Route Fifty

ICYMI: As residents’ use of AI to find government information grows, a new report offers recommendations for officials to ensure their content remains a relevant source among AI-enabled searches. buff.ly/swrOkIL

COMMENTARY | The biggest barriers to transformation have less to do with technology than leaders realize. buff.ly/vy4j9w6

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission also filed a lawsuit against Utah, adding to a now long list of legal fights between the state and prediction market platforms. via @UTNewsDispatch buff.ly/V5YyjU9

A Homeland Security official told CISA employees he wants to assess election systems after the vote, as the agency faces scrutiny over cuts to its support for states. via @NextgovFCW buff.ly/Cn6al5q

COMMENTARY | If an agency saves 1,000 staff hours by automating routine preparation, it should deliberately reinvest some of those hours in supervised work that builds judgment. buff.ly/m5gESKs

A high school in Fairfax County, Virginia, is expected to allow students to start using the machine, which is the size of a small refrigerator, in the spring. ✍️ @chris_teale buff.ly/UlMJ7rG

ICYMI: Fort Collins, Colorado’s public safety agencies initially used drones to help with its first response. Now, other agencies are getting in on the act and using them for other needs. buff.ly/stR295Y

ICYMI: A new AI workforce training and upskilling center in the state builds upon Gov. Kathy Hochul’s recent efforts to prepare residents for tech of the future. buff.ly/RTZkxAI

Project Lifeline 250 will provide free cybersecurity assistance to South Carolina hospitals, extending the Trump administration’s effort to connect vulnerable infrastructure operators with industry support. via @NextgovFCW buff.ly/eBU2rIa

The Oregon Department of Transportation is evaluating at least 20 permits for such projects to investigate the extent to which they involve supporting data center operations. via @ORCapChronicle buff.ly/aBHPyDd

COMMENTARY | Most say they are in the piloting or deployment phase of AI adoption, but many projects stall as they navigate unclear responsibilities and decision making. buff.ly/2HNiOAC

Tech-driven partnerships can help ease various urban issues, speakers at @ICMA's annual conference said, but successful pilots that end without a long-term plan can create resident anger. #ICMA2026 ✍️ @chris_teale buff.ly/fEDAETb

ICYMI: One Texas city now models the effects of flooding during major storms to determine response and future plans, while an Illinois village uses tech to detect leaks and reduce water waste. buff.ly/o0FMn9o

ICYMI: State officials and observers across the U.S. are voicing their concerns about the tight compliance deadline for implementing new Medicaid requirements and the unclear path ahead. buff.ly/0SyUVdh

Pennsylvania schools will now be required to develop and implement a bell-to-bell ban on student cell phone use under legislation signed into law by Gov. Josh Shapiro this week. via @CityAndStatePA buff.ly/Rkr264h

A former coal power plant in Bow, New Hampshire, is one site under preliminary consideration for a potential data center development, according to town officials. via @NHBulletinNews buff.ly/SJYzZ3k

New York is pouring $10 million into a workforce training and job placement initiative aimed at skilling up to 40,000 residents on AI by 2032 with help from the nonprofit @joinpursuit. buff.ly/RTZkxAI

Fort Collins, Colorado’s public safety agencies initially used drones to help with its first response. Now, other agencies are getting in on the act and using them for other needs. ✍️ @chris_teale buff.ly/stR295Y

ICYMI: Missouri's AI and innovation director recently shared how state agencies are taking a thoughtful approach to understanding AI’s potential for improving internal and external systems. buff.ly/BXsWv0S

ICYMI: The announcement comes in the wake of states’ legal settlement with Meta, after they accused the tech company of knowingly designing social media apps with addictive and harmful features. buff.ly/ijFW1g1