Quick Hit News
Emerging synthetic opioids like cychlorphine are exposing gaps in overdose tracking, as many systems rely on broad death certificate categories and limited toxicology panels that miss new substances. Tennessee officials say cychlorphine is about ten times stronger than fentanyl, underscoring the risk. Thereʼs a need for expanded screening, stronger labs, and better data integration to detect new opioids in real time.
Electric flying taxis are being tested in Miami for short trips under 100 miles, promising to cut 60-to-90-minute drives down to 10-to-20-minute flights. But widespread use is years away, as it depends on federal approval and on new infrastructure such as vertiports, charging systems, and air traffic management.
Recent legal and policy developments are giving some public institutions room to reassess how quickly they scaled back diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Court rulings and federal decisions, including the Education Department's decision to step back from enforcing certain anti-DEI directives, are reshaping how states, schools, and agencies approach workforce and education policies.
Oregon counties are opposing Governor Tina Kotekʼs bill to extend enterprise‑zone tax breaks from five to ten years, saying it adds costs without funding support. Washington County spends about $400,000 a year managing Hillsboroʼs program, and counties argue they are absorbing lost revenue and staffing costs. They want cities to reimburse reasonable expenses and give them more control over extended tax breaks.
Community Spotlight
Mayor Helena Moreno: Treating streetlight repairs as a frontline public safety system in New Orleans
Helena Moreno signaled early that her administration would not define public safety in New Orleans solely through policing. On January 13, 2026, just her second day in office, she introduced the first phase of the Lights On initiative in New Orleans East. She framed the program as part of her 100‑day priorities, linking infrastructure repair directly to crime reduction in underserved neighborhoods.
What stands out is the way the initiative is being managed. Moreno appeared with Deputy Mayor of Public Safety Michael Harrison, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer of Infrastructure Stephen Nelson, District Attorney Jason Williams, Council member Jason Hughes, and Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick. Their presence underscored that the city is treating broken streetlights as a coordinated, cross‑department challenge.
The program is also guided by data. Officials pointed to a five‑to ten‑block stretch near Huntington Park Apartments where lighting upgrades had just been completed. Harrison explained that crime data was used to identify locations where repairs could deliver the greatest impact. This approach gives the initiative a sharper focus, targeting corridors where improved visibility can quickly strengthen deterrence and change real conditions on the ground.
Nelson explained that the city is facing a significant budget shortfall and must focus on repairs that create the greatest impact at the lowest cost. For this phase, the city partnered with All Star Electric, while Moreno emphasized that her administration is also working to lift the hiring freeze so electricians can be brought on.
Moreno is using Lights On as an early example of how her administration intends to operate to stabilize city systems, rebuild public trust, and speed up infrastructure delivery through the new Infrastructure Coordination Council. The council is designed to cut down on duplicative work, improve coordination across projects, and make city operations clearer to residents. In that sense, the deeper effort is the system that ensures the city can deliver consistently and effectively.
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Resources & Events
📅 CypherCon 2026 (Milwaukee, WI - April 1-2, 2026)
Wisconsinʼs top technology and hacker conference, bringing together cybersecurity experts, tech enthusiasts, and innovators for keynotes, workshops, challenges, and a strong community experience, with a themed Casino Heist afterparty at the Baird Center. Details →
📅 ENTELEC Conference & Expo 2026 (Galveston, TX - Apr 6-9, 2026)
The event will unite OT and IT professionals from energy and industrial sectors for a member-driven program focused on efficiency, security, compliance, and performance, offering training, case studies, panels, demonstrations, and hands- on exposure to solutions in telecom, IoT, automation, cybersecurity, AI, robotics, and cloud. Details →
📊 Report Spotlight: K-12 Education Funding Equity Requirements (U.S. GAO)
The GAO reviewed how the Department of Education implemented maintenance- of-equity requirements designed to protect high-poverty school districts during pandemic recovery funding. Findings show that while guidance and technical support were provided, the absence of formal internal procedures and data limitations reduced oversight consistency and made it harder to evaluate program outcomes. The report emphasizes stronger documentation, clearer monitoring processes, and improved data systems to support future federal grant implementation at scale. Read →
Insight of the Week
State broadband and digital equity efforts are expanding, with Maryland aligning equity under its Office of Statewide Broadband, Massachusetts strengthening its governance board after a statewide plan, and Denver launching DenverTV for direct communication, while digital literacy programs grow and fiber is emphasized as the gold standard for universal connectivity and U.S. leadership in emerging technologies like AI.
For the Commute
John Goff on Building Texas A&M Fort Worth & the Innovation District (Fort Worth Innovates)
Host Cameron Cushman speaks with John Goff about the long-term vision behind Texas A&M University Fort Worth and the cityʼs emerging innovation district. The conversation traces how a pandemic-era economic review uncovered that Fort Worth was the largest U.S. city without a Tier One research university, leading to a partnership designed to expand Texas A&Mʼs downtown presence into a research-driven campus focused on industry collaboration, workforce development, and entrepreneurship.
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