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For Alcoholics, ‘Wet Houses' Offer a Home

Andrew Stelzer

October 05, 2017 |

San Francisco Public Press |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

Lawmakers in Seattle decided to help homeless people by approving “wet housing,” or housing for homeless people that allows them to drink on the premises. The move helps keep homeless people out of the streets, jails, and emergency room, and saves the city a lot of money. Studies show that it wet housing lead to a decrease in drinking amongst residents, and also saved the city money. Annual emergency costs decreased from $86,000 to just over $13,000.

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From Norway, Pennsylvania's prisons appear cruel and unusual

Samantha Melamed

October 04, 2017 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Pennsylvania

Thirty years ago, Norway’s recidivism rate was more than 60 percent. Then the country put rehabilitation at the core of its corrections system, training prison guards to act more like social workers than punishers. Recidivism fell dramatically. The country of 5.2 million now has just 3,900 prisoners. Norwegian delegates are meeting with officials in Pennsylvania to share their insights.

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How 'cervical selfies' can help save lives

Amelia Martyn-Hemphill

October 03, 2017 |

BBC |

Broadcast TV News |

Under 3 Minutes

Response Location: Gambia

A new app and scope that attaches to a smartphone camera has the capability to photograph a woman's cervix in high definition and send the photo to clinicians for diagnosis. This device replaces previously very expensive machines that takes similar photos and allows clinics in remote or underserved areas to access the same level of care as patients with more access to healthcare. Additionally, the app stores all of these photos in its database and is actively developing its own diagnostic tools so that in the future, the app can even help physicians to diagnose cervical cancer.

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Dentists take bite out of opioid epidemic

Zane Sparling

October 03, 2017 |

The Gresham Outlook |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Portland, Oregon

Dentists in Multnomah County, Oregon are helping to prevent "doctor shopping", where addicts attempt to get prescriptions from multiple providers. They are doing this by checking a national database that lists all of a patient's current prescriptions, and not prescribing refills on opiate prescriptions without a follow-up visit. This effort has drastically reduced the number of overall prescriptions written, and replaced those drugs with ibuprofen and tylenol, which are both proven to be more effective in relieving acute pain.

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Here's What Actually Reduces Gun Violence

Peter Aldhous

October 02, 2017 |

Buzzfeed |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Among policy proposals to reduce gun violence the most effective are background checks and the use of focused deterrence by law enforcement. The latter is where police meet with community leaders and members of criminal groups to warn of harsh penalties for gun use, while also connecting people with resources to help them move beyond criminal activity. Laws that temporarily remove guns from those who may be suicidal or homicidal also show promise, but there isn't much data on them yet.

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China's Crazy Plan to Keep Sand From Swallowing the World

Vince Beiser

October 01, 2017 |

Mother Jones |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Mongolia, Duolun

Overfarming, over-grazing, climate change and population growth are all to blame for turning Duolun County in China's Inner Mongolia region into a bigger desert than it was to begin with. With 87 percent of the area turned into desert, sandstorms began to be the norm and would often engulf the neighboring region of Beijing. The Duolun project attempts to stop this by embarking on a tree-planting mission. Not without it's limitations and criticisms, this solution is by no means perfect, but it's somewhat of a start that has seen Duolun reportedly increase to 31 percent forested land.

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Courts That Save Opioid Victims' Family Life

Amelia Schonbek

September 26, 2017 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Dunkirk, New York

The rampant opioid epidemic tearing through communities across the United States is exacerbated by a rigid court system that fails to address individual needs and a severe lack of comprehensive treatment options, even for those who want to get clean. Family Treatment Court, like the one in Chautauqua County, N.Y., provides parents who are addicts an innovative intervention program that includes a broad range of custom-tailored services to permanently quit their drug use and keep their families together.

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Why Tearing Down Dams Could Help Save Endangered Killer Whales

Hanna Brooks Olsen

September 25, 2017 |

News Deeply |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

The population of Orca's is declining and a large portion of pregnancies are ending in miscarriage due to a decline in their food source- Chinook salmon. Taking down Hells Canyon dams, which disrupt the migration patterns of salmon, would help this problem as would decreasing detrimental human activity such as deforestation and boating.

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With Zero Help From Betsy DeVos, Here's How Campus Bartenders Are Fighting Rape Culture

Meera Vijayann

September 25, 2017 |

Bustle |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

As sexual assaults, especially on university campuses, continue to go on and programs and measures aimed to help the victims of assault are receiving less support, new solutions are involving bars. 'Raise the bar' is one such program where bar staff are trained in how to identify and deal with potentially unsafe situations, as part of a larger movement to have bar staff at the forefront protecting customers from assault.

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Why Did India Have Ten Million Fewer Childhood Deaths Than Predicted?

Chhavi Sachdev

September 23, 2017 |

NPR |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: India

The Million Death study revealed that the child mortality rate in India has decreased over the past 15 years. These results are most likely due to vaccine drives, free diagnostics, more health clinics and other such improvements.

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