Digital Government

Youth-focused social media mandates need teeth, not just training

Recent legislation in Iowa would require sixth through eighth graders to study the “effects of social media.” But experts caution that minors can’t just be warned about the platforms’ dangers.

Digital Government

Ohio lawmakers mull energy overhaul as data center demand piles up

Ohio lawmakers on the House Energy Committee began discussion this week on a measure to overhaul the state’s energy landscape as a supply and demand imbalance is emerging between the state's aging fossil fuel plants and manufacturing and data center development.

Infrastructure

Trump administration tells states billions in EV charger money is on hold

Washington was in line to receive $71 million for chargers along I-5 and other roads. But the U.S. Department of Transportation says it will revamp the program.

Sponsor Content

GovExec TV: Five Questions with Brian Chidester

Adobe’s Experience Driven Government empowers agencies to modernize digital services, enhance citizen engagement, and ensure privacy through digital maturity.

Workforce

California county taps tech to improve labor negotiations

Placer County has moved from spreadsheets to a software tool that helps officials conduct cost negotiations with labor groups more effectively.

Public Safety

Facial recognition in policing is getting state-by-state guardrails

Instances of false arrests and privacy concerns are drawing lawmakers’ attention.

Infrastructure

Washington governor orders team to study data centers’ impact on energy use, job creation and tax revenue

Data centers receive some of Washington’s largest corporate tax breaks and require enormous amounts of electricity, a need that is only expected to grow with increasing reliance on artificial intelligence.

Public Safety

How emerging tech is shaping law enforcement

Sensors and analytics are helping under-resourced departments be more effective. But agencies must do their due diligence when adopting these new systems.

Management

How Philadelphia incentivizes residents to sharpen their digital skills

The city’s Digital Navigators Program can help residents more effectively leverage city resources and improve their employment prospects, one official says.

Public Safety

DHS personnel descend on New Orleans to help secure Super Bowl LIX

CISA has already conducted physical and cybersecurity vulnerability assessments ahead of the Feb. 9 NFL championship game.

Infrastructure

Straight to the top: new nonstop elevators to speed subway accessibility coverage

The J/Z’s Woodhaven Boulevard station in Queens is the first stop in the system where elevators bypass an existing turnstile level and deposit riders directly at the platform.

Digital Government

Using human-centered design to improve public service experiences

Agencies may be risk-averse, but using this method is the perfect way forward as it puts those impacted by a product or service’s design at its heart.

Sponsor Content

Navigating data security challenges in hybrid cloud environments

<p>As data grows exponentially and cyber threats become more sophisticated, agencies must adapt their approaches to data security and IT modernization.&nbsp;Government agencies are navigating a rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape in their shift to hybrid cloud environments. Rising cyber threats and an exponential increase in data volume have made managing and securing information more critical &mdash; and more complex &mdash; than ever before. Seamless, any-time-access to data is vital for operational efficiency, but agencies must balance accessibility with robust security measures.</p> <p>So, how can agencies modernize their infrastructure while ensuring data security?</p>

People

A BEAD critic could end up running the internet access program

Arielle Roth, a former aide to Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has been tapped to head up the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. She has long been skeptical of some of the $42 billion effort’s provisions.

Digital Government

Tech and chip manufacturing help make metro areas ‘dynamic’

The increase in semiconductor facilities, spurred in part by federal funding, has helped vault some cities forward. But some experts caution not to rely too heavily on one sector for economic development.

Cybersecurity

South Dakota opens bids in state-funded $7 million cybersecurity effort to protect local governments

South Dakota wants to hire a company to review local governments’ vulnerabilities to hackers.

Cybersecurity

Kept in the dark

Meet the hired guns who make sure school cyberattacks stay hidden.

Emerging Tech

Jockeying intensifies for state quantum leadership

New Mexico will open a major research and development center, while Maryland promised to invest $1 billion in the technology in the next five years.

Infrastructure

Chinese AI tech could cut projected spike in US electricity

Are we planning too many new power plants to fuel data centers? Advocates call for more protections for consumers — and the climate.

Digital Government

A decade and $600M later, New York prisons still lack cameras

After footage of the killing of Robert Brooks sparked national outcry, Governor Kathy Hochul promised to fully equip New York prisons with cameras. The project has stalled for years.

Digital Government

DHS watchdog investigating TSA’s use of facial recognition

The review comes after a bipartisan group of senators previously called for the watchdog to look into TSA’s use of biometric tools “from both an authorities and privacy perspective.”