UPDATE: Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson has since reassigned the head of TSA and directed the agency to address the vulnerabilities identified in the report. [More]
department of homeland security
Customs Agents Seize Hundreds Of Kansas City Royals Panties In Raid On Boutique
By 10.23.14
Show me someone who predicted federal agents would be engaged in a literal panty raid and I will show you a liar, because the idea is preposterous — at first. But in a scenario that’s actually par for the course for agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (which falls under the Department of Homeland Security’s auspices) put the kibosh on a lingerie boutique for selling unauthorized Kansas City Royals underwear. [More]
NSA, Homeland Security Admit They Shouldn’t Have Blocked Sale Of Parody Merchandise
By 2.18.14
No one likes being made fun of or humiliated (okay, some people do, but that’s part of a much larger discussion), but you can’t throw your authority as a big, scary federal agency around to stop people from mocking you, even if they’re making some money doing so. [More]
Feds Warn Airlines Heading To The Olympics Of Potential Bomb Threat From Toothpaste Tubes
By 2.6.14
Travelers should be used to not hauling ginormous quantities of liquids/gels/aerosols in their carry-ons on airplanes by now, but you might find your tube of toothpaste under extra scrutiny if you’re heading to Russia for the Olympics. Federal officials have issued a warning to U.S. and some foreign airlines to be on the lookout for toothpaste, whose containers could hold ingredients used to make a bomb on a plane. [More]
"Armed" Man Arrested At Walmart Was "Armed" With A Cellphone
By 1.31.11
A Walmart in Missouri went into lockdown after a bystander reported a man in the parking lot was behaving “erratically” and wielding a gun, reports the Kirksville Daily Express. The eyewitness reported that the man was holding a gun to his head. [More]
Interview With Meg McLain, Ejected From Airport After Questioning Body Scanners
By 11.15.10
Last week Meg McLain’s story lit up the internet. She says she was cuffed, her ticket was ripped up, and she was kicked out of the airport after she refused the body scanner and tried to ask questions about the pat-down. The TSA took it seriously enough to quickly post security footage of the incident on their blog. I reached Meg by phone to find out more about what happened, and, especially, why she refused the body scanner in the first place. Here is the interview, which has been condensed and edited. [More]
Homeland Security: We Can Detain Your Laptop Indefinitely Without Cause
By 8.2.08
The Orwellian Department of Homeland Security claims that it can indefinitely confiscate laptops and iPods from law abiding citizens without any provocation or justification. The Department “clarified” their policies after several business travelers started asking the press why Homeland Security was fiddling with their laptops and PDAs for months on end.
Want Safe Skies? Strap This Remote-Controlled Stun Device To Yourself!
By 7.7.08
Make of this what you will, as the story comes from the Reverend Sun Myung Moon’s church-owned Washington Times and may be more fiction than fact, but “a senior government official with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has expressed great interest in a so-called safety bracelet that would serve as a stun device, similar to that of a police Taser.” Yes, the EMD Safety Bracelet from Lamperd Less Lethal is designed to make flying a fun experience once again. Just check out everything it can do:
- Take the place of an airline boarding pass.
- Contain personal information about the traveler.
- Be able to monitor the whereabouts of each passenger and his/her luggage.
- Shock the wearer on command, completely immobilizing him/her for several minutes.
FCC Keeps Cellular Outage Reports Secret
By 12.19.06
Wouldn’t it be nice to definitively know which cellphone network had the fewest outages?
