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Can't Pay Your Rent? ‘Lawtech' Is Here to Help.

Kriston Capps

September 18, 2020 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

Soon after the federal government imposed a second moratorium on evictions, SixFifty, a tech firm, released Hello Landlord, a mobile app for tenants to generate a legally compliant form letter invoking the law with their landlords to block a threatened eviction. In the first nine days after its release, the app was used by more than 200 people. The free service is an example of what's called lawtech: technology giving access to legal information to individuals and small businesses. Hello Landlord asks 19 questions that serve to automate what a tenant's lawyer might do – if only the tenant could afford one.

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Teen-run project provides virtual activities, tutoring for kids during the pandemic

Jacqulyn Powell

September 18, 2020 |

KXAN-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, Texas

Two teens from Los Angeles created a tutoring program to help supplement education during the pandemic, called the “Covid NineTeen Project.” The project is entirely teen run, from the creators to the mentors. More than 250 tutors provide service to more than 800 elementary schools across 11 countries. “If we were able to achieve this as teenagers in our community, this is something that you can set up on the local level in your community, as well."

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Rural school district creates free internet service to keep students connected

Tahera Rahman

September 18, 2020 |

KXAN-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Lockhart, Texas

At least 40 percent, or 2,000, students from Lockhart ISD didn’t have access to reliable internet. To address the issue, the school district built seven towers. They also installed antennas on individual homes so they can receive the signals from the towers. As a result, 1,300 students got connected. “This is about equity,” Estrada said. “Every one of our Lockhart Lions needs to have access to the opportunities they deserve to grow and truly thrive.”

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Students lost in the virtual learning shuffle? This school district comes to find them

Karma Dickerson

September 18, 2020 |

KTXL-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Sacramento, California

In order to reach students who aren’t attending virtual classes during the pandemic, a school district in Sacramento created a program called “Student Find.” If teachers and school administrators can’t reach students who’ve been absent, then school counselors hit the pavement. They go door-knocking in an attempt to make contact with families. “That’s the thing I would encourage other districts to consider,” Reyes says. “If we could all take part responsibility and make it something that’s manageable and doable in other places.”

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Mail-ballot security in Montana: Verification, tracking, secrecy and counting

Mike Dennison

September 17, 2020 |

Missoula Current |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Montana

The majority of Montana voters have voted by mail for the past several elections without issues. Officials use several precautions that have successfully prevented fraud in the state. Each voter receives a postage-paid envelope with a unique bar code, and the ballot is placed in a “secrecy envelope” that is returned in the larger envelope, which is signed by the voter. Officials, who are trained in signature-matching, check each envelope and if there is a problem with the signature they reach out to voters, who are given a chance to fix the problem. Because of this, less than 1% of all ballots are rejected.

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Pa. Supreme Court halts Philly criminal trials streamed on YouTube over possible harassment

Vinny Vella

September 17, 2020 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia criminal trials were broadcast live on a public YouTube channel to provide for public access to the courts during the pandemic shutdown, but the practice was halted over a complaint by prosecutors that this means of public access created opportunities for harassment and intimidation of victims, witnesses, and defendants. Responding to an emergency petition by the Philadelphia district attorney, the state Supreme Court halted the YouTube broadcasts. Prosecutors said they will explore alternatives including private Zoom calls and closed-circuit feeds.

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How the book industry is weathering the COVID-19 storm

Kate Tuttle

September 17, 2020 |

The Boston Globe |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

Despite book sales being up during the coronavirus pandemic, many book stores aren't seeing a viable source of income due to the cancellation of book launches and many digital purchases being made on wholesale sites. Authors and publishers, however, have found a silver lining by using technology to host virtual book readings which allows them to reach audiences they may not have before.

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What Germany teaches the world in a crisis

John Kampfner

September 16, 2020 |

Financial Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Germany

Germany has weathered the pandemic with lower illness rates than its neighbors and a relatively strong economy thanks to leadership and responses that have evolved and helped the country thrive in the three decades since reunification. The author of the book "Why the Germans Do It Better: Notes from a Grown-Up Country" reports on the blend of governing, business, and social approaches to challenges – rooted in a concept of "social trust" in the state and society, and a steady, deliberate, caring mindset – that help the country confront a contagion, a recession, or a refugee crisis.

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COVID-19 Has Crushed Everybody's Economy—Except for South Korea's

Morten Soendergaard Larsen

September 16, 2020 |

Foreign Policy |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: South Korea, Gyeonggi

South Korea's economic growth is one of the few that have not stagnated or declined during the coronavirus pandemic. Although much of this is due to how effectively the country handled containment protocols from the start, the overall fiscal response – which included encouraging residents to reinvest government payouts in local businesses – also played a significant role. In one province, this included using non-cash payments "that could only be spent in shops inside the region, rather than as cash that could be hoarded."

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Masks effect hard to isolate, but officials say they're important layer of protection

Tom Hallberg

September 16, 2020 |

Jackson Hole News & Guide |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Jackson, Wyoming

Data collected from a handful of states where the idea of mask wearing has spread and been adopted, shows that after three weeks' time, the average daily growth rate of COVID-19 cases decreases. Although experts say that mask-wearing is not a solution on its own, the benefits of government mandates to wear a mask do still make an impact and the effectiveness only increases over time.

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