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A City Considers Criminalizing Racially-Motivated 911 Calls
In Grand Rapids, Michigan, the city commissioners are considering an ordinance that would make it a misdemeanor to call the police on people of color for “participating in their lives.”
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Inside USDA's Farmer-First Approach to Digital Transformation
The department is mixing technology with human-centered design to produce a better experience for its customers.
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CBP’s Airport Facial Recognition ‘Is Not a Surveillance Program’
As the public grows wary of facial recognition, the head of CBP’s biometric entry and exit initiative says the agency is using the tech responsibly.
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To Curb Trashcan Clutter, a City Will Try Stowing Waste Underground
Raleigh, North Carolina is looking to improve on “the old school model” it uses to handle waste from downtown businesses.
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Lawmakers Approve Two-Week Flood Insurance Extension
Congress is under pressure to overhaul the National Flood Insurance Program amid cost and coverage concerns, but has been unable to secure permanent reauthorization of the program.
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NSA Deflects Blame for Baltimore Ransomware Attack
The city of Baltimore had more than two years to defend itself against the attack, and it’s officials’ fault they dropped the ball, according to NSA cyber chief Rob Joyce.
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Developing Standards For AI Won’t Go Like Past Technologies
Top experts and officials working on artificial intelligence say global competition has set the stage for a very different standards discussion than with past technologies.
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A New Way for Firefighters to Track Their Exposure to Carcinogens
A new app allows firefighters to track in real-time their exposure to dangerous substances.
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Texans Won’t Need Permits to Carry Handguns After Disasters Under Newly Passed Bill
Lawmakers say they backed the measure to prevent residents from choosing between violating gun laws or falling victim to looting, but some officials question whether it's necessary.
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State Lowers Degree Requirements for Child Welfare Case Workers
The move in Oregon comes amid concerns about workforce diversity and recruiting and retaining employees.
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How the Veterans Affairs Department is ‘Hardwiring’ Customer Service into Everything
VA is on a mission to improve the veteran experience across every service it provides.
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With ‘Arctic Man’ Ruling, Supreme Court Limits Certain Retaliatory Arrest Lawsuits
The free speech case involves a man arrested at a festival in Alaska. "It’s significant because it narrows the scope of what individuals can sue the police for," says one legal expert.
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$19 Billion Disaster Relief Bill Blocked for Second Time
The House was unable to approve a package of disaster relief funds destined for states hit by hurricanes, wildfires and flooding after a Republican lawmaker lodged an objection Tuesday.
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Critical Update: At Your Digital Service, Part 2
We talk with U.S. Digital Service project managers for a ground-level view of what it really takes to make innovation happen in government.
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$831 Million Project to Repel Invasive Fish From Great Lakes Gets Army Corps Greenlight
One advocate describes a “race against time” to block Asian carp, which pose a threat to native wildlife.
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Lawmakers Take a Hard Look at Facial Recognition Technology
One expert estimates a quarter of American law enforcement agencies have facial recognition capabilities, but the technology remains largely unregulated.
Route Fifty
State Prohibits Schools From Using Native American Mascots
Maine became the first state in the country to outright ban schools from using Native American mascots and imagery, though other states have passed similar, less strict measures.
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How the Bureau of Labor Statistics is Ditching Hand-coding Data
Using some DIY-attitude and machine learning tools, BLS figured out how to automate 85% of its survey workload.
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The Pentagon is Trying to Secure Its Networks Against Quantum Codebreakers
The Defense Information Systems Agency is exploring new encryption strategies that could withstand an attack from quantum computers.
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