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While the bitcoin mining boom has left Plattsburgh, N.Y., for a northern neighbor, the residents are still using the cheap electricity to mine for cryptocurrencies and heat their houses.
A report found that switching Maine’s privately owned electric utility to a publicly owned one could raise customer rates and decrease state tax revenue. But some want more analysis on customer service and reliability first.
Mixed-income and diverse neighborhoods are good for our cities. There are policies we can pursue that can help to keep housing affordable and protect these communities' legacy residents.
David Victor, a professor of international relations at University of California, San Diego, proposed as an idea to combat global emissions of warming gases. Victor has joined a Europe-based study that is focused on producing electric aircraft. Scientists estimate that airline travel makes up about 2.5 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. (The San Diego Union-Tribune — February 17, 2020)
The cost of cobalt, one of the most expensive metals used in electric vehicle batteries. Tesla aims to reduce its use of cobalt down to “almost nothing” to reduce vehicle prices, and the company plans to do so by using lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries for its cars produced in the Shanghai gigafactory. Tesla has not said to what extent these LFP batteries would be used and has only said that they are cheaper than the existing batteries by a “double-digit percent.”
Lt. Gov. Husted wants to reduce red tape and also use more tech in government. Killing two birds with one stone: AI will review the 240,000 existing regulations and narrow them for review.
St. Paul is one of the cities across the nation using Amazon’s Ring cameras to improve policing. Some say there are security and data sharing concerns, others say, “Society has changed. The old way of policing is gone.”
Washington state, home to Amazon and Microsoft, wants to further regulate user data collection and facial recognition. Lawmakers think their legislation could become an example for other states.
Pennsylvania experienced problems with the new voting machines used last November. Then the Iowa failure happened. Now, with new election laws and, again, new voting machines, the state is nervous about the April primary.
Plus, 50-State Fiscal Forecast Looking Up, New Bonding for CA Public Schools, and Privatization of NYC Public Housing.
Outbreaks of diseases like the coronavirus start and have to be controlled at the local level. National governments and international organizations aren't doing enough to foster communities' resilience.
The New York police department subpoenaed the Twitter data in attempts of finding who leaked police photos to the reporter. The subpoena was withdrawn last Wednesday after lawyers got involved.
Mike Bloomberg “asked” in a meme sponsored by the official Bloomberg campaign. The campaign paid more than a dozen social media influencers to post Bloomberg memes to their Instagram pages, each of which have several million followers. This prompted Facebook to reverse its decision about sponsored political ads, now saying the platform will allow political campaigns to pay influencers to post sponsored messaging. (AP News — February 14, 2020)
The number of unique programs that were available to watch on TV last year, according to new data from Nielsen. The number includes programming across network broadcast TV, cable, streaming services, and all other kinds of outlets and includes past and present programs, though not individual episodes. “No, seriously. Someone counted.”
The California state auditor found that four law enforcement agencies have “risked individuals’ privacy” through an insecure license plate database. The report’s data suggests the problem could be statewide.
IBM reworked its hiring after realizing that “there’s over 700,000 [unfilled] tech jobs… there are only about 70,000 [candidates] with a computer science degree.” The new apprenticeship program hopes to bridge the gap.
Florida’s supervisor of elections has divulged a previously unreported ransomware virus in the elections department just weeks before the 2016 election. As the state preps for March primaries, concerns of security are amplified.
After trying Internet voting for overseas voters, West Virginia is expanding the option for those with physical disabilities. But MIT researchers now say they’ve found worrying flaws in the app the state has been using.
Boulder, Colo., wants to raise minimum wage, but the County Commissioners have touted benefits of a regional increase. State law allows wages to increase but limits the number of increases that can happen across the state.
California voters have the opportunity to vote in March on a $15 billion school bond, the largest in state history. Many believe it’s a good investment in future education, but others question the long-term payment plan.
Originally, analysis predicted that the General Assembly would cut state income tax by $550 million, but that number has since been updated. “Regaining the state’s fiscal footing will allow for investments in the future.”
Driverless cars and trucks could provide many benefits, from safer highways to improved mobility, but widespread adoption could shrink the vehicle-related revenue streams that states rely on.
California is working to consolidate all of its geographical data, with the longer-term goal of providing a central portal for everything. It's a chance to enrich governmental collaboration.
New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said as she proposed creating a new federal agency, Data Protection Agency, that would be responsible for protecting online user privacy. The U.S. is one of the few developed nations that does not have a third-party privacy watchdog. “As the data privacy crisis looms larger over the everyday lives of Americans, the government has a responsibility to step forward and give Americans meaningful protection over their data and how it’s being used.” (The Hill — February 13, 2020)
The age of Chuck Yeager. The former U.S. Air Force pilot, officer and flying ace who broke the sound barrier early in the space race was born on yesterday's date in 1923. Coincidentally, NASA announced yesterday that it would open the next class of astronaut applications from March 2 to 31. Minimum requirements include U.S. citizenship, an advanced STEM degree, and at least 1,000 hours as pilot-in-command of a jet aircraft. Members of the incoming class of astronauts could be candidates who could fly missions to the International Space Station, the moon or even Mars.
Carroll County is just one county with drone laws that conflict with the state of Maryland’s laws, and nobody knows which ones to follow. If the laws aren’t sorted out, local governments could struggle in legal battles.
The state wants to create a workforce that can support the growing number of financial service employers; Florida State College’s grant will help move them toward that goal. Officials hope this will keep tech talent in the state.
In December the Connecticut DMV issued the needed approval to Tesla, allowing it to lease vehicles in the state. Officials and residents alike are pleased with the change and “applaud Tesla for its persistence.”
Health-care apps are changing the way many people interact with medical providers. While the health-care industry is trying to be more consumer friendly, many don’t think apps deliver the same quality of care.
The high-speed line that will run through the state is now estimated to cost $80.3 billion and still plans to meet the federal deadline of laying track by 2022. “We don’t think that now is the time to turn back.”
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