Pro-Iran hackers appear to ramp up critical infrastructure cyberattacks A group sympathetic to the regime claimed responsibility for a hack on the Los Angeles Metro, while the federal government is warning of ongoing vulnerabilities in some systems.

Pro-Iran hackers took credit for a cyberattack on the Los Angeles Metro last month. Experts said they aren't convinced by the group's claims, but more may follow. www.route-fifty.com/cybersecurit...

Data centers hit the ballot this year Residents in a Wisconsin city already passed a measure to restrict their development, while others may follow, including a statewide effort in Ohio.

Voters in Ohio could be among those to vote on data centers this November as ballot initiatives pick up steam. www.route-fifty.com/artificial-i...

How public records requests could help ‘fight AI with AI’ Agencies are burdened with growing numbers of requests and more records to manage and parse through. Emerging technology offers a way forward for beleaguered staff.

An interesting conversation last week at ICMA's Local Government Reimagined Conference in Orlando was around how AI *could* help with public records requests and FOIA. There's a long road ahead though. www.route-fifty.com/artificial-i...

State privacy officers persist despite limited resources, report finds The National Association of State Chief Information Officers found the role exists in more than 30 states and plays a crucial role, but it too often lacks funding or clear authority.

A recent NASCIO report found that more states have a chief privacy officer, but it still lacks proper funding, staffing and authority. www.route-fifty.com/people/2026/...

Interesting stuff in Utah, where they're using tech and AI to better forecast avalanches and get the word out. www.route-fifty.com/artificial-i...

Two surveys - one national and one in California - show the growth of AI in higher education and the uncertainty still ahead. www.route-fifty.com/artificial-i...

Feds sue three states over prediction markets regulations The Commodity Futures Trading Commission sued Arizona, Connecticut and Illinois for cracking down on the likes of Kalshi, Polymarket and others.

The federal agency that regulates prediction markets is suing three states - Arizona, Connecticut and Illinois - that are seeking to crack down on them. www.route-fifty.com/digital-gove...

Inside the government website accessibility lobbying push The proposed rule is under review and could be delayed or scrapped. Meanwhile, government leaders and disability advocates are meeting the feds ahead of the April deadline.

The deadline for government website accessibility is fast approaching, and a furious lobbying effort is underway to shape it. www.route-fifty.com/digital-gove...

Experts call for proactive, tech-driven approach to fraud prevention State programs have been under federal scrutiny in recent times, and leaders said this moment must be a time for looking ahead and learning for the future, rather than recriminations.

Fraud has been in the news a lot lately as the federal government comes down on various states. Experts said a tech-driven, more proactive approach is needed. www.route-fifty.com/digital-gove...

New Jersey county modernizes ‘broken’ benefits process Union County is moving towards a common application and using technology to help it reduce a customer service backlog and take the pressure off staff.

Salesforce's Agentforce World Tour came into town last week, and I met with the folks from Union County, New Jersey, who are reforming a "broken" benefits process. www.route-fifty.com/customer-exp...

Former FEMA administrator reflects on tumultuous time for ‘people-first’ agency Deanne Criswell, who led the agency under former President Joe Biden, said critics who want to shift responsibility to states and localities use a “lazy way” to characterize its mission.

I recently sat down with former FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell to discuss the agency's future, conspiracy theories and why its "people-first" approach is still effective. www.route-fifty.com/people/2026/...

Maryland’s data lead reflects on ongoing ‘culture shift’ Natalie Evans Harris, the state’s chief data officer, said that, while sharing data can be difficult, centralizing it where possible can help agencies work together and make more holistic decisions.

At last week's Elastic Public Sector Summit, Maryland's chief data officer reflected on a "culture shift" that's going on within state government on the use of data. www.route-fifty.com/digital-gove...

New ‘quirks’ could make states’ privacy laws impossible to follow, experts worry Speakers during a recent webinar repeated their calls for Congress to pass a national standard, and warned that new approaches in several states could complicate matters further.

State privacy laws might evolve even more, experts said during a recent webinar, so a federal policy needs to be enacted soon. www.route-fifty.com/digital-gove...

City leaders predict ‘real bad trouble’ if FirstNet isn’t reauthorized The reauthorization push ahead of the February deadline arrived at a National League of Cities conference this week as the effort moves through Congress.

At the National League of Cities' Congressional City Conference this week, leaders warned of "real bad trouble" if FirstNet isn't reauthorized. www.route-fifty.com/digital-gove...

Governments’ website accessibility deadline is fast approaching It’s still unclear how the federal government will enforce the rule for larger jurisdictions under the Americans with Disabilities Act, while small jurisdictions have another year to comply.

In just over a month, government websites must be in compliance with a final rule under the ADA, but they're unsure how the federal government will enforce it, if at all. www.route-fifty.com/digital-gove...

New Texas Cyber Command looks to ‘bind the state together’ The command went live in September, and must build an information-sharing and analysis center, a threat intelligence center, a digital forensics lab and an incident response unit.

