Senate confirms Mayorkas as secretary of homeland security over GOP objections
Portman is the top Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which has oversight authority over the department. As secretary of the sprawling department, Mayorkas will be tasked with tackling some of the nation's most pressing issues, including the coronavirus pandemic, domestic terrorism, cyberattacks and migration to the U.S. southern border. Alejandro Mayorkas testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on January 19, 2021. Former DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff, who served under President George W. Bush, criticized senators for hindering the confirmation to voice their policy disagreements. "The president-elect could not have found a more qualified person to be the next homeland security secretary," four former homeland security secretaries — Chertoff, Napolitano, Tom Ridge and Jeh Johnson — wrote in a Washington Post op-ed days after the attack.
cbsnews.comUS terrorism alert warns of politically motivated violence
The document singles out crimes motivated by racial or ethnic hatred, such as the 2019 rampage targeting Hispanics in El Paso, Texas, as well as the threat posed by extremists motivated by foreign terror groups. The alert comes at a tense time following the riot at the Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump seeking to overturn the presidential election. Cybersecurity and terrorism expert Alex Crowther, also a research professor at Florida International University, said domestic terrorism isn’t anything new. Chertoff, who served under President George W. Bush, said attacks by far-right, domestic extremists are not new but that deaths attributed to them in recent years in the U.S. have exceeded those linked to jihadists such as al-Qaida. “We have to be candid and face what the real risk is,” he said in a conference call with reporters.
Not in Trump’s ‘nature to do something that would be important for the country,’ says ex-Defense secretary
"This President's not going to do that," said Panetta, who served as defense secretary from July 2011 to February 2013 under former President Barack Obama. "It's not in his nature to do something that would be important for the country. Trump's comments come at a time of heightened alert for violence across the U.S. after the FBI warned of possible armed protests. The Virginia Capitol Police announced they were increasing security. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers activated his state's National Guard to protect the state Capitol building and boarded up windows on the building's ground-floor.
cnbc.comActing Homeland Security chief Chad Wolf resigns
The Homeland Security Department, which is charged with overseeing domestic security, has faced unprecedented politicization and record turnover under Wolf, and has been shaped by Trump’s singular preoccupation with restricting immigration. Additionally, Trump’s Homeland Security Department has had six acting directors of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, two acting Customs and Border Protection commissioners, and one acting director of Citizenship and Immigration Services, whose appointment was also ruled unlawful. Wolf steps down amid the launch of investigations into security lapses in the federal response to the Capitol breach. Former Homeland Security leaders as well as Biden have called the attack an act of domestic terrorism. Advertisement“Odd time to resign, in the middle of a homeland security emergency,” Chertoff said Monday.
latimes.comFormer Homeland Security head's advice following Capitol attack: "Buckle up"
He told CBS News national security correspondent David Martin that the Capitol Police bear primary responsibility. In fact, social media was full of "Storm the Capitol" rhetoric, including a tweet from President Trump, predicting it "will be wild." Trump supporters with a gallows outside the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 in Washington, D.C. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that that suggests a serious threat to the integrity of the Capitol." If it's Black Lives Matter there's a real threat of violence here, but if it's just almost all White Trump supporters, no problem?"
cbsnews.comFormer Homeland Security head's advice following Capitol attack: "Buckle up"
Former Homeland Security head's advice following Capitol attack: "Buckle up" Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff talks with CBS News national security correspondent David Martin about the failure of the Capitol Police to prevent armed Trump supporters from breaching a Joint Session of Congress, despite threats of violence posted on social media in the runup to the Electoral College vote tabulation.
cbsnews.comCapitol siege raises security worries for Biden inauguration
Similar structures have previously been used around the White House and in other cities that faced prolonged demonstrations. “The safety and security of all those participating in the 59th Presidential Inauguration is of the utmost importance,” the Secret Service said in a statement. A Trump rally in front of the White House helped rile up the mob that later stormed the Capitol. The inaugural committee said Biden would receive an official escort, with representatives from every military branch, for a block before arriving at the White House from the Capitol. Trump may not invite Biden to the White House while forgoing the inauguration, which Bendat said would amount to “an assault on our democracy” akin to the mob violence at the Capitol.
I'm an ex-con artist turned fraud experthere are the 9 biggest password mistakes I see people making
"A closer examination of major breaches reveals a common theme: in every 'major headline' breach, the attack vector has been the common password," he told CNBC. Biggest password mistakes people make todayChertoff is right, and I agree that the next step is to rid ourselves of passwords. Below are some of the biggest password mistakes people make, and you should avoid them at all costs: 1. Frequent password changes are counterproductive, as people tend to swap out one password for another frequently used one. When setting your device password, it's smart to avoid common choices like "1234," 0000," "2580" (a top-to-bottom sequence) or "5683" (which spells "love").
cnbc.comEx-Homeland Security chief on impact of Brussels attacks on U.S.
The U.S. embassy in Brussels advised American citizens in Belgium to shelter in place. Michael Chertoff, who was secretary of Homeland Security under President George W. Bush, joins “CBS This Morning” over the phone to discuss the Brussels terror attacks and its impact in the U.S.
cbsnews.comFormer Homeland Security secretaries warn Congress about a shutdown
Former Homeland Security secretaries warn Congress about a shutdown Former Homeland Security Secretaries Tom Ridge and Michael Chertoff say the political fight in Congress over funding shouldn't affect the men and women who work for the department.
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