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Communities now lead fight against outbreak of diseases

Syriacus Buguzi

May 28, 2018 |

The Citizen |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Tanzania, Morogoro

The South African Centre for Infectious Disease Surveillance is piloting a program to use smartphone technology to report and respond to infectious disease outbreaks. The program trains community members to recognize signs of infectious diseases, such as vomiting and diarrhea, and report them through their smartphones. These reports are relayed to a team of specialists who track the location and frequency of these reports to determine if an outbreak of disease is occurring and respond accordingly.

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Can 30,000 Cameras Help Solve Chicago's Crime Problem?

Timothy Williams

May 26, 2018 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Using advanced data, cameras, and innovative mapping, Chicago is hoping to finally solve crime in the city. Hidden sensors like ShotSpotter and crime forecasting software HunchLab are being used to turn massive amounts of data into usable information for law enforcement officers, but concerns about privacy and surveillance are prevalent.

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Despite Many Threats, Some Coral Reefs Are Thriving

Paul Tullis

May 23, 2018 |

bioGraphic |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Cook Islands, Rarotonga

The 100 Island Challenge is a project through the University of California, San Diego to use photos and complex mapping programs to assess the health of coral reefs. Despite media attention declaring the demise of reefs, early stages of this research has shown that protective factors, like areas with less pollution, can help preserve reefs. By getting buy-in from local governments and working with local fisheries, the 100 Island Challenge is working to use new knowledge around coral reefs to lessen the effects of climate change on these precious ecosystems.

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Tracing Illegal Guns

Roxanne Patel Shepelavy

May 23, 2018 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Albuquerque, Pennsylvania

A publicly available online platform launched by the New York Attorney General fills in big data gaps on guns being used in crimes and trafficked from elsewhere. “We were able to get a snapshot really quickly of where the worst guns are ending up and where they started.” The data can establish groundwork for interstate trafficking cases and also inform policy decisions and New York is happy to share the technology other communities can build their own databases.

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Switzerland's new algorithm could get up to 30% more refugees into work

Jack Graham

May 18, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Switzerland, Bern

Switzerland will soon be piloting a new algorithm to help refugees find jobs. The algorithm uses "machine learning to match geographic employment outcomes with refugees’ personal characteristics, such as gender, age and nationality." Researchers found that using the algorithm would have helped 41% more refugees to be employed between 2011 and 2016, but "real world" impact is yet to be measured. However, there are concerns about transparency and fairness.

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Why Is It So Hard to Figure Out When the Bus Is Coming?

Laura Bliss

May 17, 2018 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, College Park, Maryland

In order for alternatives to driving to be widely adopted, accurate information about service and arrival times needs to be accesible. To fill this need, applications providing bus routes and arrival times are being developed, in some cases aided by crowdsourced information.

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Paint the Town with Data in Boston's New 3D Model

Sandra Larson

May 16, 2018 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

A newly developed 3D smart model of the city of Boston will be accessible to the public, allowing anyone to look at projects being built, areas prone to flooding, and even how shadows affect the city. Different map views also show zoning, public transportation lines, schools, and more. The openness of this model is providing groundbreaking access to information that will help both citizens and the local government plan better for Boston’s future.

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Games in government: How to get public servants excited about work

Jennifer Guay

May 15, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, London

Games can help government employees feel more engaged in their work. The United Kingdom’s Department of Work and Pensions uses a game called Idea Street to encourage innovation, and the City of Louisville, Kentucky, awards digital badges for creativity and collaborations. Sustaining staff interest in games can be a challenge. It helps to have clear rules and to align games with the top motivations of employees.

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Treating violence like a disease helped cut Colombia's murder rate by 82%

Edward Siddons

May 15, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Colombia, Cali

Colombia used a public health model of prevention to attack violent crime and has seen the homicide rate drop by 82 percent. The approach required the work of numerous public sectors, not just law enforcement, and a reliance on data to drive strategy. The country still has a higher-that-average murder rate, but the experience of several cities taking this approach offers key lessons for others to follow.

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Human Biases Are Built into AI—this Artist Is Helping to Change That

Tess Thackara

May 15, 2018 |

Artsy |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

A diverse group of people developing, coding, and testing artificial intelligence technologies is critical as the inherent biases of the creators can be found in the AI. Artist Stephanie Dinkins is working to raise awareness of the role AI plays in daily life, the narrow stream of data and perspective informing most AI, and the value of diversity in AI development.

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