Data

Data for dementia: State’s brain health registry helps prep for an aging population

The Virginia Memory Project will catalog dementia cases and caregiving needs to inform policy and programming for aging adults.

States get streamlined access to Treasury’s Do Not Pay system for unemployment

The move comes as federal agencies work with states to combat the rise in jobless aid fraud following the pandemic.

This state’s ‘unsexy’ AI policy takes transparency to the next level

From AI “nutrition labels” to keeping an inventory of artificial intelligence tools, Connecticut is embracing sweeping rules that would “talk to people about why we're using it, how we're using it.”

Lawmakers hope to use this emerging climate science to charge oil companies for disasters

Under their proposals, state agencies would use computer models to tally up the damages caused by climate change and identify the companies responsible. Then, they would send each company a bill for its portion of the destruction.

How collaboration is changing North Carolina, one project at a time

States that want to tap universities and philanthropies to find solutions to policy challenges using the best research, evidence and data should look at how one state mastered the communications and logistics essential for effective partnerships.

For effective community research, get the right people at the table

When people with lived experience participate in a research project’s design, data collection and analysis, they can increase engagement, build trust and lay the groundwork for system-level change.

Statistical models vs. front-line workers: Who knows best how to spend opioid settlement cash?

A mathematical model designed to direct spending of opioid settlement funds is at the center of a debate over whether to invest in technology to guide long-term decisions or focus on the immediate needs of people in addiction.

Mayors, experts discuss the solution and barriers to ending homelessness

Amid a homelessness crisis nationwide, Houston and Los Angeles have housed thousands of people under a “housing first” approach.

One state looks to collect multiyear data to address the mental health crisis

Ohio has launched a $20 million research project to study the social and biological factors influencing mental health. Researchers hope the study will continue for two decades and deliver actionable insights for policymakers nationwide.

After promising to make government health care data more accessible, the Biden administration now wants to clamp down

Researchers across the country fear a new proposal by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will increase fees and decrease access to data used to support major health care reforms.

Cities pay a climate penalty as air pollution worsens

Communities vulnerable to deteriorating air conditions and the resulting public health issues may find it ever more difficult to adapt to the changing environment, a new report suggests.

Today’s real-time wildfire data helps prepare for a changing climate

Rapid response and early detection data tools are helping agencies paint a clearer picture of incoming wildfire risks.

Car thefts and carjackings are up. Unreliable data makes it hard to pinpoint why.

Experts caution against making policy based on anecdotal evidence on social media.

Data literacy 101: Building a public sector workforce for the future

Failure to understand data is more dangerous to states and localities than ever, and there’s a big gap between what public employees know about data and what they need to know.

Can wastewater alert schools about Covid spread?

COMMENTARY | While wastewater surveillance doesn't prevent all viral transmission, its role in understanding the extent of transmission could help officials ensure schools stay open during a public health emergency.

Connecting researchers and legislators can lead to policies that reflect scientific evidence

COMMENTARY | Researchers want real-world impact. Lawmakers want programs that work. The public wants to benefit from taxpayer-funded research. Building a bridge from academia to legislatures is key to all three.

How to craft fair, transparent data-sharing agreements

Effective decision making often requires a complex process of gathering data from different sources. A new framework for data-sharing agreements streamlines the process.

Employees need drastic reskilling to deal with generative AI’s data needs

Data analysts are just one part of the picture, observers said. Governments will also need data architects and business analysts, as well as ethicists to help with its responsible use.

What HUD’s annual homelessness count misses

Rather than relying on a single metric, communities need to develop a data infrastructure they can use to track, reduce and end homelessness.

Documents show Republican-led states struggling to clean voter rolls after leaving ERIC

Officials encounter new obstacles and costs in trying to replace just some of the data they used to get from the Electronic Registration Information Center, unreleased records show.