The Arizona Secretary of State’s Office on July 8 announced an updated artificial intelligence (AI)-powered virtual assistant to help voters find accurate official election information throughout the 2026 election cycle.

Delaware launched the JobsFirst permitting accelerator, a program designed to fast-track housing, energy, broadband, and infrastructure projects. Previously, these developments faced state-level delays of 18 to 24 months due to sequential, siloed agency reviews, the governor’s office said.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts launched a new cloud-based financial management system, replacing legacy infrastructure with a software-as-a-service platform designed to support financial operations across the state government.

The University of Connecticut (UConn) appointed Haleh Ghaemolsabahi as interim chief information officer (CIO) on July 6, putting a three-decade UConn technology veteran in charge of the university’s central IT organization.

Salamanca City Central School District on the Seneca Nation Reservation in New York will pilot an artificial intelligence (AI) teacher’s assistant and humanoid robot in its high school AI and robotics courses, Realbotix Corp. announced June 24.

The University of Rochester named Jim Forrester as interim chief information officer (CIO) and university vice president, effective Aug. 1.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law a new statewide artificial intelligence (AI) safety framework that requires large AI developers to disclose safety practices, report major safety incidents, and undergo independent third-party audits.

Frederick County, Md., is pausing new applications for data center developments through Dec. 31, 2026, while officials complete a statewide study examining the environmental, energy, and economic impacts of data center growth.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued an interim final rule codifying how state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement and correctional agencies can use counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) authorities under the SAFER SKIES Act.

The University of Utah plans to offer its first bachelor’s degree program in artificial intelligence (AI) beginning in fall 2026, after the Kahlert School of Computing’s proposal won approval from the university’s Board of Trustees. The new major is pending approval from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, the university’s accrediting body.