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How America Bungled the Plague

Johnny Harris

September 29, 2020 |

The New York Times |

Documentary |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States

Compared to countries that implemented early shutdowns to combat the coronavirus pandemic, such as France and Ireland, the U.S. "fought the virus, and the virus won." While the federal government is largely responsible, state and local government and their collective failure to follow a united approach to implementing measures also played a role.

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How South Korea Successfully Managed Coronavirus

Dasl Yoon Timothy W. Martin

September 25, 2020 |

Wall Street Journal |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: South Korea, Seoul

Despite never mandating a lockdown, South Korea has been able to better control the spread of COVID-19 as compared to other countries of similar economic and development status. Focusing on information management and testing, as well as the use of technology to aid both of these tactics, the country has kept the case count to fewer than 80 cases per day. According to the chairman of the World Health Organization’s global outbreak alert and response network, “No country has adapted to living with, and containing, the virus like South Korea."

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How Finland kept Covid in check

Richard Milne

September 23, 2020 |

Financial Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Finland

Finland has been able to keep their COVID-19 infection rate and death toll much lower than other countries by "shutting down rapidly" and relying on a law on preparedness that was devised after the Winter War in 1939-40. The law, which "explicitly mentions pandemics," helped the country to stockpile medical and protective equipment. According to Sweden's state epidemiologist, “Their level of preparedness is just way beyond anything we would even dream about in Sweden."

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How active community case search transformed testing in Kano State

Adam Alqali

September 22, 2020 |

Nigeria Health Watch |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Nigeria, Kano

Kano State, once the epicenter in Nigeria for cases of COVID-19, now boasts the highest rate of daily testing numbers after piloting a community-sampling strategy that allowed for mass testing. The pilot was largely possible due to a massive community mobilization effort and resulted in a decline in community transmission.

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Hi, There. Want to Triple Voter Turnout?

Tina Rosenberg

September 19, 2020 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

Vote Tripling is a get-out-the-vote strategy where volunteers set up outside of polling places, a safer pandemic option, and ask voters to text three friends with a reminder to vote. A randomized trial showed turnout was nearly 8 percentage points higher among people receiving texts. The message to vote holds more weight coming from a friend and it empowers those doing the texting, who also receive an election day reminder to send the texts. To be most effective, the technique requires a busy polling place where proximity to the polling place is legally allowed.

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Pa. Supreme Court halts Philly criminal trials streamed on YouTube over possible harassment

Vinny Vella

September 17, 2020 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia criminal trials were broadcast live on a public YouTube channel to provide for public access to the courts during the pandemic shutdown, but the practice was halted over a complaint by prosecutors that this means of public access created opportunities for harassment and intimidation of victims, witnesses, and defendants. Responding to an emergency petition by the Philadelphia district attorney, the state Supreme Court halted the YouTube broadcasts. Prosecutors said they will explore alternatives including private Zoom calls and closed-circuit feeds.

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Mail-ballot security in Montana: Verification, tracking, secrecy and counting

Mike Dennison

September 17, 2020 |

Missoula Current |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Montana

The majority of Montana voters have voted by mail for the past several elections without issues. Officials use several precautions that have successfully prevented fraud in the state. Each voter receives a postage-paid envelope with a unique bar code, and the ballot is placed in a “secrecy envelope” that is returned in the larger envelope, which is signed by the voter. Officials, who are trained in signature-matching, check each envelope and if there is a problem with the signature they reach out to voters, who are given a chance to fix the problem. Because of this, less than 1% of all ballots are rejected.

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Masks effect hard to isolate, but officials say they're important layer of protection

Tom Hallberg

September 16, 2020 |

Jackson Hole News & Guide |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Jackson, Wyoming

Data collected from a handful of states where the idea of mask wearing has spread and been adopted, shows that after three weeks' time, the average daily growth rate of COVID-19 cases decreases. Although experts say that mask-wearing is not a solution on its own, the benefits of government mandates to wear a mask do still make an impact and the effectiveness only increases over time.

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What Germany teaches the world in a crisis

John Kampfner

September 16, 2020 |

Financial Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Germany

Germany has weathered the pandemic with lower illness rates than its neighbors and a relatively strong economy thanks to leadership and responses that have evolved and helped the country thrive in the three decades since reunification. The author of the book "Why the Germans Do It Better: Notes from a Grown-Up Country" reports on the blend of governing, business, and social approaches to challenges – rooted in a concept of "social trust" in the state and society, and a steady, deliberate, caring mindset – that help the country confront a contagion, a recession, or a refugee crisis.

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COVID-19 Has Crushed Everybody's Economy—Except for South Korea's

Morten Soendergaard Larsen

September 16, 2020 |

Foreign Policy |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: South Korea, Gyeonggi

South Korea's economic growth is one of the few that have not stagnated or declined during the coronavirus pandemic. Although much of this is due to how effectively the country handled containment protocols from the start, the overall fiscal response – which included encouraging residents to reinvest government payouts in local businesses – also played a significant role. In one province, this included using non-cash payments "that could only be spent in shops inside the region, rather than as cash that could be hoarded."

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