Police Are Using Surveillance Tech to Stalk Love Interests. Dystopia, Here We Come | Arwa Mahdawi
Flock, a U.S. tech firm supplying automated license‑plate readers (ALPRs), now operates more than 80,000 cameras nationwide, feeding real‑time vehicle location data to law‑enforcement agencies. Investigations by the ACLU and EFF reveal that default contracts let the company share this data with federal bodies, including ICE, and that officers can query the system without a warrant. At least 14 documented cases show police using Flock’s database to stalk current or former romantic partners, prompting criminal charges and job losses. Growing civil‑rights pressure has led dozens of towns to cancel Flock contracts, though the company continues to expand into drones and touts crime‑free city ambitions.
Housing Lotteries Frustrate Landlords, Tenants. Here’s How to Fix Them
New York City’s Housing Connect lottery processed roughly 6 million applications for about 10,000 below‑market units in 2024, creating a 600‑to‑1 applicant‑to‑unit ratio. Although the average approval wait fell by 34 days, it still averages 142 days, and three‑quarters of applicants...
Indian Railways Approves ₹895.30 Crore Projects to Upgrade Kolkata Metro Power Systems and Strengthen Bridge Infrastructure
Indian Railways approved ₹895.30 crore (≈ $108 million) of projects to modernise Kolkata Metro’s power system and rebuild a key freight bridge in eastern India. The metro upgrade allocates ₹671.72 crore (≈ $81 million) for seven new traction substations and a 33 kV power boost, enabling train...
Nagpur Civic Body Approves ₹7.65 Crore for EV Bus Depots, Charging Infrastructure
Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s transport committee approved a ₹7.65 crore (≈ $918,000) package to build 33 kV feeder bays and charging infrastructure at two major bus depots. The Wathoda depot will receive an ₹80.07 lakh (≈ $96,000) feeder bay, while Khapri depot’s project is set at...
AC Electric Double-Decker Bus Rolls Out in Maharashtra
Deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde inaugurated the first of ten AC electric double‑decker buses for Thane Municipal Transport, aiming to ease congestion on the busy Teen Haath Naka‑Gaimukh corridor. The 4.5‑metre‑tall buses can carry 65 seated and 33 standing passengers...
USPTO Launches AI-Powered Image Search for Trademarks
The United States Patent and Trademark Office launched a beta AI‑driven image‑search tool for trademarks in April 2026, now live for any USPTO.gov account holder. Users upload an image and receive visually similar marks from the federal register, mirroring a...
Thai Welfare Database Getting an Overhaul
Thailand’s National Statistical Office is launching a sweeping data‑cleansing effort to overhaul its welfare card database, which currently lists about 13.4 million recipients. The project aims to integrate records across the Finance, Interior and Social Development ministries and bring collection methods...
Singapore: AI to Strengthen Community-Based Ageing Support
Singapore has launched NANA, an AI‑powered voice assistant that conducts regular check‑in calls with seniors and alerts care staff to potential issues. The tool, developed by Lions Befrienders, can converse in local languages and generate concise summaries after each interaction....
With Fertilizer Pollution on the Rise, Iowa Will Invest $100 Million in Water Treatment
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds unveiled a $100 million, ten‑year water‑treatment plan aimed at curbing nitrate pollution that has pushed several public supplies above the EPA’s 10 mg/L limit. The package includes a one‑time $25 million boost for the Central Iowa nitrate‑removal facility serving...
GovCIO Media & Research Announces Finalists for the 2026 Federal Tech Leaders Summit Flywheel Awards
GovCIO Media & Research unveiled the finalists for its 2026 Federal Tech Leaders Summit Flywheel Awards, a program that honors senior federal IT officials for breakthrough work. The public voting window runs from May 1 through May 15, allowing the broader federal...
Driverless Cars Will Be Subject to Moving-Violation Tickets in California Soon
California’s Department of Motor Vehicles approved rules that will let police issue moving‑violation tickets to driverless cars, directing the citations to the manufacturers. The regulation, part of a 2024 autonomous‑vehicle bill, also imposes testing milestones of 50,000 miles for light‑duty...
