Federal Government

The federal money, which the county received as a result of American Rescue Plan Act, will be used as matching funds to support broadband expansion projects in Eau Claire County, Wis., towns.

The possibility of new funding and potential expansion opportunities has high-speed rail advocates watching the activity in Washington, D.C. If new infrastructure is funded, it could jumpstart a new era of rail travel.

U.S. federal agencies are following up on a cyber attack against the Republican Party. The GOP has said that the hackers did not access any data, and details about who is responsible are murky.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology broke with tradition to define critical software based on what it does, not how it’s used by agencies. The vendor community should take notes.

California filed a lawsuit against Google along with dozens of other states alleging the company is violating state and federal antitrust laws by monopolizing the smartphone app market with its Google Play app store.

A previously unknown flaw in IT management code was exploited to push ransomware around the world to servers that used the software and were connected to the Internet, according to researchers.

A U.S. House hearing last week heard testimony from experts who underlined the disconnect between federal, state and local IT as well as how leadership can stall efforts to improve digital user experience and cybersecurity.

Effective June 30, big phone providers nationwide — such as AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Comcast — must use caller ID verification technology to confirm that calls are really being made from the number being displayed.

The Biden administration’s proposals to increase funding for physical assets like roads are essential, but should not overshadow the need for digital infrastructure to maximize technology, equity and transparency.

Detroit CIO Beth Niblock is headed to Washington, D.C., to serve as CIO for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Her successor will be Art Thompson, the city’s public safety IT and cyber security director.

Rail travel has been a particular point of discussion in the state in recent months, with some calling for a new high-speed rail network to connect New York and New England and drastically reduce travel time in the region.

Two lawmakers have drafted bipartisan legislation that would create a federal research agency dedicated for researching cures and treatments for cancer as well as for other difficult diseases.

President Joe Biden and a group of 10 senators — five Democrats and five Republicans — settled on the details of a nearly $1 trillion infrastructure deal. But it remains to be seen whether the plan will survive Congress.

In an 8-7 decision, a federal appeals court rejected any possibility of Baltimore, Md., restarting its aerial surveillance program, which began years ago and collected about 6.7 million images.

Plus, Chicago expands its education-focused digital equity program; Louisiana invests $180 million in expanding broadband infrastructure for underserved communities; and Boston launches a neighborhood database search.

To compete globally and optimize our nation’s productivity, America needs to invest quickly in its digital future by spending the money needed for public access to — and technical leadership in — the digital world.

Federal officials working to define standards and tackle unanswered questions around software supply chain security have their work cut out for them, said speakers during an R Street Institute panel.

Congress was recently introduced to a new broadband map from the White House. The map highlights areas in red if they have slow or no Internet. Experts say affordability is as much of an issue as infrastructure.