Digital Government
National Data Service Should be Created Within the National Science Foundation, Data Foundation Says
The service could serve a central point for agencies—and state governments—to share data.
Ideas
Energy Is a Basic Need, and Many Americans Are Struggling to Afford It in the COVID-19 Recession
And the problem could get worse as the economy continues to struggle.
Modernization
IT modernization for the COVID era
Crises are clarifying events, and the pandemic is making clear the limits of IT systems built for a different era.
Cybersecurity
How Your Local Election Clerk Is Fighting Global Disinformation
Russians don’t have to change votes. They can change minds.
Artificial Intelligence
One City Rejected a Policing Algorithm. Could It Be Used For Other Purposes?
In Pittsburgh, an algorithm that deployed law enforcement officers to predicted crime “hot spots” might be repurposed to send social services to areas in need instead.
Modernization
Ditching Legacy Systems Will Require Adjusting Some Regulations, Experts Say
Federal investment in upgraded technology will help governments better take care of the American people, experts say, but that means rules must be updated to foster innovation
Ideas
Dashboard Displays COVID-19 Disparities by County
Although COVID-19 has swept across the entire country, its burden has not been spread equally.
Ideas
Rural America Is More Vulnerable to COVID-19 than Cities Are, and It's Starting to Show
Of the top 25 COVID-19 hot spots that popped up in the last two weeks, 18 were in non-metropolitan counties.
People
Public sector employment continues to slide
However positive signs in the May jobs report could sideline federal legislation to extend aid to local governments.
Digital Government
Trump’s Attacks on Vote-by-Mail Worry Some Election Officials
For months, President Donald Trump has been one of the loudest opponents to vote by mail.
Digital Government
Pandemic, Civil Unrest Complicate Voting in the Nation’s Capital
Washington, D.C. is among the jurisdictions that encouraged residents to vote by mail to stay safe amid the coronavirus pandemic, but voters who came out to the polls Tuesday still encountered long lines.
Modernization
As Virus Keeps Kids From Schools, New Figures Show Millions Lack Home Internet
Meanwhile, a California education official this week said it would take at least $500 million to get students there the computers and internet access they need, and asked the private sector to help.
Policy
States Struggle to Get Vote-by-Mail Plans Ready in Time
Many states delayed their primaries to give election officials more time to prepare, but quickly overhauling procedures comes with real challenges. What will it all mean for the November elections?
Emerging Tech
Did That Drone Just Tell Us to Stay 6 Feet Apart?
At least 40 law enforcement agencies across the country have used drones in the past few months for coronavirus-related purposes.
Modernization
Under Social Distancing, Rural Regions Push For More Broadband
More than a fifth of Americans in rural areas lack broadband.
Ideas
Learning from New Jersey: Why Government Organizations Should Cut Ties with COBOL
COBOL is an aging programming language and its workforce is no different.
Digital Government
$3T COVID relief bill includes tech money and restructures health acquisition
The Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act, proposed by House Democrats, calls for far more than additional stimulus checks and emergency funding for state and local governments. FCW breaks down the provisions.
Digital Government
Ignoring Trump and Right-Wing Think Tanks, Red States Expand Vote by Mail
The Heritage Foundation and other conservative groups warn, with little evidence, that voting by mail fosters fraud. But some Republican secretaries of state reject those concerns and see no alternative to absentee voting if the pandemic persists.
Policy
Will COVID-19 Disrupt Election Day 2020?
"We have held elections during the Civil War and during World War I despite extreme conditions, so there isn’t any precedent for this," a professor of political science said.
Modernization