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Once again, it is Monday and it’s time for the Monday Morning News Kick Off. As always, we have compiled all the actionable news you need to get the week started on the right foot. We have another compelling Op-Ed from USGIF board member, Mr. Christopher Tucker, along with stories about Intelligence Fusion Centers, NGA’s efforts in supporting FEMA in the Samoan Island recover efforts and much, much more. So, fire up that second cup of coffee and scroll down. Happy Monday!

Obama Should Finish What Nixon Failed to Do
Once again, USGIF board member Chris Tucker put pen to paper and came up with another highly compelling Op-Ed and that is a must read for anyone in the GEOINT community. In an article titled, “Obama Should Finish What Nixon Failed to Do,” Mr. Tucker points out that the Obama Administration’s most innovative policy, programming and budgeting initiatives — regarding “place”-based initiatives — is at risk of failure due to Richard Nixon’s hasty decision to resign the Presidency of the United States nearly four decades ago. Read the full Op-Ed on Directions Magazin’e web site.

Law-Enforcement Agencies Share Intelligence in New Center
Some innovative steps are being taken in Virginia to best share intelligence and the results are very positive. The Richmond Times Dispatch recently did a story about the State of Virginia’s Fusion Center, which has spawned a working relationship among federal, state and local agencies that emergency officials say they have never seen before. In addition, here’s an article from GCN on the overall effectiveness of Fusion Centers. And, you all may recall, we covered Fusion Centers, which spawned 13 reader comments, a few months back. You can read that post here.

Metro Will Equip Buses, Trains With Cameras
DC Metro officials are preparing to install video cameras on an unspecified number of rail cars, the first step in what could become a system-wide surveillance network that officials say will help them better manage crowds and investigate criminal activity. A similar system is in place in Dallas and has yielded positive results.

NGA Supports Samoan Island Recovery Efforts
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is supporting the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) with analysis, unclassified commercial satellite imagery and geospatial intelligence products of the Samoan Island areas devastated by the recent earthquake and resulting tsunami. NGA is also providing public access to some of the images. Read the full press release here.

U.S. Army Geospatial Center Newest Major Subordinate Command
The U.S. Army Geospatial Center (AGC), formerly known as the Engineer Research and Development Center’s Topographic Engineering Center (ERDC-TEC), became a Major Subordinate Command center under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The AGC will continue ERDC-TEC’s legacy of providing timely, accurate, geospatial support and products to warfighters; however will expand its mission to support Army Battle Command systems by facilitating the dissemination of relevant geospatial information to every level across the dynamic battlefield environment. Additionally, the center will coordinate, integrate, and synchronize geospatial information requirements and standards across the Army as well as develop and field geospatial enterprise-enabled systems and capabilities to the Army and Department of Defense. Read the full press release here.

Spadac Hiring After Contract Wins
McLean-based Spadac Inc. has won a string of new contracts and is hiring. The company, which provides predictive analytics software and geospatial intelligence services to public and private organizations, has won several new contracts in recent months — totaling more than $6 million. The company has hired 25 new employees so far this year to bulk up after hitting about $15 million in sales in 2008. Looks like a good opportunity if you are job hunting. Read more here.

Navagis Exhibiting with Google at GEOINT 2009
In GEOINT 2009 exhibitor news, Navagis recently announce it will be hosting a booth alongside Google at the event. Here’s a quote from David Moore, Navagis Founder and President: “We are currently one of only three Google Enterprise Partners in North America that provide federal and state government with Google Earth Enterprise installation and training. We are very excited to be working with Google in this regard and look forward to continue working with them on new cutting-edge technology related to Google Earth Enterprise.” Read the full press release here.

Happy Monday!

Tags: Chris Tucker, DC Metro, FCW, GEOINT 2009, Intelligence Fusion Centers, Navagis, NGA, Nixon, Obama Administration, Samoan Relief Efforts, Spadac, U.S. Army Geospatial Center, USGIF