Digital marriage licenses. Zoom ceremonies. Everyday citizens becoming wedding officiants. Utah County, Utah's online marriage license system became a big hit after COVID-19 shut down most offices that issue marriage licenses.
Most Read
Latest
-
With Democratic voters already packed into a small number of districts, reducing voter turnout won't really lower the chances of Democrats winning – or help Republicans win. -
Billions of dollars will be flowing to states and localities from opioid lawsuit settlements and court rulings. They need to set up a framework for dedicating the money to programs that save lives.
-
President Biden seeks to broaden the definition of a crucial piece of government. It’s part of a debate that's been going on more than two centuries.
-
Making it easier for professionals to practice across state lines is appealing, but if it isn't done right, it can endanger the public's health and safety.
Newswire
Colonial Pipeline has taken some of its technology systems down after they were compromised in a security breach. If the pipeline remains shut down for several days, gas prices could increase.
California could have as much as $16.7 billion more in revenue than what was predicted in January. Some of the surplus may be sent back to taxpayers in refunds, helping the governor’s chances in the recall election.
Officials are worried the city could lose 24 percent of its current workforce by mid-2022. Competition from the private sector has hurt recruitment, especially for specialized fields, such as engineering.
Ridership dropped by 50 percent last year as stay-at-home orders and COVID-19 concerns kept many people off public transit. Even as the economy begins to reopen, ridership remains still down 45.5 percent.
The bill blocks certain topics in government diversity and inclusion training. Some worry it will discourage discussions on institutional racism and implicit bias.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s new Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program will provide $1 billion to improve Internet access for tribal governments, colleges and organizations.
The state’s Department of Motor Vehicles has limited the languages available for written driver’s license tests to seven options, removing some of the state’s most-widely spoken languages.
Gov. Ron DeSantis approved a law that will put limitations on ballot dropoffs, establish ID requirements and restrict the number of absentee ballot drop boxes. Critics argue the law is just another voter suppression tactic.
House Democrats introduced legislation that would establish nationwide EV infrastructure within five years to allow a smoother transition away from gas vehicles, but Republicans argue it’s too much too fast.
The New Jersey Labor Department said the transition to the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program would be seamless for unemployment claimants, but many are still without pay after weeks.
The state’s four historically Black universities will plan to use the money to increase funding for STEM and certificate programs in an effort to close the wealth gap between Black graduates and other races.
To convert more than 240,000 housing units from gas- to electric-power could cost the city as much as $5.9 billion. Natural gas currently makes up 38 percent of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions.
-
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, commenting on the large amounts of federal funds that states are receiving under President Biden’s pandemic relief law. Guidance on how the funds can be used hasn’t yet been released but many governors and lawmakers are already developing plans on how they will invest the money. (Associated Press — May 10, 2021)
More Stories
Only two of Texas’ major companies have spoken publicly about the recent legislation that some are claiming is an act of voter suppression. But some organizations are uniting privately and plan a stronger public stance.
In the early years of the Republic, wives of politicians were often helpmates and could wield power despite their gender. Today, spouses challenge traditional gender norms in politics and have broad work portfolios.
In the wake of unproven claims about voting fraud, a record number of bills seek changes in election law. Some could enable legislatures to interfere with election administration.
The state will begin its biennial process of removing outdated voter registrations, starting first with 12,000 voters who have died. This is the first year Georgia will use data from other states to update its records.
COVID-19 forced many companies to increase automation to avoid in-person interactions, a trend that is likely to stay even as the economy continues to rebound. There’s been a 20 percent increase in robot orders this year.
Featured Podcast
Our Opinion Writers
-
Authors -
Authors
-
Authors
-
Authors
-
Authors
-
Authors
-
Authors
-
Authors
Security
Finance
Community Design
News in Numbers
The number of racial lynching victims that Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan posthumously pardoned last Saturday, a first-of-its-kind pardon by a governor.
The proportion of people who moved during the pandemic to be closer to family — an increase of approximately five percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. The pandemic sped up an existing trend of people migrating out of metropolitan areas into smaller cities. Still, some researchers were surprised to find that more people were moving for reasons other than coronavirus case rates or jobs.
The amount of American land and water that the Biden administration has pledged to conserve over the next decade.
The proportion of Americans that President Biden hopes will have at least one of their COVID-19 shots by July 4. So far more than 56 percent of U.S. adults have received at least one shot, and it is expected that approval will be given to start vaccinating 12- to 15-year-olds in the coming days.
The proportion of new COVID-19 cases that are in children, an increase from a year ago when children accounted for just 3 percent of all cases.
The number of passengers that went through TSA screening at airports across the nation on Sunday, May 2, the highest number since March 2020, despite it still being about 35 percent lower than pre-pandemic levels.
The amount that California Democrats have proposed to help combat drought, bolstering programs and projects the state is already working on.
The amount that Amtrak has requested from Congress over a five-year timeline to overhaul some of the railway’s busiest corridors in the country. The first installment would be $5.4 billion for the upcoming fiscal year beginning on Oct. 1. The rail company wants to add as many as 39 new corridor routes and include 166 cities, increasing its service to 20 million people annually, by 2035.
The updated deadline for Real ID. The Department of Homeland Security postponed the original Oct. 1, 2021, deadline due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The amount that West Virginia will pay to those between the ages of 16 and 35 who get vaccinated, as a way to further incentivize vaccinations.
The year by which Honda Motor Co. will transition all of its vehicles to electric and fuel cell vehicles.
The amount that former Wall Street executive and Democratic candidate for New York mayor Ray McGuire will receive as part of a bonus program, in four installments between 2022 and 2025. When he worked on Wall Street, McGuire was one of the senior-most Black executives.
Sponsored Stories
Sponsored
As more state and local jurisdictions have placed a priority on creating sustainable and resilient communities, many have set strong targets to reduce the energy use and greenhouse gases (GHGs) associated with commercial and residential buildings.
Sponsored
As more people get vaccinated and states begin to roll back some of the restrictions put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic — schools, agencies and workplaces are working on a plan on how to safely return to normal.
Sponsored
The solutions will be a permanent part of government even after the pandemic is over.
Sponsored
See simple ways agencies can improve the citizen engagement experience and make online work environments safer without busting the budget.
Sponsored
Whether your agency is already a well-oiled DevOps machine, or whether you’re just in the beginning stages of adopting a new software development methodology, one thing is certain: The security of your product is a top-of-mind concern.
Sponsored
The World Economic Forum predicts that by 2022, over half of the workforce will require significant reskilling or upskilling to do their jobs—and this data was published prior to the pandemic.
Sponsored
Part math problem and part unrealized social impact, recycling is at a tipping point. While there are critical system improvements to be made, in the end, success depends on millions of small decisions and actions by people.
Sponsored
Government legal professionals are finding Lexis+ Litigation Analytics from LexisNexis valuable for understanding a judge’s behavior and courtroom trends, knowing other attorneys’ track records, and ensuring success in civil litigation cases.
Sponsored
States and cities are retraining technology teams for the post-pandemic environment.
Special Projects
