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'Ten years to save the planet': Kansas City metro's small-town mayors take up the climate fight

Barbara Shelly

April 22, 2022 |

KCUR Radio |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Kansas City, Kansas

A wide range of elected officials and community groups came together to form Climate Action KC to work together to combat climate change across Kansas and supply information for those not in the group to do the same.

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Giving a Voice to All Americans

Simone Leeper

April 21, 2022 |

Democracy Decoded |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

Washington D.C.'s Fair Elections program provides a lump sum grant to candidates who reach a certain threshold of small-donor support, and those who qualify can then raise matching funds from the community that are matched with public funds at a rate of 5:1. The program has contributed to a more diverse candidate pool for local races and increased the number of small donors across the city, with the biggest increase in small donations coming from D.C.'s low-income zip codes.

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Jailed for a crime she didn't commit, Dreama Caldwell is now taking on the system

Jaisal Noor

April 20, 2022 |

The Real News Network |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Alamance County, North Carolina

Community organizers are leading grassroots efforts for racial and economic justice in North Carolina. Dreama Caldwell is working with the Down Home North Carolina group to engage with local residents, participate in political races, counteract misinformation, and build “a political platform that emphasizes multiracial and cross-class solidarity.”

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How independent map-drawing commissions are transforming redistricting

Frances Nguyen

April 19, 2022 |

Prism |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, California

Many states are trying independent redistricting commissions to take politics out of the process and draw fair maps. The California Citizens Redistricting Commission has a rigorous process to select its 14 members and holds all commission deliberations during public hearings with lots of time for public comment built into the process. The state’s new election maps were unanimously approved and about one third of the new districts are Latino-majority.

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A busy intersection in Edmonton has been dominated by homophobic street preachers for years

Pamela Young

April 18, 2022 |

Xtra |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Canada, Edmonton, Alberta

Fearing that consistent homophobic street harassment by a resource center for queer youth was detrimental to their mental health and safety, activists set up a weekly counter protest to drown out the harmful messages. The counter-protest grew from a single person to the Pride Corner on Whyte movement with several hundred social media followers. Over time, the participation of dozens of unhoused and housed queer and trans youth provided opportunities for social service outreach, including a mentorship program that paired youth with older queer and trans participants who offer friendship and emotional support.

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Could the highly political redistricting process be more independent? San Antonio may find out

Megan Stringer

April 17, 2022 |

San Antonio Express-News |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, San Diego, California

San Diego’s independent redistricting commission has aimed to take politics out of drawing district maps since 1992 by preventing City Council from drawing or approving its own map. Instead, nine commissioners from over 100 applicants were chosen based on background and qualifications by three randomly selected retired judges. The member selection process, rules for transparency, open public engagement and no tolerance for conflicts of interest are keys to its success. There is more equitable infrastructure investment and greater voter turnout now, which are two positive signs of reduced gerrymandering.

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Que Viva El Barrio: One neighborhood's decades-long fight for a less-polluted future

Ana Ramirez

April 08, 2022 |

San Diego Union-Tribune |

Documentary |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Barrio Logan, California

Residents in Barrio Logan have been fighting for years for policy changes to minimize industry in the area and make the community less polluted. After a decades-long battle, the city council recently passed an act that no new industry can come to the area and created housing-only sections for residents to live comfortably.

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Red/Blue Workshops try to bridge the political divide. Do they really work?

John Burnett

April 06, 2022 |

NPR |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Braver Angels stages workshops in all 50 states to encourage civil discussion and active listening between polarized Democrats and Republicans. Through conversations that ask them to consider stereotypes and "humanize the other," participants say they come away with a better understanding of their commonalities.

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These rural organizers have found an answer to dog whistle politics: Multi-racial, working-class solidarity

Jaisal Noor

March 24, 2022 |

The Real News Network |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, North Carolina

Organizers with Down Home North Carolina use deep canvassing, a door-knocking strategy based on active listening and in-depth, nonjudgmental conversation, to spark political discussions with voters who are often left out of the democratic process. Canvassers are trained to center issues of race and class to build solidarity across demographics and recorded high levels of support from voters in 82% of conversations surveyed between November 2021 and January 2022.

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Democracy Comes to Michigan

David Byrne

March 21, 2022 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Michigan

A grassroots campaign ended gerrymandering in Michigan by passing an initiative requiring districts be drawn by citizen-commissions rather than politicians. The all-volunteer campaign went door-to-door collecting enough signatures to get the initiative on the ballot and used creative voter-engagement techniques to sustain the support. Once the ballot initiative passed, 9,300 people applied for the first commission. A third-party firm ultimately selected four Democrats, four Republicans, and five non-partisan people as commissioners, who worked together very well to redraw districts.

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