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Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says the government's new threat warning system will consist of two levels -- elevated and imminent, replacing the five-tiered, color coded system in place since 2002.
"When a threat develops that could impact you, the public, we will tell you. We will provide whatever information we can so you know how to protect yourselves, your families, and your communities," Napolitano said in remarks prepared for a speech Thursday on the status of America's homeland security.
The new alerts, she said, "will provide a concise summary of the potential threat, information about actions being taken to ensure public safety, and recommended steps that individuals and communities can take."
In some cases, Napolitano said, the alerts may be communicated directly to law enforcement or to segments of the private sector, such as shopping malls or hotels. They will be specific to the threat and may recommend that people take certain actions, such as looking for suspicious behavior. And the alerts will include an end date.
The new system will go into effect in three months, by the end of April. Under the current advisory system, the nation's airports are at orange or high, while the rest of the country is at yellow or elevated. During the first four years of the colored system, the threat level was changed 16 times, both up and down, but it has not been changed in four-and-a-half years, despite several serious security threats. That fact alone reflects what many have seen as the old system's declining utility in communicating useful information.
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The only reason I'm annoyed by this announcement is because the color-coded system was far, far easier (not to mention lulzier) to lampoon.
Who cares? Just watching CNN. They reported both orally and in print that the Financial Crisis of 2008 Investigative Board announced in its final finding that Moody's economic models for house values expected a 4% increase in value each year, forever, and that the collapse was forseeable. Then it is alleged by CNN to say thay both the BUSH and OBAMA administration share in the blame. Obama wasn't even in office until 2009! Did CNN mean to write CLINTON but accidentally wrote OBAMA? How could this have been an "honest" mistake?
Good point Paul,
They had to mean the Clinton and Bush administrations. Obama was the number two receiver of Freddie and Fannie money, but that was as a senator.
Maybe they are just projecting also. Afterall, Obama has still done nothing to fix Fannie and Freddie and they will no doubt be back in line for another bailout before too long. (But hey, Obama did help with ATM fees though)
NO! They, CNN, just reported again that the FCIC blames Greenspan and Bernanke, Bush and Obama?!?!
Paul-977599
I read somewhere CNN wants to be a baby Fox News.
I read where CNN gave up on trying to be a 'baby Fox', because the showing of 'baby cleavage' on all it's 'news' shows might cause some serrious trouble.
drive-by-observer
I read where CNN gave up on trying to be a 'baby Fox', because the showing of 'baby cleavage' on all it's 'news' shows might cause some serrious trouble
Tales are a problem too. Opps, I meant tails.
Funny Bev....
I've come to think of CNN as Fox 'lite'!
Like DBO said - if they could just round up some centerfolds to pose as pseudo commentators you wouldn't be able to tell the difference!
Nothing says fair & balanced quite like horny old men...
Feisty
Nothing says fair & balanced quite like horny old men...
I see these pale, male, horny, old men more unbalanced than fair. Especially, Brit Hume; maybe he's got rocks in his mouth which causes him him to fall over on his desk whenever he gives his commentary.
Opps, almost forgot Juan Williams, the only black guy there; certainly not balanced when he is surrounded by two or more at the table.
Nah... I think he's a bit 'stiff' in other areas that's causing the imbalance problem! ;o)
Feisty
Nah... I think he's a bit 'stiff' in other areas that's causing the imbalance problem! ;o)
Nah... at his age; I doubt it.
I will try to use small words that everyone understands.
Have any of you heard of Obama's foreclosure intervention program? It takes people who cannot afford their homes, enters them into negotiations with their banks, and after twelve or fourteen months, voilà!
They get foreclosed on.
All his program did was provide jobs for bureaucrats and prolong the foreclosure crisis.
Had he stayed outmof it, the bottom would have fallen out in 2009, housing prices would have stabilized, and the mArket would be on the upswing. As it is, foreclosures are expected to explode this year.
If he can be convinced that his intervention plan failed, (which would be a first for him, I admit), and let the housing market shake out on its own, it will hit bottom and begin to stabilize.
What I predict will happen is that he will try intervention.2, get stopped by congress, and will point fingers at those "mean" republicans, who are throwing families out in the snow.
I didn't think we needed this now that Bush is gone and the world loves us after Obama did his World Bend Over Tour, slapped Israel around, devoted NASA to Muslim outreach,.......
Besides the official warnings the last few years have been......Hey look that guy is trying to set off a bomb...., Hey look that SUV is smoking....., Hey look that guy screaming Allahu Akbar has two pistols........
Bush is gone? When did he die? I would have thought that "fact" would have made the news.
Pretty good.
Yea, that would be real popcorn for everybody national celebration here at FR.
Hey look- that dick is trying to tell everyone else how it should be around here, even after F R E E elecitons were held!
Couldn't come up with anything better than that?
And about that F R E E election, it is costing our kids about $1.5 trillion as of today.
Are these the same 'our kids' that Newt wants to live in a toilet, when he makes the EPA go away??
Too bad the color code could have included John Bohnoer. I mean he sits in Congress like a bump on a log. He can't control the republican/tea baggers.
He was emotionless at the SOTU sitting behind the President. Do I need any more proof?
Please, How about they just alert the proper law enforcement and public safety organizations and only panic the public when absolutely necessary. This seems to be a total waste of time and money. Most people don't pay attention to it anyway.
devie
Please, How about they just alert the proper law enforcement and public safety organizations and only panic the public when absolutely necessary.
FOX NOISE finds it "absolutely necessary" every day . They spend lots of money too to convince the scary people to elect those who would protect them.
Hello America, so much nonsense coming out of Washington D.C. let me just say I think we should revamp the whole color system, and return to one color Red, as long as we don't use ethnic profiling on U.S. flights we are in constant danger from a terrorist attack, lets profile these people who have been doing these attacks, Muslim, Brown Skinned usually speak with a mid eastern accent, racial profiling is the only solution, sincerely Fezzy Bear
The Refi Plus program will waive the normal credit score requirement for a refinance; it will have reduced documentation standards for proof of income; and it will allow for computer-based appraisals, which tend to inflate the value of a home and make it easier to qualify for a refinance. Search online for 123 mortgage refinance they are the best and fast.
CNN is not FauxLite, but, they are very cozy with the Tea party set. How else to explain that every time Silly Sarah has a WTF moment CNN reports it as gospel from the mound? CNN the all Sarah all the time cable station. The color coding system was never intended to warn citizens of any threat, direct or otherwise from an enemy. It was designed to divert attention away from any disaster that the Bush administration caused, or, when elections came around.
ELEVATED and IMMINENT. EXCELLENT !! More in line with the military's specific use of DEFCOM levels.
DEFCOM 1 being supposedly IDLE but maintaining a State of Readiness.
DEFCOM 3 being supposedly ELEVATED and in a State of READYSET ALERT.
DEFCOM 5 being supposedly IMMINENT threat & in State of GO: DEFENSIVE FEND or PREEMPTIVE ATTACK.
Cuts out all the luckwarm "I'll see ya, and I'll RAISE ya" crap (DEFCOM 2 & 4).
Maybe now (again) we can get a few errant country leaders to sit down and shut up.
As it seems, the world's leading countries are in fact(on face) trying to cooperate with each other.
Perhaps if we set ALL ourselves READY WILLING AND ABLE as we REALLY WERE going into WWII,
we might then be able to stop "PUSSYFOOTING AROUND" with loud-mouth and piss ant countries,
and get on with the PEACEFUL DEVELOPMENT OF THE WORLD AS ONE HUMAN BODY, different parts.
Amen.