State and Local

Infrastructure Law’s Digital Equity Goals Are Key to Smart Cities that Work for Everyone

Smart cities promise a shining future, but without deliberate efforts to include underserved communities they can worsen the digital divide.

  • By Gregory Porumbescu, The Conversation

GAO: Better Data Collection Can Improve Homelessness Estimates

Auditors suggest the Housing and Urban Development Department can improve its homeless estimates by gathering better data at the local level.

  • By Frank Konkel

2020 Census May Have Missed More Than 1.6M Residents

New research from the Urban Institute found that minorities were likely underrepresented in the population count, leaving some states with a windfall of federal funding while others came up short.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Elections Officials Are Still Receiving Death Threats and Harassment About the 2020 Election. They’re Asking Congress For Help.

Three state and local election officials testified before a Senate committee about their terrifying experiences since last year’s election in support of proposed voting reform legislation.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Most Local Governments Provide Cyber Awareness Training. Why Do 25% Let Elected Leaders Opt Out?

A new survey from the CompTIA Public Technology Institute highlights cybersecurity concerns among municipal IT professionals, including remote work and rising insurance premiums.

  • By Andrea Noble

Texas Republicans Want to Make the State the Center of the Cryptocurrency Universe

North America’s largest bitcoin mine sits just down the road from the old aluminum plant, about 60 miles northeast of Austin.

  • By James Pollard, The Texas Tribune

Natural Disasters Can Set the Stage for Cyberattacks

Indiana and some other state and local governments are trying to prepare by holding drills or creating preparedness plans.

  • By The Pew Charitable Trusts

Accidental Data Deletion: The Fear Is Real 

Data handling is an organization-wide responsibility.

  • By Mike Miller

Lack of Diversity in the Government Workforce Can Lead to Retention and Trust Issues

African Americans and Hispanics are underrepresented among managers and professionals, and women are underrepresented among chief administrative officers, according to a report.

  • By Andre Claudio

Biden Signs School Cybersecurity Bill

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency will study the cyber risks facing elementary and secondary schools and develop recommendations to assist schools in facing those risks.

  • By The Pew Charitable Trusts

A State’s Plan for the Nation’s First Section of Wireless Charging Road

Michigan hopes to test out a short segment of roadway that will allow electric cars to recharge as they drive, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

State and Local Government Beats out Federal in Survey of Citizen Trust

Digital services had a strong impact on whether residents found governments trustworthy, according to the report from Deloitte.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Cybercriminals Use Pandemic to Attack Schools and Colleges

The average ransomware attack cost educational institutions $2.73 million.

  • By Nir Kshetri, The Conversation

The Unemployment Insurance System Is Set to Get a Tech Makeover — but It Needs Much More, the Biden Administration Says

The U.S. Digital Service has embarked on a reconstruction that will cover the entire UI system, according to a memo and presentation obtained by ProPublica.

  • By Cezary Podkul, ProPublica
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How to Make Unemployment Insurance Work for Gig Workers

The share of workers who have traditional full-time jobs is shrinking but the ways to verify identity and income have not kept up.

  • By Jane Oates

Expired Driver’s Licenses Open Lane for Cybercriminals

Fraudsters send out texts or emails falsely warning that the target’s license needs to be updated, is missing information or is expiring.

  • By The Pew Charitable Trusts

Facing Foreign Election Foes, States Hire ‘Cyber Navigators’

Local election officials are on the front lines of election defense, but they often are underfunded or lack the technical knowhow to protect systems from cyber threats.

  • By The Pew Charitable Trusts

You’ve Been Vaccinated. Now Prove It.

Proponents of vaccine passports say the credentials give vaccinated people more assurance as they resume going out and could spur the reluctant to get vaccinated.

  • By The Pew Charitable Trusts

States Snag $240M to Combat Unemployment Fraud

The federal grant funding can be used to pay for identity verification services, cybersecurity, or other expenses related to fraud detection.

  • By Andrea Noble

Cryptocurrency Company Makes Case for Running its Own Local Government

A Nevada commission is studying the concept. An executive with Blockchains Inc. says its plans for an "innovation zone" won't work inside an existing county.

  • By Andrea Noble

What One City Hopes to Learn by Pausing Use of Facial Recognition Technology

A ban in Baltimore would restrict the city from purchasing facial recognition technology and temporarily restrict use by city agencies, residents and businesses (but not the police).

  • By Andrea Noble