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These 6 Agencies are Wizards at Closing Data Centers
If the rest of government copied what these half dozen agencies have done in adhering to data center consolidation, the government would save a whole lot more money.
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State and Local Daily Digest: Wyo.’s Natural Resource Explorer; Tenn. Senator Wants to De-Annex Then Doesn’t
Also in our news roundup: A micro-housing model city; Pennsylvania takes to medical marijuana; and Maine braces for budworms.
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Does VA’s Plan for Fixing Cyber Weaknesses Take Too Long?
In its fiscal 2017 budget request, VA is seeking to nearly double its information security spending.
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White House Official Steps In as OPM's IT Chief
Lisa Schlosser, the deputy U.S. federal chief information officer, will join OPM as a senior adviser and acting CIO.
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CYBERCOM to Congress: We Need a Bigger Budget
Rogers justified what he called "systematic" increases over the last few years with the observation that every American who has gone online is either now a cybercrime victim or has been affected indirectly by higher fees as a result of data thefts.
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Lawmaker Puts Federal Zombies on Notice
Cathy McMorris Rodgers threatens to decapitate unauthorized programs.
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White House CIO Deflects on Apple Encryption Debate
At SXSW, President Obama urged citizens to avoid an “absolutist” stance on encryption. But the White House CIO says he can make an argument for both sides.
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State and Local Daily Digest: Okla.’s Dismal Budget News; Conn. Lawmakers Look at Weaponized Drone Ban
Also in our news roundup: Floods shut bridges between Texas and Louisiana; pothole season is in full swing; Alabama city embraces higher municipal minimum wage.
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VA Fails Cyber Audit Again
This is the 16th year in a row that VA’s handling of information security has been cited by the IG as a “material weakness.”
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Building a Ground Army to Fight Heroin Deaths
More than 28,000 people are dying from heroin and opioid overdoses each year. Cities and states, along with the federal government, are trying to get rescue kits into the hands of more people.
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Public-Private Partnerships Offer School Kitchen Grants to More Districts
Some funds designated for equipment under $5,000
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Researcher Says Government Cyberthreat Sharing Too Secretive
The university's attack space includes power generation networks, campus police databases, research files, student records and retail payment systems, among other sensitive digital operations.
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D.C. Metro's Emergency Closure Tests New General Manager
A system-wide safety inspection will close the nation's second-busiest subway for at least 24 hours. "When I say safety is our highest priority, I mean it,” said Paul Wiedefeld, who aims to fix a troubled transit agency.
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OPM Needs Another $37M for ‘Critical’ IT Upgrades, Agency Tells Congress
During the phased rollout of the new IT infrastructure, OPM will have to run both old and new systems simultaneously.
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Texas Congressman to Feds: Don’t Mess with Civil Liberties
“We can protect civil liberties, defend infrastructure and chase bad guys all at the same time,” the legislator said. “We can chase bad guys without eroding our civil liberties.”
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Federal Cyber Workforce Needs Cultural Anthropologists, Economists and Marketers
To effectively block cyberthreats, the government needs talent from a diverse set of academic and cultural backgrounds, not just “people behind screens.”
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State and Local Daily Digest: Texas Gets OK to Join BLM Lawsuit; West Virginia Insect Swarm
Also in our news roundup: Working to fix medical response in Memphis; low morale for New York City cops; and a Minnesota Vikings street-naming controversy.
Route Fifty
Justice Department Offers Guidance on When Court Fines and Fees Might Violate Constitution
But one reform advocate notes: “Unless the DOJ actually sues some of these places, I don’t think we’re going to see a significant change in the practices on the ground.”
Route Fifty
State and Local Daily Digest: Uber and Lyft Drivers Owe Chicago $15 Million; Richmond Budget Woes
Also in our news roundup: Florida sea-level rise report; arsenic contamination in Texas; and all electronic prescriptions in New York state.
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