• Top 10 overseas security trends for the U.S. private sector in 2007

    Advisory group says theft of trade secrets (did somebody say China?), cyber attacks, and home-grown radicalism were among the major 2007 threats to U.S. businesses operating abroad — and that 2008 will see intensification of these threats

  • U.S., U.K., China, and Russia are "endemic surveillance societies"

    Respected annual report ranking countries on privacy protection gave the four nations the lowest possible rating; concern over terrorism, immigration, and border control continue to erode privacy and increase surveillance

  • Energy bill to save U.S. more than $400 billion between now and 2030

    The energy efficiency portions of the energy bill which passed the Senate save U.S. consumers and businesses more than $400 billion between now and 2030; this is triple the savings from legislation passed by Congress in 2005

  • Budget cuts threaten Fermilab's viability

    Fermilab’s 2008 budget will be 17 percent smaller than the 2007 budget; 200 of its 1,900 scientists will be laid off next month; NOνA’s neutrino experiment, Tevatron collider, other programs to be halted; one scientist says: “Effectively, Fermilab is put on a glide-path to shut down after 2011”

  • House backs TRIA version broader than one favored by Senate, White House

    House backs a slimmer version of Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) — but this version is still broader than the one favored by the Senate and White House; TRIA will expire on 31 December unless renewed, and insurance companies, big cities are increasingly anxious

  • U.K. government promotes commercialization of innovative technology

    The U.K. government and a couple of research associations are seeking bids from universities interested in hosting new Innovation and Knowledge Centers (IKCs); each center will be funded with £9.5 million spread over five years

  • Sale of controlled technology to China brings two years

    China is engaging in a broad effort to obtain Western technology, and has instructed its intellignece agencies to engage in industrial espionage in the West; a California resident is sentenced to two years in prison for selling China night-vision cameras

  • Foreign investment boosts U.S. economy

    Last year the United States attracted $180 billion in foreign direct investment; U.S. subsidiaries of foreign companies employ 5.1 million Americans with a payroll of $336 billion; this translates into annual average worker compensation of $66,042 — well above the national average; one analyst argues that we should not allow protectionist sentiments and misplaced security concerns disrupt this contribution to the U.S. economy

  • U.S. teens lag behind in science and math

    U.S. teenagers continue to fall behind students from other industrialized countries in science and math; tests conducted among students in the 30 industrialized OECD countries place U.S. students at 23rd in math and 17th in science; when compared to tests conducted among students from two dozen non-industrialized countries, U.S. students fell in the middle of the pack in science and did somewhat worse in math

  • DHS's inspector general to take a close look at FEMA

    IG predicts that the number of FEMA investigations outnumber those planned for any of the ten other DHS divisions; for 2008, the IG plans to produce 173 management reports — 53 on FEMA and 31 on the department’s management division

  • Administration plans drastic cuts in antiterrorism funds to large cities

    New York politicians slam administration’s plans to cut antiterrorism funds to New York and other large cities; if Bush includes the cuts in his annual funding request to Congress, “They’ll be dead on arrival,” Representative Peter King (R-New York) vowed

  • U.K. government looks to private sector, academia for help on security

    U.K. Home Office organize a meeting of 150 scientists, venture capitalists, chief executives, and academics to exchange ideas on new capabilities and future research priorities in the figh against terrorism

  • Aussies debate creation of DHS-like super-department

    Kevin Rudd, leader of Australia’s opposition Labor Party, has proposed the creation of a DHS-like agency to coordinate responses to terrorism and natural disasters; critics say that the current, decentralized Australian first-response system is better

  • Main Northern Ireland's Protestant militant group declares "war is over"

    The UDA specialized in revenge murders of innocent Catholics after IRA attacks; it killed hundreds of people and extorted vast sums from its own community; in the last decades, many of its members turned to drug dealing and other crimes; leaders say that, as of yesterday, the “war is over” and that the organization will stand down; UDA say it will purge criminals from its ranks

  • Foreign students face tightened U.K. security checks

    Foreign students applying for graduate study in the U.K. in 41 science and engineering subjects now must pass extra security screening