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Trump fires heads of TSA, Coast Guard and guts key aviation safety advisory committee
Read full article: Trump fires heads of TSA, Coast Guard and guts key aviation safety advisory committeePresident Donald Trump has moved quickly to remake the Department of Homeland Security by firing the heads of the Transportation Security Administration and Coast Guard before their terms are up while eliminating all the members of a key aviation security advisory group.
Thanksgiving air travel to rebound to 2019 levels, TSA says
Read full article: Thanksgiving air travel to rebound to 2019 levels, TSA saysThe number of airline passengers traveling for Thanksgiving this year is expected to rebound to pre-coronavirus pandemic levels, but the Transportation Security Administration says it is ready to handle the surge.
US extends temporary residency for thousands from Syria
Read full article: US extends temporary residency for thousands from Syria(SANA via AP)WASHINGTON ā The United States extended the temporary legal residency status Friday for nearly 7,000 people from Syria because of the countryās civil war. Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary David Pekoske said Friday that temporary protected status would be extended for 18 months. Temporary status allows foreign citizens to stay in the U.S. if they lack some other form of legal residency and come from a country that meets certain criteria that makes it dangerous to return. Pekoske said Syria continues to meet that criteria because of the civil war. The Trump administration had sought to end TPS for several countries, including Haiti, El Salvador and Nicaragua, but extended it for Syrians.
TSA looking into adding Capitol rioters to US no-fly list
Read full article: TSA looking into adding Capitol rioters to US no-fly listFederal safety officials are investigating people who took part in last week's riot at the U.S. Capitol to decide whether they belong on the federal no-fly list. The assessments are one of several steps federal agencies are taking to increase security before President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration next week. The assessments could result in rioters being added to the federal no-fly list, the person said. The FBI said earlier this week it was considering adding Capitol rioters to the federal no-fly list but stopped short of saying that individuals were being scrutinized. Airlines and Washington-area airports also have promised tighter security after last weekās riot at the Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump.
With fewer passengers, TSA agents find more loaded firearms at Miami International Airport
Read full article: With fewer passengers, TSA agents find more loaded firearms at Miami International AirportMIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. Transportation Security Administration officers reported an increase in the number of undeclared firearms they are finding inside carry-on baggage at checkpoints. This is while TSA reported screening about 75% fewer passengers than last year. Dan Ronan, the TSA federal security director at Miami International Airport, reported agents have discovered undeclared firearms at MIA checkpoints at a rate 2.5 times higher than last year. According to TSA Administrator David Pekoske, about 80% of the undeclared firearms found at airport checkpoints around the nation are loaded. Ronan and Pekoske want the public to remember the violation comes with civil penalties and criminal prosecution.
Air traffic is down, gun seizures up at US airports
Read full article: Air traffic is down, gun seizures up at US airports(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)With air traffic nearing a five-month high, airport security is finding guns in passenger carry-on bags at three times the rate recorded before the pandemic. There has been a significant increase in loaded guns at checkpoints, said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. Last year, 4,432 guns were found in carry-on bags, or about 12.1 per day, and 87% were loaded. TSA's public appeal to follow gun rules came the same day that it reported screening 831,789 people on Sunday. It was the first time checkpoint traffic in U.S. airports has topped 800,000 since March 17.
TSA halts employees from using TikTok for social media posts
Read full article: TSA halts employees from using TikTok for social media postsWASHINGTON, D.C. ā The Transportation Security Administration said Sunday it has stopped allowing employees to use the China-owned video app TikTok to create social media posts for the agency after the Senateās top Democrat raised concerns about potential national security issues. Schumer also cited a Department of Homeland Security policy prohibiting TikTok on agency devices. He also noted in the letter that Chinese laws compel companies to cooperate with Chinaās government and intelligence collection. Over the past few months, the agency has posted a number of videos reshared on other social media platforms such as Twitter, which have amassed hundreds of thousands of views. The agency said it never directed viewers to TikTok or published content directly to the platform, despite videos reposted on other TSA social media accounts having the TikTok logo in the bottom of the screen.