In the state's third-largest county by area, online access to court records is limited and pricey. Plans to modernize one record system are underway, but it's not entirely clear when more will be available online.
DMV officials said federal, state and local agencies inappropriately obtained personal information of 3,200 DMV customers, through access that has since ended. It's the beleaguered department's latest high-profile misstep.
Neither California nor the federal government requires cellphone towers to have backup power, even though network service is a critical part of modern life.
Last year, the California Public Utilities Commission allowed driverless "robotaxi" pilot programs in the state but banned permit-holders from charging fares. Some industry analysts say the uncertainty could put California's reputation as the world leader in driverless technology at risk.
Ana Matosantos will leave her position as cabinet secretary and work to expedite PG&E's bankruptcy and prevent future public safety power shutoffs. "If PG&E is unable to secure its own future. ... then the state will prepare itself as backup for a scenario where we do that job for them," Gov. Gavin Newsom said.
Typically, presidential candidates tread cautiously into local issues. But in this case, the political calendar is hyping their interest. California is home to roughly 1 in 5 delegates needed to capture the nomination, and early voting here begins the same day as the Feb. 3 Iowa caucuses.
Documents are disappearing from public view as state departments work to comply with a 2017 law aimed at improving compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The law was meant to ensure all Californians could apply for jobs and find vital information on the state sites. Some departments are choosing to permanently take down documents rather than pay to make them machine-readable or otherwise accessible.
The power company continues this week to shut off electricity to millions in an effort to avoid contributing to wildfires, but the outages have negatively affected cellphone alerts at a time when residents really need them.
The devices allow members, several of whom live far from Sacramento, to access confidential closed-meeting materials through portals using personal logins. Closed-session materials can include investment strategies and personnel matters. They are not downloaded onto the devices, and documents cannot be printed from them.
Students operating the university’s CubeSat Lab, which monitors and downloads data from satellites passing overhead, will now share that data with the Air Force Space Command’s 18th Space Control Squadron, based at Vandenberg Air Force Base. "These invaluable experiences will prepare our graduates for successful careers in the space and technology industries," said President Jeffrey Armstrong.
Mayor Sam Liccardo has heatedly criticized the utility for this month's outage that affected 60,000 of his city's residents, and he's looking at a broad slate of alternatives. PG&E's recent outage cost San Jose $500,000, Liccardo estimated. He wants to find state or PG&E funding to reimburse taxpayers.
The agreement, reached in August and launched in September, will allow Comcast to swap out the DMV’s computer network. It aims to improve the speed at which the department can use the Internet and process customer transactions. The DMV says the upgrade will save the department about $3 million each year.
License-plate readers used by Redlands police have caught about 20 vehicles involved in crimes, including residential and commercial burglary, nighttime window smashes at restaurants, and hit-and-runs. Another new technology, GPS tracking, has helped police catch hundreds.
"The governor needs to think long-term and assure Californians of more reliable power providers. That means establishing microgrids in communities throughout California. That means maximizing the use of solar and wind power to generate power closer to homes and businesses throughout the region, thereby reducing the risk of electricity shutdowns. That work must begin now."
An AT&T spokeswoman acknowledged that the PG&E shutdown amounted to a "difficult time" for cellphone users in more than 750 zip codes across the state. The problems exposed holes in a wireless and Internet network increasingly used to communicate in emergencies.
The DMV anticipates a surge in customers visiting offices for a Real ID — a federally mandated card for U.S. residents who want to board domestic airplanes or enter secure federal facilities without having to bring a passport. Thousands are expected to start getting turned away at airports on Oct. 1, 2020.
"The future of the internet as we know it rests in California's ability to defend what is widely regarded as the nation's most robust net neutrality law."
The agency's board of directors approved a contract extension with the ride-share technology provider, and an expansion to nearby communities is under consideration.
Legal scrutiny of California's net neutrality law will likely continue, but a federal appeals court ruling is seen as a win in the battle over Internet autonomy.
The proposal raised the ire of business groups and transit advocates, who said broadband Internet should not qualify for funding through Measure M, the sales tax increase for transportation projects.
Bloomberg Philanthropies has pledged to fund the state's use of satellite data to track the emission of greenhouse gases. The funding will allow Planet Labs of San Francisco to use its existing satellites and launch new ones to quantify emissions from all over the world and the state's progress toward its climate goals.
A role that some may see as a nightmare in state government is one Steve Gordon considers “a dream job” and “the opportunity of a lifetime.” The new DMV chief talks about what's possible.
The state's massive financial system got a status upgrade on a state IT dashboard, from red to green, as it moves closer to adoption by all affected state agencies and departments. Change management among state workers has been a challenge, officials say.
