Identifying Local Opportunities

1. Level the Playing Field; Put an End to Gerrymandering
http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A92A07BAB8DA28?p=AWNB
Pennsylvania state legislators are drawing their own legislative maps. This is a problem because it assures the legislators who draw the maps re-election. This eliminates a system of checks and balances put in place to control legislators power and is generally unfair to voters. Voters and opposing political parties face this problem.

2. Record Tides, 2 Feet of Flooding at Shore
 http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A92A0742D22EE8?p=AWNB
A nor'easter that brought a blizzard to much of the north east caused record flooding in many shore towns. Some places had up to two feet of flooding, making travel impossible and causing tons of damage. High tide marks broke records set by Hurricane Sandy in 2012 in many places, including Stone Harbor. The problem is that beach towns are still not equipped to handle large storms, even after Sandy. Every major storm leads to crippling floods which costs residents and towns a ridiculous amount of money. Residents of shore towns and those who must travel through them often are those who are most affected by this problem. 

3. U.S. End-Of-Life Care Receives Good Marks but is Still Pricey
http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A92A076F80B0B8?p=AWNB
End-of-life care in the United States is effective but too costly. The US has the third highest per-capita hospital costs, with $18,500 0n average. This is a problem because $18,500 is an incredibly high amount to pay for something as vital as end-of-life care. Most people in that stage of life don't have an extraordinary amount of money to spend and health care doesn't cover all costs. Society needs to find a solution to this problem and provide more affordable end-of-life care. People paying for end-of-life care are the ones facing this problem.

4. School Threats Multiply and Get Harder to Track
http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A92A0787DB3330?p=AWNB
Violent threats of shooting and bombs are causing schools to have to evacuate at an alarmingly high rate. This is an issue because students' educations are being tampered with, evacuations are costly, and most of these threats are false, possibly desensitizing administrators to the seriousness of these threats. The problem for schools and police is finding ways to clear these threats quickly and identify who is delivering them. School administrators and police are struggling with this challenge.

5. Airstrikes Leave 29 Dead in Syria
http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A92A0785FE64B0?p=AWNB
Airstrikes against ISIS in Syria likely carried out by Russia have left 29 civilians dead. Now a total of 73 civilians have been killed in the Deir al-Zour province since just Friday. This is a problem because military strikes shouldn't be killing civilians at such a high rate. While war always brings about collateral damage, such a high level of casualties is unacceptable. Targeting technology and surveillance both need to improve in order to prevent this from happening in the future. Civilians in war zones and warring governments are both facing this problem.