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

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  • How A COVID-19 ‘Rapid Response Team' In Chicago Is Working To Fix Decades Of Neglect In Black, Latinx Communities

    Spurred by the high concentration of COVID-19 deaths in Black and Latinx neighborhoods on Chicago's South and West sides, city government teamed with multiple community groups to form a Racial Equity Rapid Response Team to distribute protective gear, food, financial aid, and other help in the hard-hit neighborhoods. The help included more than 1 million masks, 6,000 boxes of food, 250,000 information flyers, laptops and free internet access, and $380,000 to help pay rent and utilities. The deaths and desperate need for help stem directly from decades of racial disparities in food and health care access.

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  • Here's a radical idea that will change policing, transform prisons and reduce crime: treat criminals like human beings

    Comparing Norway's and the United States' approaches to prisons and policing puts the lie to the American notion that being tough and unrelentingly punitive effectively addresses crime. In Norway, even people imprisoned for violent crimes, in maximum-security prisons, are treated with respect and kindness, with privileges that would be unthinkable in most American prisons. The results are telling: Norway's recidivism rate, the lowest in the world, is less than one-third of the U.S. rate. While prison costs are far higher per capita, the ultimate costs in lower crime make the Norwegian approach affordable.

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  • The surprising way to stop shootings that doesn't involve more cops and arrests

    After two failed attempts, Oakland Ceasefire retooled its approach and since 2013 has been a significant factor in lowering homicides and nonfatal shootings. The program, used in various ways in many cities, identifies young men at high risk of getting shot or shooting others and then offers them life coaching and social services to keep them out of trouble. By de-emphasizing the role of police, pinpointing those most in need of help, boosting community involvement, and forming deeper personal relationships, the program is credited with a 32% reduction in gun homicides over a six-year study.

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  • We Know How to Fix Student Debt

    A study found that students without debt ended up with a higher income than students with debt, an overall benefit to the larger economy. In the U.S., "44.7 million American adults are saddled with student debt totaling $1.6 trillion.” This article explores what other countries like Germany, New Zealand, and South Korea, among others have done to lower the cost of university tuition and thus student debt.

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  • States eye vote by mail, Oregon officials say it's safe and secure

    Officials in Oregon, where voters have voted by mail in statewide elections for decades, point to their successful system to counter Donald Trump’s claim that voting by mail is “rigged” and results could take “years.” Several precautions prevent voter fraud, including a signature verification system, unique tracking barcodes on every ballot, and voters can get alerts when their ballot is received and counted. Officials and academics who have studied the system say that fraud is exceedingly rare with current security measures, though states implementing the system for the first time could experience delays.

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  • As Murders Rise, New York City Turns to a Police Alternative

    In New York City, 14 organizations have more than 200 people performing street outreach to intervene in potentially deadly gun crimes in at least 20 of the city's most violent "hot spots." These "violence interrupters" mediate disputes and offer social services in a process that relies on former gang members and others with street experience rather than police. While studies have shown mixed evidence of success, New York's programs have been credited with significant crime decreases. With violence on the rise after a long decline, the city is upping its budget for these programs to $39 million.

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  • Virtual LGBT+ support group creates a space for youth

    When in-person meetings became impossible during the pandemic, Epicenter's youth-run, drop-in resource center for youth made its LGBTQ+ support group virtual, and attendance went up. The group, called Our Gente, provides a place for youth to support each other. Those trapped at home with families that are unsupportive can still participate online using text chats, rather than having to speak aloud. Youth at the center create their own programming, but work closely with Epicenter's deputy director, who grew up queer, non-binary in a family that at first did not support them.

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  • A.D.A. Now!

    Congress' passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act 30 years ago made life-changing advances for millions of people with all manner of disabilities. Beyond removing physical barriers and opening education, employment, and public accommodations, it also opened minds to see people with disabilities as fully human – a barrier that had existed historically. The protests and lobbying to put a civil rights lens on these barriers as discrimination got the law enacted, but social change is still a work in progress.

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  • In syntropic agriculture, farmers stop fighting nature and learn to embrace it

    Ernst Götsch, an agronomist and cocoa farmer in Brazil, uses a different method of agriculture that could be more beneficial to small farmers. His method, known as syntropic agriculture, is an agroforestry system where different plants interact with each other to create more complex ecosystems and more fertile soils. While the method involves more labor and observation, it doesn’t use pesticides or fertilizers and has resulted in larger crop yields and more income on his own farm. He is sharing his process with other farmers looking to improve their farms.

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  • Bright Lights and Dark Nights: The Challenge Facing Sea Turtles in the City

    Sea turtle preservation efforts along the Florida coast seek to replace artificial bright lights, which are a deadly hazard that can lead sea turtles astray. Activists launched change.org petitions that successfully pressured two beach towns to correct public lights along the beach and require turtle-friendly lighting in new buildings. Volunteer groups patrol beach front areas to find and report those in violation of the ordinances, who can face a fine. A $10 million settlement from the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion helps fund a grant that provides lights and fixtures to about 200 properties.

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