Chris Teale
@chris_teale
Followers
2K
Following
2K
Media
304
Statuses
7K
Now: Managing Editor @RouteFifty | Then: @MorningConsult (RIP), @SmartCitiesDive, @arlnowdotcom, @alextimesnews and more | @uniofeastanglia grad | Views own
Joined August 2011
Some changes have happened at Route Fifty. We're now focusing on state and local technology. It should be an interesting time ahead.
route-fifty.com
We are shifting our focus to report on how state and local governments are using technology, and will keep following innovative solutions to pressing challenges.
0
0
6
Texts to 988 must be georouted to local crisis centers based on where the text is sent from, rather than the area code of the sender.
route-fifty.com
The Federal Communications Commission approved rules requiring wireless providers to route texts to the mental health line based on their origin, rather than area code.
0
0
0
Last month, I spent a few days in Birmingham, Alabama. I met some great people and learned more about the city’s burgeoning tech scene, where there's a lot going on. This is the result of what turned into an enormous labor of love.
route-fifty.com
Alabama’s “Magic City” often evokes images of heavy industry, or the nation’s difficult past. A coalition of businesses, political leaders and others are looking to turn it into a technology leader.
0
0
0
Something struck me in the recent State of the Cities survey from the National League of Cities: Mayors increasingly see cybersecurity as a public safety/health issue, alongside substance use and mental health.
route-fifty.com
The National League of Cities’ State of the Cities survey found that 39% of mayors are very concerned about cyber, which is not far behind more traditional public health issues.
0
0
1
Notable in Trump's AI Action Plan is the targeting of states with "burdensome" regulations. Opponents say it's the 10-year moratorium under a different name.
route-fifty.com
The new roadmap recommends cutting off federal funding for states if they are deemed to be stifling innovation. Opponents say it’s the 10-year moratorium on state AI regulations under a different...
0
1
1
ICYMI: The Senate confirmed Arielle Roth to run NTIA, and oversee the BEAD program, which she has criticized in the past.
route-fifty.com
Roth will oversee the $42 billion federal program, having previously criticized it for pushing a “woke social agenda.”
0
1
1
Age verification technology needs to better protect user privacy, a recent report said. Zero-knowledge proofs could help.
route-fifty.com
New America’s Open Technology Institute called for the use of zero-knowledge proofs, which verify a user’s age without disclosing any personal information.
0
0
0
NEW: The Senate confirmed BEAD critic Arielle Roth to lead NTIA, the agency that administers the program.
route-fifty.com
Roth will oversee the $42 billion federal program, having previously criticized it for pushing a “woke social agenda.”
0
0
0
I sat down with the executive director of the Virginia Lottery to discuss AI, customer experience, Candy Crush and how to prevent problem gambling.
route-fifty.com
After a bumper 2024 and alongside his role as sports betting regulator, Virginia Lottery Executive Director Khalid Jones has taken inspiration from Candy Crush and other apps as he plans for the...
0
0
0
At last week's Efficiency Summit, transit leaders said tech can help make operations, but funding will be a big help too.
route-fifty.com
Amid funding uncertainty, speakers during the GovExec Efficiency Summit said tech could help with predictive maintenance and making the trains run smoother. A lot of work lies ahead.
0
0
0
Money is still a big concern for state and local tech leaders, especially given the ongoing "uncertainty" around federal funding.
route-fifty.com
State and local tech leaders said during a webinar the impacts may not be truly felt until the end of this year. They said governments cannot just “hunker down,” but must prioritize where to spend.
0
0
1
RT @wmataGM: Thx @routefifty @chris_teale for having me & @MarylandDOT at Gov’t Efficiency Summit. Great opportunity to discuss how transit….
0
2
0
At one point, I thought I'd never escape the metaverse. I did, but it turns out cities are using it for actual good things.
route-fifty.com
Peachtree Corners, Georgia, now has a digital twin of its downtown in the metaverse, which it can use to make data-driven decisions.
0
0
2
That moratorium on states regulating AI might just come back in the future.
route-fifty.com
Senators passed an amendment removing the provision that would have prevented states regulating the tech for 10 years. But some experts warn that a repeat effort is likely and could be successful.
0
0
1
Washington State is moving fast to map its EV charging infrastructure - both what it already has, what's planned and its projected need.
route-fifty.com
The Evergreen State has turned to GIS to map charging infrastructure, as well as using other data to help guide planners on where they should invest next.
0
0
1
And the second was on the Universal Service Fund, which helps get rural and low-income Americans online. Justices ruled it's constitutional too.
route-fifty.com
By a 6-3 majority, Justices upheld the Universal Service Fund, which subsidizes low-income and rural Americans’ phone and internet bills.
0
0
1
Two big Supreme Court decisions last week in the state and local world. The first concerns Texas' age verification law, which Justices ruled can go into effect.
route-fifty.com
Justices said a state law requiring adult entertainment sites to verify users’ ages is constitutional.
1
0
1
The first of several dispatches from Birmingham, Alabama, as I sat down with Mayor Randall Woodfin to discuss Tech Hub funds, the city's tech economy, history and all sorts of other things.
route-fifty.com
The Magic City received a $44 million federal implementation grant in January, only to see it rescinded in May. Mayor Randall Woodfin said he is confident of final success, but otherwise will keep...
0
0
0
Santa Monica, California has a new procurement platform, which allows it to track government purchases and brings more transparency to a sometimes opaque process.
route-fifty.com
The city has turned to Glass to run a new e-commerce platform that allows staff to make quicker purchases, keep track of contracts and maintain more transparency into the process.
0
0
0
Maryland is already seeing a "big impact" from this year's DOGE cuts in the federal government, its comptroller said last week.
route-fifty.com
Cuts thus far in 2025 are hitting as hard as two years of federal sequestration cuts a decade ago, state Comptroller Brookie Lierman said. Maryland is now looking to further diversify its economy.
0
0
0