Welcome to Marshall County: Rural, red and at the top in Kansas for COVID-19 vaccination

Tuberculosis is still a rampant problem in the developing world. Doctors are looking for even more advanced ways to test for TB beyond the GeneXpert tests.

Alaska has created a way for residents to financially benefit from the state's dependence on oil revenues. By giving residents a yearly portion of the revenue, the state has been able to see positive effects from an often conflict-ridden industry.

Boston had a hard time solving civic problems efficiently and holding its leadership accountable. In response, a team in the Mayor's office was charged with "making Boston better through clever, low-cost hacks" such as a mobile app that allows residents to send government service requests to City Hall.

Huge numbers of students lack the chance to go to college because of financial problems. Recently, Kalamazoo schools received more funding allowing them to have the chance to help and pay for students to then go to college and receive a higher education.

The pressure is on for the federal government to spend tax money more wisely. Evidence-based policy making is gaining in popularity as a way for the government to spend tax money wisely. While not quite as flashy or exciting as past ways, this has a proven track record of positive impact.

In Memphis, a creative blight-reduction initiative called 25 Square Blocks broke down the city into blocks. Inspectors were able to quickly identify all the violations and fix them, using the same amount of funding, but less time, as the old call-and-respond model.

Slow test results make it difficult to stop the spread of tuberculosis. Using faster diagnostic technology and driving vans to rural areas in Tanzania, GeneXpert is making progress in treating this curable disease.

Although patients go to hospitals to receive medical care, many Americans will acquire infections that did not already have them. The United States as a whole has made modest progress at reducing the rates of hospital-acquired infections. Spearheading the efforts, the Veterans Affairs Medical Centers have devised anti-MRSA strategies to keep patients safe.

For decades, AIDS has taken the lives of millions of people and infected millions more worldwide. The key to reducing the effect of AIDS, and even potentially curing it, involves treating patients as early as possible after being diagnosed with HIV, before the disease damages organs. San Francisco General Hospital developed the RAPID program for this purpose, with the goal of “Getting to Zero” the number of new infections and deaths.

As Vermont struggles to create legislation regulating school district management and financial efficiency, the state looks to models in Maine and New Hampshire for guidance. In Maine, school districts have tried to save money and resources through consolidation; in New Hampshire, officials have reworked the way schooling is financed altogether.