Digital Government
Grants for Insurance Monitoring
The Health and Human Services Department <a href=http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/08/20100816a.html>announced</a> $46 million in grants to 45 states and the District of Columbia to apply a check on the increase in health insurance premiums. Part of the money, which came from the 2010 Affordable Care Act, will pay for upgrades to systems or for tools states "need to hold insurance companies accountable and put a halt to unreasonable premium increases," the <a href=http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/08/16/slowing-large-health-insurance-premium-increases>White House Blog stated</a>.
Ideas
An Open Government Lesson
<em>The New York Times</em> had a front-page <a href=http://www.nextgov.com/web_headlines/wh_20100813_3510.php>article</a> on Friday on how the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, drug and medical-imaging companies, universities and nonprofit groups worked together to try to find the biological markers that show the progression of Alzheimer's disease.
Digital Government
Two Takes on Federal Pay Debate
Derek Thompson, a blogger at theAtlantic.com (part of Atlantic Media, Nextgov's parent company as well) tries to add more insight into the ongoing (and confusing) debate about whether federal workers make more or less than their private sector counterparts.
Ideas
NMCI Comments Wanted
Looks like the editors over at Wired's <a href="http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/">Danger Room blog</a> are working on a piece on NMCI, the Navy's massive intranet, which is up for an <a href="http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100709_9862.php?oref=search">upgrade</a>. They want your opinions, according to a <a href="http://twitter.com/dangerroom/status/21072398364">Tweet</a>.
Cybersecurity
Pentagon mulls plan for NSA to monitor Defense contractors' network traffic
The Defense and Homeland Security departments are considering a plan that would allow the National Security Agency to monitor certain Defense contractors' networks for malicious activity, according a report posted by The Atlantic Web site.
Cybersecurity
A National Lab's 5 Tips for Better Security
Roger Johnston, a member of the vulnerability assessment team at the <a href="http://www.anl.gov/index.html">Argonne National Laboratory</a> near Chicago, delivered a keynote on Wednesday at the <a href=http://www.usenix.org/events/sec10/tech/>USENIX security conference</a> in Washington.
Ideas
5 Reasons Why Clinger-Cohen Failed
The 1996 Clinger-Cohen Act, which established the chief information officer position at agencies, among other things, was signed into law this month 14 years ago. By most accounts, it hasn't lived up to expectations. In fact, many say it's a downright failure.
Digital Government
What's the Big Deal?
Arkansas is considering building a vaccine registry for adults so that doctors can quickly check if an Arkansas resident has had a specific shot. <a href="http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2010/aug/10/push-adult-immunization-registry-considered/">From</a> the <em>Arkansas Democrat Gazette</em>:
Ideas
Debunking the Net Generation
A lot of reports and articles -- including many on this site (<a href=http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100423_7313.php>here</a> and <a href=http://wiredworkplace.nextgov.com/2010/08/dot_appeals_to_gen_y_online.php>here</a>) and on Government Executive (<a href=http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?filepath=/features/1109-01/1109-01adif.htm>here</a> and <a href=http://www.govexec.com/features/0707-15/0707-15s1.htm>here</a>) -- that depicts younger workers and the Internet as joined at the hip. The 'Net, and the social networking it spawned, are indispensable to the so-called Net Generation (those between the ages of 17 and 31) and they demand to have the tools at the ready at work, sociologists say.
Cybersecurity
Cyber's Big Business
For Maryland, cybersecurity pays. The state's governor, Martin O'Malley, wrote on Monday in a <a href=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/06/AR2010080605935.html>commentary</a> appearing in the Washington Post's business publication, Capital Business, "Maryland is better positioned than other states to recover from the national recession stronger and sooner."
Digital Government
Do You Have Perishable Skills?
Who has a better chance of finding a job after being out of work for, say, six months? A software programmer (particularly in the health field) or a construction worker?
Ideas
More Medicaid Systems Woes
Two years ago I <a href=http://techinsider.nextgov.com/2009/08/one_of_the_most_complicated.php>wrote</a> about how state's Medicaid claims processing systems seem to be one of the most difficult IT projects to develop. Maine, North Carolina and Indiana, just to name a few, were having difficulties building workable systems. Now it's Idaho's turn. As <a href=http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/08/03/v-print/1289721/idaho-medicaid-providers-in-crisis.html>reported</a> by the Idaho Statesman:
Cybersecurity
DOE Discloses Power Grid Threats
In the interest of serving the greater public good, the Energy Department recently disclosed an analysis of the cybersecurity vulnerabilities of private and government electric power grids. Typically cyber weaknesses at private utilities -- and even in specific government energy programs -- are kept close to the vest.
Digital Government
Craigslist creator tries to bring transparency initiative out of the shadows
The Obama administration's open government efforts aren't getting the attention and credit they deserve, Craig Newmark says.
Digital Government
Patriotic Love
The Defense Department is warning "patriotic women" to be aware of individuals posing as members of the military on dating sites who are running scams. In a <a href=http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=60134>press release</a> issued on Thursday, the department related a story of a woman named Shelley who "was thrilled to meet a handsome Marine on a dating website she frequented." Making a long story short, the guy, presumably not a Marine, tried to swindle her out of some money with a sob story.
Ideas
Census Fears Spill Over the Border
What can only be characterized as a bit of a surprise, Canada, the land of good government, is having its own debate over the nation's next census, scheduled for 2011. The debate is over the "intrusive" questions on the long form, which 20 percent of Canadians receive and are required to fill out.
Cybersecurity
Assange No-Show at Hacker Conference
<a href="http://wikileaks.org/Wikileaks">Wikileaks</a> founder Julian Assange was a no-show at the annual New York City hacker conference <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackers_on_Planet_Earth">HOPE</a>, after five Homeland Security agents <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-20010861-83.html?tag=mncol;txt">turned up the day before he scheduled to speak.
Digital Government
Real Social Networking?
Agencies have been pretty much experimenting with social media for the past two years, writing blogs (that are mostly routine), Tweeting (mostly press releases) and conducting an occasional town hall meeting (that is typically very orderly). It's understandable that many of the attempts have been carefully orchestrated offerings, given the novelty of the technology and the risk-averse nature of bureaucracies.
Digital Government
Where to Set a 'Meaningful' Bar?
Although it may have been motivated by politics, some Republican lawmakers on Tuesday raised what is a basic question when creating a new policy: How tough do you make requirements to get federal funding? How high should the bar be set?
Cybersecurity
Have Gun, Will Cut in Line
You think metal detectors, you think enhanced security. If someone's got a gun, it will set off the alarm and he or she won't be able to enter. Not in Texas.
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