In Aleppo, cell phones are helping some desperate Syrians find clean water

http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-08-26/aleppo-cell-phones-are-helping-some-desperate-syrians-find-clean-water

Joyce Hackel

Public Radio International (PRI)

26 August 2015

Radio / 5-15 Minutes

In war zones, people have a difficult time finding clean water and safe areas to inhabit. Social media, smart phones, and technology applications are aiding in people’s survival. In Aleppo, Syria, the International Committee of the Red Cross posted a map on Facebook to show alternative sources of clean drinking water that reached approximately 140,000 people.

Can Training Programs Help Improve Police-Community Relations?

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/07/can-training-programs-help-community-relations/492074

Kia Gregory

The Atlantic

20 July 2015

Text / 1500-3000 Words

Lawyers and activists are educating residents in cities across the country on encounters with law enforcement. Know Your Rights training programs have been held by lawyers and community activists in neighborhoods in urban cities nationwide, designed to help residents understand the limits of police authority.

Can Police Use Data Science to Prevent Deadly Encounters?

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-police-use-data-science-to-prevent-deadly-encounters

Larry Greenemeier

Scientific American

22 July 2015

Text / 800-1500 Words

Several high-profile cases of law enforcement officers using deadly force against civilians within the past year have politicians, police and researchers looking for ways to prevent such incidents. As part of Obama's Police Data Initiative, researchers and police are studying 'predictive analytics' to improve existing officer early warning systems.

At the UN, a New Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapons Is Adopted by 122 Nations

http://www.passblue.com/2017/07/07/at-the-un-a-new-treaty-banning-nuclear-weapons-is-adopted-by-122-nations

Maria Luisa Gambale

PassBlue

7 July 2017

Text / 1500-3000 Words

On July 7, 122 United Nations member countries approved a new treaty prohibiting and eliminating nuclear weapons. The legally binding agreement emphasizes humanitarian concerns, including the disproportionate impact of weapons testing and deployment on indigenous people as well as on women, young children, and reproductive systems. All nine states holding nuclear weapons boycotted negotiations.

Trump Wants to Arm Teachers. These Schools Already Do.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/01/us/armed-teachers-guns-schools.html

Erica Green

Manny Fernandez

The New York Times

1 March 2018

Text / 1500-3000 Words

Amidst a backdrop of growing conversation around gun control and reform, especially as it pertains to school shooting incidents, President Trump suggests the solution is arming teachers. Some schools, however, have already done this to varying degrees of success and acceptance.

Why your favorite bench might be there to thwart a terrorist attack

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/why-your-favorite-bench-might-be-there-to-thwart-a-terrorist-attack/2018/08/27/28a863fc-9b49-11e8-b60b-1c897f17e185_story.html?noredirect=on

Katherine Shaver

The Washington Post

27 August 2018

Text / 800-1500 Words

How do you make a public space inviting so people will gather, but also safe from the growing danger of attackers using vehicles to ram large numbers of people? Many cities have responded to such attacks with concrete bollards and other barriers. But designers and architects are increasingly innovating other options that protect people via planters, fountains, trees, bike racks, steps and traffic calming designs to stop or slow down vehicles.

Next-Generation Emergency Alerts — What's Working Where?

http://www.govtech.com/public-safety/Next-Generation-Emergency-Alerts-Whats-Working-Where.html

David Raths

Government Technology (GovTech)

1 February 2019

Text / 800-1500 Words

As natural disasters become more prevalent - and more destructive - government at all levels is doing more to ensure that emergency alerts can reach everyone with mobile phones in the event of an evacuation or safety alerts. Solutions include state-wide systems, where counties collaborate with each other, as opposed to the old system where many counties were on their own, as well as layered systems to ensure a more accurate list of people to contact.

These Scouts Are Prepared For Dirty Dishes — And Keeping The Peace

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/01/19/680827371/these-scouts-are-prepared-for-dirty-dishes-and-keeping-the-peace

Simon Allison

NPR

19 January 2019

Text / 1500-3000 Words

The Central African Republic is rife with political problems including the lack of a health system, proving problematic for a country where Ebola runs a constant risk. Despite the challenges, the Catholic Scouts Association has stepped up to create and implement programs that aim to "promote vaccination, check out rumors about Ebola, carry messages between rival military factions and more."

Dick's Sporting Goods overhauled its gun policies after Parkland. The CEO didn't stop there.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/dicks-sporting-goods-overhauled-its-gun-policies-after-parkland-the-ceo-didnt-stop-there/2019/05/31/9faa6a08-7d8f-11e9-a5b3-34f3edf1351e_story.html?noredirect=on

Rachel Siegel

The Washington Post

31 May 2018

Text / 1500-3000 Words

In a response to the 2018 Parkland, Fla. shooting that killed 17 people, Dick's Sporting Goods removed guns from several locations around the country and carried on conversations with Congress about tighter gun laws. The sporting goods company, which sold a shotgun to the Parkland shooter before the shooting occurred, has taken a comprehensive approach in looking at the school shooting crisis around the country by reducing gun sales and working with legislators on firearm legislation.

In India, New Tactics Are Being Implemented to Prevent Human-Elephant Clashes

https://psmag.com/environment/preventing-fatal-clashes-between-humans-and-elephants

Vasudevan Sridharan

Pacific Standard

7 March 2019

Text / 800-1500 Words

Elephant-human interaction has too often led to conflict or danger in India. New research supports a forest authority’s early-warning system to send text, phone, and visual alerts when elephants are nearby. The integrated system has reduced fatalities to almost zero.