Claiming national security concerns, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has banned the popular social media platform TikTok on state-owned devices.

Georgia’s Albany State University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), has received nearly $3 million in funding from the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

The Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) has published its 2022 Biennial Performance Report that tracks state agencies’ technology progress in fiscal years 2021 and 2022, and set forth tech goals for the next five years.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a Nov. 16 report that Federal agencies need to up their ransomware assistance for state, local, Tribal, and territorial (SLTT) government organizations – including schools – by improving interagency collaboration, awareness, outreach, communication, and coordination with schools.

New York state is expanding its digital kiosk footprint to better connect military veterans to needed resources. In a press release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office said the state is targeting transit hubs for the new kiosks.

The city of Charlotte, N.C., has launched the TravelSafely App, intended to improve safety for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists by connecting users to an electronic network of intersection and crosswalk data.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded $4.5 million in collaborative grants to three colleges and universities in Montana – Salish Kootenai, University of Montana, and Montana Technological University – to support Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) scholarships.  

A bipartisan bill aimed at creating a pilot program within the Department of Education to strengthen cybersecurity education has been reintroduced in the House of Representatives.

Ken Pfeil, who became chief data officer (CDO) for the Commonwealth of Virginia in April, says that the most difficult aspect of his new job with the state is also proving to be the most surprising.

A new initiative – Upskill Together – is aiming to help universities and employers expand access to “high-demand, industry-recognized technology credentials” both for corporate and educational partners, and with scholarships for groups that are underrepresented in the tech sector.