Napolitano Quashes 100 Percent Screening for Maritime Cargo
DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that the United States is no longer going to screen every cargo container before it enters the United States
SOS – Somebody Please Save Our Ships
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) accounts for about one-quarter of the staff of the Department of Homeland Security. Its role in protecting the homeland is vital. The White House is poised to make the bad state of the service’s aging fleet worse, cutting back even further on the anemic plans to refurbish and replace aging vessels. This disaster in the making will have consequences nowhere worse than in the Pacific, where the oceans are as big as U.S. interests.
Ahoy Matey! Legal Issues Ahead! – Pirates Released at Undisclosed Location
Last week, news reports indicated that 18 pirates apprehended after attacking a Singaporean vessel in the Indian Ocean were released to “an undisclosed location” because no nation was willing to detain or prosecute them. Why? The first problem was that while the pirates attacked a Singaporean vessel, they were saved by a Finnish one. And this isn’t the first time this has been a problem.
Thad Allen's reflections on BP Oil Spill One Year Later
It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since the BP Oil Spill occurred. There are a lot of important voices to be heard, but for me, the most important one comes from the man who led the months-long response efforts, Admiral Thad Allen, the former Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Senators Seek to Extend Port Security Programs
Senators Seek to Extend Port Security Programs – GSN News
A pair of U.S. senators on Thursday unveiled legislation to renew programs aimed at thwarting potential transfers of weapons of mass destruction and other illicit cargo through U.S. seaports.
FDA says border check system back on track
FDA says border check system back on track – NextGov
A system to aid the examination of food and drug imports will be running nationwide by the end of this year after a software glitch held it up for months, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg told Congress on Wednesday.
CBP Re-Examines Manpower Needs At US Ports Of Entry
CBP Re-Examines Manpower Needs At US Ports Of Entry – HSToday
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has made recent advances in deploying new infrastructure and technology at US ports of entry, but it has struggled with the staffing levels at those ports, acknowledged the CBP deputy in charge of port operations Tuesday.
Napolitano: U.S. Screening Cargo, Passengers Coming From Japan
Napolitano: U.S. Screening Cargo, Passengers Coming From Japan – Fox News blog
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says the U.S. is conducting radiation checks on passengers and cargo coming from Japan in the wake of the disaster that has left nuclear facilities damaged.
A Shutdown Won't Affect Airport, Border Security
A Shutdown Won’t Affect Airport, Border Security – NPR
If Congress fails to come up with a spending bill to keep the federal government operating next week, and a shutdown occurs, the TSA airport screeners will keep working. Also reporting to work will be the people who secure the nation’s borders.
Left Out in the Cold – Coast Guard Arctic Missions
The Coast Guard is an integral part of DHS, though it has never gotten its fair share of resources. That is nowhere more the case than when it comes to fulfilling its responsibilities for looking after U.S. interests in the Arctic. DHS Inspector General recently concluded that the Coast Guard has neither sufficient ships nor budgetary authority to accomplish its current missions.
