A series of news pictures that depicts a story line or single theme. (A picture story depicting the President of the United States, other U.S. politicians, or U.S. politics is NOT eligible in this category.) 12 photos maximum per story.

[still_multi portfolio=”no” place=”first” slider_number=”53″ name=”Jewel Samad” affiliation=”Agence France-Presse” title=”Ferguson” description=”Police chase after demonstrators during clashes between police and protesters over verdict of the death 18-year-old Michael Brown Jr. in Ferguson, Missouri, on November 24, 2014. ” released=”fair_use”] [still_multi portfolio=”no” place=”second” slider_number=”54″ name=”Mary F. Calvert” affiliation=”Zuma Press” title=”The Battle Within: Sexual Assault in America’s Military” description=”Women who join the US Armed Forces are being raped and sexually assaulted by their colleagues in record numbers. An estimated 20,000 rapes and sexual assaults took place last year and only 6,236 victims reported their attacks. The violence of the rape and the ensuing emotional trauma are compounded by the futility of reporting the attacks to their commands. The effects of Military Sexual Trauma, (MST), include depression, substance abuse, paranoia and feelings of isolation. Victims spend years drowning in shame and fear as the psychological damage silently eats away at their lives: many frequently end up addicted to drugs and alcohol, homeless or take their own lives. ” released=”fair_use”] [still_multi portfolio=”no” place=”third” slider_number=”55″ name=” Jahi Chikwendiu” affiliation=”The Washington Post” title=”We CopWatch” description=”The fatal shooting of the 18-year-old, unarmed African-American Michael Brown, Jr. by White police officer Darren Wilson and the eventual and questionable grand jury decision to bring no charges against the officer highlight a long trend of the ofttimes volatile relationship between Black communities and White police officers all around the United States. Unlike many other similar cases that were mostly not as extreme, the killing of Michael Brown and the decision for him not to face a trial sparked nation-wide protest. Mostly peaceful protests have sometimes turned violent with calls for the country to face its long and deep history of racism and the uneasy relationship between Black communities and the ofttimes heavy-handed police officers hired to serve communities many of them don’t know.” released=”fair_use”] [still_multi portfolio=”no” place=”excellence” slider_number=”56″ name=”Matt McClain” affiliation=”The Washington Post” title=”The Final Deployment” description=”For much America, the war in Afghanistan has faded from the headlines. However, the conflict is very much alive and real for troops in Fort Campbell, KY. As the war for the United States winds down, members of a U.S. Army battalion prepare for their final combat deployment in Afghanistan. ” released=”fair_use”]