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This Pennsylvania County Wiped Out Millions in Jail Debt

Alex Burness

January 15, 2025 |

Bolts |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

In 2022, the Dauphin County Commissioners voted to eliminate “pay-to-stay” fees that meant people incarcerated in the county jail were often saddled with debt upon their release, regardless of the outcome of their trial. In September 2024, the commissioners also voted to forgive past debt accrued under the pay-to-stay policy, providing $66 million in relief for formerly incarcerated individuals, giving them a better chance at getting back on their feet post incarceration.

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Cherokee Nation confronting water woes

Chad Hunter

January 15, 2025 |

Cherokee Phoenix |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Cherokee Nation, United States, Adair County, Oklahoma

The Cherokee Nation is addressing long-standing water insecurity and infrastructure challenges through proactive investments triggered by the passage of the Wilma P. Mankiller & Charlie Soap Water Act. By shifting from emergency fixes to long-term planning, the tribe has funded targeted infrastructure upgrades, leveraged state and federal partnerships, and used precise data assessments to pinpoint urgent community needs.

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The City That Wiped Out $100 Million in Medical Debt

Aysha Khan, Lucas Grindley

January 08, 2025 |

Next City |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, St. Paul, Minnesota

The city government of St. Paul, Minn. partnered with Undue Medical Debt, a nonprofit organization that buys up and forgives personal medical debt. Leveraging pandemic relief funds, the city was able to forgive more than $100 million in medical debt through the partnership.

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How New York Made Big Diversity Gains in Transportation Contracts

Jared Brey

January 03, 2025 |

Governing |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

New York City’s “small purchase” program allows the city’s Department of Transportation to offer government contracts up to a certain spending limit specifically to minority- and women-owned businesses, with the goal of diversifying the city’s pool of contractors and suppliers. In fiscal year 2024, 32 percent of the department’s contract spending went to these businesses, compared to 24 percent in 2023 and 11 percent in 2022.

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How One City Cut Its Poverty Rate By More Than a Third

Christopher Swope

December 19, 2024 |

Governing |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Richmond, Virginia

Richmond’s Office of Community Wealth Building acts as a hub for connecting the city’s many anti-poverty programs and organizations, with partnerships that holistically tackle everything from job training and guaranteed income initiatives to community health programs. Since 2014, the city’s poverty rate has dropped from nearly 27 percent to 17.1 percent.

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How the Navajo Nation is using mutual aid to connect families to the electric grid

Kaleb Roedel

December 10, 2024 |

KUNR |

Radio |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: Navajo Nation, United States, Arizona

Mutual aid program Light Up Navajo is helping families get connected to the power grid through volunteer workers and private and federal funding. Over the past five years, crews have built miles of powerlines across the reservation, powering nearly 850 households, many of whom are receiving power for the first time.

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Pop-Up Voting Centers Bring the Polls Directly to Unhoused Angelenos

Erin Rode

December 05, 2024 |

Bolts |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles County’s Flex Vote Center Program establishes polling locations at shelters, transitional housing sites, and service centers for people who are unhoused or face other barriers to voting. In 2020, nearly 2,800 people cast their ballots through the Flex program.

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A Little-Known Federal Program Is Keeping Senior Housing Affordable in Denver

Robert Davis

December 05, 2024 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development offers funding for affordable housing properties to retrofit their buildings to be more resilient to climate change and improve resident’s quality of life. The funding ensures the properties remain as affordable housing because these upgrades typically reduce bills and because property owners must agree to keep rent affordable for 25 years.

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As climate focus shifts to states, East Coast partnership offers model for multi-state collaboration

Sarah Shemkus

December 03, 2024 |

Energy News Network |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, currently joined by 11 U.S. states on the East Coast, is a cap-and-invest system for power generation. States put a limit on the carbon emissions power plants can produce, then each plant buys allowances for every ton of carbon dioxide they produce up to the cap. The proceeds go towards initiatives that reduce emissions and make energy more affordable.

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Are high efficiency stoves the solution to Keene's wood smoke pollution?

Elijah de Castro

November 29, 2024 |

Sentinel Source (The Keene Sentinel) |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Keene, New Hampshire

In New England, government incentives and education are supporting and encouraging residents to swap their wood-burning stoves for high-efficiency models that burn less wood and emit less smoke. The aim is to reduce air pollution and its public health and climate impacts.

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