Policy

The Michigan Senate gave approval Tuesday to a bill that would ban the use on state-issued phones of text messaging encryption apps that can be used to evade the Michigan Freedom of Information Act.

While designed to help colleges and universities boost revenue and enrollment, algorithms that decide how to apportion financial aid could be unfairly filtering out applicants and reducing the amount of available aid.

During a visit from U.S. Rep. Sean Casten and FAA administrator Rebecca MacPherson, Harper College students and professors showed off the school's drone program and discussed the industry's rising importance.

The Privacy Principles for Mobility Data include seven guiding ideas for the public and private sectors as micromobility options like bikes and scooters become more ubiquitous across U.S. cities.

Massachusetts’ fifth annual Cybersecurity Forum focused on three of the biggest cyber topics today: fighting ransomware, expanding the cybersecurity workforce and anticipating a U.S. central bank digital currency.

If approved by voters, at least 70 percent of all taxes collected would be used to promote tourism in the Charleston area. The remaining funds would be used for code enforcement, waste removal and administrative fees.

With state officials pushing for 70 percent of the state's energy to come from renewable energy sources by 2030, utilities are scrambling to meet the goal. The overall target is to reduce carbon-based emissions by 40 percent.

Residents and officials in Dewey Beach, Del., pushed back on the placement of 5G poles that they say blocked beach views. Now, a new ordinance is being developed to better manage the wireless infrastructure.  

Officials in Harlingen, Texas, want to use $4 million to give all homes in the city basic access to the Internet. Officials note that the investment won't provide broadband-level speed.

Texas Republicans have largely welcomed the blockchain technology industry with open arms. But skeptics are concerned about cryptocurrency mining’s impact on the environment and energy grid.

Plus, the USDA plans to make $1.15 billion available to efforts that aim to bolster rural access to high-speed Internet; Montana makes a move to create its own statewide broadband map; and more.

The bill, which passed the Ohio Senate earlier this year, passed the Ohio House Criminal Justice Committee yesterday. The legislation would make telecommunications fraud a fourth-degree felony.

Monte del Sol Charter School in New Mexico used federal distance-learning grants to build structures and pathways to accommodate classes outdoors, for example to teach students about gardening.

After receiving its part of an $8.6 million settlement from a pollution lawsuit, Woodruff Career and Technical Center in Bartonville installed 545 solar panels on its roof that will be part of a renewable energy class.

The Employment Development Department received massive scrutiny from California lawmakers yesterday. The agency, which manages the unemployment insurance system, has been slow to fix its many problems.

Microsoft suspects that Nobelium, the group of state-sponsored Russian cyber criminals responsible for the SolarWinds fiasco, is taking aim at suppliers and resellers of tech products, including cloud-based solutions.

Some of the unemployment system’s challenges include processing large numbers of claims, protecting people’s personal information and state lawmakers not knowing the extent of the system’s operational problems.

The U.S. Treasury Department has estimated the first six months of 2021 saw a total of $590 million connected to ransomware. In 2020, the number for the entire year was only $410 million.