SELECTED
“8 minutes, 19 seconds: Inside one man’s dying body as Narcan molecules rush to reverse an overdose”
THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE / PDF
A battle fought in silence and darkness plays out about every day in San Diego County. (1,910 words)
“A cross, a bracelet and a body: Who was the woman found in Forester Creek?”
THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE / PDF
Investigators asked that question for weeks after San Diego’s historic storm. The answer involved the city’s biggest crises. (3,029 words)
“This N.J. cop used more force than anyone else. Is he violent or just good at his job?”
A 16-month-long investigation flagged hundreds of New Jersey officers using force at alarming rates, including one South Jersey cop with an utterly unique record. (2,092 words)
The state attorney general’s office opened an investigation after our stories published, and this officer later pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and lost his job.
New Jersey women’s prison investigation
NJ.COM
Several stories written with two colleagues exposed a series of beatings at the state’s only women’s facility and the troubled history of the man in charge. In response, lawmakers held hearings and advanced new reforms while the governor ordered an independent investigation — which ultimately cited, confirmed and expanded on the reporting, prompting the head of the entire prison system to resign and the governor to announce plans to shutter the facility.
Other articles gave an in-depth look at the incident, highlighted the prison’s backed-up complaint system, raised concerns about the transfer of a transgender woman who said she was attacked, detailed the millions of dollars taxpayers are paying as a result of abuse investigations, explored the track record of a consultant hired to fix the problems and broke the news about a prison watchdog’s resignation.
“Guatemalans are sending a record amount of money home during Trump’s presidency. Will their investment pay off?”
PUBLIC RADIO INTERNATIONAL / PDF
Feeling vulnerable in the U.S., Guatemalan immigrants are sending billions of dollars south. One family's story shows their hope — and the hurdles they face. (2,177 words)
“Injury on Missouri waterslide highlights lax regulation”
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS / THE WASHINGTON POST / THE NEW YORK TIMES / PDF
A woman said she was injured on a new waterslide at Six Flags St. Louis. Yet no government official conducted a safety inspection of the slide before it opened, because Missouri doesn't consider waterslides to be "amusement rides." (734 words)
“Inside the Class That Teaches Missouri Lawmakers When It’s OK to Pull the Trigger”
VICE NEWS / THE TRACE / VOX MAGAZINE / PDF
Once a year, state legislators gather for private firearms instruction. Some also leave with new ideas for relaxing gun laws. (1,728 words)
“Ready to practice comics journalism? Ask these questions before you commit”
Seven questions every editor and artist who wants to make non-fiction comics should ask, based on a dozen interviews with some of the best graphic journalists in the world. (1,305 words)