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How a Scrappy California Crime Lab Learned to Crack More Gun Cases

Ann Givens

August 14, 2018 |

The Trace |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, California

The Contra Costa Police Department crime lab has accelerated processing ballistics evidence through a national database that works like fingerprints for guns. The result has been connecting gun violence incidents more quickly and getting dangerous offenders off the streets. The lab’s director was able to do this without extra funding or staff by implementing new protocols and cross-training staff.

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The Case For and Against Salary Transparency

Samantha Cooney

August 14, 2018 |

Time Magazine |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Whole Foods, SumAll, and Buffer are three companies practicing salary transparency. Research shows that salary transparency is associated with higher employee productivity and collaboration, and it might be helpful in reducing gender pay inequality, though it this research is still in its early stages. Others worry transparency could increase competition and tension. Still, more and more proponents are slowly willing to try out this innovative practice with the hopes of creating more trust and equality at workplaces.

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Closing the ‘Perception Gap': With 3 in 5 Teachers Saying Students Are Not at Grade Level on First Day of School, New Digital Tool Offers Parents a ‘Readiness Check'

Esmeralda Fabián Romero

August 13, 2018 |

The 74 |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

A new "readiness check" digital tool, available in English and Spanish, gives parents realtime feedback about whether their child is prepared to enter the next grade level and provides resources and activities to practice if a child is behind in English or math subjects. By offering a concrete, standardized assessment, the tool gives parents the data they need to advocate on behalf of their child and ensure teachers are aware of areas where a child may need extra support before they even enter the teacher's classroom on the first day of school.

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Anti-poverty crusaders fight to cut taxes for mobile-home owners

Alfred Lubrano

August 11, 2018 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Honey Brook, Pennsylvania

For low-income people living in Honey Brook, Pennsylvania, the Honey Brook Food Pantry does more than provide food aid; it's also a hub to get assistance applying for food stamps, and perhaps most uniquely, a place to learn about property taxes on mobile homes. The owners of the food bank have also helped their clients find out if they're overpaying property taxes on their mobile home, an adjustment that can massively help them save.

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How one Canadian food court eliminated 117 bags of garbage a day

Emily Chung

August 10, 2018 |

CBC |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Canada, Toronto

A food court in Toronto was generating 120 bags of trash per day due to serving their fast food varietals in non-recyclable containers. After changing the way they serve food and how they market the feasibility of recycling and composting to food court customers, they have seen their garbage output reduced to only three bags per day.

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In Kenya's Slums, Mapping A Path To Less Destruction

Eleanor Orao

August 08, 2018 |

Bright Magazine |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Kenya, Kibera

Slums around cities like Nairobi are threatened as city governments seek to demolish them. One way to help, or at least give residents time to prepare to seek new homes, is a host of different types of mapping. By defining the problem - the problem being the thousands of residents and homes in slums - it becomes harder for governments to ignore those people. Map Kibera uses the software OpenStreetMap to allow for “participatory mapping,” and physical maps have proven success too. Mapping isn’t always enough, but it is an important starting point in the fight for slum residents to keep their homes.

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Scanning homeless people to donate money

Dougal Shaw

August 07, 2018 |

BBC |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United Kingdom, Oxford

A project in Oxford gives homeless individuals QR codes that passersby can scan with their phones. The QR code links to information about the homeless person and facilitates electronic donations. A case worker co-manages the account and makes sure that the donations are spent on agreed-upon targets.

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New digital software reduces absenteeism in health centres

Lilian Namagembe

August 07, 2018 |

Daily Monitor |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Uganda

An electronic human resources system has reduced health worker absenteeism in Uganda, improving health service delivery across the country. The tool requires workers to sign in and out, pushing them to show up for their shifts and allowing supervisors to more easily reward good performance and adjust staffing levels.

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Investing in Local Business to Get an Even Break

Courtney E. Martin

July 31, 2018 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Baltimore, Maryland

The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, known as Balle, encourages a “localism” approach to decrease wealth disparities. By hosting a fellowship program to share best practices as well as encouraging philanthropic foundations to invest their endowments in mission-aligned organizations, Balle as served 121,650 small businesses and worked with philanthropic leaders representing over $8 billion in assets.

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A coalition of governments is fighting authoritarianism with transparency

Anoush Darabi

July 27, 2018 |

Apolitical |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Georgia, Tbilisi

Making government more transparent is one strategy that countries are using to counteract rising xenophobia and populism. More than 85 national and subnational governments have committed to publishing spending data, protecting whistleblowers, and more as members of the Open Government Partnership.

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