FCC Grants 26 Rip and Replace Extensions
The Federal Communications Commission approved deadline extensions for 26 smaller telecom operators participating in its Rip and Replace program, which reimburses the removal of Huawei and ZTE gear. Extensions, ranging up to six months, were granted to address supply‑chain shortages,...
Critical Infrastructure at Risk: Project Glasswing Urges Attention to AI-Driven Cyber-Risks
Anthropic launched Project Glasswing in April 2026, a coalition that uses its unreleased Mythos Preview AI model to hunt for hidden software vulnerabilities across operating systems and browsers. The initiative aims to deploy frontier AI for defensive cybersecurity before malicious...
FCC Proposes to Streamline Broadband Data Collection
The FCC is set to vote on May 20 on a draft order that would overhaul the Broadband Data Collection (BDC) system used to build the National Broadband Map. The proposal trims redundant reporting, aligns definitions with Form 477, and introduces...
Pentagon Inks AI Procurement Deals with Seven Companies, Leaves Out Anthropic
The U.S. Defense Department announced AI procurement contracts with seven firms—Amazon Web Services, Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI, SpaceX and startup Reflection AI. The agreements make the vendors' products available through the internal GenAI.mil portal, which already serves over 1.3 million personnel....
Continuous Monitoring Center Helps Prevent 17 California Wildfires, Over 1,000 Outages
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) launched a Continuous Monitoring Center (CMC) in San Ramon to centralize data from millions of sensors and smart meters across its grid. The hub uses machine‑learning models to flag early‑stage faults, enabling crews to intervene before...
Defense Watch: DoD AI Deals, P-8 Upgrade, Drone and Counter-Drone News
The Pentagon announced a suite of AI agreements on May 1 with major cloud and AI firms—including SpaceX, OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, AWS, NVIDIA and Reflection—to embed advanced models into classified Impact Level 6 and 7 networks. Defense leaders also highlighted the fiscal 2027 request...
Miami-Dade Schools to Reinstall Controversial Bus Cameras
Miami-Dade Public Schools is restarting its school‑bus camera enforcement program on May 4 after a year‑long suspension caused by citation errors. The district will pay $225 per bus each month for the technology, while BusPatrol receives $65 for every $225 fine...
Education Groups Say New E-Rate Bidding Portal Will Hurt Small Districts Hardest
The FCC voted to adopt a new online bidding portal for the E‑rate program, which funds school internet connections, replacing the current self‑certification system. The change aims to boost transparency and curb fraud in the $3 billion annual program, with implementation...
Carr: FCC Open to Ideas on Tentative Rural Subsidy Inquiry
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced the agency will hold a vote in May on a tentative inquiry to modernize three rural broadband subsidies slated to sunset between 2026 and 2028. The inquiry targets roughly $1.6 billion of the High Cost program’s...
White House Questions Tech Industry on Defensive AI Use, Cybersecurity Resilience
The White House Office of the National Cyber Director sent an 11‑question probe to major U.S. tech firms, asking how they use AI to protect networks and prepare for AI‑driven cyber crises. The questions cover AI detection tools, model integration,...
Sacramento Schools Turn to Electric Buses Amid Spiking Fuel Costs
Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD) introduced seven electric buses this year, saving roughly 7,000 gallons of diesel fuel. The district aims to have electric buses make up 80% of its 105‑vehicle fleet within five years, a shift driven by...
US Imposes AI Skills Requirement on CyberCorps Pipeline
The Office of Personnel Management and the National Science Foundation have instantly revised the CyberCorps Scholarship for Service program to require applicants demonstrate competence at the intersection of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. New entrants must submit a plan outlining how...
Oklahoma City Launches Portal to Help Staff Field and Prioritize 911 Calls
Facing staffing shortages and rising call volumes, Oklahoma City Police Department unveiled a web‑based portal to streamline alarm‑triggered 911 calls. The ASAP Service solution, developed by APCO and The Monitoring Association, alerts dispatchers to fire, burglary or other alarms, allowing...