The new Texas Cyber Command has a ton of work to do, its director said last week during the Billington SLG Summit. And he said it'll "bind the state together" on cybersecurity. www.route-fifty.com/cybersecurit...

Experts warn of coming ‘reprioritization’ for cyber funding A popular federal grant program looks unlikely to be replenished, they said, so states must start thinking differently about how they want to fund their cybersecurity efforts.

More from Billington, where state leaders are concerned about cyber funding and see "reprioritization" ahead. www.route-fifty.com/cybersecurit...

Feds pledge beefed up information-sharing amid new cyber strategy Administration officials also promised a stronger focus on protecting critical infrastructure and bolstering the cyber workforce during a series of talks at a summit this week.

First of several from this week's Billington SLG Cyber Summit. We heard from several federal cyber officials this week who pledged better information-sharing, critical infrastructure protections and workforce development. www.route-fifty.com/cybersecurit...

‘Unmet needs’ persist in Tribal broadband despite progress, report finds The $3 billion set aside for Tribal connectivity is unprecedented, the Urban Institute found, but communities face familiar challenges if they are to truly take advantage.

Progress, but still lots of "unmet needs" in Tribal broadband, according to a recent Urban Institute report. www.route-fifty.com/digital-gove...

AI risks creating a ‘demand machine' for governments, report warns Instead of making public-sector employees' lives easier, the tech could create even more work, unless leaders rethink agency processes and workflows, researchers at New America said.

@routefifty.bsky.social's @christeale.bsky.social covered RethinkAI's piece on how #AI will increase demand for government services before it increases efficiency. www.route-fifty.com/artificial-intelligence/...

Iran-linked hacktivists could target governments, experts warn State and local governments and some crucial technology infrastructure are among the key retaliatory targets as hostilities escalate in the Middle East.

State and local governments could be targets for Iran-linked hacktivists in retaliatory strikes, experts warned yesterday. www.route-fifty.com/cybersecurit...

AI could be ‘force multiplier’ in tackling housing crisis, expert says Cities across the country are using the technology to ease permitting approvals and backlogs, and one leader called on them to lean in further and set ambitious but achievable goals.

Housing affordability is a massive issue, and one leader said AI can be a "force multiplier" in helping ease it, including by speeding up permitting approvals and backlogs. www.route-fifty.com/artificial-i...

Leaders sound the alarm for physical and cyber attacks ahead of summer World Cup A lack of federal grant funding and information sharing could hamper preparations, they said, and leave cities vulnerable to physical or cyberattacks when games get underway.

Concerns are growing about the U.S.'s readiness for the World Cup in a few months amid frozen grant funding and a lack of information sharing capabilities. www.route-fifty.com/cybersecurit...

New York counties to roll out AI assessment tool The new dashboard will help county tech and procurement leaders analyze and evaluate various products available on the market as they try to adopt them responsibly.

New York counties soon will have access to a dashboard that will allow them to evaluate AI tools and see what their peers think. www.route-fifty.com/artificial-i...

Localities bemoan apparent ‘race to the bottom’ on data centers Attendees at the National Association of Counties said tech companies are not being good partners, but research and recent deals suggest a new way of doing business for local governments.

More from NACo's meeting this week, this time on data centers and what some have termed a "race to the bottom" to attract them. www.route-fifty.com/artificial-i...

‘It’s not over’: Cyber info-sharing center begins ‘next chapters’ after losing federal funding The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center now has 24 states and 3,000 individual organizations as dues-paying members after losing federal funding, a leader said.

The first of a few from the National Association of Counties' Legislative Conference in D.C. This first one on the future of the MS-ISAC and cybersecurity information sharing. www.route-fifty.com/cybersecurit...

FCC could tighten federal Lifeline program rules The agency is advancing new eligibility requirements in the face of what it says is massive fraud across several states in the $1 billion-a-year internet and phone low-income assistance program.

The federal Lifeline program could be subject to tighter rules under a plan advanced by the FCC. www.route-fifty.com/digital-gove...

Feds want to stop states regulating, blocking prediction markets The online marketplaces have exploded in popularity, but while state leaders say they are like sports betting, regulators argue they are instead subject to federal oversight and threatened legal actio...

First we had sports betting, and now we have prediction markets, which look to be another flashpoint between the federal government and the states. www.route-fifty.com/digital-gove...

Age verification laws face mixed prospects, experts say A Supreme Court decision last year on a Texas law may have opened the door for similar rules. But speakers at State of the Net warned they face a long road fraught with challenges.

Age verification is never not in the news, especially state laws restricting minors' access to social media. But it faces a tricky path ahead. www.route-fifty.com/digital-gove...

How Oklahoma has embraced ‘accountable innovation’ The Sooner State has run hard towards AI in its bid for government efficiency, but one of its tech leaders said during a recent conference that transparency and training are critical.

Oklahoma is looking to practice "accountable innovation" as it embraces AI. www.route-fifty.com/artificial-i...