Route Fifty
Cities Struggle With Housing Pressures As Pandemic Wanes
Local officials are highlighting affordable housing as a leading concern, according to a new National League of Cities report. “The median price for a single family unit is over $700,000, which is a 30% increase in less than a year," says one mayor.
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As the Pandemic Subsides, Traffic is Creeping Back
A report from StreetLight Data found the average daily number of vehicle miles traveled was down 15% overall in 2020 but as of March has started to return to normal levels.
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Joint DOD-VA Medical Center Will Be Major Test for Electronic Health Record Interoperability
Officials said they are preparing to deploy the new records system at “the most integrated facility” in the Defense and Veterans Affairs health care networks.
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$5.6B in Earmarks Included in Transportation Bill
The 1,473 local projects funded in the bill range from a transportation center adjacent to the San Diego airport to a paved bike lane in New Jersey.
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Where’s the DOD IT Budget Breakdown?
The previous two administrations released separate DOD IT budget documentation going back to at least 2013, but the Biden administration has not yet done the same.
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Senate Puts China in Crosshairs With Passage of Innovation and Competition Act
The legislation is long and its details remain murky—but here’s what we know.
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DHS Faces Rising Costs as Planned Biometrics Cloud Gets Pushed Back
Three years behind schedule, the move from legacy IDENT to the new Amazon-hosted HART system is now slated for the end of 2021.
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NSF, Tech Companies Partner to Create Post-5G Wireless Systems
They intend to promote the development of resilient and intelligent next-gen networks.
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VA to Wrap Health Records Review ‘In a Few Weeks,’ Secretary Says
Denis McDonough told lawmakers the agency would change the management and oversight of the multibillion-dollar modernization program.
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Democrats’ Elections Bill in Peril with Key Senator’s Opposition
Sen. Joe Manchin said he would not support the For the People Act, which would create national voting standards, making it difficult for supporters to propel the legislation forward.
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VA Wants an Electronic Records System for HR, Too
The Electronic Human Resources Information Services program looks to combine 13 systems into a single digital record for employees.
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House Democrats Introduce $547B Highway, Transit Bill Amid Infrastructure Talks
Democrats’ proposal comes as President Biden continues to discuss infrastructure needs with Republican lawmakers.
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Lawmakers Want IGs to Include Telework Vulnerabilities in Upcoming FISMA Audits
House Oversight Committee leaders want to know what vulnerabilities remote-access software introduced and whether agencies mitigated them.
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State and Local Employment Remains Stubbornly Down
There's been some improvement in recent months, but there are still about 1.2 million fewer state and local public sector jobs compared to pre-pandemic levels. Most losses are in education.
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Deputy Defense Secretary Outlines Responsible AI Tenets in New Memo
Kathleen Hicks also designated the JAIC director to lead a working council charged with writing a responsible AI strategy.
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Report: Nearly Half of Popular Federal Websites Fail Accessibility Tests
The report follows legislation and policy efforts undertaken by the government to improve accessibility efforts.
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IG: CISA-Run Monitoring Program Has Not Improved DHS’ Cybersecurity Posture
The department’s inspector general also found vulnerabilities in the department’s technology due to poorly defined patch management roles and configuration settings.
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Cities and States Scramble to Get Aid to Renters as Federal Eviction Ban Nears Its End
Some states and localities are extending their eviction moratoriums as they try to distribute billions in federal rental assistance. When to let the bans lapse is a pressing question.
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Bipartisan Bill Would Elevate Federal Customer Experience
The legislation would also create a chief customer experience officer for the federal government.
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