AI Agents Operating Continuously at Machine Speed Are Breaking Human-Centric IAM
New research commissioned by Ping Identity reveals that autonomous AI agents are being deployed faster than enterprises can govern them, exposing critical gaps in traditional identity and access management (IAM) systems. The report "From AI Agents to Trusted Digital Workers"...
Top Strategic Planning Software for Cities (2026) | ClearPoint Strategy Blog
ClearPoint Strategy is the only strategic‑planning platform purpose‑built for U.S. cities, topping a comparison of seven vendors based on six weighted criteria. The analysis draws on usage data from 7,776 government plans, revealing that 74% of metric owners never submit...
US Senator Pushes Action on Cable Sabotage
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Jim Risch announced a hearing to spur new actions against undersea cable sabotage, citing at least eight suspected incidents since 2022, primarily in the Baltic Sea. He urged public attribution of attacks and a coordinated...
Agencies Issue Guidance on Adopting Agentic AI Systems
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the National Security Agency (NSA), and a coalition of international partners have published new guidance on the safe adoption of agentic artificial intelligence systems, especially those built on large‑language models. The document outlines...
Non-Compliance with a Looming NERC Deadline Could Cost Clean Energy Owners and Operators, Big Time
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) has extended its reliability standards to small inverter‑based resources (IBRs) such as solar farms and wind turbines. Effective May 15 2026, any IBR with an aggregate capacity of 20 MVA (roughly 16‑20 MW) connected at 60 kV or...
CMS Launches Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule Reporting Module for Data Collection
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched a Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (CLFS) reporting module to collect private‑payor rate data. CMS provided a quick‑reference guide, an FAQ on the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) reporting, and...
Worried About How Online Firms Use Data They Get From You?
Harvard's Berkman Klein Center unveiled Keyring wallet, an open‑source, mobile‑first identity verification tool that keeps personal data on the user’s device instead of corporate servers. The wallet lets users disclose only the exact credential needed—such as age or employment proof—using...
Criticism Follows Inclusion of Madras Security Printers in Sri Lanka Digital ID Bids
Sri Lanka’s Unique Digital Identity (SL‑UDI) project has sparked controversy after Madras Security Printers (MSP) was added to the tender pool in March 2026 following an Indian court order. Civil society group People’s Struggle Alliance (PSA) and industry insiders argue...
Israel Said to Have Helped Defend Emirates in Iran War With Iron Dome
Israel deployed its Iron Dome missile‑defense system to the United Arab Emirates amid Iran's retaliatory missile attacks on Gulf states. Israeli soldiers operated the mobile batteries, providing the first instance of the system being sent to an Arab nation. The deployment...
Minnesota Passes Ban on Fake AI Nudes; App Makers Risk $500K Fines
Minnesota became the first U.S. state to ban AI‑nudification apps, allowing fines of up to $500,000 per non‑consensual fake nude. The law, passed unanimously by the Senate and pending Governor Tim Walz's signature, will take effect in August and permits...
Seattle Considers 365-Day Data Center Moratorium
Seattle city leaders are drafting emergency legislation to impose a 365‑day moratorium on new data center construction. The pause aims to assess the projected 369 MW demand—equivalent to powering roughly 300,000 homes—and its strain on the aging electric grid, water system,...
FCC Releases Tentative Agenda for May Open Meeting
The FCC announced a tentative agenda for its May 20 open meeting, highlighting four major initiatives. A third Report and Order will modernize the Disaster Information Reporting System to cut redundant paperwork for broadcasters during emergencies. The commission will also...
Platform Engineering Pushes Government to ‘Production as a Service’
The Marine Corps’ Operation StormBreaker showcases a platform‑engineering approach that abstracts infrastructure and security controls, letting developers concentrate on application code. By delivering infrastructure and compliance as a service, the program cuts the time needed for Risk Management Framework (RMF)...
Malaysia’s MyDigital ID Adds 29 Partners as Adoption Grows
Malaysia’s MyDigital ID has transitioned from a pilot to a national backbone, registering over 11 million citizens and powering more than 100 public and private applications. The platform recorded a peak of 142,000 new registrations in a single day while operating...
