Archive
Fusion Centers Struggle with Surveillance Post-9/11
Fusion centers were created in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks to improve information gathering and intelligence surveillance among law enforcement agencies. But their effectiveness and legality has been questioned ever since.
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N.J. May Pay Recent Grads to Live in Poor Cities
Lawmakers in New Jersey have proposed paying part of college graduates' student loans if they agree to live in cities in need of revitalization.
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Ohio to Join 2 Other States with Arsonist Registry
Looking to reduce the economic and human cost of arson, the state is creating an arsonist registry to make catching repeat offenders easier.
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First State to Pay Lawyers to Practice in the Country
To help rural America's drought of lawyers, South Dakota has passed the nation's first law to pay them to live and work in rural areas.
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New Revenue Booster: Selling Your City's Expertise?
The Canadian city of Edmonton has created a for-profit agency to sell its expertise in waste management to other cities around the world.
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Libraries Start Lending Unusual Items
Seeking to adapt to the changing demands of the digital age, some public libraries are beginning to loan out more than just books and movies.
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NYC is 1st to Use Volunteer Techies to Improve Disaster Response
New York City has created the country's first municipal program that uses volunteer tech experts, including Facebook employees, to improve its emergency response.
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Fingerprinting Helps Homeless Shelters Provide Faster Service
New Jersey is expanding a local program that helps human services agencies get a more accurate picture of where and when aid is most needed.
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Using GPS to Track Drug Thefts
The NYPD will soon begin using 'bait bottles' of fake pain-killers equipped with invisible GPS devices to combat a rise in pharmacy robberies.
February 15, 2013
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Paying Property Taxes by Shopping Local
A town in New Jersey has created a program that offers residents the chance to earn property tax credits by patronizing local businesses.
February 7, 2012
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Public Fitness Parks Aid Income-Health Inequality
A nonprofit is helping cities across the country fund free outdoor gyms in public parks to help combat the nation's obesity epidemic.
January 17, 2013
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Making Airport Waste Profitable
One of the nation's busiest airports is using sustainable practices and a lot of worms to start making money on all the waste it produces.
January 10, 2012
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Prisoners Fill in for Researchers During Tough Times
Washington state trains prisoners to do scientific research.
January 8, 2012
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Cities Pushing to Record Conversations on Public Buses
Despite privacy concerns, a growing number of public transit agencies are adding audio surveillance to buses.
December 13, 2012
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D.C. Uses Facebook to Grade Government Agencies
Customer feedback on social media has become invaluable to private businesses in recent years. Now, cities like Washington, D.C., are turning to it to grade their agencies.
December 4, 2012
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New Female State Legislators Learn from Their Elders
A nonpartisan nonprofit helps newly elected female legislators learn how to serve their constituents better by pairing them with veteran lawmakers.
November 27, 2012
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City- and County-Centered Wikis
Built on the same concept as a typical Wikipedia page, city and county-centered wikis are popping up around the country.
November 15, 2012
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Same-Sex Marriage Prevails in Four States
Voters in three states approved marriage for same-sex couples for the first time in history. In a fourth state, a measure to ban gay marriage was defeated.
November 7, 2012
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New Election Monitoring Platform Empowers Voters
MyFairElection aims to make voters more active in monitoring their polling places to improve the fairness and quality of the electoral process.
November 1, 2012
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Pennsylvania Launches Unique Career Website
A new statewide website unveiled this month is designed to help residents identify career paths, get training and find local jobs.
October 25, 2012
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Recycling Paint in California
A new law requires paint manufacturers to put a system in place to make recycling leftover paint easier for residential and commercial customers.
October 22, 2012
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Kansas City Streamlines Fire Hydrant Inspection
By using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software the city has overhauled a time-consuming process to save time and money while making the city safer.
October 18, 2012
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Using Radar to Detect Wrong-Way Drivers
Milwaukee County hopes that radar detection coupled with new signage will stop wrong-way drivers in their tracks.
October 15, 2012
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Seattle Police Use Neighborhood Twitter Accounts
The police department has created 51 hyper-local accounts to keep residents informed about crime and police response.
October 9, 2012
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New Mexico Creates App to Reduce DUIs
The state has unveiled a new smartphone application, ENDWI, that has a suite of features to promote responsible drinking.
October 1, 2012
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Measuring Air Quality in U.S. Cities
A nonprofit is working to create a real-time map of air quality in U.S. cities that will be available to the public.
September 24, 2012
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North Carolina Encourages Youth Vote with Pre-Registration Drives
By allowing teens as young as 16 to register and having mandatory voting drives in school the state is ahead of its peers.
September 20, 2012
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Michigan Rewards Colleges for Keeping Tuition Affordable
Public universities that keep tuition rates down are being rewarded with extra state aid.
September 17, 2012
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Miami Taps into Organic, Local Food Movement to End Homelessness
A community just outside the city offers homeless people a paycheck and place to live in exchange for work on a sustainable urban farm.
September 13, 2012
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Building Profiling for First Responders
Camden, N.J., is piloting a new program that maps out abandoned buildings for hazards to increase safety for first responders and nearby businesses.
September 10, 2012
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D.C. Police Fight Crime with Design
District of Columbia police aim to work with developers to design safe environments that prevent crime.
September 6, 2012
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Portland Loo Solves the Problem of Public Toilets
The city built a solar-powered, not-so-private restroom that deters illegal activity.
August 30, 2012
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Wi-Fi Turns School Buses into Study Halls
The Huntsville, Ala., school district is testing out the idea on 20 school buses where students spend nearly two hours a day.
