Registered traveler goes international

The Homeland Security Department will begin testing an International Registered Traveler program at three airports starting June 10 to expedite airport clearances for prescreened travelers.

Text message warning system lacks sponsor

The FCC yesterday adopted an order allowing transmission of emergency alerts via text message to cell phone users nationwide, but the plan could falter without an agency to head it.

PSC site to fight contracting myths

The Professional Services Council today launched a new Web site as a clearinghouse of information on government procurement issues.

Water, water, everywhere under attack

Water utilities should begin work immediately to secure their systems against catastrophic cyberattack, the threat of which is growing, a new report said.

Task orders slowdown under Eagle

The pace of task orders coming out of the Eagle IT contract at the Homeland Security Department slowed in the first half of fiscal 2008, according to new data.

DHS extends work visa timeframe

The Homeland Security Department's new rule for foreign students more than doubles the number of months that a foreign student may stay in the U.S. after graduation while applying for a work visa.

FBI keeps close tabs on Sentinel

The FBI is on track to deploy the second phase of its Sentinel case file management system within weeks, said FBI Director Robert Mueller.

DHS to beef up cybersecurity staff

The Homeland Security Department's infrastructure and cyber units are interviewing candidates for more than 300 job openings, a top DHS official testified this week.

Heated exchange

H-1B visa controversy remains source of friction for lawmakers and employers.

FCC sends unclear signal to bidders

The spectrum auction's failure is blamed on unanswered questions.

Lawmaker calls for tighter Northern border surveillance

DHS ought to install more ground and air radars along the U.S.-Canada border and boost the number of manned and unmanned aircraft patrols over the area, Sen. Jon Tester has said.

GAO finds fault with advisory contracts

Federal agency recordkeeping on contracting for advisory and assistance services is such a mess that the records are practically worthless, concludes a new report.

Cities-at-risk list has some surprises

A new academic statistical study includes several small municipalities on the list of U.S. cities most vulnerable to terrorist attack while omitting major ports on the West Coast.

CRS: Satellite surveillance raises privacy questions

Congress might want to evaluate whether DHS' plan to use domestic spy satellites for counterterrorism and law enforcement is worth cost and risks, according to a new report.

US-VISIT has unfinished business: GAO

DHS' strategy for creating unique biometric identities for individuals under the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology is incomplete, auditors say.

Mantech to assist Navy on warfare analysis

ManTech Systems Engineering will help support warfare analysis for the Naval Air Systems Command on a contract valued at up to $83 million.

Raytheon gets NASA training extension

A subsidiary of Raytheon Co. will continue providing services to NASA's astronaut training facilities in Houston under a contract extension.

Advocacy groups cry foul over spectrum auction

Advocacy groups have asked the Federal Communications Commission to investigate claims that an official adviser asked for millions of dollars in fees that might have scared off bidders for the D Block of radio spectrum.

Ariz. lawmakers balk at new driver's licenses

Opposition is building in Arizona's Legislature to a plan to authorize a hybrid driver's license that also would serve as a border-crossing card and would comply with the Real ID Act.

Skinner: Coast Guard falls short of performance goals

The Coast Guard is struggling to meet its homeland security missions in addition to its traditional missions, according to a new report from Homeland Security Inspector General Richard Skinner.