Virginia

The surging demand for data is guzzling Virginia’s water

The commonwealth is home to the data center capital of the world. Can it handle AI's thirst?

  • By Sachi Kitajima Mulkey, Grist

Data for dementia: State’s brain health registry helps prep for an aging population

The Virginia Memory Project will catalog dementia cases and caregiving needs to inform policy and programming for aging adults.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

Virginia's 'tech tax' ignites debate on business taxes

Many states are extending sales tax to digital services, but the Virginia Senate’s attempt to expand it to cover business-to-business transactions raised eyebrows.

  • By Stephanie Kanowitz

Is the US privacy policy good enough?

COMMENTARY | A disjointed approach plagued by compromises is making American data privacy policy more complicated and less effective in delivering the protections people desperately want and need to see.

  • By Gal Ringel

Without good data, government AI tools will just be 'garbage in, garbage out'

Virginia’s chief data officer recently shared what his state is doing to ensure quality data and warned that artificial intelligence is only as good as the information it has to work with.

  • By Chris Teale

What to watch for in Tuesday’s high-stakes elections

Abortion rights are playing a pivotal role in elections in Ohio, Kentucky and Virginia. Plus, more news to use from around the country in this week's State and Local Roundup.

  • By Daniel C. Vock

A Richmond program to reduce gun violence has had rare success. Now it’s expanding.

Research shows that 76% of its nearly 2,000 participants were less likely to be readmitted to the hospital for gun violence.

  • By Meghan McIntyre, Virginia Mercury

Rethinking engagement to support a rapidly growing older adult population

COMMENTARY | Having a reliable, evidence-based planning process can significantly impact how state governments address the immediate needs of their aging residents while planning for the future.

  • By Charlotte Arbogast

Are tax incentives boons or boondoggles?

Though there’s lots of evidence that the economic development tool may not be effective, it is still in wide use. Fortunately, there are ways to control the potential waste of taxpayer dollars.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene

Virginia Gives Its Transit Agencies Access to Planning Software

The software helps agencies find gaps in their transportation networks and understand where service can be added or refined. It can also analyze demographic data to ensure that service is as equitable as possible. 

  • By Chris Teale

Officials Tout Data Centers’ Economic Benefits

Amazon said its facilities in Virginia paid more than $300 million in taxes last year alone, and local leaders said the campuses contribute to economic development.

  • By Chris Teale
Featured eBooks
Whole-of-State Cybersecurity
The State of Trust in Government
Cybersecurity in State and Local Government

Shared Power Used to be the Norm in Statehouses. Now It’s Nearly Extinct

State government control is split between the parties in only 10 states—the fewest since 1952.

  • By Scott S. Greenberger , Stateline

Affordable Housing Can Lift Nearby Home Values

A new Urban Institute study shows that for one city, property values in above- and below-median-income areas rose slightly when affordable housing was built nearby.

  • By Andre Claudio

State Sets Up Tip Line for Parents to Snitch on Schools Teaching ‘Divisive Concepts’

Virginia’s new governor, Glenn Youngkin, signed an executive order to stop critical race theory from being taught in schools, even though it’s not in the state's curriculum.

  • By Andre Claudio

Top States for Businesses

Virginia ranks as the top state for businesses while Alaska ranks as the worst based on 10 categories, including the cost of doing business and a high-quality workforce, according to a recent report.

  • By Andre Claudio

Food Delivery Robots Gaining Popularity

The emerging technology poses regulatory questions for state and local governments.

  • By Andre Claudio

Introducing Route Fifty's Infrastructure Update

In this first edition of our new weekly newsletter, we look at the implications of the November election results on infrastructure issues around the U.S.

  • By Daniel C. Vock

Lessons From the Virginia Governor’s Race: Pay Attention to Voters’ Concerns Instead of Making It All About National Politics

COMMENTARY | A former speechwriter for President George H.W. Bush watched the Virginia governor’s race through the eyes of her students at the University of Virginia, whose concerns were shared by most voters.

  • By Mary Kate Cary, The Conversation

Route Fifty Presents: The Top State and Local Races to Watch on Election Night

Here's a roundup of the hottest governors' and mayors' contests around the U.S.

  • By Route Fifty Staff

Cracking Cold Cases: Police Turn to Podcasts to Track Down Killers

Law enforcement officials say that department-sponsored podcasts—free, easy to download and available on demand—are perfect for disseminating information. (America’s true-crime obsession doesn’t hurt.)

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Renters Now Majority in 100+ Suburbs

Residents in major metropolitan areas are renting more than buying homes as compared with 10 years ago, according to a report.

  • By Andre Claudio