Accountability Office review raises concerns about plans for domestic satellite surveillance, the Wall Street Journal reports, but Homeland Security will proceed anyway. A bill allows the agency to provide satellite imagery for emergency and scientific purposes, but could be expanded to include surveillance and border control. The department...

Texas Battles Ike Blackouts, Floods, Looting

FEMA struggles to keep Houston, Galveston supplied

(Newser) - Federal officials were working yesterday to move emergency supplies and fresh water to distribution centers in beleaguered Houston, where residents were struggling to cope with continued flooding, blackouts and looting. Millions are still without power and a curfew is in force, reports the Houston Chronicle. Officials in Galveston, meanwhile, appealed...

Boy, 8, Makes 'Terror Watch List'
 Boy, 8, Makes 'Terror Watch List'
Aug 20, 2008 5:05 AM CDT

Boy, 8, Makes 'Terror Watch List'

Third grader joins many others on flaw-filled 'no-fly' list

(Newser) - James Robinson, 8, shares more than a name with a pilot and a former assistant attorney general, CNN reports. All three have found themselves on the government's terrorist watch list and must verify they're not James Robinson, suspected terrorist, before they can fly. Little James was first held up at...

Feds Compile Database on Border-Crossing US Citizens

Agents will track crossings and store info for 15 years

(Newser) - The federal government has begun tracking the border crossings of US citizens and building a huge database with the information, the Washington Post reports. The data collection, made possible by machine-readable documents, has alarmed privacy groups. The government plans to keep the information for 15 years and share it with...

US Seeks to Weaken Hurricanes
 US Seeks to Weaken Hurricanes
Aug 2, 2008 1:42 PM CDT

US Seeks to Weaken Hurricanes

Scientists propose techniques to modify the weather

(Newser) - The Department of Homeland Security is hoping that weather-altering techniques can lessen the devastation caused by hurricanes, the Daily Telegraph reports. A hurricane reduction program likely to begin in October will devote $64 million to efforts such as spreading tiny salt particles in the storms to drain them of much...

Border Agents Have Right to Seize Any Traveler's Laptop

Homeland Security 'update' outlines sweeping powers

(Newser) - US border agents can seize laptop computers or other electronc devices from any traveler entering the country and keep them indefinitely, even without suspicion of wrongdoing, the Washington Post reports. A policy update released by Homeland Security, dated July 16, says agents can keep any information-storing device they please and...

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