Illustration takes important information and makes it easy for all to understand.

A very solid report on the human impacts of cutbacks to the SNAP program.

Rigorous journalism revealing how federal decisions disrupt critical state level programs

"One of the few entries in the competition that actually gets into the classroom. This time it is about a language skills program that taps into 3-D printing to help students learn more about language. "

This piece is an interesting exploration of how mental health services matter and how budget cuts negatively affect them. Plenty of credible sources and studies are used in order for the author to make their argument.

Compelling narrative intersection of environmental justice, clinical science, and human impact.

They say that big things come in small packages, and that is exactly what this column proves about rudimentary scientific research. It has a strong thesis with equally strong evidence to boot.

Outstanding, informative beat reporting on a subject most news organizations mostly ignore. These stories work because they are human-driven, written with authority and context, and filled with insight -- often supported by data. Terrific work.