Morning Roundup - August 25th

From the New Orleans Times-Picayune, with an interview with Secretary Napolitano:

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said Monday that it's her department's job to conclude the long-running dispute over how much FEMA owes Louisiana for the damage inflicted on Charity Hospital by Hurricane Katrina, but up to Louisianians to figure out what happens next and how to pay for what FEMA won't.

"They have to make choices and we're not in a position to make choices for communities, " Napolitano said in an interview with The Times-Picayune in advance of Saturday's fourth anniversary of Katrina.

"What we are in the business of is facilitating the recovery of the community -- breaking through some of the bureaucratic entanglements that existed prior to January and moving things through as quickly as possible within the confines of what we're able to provide, " Napolitano said.

Napolitano's comments on Charity track those made last week by President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. All expect Louisiana to use a new binding arbitration process established for resolving disputes between the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state and local officials.

From the Newark Star Ledger, on Global Entry:

For $100 and a fingerprinting session, frequent international travelers can now shave a few minutes off their wait time after landing at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Starting today, pre-approved U.S. citizens and permanent residents re-entering the country can skip passport-checking lines and pass through an automated kiosk instead.

"For frequent business travelers, it's a great program," said John Saleh, a spokesman for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection office in New York. "They come off the plane with their carry-on, they go up to the kiosk, and they're out the door within a couple minutes."

From the Associated Press, on CBP's repatriation program:

Immigration authorities are flying illegal immigrants deep into their native Mexico from Southern Arizona to discourage dangerous crossings in triple-digit desert heat.

The twice-daily flights from Tucson to Mexico City are intended to keep immigrants away from border towns where they would likely run into smugglers who want to sneak them back into the U.S.

"This is where the probability of losing their lives can really increase. We offer that opportunity for them to get out of that cycle," John Torres, a special adviser to the assistant secretary of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said Monday in Tucson.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security flights began Saturday for the sixth straight summer and will end Sept. 28.

Tucson is the only spot in this country where the flights depart. Arizona is the busiest illegal entry point into the U.S.

Since 2004, more than 82,000 Mexicans have been returned as part of the repatriation program. The number, however, represents just a small portion of illegal immigrants in this country.

Public Events

8 AM EDT

U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen will deliver remarks about Coast Guard Diversity initiatives at the Coast Guard Training Forum of the Blacks in Government National Training Convention
Baltimore Hilton Hotel
1 West Pratt Street
Baltimore, Md.

8:30 AM EDT
National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity and Communications Gregory Schaffer will deliver opening remarks at the GFIRST Conference
Omni Hotel at CNN Center
100 CNN Center
Atlanta, Ga.

10:30 AM EDT
NPPD Critical Infrastructure Protection Cybersecurity Program Director Patrick Beggs will deliver remarks at the GFIRST Conference about information technology sector risk
Omni Hotel at CNN Center
100 CNN Center
Atlanta, Ga.

1 PM CDT
Office of Health Affairs (OHA) Acting Director for Food, Agriculture and Veterinary Defense Doug Meckes, D.V.M., will participate in a panel discussion about animal identification needs related to homeland security issues at the ID Info Expo 2009
Westin Crown Center Hotel
One Pershing Road
Kansas City, Mo.

3:45 PM EDT
NPPD Cyber Exercise Program Director Brett Lambo will deliver remarks about cyber exercises at the GFIRST Conference
Omni Hotel at CNN Center
100 CNN Center
Atlanta, Ga.

3:45 PM EDT
NPPD National Cyber Security Division Acting Director Dr. Peter Fonash will participate in a panel discussion about raising cybersecurity awareness at the GFIRST Conference
Omni Hotel at CNN Center
100 CNN Center
Atlanta, Ga.

Morning Roundup - August 24th

From HS Today, on the Coast Guard's arctic presence:

One of the final presidential policy directives issued by the Bush administration, Homeland Security Presidential Directive 25 (HSPD- 25) , issued on January 9 2009 declared that the "United States is an Arctic nation", with varied and critical security interests in the Arctic region.

Since taking office the Obama administration and new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary Janet Napolitano have reiterated the call for deeper focus on the Arctic, citing in particular the global security implications of climate change in the region, which by melting summer sea ice is fast accelerating maritime activity and the flow of goods, oil, gas and other resources.

Last Thursday at a special "field hearing" held in Anchorage, Alaska by US Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, US Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen, discussed how the Coast Guard was stepping up its Arctic Presence to address the challenges emerging in that fast changing region.

From ABC, on the Border Patrol's efforts to disrupt smuggling in Nogales:

Maria Elena Leyva cannot see the problem that has recently made her hometown notorious along the US-Mexican border.

It is beneath her feet -- hidden in the earth below hills speckled with mesquites, pines, and oaks.

In the words of the county sheriff, Nogales is becoming "the drug-tunnel capital of the world."

Since 1990, the US Border Patrol has found 109 tunnels along the border with Mexico, all in California and Arizona. Sixty-five -- or 60 percent -- have been found in Nogales, with 16 of those discovered in the past nine months.

Until the 1990s, the international line here was just a chain-link fence that allowed Americans and Mexicans to look each other in the eye, Ms. Leyva recalls, sitting on a porch only two blocks from the border. But during the past few years in particular, an arsenal of manpower, physical barriers, and electronic surveillance has made the border a virtual fortress.

This has forced drug smugglers to look for alternate means of moving marijuana, heroine, and cocaine into the US. "We've increased our enforcement on the ground, so they have to compensate for it and that's why they're developing tunnels," Border Patrol spokesman Michael Scioli says.

Public Events
9 AM PDT
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Air & Marine Operations personnel will participate in a media availability and demonstration of the newly acquired Advanced Concept Demonstrator Vessel
Squallicum Harbor Boat Ramp
Roeder Avenue and Bellwether Way
Bellingham, Wash.

3 PM MST
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Advisor to the Assistant Secretary John P. Torres will participate in a media availability about the beginning of the 2009 Mexican Interior Repatriation Program (MIRP)
Tucson International Airport
Executive Flight Terminal
Tucson, Ariz.

Morning Roundup - August 20th

From the Associated Press, on yesterday's H1N1 guidance:

Government officials are calling on U.S. businesses to help manage swine flu this fall by getting vaccines to vulnerable workers and encouraging employees with symptoms to stay home.

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said Wednesday that employers should develop plans for managing both seasonal and swine flu. Businesses should encourage employees who are at-risk for swine flu to get the vaccine as soon as it becomes available. First in line are pregnant women, health care workers and younger adults with conditions such as asthma.

The government is trying to prepare for the possibility of a widespread outbreak this fall, which could hurt businesses along with the broader economy by keeping workers home. Unlike regular seasonal flu, the H1N1 virus which causes swine flu has not retreated during the hot and humid summer months, and so far has infected more than 1 million Americans.

Locke briefed reporters on recommendations for U.S. businesses at a press conference alongside Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

From the North County Times in California, on ICE Assistant Secretary Morton's visit to San Diego yesterday:

A top-level official with the Department of Homeland Security said in San Diego on Wednesday that the agency would more strictly focus its enforcement efforts on arresting illegal immigrants with criminal histories.

In recent years, the agency has been criticized by immigrant rights activists for using raids ostensibly aimed at targeted individuals who were a threat to national security or community safety, but also arresting illegal immigrants nearby, known as collateral arrests.

John Morton, the assistant secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who was in San Diego on Wednesday, said that the agency would more tightly focus the program on criminal immigrants but would not give a "free pass" to those who have been ordered to leave the country by an immigration judge.

"If we're going to have any kind of system that works and has credibility, there's got to be enforcement," Morton said.

Public Events
2:30 PM Local
U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen will testify before the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Homeland Security about the Coast Guard’s Arctic Presence
University of Alaska Anchorage
Consortium Library Lew Haines Memorial Room (Room 307)
3211 Providence Drive
Anchorage, Alaska

Morning Roundup - August 19th

From the Times-Picayune, on the Secretary's announcement in New Orleans on Monday:

Southern University at New Orleans, which has clawed its way back to 85 percent of its pre-Hurricane Katrina enrollment, will get $32 million in additional grants to rebuild four academic buildings on its original campus, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Monday in front of a receptive faculty conclave.

The secretary's announcement ends a long-running dispute between the flood-ravaged school and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the primary source of rebuilding money for state and local government entities.

The grants will bring SUNO's post-storm federal aid to $92 million. And it underscores a federal commitment to rebuild the institution's Pontchartrain Park campus on Press Drive, rather than moving the entire university to the makeshift lakeside campus that opened in temporary buildings after Katrina.

The anticipated construction on the original 17-acre campus -- combined with ongoing projects on the Lake Campus -- should result in a more impressive physical plant for SUNO than the 11-building, 3,600-student campus that flooded almost four years ago. The university already has partially refurbished six buildings, and it has broken ground on a new technology building, a business school and a $44 million residential complex.

From the Yuma Sun, on the Border Patrol's arrest of a wanted gang member:

Two Border Patrol agents nabbed a wanted gang member after spotting him during a bicycle patrol in San Luis, Ariz., Monday evening.

BP said several arrest warrants had been issued for the suspect who had been on the run from the San Luis Police Department for some time.

According to BP, on Aug. 12 agents assigned to the Yuma Station bike patrol unit assisted SLPD with a domestic violence call. The subject fled the scene before agents arrived.

"The Border Patrol agents were asked to help a police officer respond to the domestic violence call because he was alone," said Laura Boston, Border Patrol agent with the Yuma Sector Public Affairs.

The agents were later informed by San Luis police that the subject was a known member of the Plaza Barrio Wild Gang in that city and had several active felony warrants for domestic violence, dangerous drugs and felony flight.

Leadership Events
11 AM EDT
Secretary Napolitano will participate in a media availability to announce H1N1 business guidance
Department of Commerce
Main Auditorium
1401 Constitution Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20230

Public Events
2:15 PM EDT
NPPD Supervisory Program Analyst Ryan Oremland will present an update on the National Emergency Communications Plan at the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International Annual Conference and Expo
Hilton Pavilion 6
Las Vegas Hilton
3000 Paradise Road
Las Vegas, Nev.

3:45 PM EDT
NPPD Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) Director Chris Essid will deliver remarks about the OEC and the National Emergency Communications Plan at the APCO International Annual Conference and Expo
Conrad Room
Las Vegas Hilton
3000 Paradise Road
Las Vegas, Nev.

4:40 PM EDT
ICE Assistant Secretary John Morton will be participating in a pen and pad with San Diego-area media
185 West F Street
2nd Floor
San Diego, California

Morning Roundup - August 18th

From the Associated Press, on the Secretary's trip to New Orleans yesterday:

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Monday the Obama administration was honoring its pledge to cut red tape and speed the flow of rebuilding aid to the Gulf Coast, with more than $895 million in infrastructure funds set aside for Louisiana since President Barack Obama took office.

The latest pledge of money - $32 million - was announced during her second visit in five months to Southern University at New Orleans, which was virtually wiped out by Hurricane Katrina nearly four years ago. Only a few buildings have been renovated to date, and some classes and school activities are still held in trailers at a nearby campus.

The money is to replace four buildings. The school and Federal Emergency Management Agency had previously not come to terms on the level of damage caused by the Aug. 29, 2005 storm and levee breaches.

"It's really awesome," Chancellor Victor Ukpolo said.

Shortly after taking her post earlier this year, Napolitano ordered a fresh look at hurricane recovery efforts that had been marred by red tape, finger-pointing and hard feelings by officials at all levels. The review prompted, among other things, joint federal-state teams to resolve project disputes.

From USA Today, on a new set of charges for a known hacker:

Federal authorities in New Jersey on Monday charged accused TJX hacker Albert Gonzalez and two unnamed Russians with also cracking into the computer systems of Heartland Payment Systems, 7-Eleven, Hannaford Bros. and two unidentified companies.

Gonzalez, 28, of Miami, is now at the epicenter of the largest data breach criminal case in U.S. history. He was previously charged on May 2008 and August 2008 by federal authorities in eastern New York and Massachusetts, suspected of breaching data systems linked to more than 2,500 stores owned by the TJX (TJX) retail chain, parent of T.J. Maxx. TJX reported losing more than 94 million payment card transactions. Gonzalez pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.

He faces the Heartland charges beyond that. "This investigation marks the continued success of law enforcement in tracking down cutting-edge hacking schemes," Ralph Marra, acting U.S. Attorney of New Jersey said in a statement.

From the Wall Street Journal, on preparing for H1N1:

With about 55 million U.S. children heading back to school in the next few weeks, concerns are growing that the H1N1 swine flu will spread even further than it already has. Identified by scientists four months ago, the virus has already turned up in nearly every corner of the world, from Argentina to Iran. It defied public-health officials' predictions of a lull in the warm summer months, proliferating in military units and children's summer camps.

More than two million people are believed to have contracted the new flu in the U.S.; 7,511 had been hospitalized and 477 had died as of Aug. 13, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. World-wide, 177,457 people have been confirmed with the disease, and 1,462 deaths had been reported as of Aug. 12, according to the World Health Organization.

A vaccine against the new flu is under development, but it is unlikely to be widely available before the flu season gets under way. That could leave many people scrambling to protect themselves and their children.

Here is what you need to know:

How dangerous is the H1N1 swine flu?

Public Events
2 PM Local
U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen will participate in a media availability about Arctic Domain Awareness
Fairbanks International Airport
General Aviation Hanger
6459 Airport Way
Fairbanks, Alaska

Morning Roundup - August 17th

From the Houston Chronicle, an op-ed written by Secretary Napotlitano:

As a former U.S. attorney, attorney general and governor of Arizona, I spent more than 15 years working in the Southwest and watching the challenges of our shared border evolve over time. Since the beginning of the Obama administration, our response to these challenges has evolved as well.

