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They Said the Tornado Would Hit at 9:30. It Hit at 9:30.

Thomas Fuller Tariro Mzezewa

December 14, 2021 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Mayfield, Kentucky

Advances in meteorological technology have helped drive down the fatality rate from tornadoes in the U.S. to a fraction of what it was a century ago. Violent tornadoes rarely evade advance detection, thanks to weather satellites, advances in radar, and a communication system to announce warnings. The deadly tornadoes that struck Kentucky and other states in December 2021 illustrate the ways in which even this system – one scientist called it "one of the most incredible success stories in applied science" – can fail, including when people ignore warnings or buildings cannot withstand the high winds.

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After Michigan Killings, Students Praised Shooter Drills. But Do They Really Work?

Dana Goldstein

December 02, 2021 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Oxford, Michigan

Students at Oxford High School in Michigan, the scene of a mass shooting on Nov. 30, credit their active-shooter training with saving lives. But experts on school safety say some of the lessons taught in the training given to the OHS students, from a program called ALICE (alert, lockdown, inform, counter, evacuate), could endanger more people than they protect. The evidence that this and similar training is effective is quite thin, and critics fear it detracts from higher priorities: preventing, not just surviving, such shootings, and focusing on much more common forms of gun violence.

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The U.S. Government Is Wasting Billions on Ineffective Wildfire Policy

Aaron Labaree

November 30, 2021 |

Slate |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

The U.S. Forest Service and the state of California's Cal Fire pour billions of dollars into waging all-out war on massive wildfires. Huge camps for firefighters, heavy equipment, and elaborate airborne resources make up the arsenal thrown at a problem that is growing thanks in part to climate change. But the efforts are largely wasteful and ineffective because of the scope of the problem and the lack of focus on aspects of the problem that can be controlled better, such as fires at the "wildland-urban interface" where human habitation meets the forest.

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‘An utter failure': Law meant to clear old convictions, including for marijuana possession, helps few

Dan Adams

November 28, 2021 |

The Boston Globe |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Massachusetts

In 2018, Massachusetts legislators passed a law allowing people with certain lower-level criminal records to seal the records or expunge convictions altogether. The law was meant to remove the burden that a criminal record imposes on people seeking jobs or renting apartments, particularly when the conduct is no longer illegal, such as marijuana possession. Thousands have managed to get their records sealed. But relatively few have sought or won expungement, thanks to an overly restrictive and complicated process that hasn't been explained well to those who could benefit.

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Tidal energy could be huge – why isn't it?

Aditi Rajagopal

November 26, 2021 |

Deutsche Welle (DW) |

Video |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: France

Tidal power is a form of renewable energy that is caused when wind turbines are placed on the sea floor. These powerful turbines harness the power of tides and could capture enough energy to power all the homes in the U.S. Tidal Range Plants have been installed in countries like France, South Korea, Canada, and China. Despite their power, they require a lot of money to install and have mostly been installed in wealthy countries in the Global North.

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Police Have a Tool to Take Guns From Potential Shooters, but Many Aren't Using It

Zusha Elinson Dan Frosch

November 15, 2021 |

Wall Street Journal |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, San Diego, California

Nineteen states and Washington, D.C., have added red-flag laws in recent years. Also called extreme risk protection orders, or temporary risk protection orders, the laws give police and the public a way to seek a court order to confiscate the guns of a person deemed dangerous. San Diego County used available grant money from California to train police and prosecutors, and it now has used its state law more than any other county there. But many places in the U.S. use their laws rarely if ever, thanks to lack of interest or training among police and lack of awareness in the public.

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Can 'the people' solve climate change? France decided to find out.

Shannon Osaka

November 15, 2021 |

Grist |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: France

In order to cut carbon emissions in France, President Emmanuel Macron created an assembly of 150 randomly selected citizens. The citizens "convention on climate" met and deliberated for months before releasing 149 proposals on how the government should address climate change. Although only 10 made it into law without being altered, and 36 others were included form, the final legislation was one of the most comprehensive passed in the history of the country. The recommendations also garnered conversations and inspired the creation of other assemblies.

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This anti-violence strategy has shown results. But Kansas City hasn't invested in it

Hurubie Meko

November 10, 2021 |

The Kansas City Star |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Kansas City, Missouri

Aim4Peace is the city of Kansas City's violence prevention program using the Cure Violence model of "violence interrupters" to mediate disputes before they turn deadly. Founded 12 years ago, the program's fairly robust startup funding gave it 18 outreach workers in a neighborhood that enjoyed relatively few homicides at the time. After grants ran out, the city failed to increase its own spending on the program, and so it remains a small pilot program, reduced in size and blamed for its inability to do more. Other cities spend far more, and have much more success to show for it.

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After prison, the fight to be a firefighter

Lizzie Johnson

November 10, 2021 |

San Francisco Chronicle |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, California

One year after California legislators created a legal opening for formerly incarcerated firefighters to use their prison training to land firefighter jobs on the outside, the system envisioned by the law's supporters has failed to materialize. Felony criminal records serve as a barrier to employment in such jobs ordinarily. The law was intended to create a pathway through expunging those records for people trained to fight wildfires while in prison. A slow, poorly planned rollout and lack of tracking data means no one knows how many have benefited, though it appears few have thanks to a daunting process.

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Four ways Mozambique is adapting to the climate crisis

Neha Wadekar

November 01, 2021 |

The New Humanitarian (formerly IRIN) |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Mozambique

According to the 2021 Global Climate Risk Index Mozambique was the fifth country most affected by extreme weather over the past two decades. This article takes an in-depth analysis into four aspects of the country's climate crisis response; early warning systems, flood defense, resettlement sites, and rebuilding houses. The article evaluates both its failures and successes.

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