Homeland Security

Deepa Bharath Residents must make use of the information put out by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, local public safety officials said Wednesday. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge has launched a public relations campaign and a Web site, www.ready.gov, that offers tips to prepare for worst-case scenarios, including terrorist bombings, biological, chemical and nuclear attacks. Officials said they crafted the campaign to avoid creating widespread panic while providing some common sense ideas that will help people survive a disaster -- when government and emergency services are unavailable.

Alicia Robinson Local police and firefighters will get more federal funding with less red tape if a bill written by Rep. Chris Cox makes it through all the hoops. The Faster and Smarter Funding for First Responders Act would scrap the current funding formula for the Department of Homeland Security's terrorism preparedness money in favor of a subjective method in which funding would be based on an area's risk level. A community with a nuclear plant or major sea port, for example, would get more money than a rural area with no likely terrorist targets.

Alicia Robinson and S.J. Cahn Rep. Chris Cox on Wednesday announced plans to require the Department of Homeland Security to establish priorities and deadlines in building its major programs -- essentially to face the same scrutiny by Congress as the rest of the federal government. Cox, the chairman of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security, said: "Progress by the Department of Homeland Security shouldn't be determined arbitrarily, or politicized.

Paul Clinton A bill introduced by Rep. Chris Cox and others would add more clout to the Department of Homeland Security by putting its director in line for succession to the presidency. Last week, Cox and seven other House members in a working group introduced an amendment to the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, which provides the ground rules for who would replace the president in the event of his death or inability to serve. The bill, which makes a number of other minor changes to the act, came out of talks on how the government would function if Washington, D.C. was hit in an attack similar to that of Sept.

1. A temple for which religion is being built in Newport Beach? A. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints B. Rastafarian C. Scientology D. Norse 2. Rep. Chris Cox gave up his leadership post on what committee to serve as chairman of what new committee? A. Economic to serve on Policy B. Policy to serve on Homeland Security C. Homeland Security to serve on Ways and Means D. Committee to Eradicate Doubt to serve on Economic Instability 3. A local couple, Bill and Sue Gross, gave how much money to Hoag Hospital's new tower and women's health center?

S.J. Cahn All you Republicans might want to avoid the Karl Strauss Brewery in Metro Pointe on Oct. 26. Dean folks promise to be there. The Orange County for Dean group, which supports the presidential aspirations of former Democratic Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, is holding a debate party at the pub from 5 until 7:30 p.m. Dean, as political followers well know, is among the leading Democratic contenders. He has raised about $15 million in recent months.

The Burbank Fire and Police departments will boost their preparedness for disasters and terrorist events with federal grant money unanimously approved by the City Council on Tuesday night. The $860,000 in two grants from the Department of Homeland Security would be used for training, equipment and planning for emergency operations. Training in hazardous materials and urban search and rescue will take Fire Department personnel to Alabama, New Mexico and Nevada, interim Fire Chief Tracy Pansini said.

Alicia Robinson California ranks near the bottom of the 50 states in wasteful federal spending, but Congress approved more than $3 million in local "pork barrel" projects, according to Citizens Against Government Waste. The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit group on Wednesday released its annual "pig book," which catalogs what it sees as unnecessary congressional spending. Statewide, 2004 wasteful spending was listed at nearly $643 million, which averaged about $18.12 per person and ranked California 43rd nationwide in pork spending, the group said.

Today is Labor Day, and labor in the United States may be about to change. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced a series of new measures last month to crack down on employers who hire illegal immigrants. The measures include raising fines for companies that knowingly hire illegals, more tightly inspecting Social Security and requiring federal employers to use an electronic system to prove employees are legal. Not surprisingly, the regulations — announced in August by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff — have amassed critics, including a coalition of labor and immigrant rights groups that sued the Department of Homeland Security last week.

Winetasting to benefit diabetes research The Newport Beach Bacchus Society is holding a winetasting July 22 to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Wines to be sampled include those from California wineries Chateau Potelle, Peju Province and Mietz Cellars. There also will be a silent auction. The tasting will take place at Costa Mesa's Park Prive, formerly known as Mondavi Food and Wine Center. Park Prive is operated by the Patina Group of restaurants.

