State and Local Politics and Policy
It’s especially hard to get low-income Americans living in multifamily buildings across the digital divide. But states and nonprofits are finding ways to do it.
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.
Minnesota’s new law allows families to install electronic monitoring devices into senior homes if they have proper consent. Some think it’s a great way to ensure Grandma’s getting the help she needs, others think it’s intrusive.
Political attention this year will largely be focused on the presidential race, but at the start of a redistricting cycle both parties are pledging to spend record amounts on state elections.
As more people use their phones as a primary Internet source, Mozilla is getting squeezed out as Apple and Google devices favor their pre-installed browsers. Mozilla has to “do things differently, including allocating resources” toward future-leaning tech.
Misinformation and deepfakes are a constantly growing concern for American society and if they aren’t properly addressed, they could spark future panic. These tools can help differentiate between what’s real and fake.
It is off to the caucuses for the remaining Democratic presidential candidates after running a gauntlet of debates, fundraising and public opinion polls. But how did we get here? For answers, you have to look back 85 years.
New Mexico cannot financially afford an undercount in the 2020 Census, but many residents don’t speak the languages provided on the forms, so the state is stepping in. It’s “a good opportunity to recognize the diversity in our state.”
The relatively new role of the state chief data officer is catching on, with a designated professional support network, growing public pressure for data-based policies, and more than half of U.S. states now staffing.
Rep. Mike Smith is introducing legislation to record all legislative proceedings, stream them online, and make the content archived and accessible on the Internet. “It’s astounding to me we haven’t done this already.”
Two nonpartisan apps, Register2Vote and MapTheVote, are helping Democrats get higher voter turnout than in previous years. But the increase in voter registration still might not be enough to turn the tides.
Battery technology is allowing more powerful batteries for even the smallest devices. But all of that energy in such a small space can be dangerous and we should be mindful of good battery safety.
In 2013, the ultra-high-speed Internet claimed that Austin, Texas, would become an economic and technological hub. But the black-and-white success that was described nearly seven years ago now looks a bit more gray.
Tesla is barred from selling cars in the state of Connecticut, so the electric vehicle company has jimmied a solution: lease cars instead. The DMV says that this way, the carmaker is still in compliance with the law.
A study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that technology assistance systems in vehicles caused distraction in drivers. The foundation reiterated that technology should assist, but not replace.
Irvine City Council progressed the government-owned utility program, hopefully allowing cleaner energy and more “local control and accountability” for their electricity. This would be a first for the county.
Sacramento and Yolo County officials approved all-electric buses to help reduce traffic congestion. Riders are upset because the buses don’t have seat belts or much bicycle carrying capacity.
The domain, that is mostly inhabited by nonprofit groups, was quietly sold to a public equity firm for just over $1 billion. Many are concerned over the “incentive to sell censorship as a service.”
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.”
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.”
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.
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.
Research estimates 76,000 head, neck injuries across 20 years, aligning with the introduction of the smartphone. The injuries ranged from cellphone distraction to the phone being the direct cause, “such as by hitting the person’s face.”
Google workers claim they were fired for speaking out. Google says they were fired over data misuse. More and more, workers are holding their companies accountable “not just in the business side of what they do.”
A cord will entangle suspects by wrapping around their arms or legs as a means to detain without force. The Los Angeles Police Department hopes that this will de-escalate situations and “It if can save lives, it’s better.”
Our power plants may be dirty now. But unlike combustion vehicles, electric cars give us the chance to finally free ourselves from high-carbon travel
Denver, Colo., has a complicated transit system troubled by the national decline in public ridership. But officials are hopeful that they will find a new GM: “I think there are some excellent people out there.”
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed a law requiring health insurers to keep online provider directories updated so that children who age out of foster care will be able to stay on MassHealth, the state’s Medicaid program.
The police believe that ShotSpotter could decrease response time and “bring a sense of calm,” but Mayor Carter doesn’t think the system works to reduce crime saying, “The available data is inconclusive at best.”
As an increasing number of cities nationwide work to foster equitable outcomes for residents, Albuquerque has created a new case study for how data can be used in various ways to lift populations up.
