Prepare yourself to be motivated and elevated with a new viewpoint on the narratives that have stimulated us in the previous week. At Citizen State, we always work towards a brighter future, and often the groundwork for that future starts today. Start your week with a positive outlook by browsing through the pages of Citizen State Weekly. If you have any suggestions or would like us to feature your story, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@citizen-state.com.
Conferences, company offsites, and other team travel are helping to fill a void left by the office and meeting people’s need for in-person collaboration and relationship building, all without having to go to the office. The trend of turning conferences into immersive, interactive social events existed before the pandemic, but the pandemic has accelerated it, and as companies let workers choose where they work, those qualities are becoming more sought after.
Fake news publications produced by conservative organization Metric Media, like the Iowa Catholic Tribune, sowed confusion among voters ahead of the 2022 US midterms. Such "pink slime" publications exacerbate the crisis of trust in media and contribute to the growth of "news deserts," with one in five Americans now living in areas without reliable local news. Rural communities have been hit hardest by these trends, and national reporters have often reported on them without understanding the issues. We need a concerted effort to restore local media that serves every community and its citizens, with initiatives including philanthropy-fueled efforts like Report for America, the American Journalism Project, and the establishment of nonprofit outlets.
As US healthcare systems become overwhelmed by unprecedented levels of respiratory syncytial virus and influenza, patient experience surveys are more critical than ever in measuring the quality of healthcare. Such surveys are meant to capture a patient's experience of caregiving that can't be reflected in their electronic health record or insurance claims. Research shows that patients who have better experiences with their doctors and nurses are more likely to follow their medical providers' advice and prescriptions. Policymakers, healthcare providers, medical associations, and medical schools need to make purposeful changes to their priorities and expectations to allow doctors and nurses to have the time and space for kindness.
The field of urban studies has seen a recent shift towards a "Southern" perspective, which amplifies neglected dimensions of urban life through new engagements with "Southern" urban dynamics. This article argues that the growing lack of confidence in government can create new modes of social authority and valuation. While "Northern" cities are characterized by systematic regulations and formalised economic growth, "Southern" cities, in the absence or weakness of such characteristics, have alternative kinds of urbanizing relations that generate new ideas and practices.
Dion Dawson, a Chicagoan, has set up Dion's Chicago Dream, a nonprofit that focuses on providing access to fresh fruit and vegetables to those in need in Chicago's Englewood neighbourhood. The nonprofit uses two initiatives: a community fridge stocked with fresh produce and a free weekly delivery service. Dawson was inspired by his own past experiences with food insecurity and his negative experience with foodbanks. He has made it his goal to challenge the traditional model of food distribution by focusing on the recipient instead of the donor experience. His nonprofit has gained the support of locals and organisations such as the Obama Foundation. Since its start, Project Dream Fridge has provided more than 36,000 pounds of fresh food and water. Through the weekly home deliveries, he and his seven employees now deliver to 375 homes per week, feeding 2,000 people in 23 neighbourhoods with 15,000 pounds of fresh produce per month.