New Train Security Program Begins Next Month; NRA Starts Its Own Media Operation; DC Police Arrested More Often Than Other City Forces; Spyware Programs Abound on Most Computers

New Train Security Program Begins Next MonthThe New York Times reports that the Transportation Security Administration plans to begin testing techniques for improving passenger rail security at a station in New Carrollton, Md., that is served by Amtrak and commuter trains that run between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. According to the report, the new program, called the “Transit and Rail Inspection Pilot,” or TRIP, will begin next month and will likely involve the use of bomb-sniffing dogs or electronic detectors.NRA Starts Its Own Media Operation

The Boston Globe reports that the National Rifle Association is creating a news corporation, starting an Internet talk show and preparing to buy a radio station to speak about candidates and gun rights at election time despite new political ad limits. According to the story, the 4 million-member gun lobby, looking for the same legal recognition as mainstream news organizations, says it has already hired its first reporter. NRANews.com was to start online broadcasts Friday.

DC Police Arrested More Often Than Other City ForcesThe Washington Post reports that thirteen D.C. police officers have been arrested so far this year on charges including sexual assault, drunken driving and possession of PCP, a number that is far out of proportion to those of police departments in the D.C. suburbs and other big cities. Spyware Programs Abound on Most ComputersInfoworld reports that Internet service provider EarthLink and Webroot Software released a report on Thursday that said an average of almost 28 spyware programs are running on each computer. More serious, according to the report, trojan horse or system monitoring programs were found on more than 30 percent of all systems scanned, raising fears of identity theft.