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Outsourcing government IT services to a number of smaller companies, rather than the monolithic contracts of the past, has become common practice, but ensuring all those contractors are secure is an ongoing challenge.
It’s a tragedy for tenants when they can’t pay the rent. It can also be a disaster for small landlords who need that rent money to live on, not to mention local governments that depend on property tax revenue.
Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg commenting on the sixth annual Women In The Workplace report that found that 25 percent of women are considering cutting back or leaving their jobs entirely, as the coronavirus pandemic is disproportionately impacting working women. (NPR — October 1, 2020)
The number of Amazon employees who have tested positive for COVID-19. The company did not release the number of COVID-related deaths among its employees.
Some data says that 98 percent of Seattle’s students have reliable access to online learning, while other data says only 84 percent have access. Spotty data makes it difficult for education officials to bridge the gaps.
The state has been making steps towards combating climate change in hopes to quell the cyclical devastation of wildfires, but to continue progress California is going to need statewide, bipartisan support.
Trump's coronavirus diagnosis has triggered an outpouring of glee and animosity from many Democrats. Biden and other politicians have wished the president well, but social media shows no sympathy.
President Trump’s illness from the coronavirus has become immediate news, with the entire country pondering what might happen. But previous presidents who became ill were able to keep their health problems under wraps.
Former Twitter CEO Dick Costolo, tweeting in response to a blog post written by Brian Armstrong, CEO of cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, that states that Coinbase would no longer allow employees to have conversations about political topics while at work. (The Hill — October 1, 2020)
The amount of Seattle’s minimum wage for ride-share drivers that will take effect starting in January.
The Los Angeles School District’s superintendent has a deal with a former business partner’s startup to provide the nation’s second-largest school system with next-day results for as many as 40,000 tests a day.
The City Council approved a nearly $200,000 facial recognition contract that will run through September 2022 but many see the tech as racist, discriminating for the sake of efficiency and they question its accuracy.
The National Guard is ready to help states on Election Day by sorting ballots, directing traffic or bolstering cybersecurity, but only Kentucky and Washington have asked for support so far.
Efforts to merge municipalities make a lot of sense, particularly in this virus-plagued, cash-poor moment. But they usually don't succeed. Three struggling Illinois towns are about to try it anyway.
With concerns growing that this year’s election may end up in the hands of the Supreme Court or the House of Representatives, history shows this happened once before in the "dangerous election" of 1800.
Too many Americans are losing health insurance coverage and gaining debt as a consequence. State legislators have put forward a variety of proposals to help citizens stay covered during a health emergency.
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert took office during the depths of the Great Recession and is leaving while a pandemic is raging. For all that, he remains optimistic about his growing state.
Richard Davis, chair of the United Utah Party, commenting on why his party is seeking to provide an alternative for state voters to the Republican and Democrat choices in this year’s election. (Governing — September 29, 2020)
The increase in jobs on private company payrolls in September, a nearly 270,000 increase from the month prior.
With a month still to go before the absentee ballot request deadline, there have already been 1.2 million absentee ballot requests across the state. There were only 495,520 ballot requests for the entirety of 2016.
The state’s current jobless claims technology uses 60-year-old computing language and cannot manage taking in new claims and processing payments simultaneously. Lawmakers hope to update the system with next year’s funds.
While some parts of the state’s economy have bounced back, economists have predicted that California’s unemployment rate will not return to it’s pre-COVID rate until late 2024.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will resume its pre-COVID apprehension and detention practices. The agency is confident that its officers can properly and safely carry out operations.
As the pandemic has unfolded, technology has proved its value as never before. There is much more to be done, and IT leaders should have a role at the level where the big decisions are made.
It needn't be a November Nightmare, in which many thousands of votes are rejected. State and local election administrators can look to evidence-based science for ways to minimize problems.
A new Rand report explores ideas and practices used by Russia and other hostile states to sow doubts about the election. The insights could help state and local government better understand and respond to the problem.
Jared Maples, director of the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, commenting on the combination of rising political tensions, national protests and foreign disinformation campaigns across the U.S. that could cause acts of violence leading up to and after the Nov. 3 election. (Reuters — September 29, 2020)
The number of jobs that were lost by mothers with children 12 years old and younger between February and August, approximately three times the amount of lost jobs for fathers of small children. A different study also found that mothers of young children were likely to have lost four to five times the number of work hours than fathers have during the pandemic.
Nearly half of California voters are very pleased with Gov. Newsom’s management of the coronavirus pandemic. However, 55 percent of those same voters think he has done a poor job handling homelessness across the state.
Budget analysts fear the state will continue to lose approximately $450 million a year until 2025. More federal stimulus aid is needed if the state is to avoid devastating cuts to public services.
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