The change is needed.

For the past eight years the federal government approached the Southwest border as having a set of problems that were somehow independent from our nation's broader challenges with immigration, security, counternarcotics enforcement and international cooperation.

But there's a more strategic, more cooperative path, and we are taking it.

The Obama administration's approach is to view border security, interior immigration enforcement and counternarcotics enforcement as inextricably linked.

At the top of our border security mission is combating violence by Mexico-based drug cartels. To be sure, we haven't seen anything like Mexico's cartel violence here in the U.S. But the smuggling organizations are transnational, and the Obama administration is giving this issue the highest-level attention.

Over the past six months, we have forged a true partnership with Mexico's President Felipe Calderon, while building stronger relations with agencies across the federal government, and at the state, local and tribal level.

From Federal Computer Week, on Secure Flight:

Aug 14, 2009 Airlines will start asking passengers to provide their birth dates and gender on Aug. 15 as the Transportation Security Administration continues to take over from airlines the responsibility of screening travelers against subsets of the government's terrorist watch list.

The additional information will be required from passengers as part of TSA's Secure Flight passenger vetting program. However, if passengers aren't prompted to provide the additional information by a particular airline, they shouldn't worry as it won't affect their travel, TSA said in a statement.

As part of that multibillion-dollar, multi-phase information technology program, aircraft operators will be required to provide every passenger's information to TSA.

That agency, which is part of the Homeland Security Department, will then compare that information to the relevant watch list subsets and tell the airline whether it is authorized to print a boarding pass.

From the Associated Press, on current storm activity:

Tropical Storm Claudette made landfall on the Florida Panhandle near Fort Walton Beach early Monday while Hurricane Bill became the first hurricane of the 2009 Atlantic season.

Claudette, the first named storm to hit the U.S. mainland this year, was weakening as it moved farther inland Monday. But even before its arrival, the storm dumped heavy rains in some areas Sunday. It was not expected to cause significant flooding or wind damage.

Elsewhere, Hurricane Bill had maximum sustained winds near 75 mph but was expected to strengthen.

"We do believe (Bill) could become a major hurricane during the next couple of days," said Daniel Brown, a hurricane specialist for the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Bill was centered about 1,160 miles east of the Lesser Antilles and moving quickly west-northwest at 22 mph. The first hurricane of the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season ironically shares the same name as National Hurricane Center Director Bill Read.

Leadership Events
10:30 AM CDT
Secretary Napolitano will deliver remarks about Gulf Coast rebuilding efforts and participate in a media availability with Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator (FEMA) Craig Fugate and Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding Janet Woodka
Southern University at New Orleans
University Cafeteria
6400 Press Drive
New Orleans, La.

Public Events
National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) Director of Software Assurance Joe Jarzombek will deliver remarks about national efforts for deploying software systems at the annual METROCON Technical Conference
Sheraton Arlington Hotel
1500 Convention Center Drive
Arlington, Texas

10:30 AM PDT
ICE Assistant Secretary John Morton will be participating in a pen and pad with Los Angeles-area media
300 N. Los Angeles Street
Room 1275
Los Angeles, California

12 PM Local
U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen will participate in a media availability about Arctic Domain Awareness
Nome Airport
Army National Guard Hanger
500 Bering Street
Nome, Alaska

Morning Roundup - August 14th

From the San Antonio Express-News, on yesterday's agreement:

High-ranking U.S. and Mexican government officials signed an agreement in San Antonio on Thursday they say provides an unprecedented level of cooperation between the two countries in fighting cross-border drug crime.

The letter of intent recommends a joint strategic plan in weapons and ammunition trafficking investigations. The letter was signed during the last day of a convention for Border Security Task Force (BEST) teams, which are led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The conference also was attended by senior Mexican officials.

"This will leverage the investigative capabilities of both governments and launch a more unified effort in investigating weapons smuggling cases," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said.

Mexican Attorney General Eduardo Medina-Mora said the deal recognizes shared responsibility for the gun-trafficking problem.

"Mexico is very, very respectful of the legal constitutional framework in the U.S.," he said. "But the Second Amendment was never meant to arm foreign criminal groups, and we should go after the criminals that are illegally shipping weapons into the criminal hands of groups based in our country."

ICE assistant secretary John Morton also announced the first BEST office to open in Mexico for Mexican law enforcement officers and U.S. agents to share information and evidence. ICE has 15 BEST teams along U.S. borders.

From Federal Computer Week, on the new civic network "Our Border":

The Homeland Security Department has created a moderated social network designed to spur informed debate and discussion about topics related to the United States' Southwestern border.

The network named Our Border is hosted on the site Ning.com and is open to everyone. But although posted content is visible to anyone who visits, people need to have an account with the Ning network to participate, DHS said. However, the network is administered and moderated by DHS and all content is reviewed by the department before it's posted, according to the network's content policy.

DHS will use the network to communicate the department's policy, post photos and videos, and engage in dialogue, according to the policies detailed on Our Border. The department administers the network and plans to eventually use Ning's live chat feature on Our Border, according to DHS' privacy impact assessment.

Four discussion groups are currently available on the site: Customs and Border Protection, Comprehensive Immigration Reform, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Also from Federal Computer Week, on Global Entry:

The Homeland Security Department's international registered traveler program is going strong. The program is expanding from seven airports to 20 airports starting Aug. 24, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano announced.

DHS started the Global Entry international trusted traveler program in June 2008 as a pilot project at three airports. It grew to seven airports last fall.

U.S. citizens and others who want to enroll in Global Entry must submit to a security check and interview and provide a fingerprint. Once enrolled, upon returning to the United States, they can use a kiosk to process their passports and scan their fingerprints. This typically results in less waiting than a manual check by U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees, DHS said.

To date, approximately 16,000 members have enrolled in Global Entry at the seven existing locations and in April, DHS signed an agreement for reciprocal treatment with airports in the Netherlands.

This month, the department will add 13 more airports to the program, Napolitano said in a news release Aug. 12.

"Expanding this vital program allows us to improve customer service at airports and concentrate our resources on higher-risk travelers," Napolitano said.

From the Palm Beach Post, on welcoming a new group of citizens and opening a new USCIS facility:

After Kalvin Berice Lindo became an American citizen on Thursday, he kissed his crying wife, took a deep breath and said, "I finally feel like I'm part of the world."

The 55-year-old man, originally from Jamaica, stood proudly with 24 others as they vowed to be great Americans. And though naturalization ceremonies take place at least twice a week in Palm Beach County, this ceremony was even more special because it took place at the grand opening of the new U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services building on Belvedere Road in Royal Palm Beach.

U.S. Rep Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, and newly inducted USCIS director Alejandro Mayorkas were on hand for the traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony and to congratulate the 25 for their accomplishments.

"It's a wonderful moment you'll remember forever," Klein said. "You have a special responsibility to take it upon yourself to make our country stronger and better."

The 38,000 square foot building, which opened in March, is expected to process 57,000 customers a year. More than one million people become U.S. citizens each year and about 8,000 of those become citizens here in Palm Beach County, said Sharon Scheidhauer, USCIS spokeswoman.

Public Events
6PM EDT
USCIS Office of Citizenship Chief Rebecca Carson will participate in an information session for immigrants interested in learning more about U.S. citizenship and the naturalization process
USCIS Atlanta Field Office
2150 Parklake Drive
Atlanta, Ga.

Morning Roundup - August 13th

From the Associated Press, on a mutual pledge to cooperate in the fight against cartel-related violence:

The U.S. heads of Homeland Security and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives plan to sign a letter of intent with the attorney general of Mexico again pledging cooperation and shared intelligence in the battle against drug cartels and other border violence.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Mexican Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora and ATF's acting director, Kenneth Melson, will meet in San Antonio on Thursday at a border security conference.

The letter of intent isn't as weighty as some previous agreements but was being used by officials to again pledge cooperation to stop escalating cartel-related violence.

From Weather.com, on the latest tropical outlook:

Tropical Depression 2 is slowly but surely gaining organization in the eastern Atlantic and is likely on its way to becoming Tropical Storm Ana.

Meanwhile, what is that big thunderstorm complex to its right? It's a well-developed tropical low that has now emerged off the coast of Africa. It definitely bears watching.

Model run after model run of several models continues to develop this tropical low into an eventual tropical depression, tropical storm and then hurricane.

A model run, by the way, is the time when a computer program produces a possible future weather scenario given the atmospheric conditions at the present time.

Generally speaking, this is done about 2 to 4 times a day (a few weather models, however, are run every 2 to 3 hours).

One such weather model that develops this large disturbance is the GFS (Global Forecast System) model. You can see its depiction of the tropical Atlantic for this coming Sunday morning below.

Take note of what happens to TD 2 (perhaps by then, Ana). It shows an eventual weakening of TD 2 as it approaches the northern Windward Islands.

Meanwhile, the GFS predicts that the tropical low just now off the coast of Africa could very well be a tropical storm or a hurricane by this Sunday. Could this be Bill?

From NextGov, on setting the record straight on the cyber mission:

Reports of a struggle among agencies about who should oversee governmentwide cybersecurity are inaccurate, and the biggest problem in locking down federal networks is recruiting enough information security workers, said Homeland Security Department officials.

"The misconception that concerns me most is that infighting is happening" among the federal agencies involved in cybersecurity initiatives, said Phil Reitinger, deputy undersecretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate in an interview with Nextgov. "I just don't see that. Are there disputes between agencies? Yes. Are there arguments between components of DHS? Yes. We're people -- that's how it works.

But the degree of collaboration and joint work around the mission is really amazing. There's hard commitment in DHS and across agencies . . . and a deep well of shared experience."

Leadership Events
11 AM CDT
Secretary Napolitano, Mexican Attorney General Eduardo Medina-Mora, Mexican National Public Security System Executive Secretary Jorge Tello Peón, ICE Assistant Secretary John Morton and ATF Acting Director Kenneth E. Melson will participate in a press conference
Grand Hyatt Hotel
Texas Ballroom Salon F (Fourth Floor)
600 East Market Street
San Antonio, Texas

Public Events
9 AM PDT
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate will participate in a media availability for the opening of the new Los Angeles Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
500 E. Temple Street
Los Angeles, Calif.

10 AM PDT
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Public Affairs Manager Suzanne Trevino will participate in a media availability about paperless boarding pass technology with Continental Airlines representatives
San Diego International AirportTerminal
23707 N. Harbor Drive
San Diego, Calif.

1 PM PDT
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas will officially open the new USCIS field office in West Palm Beach and participate in a naturalization ceremony
USCIS West Palm Beach Field Office
9300 Belvedere Road
Royal Palm Beach, Fla.

3 PM CDT
TSA Public Affairs Manager Sari Koshetz will participate in a media availability to introduce the new Explosive Detection System (EDS) equipment
Tunica Airport
White Oak Road
Tunica, Miss.

Morning Roundup - August 12th

From the Los Angeles Times, on the Secretary's address at the Border Security Conference in El Paso yesterday:

One day after President Obama concluded a summit in Mexico, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Tuesday that securing the Southwest border required targeting several issues at the same time: illegal immigration, drug trafficking and violence in Mexico.

Napolitano said her strategy was unlike the Bush administration's, when "the issue of the Southwest border was walled off from all other issues."

"Our approach is to view Southwest border security, along with enforcement of our immigration laws in the interior of the country, counter-narcotics enforcement and streamlined citizenship processes together," she said. "These things are inextricably linked."

Napolitano said the U.S. government is cooperating with the Mexican government more than ever to battle drug-related violence, citing efforts to stop the drugs flowing north and guns and cash flowing south.

"We have a unique opportunity now with Mexico to really break up these cartels," she said. "Shame on us if we don't take full advantage of that."

Napolitano also announced an additional $30 million in federal funds for local law enforcement in California and other border states to better fight trafficking and violence. Agencies in California will receive nearly $7.4 million. The money is in addition to $60 million announced in June.

From the Deming Headlight, on the Stonegarden announcement:

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano took the occasion Tuesday of a Southwest Border Security Conference at the University of Texas at El Paso to announce an additional $30 million for Operation Stonegarden.

The announcement was seen via video conference in five U.S. Border Patrol Stations, including Deming. San Diego, Tucson, and Texas' Del Rio and Rio Grande Valley stations were also online.

Operation Stonegarden, in which the Luna County Sheriff's Office and the Deming Station of the USBP participate, provides funds for equipment and operational costs related to border-area crime. The $30 million is in addition to $60 million already
allocated for the current fiscal year.

"I think that's going to allow state agencies and other municipalities to get involved in coordinating efforts on border violence," said Luna County Sheriff Raymond Cobos, who was at UTEP. "It's a very positive thing."

From the Atlantic Online, a profile of and interview with FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate:

Craig Fugate, the new head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency under President Barack Obama, is an unusual choice for the job, historically speaking. Unlike many of his predecessors, most famously Michael "Heckuva Job" Brown under President George W. Bush, Fugate (pronounced few-gate) has experience in the relevant subject matter. A former firefighter, Fugate managed disasters for 20 years in Florida, the fiasco capital of America. Even more bizarrely for FEMA, often a dumping ground for friends of the powerful, Fugate has no political connections to Obama. Instead, he got his job the old-fashioned way-when Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano was looking for candidates, people kept mentioning his name. He has a reputation for telling it like it is-in a field where "it" is usually bad. And what Fugate has to say may come as strong medicine for his fellow citizens, nine out of 10 of whom now live in a place at significant risk for some kind of disaster.