August 28, 2012
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New Census App Keeps Users Up-to-date on Economy
The new app pools data from three government organizations and showcases real-time statistics for the U.S. economy.
August 24, 2012
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New York City Tests Social Impact Bonds
The city will be the first in the nation to test the experimental financing model for social programs.
August 23, 2012
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New Anti-Bullying Program Shows Promise in New Hampshire
Nine-week program that teaches good morals, ethics and behaviors has resulted in increased reporting of incidents.
August 20, 2012
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1st Interstate Water Quality Trading Program to Begin
Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky will allow businesses to buy water quality credits from farmers across state lines to help them meet environmental standards.
August 16, 2012
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Knoxville Tests New Options for Mentally Ill Persons
A new state law allows for court-ordered outpatient therapy for people with severe mental illness and it will be tested at a facility in Knoxville.
August 14, 2012
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Kansas Pays Schools to Boost Skilled Labor
The state is going to pay school districts $1,000 for every student that graduates with credentials in high-need jobs.
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Washington Offers Voter Registration on Facebook
Partnering with the social media site and Microsoft, the state has created an application that it hopes will boost voter registration.
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Vermonters Tweet for Tourism
The state tourism agency is giving residents access to its Twitter account so they can tweet about what makes Vermont special.
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Live Video Chat Comes to California Police Department
The Redwood City police department is likely the first law enforcement agency in the nation to offer the service to citizens in non-emergency situations.
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Pennsylvania Develops Program for Financially Distressed School Districts
A new bill in the state sets up a recovery program that comes complete with an early-warning system to prevent future financial distress.
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Using Transit Farecard Ads to Generate Revenue
New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority will sell advertising space on the front of MetroCards to make more money.
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Prescription Drug Drop Boxes Fight Abuse in Ohio
The state aims to fight abuse of legal drugs by installing the boxes in police precincts in more than 20 counties.
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Criminal Background Checks Speed Up in Massachusetts
The state's new web-based system reduces the time it takes to run a background check on potential employees from weeks to mere minutes.
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San Diego Pilot Curbs Graffiti
Taking pictures of graffiti with GPS-enabled cameras and uploading them into a database has proven successful.
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Talking Urinal Cakes Help Michigan Battle Drunk Driving
The state is using motion-activated, talking urinal cakes to raise men's awareness about drunk driving.
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Georgia to Deploy Robots to Repair Highways
The new technology will improve worker safety, cut down on repair time and save money.
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Arizona Pays Employees for Money-Saving Suggestions
Public workers can submit their cost-cutting ideas to the state and receive 10 percent of the savings, if implemented.
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Connecticut Pilots Using Recycled Shingles to Pave Roads
Using residential roof shingles will save money and the environment simultaneously.
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Maine Prepares to Launch First Statewide Electronic Image Network
New medical image archive will reduce costs and make health care more efficient
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Ohio Pilots Program to Train Volunteer Firefighters Faster
An intensive course over two weekends aims to provide townships and cities statewide with better protection.
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S.C. Pilot Program Will Require Food Stamp Recipients to Get Job Training
Two agencies will partner to target almost 100,000 food stamp recipients with no dependents, in hopes of providing jobs that can lift recipients out of poverty.
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Kentucky and LexisNexis Partner to Aid Disaster Victims
After a tornado devastated Kentucky leaving 21 counties designated as federal disaster areas, State Treasurer Todd Hollenbach wanted to find a way for his agency to help the victims.
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IRS Developing New Program to Battle Tax Fraud
Authorities are working on a program to allow police-identified victims of identity theft to share their tax returns with law enforcement, potentially securing their tax refunds.
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Michigan Businesses to Sell Exports on Chinese E-Commerce Site
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation and an export services company want to help the state's businesses with unique opportunity to access on one of China's e-commerce sites.
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Building Sustainable Sidewalks with Recycled Toilets
Use of “poticrete” helped Bellingham, Wash., earn a green credential for sustainable walkways.
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Green Button Initiative by Utilities Will Shrink Energy Bills
As part of their continued efforts to promote transparency, the Obama administration has announced the creation of a “green button” on utility provider websites.
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Illinois Helps Fund New Chicago Tech Center for Startups
By creating a collaborative community of entrepreneurs in Chicago's Merchandise Mart, the state of Illinois aims to increase innovation and job-growth in the region.
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NorCal Cities Offer Rental Workspace at Libraries
Santa Cruz, Palo Alto and San Francisco all have started pilots that allow public- and private-sector workers to book workspace at libraries, helping maximize building use and cut down on commute times.
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E-Verify Self Check Allows Employees to Check Status
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's online Self Check allows potential employees to check their eligibility status before a future employer does.
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Third-Party Enforcement of Building Codes Reduces Burdens
To increase energy code compliance and reduce administrative burden, certified third-party individuals in Georgia are helping to conduct code compliance tests.
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Economic Education Goes Mobile
The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis has created a new mobile app aimed at increasing consumer knowledge about inflation and the use of credit.
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N.H. Health Program for the Mentally Ill Increases Quality of Life
A health and fitness program for the mentally ill in Keene, N.H., will be expanded statewide due to its ability to improve one's quality of life.
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North Carolina Judges Offer Counseling to Jurors
A new statewide pilot program will allow judges the option of providing jurors an opportunity to contact mental health professionals after experiencing graphic evidence during a trial.
February 27, 2012
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South L.A. Bus Yard Transformed Into Unique Park
An industrial eyesore is now an urban wetland that can help clean stormwater and provide residents with green space to enjoy.
February 16, 2012
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Using Radio to Teach English to Immigrants
English lessons over the radio and on CDs provide immigrants a way to study the language in their own homes.
February 9, 2012
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