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How Trees Can Cool Dallas's Concrete Jungle

Linda Poon

August 20, 2018 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Dallas, Texas

In a Dallas neighborhood, environmental organizations are teaming up to plant a tree canopy that will address multiple environmental and public health concerns, while also cooling down the city's urban heat island effect. The solution is focused on helping those who are most vulnerable: seniors, minority residents, and students.

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W. Va. Blockchain Experiment Could Be the Future of U.S. Voting

Jen A. Miller

August 18, 2018 |

ThirtyK |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Clarksburg, West Virginia

West Virginia became the first state to test out voting in a federal election using blockchain technology. A pilot program allowed military voters from two counties in West Virginia to use a mobile app called Voatz in order to vote while overseas. Instead of a traditional paper absentee ballot, the app relied on blockchain to secure the voting process. The state expects to spread the program statewide for the general election this November.

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How Forecasting Models Are Changing the Way We Fight Fires

Jenessa Duncombe

August 17, 2018 |

Eos |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Salt Lake City, Utah

The National Weather Service has been helping firefighting crews better prepare for and fight wildfires. They’ve developed a model called the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh-Smoke (HRRR-Smoke) to show where there’s higher smoke density and what direction it’s heading toward. The agency is hoping to continue their work to become better at preventative measures so that towns and cities can prepare ahead of time.

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Saving Lives With Tech Amid Syria's Endless Civil War

Danny Gold

August 16, 2018 |

Wired |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Syria

For people living in Syria, minutes can save people from dying due to bomb strikes. So three men got together and created Hala, and launched a warning system that uses data from aircraft to predict where and when warplanes will strike, then notifies nearby people. Now, the Hala team has 60,000 followers on Facebook, and 16,400 Telegram channel subscribers. “Without the Sentry warning, my family and I would probably be dead.”

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How a Scrappy California Crime Lab Learned to Crack More Gun Cases

Ann Givens

August 14, 2018 |

The Trace |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, California

The Contra Costa Police Department crime lab has accelerated processing ballistics evidence through a national database that works like fingerprints for guns. The result has been connecting gun violence incidents more quickly and getting dangerous offenders off the streets. The lab’s director was able to do this without extra funding or staff by implementing new protocols and cross-training staff.

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Meet The Social Entrepreneur Behind Africa's "Uber For The Farm"

Willy Foote

August 14, 2018 |

Forbes |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Central African Republic

Hundreds of millions of farmers in sub-Saharan Africa live on a mere two dollars per day, making it difficult to not only support themselves and their family, but also stay relevant in a market that requires expensive equipment. Hello Tractor, an "Uber-meets-Salesforce" app, helps smallholder farmers gain access to the use of fellow farmer's tractors and operators while also supporting the growth of the youth employment.

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Is Blockchain Technology the Future of Voting?

Nafeesa Syeed

August 10, 2018 |

Bloomberg |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, West Virginia

During West Virginia’s primary elections, a pilot program used blockchain technology and a mobile app to record votes. The aim was to improve election security and make it easier for Americans abroad to cast their ballots. Critics say that the program left many security issues unsolved.

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In Kenya's Slums, Mapping A Path To Less Destruction

Eleanor Orao

August 08, 2018 |

Bright Magazine |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Kenya, Kibera

Slums around cities like Nairobi are threatened as city governments seek to demolish them. One way to help, or at least give residents time to prepare to seek new homes, is a host of different types of mapping. By defining the problem - the problem being the thousands of residents and homes in slums - it becomes harder for governments to ignore those people. Map Kibera uses the software OpenStreetMap to allow for “participatory mapping,” and physical maps have proven success too. Mapping isn’t always enough, but it is an important starting point in the fight for slum residents to keep their homes.

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Scanning homeless people to donate money

Dougal Shaw

August 07, 2018 |

BBC |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United Kingdom, Oxford

A project in Oxford gives homeless individuals QR codes that passersby can scan with their phones. The QR code links to information about the homeless person and facilitates electronic donations. A case worker co-manages the account and makes sure that the donations are spent on agreed-upon targets.

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New digital software reduces absenteeism in health centres

Lilian Namagembe

August 07, 2018 |

Daily Monitor |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Uganda

An electronic human resources system has reduced health worker absenteeism in Uganda, improving health service delivery across the country. The tool requires workers to sign in and out, pushing them to show up for their shifts and allowing supervisors to more easily reward good performance and adjust staffing levels.

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