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New York Launches Empire AI Consortium
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced an agreement with the state legislature to establish Empire AI – a consortium that the governor’s office said will secure New York’s place at the forefront of artificial intelligence (AI) research. The agreement comes as part of the state’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget.
Recent News
  1. N.C. Touts 911 Modernization Success
    The North Carolina 911 Board has completed a lengthy modernization process intended to improve emergency services statewide.
  2. fraud PRAC: Legacy IT Systems Overarching Problem in Pandemic UI Fraud
    The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) published a new report stating that legacy IT systems at the Department of Labor (DoL) and state and local governments are an overarching issue within the DoL’s unemployment insurance (UI) program.
  3. California IT: Legacy of Failure and a Call for Reform
    The book, Technology vs. Government: The Irresistible Force Meets the Immovable Object, was written and edited by Lloyd Levine, and co-published with contributions from eight other chapter authors including myself. Levine is a former member of the California State Legislature, and Senior Policy Fellow at the University of California. Levine’s tome is being called both a solid guidepost and a stark warning for government policy and administrative leaders at all levels of the public sector – especially for those leaders and their private sector IT vendor partners who have faced the wrath of public reprobation for their too-frequent shortcomings.
  1. Delaware Rolls out Improved State Housing Authority Website
    The Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA) announced the launch of an improved and more user-friendly website. State leaders said the new website was designed with the public and partners in mind, providing them easy access to services, resources, and information.
  2. CoSN, STEDA Release Free Procurement Tools
    The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) and the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) have released the K-12 Community Vendor Assessment Tool Lite-V4.1 (K-12CVAT), a questionnaire framework specifically designed for K-12 schools, districts, and education service districts to measure vendor risk.
  3. Tech Hubs Program Requests $2 Billion in Phase 2 Proposals
    The Department of Commerce’s (DoC) Economic Development Administration (EDA) made public today the details of the 31 technology hubs’ proposals for the second phase of the new Tech Hubs program – revealing a collective request of $2 billion in funding for a total of 182 projects.
  4. Task Force Urges BU ‘Critically Embrace’ AI Tech
    Boston University (BU) recently released its AI Task Force Report, which includes a push for the university to “critically embrace” artificial intelligence (AI) technologies across campus.
  1. Montana Using Tech to Offer Personalized Professional Development Plans for Teachers
    The Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) is partnering with ImpactED, a global technology firm, to develop personalized professional development plans for K-8 teachers.
  2. Kansas Investing $8M in Digital Opportunities
    Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced that the state’s Digital Equity (DE) Plan has been approved by the Federal government, clearing the way for the state to receive $8.2 million in Federal funding to improve high-speed internet connectivity and increase digital opportunities across the state.
  3. Maryland Launches Website for Bridge Collapse Response
    Following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore last month, the state of Maryland began what is sure to be a lengthy recovery process. To help aid in that process, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has launched a new website that will serve as a central hub for Marylanders in search of Federal, state, and local resources and programs related to the bridge collapse.
  4. N.Y. Overhauling Outdated DMV Tech to Improve CX
    The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is preparing to undertake a multi-year project to replace and modernize its outdated technology systems. The DMV said the project will provide its customers with more efficient, secure, and convenient services, and will enable the agency to implement future technology advancements more efficiently.
  5. DoJ: SLGs Must Ensure Web and Mobile App Access for People with Disabilities
  6. CISA, FBI, ODNI Issue Guidance on Securing Election Infrastructure
    The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), FBI, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) issued guidance on Wednesday that details how to protect election infrastructure from foreign malign influence operations.
  7. Philadelphia Mayor Names New CIO
    Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker has tapped Melissa Scott to become the city’s new chief information officer (CIO). Scott will also lead the city’s Office of Innovation and Technology.
  8. Lawmakers Debut Water Systems Cybersecurity Bill
    Following fresh warnings from the Federal government that foreign hackers are targeting U.S. water systems for possible cyberattacks, two House members this week introduced legislation that would focus greater government attention on that threat.
  9. Vanderbilt Cyber Chief Elevated to CIO
    Vanderbilt University has looked in-house for its next chief information officer (CIO) and has tapped Shane Callahan for the role.
  10. Civil Rights, Education Orgs Push for School AI Surveillance Curbs
    The No Tech Criminalization in Education Coalition (NOTICE) and more than 40 other civil rights and education organizations sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Education (ED) last month calling for a ban on Federal funding for school surveillance systems that rely on algorithms and other artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled technology for predictive policing and other harmful practices.