The Dawn of the Evidence-Based Budget

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/30/worthy-of-government-funding-prove-it

David Bornstein

The New York Times

30 May 2012

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When we consider the vast sums that governments spend — and the responsibility public officials bear — it seems crazy that policy makers don’t routinely make good use of evidence. The new White House effort to base spending decisions on hard evidence is a step toward delivering more social good per taxpayer dollar.

An Ex-Cop Keeps The Country's Best Data Set On Police Misconduct

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/an-ex-cop-keeps-the-countrys-best-data-set-on-police-misconduct

Carl Bialik

FiveThirtyEight

22 April 2015

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Police misconduct is one of the most hotly debated issues in the US today. An interview with an ex-cop-turned-criminologist about how and the frequency with police officers are charged with crimes - both on and off-duty.

Help the Nepal Aid Effort By Making a Map

http://www.citylab.com/weather/2015/04/another-way-to-help-humanitarian-efforts-in-nepal-start-mapping/391523/#b05g04t20w15

Laura Bliss

Bloomberg CityLab

27 April 2015

Text / Under 800 Words

Citizen cartographers around the globe are tracing and checking roads, buildings, and open spaces to assist people on the ground. You can help.

Reducing blight is possible, experts say

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/2015/11/29/reducing-blight-possible-experts-say/75869108

Lex Talamo

The Shreveport Times

29 November 2015

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Shreveport, Louisiana, faces blight. New Orleans decreased blight by 30 percent by creating an authority for the task, using technology to collect data, and providing residents with information and help.

How Conservative, Tough-On-Crime Utah Reined In Police Militarization

http://www.buzzfeed.com/evanmcsan/how-conservative-tough-on-crime-utah-reined-in-police-milita

Evan McMorris-Santoro

Buzzfeed

1 September 2014

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The militarization of police forces in cases such as Ferguson, Missouri’s riots has led the state of Utah to question what can be done to prevent such an overuse of force from happening. Utah expanded upon a law passed by Democratic legislature in Maryland, which Utah’s ACLU reworked with some libertarians, to require the police to provide data about SWAT team usage. Utah’s success demonstrates that demilitarization bills passed with bipartisan support are not impossible.

Philly-area firm leads the hospital-bill fight vs. the $500 Tylenol

https://whyy.org/segments/inside-the-complicated-world-of-medical-billing

Zach Seward

WHYY

5 December 2013

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With more and more Americans having to pay medical costs out of pocket, a small company out of Philadelphia called ELAP is on the front lines of the war against escalating charges. By helping overwhelmed patients to de-mystify and negotiate medical bills, they are ensuring patients get the best value and avoid egregious financial distress.

Putting Charities to the Test

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/05/putting-charities-to-the-test

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

5 December 2012

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For most well-meaning donors, it can be difficult to calculate which charities are most effective with their funding - that is those that aim to solve the most serious problems, use interventions that work, employ cost-effective strategies, are competent and honest, and can make good use of each additional dollar. Organizations like GiveWell are part of a new and welcome trend toward rigorous evaluation of social change programs, and helps people best decide where to donate based on what causes matter to them most.

The Power to Cure, Multiplied

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/06/11/the-doctor-will-stream-to-you-now

David Bornstein

The New York Times

11 June 2014

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Project ECHO - driven by a single doctor with a cause - pulled together a team of specialists to develop a model that combines technology with collaborative care and careful patient tracking to help cure for diseases spread to patients around the world through community healthcare agents, as opposed to only specialty centers. This kind of "disruptive innovation" is effectively working to demonopolize health care knowledge and access, and lends to a health system capable of meeting today’s soaring demands for care.

Boston Nonprofit Sees Legal Services As Key To Curbing Veteran Homelessness

http://www.wbur.org/2015/11/11/veterans-legal-services

Bob Oakes

Shannon Dooling

WBUR

11 November 2015

Radio / 5-15 Minutes

Boston-based Veterans Legal Services (VLS) is the only organization of its kind in the state. The nonprofit helps veterans access benefits and navigate civil court proceedings. Its clients are specifically low-income and homeless veterans, all of whom struggle financially.

Leading the Way Out of Debt

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/leading-the-way-out-of-debt

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

30 January 2013

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Neighborhood Trust is a New York-based nonprofit offering financial advice to individuals experiencing economic hardships. Providing hands-on coaching, counselors are able to inform their clients about financial options they may have otherwise not known about like college financial aid or child care tax credits.