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Enhancing Security: Newark Liberty International Airport Implements Upgrades

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Newark NJ, Newark Liberty International Airport is set to undergo security upgrades, aimed at enhancing screening technology to ensure the safety and security of passengers. Spearheaded by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), these improvements reflect the agency’s commitment to safeguarding the nation’s transportation systems and facilitating seamless travel experiences.

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WalletHub Report: 2023’s Best & Worst Airlines

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Newark NJ, with airline ticket prices having gone up 25% last year, outpacing inflation, WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s Best Airlines, as well as expert commentary. WalletHub’s study focuses not just on price but also many other aspects of the air travel experience, such as safety, delays, baggage issues, animal incidents and more.

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Bergen County Man Tried to Board a Plane with a Machine Gun, Rifle, Handgun, and Fraudulent US Marshals Service Credentials in Newark Airport

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Wallington NJ,  a Bergen County, New Jersey, man was charged following his attempt to bring firearms, ammunition, a bulletproof vest, fraudulent law enforcement credentials, and other items on a domestic flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced today.

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TSA No Longer Enforcing Mask Mandate for Travel after a Federal Judge in Florida Struck Down CDC Directive

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Newark NJ, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is no longer enforcing the federal government’s mask mandate for travel after a federal judge in Florida struck down the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) directive.

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TSA Extends Airplane Mask Mandate Through April 18

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Newark NJ, United Airlines, citing a steep decline in Covid-19 cases, told staff Thursday that it will allow unvaccinated workers to return to their jobs starting March 28, a shift from a company that had one of the country’s strictest inoculation mandates.

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Georgia Man Charged with Trying to Bring Loaded Gun on Plane at Newark Liberty International Airport

Image: TSA security at the airport in Seattle

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Newark NJ, a Sandy Springs, Georgia, man appeared in federal court today to face weapons charges after allegedly trying to get a firearm through security at Newark Liberty International Airport, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.

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Most Voters Say America Is Not Safer Than It Was Before 9/11

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, with the Taliban taking over Afghanistan, a majority of voters now believe America is less safe than it was before the 9/11 attacks two decades ago.

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Starbucks to offer free Coffee to front-line Responders Throughout December

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, In response to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases and to recognize the significant efforts of the front-line responder and health care community, Starbucks announced today that it will offer a free tall brewed coffee (hot or iced) to front-line responders at participating U.S. Starbucks stores throughout the month of December to show appreciation for those keeping our communities safe during COVID-19.

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Snake Left at Newark Airport Checkpoint

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This ringed-neck snake made an appearance at a TSA checkpoint at Newark Liberty International Airport on Monday, August 19. (TSA photo)

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Newark NJ, It appears that someone left their pet snake at a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at Newark Liberty International Airport last night.

The 15-inch ring-necked snake, a thin black snake with a bright yellow band around the back of its neck, was spotted on the floor of the checkpoint in Terminal C by a youngster who heeded the advice, “If you see something, say something” when she spotted it and notified a TSA officer.

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TSA, American Airlines Jointly Testing Innovative Airport Security Technology

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TSA, American Airlines Jointly Testing Innovative Airport Security Technology

American Airlines Group, Inc.

WASHINGTON and FORT WORTH, Texas, July 05, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and American Airlines, through a joint initiative, will install new screening technology, including automated security screening lanes and computed tomography (CT) scanners, at select American Airlines hubs nationwide this fall.

The automated screening lanes incorporate technology and screening station modifications that enhance security effectiveness while decreasing the time travelers spend in security screening by approximately 30 percent. TSA and American Airlines anticipate deployment of these lanes to Chicago (O’Hare), Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles and Miami.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tsa-american-airlines-jointly-testing-150000943.html

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Airport screening made 70,000 miss American Airlines flights this year

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Airport screening delays have caused more than 70,000 American Airlines (AAL.O) customers and 40,000 checked bags to miss their flights this year, an executive for the airline told a U.S. congressional subcommittee on Thursday.

A shortage of staff and a surge in air travelers have created a nightmare scenario for the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA), with airport wait times in places like Chicago stretching beyond two hours.

While TSA is taking steps to shorten lines such as hiring more full-time officers, it lacks the staffing to handle peak travel times this summer, Administrator Peter Neffenger said on Wednesday.

American, the world’s largest airline, wants TSA to create a senior internal role focused on traveler concerns, said American Airlines Group Inc Senior Vice President for Customer Experience Kerry Philipovitch. The request comes days after Neffenger shook up TSA’s management, removing the head of security operations, Kelly Hoggan.

