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A2 UP FRONT
Wednesday 10 OctOber 2018
New law requires audit of failed FEMA hurricane contracts

By TAMI ABDOLLAH half dozen others also bid,
Associated Press but FEMA said it could not
WASHINGTON (AP) — A provide details about their
new law requires the Fed- identity or their bids.
eral Emergency Manage- It was not clear how thor-
ment Agency to investi- oughly FEMA investigated
gate how it came to award Bronze Star or its ability to
Hurricane Maria relief con- fulfill the contracts. Formed
tracts to a company with by two brothers in August,
an unproven record. Bronze Star had never be-
The Associated Press re- fore won a government
ported last year that the contract or delivered tarps
newly-formed contractor, or plastic sheeting. The
Florida-based Bronze Star, company was formed less
LLC, won more than $30 than two months before
million in FEMA contracts bidding on FEMA's tarp and
but never delivered the sheeting contracts.
emergency tarps and plas- And the address listed for
tic sheeting for repairs of the business is a single-
damaged homes in Puer- family home in a residential
to Rico.Democratic Rep. subdivision. Though both
Sean Maloney of New York brothers are veterans, nei-
proposed the legislation, ther was awarded a Bronze
which was included in the In this Oct. 19, 2017, file photo, homes in the Cantera area are covered with FEMA tarps, where Star, a medal earned by
Federal Aviation Adminis- buildings from the Hato Rey area stand in the background in San Juan, Puerto Rico. service members who serve
tration reauthorization bill, Associated Press heroically in combat.
citing the AP's reporting. One of Bronze Star's owners,
The provision passed both 30 days and to issue a re- ity requirements and how prehensive look at what this Kayon Jones, told the AP
houses overwhelmingly port to the House Transpor- the cancellation of the administration did wrong. previously that manufac-
and was signed into law by tation and Infrastructure contracts affected the pro- We can't ever let this hap- turers he contacted before
President Donald Trump on Committee and Senate vision of supplies to people pen again." bidding on the contracts
Friday. Committee on Homeland in need in Puerto Rico. Trump has praised his ad- assured him they could
The law requires the Inspec- Security and Governmen- "The Trump Administration ministration's response to provide the tarps but later
tor General of the Home- tal Affairs within 270 days. bungled the response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto said they could not meet
land Security Department The review must look at the Hurricane Maria so badly Rico as "an incredible, un- the government's require-
to begin an audit of the contracting and evalua- that almost 3,000 people sung success." ments. Jones said supplying
Bronze Star contract within tion process, accountabil- died - we need to get to Democrats on a Senate the materials was problem-
the bottom of what hap- oversight committee found atic because most of the
pened, and that includes in April that FEMA failed raw materials came out
figuring out why we gave to adequately research of Houston, which was hit
a $30 million contract for whether winning bidders hard by Hurricane Harvey.
necessary emergency sup- could deliver as promised. He said he sought a waiver
plies to people who didn't FEMA awarded the com- from FEMA to allow him to
know what the hell they pany two contracts Oct. order tarps from a Chinese
were doing," Maloney said 10 to provide 500,000 tarps manufacturer and for more
in a statement. "This audit and 60,000 rolls of plas- time, but FEMA denied the
should be part of a com- tic sheeting. More than a request.q
Report: Pentagon weapons systems

vulnerable to cyber attacks

WASHINGTON (AP) — De- and October 2018, found "advanced threat actors"
fense Department weap- that there are "mounting are aware of the vulner-
ons programs are vulner- challenges in protecting abilities and "have well-
able to cyberattacks, and its weapons systems from funded units that focus on
the Pentagon has been increasingly sophisticated positioning themselves to
slow to protect the systems cyber threats." potentially undermine U.S.
which are increasingly reli- Pentagon officials have capabilities."In other cases,
ant on computer networks acknowledged for years the report said that testers
and software, a federal re- that the department, the — using simple tools and
port said Tuesday. military services and de- techniques — were able to
The U.S. Government Ac- fense contractors are un- take control of computer
countability Office said der persistent cyber probes terminals and see what
the Pentagon has worked and attacks, including from the operators were seeing
to ensure its networks are state actors seeking to steal in real time. Another team
secure, but only recently data to gain an economic was able to send a pop-up
began to focus more on or technological advan- message to the computer
its weapons systems secu- tage. The report doesn't terminals "instructing them
rity. The audit, conducted name potential attack- to insert two quarters to
between September 2017 ers, but it noted that some continue operating." q