Defense

Air Guard plan would limit Pentagon's proposed closures

Plan would allow every state to keep a flying mission.

Defense

Legislation proposed to upgrade federal officers' status

Officers in more than 24 agencies would receive the full benefits of law enforcement officers.

Defense

Dwindling number of aircraft may seal fate of Air Guard

Under base closing proposal, 23 Air National Guard units would be stripped of their planes.

Defense

Postal Service beefs up instruction on handling suspicious mail

Training will give employees exposure to more scenarios.

Defense

Pentagon defends environmental estimates for closing bases

Critics say cost of cleaning up shuttered military installations will cut deeply into estimated savings of closing bases.

Defense

DHS plans Web site to help identify transportation vulnerabilities

Free Web-based tool would allow transportation owners and operators to voluntarily assess system security and get feedback on improvements.

Defense

D.C. train ban remains on hold while other cities efforts advance

Rail operator CSX and Transportation Department trying to have ban lifted.

Defense

Bush administration's TSA budget request faces steep cuts

House and Senate appropriators will meet in September to negotiate the final budget numbers before sending the bill to the president.

Defense

Cost of Defense personnel reforms questioned

Unions say $158 million quoted cost is unrealistic.

Defense

Report cites increased risk of terrorist attack using chemicals

Congressional study outlines options for lawmakers, such as requiring chemical plant operators to have better protections.

Defense

Maine lawmakers make last-ditch pitch to save Naval Air Base

Group argued that Brunswick Naval Air Station is vital to homeland defense.

Tech

DHS initiates programs to unify technology acquisitions

Programs would standardize shopping for IT services, commodities.

Defense

Connecticut lawmakers offer defense of New London base

Group tries to convince BRAC panel to leave submarine base intact.

Tech

Homeland Security agency deploys ID tags in visitor forms

Forms for visitors will be embedded with tags containing a unique serial number linked to a database.

Defense

Ex-FBI translator takes case to Supreme Court

Favorable ruling on whistleblower case would challenge government secrecy rules and allow court case to proceed.

Defense

TSA revamping shoe-screening policy

Agency puts out call for new inspection devices, so travelers can go through checkpoints without taking off their shoes.

Defense

Local officials call for more mass transit security funding

Wish lists of new security technologies are growing larger.

Defense

Federal cargo inspection system found wanting

Senators say U.S. seaports remain vulnerable because DHS knows too little about contents of shipping containers.

Defense

Assaults on Park Service officers increase

National Park Service officers were assaulted 111 times in 2004, resulting in 33 injuries.

Defense

Greater coordination called for at biological labs

Energy IG says more needs to be done to coordinate laboratory work and integrate facilities with other federal agencies.