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States can now collect sales tax on products purchased remotely, opening the door to billions in new revenue. But how to collect the money is complicated. New software tools might be the answer.
As the number of rides from transportation network companies has surged in recent years, governments feel compelled to charge higher fees to help pay for road congestion problems and to improve public transit.
Deyanira Del Rio, co-executive director of the New Economy Project, said at a hearing last Thursday regarding a bill that prohibits putting restrictions on cash payments. While there is a growing trend to use cashless payments like credit cards or mobile payments, Americans who do not have a bank account would be negatively impacted by the cash restrictions. (The Hill — January 30, 2020)
The number of electric delivery vans that United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) will buy in an attempt to reduce car emissions and delivery costs. The company will also test self-driving package delivery vehicles in partnership with Waymo. UPS hopes the partnerships “will help us continue to push the envelope on technology and new delivery models.”
The Dallas-based company Alto differs from other ride-hailing companies in that it’s “an accessible luxury.” The membership-based service owns its own fleet of SUVs, uniformed drivers and has a signature scent.
Ann Arbor, Mich., only has about 47 percent of the workers it needs to ensure an accurate count for the 2020 Census. The jobs would pay up to $23 an hour. Officials encourage people to “be a part of history.”
Florida Rep. Kathy Castor presented a bill that would strengthen online privacy protections for those under the age of 18. Adding an amendment to the federal law, Castor wants consent from the teenagers, too.
U.S. officials are debating the value of printing money if many people never use cash anymore. Some people think that as credit and debit card use increases, cash may be a waste. Others argue that cash maintains equality.
Could a cyberattack that hit a West Virginia county school system have been prevented if the Office of Technology didn’t have vacancies in 22 percent of its positions? Many fear that private industry will steal all tech workers.
Technology-driven disruption is going to accelerate exponentially, the authors of a new book predict. Government is going to have to figure out how to keep up.
Moriba Jah, an orbital mechanics expert at the University of Texas at Austin, said of the increasing possibility of collisions as satellites are being dumped into Earth’s atmosphere. The U.S. military’s 18th Space Control Squadron has a catalog of approximately 26,000 objects, which includes the 200 satellites that SpaceX has added to the atmosphere since November. Many experts think that a serious collision is only a matter of time, “But I think it’s going to be reactionary, unfortunately.” (NPR — January 29, 2020)
The number of states that permit photos at a voting ballot box if a Wisconsin bill that allows selfies with completed ballots on Election Day gets approved. The state Senate approved the bill on Tuesday and it will now continue to the Assembly. Currently, there are only 18 states that ban photographic displays of marked ballots on Election Day, laws which are not strongly enforced.
The St. Paul police will begin testing new video technology that will help them look for clues and suspects. But some are concerned about the tech being misused. “It’s fundamentally changing the way that you police people.”
A study by AAA found that range anxiety decreases after purchase of an EV and it will only cost about $600 annually to maintain, a comparable figure to gas. But others are skeptical that the initial cost is still too high for most motorists.
The Michigan Supreme Court has decided that on May 1, the general public will be allowed to use their phones in courtrooms. As cellphones become the main form of communication, many are pleased by the decision.
Fulton County, Ga., finalized its $1.2 billion budget for 2020 including spending $17 million on IT infrastructure and cybersecurity. Georgia has been the target of several cyberattacks so officials want to be prepared.
Sen. Roger Wicker said on Tuesday regarding the rule banning cellphones from the Senate chambers during the impeachment trial. The senators aren’t allowed to use cellphones, iPads or even smartwatches in the chamber, so many senators are occupying their time with fidget spinners and long bathroom breaks. “There have been no convulsions that I know of. No senators falling down in the aisle and [going] into delirium [tremens] … wish us well.” (The Hill — January 28, 2020)
The estimated market valuation of Apple Inc. by the end of 2021, analyst Dan Ives predicts. Apple currently has a $1.4 trillion market cap, joining only three other public firms — Microsoft, Alphabet, and Saudi Aramco — with market values over $1 trillion.
By forcing drivers to be on a payroll, a recent law practically ends the ride-sharing business model. Now, it’s attacking the emission allowances of those companies. “California is experimenting with abolishing freedom.”
Allegheny County, Pa., stores about 1,700 tax records online each year. In 2012, they purchased redacting software but didn’t retroactively redact sensitive information from previously uploaded 1997-2010 tax documents — leaving personally identifiable information exposed.
The city hopes to reduce future spills and breaks by replacing old pipes and using drones to inspect pipes in hard-to-reach areas. Officials hope to “improve neighborhood infrastructure and better protect our environment.”
Some lawmakers have introduced a bill that would ban Deepfake technology for its ability to mislead and manipulate voters. “It’s not hard to imagine how destructive this technology could be in an election.”
The Off-Facebook Activity option allows users to notify the social media company that they don’t want data pulled in from third-party apps. Another option will tell Facebook to not collect the data at all.
High costs, driven by permitting, building code and regulatory red tape, could hamper growth of stations needed to power the EV market, but some states and localities are starting to change the status quo.
Growth is increasingly concentrated in a small number of cities. That creates problems within those metro areas and threatens to deprive most of the country of prosperity.
The Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office said in a resolution that resolved a lawsuit in which the state refused to permit the California car company to sell directly to customers within the state. Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded to the settlement on Twitter: “Yay!” (Reuters — January 22, 2020)
The amount of money available to college students through esport scholarships across more than 170 colleges and universities. Esports is a growing field and it is providing a way for non-athlete kids to get the same positive benefits of a team. “I think what makes this more sustainable overall is that we’re actually providing a structured environment for kids to play video games, which they would otherwise do unstructured.”
The popular Tampa ride service Downtowner was launched in 2016 but has since run out of funding. But officials don’t want to spend the money especially when Uber and Lyft offer similar services.
The state will open a graduate school and research center with hopes of bringing in tech learners and workers to pair them “with a great place to live and work …. We really see that [as] a great opportunity.”
A study by Alliant Energy found that the average Wisconsin household was wasting money and power on “always on” electronics, like coffee pots or DVD players. “Energy efficiency is a slam-dunk win on an economic basis.”
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