Insights

<p>California's policies of massive incarceration take a toll on children, families and neighborhoods in Oakland.</p>

<p>"Food deserts" — geographic areas that don’t have access to fresh, affordable, healthy food, such as fruits and vegetables — are often covered from an angle that reports simply on the fact that produce is lacking. But there are plenty of angles to take when tackling this tough subject. Here are just a few.</p>

<p>Tomato paste a "vegetable" in school lunches, high lead levels in New Orleans homes, and suing medical marijuana outlets, plus more from our Daily Briefing.&nbsp;</p>

<p>My new book, "Lockdown High," explores the myths and reality of school violence and zero tolerance policies. Here's what I learned while reporting it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>How reliable is a diagnosis of infant shaking?</p>

<p>A community’s mental health is difficult to quantify: It’s highly dependent on self-reporting and deeply entwined with cultural context. While physical health problems are easily spotted, mental health issues are harder to see – and often harder to fix.</p>

<p>The Supremes make health reform headlines today, kids and cholesterol, and the links between an industrial solvent and Parkinson's disease, plus more from our Daily Briefing.</p>

<p>Andy Rooney died of "serious complications" following minor surgery. But what does that really mean? Journalists need to dig deeper.</p>

<p>This past year, Lake County News has dedicated a lot of time, planning, information gathering and writing to our California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowship proj</p>

<p>Trauma and loss, even experienced via narratives, are powerful and can return with new effects in the most unexpected moments. They have direct impact on the lives and mental health of the people who lived them. Employing oral history and community participation, I aim to bring awareness about mental health issues connected to traumatic experiences of Vietnamese Americans.</p>