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Tired of long waiting times in Starbucks? How about a Robot Barista?

Helena Kudiabor

May 12, 2021 |

Roar News |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

To reduce long wait times and exposure to health concerns amid the latest global pandemic, some coffee shops are experimenting with robot baristas. The robot barrista at Café X, in San Francisco, can make about 120 cups of coffee an hour using a robotic arm created by Mitsubishi. While the robot only performs predefined actions, like picking up a cup, pouring milk, and placing the cup in front of the customer, a barista robot at a Singapore café also plays games with customers waiting in line and a Japanese company created a “friendly” robot barista that greets customers with different facial expressions.

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Philly should look to this Oakland program to protect its AAPI community

William Keo

May 12, 2021 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Oakland, California

In response to a string of hate crimes across the country that has left the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community on edge, a volunteer-led group is standing in solidarity through more than just words. Compassion in Oakland is providing chaperone services to Asian elders. The volunteer-led group is helping the Asian-American community feel safer by accompanying people on their errands and doing street patrols to show solidarity and support.

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Amid Devastating California Fire Season, One Small Community Saved Itself. Here's How

Danielle Venton

May 12, 2021 |

KQED |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Rock Haven, California

After years of debate and education, the residents of the tiny community of Rock Haven, in the Sierra National Forest, found the will and the money to "treat" the forest around their homes: removing dead trees and brush that made the land extremely vulnerable to wildfire. When the massive Creek Fire in 2020 arrived, it wiped out the trees in the part of the property that had gone untreated, but left unscathed the treated land and the cabins on it. The costly preparation made firefighting safer and more effective while slowing the wildfire's spread.

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'We're dealing with victims': Ride-along offers glimpse at anguished work of crisis teams

Will Cleveland

May 11, 2021 |

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Rochester, New York

Rochester's Person In Crisis team, launched in response to the death of Daniel Prude in police custody during a mental health crisis, began a six-month pilot project in January. PIC uses a "co-response model" of crisis intervention, sending social workers alone or with police, as first responders or called in by police at a scene, to connect non-violent people with needed services. PIC teams work 24/7, replacing or supplementing police on calls where help, not arrest, will resolve the problem, and empathetic conversation can work better in places where distrust of the police runs high.

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How Australia kept COVID in check, and what lessons the world can take from it

Nick Schifrin

May 11, 2021 |

PBS NewsHour |

Broadcast TV Programs |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Australia

Strict and early knockdowns and consistent public health messaging have helped Australia effectively eliminate Covid-19. Now, the country and its residents have largely returned to business as usual, despite many citizens still waiting to receive the Covid vaccine.

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The world's first 'infinite' plastic

Katherine Latham

May 11, 2021 |

BBC |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom

There are several chemical recycling methods being tested throughout the world, including one of the latest ones in the United Kingdom. Mura Technology is building the world’s first commercial-scale plant that can recycle all kinds of plastic and turn them into oil. Their method aims to process 80,000 tonnes of plastic waste every year once the plant opens in 2022. While some criticize that the chemical recycling process is very energy intensive and is not always profitable, the new Mura plant already has partnerships lined up with some plastic manufacturers.

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Homeless Oaklanders were tired of the housing crisis. So they built a ‘miracle' village

Gabrielle Canon

May 11, 2021 |

The Guardian |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Oakland, California

A group of people experiencing homelessness have created Cob on Wood, a place where members can access free hot showers, food, shelter, clothing, books, a health clinic, gardens, and even an outdoor pizza oven. Most importantly, Cob on Wood provides a sense of community and dignity for the almost 300 unhoused people who live there. Local artists and organizations came together to create structures and provide the resources needed to bring the vision to reality.

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Turning oil platforms into reefs

Celestina Olulode

May 11, 2021 |

BBC |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Louisiana

After oil and gas platforms reach the end of their working lives, some are being turned into artificial reefs that can create new ecosystems in the ocean. Since the 1980s, 550 platforms have been reefed in the Gulf of Mexico and programs are springing up to help industry make the switch. These reefs can be home to fish and birds, and studies have shown that some species prefer these structures over their natural habitats. While not all environmentalists agree with leaving the platforms in the water, scientists are working to understanding how similar programs can be implemented in other parts of the world.

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As Formerly Incarcerated People Return to Their Communities in W.Va., This Network of 'Resource Brokers' Is There to Guide Them

Amanda Page

May 11, 2021 |

100 Days in Appalachia |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, West Virginia

The West Virginia Council of Churches formed a network of community reentry councils to help people leaving prison line up basic necessities, from housing to employment. The councils use their members' community connections as a bridge between prison officials, who won't release people if they lack plans for a place to live, and returning citizens, whose housing, counseling, and employment needs can determine the difference between success and another stint in prison on a technical parole violation. Grants from two foundations helped the Council of Churches expand its network during the pandemic.

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People leaving prison in Michigan still face hurdles to getting an ID

Angie Jackson

May 11, 2021 |

Detroit Free Press |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

Michigan prisons and the state's secretary of state teamed up to provide people leaving prison on parole with the one thing they often lack: valid personal identification papers. Without a Social Security card or state ID, people struggle to get hired, rent housing, or open a bank account. In the program's first six months, more than 1,200 people got IDs. That's only a third of those eligible. Private groups have taken up some of the slack. The state says it should provide get the service fully up to speed by late 2021.

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