CMS Bets on Tech as US Healthcare Hits ‘Inflection Point’
CMS deputy administrator Chris Klomp told the Chamber of Commerce that the U.S. health system is at an inflection point and urged private‑sector innovators to bring commercial tech solutions to Medicare. He highlighted two new CMS initiatives: the ACCESS Model,...
Costa Rica's ICE Awards Ericsson $220m 5G Network Contract
Costa Rica’s state‑run Electricity Institute (ICE) has awarded Swedish telecom giant Ericsson a $220 million contract to build a nationwide 5G network. The deal includes a Stand‑Alone Open RAN architecture and a multi‑vendor approach, with Coasin‑Nokia providing base‑station equipment. ICE plans...
This Is the Public Sector AI Cheat Code
Jordan Morrow, a leading data‑literacy expert, will speak at Qlik’s 2026 Public Sector Summit in Washington, D.C., where he will cut through AI hype and outline a human‑centered roadmap for government agencies. He frames data literacy as essential for the...
DoD Strikes Deals with Major Tech Firms to Deploy AI on Classified Networks
The U.S. Department of Defense announced agreements with eight major technology firms—including SpaceX, OpenAI, Google, NVIDIA, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Reflection, and Oracle—to embed advanced artificial‑intelligence models into its Impact Level 6 and Impact Level 7 classified networks. The move expands the...
State DOTs Take On Big Challenges From A $2.3B Bridge To Wrong-Way Alerts
State transportation departments are tackling major projects and safety challenges. Louisiana has broken ground on a $2.3 billion I‑10 bridge replacement that will add lanes, improve a key energy corridor, and generate over 16,000 jobs. Pennsylvania is piloting a real‑time wrong‑way...
Virginia Governor Signs Rideshare Safety Bills Tightening Driver-Checks, In-App Protections
Governor Abigail Spanberger signed House Bills 1273 and 1469, tightening rideshare safety standards in Virginia. The measures require in‑app audio and video recording, continuous driver identity verification, and comprehensive background checks that cover a driver’s full history and all addresses...
An Open Letter Asking NHS England to Keep Its Code Open
An open letter signed by nine tech and health professionals urges NHS England to reverse its recent decision to hide the source code of all its repositories. The signatories argue that open‑source development enforces higher quality, proactive security, and resilience,...
Antiquated IRS IT Systems May Affect Taxpayers and Preparers
The IRS’s legacy IT infrastructure continues to cause outages, erroneous notices and delayed refunds, despite a $80 billion modernization push funded by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. High‑profile failures—including the 2018 e‑file blackout and 2021 CP59 notice error—highlight vulnerabilities in core...
The California Government Is Coming For Your E-Bikes
California lawmakers have introduced two bills targeting electric bicycles. AB 1942 would require certain e‑bikes to be registered with the DMV and display license plates, while AB 1557 seeks to lower the maximum speed for e‑bikes that children can operate....
FDP, Palantir and Global Counsel: Under Mandelson's Long Shadow
The NHS’s Federated Data Platform (FDP) was awarded to US data‑analytics firm Palantir in 2023. A letter highlights that Palantir hired Global Counsel, a lobbying firm co‑founded by former Labour minister Peter Mandelson, who was recently dismissed as the UK’s ambassador...
Germany Launches Program to Bring Open Source Maintainers Into Standards Bodies
Germany's Sovereign Tech Agency has launched the Sovereign Tech Standards network, a pilot that will bring ten open‑source maintainers into major standards bodies such as ISO, IETF and W3C. Participants will receive training, mentorship and financial compensation to help shape...
Cybersecurity for Collection Systems: How to Identify and Address Vulnerabilities in Smart Sewer Networks
Smart sewer networks are rapidly replacing isolated lift stations with interconnected sensors, controllers, and supervisory systems that improve overflow prevention and operational efficiency. Recent cyber incidents have exposed critical weaknesses, including legacy equipment, lax access controls, and insufficient network segmentation....