News
A solar-generating facility that will be located in San Bernardino County has been approved for development. Residents are complaining that the 3,500-acre plant will ruin agricultural land, air quality and scenic views.
El Paso, Texas, officials were considering purchasing El Paso Electric, but a divided discussion gave them pause. It would cost millions of dollars and years to complete, also is it even legal to acquire the utility’s assets?
Taking on the questions faced by state and local government in a world of rapidly advancing technology.
Jim Alder, head of Toyota AI Ventures, said of opportunities to invest in electric air taxi startups. A study revealed that investors are shifting focus from ground transportation to air travel in 2020, which could radically change the understanding of transportation. Joby Aviation, an air taxi startup based in Silicon Valley, has been valued at $450 million and has powerful investors such as Intel, JetBlue Airways and Toyota Motor Corp. (Reuters — December 9, 2019)
The number of attorneys general that are requesting the federal government implement stricter online protections for children. A letter to the Federal Trade Commission asked for stronger rules regarding data collection for children under 13 years old. “Without modification to the current rule, companies will continue to build profiles on children based on collected data. Those profiles will be used to target them for many decades to come.”
Plus.ai and Land O’Lakes partnered to freight the butter from Tulare, Calif., to Quakertown, Pa., with a safety driver ready to take over at any time, though they didn’t have to. Self-driving trucks could be “a few years out.”
Columbus, Ohio, is hoping that residents will connect their cars with technology that allows their vehicle to interact with other cars and traffic signals. All 1,300 “connected” cars would receive up to $300 in gift cards.
Senators from the region are pushing for the electric grid operator to reduce greenhouse gases, but progress is slow. Senators say the operator has “institutional tunnel vision” and the utility says its ideas are “taken off the table.”
Google claims it has cracked the code on quantum supremacy — IBM says not so fast. One researcher explains why he doesn't see quantum computers outpacing classical computers anytime soon ... and maybe not ever.
A challenge to Berkeley’s requirement that cellphone companies notify customers of possible radiation dangers of having phones close to their bodies was rejected by the Supreme Court because Berkeley’s notice is “literally true.”
The new group, created through executive order, will focus on opportunities to advance education surrounding cybersecurity issues and careers, building on previous efforts to beef up the state's defenses.
The state’s tax revenue growth for fiscal year 2021 is expected to slow down, with estimates for the coming fiscal year ranging from a low of 0.8 percent to a high of 3.5 percent.
Gov. Gina M. Raimondo proposed and state lawmakers earlier this year approved a state version of the health insurance mandate that was a key part of the Affordable Care Act signed into law by then-President Barack Obama.
The massive, Medicaid-induced deficit has triggered differing ideas from lawmakers in Albany on whether to cut spending or raise taxes. “For us in the Assembly, we always believe in raising revenue.”
Uber’s apology after the revelation that an Uber satellite office in Connecticut has segregated washrooms for drivers, which it calls partners, as opposed to regular employees. Critics cited the incident as further proof of the lengths the company will go to avoid accountability for its drivers, including providing employee-like compensation. (Washington Post – December 5, 2019)
The value of a joint venture announced last Thursday between General Motors and LG Chem of South Korea to “manufacture electric vehicle batteries” in a formerly idled plant in “northeast Ohio, a significant step for the nation’s largest automaker in its bid to electrify its future offerings.” The move is expected to create 1,100 new jobs.
A Connecticut Tesla hit two motor vehicles on a highway while operating on Autopilot; the driver was attending to his dog in the back seat. This is “damaging to public discussions” about driverless vehicles.
Ohio residents were unhappily surprised when 5G cellphone towers began popping up in their neighborhoods: “You want this stuff; you just don’t want it on your street.” But as phone companies move to 5G, cities might not have a choice.
The economy depends on long-haul trucking but those 18-wheelers produce a large amount of the transit sector’s greenhouse gases. “You can’t just be flapping your gums about ‘zero emissions’ and not have a plan to get there.”
A bill reintroduced to improve access to higher education technology for students with disabilities could create “some exciting opportunities to really open the doors of higher education” and life beyond college.
Washington state’s Public Disclosure Commission is keeping public record of campaign expenses and donations to keep candidates honest. It’s far from perfect, “but that doesn’t mean we won’t whack the moles when we see them.”
A new multidisciplinary group is hoping to start a conversation that can answer questions about new concerns specific to using drones in the nation's most densely populated metropolitan areas.
The FBI said in its warning to consumers that smart TVs can be potential hacking targets. As televisions become more and more computer-like and cybercrime is on the rise, consumers will have to take more safety precautions for their smart-purchases, like televisions, speakers or other devices. (The Hill — December 5, 2019)
The number of allegations of serious sexual assault in the U.S. against Uber during 2017 and 2018. Additionally, 107 people died in Uber crashes and 19 were killed in physical assaults, either during or shortly after the Uber ride.
Several agencies are warning holiday shoppers to be extra careful of phishing scams and shopping moves online. Some advice: Create a separate email, don’t use public Wi-Fi, and treat passwords like underwear.
General Motors is a strong lobbyer for extending the electric vehicle federal tax credit, but the company opposes California’s proposed fuel-emission standards, only complicating the debate.
A new report by the Federal Communications Commission found that mobile phone providers will overestimate their coverage about 40 percent of the time. Verizon and T-Mobile also misrepresented their service speed.
Raleigh finished just behind Austin, Texas, as the best area in the country for IT jobs by evaluating cost of living, number of opportunities, and projected job growth. The tech hub San Francisco ranked fifth
Google’s Project Nightingale moved the company into the health-care field, and many are concerned about privacy. Google is known to mine and sell user data; who’s to say they won’t do that with intimate medical records?
Transportation infrastructure, water and sewer systems, clean energy and data policy are among the recommended focus areas on the just-released 2020 policy agenda of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
