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‘An utter failure': Law meant to clear old convictions, including for marijuana possession, helps few

Dan Adams

November 28, 2021 |

The Boston Globe |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Massachusetts

In 2018, Massachusetts legislators passed a law allowing people with certain lower-level criminal records to seal the records or expunge convictions altogether. The law was meant to remove the burden that a criminal record imposes on people seeking jobs or renting apartments, particularly when the conduct is no longer illegal, such as marijuana possession. Thousands have managed to get their records sealed. But relatively few have sought or won expungement, thanks to an overly restrictive and complicated process that hasn't been explained well to those who could benefit.

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How Abuja farmers use organic pesticides, disease control to reduce climate change effects

Abdulkareem Mojeed

November 28, 2021 |

Premium Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Nigeria

In Nigeria, climate change has led to food scarcity causing some farmers in rural Abuja communities to adopt sustainable agricultural practices. Also known as smart agriculture it encompasses things like reducing pesticide use, using extracts from neem plants, and using warm castings as a fertilizer. Farmers say the practice has improved the soil, increasing water retention, and sequestered carbon.

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St. Paul police credit jiu-jitsu training for reducing injuries — and excessive force settlements

Mara H. Gottfried

November 28, 2021 |

Twin Cities Pioneer Press |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, St. Paul, Minnesota

When St. Paul police studied controversial cases in which officers used physical force, they found troubling examples that were products of the training given to officers. So they began training new and veteran officers to use tactics inspired by the Brazilian martial art jiu-jitsu, which prizes teamwork by two officers to use leverage to restrain resistant people rather than using brute force, weapons, or chemicals. In the six years after the training began, St. Paul officers used force far less often, injured far fewer people, and cost the city much less money in settlements payments.

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¿Qué pasa cuando el surf incluye a todos?

Katherine Stanley Obando

November 27, 2021 |

El Colectivo 506 |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Costa Rica

De costa a costa, en Costa Rica y también en Nicaragua, organizaciones comunitarias están abriendo paso para surfistas que antes no tenían acceso a este deporte por su género, sus limitaciones físicas, o su falta de recursos económicos.

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How Puerto Rico became the most vaccinated place in America

Nicole Narea

November 26, 2021 |

Vox |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Puerto Rico

Political cooperation and an infrastructure of existing relationships and trust built by NGOs and community leaders during Hurricane Maria and a devastating 2019 earthquake allowed for a quick public health response to COVID-19 focused on prevention and vaccination. All trusted public figures, across political backgrounds, advocated wearing masks and getting vaccinated. As a result, Puerto Rico achieved the highest COVID-19 vaccination rate among all other U.S. state or territory. It also had among the lowest Covid-19 death rates since the start of the pandemic.

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Tidal energy could be huge – why isn't it?

Aditi Rajagopal

November 26, 2021 |

Deutsche Welle (DW) |

Video |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: France

Tidal power is a form of renewable energy that is caused when wind turbines are placed on the sea floor. These powerful turbines harness the power of tides and could capture enough energy to power all the homes in the U.S. Tidal Range Plants have been installed in countries like France, South Korea, Canada, and China. Despite their power, they require a lot of money to install and have mostly been installed in wealthy countries in the Global North.

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Prisoners hope that education can erase a stigma

Danielle Dreilinger

November 26, 2021 |

The Hechinger Report |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Cottonwood, Idaho

Idaho's nine prisons have more than 30 postsecondary educational programs geared to helping incarcerated people get hired in career-track, technical jobs after their release from prison. The prisons focus on jobs in demand and woo potential employers with tours of their well-equipped classrooms. They also focus on education that produces certifications that carry more weight in industry. Studies show those credentials produce better odds against people returning to prison. Such programs nationwide have suffered from inadequate funding, but more federal money is in the pipeline.

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'So much hope': Alaskans say peer support can make recovery possible

Anne Hillman

November 24, 2021 |

Alaska Public Media |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Alaska

Alaska has begun certifying peer support specialists with a free 40-hour training. Peer support specialists use their own experiences with mental health conditions or substance use to guide others dealing with similar issues. The state has certified 43 people, including 12 Indigenous traditional peer support specialists. Trainings teach peer supporters about different coping skills and how to help clients deal with a mental health diagnosis and set healthy boundaries. They also cover legal and ethical issues in peer support. The specialists model recovery and offer support without telling people what to do.

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How Gen Z Is Fighting Back Against Big Tech

Elaine Meyer

November 24, 2021 |

Yes! Magazine |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

A growing Generation Z movement is pushing back against social media companies and the pervasiveness of technology in young people’s lives, which can negatively impact mental health. LookUp is one organization that funds young people working to increase digital wellbeing. Funded initiatives include a youth summit that drew 1,200 people, apps that help people manage their social media usage and identify the connections to their wellbeing, and NoSo November, which urges young people to log off or delete all social media apps for the month of November as a group experience rather than an isolating one.

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Why you don't hear about the ozone layer anymore

Kimberly Mas Christina Thornell

November 24, 2021 |

Vox |

Video |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States

In 1987 ozone levels above Antartica had dropped by fifty percent. Scientists convened to discover the cause and found it was being depleted due to a chemical called chloroflourinecarbons commonly found in aerosol cans. In order to tackle the problem, scientists and leaders created public conferences to inform the public. The conferences created public pressure on world leaders to act and eventually led to the "Montreal Protocol," which called for the phasing out of CFC's. By 1989 consumption of CFC's plummeted. The ozone started healing and by 2065 is expected to completely recover.

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