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In the past 90 days, the world has witnessed a serious escalation in cyberattacks. Some experts are still predicting that the worst is yet to come. Are we prepared?
Patrick Lin, director of the Ethics and Emerging Sciences Group at California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, regarding police use of armed robots, like Boston Dynamics’ Digidog that was deployed in the Bronx in New York City last month. (Ars Technica — March 21, 2021)
The amount that a small number of eligible Black residents of Evanston, Ill., could receive in reparation payments that can be used towards home repairs or other house payments, in response to the city’s historically racist housing policies. Though other cities have launched initiatives, reparation payments are not widely supported; a survey last summer found that only one in five respondents agreed that the U.S. should pay reparations.
Following the high-profile cyber attacks involving Microsoft and SolarWinds, government agencies are taking a closer look at the risks posed by third-party vendors and how they respond to incidents like these.
Officials across the state eagerly await the guidelines on how the historic amount of federal aid can be spent. Funds will likely be spent on vaccine distribution, supporting the state’s economy and expanding broadband.
States have spent millions of dollars to create COVID-19 contact tracing apps to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. However, developers worked to ensure user privacy, which may make the apps’ data less effective.
Miami may allow Bitcoin payments for some of its operations. Other cities are thinking about it. There are advantages to doing this — and also significant risks.
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See simple ways agencies can improve the citizen engagement experience and make online work environments safer without busting the budget.
A new report reveals the great variation of federal dependency across the states. But drawing the line between federal and state responsibility is not easy.
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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.
Chris Godley, the director of emergency management in Sonoma County, Calif., regarding artificial intelligence technology that may soon be able to detect wildfire activity and alert authorities. Officials hope this technology will enable first responders to respond more quickly to potential fires, minimizing burn damage. (Los Angeles Times — March 19, 2021)
The amount that the Wisconsin Public Service Commission has awarded as grants to improve high-speed Internet access to underserved communities in 39 counties.
Seven pedestrians were hit by trains at rail crossings and eight were hit while walking along rail tracks in New Jersey in 2020; five died. Transit officials are working to understand what’s causing the incidents.
In Florida, billions of dollars have been stolen by fraudsters filing for unemployment claims under a stolen identity, sometimes using names of individuals who are still working. The solution is better cybersecurity protection.
State lawmakers unanimously passed an anti-ransomware bill, outlawing a type of cyber attack that cost computer users at least $1 billion in 2019. But investigating and prosecuting the hackers may prove difficult.
The Derek Chauvin trial is accessible to anyone with a reliable Internet connection, providing an unprecedented level of access to Minnesota courts. Some hope this becomes the norm as more trials are televised.
The $3 billion injection from Congress will return the state’s revenue almost back to where it was in Feb. 2020. But lawmakers across the nation are still concerned about their states’ financial health.
Voting is a sacred right. For African Americans, effort by state lawmakers to make it harder evoke memories of the violence, pain and dehumanization of the Jim Crow era.
Manjusha Kulkarni, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, regarding the growing number of “hate incidents,” such as being verbally harassed or being victims of workplace discrimination, which don’t qualify as hate crimes but perpetuate the severity of discrimination and violence against Asian American people. (NPR — March 18, 2021)
The amount that the Biden administration has promised for COVID-19 testing expansion in schools, in hopes to get students back into the classroom quickly.
Many companies have offered stipends to workers to establish an ergonomic home office, which has created an unexpected profit for companies that produce at-home office equipment and furniture.
E-Verify ensures workers have proper documentation, but undocumented workers have been using stolen identities as a way to pass through the system. It’s unclear whether the worker or employer is exploiting the loophole.
The state has filed two lawsuits against San Diego County over two large housing projects that will put residents at extraordinary fire danger. There have been 68 fires within 5 miles of one of the planned sites.
In examining six older industrial cities, two urbanists raise a lot of good questions, though they don’t provide any definitive solutions.
An important new book, Apollo’s Arrow, precisely targets what America got right in its COVID-19 response, and where it must do better next time. And there will be a next time.
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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.
The pandemic and vaccine rollout remain the top priority for counties. Federal stimulus dollars will help with that, along with other responsibilities, including public safety and schools.
The superintendent of the second-largest school district in Iowa has been on the frontlines, leading 16,000 students and staff through unprecedented times that included a pandemic, a historic storm and a personal health crisis.
Huge gaps exist in scientific knowledge, but California is about to set the world’s first health guidelines for microplastics in drinking water. Yet no one agrees how to test water for the tiny bits of plastic, or how dangerous they are.
Samir Jain, policy director at the Center for Democracy and Technology, commenting on Utah’s attempt to have cellphones and tablets sold and activated in the state automatically block access to pornography. Some believe that it unlawfully imposes the same standards on everyone in Utah. (Associated Press — March 16, 2021)
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