Axios: Coronavirus testing czar: Lockdowns in hotspots “should be on the table”. “The Trump administration’s coronavirus testing coordinator Adm. Brett Giroir said on ABC’s ‘This Week’ that ‘everything’ — including the ‘stringent lockdowns’ that many governors implemented in March and April — should be ‘on the table’ in states where new infections are skyrocketing.”
local government
Route Fifty: Local Rollout of Contact Tracing Apps Can Help Combat Skepticism, Experts Say
Route Fifty: Local Rollout of Contact Tracing Apps Can Help Combat Skepticism, Experts Say. “Because it may prove difficult to convince large segments of the general population to use the apps, technology and public health experts said it may be more effective for local governments or universities to target the apps specifically to their communities to achieve a higher density of app usage.”
WSB-TV: Mayor rolls back Atlanta’s reopening plan from Phase 2 to Phase 1
WSB-TV: Mayor rolls back Atlanta’s reopening plan from Phase 2 to Phase 1. “Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has rolled back the city’s reopening plans from Phase 2 back to Phase 1 effective immediately as coronavirus cases surge, she announced Friday night. In Phase 1, residents are asked to stay home except for essential trips and restaurants and business are asked to only serve to-go and curbside orders.”
CNET: Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey pledges $3M to guaranteed income programs
CNET: Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey pledges $3M to guaranteed income programs. “Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey on Thursday promised to donate $3 million to a collation of mayors advocating for a federal guaranteed income. Dorsey’s donation will help a network of mayors in 15 cities battle the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic.”
Daily Beast: Georgia Cities in Open Revolt Against Governor Over Masks
Daily Beast: Georgia Cities in Open Revolt Against Governor Over Masks. “When Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced she would sign a mask-wearing mandate Wednesday, she wasn’t just protecting her citizens—she was adding fire to a growing revolt over Gov. Brian Kemp’s refusal to require face coverings in Georgia.”
Los Angeles Times: L.A. lawmaker tests positive for COVID-19, forcing delay of Assembly legislative session
Los Angeles Times: L.A. lawmaker tests positive for COVID-19, forcing delay of Assembly legislative session. “California’s Assembly leader said Monday he will be delaying legislative hearings after a Los Angeles lawmaker tested positive for the coronavirus, forcing the state Capitol to close so it could be disinfected. The announcements came after Assemblywoman Autumn Burke (D-Marina Del Rey) and four others who work in the building tested positive for the coronavirus, which likely spread as staffers and legislators met to pass the state budget in late June.”
Techdirt: Boston The Latest City To Ban Facial Recognition Use By Government Agencies
Techdirt: Boston The Latest City To Ban Facial Recognition Use By Government Agencies. “San Francisco led the way. Then the entire state of California followed suit. And on the other side of the country, a few smaller cities in Massachusetts did the same thing: banned facial recognition. It just makes sense. The tech that’s out there is as dangerous as it is unproven. Mostly known for its false positive rates, facial recognition software has shown it’s capable of amplifying existing biases into actionable ‘intel’ with the power to severely disrupt people’s lives.”
Route Fifty: Know a Teen who Needs a Summer Job? Covid-19 Response is Hiring.
Route Fifty: Know a Teen who Needs a Summer Job? Covid-19 Response is Hiring.. “State and local officials are attracting new recruits in the fight against Covid-19: teenagers and young adults. A handful of counties, cities and states across the country have announced plans to expand or revamp existing youth employment programs to include opportunities to assist in government-led coronavirus response initiatives.”
Wisconsin Budget Project: New online database shows law enforcement spending in individual communities (WisBusiness) (PRESS RELEASE)
WisBusiness: Wisconsin Budget Project: New online database shows law enforcement spending in individual communities (PRESS RELEASE). “Local governments in Wisconsin — including cities, villages, towns, and counties — spend more than $2 billion a year on law enforcement and related costs like jails. Black community leaders have called on policymakers to put that money to better use, shifting resources away from law enforcement and towards mental health services, housing, job assistance, and other services that strengthen communities. Now, a new online database from the Wisconsin Budget Project allows residents to look up spending on law enforcement and related costs for Wisconsin’s largest 100 cities and all 72 counties, and see how that amount compares to public spending for other other purposes.”
Route Fifty: For July Fourth, Many Cities Go Virtual or Cancel Fireworks Displays
Route Fifty: For July Fourth, Many Cities Go Virtual or Cancel Fireworks Displays. “From virtual parades to unannounced fireworks shows, the Fourth of July will look different this year. To prevent large gatherings and tamp down on the spread of coronavirus infections, many cities are canceling or curtailing traditional Independence Day celebrations.”
NBC News: Florida counties fight coronavirus surge by closing beaches, mailing out masks
NBC News: Florida counties fight coronavirus surge by closing beaches, mailing out masks. “Amid rising numbers of coronavirus cases in Florida, all beaches in Miami-Dade County will be closed for the July 4 weekend, the county’s top executive said Friday. Beaches and parks will also be off-limits for public viewing of fireworks, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez said in a statement.”
Slate: States Are Focused on Reopening. But What About Reclosing?
Slate: States Are Focused on Reopening. But What About Reclosing?. “…after talking with experts and reviewing several areas’ reopening documents, I’ve learned that it appears there are no specific criteria in place for what would—or should—trigger a selective or mass shutdown. And even worse, local, regional, and state governments seem unwilling to broach the topic with citizens, despite experts’ predictions that the virus will ebb and flow for the next several months.”
Newswise: The Center for American Women and Politics Launches Public Database of Women Elected Officials
Newswise: The Center for American Women and Politics Launches Public Database of Women Elected Officials. “The Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, is proud to announce the launch of the online CAWP Women Elected Officials Database, a first-of-its-kind tool for exploring and analyzing women’s current and historical representation in the U.S. political system. The CAWP Women Elected Officials Database includes every woman officeholder in U.S. history at the federal, statewide elected executive, and state legislative levels. This tool expands on the officeholder database that CAWP has long kept and shared with researchers, and, crucially, transforms it into a searchable, online format for public access.”
Cities Today: How cities are using data to plan for COVID-19
Cities Today: How cities are using data to plan for COVID-19. “Cities have long talked about making data-driven decisions and the coronavirus crisis has brought this to the fore for those responsible for data management. Chief Information Officers (CIOs) gathered at a recent Cities Today Institute digital roundtable noted the importance of data visualisation and analysis during the pandemic – both for residents and decision-makers within the city. Several also highlighted key obstacles to achieving data’s full potential in scenarios like this, and these issues will need to be addressed to boost future resilience.”
United States of CARE: New Preparedness Handbook Details 5 Actions to Plan, Prepare and Prevent COVID-19 Surges
United States of CARE: New Preparedness Handbook Details 5 Actions to Plan, Prepare and Prevent COVID-19 Surges. “As our nation’s wellbeing and economic success is intertwined with the ongoing public health challenge, state leaders have a pivotal role to play in crafting solutions that meet all people’s needs. Read about five actions that states should be taking to reopen safely.”