A bear of a man with a white goatee, an aw-shucks accent, and a voice just slightly higher than you expect, Fugate has no university degrees but knows enough to be mistaken for a meteorologist by hurricane experts. He grew up in Alachua County, smack in the middle of Florida. Both of his parents died before he graduated from high school. As a teenager, he followed his father's example and became a volunteer firefighter. Then he became a paramedic, earning the nickname "Dr. Death" for having to pronounce more people dead on his first day than anyone before him. But he found his calling when he moved into emergency management, in 1989. Obsessively planning for horrible things he could not really control seemed to inspire him. "He is emergency management," says Will May Jr., who worked with Fugate for more than 20 years and is now Alachua's public-safety director. "That's what he does. He spends practically all his waking life working in it, thinking about it, talking about it, planning how to do things better."

Public Events
10:30 AM CDT
Office of Counternarcotics Enforcement Acting Director John Leech will deliver remarks at the 2009 Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST) Conference
Grand Hyatt Hotel
600 E Market St.
San Antonio, Texas

1:45 PM MDT
National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) Control Systems Security Director Sean McGurk will deliver remarks at the 2nd International Symposium on Resilient Control Systems
University Place
1784 Science Center Dr
Idaho Falls, Idaho

Morning Roundup - August 11th

From the Los Angeles Times, an interview with the Secretary:

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is attending a conference in Texas on border security. She sat down with a Times reporter Monday to discuss a number of issues, including the Mexican drug war, immigration detention in the U.S. and legislative reforms.

How effective have the new technology and extra personnel at the border been, and what more can be done to target the drug cartels and border violence?

They have been very effective because they have been coordinated, they have been targeted, they have been done in collaboration with the Mexicans, which is a change from years past. . . . How has it worked so far? It's done well. What do we need to be doing more of or do differently? We want to continue our joint efforts to add to Mexican civilian law enforcement.

At some point, for example, the military needs to leave Ciudad Juarez and we need to have a civilian law enforcement capacity there. . . . You have got to be able to match manpower with technology, with really good, smart, targeted, intelligence-driven law enforcement to really have a system that makes sense.

From the Associated Press, on the North American Leaders Summit:

President Barack Obama and his counterparts from Mexico and Canada emerged Monday from a speed summit united on recession-fighting and Honduras' ousted leader but still divided on security and trade, the areas that most define their partnership.

The annual three-way meeting lasted barely more than four hours, spanning dinner Sunday night and Monday's morning of talks. There were repeated shows of friendship as the leaders gathered at the Institutos Cabanas, a 19th century home for poor children that's now a sprawling art museum, but there were no concrete announcements.

Further, questions about domestic policy - especially Obama's efforts to overhaul U.S. health care - took much of the attention as the three leaders appeared together before reporters in a graceful stone-arched courtyard.

From the Associated Press, on a new tool to fight smugglers:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection unveiled on Monday a prototype vessel for high-speed pursuits of smugglers ferrying people and drugs from Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean.

The 43-foot boat is faster, more stable and carries about twice as much fuel as the agency's current vessels, which were rolled out from 2001 to 2005.

The $875,000 prototype has infrared cameras and sensors that give detailed images as far as the horizon goes. Currently, agents often use goggles, which detect things only as far as the naked eye can.

The agency hopes to get funding to replace its fleet of about 65 vessels for high-speed chases that are stationed in the Gulf of Mexico, Florida's Atlantic Coast and in the Pacific Ocean near the borders with Canada and Mexico.

Leadership Events
10:30 AM MDT
Secretary Napolitano will meet with members of the Southwest Border Task Force and participate in a video teleconference
Undergraduate Learning Center, Room 220
500 West University Ave
El Paso, Texas

11:15 AM MDT
Secretary Napolitano will deliver remarks at the Border Security Conference and participate in a media availability
University of Texas at El Paso
Undergraduate Learning Center, Room 106
500 West University Ave
El Paso, Texas

Public Events
10:30 AM EDT
Office of Health Affairs (OHA) External Affairs Director Bob Davis will participate in a breakout session on nuclear crisis and emergency risk communication at the 2009 National Conference on Community Preparedness.
Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel
2799 Jefferson Davis Highway
Arlington, Va.

10:30 AM MDT
Assistant Secretary John Morton will announce the repatriation of $2.4 million from a joint investigation between U.S. and Mexico
Grand Hyatt Hotel
600 E Market, Salon F, 4th Floor
San Antonio, Texas

11:00 AM EDT
Cincinnati Resident Agent in Charge Rich Wilkens will announce the arrests and indictments of 50 individuals as part of a national marriage fraud scheme dubbed Operation Honeymoon’s Over
221 East 4th St – Suite 400
Cincinnati, Ohio

1:00 PM EDT
ICE Acting Field Office Director Phil Miller will give a tour of the South Louisiana Correctional Facility for local media and Non – Governmental Organization’s
South Louisiana Correctional Center
3843 Stagg Ave
Basile, La.

Morning Roundup - August 10th

From the Wall Street Journal, on the North American Leaders Summit:

U.S. President Barack Obama arrived in Mexico for his first summit with his Mexican and Canadian counterparts, with economic and security issues high on the agenda.

During the two-day North American Leaders Summit, Mr. Obama, Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper are discussing efforts to stem the spread of the H1N1 flu virus, economic competitiveness, national security, and global climate change, White House officials said. Canada and Mexico are the U.S.'s first- and third-largest trading partners, respectively, and trade-related issues are another focus of the meeting.

Late Sunday afternoon, Mr. Obama joined Mr. Calderon in what one senior administration official described as a "cordial" bilateral meeting. Mr. Calderon raised objections to a U.S. ban on Mexican trucks shipping goods across the border, a violation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

"I think there's been a clear understanding that this issue was one that was a priority issue and one that everyone would like to see resolved as quickly as possible," the administration official said.

From the Washington Post, on H1N1:

As the first influenza pandemic in 41 years has spread during the Southern Hemisphere's winter over the past few months, the United States and other northern countries have been racing to prepare for a second wave of swine flu virus.

At the same time, international health authorities have become increasingly alarmed about the new virus's arrival in the poorest, least-prepared parts of the world. While flu viruses are notoriously capricious, making any firm predictions impossible, a new round could hit the Northern Hemisphere within weeks and lead to major disruptions in schools, workplaces and hospitals, according to U.S. and international health officials.

"The virus is still around and ready to explode," said William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University School of Medicine influenza expert who advises federal health officials. "We're potentially looking at a very big mess."

President Obama arrived in Mexico on Sunday for a two-day summit that will include discussions on swine flu, along with Mexico's drug wars, border security, immigration reform and economic recovery.

"Everyone recognizes that H1N1 is going to be a challenge for all of us, and there are people who are going to be getting sick in the fall and die," said John Brennan, the U.S. deputy national security adviser for counterterrorism and homeland security. "The strategy and the effort on the part of the governments is to make sure we . . . collaborate to minimize the impact."

From MSNBC, on counterfeit cash:

Nicholas Ostergaard has a new policy at the Jukebox, the deli and pub he owns in Indian Trail, N.C.: "No more hundreds."

The Jukebox now accepts nothing bigger than a $50 bill after a teenager paid for an $11 order last month with what turned out to be a fake $100 bill and walked away with $89 in change.

"I instantly thought it was fake," Ostergaard said. But when he checked the bill with a detector pen - a common device that uses iodine to verify U.S. currency - "it came up it was real."

That made the deli another victim in what the U.S. Secret Service said was an ambitious counterfeiting operation that has spread as much as $60,000 in phony currency at businesses from Hickory to Greensboro, in central North Carolina, just since May.

Leadership Events
8:45 AM EDT
Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute will deliver remarks at the 2009 National Conference on Community Preparedness
Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel
2799 Jefferson Davis Highway
Arlington, Va.

Public Events
8 AM EDT
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate will deliver opening remarks at the 2009 National Conference on Community Preparedness
Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel
Arlington, Va.

2:30 PM MDT
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Secretary John Morton will participate in a panel discussion on The Merida Initiative at the Border Security Conference
University of Texas at El Paso
500 W. University Ave.
El Paso, Texas

Morning Roundup - August 7th

From the Washington Post, on reforming immigration detention:

The Obama administration announced plans Thursday to restructure the nation's much-criticized immigration detention system by strengthening federal oversight and seeking to standardize conditions in a 32,000-bed system now scattered throughout 350 local jails, state prisons and contract facilities.

John Morton, director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said his goal within three to five years is to hold noncriminal immigrants in a smaller number of less prison-like settings. Those facilities would meet federal guidelines ensuring access to pro bono legal counsel, medical care and grievance proceedings, he said.

"We need a system that is open, transparent and accountable," Morton said. "With these reforms, ICE will move away from our present decentralized jail approach to a system that is wholly designed for and based on civil detention needs and the needs of the people we detain."

The new approach comes after a massive detention buildup under President George W. Bush, an increase that civil liberties and immigrant advocacy groups say led to systemic abuse. Starting after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and accelerating as Washington took a get-tough approach to illegal immigration, ICE's detention system more than tripled in size. It now houses nearly 400,000 immigration violators a year.

From the Associated Press, on the updated hurricane outlook:

The Atlantic hurricane season will be less active than originally predicted, government forecasters said Thursday after the first two months of the half-year stretch passed without any named storms developing.

Updating its May outlook, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said a warmer weather pattern called an El Nino over the Pacific Ocean was acting as a damper to tropical storms in the Caribbean and neighboring Atlantic.

But forecasters at NOAA's National Hurricane Center warned people to remain vigilant because the peak period for hurricanes runs from this month through October. The overall season lasts from June through November.

From the Baltimore Sun, on crab canneries no longer in a pinch:

Maryland seafood processors, desperately short of hands to pick crabmeat, are rushing to apply for visas for foreign workers after the federal Department of Homeland Security declared Thursday that 25,000 seasonal immigration permits have gone unclaimed for this year.

The unexpected discovery that some of the annual allocation of 66,000 seasonal worker visas were still available was a welcome relief for the operators of Eastern Shore crab "picking houses," some of which had remained shuttered when the season started in the spring because they could not find enough help.

Even in a region with nearly double-digit unemployment, the crab companies remain reliant on migrant labor from abroad because so few local residents are willing to take the messy, repetitive jobs.

Recent employment drives have been unsuccessful, leaving employers to wait for federal relief.

"This is great news, just huge," said Jack Brooks, president of the Chesapeake Bay Seafood Industries Association, and co-owner of J.M. Clayton Co., a Cambridge picking house that has been operating with less than half its normal staff. He and others say the federal announcement came in the nick of time to save the state's seafood industry from the brink of economic calamity.

From the Wall Street Journal, on yesterday's denial of service attacks:

Multiple Internet sites, including popular hangouts Twitter and Facebook, were temporarily disrupted Thursday after they were struck by apparently coordinated computer attacks.

Users were unable to access Twitter's Web site for about two hours starting around 9 a.m. EDT. Around the same time, Facebook users saw delays logging in or using the social network.

Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. were working together with Google Inc. to investigate what happened, according to a person familiar with the matter. Another person familiar with the attack said it may have been targeted at a single Russian activist blogger with accounts across the impacted services.

The companies traced the problem to what the computer industry calls "denial-of-service" attacks, which are designed to make sites inaccessible by overwhelming them with a flood of traffic. Though such attacks are fairly routine, simultaneous action against multiple consumer Internet companies is rare.

Leadership Events
9:16 AM EDT
Secretary Napolitano, Secretary Sebelius, Secretary Duncan and CDC Director Tom Frieden will participate in a news conference about new H1N1 School Guidance
Health and Human Services Headquarters
200 INDEPENDENCE ST. SW
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Public Events
10:00 AM EDT
U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen will preside at the Change of Watch where Vice Admiral David Pekoske will relieve Vice Admiral Vivean Crea as the Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard
Coast Guard TISCOM
7323 Telegraph Road,
Alexandria, Va.

2:00 PM EDT
ICE Special Agent in Charge Bruce Foucart will participate in a media availability announcing arrests pursuant to an ICE-led Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) case
Bristol County District Attorney’s Office
888 Purchase Street
New Bedford, Mass.

Morning Roundup - August 6th

From the Tacoma News Tribune. Looks like someone's headed into the penalty box:

A 24-year-old Canadian woman is facing a federal charge after she was allegedly arrested near the border in Whatcom County with 577 pounds of marijuana.

A U.S. Border Patrol unit stopped Brandine Phillips in a pickup truck as she was about to turn onto Highway 542 near Maple Falls early Tuesday morning. Charging papers say the marijuana was packed in 12 hockey bags.

According to the documents, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had been tailing Phillips for days, and watched her drive from the Nooksack River Casino up a remote, one-lane, dead-end road toward the Canadian border. The ICE agents began following her again at a distance after she drove back down the road, and that's when the Border Patrol unit intervened and pulled her over.

From the Washington Post, on more funding for anti-terror teams for the Washington, D.C. Metro system:

The federal government will pay almost $10 million for the Metro Transit Police to put 20 officers on five anti-terrorism teams, Metro officials announced Wednesday.

The department has a Special Response Team, said spokeswoman Cathy Asato, but the force has not had specific teams focused on counterterrorism. A Department of Homeland Security transit grant program will provide the money to create them.

"They're going to recruit from within to form these anti-terror teams," Asato said, "then we'll recruit 20 new officers to fill their spots."

The 420-member force will increase by almost 5 percent as a result of the hires. Metro said that the four-person units will increase law enforcement visibility in stations and that the teams would increase random patrols of Metro facilities and vehicles, respond more quickly to suspicious packages and gather intelligence that might be shared with federal law enforcement officials.

