Security Briefs - Jan. 29 - Feb. 4
The Latest Headlines:
- Report: 'Fallen Angel' Also Sent Ricin to White House
- Homeland Security Gets Big Boost in Bush's Budget
- Study: Thousands of Fake Licenses Issued in 2003
- Radiation Detectors to Be Installed at Seaports, Borders
- Homeland Security Gets Big Boost in Bush's Budget
Report: 'Fallen Angel' Also Sent Ricin to White House
A day after ricin was found in Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's office, law enforcement officials said Tuesday the deadly poison was also found in a vial accompanying a letter addressed to the White House in November, the Washington Post reported Tuesday.That package never reached the White House, the Post said.
In October, a package nearly identical to the one intended for the White House was discovered at a mail-sorting facility in South Carolina. It threatened to poison water supplies if federal trucking regulations requiring drivers to rest longer were not repealed.
Meanwhile, investigators in South Carolina last week sent out hundreds of thousands of fliers to residents looking for clues to who was responsible for last October's incident, the Associated Press said.
It is believed he or she is familiar with the area because the post office where the package marked "CAUTION RICIN poison" was found is not used by the general public, AP said. Transport Topics
(Click here for information from American Trucking Associations.)
Homeland Security Gets Big Boost in Bush's Budget
In his fiscal 2005 budget sent to Congress on Monday, President Bush proposed a 14.4% increase for the Department of Homeland Security and other related programs to about $48 billion, news services reported.That includes an 11% increase in FBI funding for counterterrorism, a 9% increase for the Coast Guard to $490 million, more money to protect the food supply and a huge increase to deal with biological threats.
The Transportation Security Administration would get a 20% increase in its budget to $5.3 billion. About $890 million would go to enhance aviation security by improving passenger and baggage screening, the Associated Press reported.
First responders such as firefighters and police would get $3.6 billion in grants, a 3% increase over last year, AP said.
The 2005 fiscal year begins Oct. 1, 2004. Transport Topics
Study: Thousands of Fake Licenses Issued in 2003
The Center for Democracy and Technology, a Washington policy group, said Monday that thousands of fraudulent driver's licenses were issued by bribed state employees in 2003.As an example, the group said on its Web site that in Newark, N.J., the entire 11-person staff of a motor vehicle office was fired last February after investigators uncovered multiple cases of fraud, including the creation of dozens of fake licenses using the department's equipment.
In some cases across the country, licenses were bought for as little as $350.
The group recommended agencies issue different ID's for different uses, thus making the driver's license less of a prize. Transport Topics
Radiation Detectors to Be Installed at Seaports, Borders
The federal government is planning to install thousands of radiation-detection machines at the nation's seaports and border crossings, the Associated Press reported Thursday.The efforts will copy Virginia Port Authority's successful launch of the machines at terminals in the Hampton Roads area, AP said.
In late 2002, the Norfolk International Terminals became the first port facility in the country to deploy the machines. They were also installed last year at the Portsmouth Marine Terminal and the Newport News Marine Terminal.
The machines quickly scan for radiation as container trucks and trains leave the ports. The detectors are an adaptation of an old technology once used to check for radiation in steel mills, AP said. Transport Topics