Philipovitch also recommended that TSA consider reinstating a risk-based screening program that it canceled last year because of high-profile lapses.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-security-american-airline-idUSKCN0YH1KV

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TSA boots head of security amid furor over long lines

Image: TSA security at the airport in Seattle

John Bacon and Bart Jansen, USA TODAY8:56 a.m. EDT May 24, 2016

The Transportation Security Administration’s head of security has been ousted amid an uproar over long lines at airport security checkpoints and intense scrutiny over bonus payments.

“Kelly Hoggan has been removed from his position as head of security at TSA, following our hearing on May 12 on mismanagement at TSA,” the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform posted on its Twitter account.

Some lawmakers blasted TSA at the hearing for giving Hoggan $90,000 in bonuses at a time when watchdog tests revealed screeners routinely failed to find weapons at checkpoints. The hearing was one in a series where whistleblowers denounced the agency for rewarding top officials with large bonuses while retaliating against workers who complained about the unfair practices.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, had slammed bonuses given to Hoggan, who was paid $181,500 per year. Chaffetz said Hoggan also received $90,000 in bonuses during a 13-month period that ended in November 2014.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/05/24/tsa-boots-head-security/84839202/

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Hapless TSA Symbolizes a Can’t-Do America

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By The Editors • 05/17/16 7:30pm

Last week, the Port Authority of N.Y. and N.J. complained to the TSA that security lines at the region’s three main airports were unacceptable—hitting 55 minutes recently—and getting worse. Between March 15 and April 15 of this year, the average wait time was 21 minutes, up from 11.5 minutes a year earlier—an 82 percent increase. During that same month-long period a year ago, travelers at Kennedy, La Guardia and Newark had to endure security-line waits of more than 20 minutes only 10 times. This year, it was a shocking 253 times.

Such delays are becoming commonplace. The Drudge Report, the country’s foremost authority on what’s angering America, has been detailing the spiraling crisis. Yesterday in Chicago, both airports began recommending that passengers arrive three hours early to allow for lengthening security lines. New York fared slightly better than Chicago, where delays exceeded two hours and thousands of people missed their flights.

In response, the TSA blamed passengers for bringing too many carry-on items. Seriously.

A day after this surreal exchange, we thought it might be prudent to actually sign up for the TSA’s PreCheck program. (We occasionally get diverted to the PreCheck line, though we’re not sure whether it is because we are already members of Global Entry—issued by the same federal agency—or because we shelled out a few bucks for more legroom and early boarding.)

https://observer.com/2016/05/hapless-tsa-symbolizes-a-cant-do-america/

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Complaints Over Airport Security Delays Surged 10-Fold in March

Airport Security

Frustrated travelers are turning to the complaint box in growing numbers as long lines and delays getting through airport security result in missed flights.

Complaints filed on such topics as courtesy and processing time surged in March to the highest levels in the past year, according to the Department of Transportation’s monthly Air Travel Consumer Report released Monday.

Reports filed over the time it took U.S. Transportation Security Administration to screen passengers grew more than 10-fold, to 513 this past March from 48 in March 2015. Concern about lack of courtesy by TSA screeners increased more than three-fold, to 1,012 in March from 294 a year ago.

Other categories of complaints on the screening process and travelers’ personal property were also at the highest levels recorded in the past year, according to DOT. A spokesman for the TSA didn’t immediately respond to an e-mailed request for comment on Monday’s report.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-16/complaints-over-airport-security-delays-surged-10-fold-in-march

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TSA Fails 95 Percent Of Airport Security Tests Conducted By Homeland Security: Report

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he Huffington Post  |  By Andy Campbell

Posted: 06/01/2015 2:07 pm EDT

As thorough as the Transportation Security Administration screeners may be as they rifle through your belongings, the agency isn’t performing where it counts.

In a series of trials, the Department of Homeland Security was able to smuggle fake explosives, weapons and other contraband past airport screeners in major cities across the country, according to ABC News. Officials briefed on the Homeland Security Inspector General’s investigation told the station that the TSA failed 67 out of 70 tests conducted by the department’s Red Teams — undercover passengers tasked with identifying weaknesses in the screening process, NJ.com reports.

During the tests, DHS agents each tried to bring a banned item past TSA screeners. They succeeded 95 percent of the time.

The internal investigation was designed to find the TSA’s most egregious vulnerabilities. The TSA has said Red Team agents are “super terrorists” who “push the boundaries of our people, processes, and technology,” but DHS officials told ABC the test results were frustrating at the very least.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/01/tsa-fails-95-percent-tests-homeland-security_n_7485558.html