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Prospect of Steep Service Cuts Looms as Virus Batters State and Local Budgets
“The longer this persists, the deeper it will be for state and locals and state and local cutbacks,” one expert noted this week.
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How a Slice of Spectrum Split the U.S. Government
The head of the Federal Communications Commission wants to allow a satellite company access in the interest of 5G despite objections from Defense, Commerce and other departments and agencies.
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States Start Hiring Battalions of Contact Tracers to Track Covid-19
As governors look to loosen coronavirus restrictions, a key benchmark will be improving the ability to track and isolate new cases. That will include more “contact tracers,” investigators who track down those who’ve come in contact with infected people.
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Judge Grants Pentagon’s Request for Corrective Action on JEDI Cloud Contract
The Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure contract could be on hold for up to four months as the Pentagon reconsiders aspects of it.
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Medical Consortium Aims to Create Network of Virtual Critical Care Wards
The group seeks to support patients in need of critical care in hospitals and other ad-hoc locations using cloud-based communication technology.
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White House Plan to Reopen Economy Puts Onus on Governors
The guidance offers a three-phase approach to reopening businesses and schools that recommends states see a 14-day decline in Covid-19 infections before taking action.
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Protests Erupt at State Capitols Over Stay At Home Orders
In several states, protesters are fighting back against stay-at-home orders designed to slow the spread of coronavirus.
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Counties Say Virus Relief Fund is Shorting Them by Billions
The National Association of Counties is pushing to change federal guidelines for how the money will be distributed to states and larger-sized local governments.
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Small Business Owners With Criminal Records Could Be Banned from Coronavirus Aid
Criminal justice advocates say the policy is arbitrary and will hurt economic recovery.
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North Korea Has Hackers for Hire, Agencies Warn
State, Treasury, FBI join CISA in an alert noting the unexpected way the nation-state is using its cyber talent.
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Spike in Federal COVID-19 Spending Flattens as Total Nears $3B
A separate analysis shows some IT modernization efforts booming while others are put on hold during the pandemic.
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Pentagon IG Can’t Rule Out White House Influence on JEDI Cloud Contract
A 300-page IG investigation reveals multiple ethics violations and refusal by Defense Department General Counsel to let senior officials comment on communications with the White House.
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Need Help With Covid-19 Tech? This Nonprofit Connects Volunteers with Governments
The U.S. Digital Response, a new nonprofit, dispatches tech-sector volunteers to assist governments with coronavirus-related projects.
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Cities Take Lead on Coronavirus Response At Times, Leading to Friction With States
Debates over state and local authority could come into play going forward as government leaders decide on how to dial back restrictions and restart the economy.
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NIH, FDA and VA 3D-Printing Collaboration Turns to Ventilator Parts
So far, about a dozen designs for personal protective gear have gotten the OK for clinical use.
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Too Much Food at Farms, Too Little Food in the Stores
Faced with a supply chain disrupted by the coronavirus, agriculture departments and farm bureaus are striving to connect farmers with food banks and potential buyers.
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Tourist Towns Ban Short-Term Rentals to Prevent Virus Spread
Short-term rental listings have drawn ire from local officials for advertising homes as quarantine retreats.
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How Homeland Security’s Biosurveillance Arm Uses Tech To Track a Pandemic
The National Biosurveillance Integration Center began tracking what would become the novel coronavirus on Jan. 2.
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States Announce Regional Efforts to Restart the Economy
The moves came as President Trump declared he and the federal government have primacy over deciding when “to open up the states” amid the coronavirus crisis.
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