Leadership Events
11:30 AM EDT
Secretary Napolitano and Senator Landrieu will participate in a media availability
Russell Senate Office Building, Room 428A
Washington, D.C.

Public Events
11:00 AM EDT
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Secretary John Morton will announce major reforms to ICE’s immigration detention system during a media teleconference
Potomac Center North
500 12th St. SW

1:00 PM EDT
U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Vice Commandant Admiral Vivean Crea will participate in a panel discussion on women in military service and the legacy of WWII Coast Guard Women’s Reserve (SPARs)
Coast Guard Headquarters
2100 2nd Street SW
Washington, D.C.

1:30 PM EDT
DHS Office of Health Affairs (OHA) Chief Veterinarian Thomas McGinn will deliver remarks about agriculture and veterinary preparedness at the Foreign Animal and Emerging Disease training course
The University of Tennessee
Conference Center
600 Henley Street
Knoxville, Tenn.
Washington, D.C.

Morning Roundup - August 5th

From Federal News Radio, on the Secretary's cybersecurity speech yesterday:

The Homeland Security Department has reorganized how it oversees cybersecurity.

Department Secretary Janet Napolitano says as DHS grew up over the past six years, cybersecurity was spread throughout the agency. She says this was a common issue across the government not just within DHS.

But now under Phil Reitinger, the deputy undersecretary of the National Protections Program Directorate, DHS's structure has improved.

"If the question is who at DHS do you call, it's going to be Phil or someone who works for him," says Napolitano Tuesday during a cybersecurity conference sponsored by the Secret Service and DHS in Washington.

"One thing we have done is to take cyber and elevate its prominence within the department and concentrate all key personnel decisions and the like about cyber under one person, Phil, who reports to an undersecretary, who reports directly to me. So you have a command and control structure that elevates cyber within all of the many threats DHS has to deal with."

From the Associated Press, on a new intelligence center at Selfridge:

The federal government is building an intelligence gathering center designed to help detect smuggling, terrorism and other crime across the long and liquid Great Lakes border between the U.S. and Canada, authorities said Tuesday.

The $30 million Operational Integration Center at Selfridge Air National Guard Base is the first center of its kind on the northern border and is expected to open next May. It will analyze and act on aircraft video, border camera images and other information from several federal, state and local agencies.

Officials say the center eventually should incorporate data from satellites, unmanned aircraft and other sources, and provide real-time information from across the entire Great Lakes border.

The base is in Macomb County's Harrison Township, 20 miles northeast of Detroit.

The Department of Homeland Security has several centers that gather and share law enforcement resources along the U.S.-Mexico border. But officials said Tuesday that the Michigan operation will be a big boost for the northern border, which is nearly twice as long as its southern counterpart and historically has received fewer resources despite threats such as the smuggling of drugs, people and weapons.

Public Events
10 AM CDT
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Roy Rivera will participate in a media availability about human trafficking and child pornography hosted by the Children at Risk Organization
1001 East Elizabeth Street
Brownsville, Texas

2:30 PM EDT
Under Secretary for Management Elaine Duke will testify before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia on strengthening the federal acquisition workforce
342 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C.

Morning Roundup - August 4th

From the Washington Post, on a new FEMA working group focused on the needs of children during a disaster:

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is going to plan more broadly for children and their needs as the government prepares for disasters.

"Children are not small adults," FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said Monday.

Most disaster plans are crafted around adult populations, and people with specific needs - such as children - are often an afterthought, Fugate said in an interview with The Associated Press.

A new FEMA working group will work with the congressionally mandated National Commission on Children and Disasters, created in 2007. The FEMA group will focus on specific guidance for evacuating, sheltering and relocating children; helping childcare centers, schools and child welfare programs prepare for disasters; and making disaster preparation part of the Homeland Security Department's grant programs.

The working group's findings could mean changes to the country's blueprint for disaster response, known as the National Response Framework, Fugate said.

From the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, on some new equipment at the Greater Rochester International Airport:

The federal Transportation Security Administration has started using advanced imaging technology to scan passengers at the Greater Rochester International Airport.

The new machine, a backscatter X-ray scanner, is expected to remain in Rochester for a 60-day test period, said John McCaffrey, federal security director of the Greater Rochester International Airport. When using the machine, security officials can quickly and unobtrusively screen passengers without any physical contact. The machine is being used in one of the airport's six security lanes, in place of a metal detector.

"We're very excited to have this equipment in Rochester," McCaffrey said Monday. "This is an additional layer of security that gives our officers the tools to detect threats and has privacy protections built in for the traveling public."McCaffrey said the machine reduces the need for pat-down searches for passengers with joint replacements or other medical conditions, because the machine scans for metal and nonmetal objects in a person. Use of the machine is safe for all passengers, he said.

From the Associated Press, on a terrorism drill in New York City today:

Law enforcers on boats are holding a terrorism drill south of the Verrazano Bridge.

The goal is protect the area from a potential "dirty bomb" or nuclear device.

Participants on about 17 vessels will practice checking for radioactive material.

The exercise is being held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday.

It's part of an NYPD-led initiative called Securing the Cities. The funding comes from the federal Department of Homeland Security.

Leadership Events
8:45 AM EDT
Secretary Napolitano will deliver remarks at the U.S. Secret Service Global Cyber Security Conference
JW Marriott Hotel
Capitol Ballroom
1331 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, D.C.

Public Events
10:30 AM EDT
Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate will testify before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery about the needs of children in disasters
342 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C.

Morning Roundup - August 3rd

An excerpt from the Secretary's interview on CNN last week:

We're joined now by the secretary of homeland security, Janet Napolitano. Madam Secretary, it's good to see you this morning. Thanks for being with us.

NAPOLITANO: Thank you.

ROBERTS: So, this new counterterrorism strategy, you want to involve the public to a greater degree than ever before -- how do you get the public involved in protecting this nation against the threat of terrorism?

NAPOLITANO: Well, one way is being on shows like this one and just saying, "Look, we want to make the country safe, keep the country safe, every individual has a role." Cities, counties, towns, they all have a role -- all of the federal government, of course, is involved, and then, even our international partners. So, it's a multilayer strategy for how to get at this problem.

ROBERTS: You know, if you ride the subway here in New York City, and I do quite often, you see signs all over the place that say, "See something, say something," you know, everybody has to participate. But many people might wonder, you know, will this become a case of, you know, neighbors reporting on neighbors, spying on neighbors? And how do you prevent, you know, an increase of suspicion, particularly across ethnic and religious lines?

NAPOLITANO: Well, I think you're right to point out that there's a balance to be struck. But what we're asking people to do is when they see something unusual, a package left unattended on a subway platform -- we've had incidents even during my short tenure as secretary where an individual seeing a gun being passed in an airport that had been screened that would have gotten onboard but for that passenger sounding the alert. Those are the kinds of things that individuals can help us with.

Public Events
1:30 PM EDT
Assistant Secretary David Heyman will participate in a blogger roundtable at the NAC to discuss the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review
DHS Headquarters
Nebraska Avenue Complex
3801 Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington, D.C.

3 PM EDT
Management Directorate Acting Chief Procurement Officer Rick Gunderson will testify before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security about eliminating wasteful contractor bonuses
342 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C.

Morning Roundup - July 30th

From the Washington Post, on the Secretary's speech in New York yesterday:

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano urged Americans on Wednesday to join a "collective fight against terrorism" that combines the efforts of individuals, companies and local, state and foreign governments.

Answering critics who have accused the Obama administration of downplaying the risk of terrorist attacks, Napolitano said the threat has not abated and outlined an approach that emphasizes burden-sharing as federal spending and political support for post-Sept. 11 security measures wane.

"I am sometimes asked if I think complacency is a threat. I believe the short answer is 'yes,' " Napolitano said, speaking to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York before visiting the World Trade Center site destroyed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

"But I think a better question is this: Has the U.S. government done everything it can to educate and engage the American people? The answer is 'no,' " she said.

In what aides called a major counter-terrorism policy address, Napolitano noted that American hotels were targeted in bombings this month in Jakarta, six Americans were among 164 people killed in a commando-style assault in Mumbai in November and three Americans were among 54 killed in a Marriott Hotel in Islamabad in September.

To confront a terrorism threat that "is even more decentralized, more networked and more adaptive," she said, counter-terrorism efforts also need to exploit the values of "networks." For example, the nation needs better technology, training and linkages to share information with 780,000 local law enforcement agents, Napolitano said, promising to strengthen 70 state-run intelligence "fusion centers" that began under the Bush administration.

And from the New York Times:

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano called Wednesday for closer collaboration with foreign partners, more intensive cooperation between the federal government and local law enforcement officials, and greater involvement by civilians in watching for and responding to terrorist threats.

"For too long, we've treated the public as a liability to be protected rather than as an asset in our nation's collective security," Ms. Napolitano said in a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. "This approach, unfortunately, has allowed confusion, anxiety and fear to linger."

Ms. Napolitano, whose visit to New York included her first trip to ground zero, seemed intent in her speech on a shift of tone from that of the Bush administration, which critics say too often appeared to exaggerate threats and sow fear. But she unveiled no specific new initiatives in this regard.

She did say she had traveled 30,000 miles in just the last few weeks - "from Islamabad to Seattle" - while brokering international security agreements.

And she emphasized the importance of facilities, called intelligence fusion centers, that have been set up nationwide to improve communications between the local officials most likely to see the first signs of suspicious activity - like a flight school student showing interest in learning to take off but not to land a plane - and state and federal officials.

Public Events
8 AM EDT
CS&C Division Director Brenda Oldfield will speak at the 2009 Society for Science and the Public Fellows Institute.
St. Regis Hotel
923 16th and K Streets, NW
Washington, D.C.

10 AM CDT
CBP Office of Air and Marine will accept its first UH-60M helicopter and mark the occasion in a ceremony with the Army.
Redstone Army Airfield
Gate 8 Visitor Entrance, near intersection of Goss and Patton Road
Huntsville, Ala.

10 AM EDT
TSA Public Affairs Manager Jon Allen will participate in a media availability announcing a 60-day test of next generation imaging technology equipment at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
Terminal Dr.
Cleveland, Ohio

12 PM EDT
NPPD Deputy Under Secretary Philip Reitinger will deliver a keynote address on the importance of cyber security for states at the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) Annual Meeting.
InterContinental Harbor Court Hotel
550 Light Street
Baltimore, Md.

1 PM EDT
CS&C Director of Software Assurance Joe Jarzombek will speak at the Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board (ISPAB)
The George Washington University
Cafritz Conference Center
800 21st St NW
Washington, D.C.

2:30 PM EDT
DHS Office of Management (MGMT) Under Secretary Elaine Duke will testify before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia
342 Dirksen Office Building
Washington, D.C.

3:30 PM PDT
CS&C Director of the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) Mischel Kwon will participate in a panel discussion at the Black Hat conference.
Caesar’s Palace
3570 Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV

Morning Roundup

From the Wall Street Journal, on the Secretary's trip to New York:

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is expected to outline Wednesday the Obama administration's domestic approach to preventing terrorist attacks -- a strategy that will rely in large measure on refining and expanding initiatives launched under President George W. Bush.

How to keep the U.S. safe and foil terrorists are charged issues that took a central role in last year's presidential campaign, when then-Sen. Barack Obama criticized the Bush administration's tactics. But Ms. Napolitano, in an interview this week, signaled that the Obama administration isn't contemplating a wholesale revision of the agencies or programs created under Mr. Bush to further antiterrorism efforts.

One element of Ms. Napolitano's approach, for example, will be the expansion of a pilot program started during the Bush administration to train police to report such suspicious behavior as the theft of keys from a facility that keeps radiological waste.

It is part of a much broader effort to significantly increase cooperation between her agency and state and local governments across the nation. Her aides say this is one area where her efforts will significantly exceed those of her predecessors in the Bush administration.

From Federal News Radio, on the department's new CIO:

The Homeland Security Department is bringing back a familiar face to be its chief information officer.

DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano today announces the appointment of Richard Spires to be CIO.

Spires is the former CIO and deputy commissioner for operations support at the IRS. He left government in July 2008.

Since Sept. 2008, Spires has owned his own consulting practice, according to his Linked In profile.

"Richard has an impressive record of managing large-scale IT programs and I look forward to working with him to find more efficient and innovative ways to help the department meet its strategic and information resource management goals," Napolitano says in a release.

Spires replaces Richard Mangogna, who left in March 2009. Margie Graves has been acting CIO since Mangonga left.

Spires will be responsible for managing and directing information management support processes, combining the functions of information technology and telecommunications to provide coordinated support strategies for meeting DHS-mission related information needs, DHS says in the release.

Leadership Events
9AM EDT
Secretary Napolitano will deliver remarks about homeland security and DHS’ approach to preventing terrorist attacks
Council on Foreign Relations
58 East 68th Street
New York, N.Y.



12 PM EDT
Secretary Napolitano will participate in a media availability following her meeting with counterterrorism experts, first responders and law enforcement leaders
Staten Island Ferry Terminal
Mezzanine Level
4 South Street
New York, N.Y.



1 PM EDT
Secretary Napolitano will make a transportation security announcement
Grand Central Terminal
Main Concourse
New York, N.Y.



2 PM EDT
Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute will testify before the House Committee on Homeland Security on “Beyond Readiness: An Examination of the Current Status and Future Outlook of the National Response to Pandemic Influenza.”
311 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C.



Public Events
10:30 AM CDT
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) Senior Equal Employment Opportunity Manager Junish Arora will deliver remarks at the Examining Conflicts in Employment Law (EXCEL) conference
New Orleans Marriott Hotel
614 Canal Street
New Orleans, La.



