Profiles in Power highlights public officials nationwide who are improving their communities through their dedication, enthusiasm, creativity and experience. This week’s profile is Florence Simon, director of the Mayor’s Office of Innovation for the city and county of San Francisco. My public career highlights and education: I supported former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg when […]
The White House is calling on Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate whether federal grant funds are being unlawfully used to support lobbying or partisan political activity. President Donald Trump issued a presidential memorandum late last month, asking Bondi to report back within 180 days. This directive is part of a broader initiative to safeguard […]
Environmental data is now available to the public via an artificial intelligence-ready, open access database. Federal regulators and lawmakers can now access National Environmental Protection Act data in a single database through PermitAI, developed by the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). NEPA review data was previously stored in siloed federal computer systems, […]
Officials in Hernando County, Florida, are advancing plans for a new multi-agency public safety training center. Phase 1 of the project would be made possible through a five-year, half-cent sales tax referendum. This new facility would address urgent needs across law enforcement, fire rescue and emergency management through improved training infrastructure. Officials estimate costs could […]
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order declaring “classical and traditional” architecture the preferred government styles, resuming an effort from his first term to fight modernist architecture and design principles. The order, titled “Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again,” directs that all new federal buildings in Washington, D.C. be constructed in a “classical” style and […]
A Texas border city has deployed the first citywide drone network in the United States, seeking to expand and improve emergency services and response times. El Paso, Texas, has expanded its emergency response system by installing 22 DJI drone docks and establishing a FlightHub 2 On-Prem system. The program began six years ago with a […]
America’s airports continue to experience one of the busiest building cycles in decades. This is an area of activity that should not be ignored. Construction cranes are rising over terminals, runways are being resurfaced, and new security technology is rolling out to handle record crowds. Passenger traffic is hitting historic highs—TSA screened more than three […]