Good morning. As a native of the Northeast U.S., I’ve got few personal connections to the state of Texas, save for my appreciation of migas and my enduring distaste for a certain Dallas football team.
But last week’s fatal floods in Texas Hill Country should leave anyone—American or otherwise—feeling grief.
It should also raise the following question: If life-saving technology is available, should using it be a legal requirement? At what cost?
In the case of the floods, it’s a more sophisticated public alert system, but the question could just as well mean self-driving cars (collisions), wearables (heart conditions), or even something as common as air conditioning (heat stroke).
I don’t have all the answers; I’m no policymaker. But I’m certainly thinking about the issue as heavy rains continue to batter Central Texas. Today’s tech news below. —Andrew Nusca
