New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (pictured) was one of the first notable politicians to embrace the iPad technology, and Hawaii Rep. Charles Djou became the first member of Congress to use an iPad during a floor speech. Government Technology
Taser Cases Before Judges
Judges on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will decide whether to revive the lawsuit of a pregnant Seattle woman who three Seattle police officers shot with a Taser after she refused to sign a traffic ticket. The majority found the officers were justified in using their Tasers, set in stun mode, to zap the seven-months pregnant woman three times when she resisted their efforts to pull her from her car after a traffic stop in 2004. In her dissent, Judge Marsha Berzon called their opinion "off the wall." Courthouse News Service
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New York Schools Get Google Apps
Local Government Agencies Honored for Programming
The National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA) honored the winners of the 25th Annual Government Programming Awards (GPA) during a gala event last week in Washington, D.C. The awards program honors excellence in broadcast, cable, multimedia and electronic programming produced by local government agencies. NATOA
Clown Elected to Congress
Tiririca -- his real name is Francisco Oliveira Silva -- was elected as a federal deputy for Sao Paulo, Brazil with more than 1.3 million votes. Tiririca, or "Grumpy," had slogans such as: "It can't get any worse." His election is being challenged, since it is alleged he can't read or write. BBC
Software Claims to Help Drive, Text
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Deputy who Crashed Prisoner Van Accused of Texting
199 L.A. County Workers Made at Least $250,000 Last Year
Nearly 200 Los Angeles County employees earned more than a quarter of a million dollars in 2009, according to a list of the county's top earners released late Monday in response to a Public Records Act request from The Times. The highest earners list was dominated by physicians and other medical personnel, but also included county firefighters and a handful of top sheriff's employees. Some of the best-known names on the list belong to elected officials. Los Angeles Times
Hackers Break into Town Funds
Computer hackers managed to steal $600,000 from Brigantine, N.J.'s bank account, and $200,000 still hasn't been recovered, according to officials. Philadelphia Inquirer
Firefighters Won't Rush to All Calls
In 2009, there were 148 accidents involving fire trucks that were responding to calls for things like water and gas leaks, toppled trees, foul odors, false alarms and faulty sprinkler system activations. Now, in a three-month pilot, The Queens, N.Y., Fire Department will slow firefighters’ responses to certain calls by having them turn off their lights and sirens and follow the usual traffic rules. New York Times
Police Invite Crime Tips via Web and Text
Dallas police are calling on residents to keep a closer eye on their neighborhoods and to send potential criminal tips, photos and eventually video anonymously via a new website, text messages and iPhone and BlackBerry applications they are rolling out this week. It's all part of iWatchDallas.net, which officially launches today, a program modeled after a similar one begun last year in Los Angeles. Police say it is a key piece of their vision for the 21st-century version of crime watch programs. Dallas Morning News
Are Digital Copiers Targets for E-Discovery?
In April 2010, CBS News purchased four used copiers. According to a reporter, the copier hard disk drives were removed and "[scanned] using forensic software ... available free on the Internet," and images of documents which had been copied or scanned were found stored on the hard drives. In one instance the reporter claims "tens of thousands of documents" were found on one copier while 300 documents were found on another. Law.com
Firm to Take Over City Service
Jackson, Miss., is close to handing its wastewater servicing over to a New Jersey company, a transition that will end two years of debate over one of the city's largest service contracts. City officials say they cannot say what the move will cost taxpayers. Clarion Ledger
