• Arizona Gov. Brewer Lashes Out Against States Urging Court to Void Immigration Law
• Source: East Valley Tribune   |   Arizona   |   April 2, 2012
• In a legal brief filed earlier this week, the attorneys for 11 states told the justices that Arizona's SB 1070 conflicts with federal immigration laws. They disputed the state's contention that the state law is merely assisting the federal government in enforcing federal law.

• Tornado Warnings to Get More Graphic in Kansas, Missouri
• Source: Reuters   |   Midwest   |   April 2, 2012
• The National Weather Service plans to begin a new initiative designed to make people in Tornado Alley sit up and take notice when potentially devastating twisters are headed their way. Under the new system, tornado warnings will be accompanied by stark language like, "mass devastation is highly likely, making the area unrecognizable to survivors."

• Immigration Courts in 4 Cities to Close While Feds Review Deportation Cases
• Source: Seattle Times   |   Nation   |   March 30, 2012
• The Obama administration has suspended immigration-court dockets in Seattle, New Orleans, Detroit and Orlando, Fla., while government attorneys review thousands of deportation cases, with an eye out for those who may qualify for a reprieve.

• North Carolina Immigration Legislation Put on Hold until 2013
• Source: Raleigh News & Observer   |   North Carolina   |   March 29, 2012
• Given the complexity of the issue, a committee decided to delay consideration of comprehensive immigration legislation until 2013, putting to rest for now one of the most heated legislative issues this year.

• Nuclear Blast Wouldn't Destroy District of Columbia, Study Finds
• BY: The Associated Press   |   Washington, D.C.   |   March 27, 2012
• A U.S. government study analyzed the likely effects from terrorists setting off a 10-kiloton nuclear device a few blocks north of the White House. It predicted terrible devastation for roughly one-half mile in every direction, but outside that blast zone, the study concluded, even such a nuclear explosion would be pretty survivable.

• Less Illegal Immigrants in Arizona Now Compared to 2008
• Source: Arizona Republic   |   Arizona   |   March 26, 2012
• The size of Arizona's undocumented-immigrant population has dropped significantly in recent years and is now near its lowest level in a decade, according to a report released by the Department of Homeland Security. Experts say the the primary factor behind the exodus was the lack of jobs during the recession, but tighter border enforcement and tough immigration laws also played a role.

• FEMA Denies Illinois' 2nd Request for Tornado Aid
• Source: Chicago Tribune   |   Illinois   |   March 22, 2012
• Gov. Pat Quinn and members of the Illinois congressional delegation said the decision by the Federal Emergency Management Agency did not reflect the seriousness of the damage from tornadoes in southern Illinois communities, which killed seven people in tiny Harrisburg, Ill., and damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses across a five-county area.
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• Earthquake Warning System Experiencing Cracks in California
• Source: Los Angeles Times   |   California   |   March 22, 2012
• California has struggled to build and deploy an earthquake warning system that would give cities a few seconds of crucial time to prepare for the impact of a massive earthquake. The state is spending only a fraction of what Japan and Mexico have devoted, and scientists said the progress is so slow that they cannot say when the state might complete its system.

• U.S. Schools Failing to Prepare Students for National Security Jobs
• BY: The Associated Press   |   Nation   |   March 20, 2012
• The nation's security and economic prosperity are at risk if America's schools don't improve, warns a task force led by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Joel Klein, the former chancellor of New York City's school system.

• Connecticut Storm Response Bill on Legislature's List
• BY: The Associated Press   |   Connecticut   |   March 20, 2012
• Connecticut lawmakers will be discussing Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's proposal to impose minimum standards for electric and gas utilities for emergency preparation and restoring services to customers in an emergency.

• Arlington, Va., Fire Chief: Cities' Emergency Response Could Suffer Due to Funding Change
• BY: Caroline Cournoyer   |   Nation   |   March 16, 2012
• Over 120 cities use a Metropolitan Medical Response System to create plans for homeland security threats in their community. Their ability to respond, however, may be inhibited with the loss of direct federal funding.

• Poll: Voters Approve of NYPD's Treatment of Muslims
• BY: The Associated Press   |   New York City   |   March 13, 2012
• Most city voters think the New York Police Department has acted appropriately in its dealing with Muslims, according to a new poll following a series of stories about the NYPD's surveillance of Muslims after 9/11.

• NYPD's Monitoring of Muslims Puts Counterterrorism at Risk, Say Police and Mayors
• BY: The Associated Press   |   Nation   |   March 12, 2012
• Police investigators, prosecutors and mayors in cities nationwide say the New York Police Department's secret spying is a misguided approach that will hinder the department's efforts to uncover potential attacks for years, if not decades.
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• A Year After Japan Tsunami, U.S. Nuclear Plans Stalled
• BY: Stateline   |   March 7, 2012
• Safety concerns following the fatal Fukushima disaster are among several factors keeping the industry in limbo in the U.S., Stateline reports.

• Tornado Damage May Spell the End of Tiny Towns
• BY: The Associated Press   |   Nation   |   March 5, 2012
• Marysville, Ind., a tiny farm town, has no mayor, no school and no shopping center. And after last week's deadly tornadoes, it has virtually nowhere left to live.
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