September 9, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

As part of a joint venture between a commercial satellite imaging provider and the Department of Defense, Google launched a rocket into space Saturday. In return for undisclosed terms, Google got two considerations: its logo on the side of the launch vehicle and exclusive use of the mapping images that the satellite produces. The partnerships in the new satellite are extensive. The hardware was built by General Dynamics and put in orbit by Boeing; the funding for the project came in part from a commercial satellite imaging company, Geoeye. The rest of the funding came from the Defense Department’s National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which provides map-based intelligence resources. The launch took place yesterday from the Air Force’s Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Source: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080908-new-satellite-to-give-google-maps-unprecedented-resolution.html

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September 9, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

 A security breach at Cheyenne Mountain Air Station in Colorado put authorities on high alert Friday afternoon. At 2 p.m. a man was arrested by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office after military police detained a man near the visitor center. According to the sheriff’s office, the man was arrested and taken to the Criminal Justice Center because he was wanted on several warrants. At 3:30 p.m., in an unrelated incident, military police began searching for a second man who also breached a security checkpoint. According to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, the man was asked to leave but refused. Military police somehow lost contact with him and a massive manhunt began. The Colorado Springs Police Department used its helicopter to search by air, and the Sheriff’s Office used K-9’s to search on foot. NORAD Road, which leads to the air station and a nearby neighborhood, was shut down during the search. Source: http://www.krdo.com/Global/story.asp?S=8962501

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September 9, 2008 by Tim McDowell.

The U.S. Embassy in Caracas issued the following Warden Message on 8 September 2008: “The U.S. Embassy, Caracas, issues this warden message to advise U.S. citizens of a Department of Homeland Security public notification. The text of the public notification is as follows:

“‘The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is unable to determine whether international airports in Venezuela that serve as the last point of departure for non-stop flights to the United States maintain and carry out effective security measures. This notice is being issued because the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been unable to assess whether these airports meet the security standards adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), as mandated by 49 U.S.C. 44907. …’”

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