US Airports Warned of Terror Attack Rehearsals

Sun Belt hogs the lion's share of pudgiest locales

(NEWSER) - The weather may be great and the lifestyle good, but Southern culinary hospitality might be landing the Sun Belt disproportionately on Forbes' list of America's most obese cities. The most rotund:

1. Memphis
2. Birmingham
3. San Antonio

Rather than 'threat level red,' you may soon hear 'imminent threat'

(NEWSER) - America's color-coded terror alert system, long the butt of jokes and the target of complaints, may not be much longer for this world. The Homeland Security Department is proposing a change to the Homeland Security Advisory System, which many have faulted for being too vague or simply a scare tactic, the AP reports. Under the current system, the threat level is rated on a five-tier scale from green (low) to red (severe); the country has never been lower than the third tier, yellow (significant/elevated) since the system was incorporated eight years ago. More»

Napolitano defends new imaging techniques, urges cooperation

(NEWSER) - Facing pressure over airport security measures, Janet Napolitano defends scanners and pat-downs in USA Today , asking Americans “for cooperation, patience and a commitment to vigilance in the face of a determined enemy.” New imaging machines are “safe, efficient, and protect passenger privacy” and have helped find weapons, the homeland security chief writes. She cites the "rigorous privacy safeguards" attached to the full-body scanners—for instance, the officer viewing the naked scans never interacts with passengers, and the officer helping passengers never sees the scans. More»

Not surprisingly, you'll find pretty people in beachy cities

(NEWSER) - Travel + Leisure put together its annual America’s Favorite Cities survey, of which arguably the most interesting category is the American cities that boast the most attractive—and least attractive—residents. Click through the top five in each category in the gallery, or click here for more. More»

Homeland Security took 7 months just to order them

(NEWSER) - Dozens of full-body airport scanners are gathering dust in storage more than a year after the administration provided Homeland Security with the funds to pay for them. It took the department 7 months just to order the 150 screening machines included in last year's stimulus bill. More than 100 have now been delivered, but the department is still working on a deployment plan, Politico reports. More»