Reducing drugs, prostitution via zoning: Costa Mesa's plan to shutter problem motels

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/city-686474-mesa-costa.html

Jordan Graham

Orange County Register

7 October 2015

Text / 800-1500 Words

Illicit activity is rampant in the rundown motel rooms dotting Costa Mesa’s Harbor and Newport boulevards. Officials think they finally have a plan to make some of those motels disappear: Property zoning.

At Cambodia Hotel, The Workers Are The Boss

http://www.npr.org/2013/07/05/190665916/at-cambodia-hotel-the-workers-are-the-boss

Daniel Zwerdling

NPR

5 July 2013

Radio / 5-15 Minutes

Overall, Cambodia is a relatively poor country whose residents don't own much. Norwegian hotel owners in the city of Krong Siem Reap urge their Cambodian staff to be more in charge of making their own decisions by making them co-owners of the hotel, an act that forced them to have more confidence and critical thinking skills.

Stories of Redemption in America's Coal Country

http://nationswell.com/success-stories-outside-kentucky-promise-zone

Chris Peak

NationSwell

12 June 2015

Text / 800-1500 Words

After the downturn of the coal industry, 8,000 jobs were lost in Central Appalachia. While some counties are renewed with the help of federal assistance, others find ways to help themselves.

Workers of the World, Employed

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/03/workers-of-the-world-employed

David Bornstein

The New York Times

3 November 2011

Text / 1500-3000 Words

Companies who outsource often fuel the race to the bottom for global workers' standards. Two companies, Digital Divide Data and Samasource, offer a model for outsourcing which is profitable and also prioritizes social impact.

Most Bangladeshi garment workers are women, but their union leaders weren't. Until now.

http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-09-16/most-bangladeshi-garment-workers-are-women-their-union-leaders-werent-until-now

Bruce Wallace

Public Radio International (PRI)

16 September 2015

Radio / 5-15 Minutes

After years of banning labor unions in Bangladesh, garment workers unionized to fight for higher wages and safer working conditions. For women, this isn't traditionally a space they were welcomed in, but now they’re holding their own meetings to ensure women’s safety is ensured on the job.

Can Raton rise again?

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/can-raton-rise-again/article_6fbfdcb4-0d9a-51d9-aa60-c8b9866e7c3f.html

Staci Matlock

The Santa Fe New Mexican

24 November 2016

Text / 1500-3000 Words

Raton, a town once surrounded by eight coal mines, now has a main street of boarded-up buildings. There is reason for optimism as the town diversifies its local economy, betting on "a mix of small manufacturing businesses, health care and specialty services, and hospitality for travelers" to endure the sudden decline in mining revenue. Its calculated revitalization may hold lessons for other towns.

Where are the parents? Often standing right over their kids: Pathways to Peace

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2016/06/where_are_the_parents_often_standing_right_over_their_kids_pathways_to_peace.html

Lynn Ischay

Cleveland.com (The Plain Dealer)

9 June 2016

Multi-Media / 800-1500 Words

Juvenile offenders can feel as though they have no chances for a good future. Volunteers of America’s Face Forward 2 program helps young people in Cleveland to complete their education and to find employment. With this program, juvenile offenders believe they can succeed.

Americans Are Getting Their Voluntourism Fix on a New Carnival Cruise

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/kwkgxv/a-cruise-with-a-cause-feature-v23n8

Jacob Kushner

Vice

7 November 2016

Text / Over 3000 Words

Fathom is the world's first-ever cruise line for people who want to vacation and volunteer as a way of helping poor families in the Dominican Republic have concrete floors, water filters etc. However, the impact of this organization is unknown given a lack of data and contrasting anecdotal evidence.

Changing the Face of National Parks

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/02/diversity-in-national-parks

Tik Root

National Geographic

2 January 2017

Text / 800-1500 Words

At the vanguard of initiatives to increase diversity among visitors to the National Parks are groups like Oakland, CA-based H.E.A.T.—Hiking Every Available Trail -- which uses social media and group park expeditions to increase minority groups' awareness, use, trust and enjoyment of the outdoors. Emerging alongside changes in policy—such as the Park Services' creation of a Diversity and Inclusion Office—, HEAT demonstrates how local organizers in minority and, often, urban regions around the U.S. are moving the presence of diversity at National Parks from rarity to normality, with studies and polls revealing the positive changes in attendance and interest.

Health Care for a Changing Work Force

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/01/health-care-for-a-changing-work-force

David Bornstein

The New York Times

1 December 2011

Text / 1500-3000 Words

America’s system of health care is based on an old industrial-era model, without taking into account a decentralized, mobile, independent workforce that remains largely unprotected without health and unemployment insurance. The Freelancers Insurance Company, based in New York State, offers competitive premiums by having their executives receive salaries at low wages. The model keeps costs under control, which in turn makes health care more accessible to independent workers.