A Federal court judge in Rhode Island issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on Jan. 31 that blocks the Trump administration and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) from freezing payments of trillions of dollars from government grant and loan programs – at least as it regards the 22 states and the District of Columbia that petitioned the court to do so.

New York has awarded $55 million to 57 counties and New York City to bolster the state’s emergency response and communications systems.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has launched a new dashboard detailing information about all violent deaths and firearm-related injuries in the state.

Minnesota has created a centralized state fraud investigations unit operated by law enforcement at the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and intends to use new technologies, including AI, to curb fraud.

The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) has released its annual list of Federal advocacy priorities.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has signed legislation that requires the Office of the Attorney General to establish an internet-based rape kit tracking system.

Washington and Monroe counties are the first in Ohio to fully implement Next Generation 9-1-1 (NextGen 911), which will help improve emergency response times and save lives.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has been awarded a $1.3 million SMART grant from the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT).

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) declared an abrupt reversal today of its Jan. 27 order to freeze trillions of dollars worth of Federal grant and loan program payments after the short-lived order created nearly universal confusion over and drew opposition from several states who successfully petitioned a Federal judge to block the order from taking effect.

Wayne State University is launching a new Data Literacy Institute with the end goal of improving student success at the Detroit-based university.