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White House plans to weaken CFIUS security review powers
DHS, Justice, the Pentagon, and the U.S. intelligence community oppose the merger of 3Com and Huawei Technology, arguing it will bolster Chinese military computer network attack operations; the White House plans to issue presidential order which would undermine the law designed to tighten security review of foreign companies, thus allowing the merger to go through
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North Korea argues it had no plan to enrich uranium for weapons
Another potential embarrassment for U.S. intelligence: North Korea says it will prove that it never had the plans or the means to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons
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FLIR expanding Gulf presence
FLIR’s sensor technology, used in border protection and perimeter defense, among other applications, has won the company several hefty contracts in the Gulf region; company eager to build on its success
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New York contests power transmission corridor ruling
In April the Department of Energy designated a large swath of New York State part of a National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor; the state government challenges the designation
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Book shows importance of geospatial technology in homeland security
Geographic information system (GIS) technology proves to be of growing importance in protecting the nation from natural disasters, diseases, and terrorist threats
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More tools for preplanning, premapping emergency response
Emergency preparedness software gives first responders a better view of the rescue scene with new mapping technologies
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FitzPatrick nuclear power station
Upstate New York nuclear power plant shut down for the third time in two months owing to wind blowing debris into the plant’s water intake
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DHS relaxes chemical plant reporting rules
In April DHS issues a list of 344 hazardous chemicals which businesses would have to track and disclose to the department through an online reporting system; under pressure from several industries, the list is reduced to 300, and reporting threshold of many chemicals of highest security concern raised
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North Korea to dismantle nuclear weapon capability
U.S. nuclear experts today begin supervising the North’s main nuclear complex at Yongbyon
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Bush administration's nuclear waste reprocessing plan criticized
Reprocessing spent nuclear fuel creates more fuel for nuclear plants, and reduces the need for nuclear waste storage; trouble is, reprocessing also creates weapons-grade plutonium; Bush administration believes there is a new, safer reprocessing method, but a panel of scientists says there is not, and until there is, the U.S. should continue to oppose reprocessing
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DARPA-funded UCSD research yields world's most complex phased array
Tritons researchers develop world’s most complex phased array; the 16-element chip is just 3.2 by 2.6 square millimeters, can send at 30-50 GHz
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States battle rise in copper thefts
New threat to U.S. infrastructure: Wave of copper theft; DOE estimates that losses to businesses hover around $1 billion; states pass tougher laws to stem the tide
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Honduran authorities detect Cesium-137 in container at port
Puerto Cortes, Honduras, was declared a safe port by the United States more than a year ago — and the designation proved correct: Last Sunday radiation detectors at the port detected high doses of radiation in a container (it turned out to be medical stuff used in sterilization of equipment)
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TWIC inches forward, but legislators criticize missed deadlines
Employees at Wilmington, Delaware port were the first to enroll in TWIC last month; this month, employees in eleven additional ports will begin enrollment; still, program delays are met with a bipartisan chorus of criticism on the Hill
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Maryland State Police to gather critical infrastructure data from air
Johns Hopkins’s APL develops new technology which allows officers to monitor critical infrastructure facilities digitally from the air and quickly locate, inspect important structures during patrols
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The long view
Accelerating Clean Energy Geothermal Development on Public Lands
Geothermal energy is one of our greatest untapped clean energy resources on public lands. Replenished by heat sources deep in the Earth, geothermal energy generates electricity with minimal carbon emissions. Interior Department announces new leases and pioneering project approval, and proposes simplified permitting.
Efforts to Build Wildfire Resilience Are Heating Up
Stanford’s campus has become a living lab for testing innovative fire management techniques, from AI-powered environmental sensors to a firebreak-creating “BurnBot.”
Reducing Vulnerability to Sea-Level Rise in Virginia
As the climate changes and sea levels rise, there is concern that sinking coastlines could exacerbate risks to infrastructure, as well as human and environmental health in coastal communities. The Virginia Coastal Plain is one of the fastest-sinking regions on the East Coast.
Climate Change Threatens Bridges, Roads: Research Helps Engineers Adapt Infrastructure
Across America, infrastructure built to handle peak stormwater flows from streams and rivers have been engineered under the assumption that rainfall averages stay constant over time. As extreme weather events become more frequent, these systems could be in trouble.