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Canada's crumbling infrastructure reaching critical point
New study says $200 billion needed to shore up Canada’s infrastructure in order to keep private sector competitive
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New fingerprint analysis technique to be used to identify bomb makers
University of Leicester researchers develop new technique to identify fingerprints on metal; technique can pick up fingerprints on metal even after they have been wiped off
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U.K. to spend £40 million on mobile biometrics for police
Project Midas will allow police to use fingerprint information to identify people at the scene of incidents in real or near real time
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Prisons of the future: High-rise structures, smart cards for inmates
Israel is building new prisons based on new concepts: High-rise structures which will deter escapes (how many prisoners will risk a jump from the tenth floor?), and smart cards which will allow inmates to roam unescorted — but monitored
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NYC airports to get $400 million for explosive detectors
Responding to post 9/11 federal mandates, three New York City-area airports invested about $400 million in security upgrades; the federal government has agreed to reimburse the airports for the expenses
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Science and the anthrax case: Case closed?
The authoritative scientific journal Nature says that the FBI’s evidence against Bruce Ivins is impressive, but that the case is not closed as many important questions remain unanswered
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Salmonella-suspect Mexican peppers still being sold in U.S.
The CDC and FDA now suspect the Mexican jalapeño peppers are the cause of the outbreak of salmonella poisoning which has sickened 1,434 people in the United States so far, but these peppers are still being sold in the to U.S., if for a lower price
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Mexicans turn to radio implants as kidnapping for ransom soar
Kidnapping for ransom has become a growth industry in Mexico; in response, more and more Mexicans are having tiny radio transmitters implanted under their skin so they can be quickly tracked and rescued
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EAGLE task order opportunities
With the federal fourth quarter underway, vendors are wondering where end-of-year spending will happen; task order vehicles are an obvious place to look because task orders can be competed and awarded quickly; DHS’s EAGLE task order is one example
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Legal skirmish over Defcon talk shows divide on disclosing security flaws
Gag order slapped on MIT students who prepared a talk about Boston transit authority security flaw reignites debate over what “responsible disclosure” of security flaw means
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Aussies to create private-public partnership to strengthen infrastructure
The Australian federal government has established a $20 billion Building Australia Fund to help finance critical infrastructure projects; trouble is, the country’s tender process is erratic and complicated; new measure aims to correct this
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Kiwis plan for critical infrastructure investment
New Zealand’s government plans massive increase in investment in infrastructure; Finance Minister Michael Cullen: “We will deliver more investment…. You will be hearing a lot more about infrastructure from the Labor-led government in the months ahead”
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Nuclear fuel cycle echnology R&D, $15 million awarded
U.S. Department of Energy awards funding ranging in value from $200,000 to $2,000,000 to 34 organizations to do reasearch into spent fuel separations technology, advanced nuclear fuel development, fast burner reactors, and advanced transmutation systems, advanced fuel cycle systems analysis, advanced computing and simulation, safeguards, and advanced waste forms
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Report calls for long-term homeland security capacity
The U.S. homeland security effort should be long-term in nature and less dependent on the political vagaries of the annual budgeting process; security efforts will be more sustainable if they are “dual use” and offer broader societal benefits beyond just security
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DHS prepares for attack during transition
Elaine Duke, DHS’s undersecretary for management: “A lot of acts of terror take place in times of political change, and there’s an awareness of that…. So we’re looking at — when our political employees leave — who acts in their place … in case of an incident”
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The long view
Muslim radicalization in Britain
“It is difficult to quantify the extent of Muslim youth radicalization in Britain. Also, we have to be clear about the definition of radicalization. Are we talking about people who are joining extremist organizations or those who just have extremist views? But I agree that there is definitely a general sense that things are not going well here” says an expert on radicalization. “There is no single factor that is driving the youth toward extremism. The issues of identity, alienation, peer pressure, search for a cause, frustration with modernity and acceptance of certain mythological aspects of the Muslim history are all contributing factors.”