When considering how to spend the billions in federal funding still available to them, state and local governments should invest in solutions that will drive long-term benefits.

Many years have passed since the Internet first became part of how government serves the people. There have been setbacks along the way, but digital government continues to deliver on its promise.

Plus, DARPA tests an augmented reality training system with cooking tutorials, the nation's second lithium mine gets the green light, and the Department of the Interior needs better password management.

Designed by researchers at Harvard, air-filled robotic grippers that gently grasp objects could enable further study of fragile ecosystems like coral reefs.