From finding a place to live to getting a debit card, a first-of-its-kind San Francisco program supports seniors in the challenging and often stressful task of returning home after incarceration. Founded in 2002, the SEOP is the oldest and still one of the only reentry programs in the country to focus specifically on the needs of older formerly incarcerated people. NEXT CITY
Read MoreResearchers from Northwestern University developed the tech and it works by hiding a bit of gluten in a biodegradable nanoparticle. Injected into a person’s bloodstream, the nanoparticle looks to the immune system like a bit harmless debris, so it allows a macrophage — a type of cell tasked with removing such detritus from the body — to gobble up the particle, hidden gluten and all. FUTURISM
Read MoreWhile trees in the rest of urban America are dropping like fall leaves, Baltimore’s urban forest has actually gotten bigger. Not much bigger—only one percent—but bigger nonetheless. Baltimore’s secret to keeping its streets green is surprisingly simple: they monitor their trees more closely than almost any other city in the country. REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL
Read MoreIt has been a bit of a bumpy start, but a new era of computing seems to be here. Researchers at Google claim their quantum computer has solved a problem that would take even the very best conventional machine thousands of years to crack. NEW SCIENTIST
Read MoreIntensive agriculture is among the factors blamed for the steep decline in wildlife native to the UK and Ireland since the 1970s, but the Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN) is determined to reverse the trend. Here are some of the farms doing their bit. THE ECOLOGIST
Read MoreFor the past two years, Beatrice Ndavi, a 56-year-old farmer in central Kenya, has received vouchers for good-quality seeds and fertiliser, as well as training to improve her yields. The support is offered on credit as part of an insurance scheme that provides security for the farmer's loan by paying it down if her harvest is damaged by extreme weather. THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION
Read MoreA new study suggests that a switch to 100% organic food production in England and Wales would see an overall increase in greenhouse gas emissions. While going fully organic would produce fewer direct emissions than conventional farming, researchers say it would limit food production. BBC NEWS
Read MoreThe concept of radiative cooling—where the temperature of objects outside at night drops below the temperature of the air—has been known for centuries. Now scientists are harnessing it as an energy source. FAST COMPANY
Read MoreFrom ex-prostitutes making jewellery out of bullet casing to drones delivering blood, rising numbers of businesses with a mission to help address social problems are emerging in Ethiopia as the economy opens up. An estimated 55,000 social enterprises operate in Ethiopia, according to the World Bank. THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION
Read MoreIndia has cancelled plans to build nearly 14 gigawatts of coal-fired power stations – about the same as the total amount in the UK – with the price for solar electricity “free falling” to levels once considered impossible. Analyst Tim Buckley said the shift away from the dirtiest fossil fuel and towards solar in India would have “profound” implications on global energy markets. THE INDEPENDENT
Read MoreBarren, dry and distant - welcome to Mars, where even the dust is poison. But space scientists say the Red Planet could show mankind how to reuse resources and preserve life on Earth. A new exhibit opening in London on Friday showcases some of the smart solutions that could make the red planet habitable, as humans target Mars with the same exploratory zeal they once reserved for the moon. PLACE
Read MoreAbortion has been decriminalised and same-sex marriage is to be legalised in Northern Ireland. Legislation making the changes - which was passed by MPs at Westminster - came into force at yesterday. The first same-sex weddings in Northern Ireland are set to take place in February 2020. BBC NEWS
Read MoreNo doubt many school children do undergo a troublesome and precarious existence, and some can and do benefit from mindfulness to get them through their days. However, adjusting students to their personal pain while leaving its social, economic and political sources untouched is unlikely to promote their long-term wellbeing, still less fulfill the potential of mindfulness in transforming education for the better. TRANSFORMATION
Read MoreAuthor Anand Giridharadas is rebuking the idea that philanthropic billionaires are society’s heroes. That idea, or at least the sound-bite version of it, is that today’s plutocrats maintain their elite status, and the broader status quo, by using their wealth to control, marionette-style, the priorities of America’s noble-minded societal institutions. FAST COMPANY
Read MoreEfforts to slow the pace of city life range from the literal - with many cities pushing for lower speed limits on their roads - to the imaginative, such as looking for ways to promote mindfulness. Many of them include a recognition of the rising importance of public spaces that are geared more toward quiet and contemplation than efficiency and technology. PLACE
Read MoreInnovations such as roads that reflect heat and water-absorbing pavements that will help the Olympic Games in Tokyo be a carbon neutral event, could also be adopted by other cities looking to mitigate climate risks, urban experts said. PLACE
Read MoreUS astronauts Jessica Meir and Christina Koch answered questions from reporters and members of the public in a press conference from the International Space Station. The two astronauts made history on Friday, becoming the first to complete an all-female spacewalk. BBC NEWS
Read MoreMillennials are having fewer children and caring more about environmental impact, so the toy industry is now experimenting with a newly popular "toy subscription" service. OZY
Read MoreBanning staff from accessing their work emails outside office hours could do more harm than good to employee wellbeing, a study suggests. BBC NEWS
Read MoreThe city of Stockton, California, has been experimenting with an idea – called the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration (SEED) – that could help alleviate this financial vulnerability for some of its residents and ultimately improve their physical and mental health. THE HUFFINGTON POST
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