10:45 AM CDT
Terry Adirim, M.D., Senior Advisor in the Office of Health Affairs (OHA), will deliver remarks during a special meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Novel Influenza A (H1N1).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Building 19, Room 232
1600 Clifton Road, NE
Atlanta, Ga.



1 PM PDT
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf will lead the Elliot Bay Parade of Ships to start the Seattle SeaFair’s Fleet Week
Bell Harbor Pier 66
Seattle, Wash.

Morning Roundup - July 28th

From the Associated Press, on the Secretary's visit to Washington yesterday:

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano got a tour Monday of a $4 million Olympics Coordination center that in six months should be a bustling hub of counterterrorism and security operations for the 2010 Winter Games in nearby British Columbia.

The tour at the command center in Bellingham, just south of the U.S.-Canadian border, was one of several stops in a jam-packed visit to the state.

Napolitano also visited the border crossing in Blaine, Wash. - the main entry into British Columbia from Washington. Later in the day, she met with federal and state government officials in Seattle to discuss port security and immigration, and visited Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond to talk about cybersecurity.

Napolitano said security of government Web sites is a key and new goal for Homeland Security, and the department has been recruiting staff across the country.

"I like to say in this area, we don't need to be playing catch up. We need to be leap-frogging,' she said. "We need to be thinking ahead of what the next line needs to be. This is such rapidly changing threat environment."

Interested in a career in cybersecurity? Check this out from CNet:

The U.S. government on Monday launched a national talent search for high school and college students interested in working in cybersecurity.

With the U.S. Cyber Challenge the goal is to find 10,000 young Americans to be "cyber guardians and cyber warriors," according to a statement from the Center for Strategic & International Studies, which is sponsoring the event.

…Candidates with promising skills will be invited to attend regional camps at local colleges beginning next year. The top candidates will be hired by the National Security Agency, the FBI, Defense Department, US-CERT, and the U.S. Department of Energy Laboratories.

Public Events
10 AM EDT
Alexander G. Garza, M.D., Presidential Nominee for the position of DHS Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs and Chief Medical Officer, will testify before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs about his confirmation
342 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC

2 PM MDT
Denver DSAC Paul Maldonado will participate in a press conference announcing the initial results of an ICE-led investigation of Salt Lake City’s largest immigration firm for fraudulently obtain H-2B employment visas for hundreds of unqualified alien workers
185 South Street
Salt Lake City, Utah

Morning Roundup - July 27th

From the Associated Press, on the National Level Exercise:

The government is conducting its first-ever nationwide exercise Monday aimed at preventing a terrorist attack.

The five-day exercise, being coordinated by the Homeland Security Department, will involve simulated "real life" scenarios, with a focus on preventing a terrorist from entering the U.S. to carry out an attack. Also participating will be officials from the Pentagon, office of the Director of National Intelligence as well as the Justice and State departments.

The exercise will take place at command posts and field locations in Washington, D.C., in addition to Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and California.

Homeland Security spokesman Clark Stevens says the simulations will most likely not affect or be seen by the public.

Previous nationwide exercises have focused on terror response efforts rather
than prevention.

From the Associated Press, on preparations for the Olympics:

When the 2010 winter Olympics open in Vancouver next February, representatives of state, local and federal law enforcement and emergency response agencies will gather 45 miles south, at a new $4 million communications center at Bellingham International Airport.

Whether they'll have much to do there remains an open question. The Department of Homeland Security has called the facility a key site for counterterrorism and security operations leading up to the games, and officials say a key goal is to make sure travelers move across the border safely and quickly.

But in the past three years, estimates of how much traffic the Winter Games will generate in Washington state have dropped dramatically, from early guesses of 2,000 cars a day, roughly the equivalent of a busy summer day, to as few as 400, according to studies by the Whatcom Council of Governments.

"Even when we thought we were looking at an additional 2,000 cars a day, the Olympics traffic volume didn't seem like something that would overwhelm the resources in place," said Hugh Conroy, a project manager with the council who has studied the traffic implications of the games. "It's basically gone from being like a busy summer day to a busy winter day."

Leadership Events
8:45 AM PDT
Secretary Napolitano will participate in a media availability with Governor Chris Gregoire and U.S. Congressman Rick Larsen
2010 Olympics Coordination Center
3888 Sound Way
Bellingham, Wash.

10:30 AM PDT
Secretary Napolitano, Governor Gregoire and Congressman Larsen will tour the Peace Arch border crossing
Interstate 5 at the U.S.-Canada Border
Blaine, Wash.

12:45 PM PDT
Secretary Napolitano and Governor Gregoire will participate in a media availability
Joint Harbor Operations Center
U.S. Coast Guard Integrated Support Command
1519 Alaskan Way South
Seattle, Wash.

Public Events
9 AM CDT
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Air & Marine Operations will participate in a media availability to display the newly acquired Advanced Concept Demonstrator (ACTD) Vessel
CBP Brownsville Marine Unit
502 South Point Dr.
Port Isabel, Texas

10:00 AM EDT
USCG Station Miami Beach Commanding Officer, LT John Corbett, will participate in a media availability about diving and boating safety, harvesting regulations and closed areas for Florida's Mini-Lobster season
Coast Guard Integrated Support Command Miami Beach
100 Macarthur Causeway

1:20 PM EDT
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Office of Cyber Security and Communications (CS&C) Rear Admiral Michael Brown will speak at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) luncheon
1539 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

2:00 PM EDT
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate will testify before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure about the role of federal government in disasters
2167 Rayburn Office Building
Washington, D.C.

3:05 PM EDT
Brenda Oldfield, Director of Cyber Education and Workforce Development for the National Cyber Security Division, will give a keynote speech at the 3rd Annual “Securing the eCampus” Conference
Hopkins Center for the Arts, Alumni HallDartmouth College
6041 Lower Level Wilson Hall
Hanover, NH
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Morning Roundup - July 24th

From The Washington Post, on labor-management talks at TSA:

It's not unusual for labor and management to talk about their differences.

But when Transportation Security Administration officials met with union leaders Thursday, they described the session as "historic."

It was the first-ever formal labor-management meeting between the agency and the union and the beginning of what labor leaders hope will be a relationship that could lead to TSA employees winning the right to collective bargaining in the near
future.

Labor leaders, shut out during the Bush administration, placed gaining collective bargaining rights for transportation security officers -- the screeners who make sure no one takes dangerous items on airplanes -- at the top of their agenda when the Obama administration took office.

"The past eight years with the Bush administration have been an uphill battle, and we are finally beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel," said American Federation of Government Employees President John Gage.Currently, unions can recruit officers as members, but labor organizations do not have the right to bargain on their behalf. Congress is considering legislation that would provide
that ability.

From HS Today, on the department's 9/11 Commission progress report:

One of the most important areas of concern to the 9/11 Commission members in their final report was the improvement of intelligence collection and dissemination across the board throughout government. In marking the fifth anniversary of the issuance of the 9/11 Commission Report Wednesday, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano released a progress report outlining advancements in the Department’s capabilities to protect against and respond to acts of terrorism and other threats.

Not surprisingly, the report outlined the many actions that DHS has taken since it was created to improve and broaden the functioning of counterterrorism intelligence gathering, analysis, and sharing.

“The 9/11 Commission’s recommendations have in many ways set the course for the Department’s efforts to combat security threats,” said Napolitano. “We have answered these challenges by building an agency far better equipped to combat terrorism, and we will continue to expand these capabilities as we move forward in our mission to keep America safe and secure.”

Leadership Events
11:45 AM EDT
Secretary Napolitano and the National Security Preparedness Group will participate in a media availability
DHS Headquarters, Building 21
Nebraska Avenue Complex
3801 Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington, DC

Public Events
10:00 AM CDT
Director of National Cyber Security Division (NCSD) Cyber Exercises Program Brett Lambo will deliver remarks at the National Association of Counties 2009 Annual Conference about DHS cybersecurity efforts
Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center
2800 Opryland Drive
Nashville, Tenn.

1 PM CDT
NPPD Office of Emergency Communications Deputy Director Taylor Heard will deliver remarks about OEC’s resources for local governments at the National Association of Counties 2009 Annual Conference
Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, Delta Ballroom B
2800 Opryland Drive
Nashville, Tenn.

1 PM EDT
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate will participate in a media availability following his meeting with New England Emergency Management Directors
FEMA Region I Headquarters
99 High Street
Boston, Mass.

2 PM EDT
U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen will attend the change of command ceremony for the First Coast Guard District
Integrated Support Command Boston
427 Commercial Street
Boston, Mass.

Morning Roundup - July 23rd

From the Associated Press, on the relaunch of dhs.gov:

The Homeland Security Department relaunched its Web site Wednesday and became the first Cabinet-level agency to follow the tech-savvy White House directives on social media.

President Barack Obama's aides have been urging agencies to add interactive components to their Web sites, such as videos and blogs. But it's been a slow start for a team that harnessed the Internet during the presidential campaign to organize supporters and deliver the White House.

The White House touted the Homeland Security Department's online presence as a model for other agencies. The department redesigned its own Web site to offer more opportunities for citizens to interact and launched a YouTube channel to post online videos.

From Federal News Radio, on the department's 9/11 Commission progress report:

Five years to the day the 9/11 Commission issued its report, the Homeland Security Department released a progress report outlining the advancements it has made.

The Commission identified intelligence failures occurring before the 2001 terrorist attacks. It also suggested recommendations to help prevent a similar attack.

Among DHS's new policies, initiatives and grants created since 9/11, the progress report reflects the department's focus on enhanced science and technology.

DHS says in a release it has increased transportation security by conducting 100 percent screenings for all checked and carry-on baggage through more than 500 explosive detection systems deployed to every major U.S. airport.

Leadership Events
11:00 AM EDT
Secretary Napolitano, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Education Secretary Arne Duncan , John Brennan and Dr. Anne Schuchat will participate in a media availability
U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, Upper Atrium
Washington D.C.

1:20 PM EDT
Secretary Napolitano will deliver remarks at the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and the Asset Forfeiture Program National Leadership Conference
Omni Shoreham Hotel
Regency Ballroom
2500 Calvert Street
Washington, D.C.

Public Events
10 AM EDT
USCIS Deputy Associate Director of National Security and Records Verification Gerri Ratliff will testify before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization and Procurement about E-Verify
2154 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C

10 AM EDT
TSA Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS), Office of Law Enforcement Director Robert Bray will testify before the House Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Management, Investigations, and Oversight about personnel challenges faced by FAMS
311 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

Morning Roundup - July 22nd

From the Bangor Daily News, on a local endorsement of Pass ID:

Just back from the summer meeting of the National Governors Association, Gov. John Baldacci said Tuesday he is endorsing the Pass ID proposal of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

"We need to strengthen our driver's licenses, and we need to require a lawful presence requirement," he said. "It eliminates the fees currently assessed to states to use existing federal databases. It eliminates all the data-sharing mandates. It adds flexibility to the states."

Baldacci said the Pass ID legislation is designed to replace the controversial Real ID law that Maine and other states have opposed. While governor of Arizona, Napolitano opposed Real ID but said the new proposal fixes the problems she saw in the Real ID law.

"Pass ID provides a strong yet flexible framework for states to implement secure identification," she said. "I am proud to join our nation's governors in supporting Pass ID - a cost-effective, common-sense solution that balances critical security requirements with the input and practical needs of state governments."

From the Grand Rapids Press, on a USCIS naturalization ceremony in Michigan:

New United States citizens stand for the administration of the oath during the naturalization ceremony at the Gerald R. Ford Museum Tuesday afternoon.

The multi-hued group gathered Tuesday at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum proved the point: Citizenship is more coveted than ever.

Approximately 80 immigrants from 52 countries as varied as Somalia, Chile and India raised their right hand for the oath of citizenship, as record numbers are doing.

Department of Homeland Security data show the number of immigrants naturalized in the United States grew from about 660,000 in 2007 to more than 1 million in 2008 -- an increase of roughly 58 percent.

A decade ago, about two-thirds of the eligible immigrants who had been in the United States for more than 20 years were naturalized. Now, about three-quarters of such long-term residents have become citizens.

Public Events
9:15 AM EDT
Acting Director of the National Cyber Security Division Dr. Peter Fonash will deliver remarks at the Pre-Solicitation Conference Certification and Accreditation and Other Security Services event MITRE-3 Headquarters
7515 Colshire Drive
McLean, Va.

10 AM EDT
USCIS Service Center Operations Deputy Chief Robert Kruszka will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the EB-5 (investor visa) regional center program
226 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C

10:30 AM EDT
TSA Public Affairs Manager Lara Uselding will participate in a media event about the deployment of Advanced Imaging Technology
Port Jefferson Ferry Terminal
102 West Broadway
Port Jefferson, N.Y.

11:30 AM CDT
U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen will deliver remarks at the National Naval Officer’s Association Professional Development and Training Conference
Westin Galleria Houston
Plaza Ballroom
5060 West Alabama St.
Houston, Texas

1:55 PM EDT
NPPD Deputy Under Secretary Philip Reitinger will deliver remarks at the DHS Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate Cyber-Physical Systems Security Workshop
Hilton Newark Penn Station-Gateway Center
Newark, N.J.

Morning Roundup - July 21st

Morning Roundup for July 21st, 2009 - Featured News and Public Events

From the Wall Street Journal - An op-ed co-written by Secretary Napolitano and Attorney General Holder:

Five years ago this week, the bipartisan National Commission on Terrorist Acts Upon the United States released the "9/11 Commission Report," a comprehensive review of the circumstances and actions leading up to, including, and following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The Report's concluding chapter offered a set of recommendations to dramatically refocus the federal government's efforts to prevent and prepare for future terrorist attacks.

