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EU prepares a massive critical infrastructure campaign
All twenty-seven capitals will cooperate in listing Europe’s most valuable sites; energy and communications seen as vital, considering the continent’s growing interdependance; industry will lend a hand, but rules in place ensure that they implement best practices regardless
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U.K. to spend £1.7 million on urban flooding projects
Urban flooding caused by limited drainage system and ancient infrastructure; overlapping and conflicting government authorities make the problem difficult to solve; global warming has British government anxious
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U. Washington robot to help survey damaged underground cables
Drone is able to traverse cables within pipes and tunnels; neoprene wheels and a gyroscope help it navigate while three onboard sensors look for signs of wear and tear
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ICRC delivers first responder vehicles to Michigan National Guard
Heavy-duty truck is first to incorporate IRCS’s national guard vehicle information system for interoperability and networking; flexible communications, NBS detection, and nighttime surveillance among the features of this interesting vehicle
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New Jersey to build railway fence along "Chemical Alley"
A 2.6 mile stretch of the New Jersey Turnpike has security planners worried; ten-foot-high fence will obtruct view of the track from both drivers and would-be terrorists; motion sensors and CCTV to be deployed as well; contract award is imminent
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Magal subsidiary signs a $1.3 million contract with Scottish hospital
Senstar-Stellar to provide FLARE Emergency Locating System to the State Hospital Facility in Scotland; system uses RF technology to locate both indoor and outdoor events
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Microsoft admits NSA assistance with Vista
Company is the first to admit such a relationship; NSA looks to plug holes in U.S. computers but may be planting traps for foreign users; known for security weaknesses, deal gives Microsoft the “Good Housekeeping” seal of approval
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DHS announces 2007 grant levels for Infrastructure Protection Program
Transit Security Grant Program, the Port Security Grant Program, the Intercity Bus Security Grant Program, the Trucking Security Program, and the Buffer Zone Protection Program see mostly gains
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DHS releases 2007 state and municipal grant funding levels
Urban Areas Security Initiative and Citizen Corps Program receive mild funding boosts; other programs see minor losses; DHS gives risk assessment the old college try
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Coast Guard suggests driver's licenses for boaters
Program would help authorities keep track of small boats; idea challenged by state planners already upset by REAL-ID Act; uniformity of IDs could lead to uniformity of sporting laws; Coast Guard concerned about smuggling, critical infrastructure
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Restrictions imposed on Nokia-Siemens deal
One result of last year’s storm over the DPW deal is the greater scrutiny now being imposed on deals involving sensitive U.S. technologies and companies; CFIUS is showing growing assertiveness in scrutinizing and imposing restrictions on deals involving communication infrastructure companies
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UPDATE: NNSA chief fired for Los Alamos security lapses
Linton Brooks gets the axe after a series of breaches expose the weakness of lab cyber-security; failure to do away with removable storage devices in weapons-related computers cited; Energy Department starts the hunt for a replacement
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Coast Guard struggles with maritime surveillance program
Port of Miami once again provides a sorry case study; Maritime Domain Awareness program confuses waves for boats; Coast Guard stops following the radar after too many problems; Automated Identification System a cause for criticism
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DHS increases TWIC issuance fees
Ballooning card production costs force a $10 increase in initial charges, with a $24 increase for replacements; TWIC program looks to manage finances while it sorts out technological challenges
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GW University launches mall guard anti-terror course
DC school teams up with International Council of Shopping Centers to improve security guard training; students learn about WMDs and how to identify suicide bombers; critics say high industry turn-over rates doom the project to failure; do malls really qualify as critical infrastructure?
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The long view
Water Wars: A Historic Agreement Between Mexico and US Is Ramping Up Border Tension
As climate change drives rising temperatures and changes in rainfall, Mexico and the US are in the middle of a conflict over water, putting an additional strain on their relationship. Partly due to constant droughts, Mexico has struggled to maintain its water deliveries for much of the last 25 years, deliveries to which it is obligated by a 1944 water-sharing agreement between the two countries.
Trump Is Fast-Tracking New Coal Mines — Even When They Don’t Make Economic Sense
In Appalachian Tennessee, mines shut down and couldn’t pay their debts. Now a new one is opening under the guise of an “energy emergency.”
Smaller Nuclear Reactors Spark Renewed Interest in a Once-Shunned Energy Source
In the past two years, half the states have taken action to promote nuclear power, from creating nuclear task forces to integrating nuclear into long-term energy plans.
Keeping the Lights on with Nuclear Waste: Radiochemistry Transforms Nuclear Waste into Strategic Materials
How UNLV radiochemistry is pioneering the future of energy in the Southwest by salvaging strategic materials from nuclear dumps –and making it safe.
Model Predicts Long-Term Effects of Nuclear Waste on Underground Disposal Systems
The simulations matched results from an underground lab experiment in Switzerland, suggesting modeling could be used to validate the safety of nuclear disposal sites.