• A landmark investment to finance Canada-U.S. grid connection

    The biggest Canada-U.S. power grid project — a privately funded 1,200- to 1400-megawatt transmission line between Quebec and southern New Hampshire — will lower the cost of power throughout New England; the project could also meet one third of the New England’s Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative commitments with the hydroelectric power Hydro-Québec could pump through the line

  • Possible costs of tougher U.S. food safety bill worry small farmers

    Small farmers worry about a rewrite of the U.S. food safety regulations expected to be debated by a Senate committee this week; in particular, small farmers say rules designed to prevent transmission of food-borne illnesses by large growers and packers will overwhelm small growers

  • U.S. will not arm drones flying reconnaissance missions over Gulf of Aden -- yet

    The governments of the United States and the Seychelles agreed to use Mahé regional airport as a base for U.S. UAVs flying over the Gulf of Aden in an effort to gather intelligence on Somali pirates; the U.S. says it is not currently considering arming the UAVs

  • Illinois officials say holding Gitmo inmates would be economic boost

    The Obama administration is considering the Thomson Correctional Center on Monday, located 150 miles west of Chicago, as home for some detainees from Guantanamo Bay; Illinois officials say the move could provide up to 2,000 jobs and up to $1 billion in federal money to the area

  • Interference-free radio from Cambridge Consultants

    Cambridge Consultants shows a novel “spectral sensing” cognitive radio technology that will allow any radio product to transmit without interference over the so-called “whitespace” frequencies recently vacated by the U.S. digital TV switchover

  • United Technologies to buy GE Security

    UTC will acquire the GE Security business from GE for $1.82 billion; UTC says the acquisition will strengthen its presence in the $100 billion global fire-safety and electronic-security industry

  • Rockefeller targets container security

    The U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-West Virginia) said this week he is working in partnership with DHS inspector general to update current port security procedures better to protect against biological and chemical threats

  • Cyber threats now targeting traditional companies

    U.S. companies, even small and medium size, are more and more exposed to cyber threats from organized crime, foreign intelligence services, and probably terrorist organizations; 85 percent of U.S. critical infrastructure is owned and operated by private companies — and these companies are especially vulnerable to determined attacks which may ruin or seriously disrupt company operations

  • FDA releases updated Food Code

    The Food and Drug Administration has released the updated FDA Food Code; there are more than 1 million restaurants, retail food stores, and vending and food service operations in institutions such as schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and child care centers in the United States; the Food Code provides all levels of government with practical, science-based guidance regarding regulation of these food-handling organizations, and with manageable, enforceable provisions for mitigating known risks of food-borne illness

  • The costs of piracy mount

    Shipping companies report only a fraction of the actual cases of piracy for fear of their ships being impounded for long periods or because they simply do not want to pay the resultant higher insurance premium; the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) puts losses from piracy in 2008 alone at some €13 billion

  • New York, Vermont governors: Champlain Bridge beyond saving

    The state of New York saved $10,000 by not performing an ultrasound signals test on the 80-year old Champlain Bridge, which connects New York and Vermont; without the test, the New York Department of Transportation was unaware of how pervasive the rot in the bridge’s piers has become; experts concluded last week that the bridge cannot be saved, and will have to be demolished and replaced; the cost of a new bridge is estimated at $50 million; the economic damage to the communities involved is incalculable

  • Detecting a silent bridge-killer

    New York State failed to make ultrasonic test of concrete piers, which could have avoided Champlain Bridge closure; a $10,000 high-tech ultrasonic test of the piers could have provided an early warning of lurking rot and given time to make repairs to stabilize the piers before the bridge became unsafe

  • Calls Come for 'Programmatic' P3 Approach

    Stakeholders in the market push for programmatic, rather than project-by-project, approach to financing infrastructure through public-private partnerships; “The cycle of infrastructure investment is ongoing since aging toll roads, hospitals, airports, and energy facilities need to be maintained and eventually replaced,” said Jennifer Tennant, assistant vice president for Moody’s

  • Raytheon's insider threat solution receives federal validation

    Raytheon’s SureView product is now FIPS 1402 Level 1 complaint; validation means that Raytheon’s enterprise monitoring and investigation tools may now be used by government agencies, including the Department of Defense, to protect sensitive government data in computer and telecommunication systems

  • Raytheon-led team to provide the Pentagon with network-security early warning system

    A team including Raytheon, General Dynamics, SAIC, Eye Street Software, and BCMC receives a $28 million contract to provide the Pentagon with an early-warning system for defense against cyber attacks on military networks