With technicians retiring and fewer agencies using the state-run system, Washington state is turning to an outside vendor to provide mainframe computing services.
STATE AND LOCAL NEWS ROUNDUP | A federal appeals court says ex-felons will need to pay fines and restitution before they can get their voting rights back … Minneapolis City Council balks at temporary police precinct … Des Moines schools start virtual in violation of state order.
STATE AND LOCAL NEWS ROUNDUP | Arizona school system putting as many as 70 students in virtual classrooms … Pennsylvania officials warn voters about robocalls with misinformation … Georgia could investigate people who voted twice in primaries.
A handful of states and counties are requiring Covid-19 testing for farm and food-processing workers after several clusters of positive cases were traced back to agricultural facilities.
COMMENTARY | The lack of regulation around facial recognition usage allows law enforcement to use the technology in ways that could undermine civil rights and liberties.
People have received the mysterious shipments in at least 22 states. The seeds could pose threats to the environment and agriculture. Federal authorities are investigating.
Earlier this month, Louisiana cancelled the bar exam. This week the state became the fourth to enact "diploma privilege," allowing recent law school graduates to practice law without sitting for the three-day bar exam.
STATE AND LOCAL NEWS ROUNDUP | Orange County loosens mask requirement ... Libertarians in Alaska sue over presidential election ... FEMA denies Texas' request for a disaster declaration for a 2019 tornado and other storms.
Washington’s Methow Valley is a magnet for tourists and people looking to get into the outdoors. But the coronavirus outbreak is stirring mixed reactions about visitors.
STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Local governments buy up thermal scanners … Masks now mandatory in public in Los Angeles … New Jersey could partially furlough 100,000 state employees.
Requiring businesses to keep customer logs could undermine the public trust necessary to effectively conduct contact tracing, says one public health expert.
As COVID-19 fears grew, public officials and sports execs contemplated health risks—and debated a PR message—but let 33,000 fans into a Seattle Sounders soccer match, emails show.
By Ken Armstrong, David Gutman and Lewis Kamb, ProPublica
SeaTac, Washington is in relatively good financial shape. But its tax revenues depend heavily on a sector that’s taking a beating during the disease outbreak.