While the scope of the Commission's recommendations was comprehensive, the ultimate goal was straightforward: in order to protect the American people, the many components within our government responsible for national security and law enforcement had to break old habits and communicate with one another more effectively.

Though clear in principle, the goal of interagency cooperation had proven elusive in
practice. Before the attacks of 9/11, federal counterterrorism efforts were impeded by the failure to share key information. As a result, law enforcement officials-the men and women who often serve as the first line of defense against potential attacks-did not always receive the tools and intelligence they needed.

From USA Today, on immigration enforcement:

The Department of Homeland Security is changing the way it tackles illegal immigration, in many cases remaking or rescinding Bush administration policies.

The changes put heavier emphasis on employers, including more investigations of hiring records and fines for violations, says John Morton, assistant secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in DHS.

"We have to come to grips with the market for illegal labor," he says. "To get there, we have to move beyond individual cases."

The arrests of hundreds of illegal workers at a time in raids at factories and meatpacking plants were a visible component of President George W. Bush's immigration enforcement strategy.

The largest workplace raid under the Obama administration was in February, when 28 illegal immigrants were arrested at an engine manufacturer in Bellingham, Wash.

Guidelines issued since then make it clear that raids targeting employees won't be a priority. The agency still will arrest illegal immigrants as it conducts investigations, Morton says, but "we are going to place our focus . first and foremost on the employer."

From the Associated Press, on a first for the Coast Guard and for the First Lady:

In a first for a first lady, Michelle Obama is sponsoring a future Coast Guard cutter.

Construction of the cutter Stratton began Monday in Pascagoula, Miss., when the U.S. Coast Guard and Northrop Grumman laid the ship's keel at the defense contractor's shipyard.

As sponsor, Mrs. Obama promises to be involved in the life of what the service is calling a "national security cutter."

The White House says Mrs. Obama's decision is an extension of her commitment to support servicemembers and their families. The Coast Guard says it's the first time a president's wife has signed on as a sponsor.

Stratton is named after Capt. Dorothy Stratton. She was director of the Guard's women's Reserve during World War II.

Public Events
2 PM EDT
National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) Office of Cybersecurity and Communications Director Sean McGurk will testify before the House Committee on Homeland 311 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

2 PM EDT
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Acting Deputy Director Mike Aytes will testify before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security about E-Verify
226 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C.

Morning Roundup - July 20th

An editorial from the Las Vegas Sun on Pass ID:

Since the Real ID Act was passed by Congress four years ago, criticism of this legislation to increase the security of driver's licenses has arisen from many sources, including state governments, privacy groups and travel agents.

The federal law was passed as a response to 9/11. Its purpose was to prevent terrorists from easily obtaining false licenses, enabling them to set up bank accounts, rent living quarters and otherwise blend into American society unnoticed.

Although its intention was good, the Bush administration followed its usual pattern - quickly writing legislation and pushing it through a Republican-controlled Congress without thinking much about problems that could arise.

The National Governors Association has endorsed an alternative to Real ID that is backed by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. She was governor of Arizona when that state, along with many others, protested Real ID as too expensive and unworkable from technical and privacy standpoints.

From the Biloxi Sun Herald, on FEMA Administrator Fugate's remarks to the National Governors Association:

The hurricanes of 2004 and 2005 taught residents and officials along the Coast many lessons, but the most important is that federal, state and local governments need to work together to respond and recover.

FEMA Director Craig Fugate told governors from across the country Sunday all levels of government need to work as a team to coordinate response to disasters and see who can help most in different areas.

Fugate was the head of Florida's emergency management department in 2004 when four hurricanes struck that state. He also offered help to Mississippi in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina struck.

He spoke Sunday as part of a panel discussion on emergency preparedness, along with representatives from Motorola and Travelers Insurance.

"Too often the disaster we prepare for is the last one when we need to look at the ones in the future," he said at the National Governors Association summer meeting.

The conference wraps up today at the Coast Coliseum and Convention Center.

Leadership Events
3 PM PDT
Secretary Napolitano will participate in a media availability at the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference
Hyatt Regency Monterey Resort
Regency Conference Center, Regency Terrace, Main Floor
Monterey, Calif.


5 PM PDT
Secretary Napolitano will deliver remarks at the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference
Hyatt Regency Monterey Resort
Regency Grand Ballroom
Monterey, Calif.


Public Events
1 PM CDT
U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral James Rabago will lay the keel for the Third National Security Cutter Stratton at the Northrup
Grumman shipyard
1000 Access Road
Pascagoula, Miss.

From the Veterans Job Fair

We are proud that 26% of our workforce is made up of veterans, but we aren’t stopping here.

Today at the Grand Hyatt Washington Hotel in downtown DC, DHS recruitment specialists greeted veterans for a job fair. Attendees got information on career opportunities and how to apply for positions within the department. Over 700 veterans signed up today for more information.

Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute, herself a veteran, stopped by the fair and addressed attendees. She spoke about the importance of providing veterans the opportunity to apply for jobs at DHS, and expressed her personal thanks for their service.

We at DHS want to be a model in veteran hiring in the federal government, and our efforts so far have significantly increased veteran representation within the department. We promote veteran hiring, contracting and procurement in all recruitment efforts, recognizing we owe veterans more than gratitude; at DHS, we feel we owe veterans opportunity.

Veterans Job Fair Today

We noted it just now in the morning roundup, but this one is worth mentioning again.

DHS is hosting a Veterans Job Fair today at the Grand Hyatt from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM EDT. It's open to all active duty, retired, former service, Reserve/National Guard servicemembers and their spouses. Straight from dhs.gov:

July 17, 2009
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Grand Hyatt Washington Hotel100 H St., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001
Constitution Room A, Level 3B(Take Metro Center stop, exit at 11th
Street)

The job fair is open to all active duty, retired, former service, Reserve/National Guard servicemembers and their spouses.

Explore career opportunities in law enforcement, immigration and travel security, prevention and response, and mission support by attending the job fair and talking to representatives.

Learn more about the Department that touches the lives of all Americans and find out how Departmental careers contribute to the mission of defending America. Speak to Department professionals about continuing your service to America.

Workshops

• How to apply for federal jobs
• Understanding and applying veterans preference in federal hiring

Morning Roundup - July 17th

Morning Roundup for July 17th, 2009 - Featured News and Public Events

From Federal Computer Week, on the cybersecurity RFI:

The Homeland Security Department wants information from companies on technical solutions that could be used to protect the ".gov" cyber domain used by federal civilian agencies, according to recently published notice.

DHS is interested in products that could be used for its integrated cybersecurity program that includes software and hardware, the department said in a request for information (RFI) published July 15 on the Federal Business Opportunities Web site.

The full RFI is classified and vendors interested in the opportunity need to contact the department by July 22.

A letter to the editor of the New York Times from Assistant Secretary for ICE John Morton:

I take issue with your assertion that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement's 287(g) program is "misguided, ineffective and dangerous."

Among other things, the program enables state and local law enforcement officials to deploy resources and manpower in their communities to enforce federal immigration laws, a force multiplier for federal law enforcement.

The program has been effective. Since January 2006, 287(g)-trained officers have identified more than 120,000 people, predominantly in jails, who are in the country illegally and have committed serious crimes while here. Finding and removing these criminal aliens is critical to our nation's overall interior enforcement strategy.

From Government Technology, on FEMA Administrator Fugate's remarks yesterday on disaster response:

The goal of emergency management policy should be not just to respond but also to change the outcomes of natural hazards, and to do that the private sector and communities must be involved, said Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate on Thursday at the 2009 Annual Natural Hazards Research and Applications Workshop in Broomfield, Colo. That includes changing building codes and standards, as well as the language used in mitigating hazards.

Fugate said minimizing the impacts of natural hazards should be the goal and disasters occur from natural hazards because of the way people live and build in the communities. "Floods and hurricanes happen. The hazard itself is not the disaster -- it's our habits, it's how we build and live in those areas, that's the disaster," Fugate said.

Public Events
Veterans Job Fair
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Grand Hyatt Washington Hotel
100 H St., N.W.Washington, D.C. 20001
Constitution Room A, Level 3B(Take Metro Center stop, exit at 11th Street)

Morning Roundup - July 16th

From the New York Times, on PASS ID:

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who as governor of Arizona opposed tough new federal requirements for driver's licenses, endorsed legislation on Wednesday to replace the 2005 law with a more flexible and less costly version.

The new legislation maintains some features of the so-called Real ID law, which required states to scrupulously verify the identity of people to whom it issues driver's licenses, including verifying information they submit, like Social Security numbers and birth certificates.

The original measure, prompted by concerns about terrorism, was passed without Senate hearings as an amendment to a spending bill, and has been contested ever since. It requires states to comply with a series of benchmarks by Dec. 31, but no state has been certified as compliant.

The Real ID card is intended to be the only driver's license a person can use when boarding an airplane or entering a federal building.

Ms. Napolitano said the new bipartisan bill, sponsored by Senator Daniel K. Akaka, Democrat of Hawaii, was "a bill that if passed and implemented before Dec. 31 of this year will fix a bill that was flawed from the outset."

From the Associated Press, on cartel violence in Mexico:

Ongoing concerns that drug-related violence in Mexico poses a threat to American communities remain the Obama administration's border focus, the federal government's border czar said Wednesday.

Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Alan Bersin, who visited Arizona's busiest commercial port here on Wednesday, said those concerns have triggered a series of border security initiatives and brought about closer cooperation with Mexican federal authorities.

"We take the threat of spillover violence very seriously," Bersin said. "We're prepared to deal with it in the event it occurs. There are contingency plans to respond. But we have not yet seen that violence spill over into the United States."

Public Events
10 AM EDT
Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Investigations Deputy Director Kumar Kibble will testify before the House Committee on Homeland Security; Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism
311 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

10 AM CDT
TSA Public Affairs Manager Jon Allen will participate in a media
event announcing the installation of CT-80 Explosives Detection
System (EDS) equipment
University of Illinois Willard Airport11 Airport RoadSavoy, Ill.

11:30 AM EDT
TSA Public Affairs Manager Lara Uselding will participate in a
media event at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to
showcase new AT X-ray machines
Newark Liberty International Airport
Terminal C
Newark, NJ

Morning Roundup - July 13th

Morning Roundup for July 13th, 2009 - Featured News and Public Events

From the Associated Press, on immigration enforcement:

An overhauled federal program allowing local and state law enforcement officials to arrest and deport immigrants will focus on the most serious criminals and limit officers' police powers, the Homeland Security Department said Friday.

The agency reworked the program, which had been criticized by the Government Accountability Office and led to a Justice Department investigation of the Maricopa County, Ariz., sheriff's office.

Government investigators said the previous program - cited as an example of misguided immigration enforcement by the Bush administration - did not clearly spell out when and how officers could use their arrest authority.

The revised program now requires local and state law enforcement agencies to first resolve any criminal charges that led to the arrest of the immigrants.

It also creates three priority levels for the immigrants who are to be arrested and detained. Immigrants convicted or arrested of major drug offenses or violent offenses such as murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery or kidnapping are the top priority.

From the Washington Post, on the Bertholf's bust last week:

The Coast Guard says a cutter based in Alameda has seized two speedboats, recovered a bale of cocaine and detained four suspected smugglers off the coast of Guatemala.

The bust was made Wednesday night by the cutter Bertholf about 80 miles from the Central American nation.

Officials say four boats were spotted by a patrol aircraft before a marksman aboard a Coast Guard helicopter shot out the engines of two speedboats.

From the Washington Post, on funding for the H1N1 vaccine:

The United States is ready to announce another $1 billion in orders for swine flu vaccinations.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says she will announce Monday that Washington has approved another billion dollars to buy components of the vaccine. Sebelius said on Sunday that research is under way to provide a safe and effective vaccine to fight a flu strain that could be a pandemic.

Leadership Events
10 AM EDT
Secretary Napolitano will observe an MSRT Demonstration
4000 Coast Guard Blvd.
Portsmouth, Va.

11 AM EDT
Secretary Napolitano will participate in a media availability
4000 Coast Guard Blvd.
Portsmouth, Va.

Public Events
10:30 AM CDT
Chief Privacy Officer Mary Ellen Callahan will deliver remarks at the American Library Association’s 2009 Annual Conference
McCormick Place West
2301 S Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, Ill.

11 AM PDT
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Chief Veterinarian Thomas McGinn III, DVM, will participate in a panel discussion about Homeland Security Presidential Directive 9 at the 2009 Washington State Convention & Trade Center
800 Convention Place
Seattle, Wash.

Morning Roundup - July 10th

Morning Roundup for July 10th, 2009 - Featured News and Public Events

From The New York Times, on the H1N1 Summit:

The Obama administration warned Americans on Thursday to be ready for an aggressive return of the swine flu virus in the fall, announcing plans to begin vaccinations in October and offering states and hospitals money to help them prepare.

"The potential for a significant outbreak in the fall is looming," President Obama said by telephone link from Italy to the White House's H1N1 Influenza Preparedness Summit, held at the National Institutes of Health.

With good planning, "we may end up averting a crisis," Mr. Obama said. "That's our fervent hope."

The summit meeting was jointly led by the secretary of health and human services, Kathleen Sebelius; the secretary of homeland security, Janet Napolitano; and the secretary of education, Arne Duncan. It gathered health and school officials from across the country and took questions by video link from the governors of several states, most of whom wanted to know who would pay for preparations like the vaccination drive.

