News
Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo discussing the new app “Crush COVID RI” that is designed to help state officials track and stop the spread of the coronavirus. (The Hill — May 19, 2020)
The number of states that are either entirely or partially open for the first time in nearly two months.
Spokane, Wash., received $23.4 million from the federal government to maintain the city’s bus system. But officials don’t think that will be enough to offset the challenges that the public transit system has been facing.
Officials in Macomb and Oakland counties, Mich., have announced that portions of their CARES Act money will be allotted for local governments and small business support. With approval, the money could be granted by June.
Twenty percent of California’s Bay Area residents don't have a home Internet connection, a problem made worse during shelter-in-place orders. A recent bill passed by the House would provide billions to fix the problem.
An unemployment benefits website run by the Arkansas state government suffered a large data breach that left the personal information of thousands of applicants exposed, state officials confirmed.
As schools rapidly transition to online learning during the COVID-19 crisis, there's growing evidence that poor planning coupled with insufficient tech resources have diminished K-12 education for some students.
Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey commenting on the decision to allow Square employees to work from home permanently, even after offices reopen after the coronavirus pandemic. Dorsey has already stated that Twitter employees will be able to work from home “forever” after the pandemic. (Business Insider — May 18, 2020)
The number of coronavirus deaths that occurred in California’s San Francisco Bay Area during May 17 and May 18. Before May 17, the last day that had no coronavirus-related deaths in the area was March 21.
Rebekah Jones was the architect and manager of the state’s COVID-19 dashboard, which had received praise from the White House for its accessibility. Many now worry that data transparency will be lost with her departure.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded the funds to aid in coronavirus testing and contact tracing efforts. The state needs at least 670 professional tracers, but only has 100 so far.
The state’s computer crashed Monday when workers flooded the system with requests for relief. Immigrants could apply for a one-time payment of $500 per individual or $1,000 per household.
The economies of the U.S., Canada and Mexico are interconnected. Their subnational governments and their businesses need synchronized federal guidance about how and when to restart.
The pandemic is challenging colleges' enrollments and finances as never before. Some may not survive, and those that do will have to consider major changes in their structures and the way they teach.
It's not just angry protesters. Governors are finding their stay-at-home orders challenged in court and their authority increasingly under fire in legislatures and from local officials.
A rally at the steps of the state capitol in Bismarck presents an important moment to revisit the unique federalist form of our republic that Thomas Jefferson and the founding fathers created more than 200 years ago.
Lessons Learned in How to Empower Businesses of Color
Senators Bob Menendez, Mazie Hirono and Elizabeth Warren wrote in a letter to Facebook, urging the social media giant to stop misinformation regarding the coronavirus pandemic that is not in English. (The Hill — May 15, 2020)
The number of unemployment claims that the Indiana Department of Workforce Development had to process last week, a significant decrease from previous weeks. During the final week of March, the department received 139,174 claims.
St. Louis, Mo., is beginning to lift its stay-at-home orders, but doesn’t have funding to hire many contact tracers. Some believe county officials should help to ensure the virus doesn’t spread throughout the region.
Without Internet access, Viriginians can’t work from home, participate in online learning or even order necessities from online retailers. “Government officials have to wake up and realize the Internet is not a luxury.”
In a 217-189 vote, the House of Representatives approved a package that allows Congress to work remotely amid the coronavirus. However, some members are still concerned that remote governing will erode the institution.
As governments struggle to adapt to the election challenges surrounding COVID-19, a number of states have launched Internet voting pilots. But many experts argue that these programs could easily be co-opted by malicious actors.
Women are underrepresented in technology fields, but especially so in cybersecurity. It's not just a matter of fairness. Women are better than men at key aspects of keeping the internet safe.
The pandemic has generated another round of work by states to craft some kind of tracking app that doesn’t violate privacy rules. Meanwhile, policymakers have turned their attention to cybercrimes and surveillance.
Sponsored
Continue to follow along with our new #GovernmentNow and #PublicSectorNow blog series, where we’ll address stories of innovation and inspiration, pressing topics, and changing perspectives for today’s ever-evolving world.
Timothy White, chancellor of the California State University system, said regarding the decision to suspend on-campus learning for the fall 2020 semester. The university system is the largest four-year public college system in the nation with 23 campuses and approximately 480,000 students. (NPR — May 14, 2020)
The year by which General Motors plans to power its Spring Hill, Tenn., manufacturing plant with electric power. The car manufacturer hopes to have U.S. GM-owned sites be 100 percent electric-powered by 2030.
Social distancing has discouraged riders from using public transit, so officials are hoping to encourage alternative transportation methods. But even still, riders need to be reassured that public transit is virus free.
Gov. Newsom’s proposed budget would save the state $2.8 billion in the next fiscal year but it would mean that all state workers, including the governor and his staff, would receive a 10 percent pay cut.
Most Read
