Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • How diverse is your government? These two laws changed who holds power in California Audio icon

    October 05, 2020 |

    Sacramento Bee |

    Multi-Media |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, California

    In California, two laws have helped to open opportunities for less experienced candidates to win state and local offices, which has increased representation among people of color. A 1990 law set term limits for the state legislature, which forces turnover, and the California Voting Rights Act allowed communities of color to demand electoral changes, including by-district elections that have increased Latinx and Black representatives at the local level. These laws have helped to level the playing field but the benefits have not occurred across all districts, instead they tend to be driven by a few cities.

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  • Locals Question the Relevance of First Solar Power Plant in Soroti

    October 03, 2020 |

    Aica |

    Photojournalism |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: Uganda, Soroti

    Four years later after a solar grid was installed in Uganda, residents of nearby villages are wondering when they will get some of that power. The 10-megawatt facility, which cost $19 million to build, was expected to provide electricity to about 40,000 homes, schools, and businesses in the area. However, almost all households in the 10 surrounding villages still use firewood for cooking. The lessons learned from this renewable energy project could help inform others as the country looks to power more parts of the country with solar panels.

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  • Navajo COVID relief drives also highlight census participation

    September 29, 2020 |

    Cronkite News - Arizona PBS |

    Multi-Media |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Navajo Nation, Arizona

    Navajo Nation volunteers combine COVID relief events with efforts to ensure residents are counted by the Census. Working together, aid organizations hand out supplies like food, water, diapers, and “hygiene kits” with masks and sanitizer. After receiving supplies, residents work with a census specialist to fill out Census paperwork. The dual goals of the events, held at reservation chapter houses, are to help residents stay safe during the pandemic and increase Navajo participation in the census before counting ends. A single event can reach hundreds of the reservation’s 174,000 residents.

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  • The Obama Justice Department Had a Plan to Hold Police Accountable for Abuses. The Trump DOJ Has Undermined It.

    September 29, 2020 |

    ProPublica |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States

    One of the most powerful tools used to reform policing practices, widely credited with restoring public faith in such troubled departments as the Los Angeles Police Department, is called a consent decree. The U.S. Justice Department sues cities where police abuses are seen as rampant. Then, under the watchful eye of a judge and independent monitor, the department agrees to a package of reforms. Under the Trump Justice Department, though, the tool has gone unused in new cases. In existing cases, the government has become passive, allowing cities to flout their agreements without consequence.

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  • Why Detroit Might Be the True Test of Whether More Cameras Make Cities Safer

    September 28, 2020 |

    70 Million |

    Podcast |

    Over 15 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

    In Detroit, Project Greenlight uses video surveillance technology to try to solve and deter street crime. Instead of the police requesting private security video after a crime occurs, businesses pay to install the Greenlight system, which then streams video live to police analysts. The police claim it has lowered crime, but researches have found no evidence that it affects violent crime rates. Critics see the system as a pay-to-play system in which businesses buy better police protection. And they say that the cameras, and the use of facial recognition software, bias enforcement against people of color.

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  • Local farms, small gardens see boost in interest, funding to tackle hunger

    September 28, 2020 |

    New Mexico In Depth |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Villanueva, New Mexico

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations and government agencies are connecting farmers with people in need by making fruits and vegetables more affordable or even free. For example, Bueno Para Todos, a small farm in New Mexico, has planted new fruit trees alongside a vegetable garden, and allows people to pick what they want and pay how they can, either with money or by helping on the farm. Scaling these efforts can be difficult if communities want to encourage growing more local food.

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  • Taiwan's Crowdsourced Democracy Shows Us How to Fix Social Media

    September 27, 2020 |

    Reasons to be Cheerful |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Taiwan

    vTaiwan is a mixed-reality, scaled listening exercise used by the government as a new way to make decisions. The platform provides an online space for citizens to debate and for politicians to listen to. The government lays out political questions, such as regulating Uber or changing time zones, and people can share their feelings, agree and disagree, but divisive statements and trolling are not posted. After debating for a period of time it became apparent that people converged around points of consensus. The government has implemented about a dozen laws and regulations based on the discussions.

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  • Chicago Teens Unveil Vision for Change and Public Safety in Their Neighborhood

    September 23, 2020 |

    Next City |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

    Twenty high school students enrolled in Territory, an urban design nonprofit, produced a zine and their own quality of life report for West Austin, where many of the students live. The students conducted interviews, surveys, and gathered community input to create the report. It includes sections on public safety, youth empowerment, and mental health.

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  • REDMAP

    September 23, 2020 |

    NPR |

    Radio |

    Over 15 Minutes

    Response Location: United States

    The Redistricting Majority Project, or REDMAP, used a sophisticated mapping technology and fund-raising strategy to flip 21 states' legislatures from Democratic to Republican control after the 2010 Census. That campaign, which poured money into hundreds of local elections to affect the outcomes, made a major impact on partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts in the following years, and on state policymaking. With the Supreme Court's refusal to block such tactics, the post-2020 Census promises to feature even more partisan manipulation of districts and local elections.

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  • In Slumping Energy States, Plugging Abandoned Wells Could Provide an Economic Boost

    September 23, 2020 |

    Stateline |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Watford City, North Dakota

    North Dakota is using some of its COVID-19 pandemic relief funds to plug 239 abandoned oil wells and reclaim 2,000 acres of lands. Abandoned wells can contaminate groundwater and leak methane that is hazardous to human health and contributes to climate change. While not everyone agrees that the funds should be used to plug wells, state officials say the economic relief program is keeping about 600 oilfield workers employed.

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