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Kansas City, Mo., will remove the $1.50 bus fare this year to further encourage residents to use the system. But having accessible public transit is only one part of the city’s wider goal of improving quality of life.
This week, Governing’s Future of Security looks at police use of smartphone decryption tools, ransomware legislation and election hacking fears.
Jenny Durkan, Seattle, Wash., mayor, said regarding senior citizens getting left out of the growing tech world. Seattle is a massive hub of technology jobs, but “how do we make sure that there’s true economic opportunity both for our youth coming up, but also for our seniors and whatever their second and third acts are?” (The Hill — January 21, 2020)
The average price of a ransomware attack during the third quarter of 2019, more than tripling the amount from the first quarter. While overall there were 6 percent fewer ransomware incidents in 2019 compared to 2018, the ransom amount has grown. These figures are prompting U.S. insurers to increase cyberinsurance rates by up to 25 percent.
The Federal Aviation Administration approved a small company in Fulton, N.Y., to use drones to spray farm crops, which can save money and keep harmful chemicals away from humans.
Sundar Pichai recently wrote that he wanted stricter regulations for artificial intelligence. But maybe he was just saying that to reshape the federal regulations to look more like his company’s already existing ones.
A study found that loneliness in the workplace is increasing and can be connected to increased electronics. Loneliness at work could lead to lower levels of productivity, missing days of work or even quitting a job.
Los Angeles, Calif., Unified School District proposed a way to help low-income students, the Transportation Authority and the environment: give 60,000 students free metro rides. If it passes, it just might work.
Cyberattacks, Internet shutdowns, online bullying, and other types of behavior threaten the rights of citizens. Sir Tim Berners-Lee, who created the World Wide Web, offers a contract to regulate Internet norms.
The Steel City's splendid architectural gem of a bridge — one of 400 in Pittsburgh — has its roots in Venice, Italy, yet was designed by America’s foremost architect of the 19th century.
Ellicott City, Md., has been devastated twice by flooding rivers that traverse the city. But one man has built a homemade warning system he hopes will save property and lives the next time the flood waters rise.
Human rights experts from the United Nations said in a news release regarding an alleged hacking of the phone of Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO and owner of The Washington Post. Some believe that the hacking of Bezos’ phone could be related to the 2018 killing of WP journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, whose death was linked to the crown prince. Saudi Arabia has denied responsibility for hacking Jeff Bezos’ phone. (NPR — January 22, 2020)
The market value of Tesla Inc. after the electric car company surged on Wednesday, making it the first publicly listed U.S. automaker to ever cross $100 billion in market valuation. The number made the 17-year-old electric car company the highest-valued U.S. automaker of all time.
The troubled plane model was grounded last year won’t receive clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration to fly again until at least mid-2020. The FAA is doing detailed reviews to ensure the planes “meet the highest certification standards.”
Baltimore has not been collecting taxes on Uber, Lyft rides and it’s costing the city $2.1 million annually. The increase in app-based rides resulted in a $4.1 million decline in parking revenue.
The current troubles in the technology industry are not evidence of an ethics crisis, but rather a public-policy crisis.
For too long, tech has been someone else’s problem — something policymakers didn’t believe they needed to think about or even fully understand. It’s time to define what we want from a revolution that’s affecting everything.
A new federal law could go a long way toward improving oversight of grant spending and making state and local financial reports more accessible to researchers and constituents.
Chief Executive Satya Nadella said of Microsoft’s decision to invest $1 billion over the next four years in its newly created “Climate Innovation Fund,” which will aim to remove as much carbon from the atmosphere as the company has emitted since its creation 45 years ago. (Reuters, AP News — January 16, 2020)
The predicted value of an electronic health record market by 2025. As more patients and health-care providers opt to put medical records and access online and via mobile apps, big tech companies like Google and Apple are trying to further step into the health-care fields. But many are still concerned about data sharing and privacy of sensitive medical information.
In an opinion piece for the Financial Times, Sundar Pichai wrote in favor of stricter regulations of artificial intelligence and noted that “principles that remain on paper are meaningless.”
California’s gas tax allotted a portion of gas prices for road maintenance. However, as more electric vehicles roll onto the road, fewer consumers are contributing to the tax, and it’s costing the state millions.
The Montana city partnered with a Texas-based company to create an app to identify issues like potholes and broken parking kiosks. The app keeps the city accountable but also gives citizens more control
For more than a decade, the feds have been pushing states to modernize their Medicaid management information systems so they could report comparable data. The effort is starting to pay off.
Farms from the state's Central Valley have teamed up with Southern California Gas to convert cow manure into renewable natural gas, in response to a 2016 state law to reduce dairy greenhouse emissions by 30 percent.
This week, Governing’s Future of Finance examines the moves made in advance of tax season, California’s crackdown on traffic fine scofflaws, the world’s largest money manager is making the climate crisis its primary investment criterion, and MIT’s “significant” Jeffrey Epstein mistakes.
Businesses that make more than $10 million a year need to pay up to 6 percent more in taxes in the California bill that received Abigail Disney’s support. “This is a problem of corporate culture 50 years in the making.”
Our cities' transportation landscape is being dramatically altered. But a focus on small disputes overlooks the larger value questions that need to be addressed.
The federal tax law change took place in 2018, but the revised form has just been released. The IRS hopes the new W-4 is more transparent and less complex. But there are a few changes to be aware of.
Traffic fines in California can be quite expensive, often more than the monthly disposable income for many families. Officials are thinking of reworking the program to make it more feasible and to make sure the state gets paid.
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