Minnesota

The state's central IT agency is rolling out Microsoft's Copilot Chat, aiming to boost employee productivity and streamline workflows while adhering to data protection and security standards.

The state measure would put fees in place, compelling data centers to pay for conservation. It would also require a 65 percent carbon-free energy supply, and public disclosure of their electricity use and water withdrawals.

Distracted driving is so pervasive in the Minneapolis area that law enforcement is turning to artificial intelligence cameras to spot motorists who are illegally using their phones while behind the wheel.

Plus, the Supreme Court is addressing the Universal Service Fund, Idaho is changing its Broadband Advisory Board structure, Boston funds digital literacy and more.

At least 15 public school districts and about 25 charter schools in Minnesota use the PowerSchool software that was breached in January, according to state records and an analysis by the Minnesota Star Tribune.

The Minnesota Department of Education created an online portal Thursday where people can report whether President Trump’s executive order to close the U.S. Department of Education affects local school communities.

Minnesota lawmakers are once again debating whether the state should lift a three-decade ban on new nuclear power plants in the state as a way to work toward a clean energy future.

Minnesota adopted new cyber tools and mandated that all public agencies must report incidents within 24-72 hours. Early data reveals a staggering 1,500 percent surge in reported malware incidents compared to last year.

The Willmar City Council voted 4-3 this week to move ahead with a $24.5 million broadband project that would see the construction of an open-access, city-owned fiber-optic network.

A bipartisan group of senators in the state Legislature is currently pushing for more restrictions on convincing computer-generated sexually explicit images of real people.

Minnesota lawmakers are under pressure to extend tax breaks for data centers as advocates say that the emerging industry is poised to grow explosively in the state.

The Hometown Food Security Project has launched an innovative mobile app designed to transform how the community addresses food insecurity.

Police there are preparing to use high-definition camera systems, license-plate tracking, software powered by artificial intelligence and a nationwide law enforcement surveillance network.

Minnesota’s governor wants to crack down on Medicaid fraud with the help of artificial intelligence. The idea comes at a time when much of the country is struggling to convict and recover money from Medicaid scammers.

Both the Rochester Police Department and Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office this week announced plans to begin moving communications traditionally heard over scanners to more private channels.

The bill would require some data centers to be constructed in industrial districts, a contrast to current zoning that allows for the centers to be built in mixed-use commercial industrial areas.

Minnesotans can look up any officer’s current employer on the Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training’s website, but starting this week, they’ll be able to research officers' past employment too.

State and local officials as well as electric utilities are grappling with how to manage explosive data center growth while keeping the lights on and complying with laws for a transition to clean power.