Budget

Congress allocates funds for planning Kansas biolab
Congress allocates $32 million for planning and design of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan, Kansas; the money for construction of the 520,000-square-foot lab and the transferring of research equipment from Plum Island, New York — about $915 million — will be released only if security concerns are satisfactorily addressed
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New DARPA director seeks to deepen relations with universities
Under the Bush administration, the relationship between DARPA, the Pentagon’s research arm, and leading U.S. universities became strained; the new director has embarked on a tour of university campuses to re-energize the government-academia cooperation in defense research
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Port Manatee receives $1 million for security
Tampa Bay-area port receives stimulus package funds to improve port security
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OSI Systems gets a $25 million deal from TSA
OSI Systems receives $25 million from TSA for advanced imaging technology; the order is placed under the terms of its recently awarded, $173 million contract with TSA
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Kansas City International Airport again to receive stimulus dollars
Kansas City International Airport will receive a $9.3 million stimulus package grant for new and enhanced closed circuit television systems; the airport’s new inline baggage screening system is already completed so it was not eligible for funding
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New baggage screening tech ahead for Port Columbus
Columbus International Airport to install a new, $51 million baggage screening system; $35.2 million will come from TSA-distributed stimulus package funds
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Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach receive $15.3 million in security grants
Grants to help improve security at ports, support implementation of TWIC program; the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach account for more imports and exports traffic than any other U.S. port
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Napolitano announces stimulus package grants
DHS secretary Janet Napolitano announced $380 million in ARRA grants — $150 million for port security, $72 for transit security, and $166 million for fire station construction
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How cloud computing can help the U.S. government -- and citizens
The administration has seen benefits in the way private industry uses cloud computing, and intends to mirror these benefits; ultimately, the idea is to make it simple for agencies to procure the applications they need
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U.S. government takes leap into the Internet cloud
Vivek Kundra, the White House CIO, said wider adoption of cloud computing solutions would allow federal agencies to “fulfill their missions at lower cost, faster, and ultimately, in a more sustainable manner”
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Corps asked to scrap floodgate plans in Belle Chasse, Louisiana
There is a debate in Louisiana about the best way to protect homes in the Jesuit Bend area: the Army Corps of Engineers wants to build a floodgate — but this would leave some 1,400 homes unprotected; residents prefer an 8-mile levee
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Most expensive RAF aircraft in history takes to the skies
More than ten years ago BAE signed a contract to upgrade, by 2000, 21 Nimrod MR2s — the last De Havilland Comet airframes left flying in the world — so that they can perform antisubmarine duties; it is now nine years later, and the number of Nimrods was reduced from 21 to 9; the first of them, now renamed Nimrod MRA4, has just taken to the skies; cost to retrofit one plane: $660 million at current rates (not to mention to price for the original planes); the cost of the 9 Nimrods is equal to the cost of 3½ space shuttles
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U.S. pays $31 million for development of smallpox treatment
Florida company awarded $31 million to to produce an inhaled version of an existing smallpox drug; Danish company in negotiations with the U.S. to develop a freeze-dried form of its smallpox vaccine
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Fifth of jobs U.S. government will fill in 2010-2012 will be security related
In security and protection, there are 52,077 projected hires in areas of intelligence analysis, international relations, foreign affairs, and security administration
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Malmo, Sweden, installs new public toilet payment system
If you want to use public toilets in Malmo, Sweden, you must now call or text-message the city’s park service, receive a one-time numerical code, enter that code on the stall door’s touch pad, and have your credit card charged — or you cannot go in
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