From the Associated Press, on the best part of waking up:

Customs agents discovered an extra ingredient in a shipment of Colombian coffee: nearly a half-ton of cocaine.

U.S. Customs officer Troy Simon said Thursday it was his agency's biggest cocaine find at the Port of New Orleans since more than two tons turned up in a transformer shipment about 10 years ago.

He said officers opened the shipping container Monday after a gamma-ray scan showed squarish shapes on top of the rounded burlap bags of coffee beans.

They turned out to be 15 duffel bags.U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokeswoman Virginia Dabbs says they held 400 packages of cocaine weighing a total of 994 pounds.

Public Events
2:30 PM EDT
U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen will participate in a Change of Command ceremony for the Coast Guard’s Pacific Area in which Vice Admiral Jody Breckenridge will relieve Vice Admiral David Pekoske
Parade Field
Coast Guard Island
Alameda, Calif.

Morning Roundup - July 9th

Morning Roundup for July 9th, 2009 - Featured News and Public Events
From The New York Times, on E-Verify:

The Obama administration will require businesses that win federal contracts to use a government electronic database system to verify that their employees have legal immigration status to work in the United States, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said on Wednesday.

After a six-month review, Homeland Security officials decided to go ahead with a worker-verification plan based on the electronic system, called E-Verify. The system, which the Bush administration sought to put into effect in its final months, is meant to prevent federal contractors from hiring illegal immigrants.

At the same time, Homeland Security officials said they would drop another Bush administration proposal that would have forced employers to fire any workers whose Social Security information did not match the records of the Social Security Administration. That measure, called the no-match rule, had been challenged in federal court by immigrant advocates and businesses, who said the Social Security database contained errors that could have cost thousands of legal workers their jobs.

Administration officials said the court battle over the no-match rule, which never went into effect, would now end.

From the Associated Press, on the H1N1 Summit:

The Obama administration put the states on notice Thursday: Swine flu promises to create a mess this fall. Are you ready?

Swine flu may have faded from the headlines but it's still sickening people here and abroad and is certain to worsen when influenza-friendly fall temperatures arrive.

The federal government called together health and education officials from every state to check their preparations for the likely prospect of vaccinations and determine how they'll handle flu-riddled schools.

"I want to be clear: This summit is not about raising alarms or stoking fears. It is about being prepared," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebeliussaid. "We must avoid complacency."

The government estimates that 1 million Americans so far have been infected with the never-before-seen virus known formally by its scientific family name,
H1N1.

No longer do many public health experts warn of the new virus' "return" in the fall. Summer's heat and humidity usually chase away influenza, but the swine flu has never left. Children are spreading it in summer camps, and U.S. deaths have reached 170.

Leadership Events
9:05 AM EDT
Secretary Napolitano will deliver remarks about DHS H1N1 Influenza preparedness efforts
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
Conference Room A
Natcher Conference Center
Bethesda, Md.

9:25 AM EDT
Secretary Napolitano will participate in a roundtable discussion with Secretary Sebelius and Secretary Duncan
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Conference Room A
National Institutes of Health
Natcher Conference Center
Bethesda, Md.

10:15 AM EDT
Secretary Napolitano will participate in a media availability with Secretary Sebelius, Secretary Duncan and Homeland Security Advisor John Brennan
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
Conference Room A
Natcher Conference Center
Bethesda, Md.

Public Events
10 AM EDT
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Investigations Deputy Director Kumar Kibble and DHS Assistant Secretary for International Affairs and Special Representative for Border Affairs Alan Bersin will testify before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform about Southwest border security
2154 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

10 AM EDT
Coast Guard Rear Admiral Kevin Cook will testify before the Technology and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation about Merchant Mariner licensing and documentation
2167 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

Morning Roundup - July 8th

Morning Roundup for July 8th, 2009 - Featured News and Public Events

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, on a new national fire chief:

Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin J. Cochran has accepted a key federal position with the Obama Administration.

Cochran was chosen as U.S. Fire Administrator with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the Department of Homeland Security, according to a White House press release.

"Each of these individuals brings with them valuable expertise in their respective fields, and I am grateful for their decision to serve in my administration," President Obama said in the statement, which includes nominations of nine others for various federal roles.

Cochran has 28 years of experience from firefighter to chief training officer to fire chief, according to the press release. Cochran has also served as the president of the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association and Vice Chairman of Volunteers of America. Cochran took over as Atlanta's fire chief in 2008. Prior to his post with Atlanta, he served as fire chief in Shreveport, Louisiana
beginning in 1999.

"It is remarkable to think that my childhood dream of being a firefighter has taken me from the front porch of a shotgun house in Shreveport, Louisiana, to becoming the head of the United States Fire Administration," Cochran said in a statement from the City of Atlanta's press office.

From the Associated Press, on the recent cybersecurity incident:

A widespread and unusually resilient computer attack that began July 4 knocked out the Web sites of several government agencies, including some that are responsible for fighting cyber crime, The Associated Press has learned.

The Treasury Department, Secret Service, Federal Trade Commission and Transportation Department Web sites were all down at varying points over the holiday weekend and into this week, according to officials inside and outside the government.

Some of the sites were still experiencing problems Tuesday evening. Cyber attacks on South Korea government and private sites also may be linked, officials there said.

U.S. officials refused to publicly discuss details of the cyber attack. But Amy Kudwa, spokeswoman for the Homeland Security Department, said the agency's U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team issued a notice to federal departments and other partner organizations about the problems and "advised them of steps to take to help mitigate against such attacks."

The U.S., she said, sees attacks on its networks every day, and measures have been put in place to minimize the impact on federal Web sites.

From WWL-TV, on new ICE efforts to curb the flow of undocumented workers into the U.S.:

In an effort to stop the flow of undocumented workers into the country, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency is about to try a new approach: not just targeting the workers, but also the people who employ them, in the
first place.

"That's a challenge. There are millions of employers in the United States," said John Morton, the newly-appointed assistant secretary of ICE, who spent Tuesday visiting New Orleans.

Among the agency's efforts: a renewed, aggressive auditing of I-9 forms. All employers are required to have one, as proof of an employee's residency or citizenship. Just how effective that move will be in the New Orleans area, though, remains to be seen.

Here, a majority of illegal workers are day laborers, not concentrated within one company, but rather working in smaller numbers for individual employers or contractors. Morton said the smaller concentration does make enforcement harder.

"We're very cognizant that we just can't focus on the very top, on the biggest employers - that we have to do this at all levels," he said.

Public Events
10 AM EDT
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate and Inspector General Richard Skinner will testify before the House Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs about FEMA housing solutions
311 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

10 AM EDT
FEMA National Preparedness Directorate (NPD) Deputy Administrator Tim Manning will testify before the House Committee on Science and Technology, Subcommittee on Technology and 2318 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

10 AM EDT
Federal Protective Service Director Gary Schenkel will testify before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee about the Government Accountability Office’s preliminary findings concerning the Federal Protective Service and security operations
342 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C.

2 PM EDT
Acting Chief Financial Officer Peggy Sherry will testify before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization and Procurement, about annual oversight of the federal government’s consolidated financial statement
2247 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

Morning Roundup - July 7th

Tuesday, July 7th Morning Roundup - Featured News and Public Events

From the Associated Press, on Project Seahawk:

Project Seahawk, a port security effort developed in South Carolina, is vital to waging the war on terrorism and a model for ports around the nation, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Monday.

Graham, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Gov. Mark Sanford and other leaders had a private briefing on the project during a visit to the Project Seahawk headquarters at the old Charleston Navy Base.

Seahawk, created in 2003 in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, brings together representatives of state, federal and local law enforcement agencies who meet each day in a command center to share and compare information on harbor activity.

From the San Diego Union-Tribune, on a fruitful holiday weekend for CBP:

Federal authorities announced Monday the seizure of marijuana, heroin and cocaine worth more than $1 million in three separate busts.

Customs and Border Protection agents found 99 packages of marijuana, weighing more than 315 pounds, hidden throughout a Nissan SUV Saturday morning at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, officials said.

A dog walking through the line of vehicles waiting to enter the United States alerted agents to the drugs, officials aid. Two male Mexicans, ages 19 and 20, were arrested on smuggling charges.

On Friday, Border Patrol agents at a checkpoint on Interstate 8 in Pine Valley discovered 10 bundles of cocaine weighing 26 pounds hidden in the dashboard of a Chevrolet Malibu, officials said. The driver, a 26-year-old man and U.S. citizen, was arrested.

Public Events
10 AM EDT
U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen will testify before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation, Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and the Coast Guard regarding Coast Guard Authorization
253 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C.

11 AM EDT
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nelson Minerly will participate in a media event to highlight OLE/FAMS workforce diversity efforts in federal law enforcement at the FAMS Detroit field office
11301 Metro Airport Center Dr.Romulus, Mich.

10:30 CDT
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine personnel will demonstrate Marine Advance Concept Technology for members of congress and local media
Jones Park Road & U.S. Highway 49
Gulfport, Miss.

Morning Roundup - June 30th

Tuesday, June 30th Morning Roundup - Featured News and Public Events

From The Belfast Telegraph, on aviation preclearance:

A deal has been agreed to allow air passengers travelling from Shannon to the US to pass through all the necessary security inspections in this country.

Until now, immigration clearance has only been given on arrival in America.

The final touches were agreed between the Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey and the US Secretary for Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today.

When the legislation is enacted, Ireland will be the first country in Europe granted a pre-clearance deal from the US.

From The Wall Street Journal, on a new Secret Service task force:

The U.S. Secret Service plans to unveil Tuesday plans for a pan-European task force charged with preventing identity theft, computer hacking and other computer-based crime.

The unit will be based in Rome, teaming up with an Italian anti-cyber-crime police unit and the Italian post office Poste Italiane SpA, which has developed software that can track electronic payments as it moves beyond traditional mail delivery. The European Electronic Crime Task Force's main job will group together the cyber-crime efforts of the European Union nations and the U.S., bolstering defenses against computer attacks on embassies and other government sites that host sensitive computer systems such as air-traffic control. It will also monitor computer networks for threats, as well as deal with attacks once they happen.

"The transnational nature of cyber attacks requires international collaboration and expertise, as exemplified by this joint professional partnership," said Robert Gombar, a special agent in charge of the Secret Service's Rome field office, which coordinates its activities in southern Europe and the Mediterranean.

Under the terms of the agreement, the new task force will monitor computer networks across Europe using software designed by Poste Italiane. The software could comb through money transfers performed over the Internet for suspicious signs, such as an account being opened by the same person in several different places, according to Poste Italiane Chief Executive Massimo Sarmi.

Leadership Events
5:10 Local
Secretary Napolitano will participate in a media availability
MFA
Press Room
Necessida das Palace
Largo das Palace
Lisbon, Portugal

Public Events
8:40 AM EDT
NPPD Deputy Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection James Snyder will deliver the keynote address at the 2009 Chemical Sector Security Summit
Baltimore Marriott Waterfront
700 Aliceanna Street
Baltimore, Md.

10 AM EDT
Assistant Commissioner Dan Baldwin will participate in a fireworks safety news event with the Consumer Product Safety Commission
Washington Mall at 3rd Street
Washington, D.C.

8 AM MDT
ICE Assistant Secretary John Morton and ATF Acting Director Kenneth Melson will sign an agreement formalizing a partnership to combat firearms trafficking at the Violent Crime and Firearms Trafficking Summit
Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown Hotel
2600 Louisiana Blvd, NE
Albuquerque, N.M. 87110

12:30 PM PST
Los Angeles Assistant Special Agent in Charge Debra Parker will participate in a news conference with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office on the results of Operation Falling Sun.
4075 Main Street
Riverside, CA 92502

Morning Roundup - June 23rd

Tuesday, June 23rd Morning Roundup - Featured News and Public Events

From the Associated Press, on Administrator Fugate's roundtable in Denver:

The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency visited Denver Monday to help kick off President Barack Obama's campaign to promote public service.

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate (FEW'-gate) met with firefighters and other emergency workers at Fire Station 8. He said the emergency responders he spoke with are inspiring because "you forget a lot of them are coaching Little League" and helping in other ways.

"They're one of the busiest fire stations in the state," Fugate said of Station 8. "People sometimes have the tendency to see them as just firefighters, but they are working and doing a lot of stuff on their off duty hours."

Fugate began his emergency management career as a volunteer firefighter before becoming emergency manager in his Florida county for 10 years. He became Florida's state director of emergency management in 2001. He said he was inspired by the extra community work the emergency workers do.

"Sometimes it's simple things," he said, "being able to read to a child or helping a student with their homework."

He said Obama's campaign, called United We Serve, goes back to the president's early days of community service, when he took action and didn't assume someone else would.

From the Orlando Sentinel, on funding for baggage screening upgrades at the Orlando International Airport:

Orlando International Airport will receive $15 million to finish overhauling its checked-bag screening systems to make them quicker, more secure and simpler for passengers.

With the money, a federal grant presented Monday by U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority can finish its four-year, $178 million program of replacing free-standing TransportationSecurity Administration baggage-inspection stations with machines that can screen bags placed on conveyors at ticket counters.

The airport has installed three such systems, serving most of its airlines. Monday's check will pay for the final two, mostly for AirTran Airways and Delta Air Lines.

"What it means is a more secure, more efficient and higher-tech way to screen passenger-checked bags," Napolitano said. "What it means for the traveler is you will no longer have to walk your bag to the screening location."

From the LA Times, on the suspension of the Clear Program:

A major vendor that fast-tracks fliers through airport security for an annual fee of $199 will end operations tonight, according to its website and a former employee, leaving hundreds of thousands of customers in the lurch.

