Trump weighs mobilizing Nat Guard for immigration roundups
(AP, Feb 17, 2017)
The Trump administration is considering a proposal to mobilize as many as 100,000 National Guard troops to round up unauthorized immigrants, including millions living nowhere near the Mexico border, according to a draft memo obtained by The Associated Press. The 11-page document calls for the unprecedented militarization of immigration enforcement as far north as Portland, Oregon, and as far east as New Orleans, Louisiana.
Trump says he will unveil overhauled immigration order next week
(Reuters, Feb 16, 2017)
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he will issue a new executive order to replace his controversial directive suspending travel to the United States by citizens of seven mostly Muslim countries. At a White House news conference on Thursday, Trump said the new order would seek to address concerns raised by federal appeals court judges, who temporarily blocked his original travel ban. "The new order is going to be very much tailored to what I consider to be a very bad decision," Trump said, adding: "We had a bad court."
EU privacy watchdogs seek assurances on U.S. data transfer pact
(Reuters, Feb 16, 2017)
European Union data privacy watchdogs will seek assurances from U.S. authorities that a move by U.S. President Donald Trump will not undermine a transatlantic pact protecting the privacy of Europeans' data. European concerns have been raised by an executive order signed by Trump on Jan. 25 aiming to toughen enforcement of U.S. immigration law. The order directs U.S. agencies to "exclude persons who are not United States citizens or lawful permanent residents from the protections of the Privacy Act regarding personally identifiable information."
Homeland Security Watchdog Takes on Issues Surrounding Trump's Wall
(Government Executive, Feb 16, 2017)
With President Trump continuing to talk up his long-promised wall across the border with Mexico, the Homeland Security Department’s inspector general on Wednesday unveiled a multi-pronged plan to examine obstacles to securing the Southern frontier. John Roth took the opportunity at a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on the government’s programs most at risk of waste and abuse to announce several coming audits prompted by the new administration’s domestic security agenda.
FBI is 'moving towards' predictive cybercrime-fighting tools, assistant director says
(CyberScoop, Feb 15, 2017)
The FBI’s cybercrime unit is developing predictive policing capabilities, Assistant Director Scott Smith said during a panel discussion at the 2017 RSA conference. “It’s where we are moving, and hope to go when you talk about predicting as opposed to proactive and reactive. Reactive is consistently where we have been, proactive means we’re really trying to get ahead of it. But predictive is where we want to be. And that’s where I know FBI Cyber Division is strongly moving towards as we speak,” Smith said.
Senate Dem blasts GOP for trying to repeal broadband privacy rules
(The Hill, Feb 16, 2017)
Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) called out Republicans on Thursday for trying to undo the Federal Communications Commission broadband privacy rules that passed late last year. The broadband privacy rules, which were passed in October under former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, require service providers to obtain consumers' permission to use certain information. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) revealed this week that he would be introducing a resolution to repeal the rules under authority granted by the Congressional Review Act.
Eurostar implements facial recognition for Paris passengers
(RFI, Feb 15, 2017)
Eurostar has installed electronic passport gates with facial recognition technology for passengers travelling from Paris a year after the same technology was introduced at the London end. Passengers with biometric passports scan the document at a first gate and then proceed to a second gate where a camera compares their features with their passport picture before allowing them through to the departure lounge.
Denver Airport Director Testifies before Senate on Improving TSA
(ACI-NA, Feb 16, 2017)
Ms. Kim Day, Chief Executive Officer of Denver International Airport, joined other aviation stakeholders today in testifying before the Senate Aviation Subcommittee on how the TSA may better serve the traveling public. You can view the hearing here. The testimony and questioning centered on several key recommendations from the aviation industry.
Facial recognition software for lemurs could help save endangered species
(The Verge, Feb 17, 2017)
A team biologists and computer scientists have created the first ever facial recognition system for lemurs, able to identify more than 100 different individuals with 98.7 percent accuracy. It’s hoped that the software, dubbed LemurFaceID, will help with conversation efforts for the primate; giving researchers an easier and less invasive way to track individuals and whole families across generations.
