Data

How a different kind of drug testing can help communities stave off overdoses

Insights from advanced drug-testing services are proving essential for public health officials struggling to contain an evolving crisis.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

Helping cities flip money pits into gold mines

An incubator is working with cities to capitalize on their under-used properties by helping them to think like real estate developers.

  • By Liz Farmer

New flood model factors in human reactions

A new open-source flood risk model assesses communities' adaptive responses to flood events, which can help local governments prepare for flood intervention measures like altering development plans or elevating buildings.

  • By Tracey Peake, Futurity

Letting low-income Americans buy groceries online in 2020 with SNAP benefits decreased the share of people without enough food

COMMENTARY | Few people with SNAP benefits could use them for online purchases before the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • By Grace Melo, Andrea Leschewski and Kyle Jones, The Conversation

‘Tripledemic’ dashboards set health agencies up for flu season

COVID, influenza and RSV—oh my! Fall and winter bring an increase in respiratory illnesses, so state health departments are revamping their COVID dashboards for enhanced insights into their communities’ health.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

After hottest summer on record, local governments are underreporting heat deaths

Bexar County’s medical examiner blames lack of data for the decision not to list heat as a cause on any summer deaths.

  • By Greg Harman, Deceleration

4 questions to ask before sharing constituent data

As more Americans grow concerned about how their personal data is being used and shared, a new report offers state and local agencies tips on how to handle it responsibly in order to avoid further eroding trust.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

Politicians love to cite crime data. It’s often wrong.

Only 71% of U.S. law enforcement agencies submitted 2022 crime data to the FBI.

  • By Amanda Hernández, Stateline

Farm groups, weather and climate watchers pitch state funding for network of weather stations

The Nebraska Mesonet system, once the envy of the nation, has fallen on hard times because of uncertain funding/

  • By Paul Hammel, Nebraska Examiner

Exxon, Apple and other corporate giants will have to disclose all their emissions under California’s new climate laws that will have a global impact

COMMENTARY | California is the world’s fifth-largest economy. Laws tested there often spread across the U.S. and around the world.

  • By Lily Hsueh, The Conversation

What is artificial intelligence? Legislators are still looking for a definition.

States grapple with understanding the technology so they can put rules in place.

  • By Madyson Fitzgerald, Stateline

City puts accessibility at the forefront of disability data

Philadelphia’s disability map can help policymakers deliver more inclusive and accessible services for those living with disabilities.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson
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States grapple with impacts of medical debt

With so many adults struggling with unpaid medical bills, states are taking steps to protect consumers from the negative financial impacts of hospital debt.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

Data map reveals local drivers of climate risks

The climate vulnerability index shows the intersection of increasing climate risks and long-term health, social, environmental and economic conditions so state and local officials can target the most effective solutions for their communities.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

Predictive policing software terrible at predicting crimes

A software company sold a New Jersey police department an algorithm that was right less than 1% of the time.

  • By Aaron Sankin and Surya Mattu, The Markup

Cities turn to GIS mapping to find housing for the homeless

As a nationwide housing shortage continues to push people into homelessness, cities like Denver and Los Angeles are turning to data to help locate public land to put housing on.

  • By Molly Bolan

One city’s ‘data conversations’ help confront pressing challenges

Faced with water shortages, Henderson, Nevada, has turned to a data-driven approach to solve it. It’s now rolling out its approach to other departments citywide.

  • By Chris Teale

Rethinking engagement to support a rapidly growing older adult population

COMMENTARY | Having a reliable, evidence-based planning process can significantly impact how state governments address the immediate needs of their aging residents while planning for the future.

  • By Charlotte Arbogast

GOP states announce new voter roll systems. Are they as secure as ERIC?

An expert in elections administration and one of the founders of ERIC says the new systems could suffer from low data quality, high costs and inadequate security.

  • By Daniel C. Vock

Is the Census taking steps to count the millions of LGBTQ+ Americans overlooked?

The Census Bureau’s plans to test questions about sexual orientation and gender identity in the American Community Survey is the latest step in a years-long push to improve national data on LGBTQ+ people.

  • By Orion Rummler, The 19th

New voter roll system unveiled after ERIC withdrawal

Alabama debuted a new system to manage the state’s registered voter rolls, completing a goal to replace the Electronic Registration Information Center system. Observers said the state seemed to simply be creating a newer version of the system it left behind.

  • By Ralph Chapoco, Alabama Reflector