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California's new vote-by-mail system is a big win for marginalized groups

Umme Hoque

September 29, 2021 |

Prism |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, California

A new California law makes universal mail-in voting permanent after it was temporarily adopted for the 2020 election in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Expansion of mail-in voting in 2020 resulted in higher voter turnout, especially among low-income and communities of color. Moving forward, all voters will receive a ballot in the mail 29 days before each election. Voters can fill out their ballot, return it using a prepaid envelope or drop it in a secure drop box, and track in transit online. They also still have the choice to vote in person.

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'They Saw Me And Thought The Worst'

Richard A. Webster

September 24, 2021 |

New Orleans Public Radio (WWNO) |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New Orleans, Louisiana

Comparing police accountability in Jefferson Parish, La. to neighboring New Orleans reveals a stark contrast because of federally imposed reforms in New Orleans. Jefferson's sheriff's office, one of the nation's largest police agencies not using body cameras, has a weak internal investigation process and lack of transparency for its use of force, which is influenced by race. New Orleans had similar problems until a Justice Department report led to a package of reforms that have helped reduce the use of force and increased accountability and transparency.

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Undocumented Workers Who Power New York's Economy Finally Get Pandemic Aid

Amy Yee

September 23, 2021 |

Bloomberg |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York

Thousands of undocumented immigrants who lost their jobs during the pandemic can now receive aid through New York's Excluded Workers Fund. The $2.1 billion fund is the largest of its kind and the result of 18 months of lobbying, protests, and campaigning by community groups. Approved applicants can qualify for $15,600 or $3,200, depending on their ability to prove New York residence, previous employment, and lost income. Applications and fund information is made available in 13 languages and partnerships with grassroots organizations has been critical to reaching people who are eligible to apply.

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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.

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Grassroots movements fight a broken system

Marisela Amador Callie Giaccone

September 21, 2021 |

The Eastern Door |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Canada, Caledonia, Ontario

"Land defenders" from the Six Nations blocked a planned housing development on contested land by swiftly moving to occupy the site, even after a police raid in which nine protesters were arrested. In place of the now-canceled development, the community erected a dozen tiny homes and a communal kitchen. The protest serves as a model for another occupation by members of the Kanien’kehá:ka Nation at Kahnawake, whose 75-day holdout protests a planned 290-unit housing development on land that is subject to the nation's unresolved claim.

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‘Every man was drinking': how much do bans on alcohol help women in India?

Preeti Jha

September 14, 2021 |

The Guardian |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Bihar

The Bihar, India, state government banned drinking and selling alcohol in 2016 after women in the mostly rural state mounted protests blaming men's alcohol abuse for rampant violence against women. Hundreds of thousands of arrests, carrying severe penalties, resulted from the ban. Previous bans in Bihar and other states failed because of unpopularity and loopholes. This one has some evidence to suggest a 15% decline in drinking, but only a 4% decline in violence, while bootlegging and other crimes have increased. The prohibition protests have spread to other states.

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How a Small Town Silenced a Neo-Nazi Hate Campaign

Elizabeth Williamson

September 05, 2021 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Whitefish, Montana

When a white nationalist leader sparked an antisemitic hate campaign in his vacation community to settle a personal grievance, the community rose up in unison to confront the hate and render it toothless. Everyone from neighbors to the governor joined in the effort to counter disinformation and intimidation with alternative messages that telegraphed communal disapproval. A planned march by neo-Nazis was a flop and the leader of the planned attacks is now shunned. Other communities have contacted the leaders of the counteroffensive to get tips on protecting themselves from similar attacks.

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#EndSARS: Impact Of Judicial Panels In Facilitating Justice For Victims Of Police Brutalities

Kehinde Ogunyale

September 04, 2021 |

HumAngle |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Nigeria

Protests against alleged brutality and extrajudicial killings by Nigeria's Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) led to demands for judicial panels of inquiry to investigate the abuses and provide justice to victims. Of Nigeria's 36 states, 29 set up panels of inquiry, and seven of those submitted reports and recommendations. Some victims have been compensated for illegal arrests and beatings. While critics say these measures don't go far enough, they concede the reports and payments have provided at least some accountability.

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How one town put politics aside to save itself from fire

Nathanael Johnson

September 01, 2021 |

Grist |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Ashland, Oregon

The Ashland Watershed Protection Project is a collaboration between the community, the Forest Service, and environmental activists. The community leads the process, with input from local Native American leaders, to clear brush and cut down trees for fire maintenance while minimizing forest destruction and preventing logging companies from profiting. Instead, a is in charge of determining which areas, trees, and brush should be cleared for fire safety.

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How calls to ‘defund the police' took Austin to a crossroads of police reform

Tony Plohetski

August 31, 2021 |

Austin American-Statesman |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Austin, Texas

The 2020 protests over abusive policing nationwide led to Austin city leaders' decision to be the first major city to make major cuts in their police budget. These early and rapid "defund-the-police" measures, cutting hiring of new police and moving $150 million to other agencies, led to a political backlash that has further polarized the local debate over policing. The police budget was restored and is now at its highest ever with some residents complaining that they need better protection. Now the city is rethinking, more deliberately, where to go from here.

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