Story Search Results

Advanced Search

There are so many ways to search the solutions journalism stories in this database. Explore our searchable fields:

Search Results

You searched for: -

There are 1142 results for your search. View and Refine Your Search Terms

From Felon to Fighter: The Redemption of Jose Santana

Tyler Hayden

October 14, 2021 |

Santa Barbara Independent |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Santa Barbara, California

When California adopted a new law in 2020 allowing formerly incarcerated firefighters to petition to have their criminal records expunged and parole waived, the law excluded people with the most serious, violent offenses. But it left others with violent offenses in a gray area, subject to objections that could deny them a chance to become professional firefighters, using the skills they learned at one of the state's 43 prison fire camps. This story profiles the first man from Santa Barbara County to win this right, and the obstacles he faced in the process.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Building a Black-Owned Food Ecosystem in Detroit

Randiah Green

October 07, 2021 |

Belt Magazine |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

Programs like Motor City Match and Grown in Detroit help entrepreneurs launch Black-owned food businesses in Detroit. The businesses sell healthy foods in neighborhoods often lacking in nutritious options or in the infrastructure needed to support startup businesses. The supportive programs offer grants and training that have nurtured dozens of new businesses, which themselves have formed a supportive network among their peers.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Dozens of states have tried to end qualified immunity. Police officers and unions helped beat nearly every bill.

Kimberly Kindy

October 07, 2021 |

The Washington Post |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Colorado

Fifteen months after Colorado became the first state to strip law enforcement officers of their legal immunity from civil lawsuits for misconduct on the job, only one lawsuit has been filed over a notorious incident and no real evidence has materialized that police department staffing will be gutted by resignations or recruiting problems. The 2020 social justice protest movement inspired dozens of proposed laws to end the practice called qualified immunity. All but Colorado's bill failed, based on dire warnings from police unions. The Colorado law exposes officers to damages up to $25,000.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Police face a 'crisis of trust' with Black motorists. One state's surprising policy may help.

Simone Weichselbaum Emily R. Siegel Andrew Blankstein

October 07, 2021 |

NBC News |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Virginia

A new Virginia law restricts when the police can stop motorists, limiting the chances for inequitable law enforcement. Barred from stopping vehicles based on minor infractions like a broken taillight, police in the first four months under the new law sharply reduced their stops of Black motorists. Police say such stops are a key tactic for getting guns, drugs, and dangerous people off the streets. But they also can be racially motivated, disproportionately punish people of color, and lead to violent confrontations. Many states and cities are considering dialing back traffic enforcement for these reasons.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Building Lego robots for job interview – helping people with autism find employment

Domantė Platūkytė

October 02, 2021 |

Lithuanian Radio and Television (LRT) |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Lithuania

A Lithuanian organization is helping neurodiverse applicants gain a foothold in the job market by tailoring the hiring process to their needs. Despite have the necessary skills, neurodiverse applicants often face roadblocks in the hiring process that fail to highlight their skills and abilities. Specialisterne is changing that.

Read More
Go to Original Story
With investors knocking, Charlotte HOAs are starting to change their rules

Lauren Lindstrom

October 01, 2021 |

The Charlotte Observer |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Charlotte, North Carolina

One reason the market for middle-income housing has grown tight in Charlotte is a shortage of available homes for sale because corporate investors have bought so many developments for their rental income. To preserve affordable housing and encourage healthier communities, some homeowners associations are using restrictive deed covenants to try to limit corporate owners' encroachments. In one neighborhood, it seems to have worked, but there are legal complications that must be considered as other HOAs seek to copy the tactic.

Read More
Go to Original Story
California outlawed the all-white-male boardroom. That move is reshaping corporate America

Evan Halper

September 29, 2021 |

Los Angeles Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, California

A 2018 law requires all publicly traded companies headquartered in California have at least one woman on their board, and as many as three women by the end of 2021 depending on the company’s size. The law, inspired by those in Europe, caused a ripple effect nationwide where women now occupy 50% more corporate board seats than before California’s law. The Nasdaq exchange became an influential force recently by requiring that nearly all of its listed companies’ boards have one woman and one person of color or a person who identifies as LGBTQ. Despite challenges, federal regulators approved the requirement.

Read More
Go to Original Story
How Building Community Value puts local development into the hands of Detroiters

Rhonda J. Smith

September 23, 2021 |

Detour Detroit |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

Students of the Better Buildings, Better Blocks class are getting a lesson in real estate development. Not only do participants have the chance to build a business, they will also be doing it in their own neighborhoods and therefore investing in their own community. The course was hatched as an idea to work toward bridging the racial wealth gap and allowing Black community members in Detroit to access real estate development projects.

Read More
Go to Original Story
What the Rest of America Can Learn From Colorado

Russell Berman

September 22, 2021 |

The Atlantic |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Aurora, Colorado

In the wake of 2020's social-justice protests and a controversial killing by Aurora police of a man in their custody, Colorado legislators passed the Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity Act, the first police-reform law of its kind in the nation. The law mandates several reforms aimed at improving transparency and accountability, including prompt release of body-cam videos and allowing people to sue police officers for violating their rights. The law has resulted already in a crackdown on misconduct in Aurora. What's less clear is whether it can change the culture of policing.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Community land trusts: What are they and how do they work?

Nadeen Yanes

September 20, 2021 |

WKMG-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Winter Park, Florida

To help families achieve home ownership in a volatile real estate market, the Hannibal Square Community Land Trust acquires land in Winter Park, Fla., and the surrounding area and then builds or renovates homes on the properties to sell to qualified buyers. The program allows families to purchase homes at an affordable price that is not typically available in the current market because buyers are responsible only for the cost of the house, with the land itself remaining in the trust's ownership.

Read More
Go to Original Story