The website of the so-called Clear program, launched by New York-based Verified Identity Pass Inc. four years ago, today carried this message: "At 11:00 p.m. PST on June 22, 2009, Clear will cease operations. Clear's parent company, Verified Identity Pass, Inc. has been unable to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor to continue operations."

No one answered the company's phone this evening, which simply carried the recorded message, "You've reached Clear Registered Traveler." But in a phone interview, Cindy Rosenthal, former vice president of media relations for the Clear program, confirmed that it is shutting down.

Leadership Events
9:30 AM EDT
Secretary Napolitano will deliver remarks at the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) Conference
Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Center
Third Floor Ballroom
1950 Eisenhower Boulevard
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Public Events
8:30 AM EDT
The Privacy Office will host a Government 2.0: Privacy and Best Practices Workshop
The Washington Court Hotel Atrium Ballroom
525 New Jersey Avenue
Washington, D.C.

10:30 AM EDT
Office of Cybersecurity and Communications Chief Technology Officer Peter Fonash will participate in a panel discussion at the Industry Advisory Council (IAC) American Council for Technology (ACT) Executive Session.
The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City
1250 South Hayes Street
Arlington, Va.

10:00 AM CDT
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Public Affairs Manager Jon Allen will participate in a media availability about the instillation of CT-80 EDS equipment
Alexandria International Airport
1611 Arnold Drive
Alexandria, La.

Morning Roundup - June 18th

Thursday, June 18th Morning Roundup - Featured News and Public Events

News Highlights
From the Chicago Tribune on a drug ring disrupted:

Federal authorities say they've disrupted a Canada-to-United States Ecstasy ring with the arrest of 20 people, most in western New York.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Buffalo and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement say the suspects are charged in a 24-count indictment with conspiracy to smuggle the drug into the U.S. from Canada and distribute it.

Of those arrested, 17 live in the Buffalo area, two are from New York City and one is from Chicago.

If convicted, they face up to 40 years in prison and fines of $2 million.

From Govtech. More on grants:

The new allocations include steps the DHS has taken to improve the ability of state, local and tribal governments to apply for and use FEMA grants, according to the release, including: considering stakeholder feedback; ensuring that state, local and tribal governments understand how funds can be used to sustain long-term project; and developing a more transparent, efficient application process.

The tribal grants target an area heretofore, overlooked, according to some. "We are particularly happy with the funds designated to tribal emergency managers who are a critical yet often overlooked partner in the nation's layered emergency management system," said Russell Decker, the International Association of Emergency Managers president. "We are also encouraged by the secretary's pledge to make the grant process less cumbersome for local, tribal and state recipients. It's clear the administration is listening to the key stakeholders."

From the Wall Street Journal, on a new GAO report linking U.S. guns to cartel violence in Mexico:

A new study by the Government Accountability Office says most firearms recovered in drug violence in Mexico come from the U.S., a finding that will likely fuel the politically charged debate over the U.S. government's efforts to stem gun trafficking across the border.

Drug-related murders have more than doubled in number to 6,200 last year from 2,700 in 2007, according to the GAO study, a draft of which was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. The study is set to be released Thursday.

Mexican officials have pushed for the U.S. to enact tougher gun laws and to help restrict arms smuggling as Mexico attempts to battle drug cartels on its territory. "The availability of firearms illegally flowing from the United States into Mexico has armed and emboldened a dangerous criminal element in Mexico, and it has made the job of drug cartels easier," said Rep. Eliot L. Engel, (D., N.Y.), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, which is holding a hearing on arms trafficking Thursday. "It is simply unacceptable that the United States not only consumes the majority of the drugs flowing from Mexico, but also arms the very cartels that contribute to the daily violence that is devastating Mexico."

Secretary's Events
6:30 PM EDT
Secretary Napolitano will deliver remarks at the Fifth Annual Tribute to the U.S. Coast Guard dinner
National Building Museum
401 F Street NW
Washington, D.C.

Public Events
8:00 AM EDT
Office of Risk Management and Analysis Director Tina Gabbrielli will deliver remarks at the Security Analysis and Risk Management (SARMA) Annual Conference
George Mason University
3401 Fairfax Drive, Room 329
Arlington, Va.

10 AM EDT
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) representatives will participate in the Montgomery County Workplace Safety Committee Annual Safety Fair
Montgomery County Courthouse
2 East Airy Street
Norristown, Pa.

10 AM EDT
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Assistant Commissioner for International Trade Dan Baldwin will testify before the House Committee on Small Business about textiles enforcement
2360 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

10 AM EDT
National Protection and Programs (NPPD) Deputy Under Secretary Philip Reitinger will deliver remarks at the Federal Computer Week Solutions Seminar
The Willard InterContinental Washington
1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C.

12:00 PM EDT
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Secretary John Morton and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Michele Leonhart will participate in a news conference to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate the cross-designation of ICE agents with Title 21 authority
The National Press Club, Studio Room, 4th Floor
529 14th St. NW
Washington, D.C.

3:30 PM MDT
TSA Public Affairs will participate in a news conference about American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding going to Jackson Hole Airport for construction on a new in-line baggage screening system.
Jackson Hole Airport
1250 East Airport Rd.
Jackson, WY 83001

2 PM EDT
U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Office of Civil Rights Director Terri Dickerson and Chief of Staff Admiral Clifford Pearson will testify before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, about civil rights and diversity in USCG
2167 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

2 PM EDT
Acting Chief Financial Officer Peggy Sherry will testify before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization and Procurement, about oversight of the federal government’s consolidated financial statement
2154 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

Morning Roundup - June 17th

We’ll feature a rundown on the preparedness grants in a few minutes, but for now, the news...

Wednesday, June 17th Morning Roundup - Featured News and Public Events

News Highlights

From McClatchy, on the tough but necessary steps ahead toward immigration reform:

President Barack Obama, Democratic congressional leaders and advocates of revamping the nation's immigration laws say that developing a comprehensive immigration bill this year is a top priority, despite an already full legislative plate that includes a Supreme Court confirmation hearing, overhauling America's health care system, addressing climate change and conducting two wars.

They got a reality check on the potential bumps ahead when the White House recently postponed a bipartisan meeting on immigration that had been set for Wednesday - the second cancellation this month - because of "scheduling conflicts," administration officials told invited guests.

Still, supporters of an immigration overhaul think that Obama will succeed where other presidents have failed and will push through a comprehensive plan that will allow illegal immigrants to come out the shadows and provide them with a path to citizenship.

From the Associated Press, on a decline in Border Patrol apprehensions:

The number of Border Patrol apprehensions nationwide dropped for a third consecutive year, falling more than 17 percent to a level not seen since 1973, according to new government data.

The U.S. Border Patrol - charged with catching illegal immigrants near the nation's boundaries - had 724,000 apprehensions in 2008, according to the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Immigration Statistics. That was down from nearly 1.2 million in 2005.

Ninety-seven percent of those apprehensions were on the southwest border with Mexico and 91 percent of those caught were Mexican.

The report cited the slow U.S. economy and tougher border security as possible factors contributing to the drop.

The number of apprehensions reached its highest level in 1986, when Border Patrol made nearly 1.7 million apprehensions.

But the statistics are a crude measure of immigration since they only count those who are caught.

Jeffrey Passel, senior demographer at the Pew Hispanic Center, said the data appear to follow other reports that showed steep declines in illegal immigration from Mexico.

From Government Technology, on new legislation aimed at improving and standardizing ID security requirements:

"The PASS ID Act takes positive steps toward addressing state legislatures' implementation challenges with the REAL ID." -- Hawaii Sen. Daniel Akaka

The Real ID Act of 2005 was designed to improve security of state-issued driver licenses and ID cards and bring them up to a uniform federal standard. However, states objected to provisions of the act, and its estimated $12 billion cost, so a number of states passed laws prohibiting its implementation, and things ground to a halt as all states asked for, or were given, extensions. Janet Napolitano, as governor of Arizona, objected to Real ID and later, as secretary of Homeland Security, asked for some viable options.

Yesterday, Senators Daniel Akaka (D-HI) and George Voinovich (R-OH) introduced just such an option. The bipartisan "Providing for Additional Security in States' Identification" Act of 2009, or Pass ID Act, was met with generally positive reactions from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) the National Governors Association (NGA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

"This legislation will strengthen national security by offering real solutions within a framework that is more workable for states," said the NCSL in a release."The PASS ID Act takes positive steps toward addressing state legislatures' implementation challenges with the REAL ID. NCSL urges Congress to continue to work with NCSL and its members as this legislation moves through the congressional process and to take all possible efforts to ensure state costs for implementation of the Real ID, and any corrective legislation, be fully funded by the federal government."

Secretary’s Events

7 PM EST
Secretary Napolitano will deliver remarks and receive an award at the 20th Annual World Affairs Council Global Education Dinner
Willard InterContinental Washington Ballroom
1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C.

Public Events

9 AM EDT
Office of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Biodefense Chief Scientist Diane Berry will participate in a panel discussion about biodefense products at the 2009 Biodefense Vaccines and Therapeutics Conference
Almas Temple Club
1315 K Street NW
Washington, D.C.

10 AM PDT
ICE - Resident Agent in Charge David Wales will participate in a news conference hosted by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department to announce the initial results of a joint investigation targeting a major local drug trafficking organization.
1445 Kansas Ave.
San Luis Obispo, C.A.

Morning Roundup - June 16th

Tuesday, June 16th Morning Roundup - Featured News and Public Events


News Highlights

From The Associated Press, on the agreement signed yesterday between the U.S. and Mexico on strenghtening border security:

The U.S. and Mexico formalized an agreement Monday to work together to secure legal travel and trade across the countries' shared border.

The agreement is outlined in a letter of intent signed by U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Mexico's Finance Minister Agustin Carstens.

It expands a 2007 agreement and formalizes plans announced earlier this year to search vehicles at border crossings for bulk weapons and cash being smuggled from the U.S. into Mexico where more than 10,800 people have been killed by drug violence since December 2006.

Napolitano said the cooperation will include sharing information such as data about stolen cars.

Officials have said many of the weapons used in cartel violence in Mexico have come from the U.S.

Both countries are responsible for what goes into Mexico from the U.S., Napolitano said Monday at a news conference. "Our view is that we can either point fingers at each other, or we can work together," she said.

Officials said the agreement will improve communication and strengthen coordination on border enforcement. For instance, the U.S. will train Mexican customs agents and dogs and use more technology along the border.

"The more we work together, the better the service and security we provide to our peoples and economies," Carstens said in a statement.

From The New York Times, on a long overdue reunion:

Growing up among strangers in a refugee camp in the Darfur region of Sudan, 4-year-old Wesal Adam knew her parents mostly as faces in photographs and voices on the phone.

She knew that her father, Motasim Adam, and her mother, Wejdan Adam, lived in Brooklyn and that Mr. Adam drove a cab. But she did not know what they felt like or smelled like or how much they loved her - if at all.

Wesal did not know why she had been separated by deserts and oceans from her parents, but once she learned to talk she knew that her lack of certain papers was keeping her from them.

But on Monday morning at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Wesal and her father walked off a plane, reuniting the family and bringing a joyful end to a struggle that lasted more than two years.

From The Philadelphia Inquirer, on a big step forward for the Philadelphia International Airport's baggage screening system:

Mark Gale, acting Philadelphia Aviation Director, said the total cost of the new baggage handling systems at the airport's international terminal will be $50 million. The balance will be paid from airport funds, primarily bond funds,
Gale said.

The first part of the project for the A-East international terminal is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2010. A second phase will involve construction of an airfield building for rescreening bags arriving on international flights.

Gale said much of the screening by the Transportation Safety Administration is currently done manually, and the new machines will greatly speed the process.

Napolitano said in a statement: "These state-of-the-art baggage screening systems will enhance, airport security, streamline check-in procedures for passengers, and increase safety for TSA employees."

Secretary's Events

1:30PM EDT
Secretary Napolitano and Administrator Fugate will announce FEMA preparedness grants and participate in a media availability
Location: DHS HQ, Washington, D.C.



Public Events

9AM EDT
Customs and Border Protection Aire and Marine reps will participate in a demonstration of a Marine Advanced Concept Technology vessel.
Location:
1900 SE 15th Street
Fort Lauderdale, FL



9:30 AM EDT
US-CERT Director Mischel Kwon will participate in a panel discussion at the Symantec Government Symposium
Location:
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C.



10AM EDT
Under Secretary for Management Elaine Duke will testify before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia, on pandemic influenza preparedness and the federal workforce
Location:
342 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C.



10AM EDT
National Protection and Programs Infrastructure Protection Security Division Director Sue Armstrong will testify before the House Committee on Homeland Security about Chemical Facilities Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS)
Location:
311 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C.



10:30AM CDT
ICE San Antonio Field Office Director, Michael J. Pitts will participate in a press conference with the Webb County Sheriff’s Office announcing the deployment of Secure Communities to six additional Texas counties.
Location:
902 Victoria Street
Laredo, Texas



2PM EDT
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity and Communications Peter Fonash will testify before the House Science and Technology, Subcommittees on Research and Science Education and Technology and Innovation on federal response to the 60-day Cyberspace Policy Review
Location:
2318 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.



3PM EDT
National Protection and Programs Risk Governance and Support Division Assistant Director Robert Kolasky will deliver remarks about building a homeland security national risk assessment at the Security Analysis and Risk Management (SARMA) Annual Conference
Location:
George Mason University
3401 Fairfax Drive, Room 330
Arlington, VA