Digital Government

As Variant Spreads, Some Regions Bring Back Mask Advisories

In St. Louis and Los Angeles, officials are urging vaccinated residents to wear masks as cases of the Delta strain of Covid-19 are on the rise.

Digital Government

Labor watchdog calls out gaps in unemployment fraud reporting

The department says it will update current requirements so that data flagged as potentially fraudulent will be shared with the agency's Office of the Inspector General.

Emerging Tech

Baltimore Latest City to Consider Banning Facial Recognition Technology

The Maryland city joins several other localities that have banned or are assessing the controversial technology, or are limiting its scope and use.

Digital Government

Internet Ads Are a Popular Tax Target for Both Parties

The proliferation of unwanted internet ads and Big Tech’s staggering pandemic profits have fueled bipartisan efforts to capture revenue from tech companies’ mining of personal information.

Cybersecurity

States Bolster Data Security Technology in Response to Covid-19, Survey Finds

Governments have faced significant technology challenges during the pandemic, with 79% saying they faced major issues adopting and expanding remote work, according to the National Association of State Technology Directors.

Modernization

Senate Democrats Introduce Bill to Help State and Cities Modernize IT Systems

The bill would provide $120 million annually for seven years to fund tech teams and tech planning grants.  

Modernization

Libraries Eligible for Billions in Federal Funding to Improve Connectivity for Residents

The Emergency Connectivity Fund Program, announced by the Federal Communications Commission, will help libraries purchase laptops, Wi-Fi hot spots and more for patrons.

Cybersecurity

House Panel Passes Bill to Explore Bringing State and Local Cybersecurity Workers into CISA

The Homeland Security Committee cleared several bills to address cybersecurity following the attack on Colonial Pipeline.

Ideas

Paying People to Get Vaccinated Might Work – But Is It Ethical?

In the United States, incentives and disincentives are already used in health care.

Digital Government

The Cicadas Aren’t Coming. Billions are Already Here.

The 17-year cicadas are set to emerge from their underground lairs in multiple areas, with some cities and states finding creative ways to celebrate these large, noisy, clumsy insects.

Acquisition

With Biden's equity agenda in play, experts talk about making procurement more inclusive

Government procurement practitioners discussed equity and procurement at the Code for America summit, as leaders across the federal enterprise look to measure and expand inclusiveness in public spending.

Cybersecurity

Federal Agencies Say ‘No Evidence’ Hackers Affected Colonial’s Operational Technology 

A leading GOP lawmaker is pressuring CISA to release data on the agency’s pipeline cybersecurity initiative. 

Modernization

Funding is only part of the answer for UI modernization

State workforce agencies have funding for unemployment modernization and administration thanks to pandemic relief legislation but there are policy impediments, experts said.

Policy

Online, Mug Shots Are Forever. Some States Want to Change That.

People are innocent until proven guilty, but the public release of mug shots taken at the time of arrest can become a barrier to housing, employment and personal relationships.

Digital Government

3 Companies Settle Over Millions of Fake Comments on FCC’s Net Neutrality Rollback

Broadband companies funded an effort responsible for 8.5 million fraudulent comments supporting the repeal, according to a New York attorney general report.

Digital Government

Coalition Urges Congress to Boost Funding for Census Modernization

A group of Census experts and data users are asking appropriators to provide $2 billion in funding to the Census Bureau in fiscal 2022.

Cybersecurity

Feds Eliminate Fee for '.Gov' Web Addresses

Smaller localities in particular have said that the $400 annual cost was a barrier to adopting the government-specific URL.

Digital Government

Republican Men Are Vaccine-Hesitant, But There's Little Focus on Them

About 13% of American adults don’t want a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Ideas

COVID-19 Nomads Heed Pandemic Call of the Road

As some affluent, mobile professionals decamped from cities, states are dialing up the competition to attract them permanently.