*Corrected: An earlier version of the piece misspelled the writer's name. As a veteran, the security of our country is of great concern to me. I served in the United States Army in Iraq, and I understand the sacrifice that is needed to protect this great nation. That's why I believe security starts with effective protection of our borders. We must be prepared for threats from all directions in a post-9/11 world. Illegal immigration is a serious challenge for our country.

A mentally disabled man from Costa Mesa who was detained for more than five years by immigration authorities was released Wednesday, less than a week after the American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit on his behalf. Jose Antonio Franco, whose last name is listed as Franco-Gonzalez in court documents, was released to his family from Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention Wednesday afternoon. Franco, 29, was arrested in 2004 and convicted of throwing a rock that cut a man’s face during a fight between two gangs.

The L.A. Times reported Dec. 7 that, amid a rash of arrests and alleged Islamic terrorism cases in America, the Obama administration and U.S. Homeland Security officials “have concluded that the country confronts a rising threat from homegrown extremism.” The Times cited anti-terrorism experts pointing out that when it comes to homegrown threats, 2009 has been the most dangerous year since 2001. “Homegrown terrorism is here. And, like violent extremism abroad, it will be part of the threat picture that we must now confront,” Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano told The Times.

With the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency’s help, UCI is working to increase safety measures for firefighters and those they protect. FEMA gave university researchers a $1 million Fire Prevention and Safety grant Tuesday to work toward the goal of bettering firefighter awareness. Sharad Mehrotra, professor of computer sciences, and Nalini Venkatasubramanian, associate professor of computer sciences, will team up with Long Beach disaster response technology company ImageCat to develop tools for firefighters that relay information to them faster to improve decision-making and reaction time.

Recent news stories on the merits of AB 2873, my bill co-written by Assemblyman Jim Silva, need clarification. Euphemistically called the “Harbor Patrol Bill,” AB 2873 is clear and concise legislation that would continue to make coastal security patrol the responsibility of trained peace officers in Orange County. The bill states that if the Orange County Board of Supervisors wants to contract with another law enforcement agency other than the O.C. Sheriff’s Department for security services along the county’s coastlines, harbors and inland waterways, they may certainly do so. AB 2873 only stipulates that any law enforcement entity awarded such a contract must maintain today’s level of public safety and employ the current number of sworn peace officers.

If you ask most students and school administrators what kids are learning about 9/11 in schools, the general response is to talk about what they are doing to memorialize the historic day. Districtwide there will be a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. Some schools are having assemblies and others are creating tributes to the victims today. But as far as actually teaching kids about 9/11 — what happened, why it happened, and what its effects have been — that’s still a work in progress.

Today is Labor Day, and labor in the United States may be about to change. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced a series of new measures last month to crack down on employers who hire illegal immigrants. The measures include raising fines for companies that knowingly hire illegals, more tightly inspecting Social Security and requiring federal employers to use an electronic system to prove employees are legal. Not surprisingly, the regulations — announced in August by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff — have amassed critics, including a coalition of labor and immigrant rights groups that sued the Department of Homeland Security last week.

Republican federal legislators are still working for tougher enforcement of immigration laws, but the mood in the nation's capital heading into the weekend makes it unlikely reform measures will get through Congress. Newport Beach Rep. John Campbell was one of 166 Republican House members who walked off the floor Thursday night to protest the outcome of a vote on an agriculture bill amendment. On Friday, the partisan tensions continued to what Campbell called a boiling point.

"T he Number 23" is a dark and strange psychological thriller. Jim Carrey stumbles through a lot of disturbing mental territory as he undergoes a slow transformation from ordinary guy to obsessed madman. His performance is frantic at times, but it's a gradual descent into a frightening state of mind where everyday reality becomes very elusive. Virginia Madsen plays his loving wife who buys him an obscure, used book that starts his descent into another world. Many developments that follow seem improbable and contrived.