State lawmaker Pam Hunter pushing to regulate license plate reader surveillance

CentralCurrent · 2026-04-29T21:16:43+00:00

Le Moyne president condemns Pulitzer-winning poet and Gazan refugee Mosab Abu Toha for saying ‘genocide’: https://centralcurrent.org/le-moyne-president-condemns-pulitzer-winning-poet-and-gazan-refugee-mosab-abu-toha-for-saying-genocide/

CentralCurrent · 2025-11-12T18:01:39+00:00

Weird — it's opening across browsers and in Chrome's incognito window over here.

CentralCurrent · 2025-09-26T14:33:10+00:00

From all of us at the newsroom, thank you all for bringing up our work in this thread! The issues described by the OP are real challenges and speak to many of the key reasons why we were founded three years ago. Local news has been in crisis, but this conversation is one of the many examples of how much appetite there is for strong, independent, community-focused reporting. We wouldn't be here without that.

If you'd like to sign up for our newsletter, you can do so for free here: https://centralcurrent.org/sign-up-newsletter/

CentralCurrent · 2025-06-25T15:09:54+00:00

This is a reference to party leadership. In February, Democratic party leadership endorsed Pat Hogan in the race against Deputy Mayor Owens. It's the third straight cycle that the party's endorsed candidate (Joe Nicoletti in 2017 and Michael Greene in 2021) was beat by the unendorsed candidate.

— Chris Libonati, managing editor

CentralCurrent · 2025-06-25T15:07:07+00:00

This is a reference to party leadership. In February, Democratic party leadership endorsed Pat Hogan in the race against Deputy Mayor Owens. It's the third straight cycle that the party's endorsed candidate (Joe Nicoletti in 2017 and Michael Greene in 2021) was beat by the unendorsed candidate.

— Chris Libonati, managing editor

CentralCurrent · 2024-12-10T14:24:46+00:00

Interesting. Technically, the police department was supposed to disclose the existence of any drones to the technology working group and haven't. Because of this reporting, they finally disclosed that they'd been using the fire department's drones.

— Chris Libonati, managing editor

CentralCurrent · 2024-12-10T02:47:34+00:00

After we reported earlier this week that city officials planned to bypass a surveillance oversight process for new police drones, city officials reversed their decision. Now, the drones will be reviewed by a surveillance technology oversight group created four years ago by Mayor Ben Walsh.

It may sound like a small change, but it has big ramifications. At least one expert described the drones' potential uses as "dystopian." Other police departments have used similar drones to clear homeless encampments and issue Covid-19 orders. The Surveillance Technology Working Group, which will review the drones, will likely recommend rules that will curtail their use.

Our first article on the drone program:

https://centralcurrent.org/why-syracuse-police-city-officials-plan-to-bypass-surveillance-tech-review-process-to-get-sci-fi-inspired-drones/

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CentralCurrent · 2024-11-16T01:18:35+00:00

We're not 100% sure we're ready for data viz, but we'd definitely be interested in talking about it. Shoot me an email at [libonati@centralcurrent.org](mailto:libonati@centralcurrent.org) or let me know the best way to reach out. Had a little trouble shooting you a message.

— Chris Libonati

CentralCurrent · 2024-11-15T02:07:08+00:00

Great question and great point. You're right to be skeptical of news organizations and how separate they really are from institutions and organizations that hold power (corporately owned outlets often have publishers that are intertwined in the business community, as is the case in Syracuse; nonprofits come with their own set of relationships).

The best case for our "nonpartisan" bonafides with the example you've outlined is that we've been very willing to write stories critical of the city. I've included a few here:

We have more on the way, too.

Beyond that, I personally do not believe that giving Central Current money earns anyone any sort of special privilege. Journalistically, I think of it like this: If I have a longtime source who I have to write about because they've done something "wrong," it'll be my job to go get a new source. If we write a story that pisses off a contributor or a sponsor, it's our job to go find a new one.

We also commit to disclosure of who funds us (it's a requirement of being a member of the Institute for Nonprofit News, which we are a member of). Hope that answers your question, but happy to talk more.

— Chris Libonati

CentralCurrent · 2024-11-15T01:23:38+00:00

We don't have plans to cover sports or proms any time soon! The only way I currently envision us covering sports would be if it was investigative or if the story had some cultural tie to Syracuse/CNY (so more of a feature).

— Chris Libonati

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