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The Cuomo administration said the practice of pushing costs into the next fiscal year is simply managing “the timing of Medicaid payments to ensure compliance with the global cap,” the term for the annual cap on Medicaid spending.
Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos may live in Medina, but the city of mansions is projecting a $500,000 deficit in 2020, which officials say could widen to $3.3 million by 2025 without a hike in revenue from property taxes.
The combined quarterly advertising revenues for Google and Facebook, among the few firm numbers available to estimate the value of the Internet. The question has renewed importance as policy-makers — including California Gov. Gavin Newsom — have “proposed creating a ‘data dividend’ that would require large tech companies to pay users for their data, which requires an understanding of how much the data is worth to companies such as Google and Facebook.”
The phenomenon of “blackout babies” took hold of America during the Northeast blackouts of the ’60s and ’70s and is revived as Northern California experienced mass power outages to prevent wildfires.
Virginia Department of Corrections data reveals 33 drone sightings near prisons since January 2018. “If the drones aren’t dropping off packages, they’re likely scoping the area with a camera,” posing new security concerns.
A Minneapolis-based report urges companies to take precautions against their own employees as valuable information is highly portable via USB or email: “Insiders have more access to information than ever.”
Though controversial, Baltimore residents are desperate for solutions to the growing crime rates. Of the 500 polled, “59% agreed that ‘we should do everything legally possible to stop violent crime.’”
The Michigan Department of Transportation switches to a new traffic signal company, just weeks after MDOT’s former director becomes the company’s new VP, only furthering skepticism of Michigan government.
A Dutch company, Urban Crossovers, is piloting an emissions-free aviation fuel. It is a kind of kerosene, made from passing electricity through a mixture of carbon dioxide and water taken from ambient air. Proponents call the potential “limitless” but concede that the capacity of the current plant’s output is only 1,000 liters of the new fuel a day — an amount a jet will consume in five minutes of flying. That in a world with 225,000 flights a day.
Tesla’s Smart Summon “was glitchy and at times worked intermittently,” says Consumer Reports after testing. Others worry the imperfections could scare the public and impede autonomous vehicle progress in the future.
Irvine, Calif., researchers develop an algorithm to predict final wildfire size based on environmental factors. The hopes are to assist in studying wildfire but also to allocate resources to combat fires in real time.
McAlester, Okla., police will fund half of new body cams with a $47,000 federal grant. Justice Department guidelines require the grant to be enacted by fall 2022; McAlester “would like to see it done in six months.”
The police department unanimously agreed to buy its own surveillance technology to track messaging and phone calls on suspect phones and computers. Police say “It’s just for protection, not for persecution.”
Michigan lawmakers want to prevent “content neutral” social media, Internet companies’ blocking of user content in hopes of protecting free speech. Companies can avoid fines by declaring themselves “a biased source.”
Northern California’s power outage is rooted in its antiquated power grids; it’s simply “exposed lines on wood poles over dry grass.” To keep power on, California must reimagine its power through solar, wind, batteries.
The University of Maine secured several World Records as it produced the largest 3-D printed boat from the world’s largest 3-D printer. (The champagne bottle that christened the boat was not 3-D printed.)
Florida law restoring voting rights of up to 1.4 million ex-felons poses many administrative problems that don’t have answers. The problems could become more complicated with the upcoming presidential primary in March.
The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission met to discuss the feasibility of a Hyperloop to connect Ohio cities with Chicago, Pittsburg. Though the Hyperloop is new, “It’s got real possibilities.”
A recent report from the state auditor's office showed widespread noncompliance with routine cybersecurity protections. The gaps could open the state to unnecessary threats as hackers aggressively target government.
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Many people have seen the drastic inefficiencies and lack of transparency within government and, in turn, the connection between taxpayers and government officials has suffered.
An annual car-tab fee that hybrid-vehicle owners in Washington state will begin paying this month to finance electric-car charging stations they will never use. Owners of plug-in electric cars already pay $150 into the state roads fund instead of gasoline taxes, will also pay the $75 electrification fee, for a total $225. The hybrid fee, awkwardly labelled labeled “Hybrid Vehicle Transportation Electrification” on bills from the state Department of Licensing (DOL) was part legislation passed in the last session “intended to promote electric vehicles and reduce carbon emissions.”
Toni Preckwinkle will present a $6.2 billion spending plan that has managed to whittle projected budget deficits from about $487 million in 2011 to $18.7 million in 2020. However, the deficit is expected to start climbing again next year.
South Carolina state Sen. Dick Harpootlianis is suing the Department of Commerce for refusing to publicly disclose records on a pair of economic development deals that have come under scrutiny.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot wants to consolidate the Department of Innovation and Technology with Fleet and Facility Management to save $1 million as she works to close an $838 million budget shortfall.
Craft beer's economic impact is especially significant. The Keystone State ranks second (behind California) in total economic contribution, with $6.3 billion, and fourth in contribution per capita for adults with $657.
The number of daily users of Twitch, a streaming service owned by Amazon that is primarily used for video gaming and was used to live-stream a shooting in Germany on Wednesday.
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