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California's new vote-by-mail system is a big win for marginalized groups

Umme Hoque

September 29, 2021 |

Prism |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, California

A new California law makes universal mail-in voting permanent after it was temporarily adopted for the 2020 election in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Expansion of mail-in voting in 2020 resulted in higher voter turnout, especially among low-income and communities of color. Moving forward, all voters will receive a ballot in the mail 29 days before each election. Voters can fill out their ballot, return it using a prepaid envelope or drop it in a secure drop box, and track in transit online. They also still have the choice to vote in person.

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How France Overcame Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy

Nick Kostov

September 27, 2021 |

Wall Street Journal |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: France

A mixture of mandates and incentives helped France overcome vaccine hesitancy and encouraged millions to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The government campaign was so successful that some of the restrictions – like the requirement to show a health pass with vaccine status or recent test results before entering public spaces, like a restaurant or train- might soon be eased. Other mandates included requiring masks at primary schools and vaccination for health care workers, with those refusing to face suspension. The health pass requirement is credited with avoiding mass shutdowns again as the delta variant spreads.

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How Zurich Blazed a Trail for Recycled Concrete

Corinne Gretler

September 26, 2021 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Switzerland, Zurich

Zurich, Switzerland's largest city, is paving the way for sustainable building. Concrete is a major contributor of climate change due to the process it requires to make it. Zurich is making steps to reduce its use. A school building was constructed in 2002 with 80 percent recycled concrete. Three years later city officials passed a requirement that required all publicly-owned buildings to be made with recycled concrete and in 2013 ordered the use of CO2 reduced cement. According to a study the effort has saved 17,000 cubic meters of virgin materials.

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Undocumented Workers Who Power New York's Economy Finally Get Pandemic Aid

Amy Yee

September 23, 2021 |

Bloomberg |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York

Thousands of undocumented immigrants who lost their jobs during the pandemic can now receive aid through New York's Excluded Workers Fund. The $2.1 billion fund is the largest of its kind and the result of 18 months of lobbying, protests, and campaigning by community groups. Approved applicants can qualify for $15,600 or $3,200, depending on their ability to prove New York residence, previous employment, and lost income. Applications and fund information is made available in 13 languages and partnerships with grassroots organizations has been critical to reaching people who are eligible to apply.

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Why 'Work from Anywhere' Works for Refugees

Peter Yeung

September 20, 2021 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Kenya

The prevalence of remote work has benefitted workers who previously did not have access to many opportunities. Refugees, who typically need paperwork and work permits that are not readily available, have been able to tap into online work options that eventually improve their quality of life.

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The hotel for homeless people

Simon Maybin

September 14, 2021 |

BBC |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United Kingdom

To limit the spread of COVID-19, the Everyone In initiative offers housing to people experiencing homelessness. In the first few months of the program, the government paid for hotel rooms – which were empty due to the pandemic – for about 15,000 people. Additional services provided include helping people with substance abuse issues, accessing welfare benefits, and finding permanent housing. Some hotel residents expressed a renewed sense of purpose from having stable housing. A new set of workers, like hotel staff, addressing homelessness for the first time also led to innovation.

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RGGI, behind the rhetoric: What we know about the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

Rachel McDevitt

September 14, 2021 |

StateImpact Pennsylvania |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

A regional cap-and-trade program in the northeast United States has reduced carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and led to overall job gains in the economy. Up to 50 percent of the region’s CO2 reductions are attributable to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative program and nine of the states participating report training more than 8,000 workers.

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How one town put politics aside to save itself from fire

Nathanael Johnson

September 01, 2021 |

Grist |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Ashland, Oregon

The Ashland Watershed Protection Project is a collaboration between the community, the Forest Service, and environmental activists. The community leads the process, with input from local Native American leaders, to clear brush and cut down trees for fire maintenance while minimizing forest destruction and preventing logging companies from profiting. Instead, a is in charge of determining which areas, trees, and brush should be cleared for fire safety.

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France's 'Peevolution' Is Irrigating Farms With Liquid Gold

Peter Yeung

August 31, 2021 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: France, Bordeaux

Getting rid of urine is very wasteful, in the European Union alone almost 6,000 billion liters of water are used to flush urine. TOOPI Organics is using urine as a resource. Founded in 2019, the biotech company collects urine and using a fermentation process transforms it so it can be used as a fertilizer. Its urine fertilizer helped plants grow 60 to 110 percent more than a traditional mineral fertilizer. Its factory in the city of Bordeaux is able to produce 2,500 liters of organic fertilizer per day.

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Opioid Crisis: Northern cities working toward supervised consumption sites

Frank Rupnik

August 31, 2021 |

Sudbury.com |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Canada, Ottawa, Ontario

Oasis is a supervised drug consumption site in Ottawa that reduces the risk of death from accidental overdose and reduces the spread of infectious diseases. In 2020, operating at reduced capacity because of COVID-19, the site had 18,500 visits with no fatalities reported. The site has five booths and distributes clean needles. After registering anonymously, users can spend up to 30 minutes in a booth with medical staff on site. They also have the option of moving to a post-injection space afterwards, which allows the staff more opportunities to connect with users and connect them to other services.

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