Senate Panel Explores Effectiveness of Homeland Security Department on Sept. 11 Anniversary

Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com How prepared is Homeland Security to handle terrorism threats? On the 12th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a Senate panel will ask that question as it examines the department and interviews former lawmakers and past DHS officials, including the first Homeland Security secretary, Tom Ridge, the Washington Post reports. The…

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Obama’s Choice for Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Denies Abusing His Influence

Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com  President Obama’s nomination for second in command at the Department of Homeland Security fended off allegations Thursday that he helped Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s brother get a special visa for foreign investors, The Los Angeles Times reports. The nomination of Alejandro Mayorkas is important because he could become the temporary…

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Homeland Security Warned About Potential for Pressure Cooker Attacks

Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com  The Department of Homeland Security in 2010 warned about terrorists using pressure cookers in bombings in Afghanistan, India, Nepal and Pakistan, Fast Company reports. Surgeons who worked on the victims found large pellets, small BBs and headless nails that were stuffed in six-liter pressure cookers. The department sent letters to law enforcement…

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Judge Allows Discrimination Lawsuit to Continue for Black Secret Service Agents

  Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com  Black Secret Service agents cleared a major hurdle this week in a discrimination lawsuit that claims the Department of Homeland Security has passed over African Americans for promotions, Reuters reports. U.S. District Court Judge Richard Roberts ruled the eight current and former agents meet requirements for class recertification, a key technicality…

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Homeland Security Considers Replacing Military Aircraft with Commercial Planes

Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The Department of Homeland Security may soon replace cheaper commercial planes with military aircraft to absorb 8.2% in budget cuts in March, Popular Science reports. The department was exploring buying used aircraft from the military but discovered that it’s more inexpensive to use commercial planes, Popular Science wrote. Commercial aircraft is more…

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