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Congressional Democrats are pushing the $1.9 trillion package, including stimulus checks, extended unemployment benefits and monthly payments to parents, ahead before pandemic protections expire. Republicans say it’s too expensive.
Just 18.5 percent of Iowans have access to affordable Internet and the average download speed is the second worst in the nation. But Gov. Reynolds hopes to get Iowans connected over the next three years.
Washington state’s vaccine plan failed to include basic logistics that would enable quick distribution to vulnerable communities. Now, the state must rebuild trust in the system that left many out.
Two state lawmakers proposed a bill that would require all public meetings to have Internet participation options even after in-person meetings return. The bill also suggests requiring translators to increase access.
When far-right and far-left politicians get most of the media attention, it hurts democracy.
Every neighborhood should be free of litter, debris and property- and housing-code violations. There's plenty that government can do, including helping residents understand their own role.
It's an important tool for evidence-based decision-making and program management. Asking agency leaders one simple question can start the process of building it.
Darrell West, of the Brookings Institution’s Center for Technology Innovation, regarding the failure of several social media companies to block Robert F. Kennedy’s accounts even after Kennedy continues to spread misinformation about the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. Instagram has removed Kennedy’s account, but Kennedy still remains active on Facebook and Twitter. (The Hill — Feb. 12, 2021)
The number of namesakes that George Washington has in counties, cities, towns and minor civil divisions across the country, the most of any president. Second place is held by Abraham Lincoln, with 72 places with his presidential moniker.
The Florida city will begin considering using and accepting bitcoin for some of its financial transactions. Mayor Suarez is a strong proponent of the cryptocurrency for the city, but others are worried about its stability.
People of color are receiving the COVID vaccine at disproportionately slower rates across North Carolina’s counties. Black residents receiving vaccines are underrepresented in 77 percent of counties, Hispanics in 93 percent.
The new legislation would require departments to diversify recruiting, create a fund for officers to pursue higher education and increase required classes on mental health, social services and other topics.
Boston Consulting Group, Common Sense Media and the Southern Education Foundation issued a report last month about the big picture of digital inequity in education, as well as potential solutions.
Danny Friedman, managing director of Voto Latino, speaking of the voting advocacy organization’s efforts to encourage political leaders to learn Spanish as a way to reach out to Spanish-speaking voters year-round. Spanish is the second most spoken language in the U.S. (NPR — Feb. 12, 2021)
The estimated number of prisoners in Virginia who have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, which accounts for approximately half of the prison population. More than 470 have received their second dose.
A glitch in Black Hawk County’s COVID vaccine software has prevented it from collecting demographic fields for race, ethnicity and geographic location. The data has also disappeared when providers input patient data.
The City Council has okayed a contract with Blink Charging to build more than 140 electric vehicle chargers in 32 sites across the city. But concerns have been raised about the firm’s business practices.
There has been an exodus of nearly 1,600 unemployment department workers in California since the pandemic began, further impeding the state’s ability to quickly respond to the huge wave of jobless claims.
Several major hospital systems across the country will aggregate the data and make it available to researchers, other health-care companies through an app, called Truveta. Many have legal and privacy concerns, however.
The acquisition, probably the biggest gov tech deal ever, would bring together a giant of local government software with a giant of state software. Here's how the deal came together, and what it might mean for gov tech.
Daniel Cox, director of the American Enterprise Institute’s Survey Center on American Life, regarding the new survey that found that nearly 40 percent of Republicans agreed that if elected leaders are not protecting the country, “the people must do it themselves, even if it requires violent actions.” The survey also found that 3 in 10 Americans, regardless of political party, agreed with the justification of violence. (NPR — Feb. 11, 2021)
California’s toll of coronavirus-related deaths on Thursday, which caused the state to surpass New York’s record of 45,312.
Washington state has been the victim of massive unemployment fraud and a data breach that exposed 1 million people’s personal data. Lawmakers want to improve cybersecurity and data sharing to prevent future cyberattacks.
California has increased its immunization rate overall, but vaccine distribution still greatly varies between counties. Some have nearly one-third of their residents vaccinated, while others are at just 5 percent.
As a way to keep money in the state’s economy, lawmakers have introduced several proposals that would allow those who mistakenly received unemployment benefit payments to keep the money, instead of returning it.
Fraud scammers from all over the world began targeting the states’ mostly antiquated employment insurance systems, moving swiftly to collect billions of dollars and using the money to fund other illegal activities.
A one-size-fits-all approach defies local cost-of-living realities. County-based indexing could help avoid losses of jobs and tax revenues, and it could appeal to policymakers on both sides of the rural-urban divide.
Utah’s Maria Montessori Academy Director Micah Hirokawa, regarding the decision to include the histories of people of color as a part of the school’s instruction. There had been requests from some parents at the school to have their children opt out of learning the Black History Month curriculum, but they have since been withdrawn. (Associated Press — Feb. 10, 2021)
The estimated number of metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions that Bitcoin production generates every year, which is comparable to the amount that Jordan and Sri Lanka produce annually. The increasingly-popular cryptocurrency relies on high-powered computers to solve complex mathematical puzzles that are largely powered by coal.
Assembly Member Chiu has proposed a bill that would prevent police agencies from buying certain types of military-style equipment, such as armored vehicles and drones, in hopes of cutting back the use of deadly force.
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