Laws and regulations

Analyzing Congress's homeland security agenda
Heritage Foundation’s report offers useful analysis of what Congress should — and should not — do on the homeland security legal front
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Judge allows E-Verify rule to go into effect
The U.S. District Court for Maryland denied an injunction for another delay to five industry groups that are appealing the court’s earlier decision to allow implementation of the rule to go forward
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Pennsylvania bio-terror laboratory fails inspection
Pennsylvania-based BSL-3 BioLab fails, yet again, a safety inspection; the facility was finished in 2007 but has been beset by an assortment of delays, poor construction, and breakdowns
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FDA requires faster food safety reporting
FDA unveiled a new electronic database where manufacturers must notify the government, within 24 hours, if one of their products is likely to cause sickness or death in people or animals
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Russian security services step up snooping
The heightened interest might stem from authorities’ fear about possible public unrest connected to the economic crisis; in the first half of this year, the secret services filed nearly 77,200 requests for search warrants, more than 66,000 requests to tap phones and nearly 7,800 requests to read mail
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Businesses seek to delay implementation of E-Verify
A business coalition files suit to prevent DHS from implementing E-verify as of next Tuesday; E-Verify would require federal contractors to verify the legal status of their workers
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Immigration reform without Kennedy
Kennedy dramatically changed the U.S. immigration system with the Immigration Act of 1965, which eliminated the quota system and allowed immigration from Latin America and Asia to increase substantially
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U.S. has a flawed approach to cyber security
Critics call on courts to recognize that obsolete computer systems are a major cause of security breaches; “As the courts probe (the) causative issues, it will become increasingly clear that computer systems’ failure to embed automated alerts is the root problem”
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Pilot argues TSA is needlessly obsessive with airline security
A pilot argues that TSA’s obsession with the improbable repetition of a 9/11-like attack has left the U.S. commercial aviation more vulnerable to terrorism; rather than worry about box cutters, he says, TSA should scan more baggage for explosives
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President to be able to seize private-sector networks in an emergency
A bill being drafted in Congress (the is a revised bill — the original went further) permits the president to seize temporary control of private-sector networks during a cybersecurity emergency
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Laptops at border crossings may be searched without probable cause
DHS formalized policy regarding searches of electronic devices and media at border crossings; such searches may be conducted without suspicion or probable cause
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Judge prohibits VIP from selling customers' personal data
VIP shut down its Clear airport fast pass service on 22 June; the 260,000 customers who gave their full names, Social Security numbers, and biometric identifiers such as finger prints and iris scans to the company do not want the defunct company to sell their information a third party; a judge agrees, but the order could be withdrawn
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Security experts float plan for GA airport security ratings
There are 15,000 private planes flying in the United States with no security rules; these planes use a network of 4,700 small airports which themselves are only lightly monitored for security; security experts say it is time for general aviation to be monitored more carefully for security
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In Photo ID case, security concerns win out over religious beliefs
An employee of Sunoco refused, on religious grounds, to allow his picture for an ID; a judge rules that owing to security considerations, the company does not have to accommodate the employee
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Perimeter security: much is yet to be done
Multiple jurisdictions, a large number of stake holders, and lack of extensive and specific mandates from TSA make airport perimeter security a daunting task — a task which many airports are yet to address effectively
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