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They Made a Revolutionary System to Protect People With Developmental Disabilities. Now It's Falling Apart.

Amy Silverman

December 12, 2020 |

ProPublica |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Arizona

In Arizona, state officials recruited individuals for volunteer committees to have oversight of the state Division of Developmental Disabilities that was responsible for caring for those with developmental disabilities. Although the program was initially successful and "helped Arizona earn its reputation as one of the best states in the country for the care of people with developmental and intellectual disabilities," in recent years, a series of resignations and increased workload have left some of the panels "barely functioning."

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Fighting COVID-19 with Ancestral Wisdom in the Amazon

Jordin Rocchi Lorena Alvarado

December 11, 2020 |

The New Yorker |

Documentary |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Siekopai, Ecuador

The Siekopai people have used plants and herbal remedies to treat diseases for years. As the COVID-19 pandemic entered their community, they turned to the ancient medicine of their ancestors to help combat symptoms of the virus and boost the immune system.

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Housing in Uncertain Times

Chris Rudisill

December 11, 2020 |

QNotes Carolinas |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Charlotte, North Carolina

Time Out Youth Center (TOY) provides housing support for LGBTQ youth ages 18-24, though youth as young as 11 can access some of the organization’s services. The Host Home Program matches youth with individuals or a family where they can live for up to 90 days. While in the transitional housing program, TOY checks in weekly and provides groceries and transportation. The youth must apply to jobs every day, a minimum of 10 for unemployed youth and 4-6 for those working part-time. As they exit the program, they complete a basic skills course where they learn things like how to read a lease and pay rent on time.

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The Happy Little Nursing Homes Outsmarting Covid-19

Lily Bernheimer

December 11, 2020 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

An alternative model to nursing homes is offering an innovative option that provides a comfortable, warm, and inviting environment to residents while also minimizing the spread of coronavirus. Green House Project (GHP) began as the brainchild of Dr. Bill Thomas, who sought to “humanize” nursing homes by creating home-based care for small groups of senior citizens. GHP has scaled the idea to 32 states by providing training to senior living providers on how to recreate the environment and resources necessary to help elders thrive and feel at home.

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Breaking Buildings' Addiction to Fossil Fuels

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson Alex Blumberg

December 10, 2020 |

Gimlet Media |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

BlocPower retrofits buildings with energy-efficient equipment in financially underserved communities by offering loans to building owners for no money down. The company has completed about 1,000 projects by bundling the financing for many projects and finding investors willing to provide capital for the larger sum, which reduces investor risk. The group also created technology to reduce the costs of building inspections and energy usage monitoring. The new equipment increases building values and reduces energy costs so that owners pay less in monthly loan repayments than they would with the old equipment.

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Michigan's weakened environmental laws lead activists to embrace other tactics

Tom Perkins

December 10, 2020 |

Planet Detroit |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

Environmental deregulation and budget cuts opened the door for a loose coalition of environmental attorneys and activists to do the accountability work for the regulatory system. The groups sue to force companies to follow the law, contest permits, and run media campaigns to raise awareness of corporate misdeeds. Their efforts have been effective, forcing the closure of a toxic incinerator, pushing utilities towards clean energy, and revealing environmental abuses of major companies. The groups work with residents in impacted communities to determine priorities and organize support among neighbors.

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A secret settlement hid an officer's misconduct. Outside Maine, it would have been different.

Erin Rhoda

December 09, 2020 |

Bangor Daily News |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Colorado

A Colorado law enacted in 2016 requires law enforcement officers to disclose their past disciplinary records when seeking a new job at a different agency. By making such disclosures automatic, the law standardizes hiring practices statewide, protects past employers from liability for making the disclosures, and most importantly prevents rogue officers from hopping from one job to the next undetected. Maine has no such requirement., and so some of its agencies might unknowingly hire an officer with a record of misconduct.

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Pandemic Offers Surprising Opportunity for Farmers

Linda Mujuru Vimbai Chinembiri

December 08, 2020 |

Global Press Journal |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Zimbabwe, Mutoko

The coronavirus pandemic,and related lockdowns and travel restrictions caused farmers across Zimbabwe to lose substantial income as crops spoiled. But the crisis led to a shift in strategy, with many farmers participating in bartering networks that have opened new markets closer to home. Having to travel shorter distances creates greater income stability, as reliable transportation was an issue well before the pandemic. Farmers also shifted the types of crops they sell with an eye towards adding value. Dried produce and herbs increase profits by up to 30% and allow farmers to supply crops out of season.

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This Kauai Nonprofit Is Trying To Change How People Buy Their Food

Allan Parachini

December 04, 2020 |

Honolulu Civil Beat |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Moloaa, Hawaii

Food hub projects are gaining momentum in Hawaii as a means to connect farmers with customers. The projects go against the narrative that produce should be sold to big-box supermarkets, and instead focuses on "allowing farmers to concentrate on farming and creating a seamless ordering system so consumers can order food online for delivery or availability at central pickup points."

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A System for Sharing Household Heat Is Growing Beneath France

Chad Small

December 04, 2020 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: France, Paris

In Paris, about 7,500 buildings are heated using geothermal energy, a cost-saving and carbon neutral energy source. Water is drawn from deep below ground at a central location and heated by the earth, and then sent via underground pipes to individual buildings. The Bagneux and Chatillon district has scaled up the system, providing heat to over 40,000 people. Districts created joint ventures to reduce construction costs and residents do not notice the energy source shift because when the temperature drops to a point where geothermal energy is not viable, gas boilers automatically keeps the heat flowing.

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