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NYC receives $29 million to detect and prevent nuclear, radiological attack
DHS awards New York City $29 million under the Securing the Cities initiative
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Push for nation-wide car tracking system in U.S.
Two companies quietly shopping new motorist tracking options to prospective state and local government clients; goal is to create a nation-wide car tracking system in the United States by using existing and newly installed red light cameras and speed cameras
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Asking fundamental questions about the homeland security agenda
The anniversary of the 9/11 attacks should occasion a debate about fundamentals, not merely a tactical, short-term security issues; such fundamental issues have to do with how the United States fits increased security from natural and man-made disasters into a liberal, democratic, free-market system characterized by federalism and checks-and-balances
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Yucca Mountain project clears another hurdle
The Yucca Mountain nuclear storage project moves forward, as NRC says it would conduct an in-depth review of the government plans
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Debating how to shore up U.S. infrastructure
As federal, state, and municipal governments justifiably look to the private sector to help rebuild the aging U.S. infrastructure, they must make sure that the public interest in affordable and accessible infrastructure does not take a back seat
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Chertoff: Neglect threatens infrastructure
DHS secretary Michael Chertoff says that lack of investment in U.S. infrastructure “[is] kind of like playing Russian roulette with our citizens’ safety”
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New York State gives company 45 days to fix problems
New York State awarded M/A Com a contract for building the infrastructure for the statewide wireless network for first responders; the contract was to be completed by December 2006; state comptroller office, citing the delay and nearly 20 other deficiencies, gives company 45 days to fix problem or see its contract revoked
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Blumenthal: Impact statement regarding Plum Island seriously flawed
Connecticut’s attorney general: “[DHS’s] draft environmental impact statement is profoundly flawed — factually deficient, and legally insufficient — mis-assessing the monstrous risks of siting a proposed national bio- and agro-defense facility on Plum Island”
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New York officials want Plum Island to remain a Level-3 BioLab
DHS is considering upgrading the Plum Island BioLab from Level-3 to Level-4 so it could conduct research into the deadliest diseases; the department argues that Plum Island’s relative isolation would make an accidental pathogen release less costly relatively to such release from a mainland-based lab; New York officials strongly disagree
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Lawrenceville, PA bioterror lab opening on hold indefinitely
A state-of-the-art, $5.6 million BioLevel 3 lab was supposed to open in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania, in 2002;
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DHS prepares for attack during transition
Elaine Duke, DHS’s undersecretary for management: “A lot of acts of terror take place in times of political change, and there’s an awareness of that…. So we’re looking at — when our political employees leave — who acts in their place … in case of an incident”
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New Mexico's new driver's license
The state’s new licenses are several steps closer to what the Patriot Act will require in the way of approved identification
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Shake-up at the top of New York State's homeland security office
David Sheppard, acting director of New York State Office of Homeland Security who was appointed by former governor George Pataki, resigned last week, signaling further consolidation of power by Michael Balboni, the state’s homeland security czar
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September to be U.S. National Preparedness Month
DHS says that more than 1,200 national, regional, state, and local businesses and organizations have pledged their support for the department’s initiative
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House appropriators approve DHS spending bill
House panel approves a $39.9 billion budget for DHS for FY 2009, about $2.3 billion more than the administration proposed; bill would boost funding for popular state and local homeland security grant programs
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The long view
Researchers Calculate Cyberattack Risk for All 50 States
Local governments are common victims of cyberattack, with economic damage often extending to the state and federal levels. Scholars aggregate threats to thousands of county governments to draw conclusions.