Congress has a plan to fight retail crime. Advocacy groups call it a ‘Trojan horse’ to expand federal surveillance, deportation initiatives
Retail industry leaders and bipartisan federal lawmakers say a new fusion center in the Department of Homeland Security will fight sophisticated crime rings. Civil liberties advocates see a thinly-veiled expansion of ICE’s stated mission.
CITY AND GOVERNMENT
Crouse Health wins naming rights to Onondaga County’s new aquarium
The hospital paid $1.5 million to officially name the Crouse Health Harborview Aquarium.
New Onondaga County advisory board proposes local development corporation to combat housing crisis
Members of the Housing and Transportation Citizen’s Advisory Board are soft-launching its proposals to solve Onondaga’s housing supply issues.
Podcast: Surveillance in Syracuse
Patrick McCarthy takes listeners inside the growing public debate over Flock cameras, the ways this technology is being used locally and what we know so far about its impact on crime and safety.
FEATURED STORIES
Onondaga County Legislature to consider resolution about keeping ICE away from election polling sites
The resolution was inspired by ICE’s arrival at the polls during the June primary.
Ryan Shostack gravitated toward birding at a young age. Now he wants to build an inclusive birding community
Ryan Shostack recently created the Facebook group Birders for Inclusiveness in hopes of breaking down barriers to birding.
New York paused AI data center development for a year. In the interim, lawmakers want to block tax breaks
Gov. Kathy Hochul has signaled support for a Syracuse-based state lawmaker’s proposal to ban IDAs from floating tax breaks to woo data centers.
More News
A week after waffling, Citizen Review Board to resume investigations into Syracuse police misconduct
The board four months ago paused investigations because of legal advice from the city’s top lawyer. After three attorneys argued the city’s lawyer was wrong, the Common Council directed the board to resume its investigatory work.
Upstate’s vision to expand ER involves closing a key street in the city, putting Crouse and Upstate at odds
Upstate University Hospital officials in the last few weeks have started pitching the Common Council on closing one block of East Adams Street to connect the current ER to a new building.
Councilor rules out resolution that CRB chairman says is necessary to resume investigations; board to meet Wednesday to discuss future
At the board’s last meeting, residents called on board members to accept the common council’s directive to resume police misconduct investigations, or resign.
Can AI in the permitting process help solve Syracuse’s housing crisis?
City officials say incorporating AI will help speed up the permitting process for quicker development of much needed housing in Syracuse.
Research, edits and Thurgood Marshall’s voice: How Syracuse officials are using AI
Central Current set out to learn more about the role that AI is playing in local governance, and what Syracuse officials see as the ideal role of AI moving forward.
Zelikha Zohra Shoja’s ‘In Search of Bluer Tongues’ weaves Syracuse into the global strands of diaspora
Shoja, a U.S.-based Afghan artist living in Syracuse, will have her experimental film screened at Light Work on Friday.
Democratic Board of Elections commissioner asks judge to review Republican counterpart’s refusal to put term limits law on ballot
Dustin Czarny has challenged the actions of Republican Board of Elections Commissioner Kevin Ryan over his refusal to put term limits on the November ballot.
Onondaga County lawmakers take the first step toward suing the Board of Elections
“We cannot just let a democracy question lie open,” said Legislature Chair Nicole Watts of the decision to obtain approval to sue.
Sean Kirst: After 67 years at Pioneer Homes, Jean Singletary hopes her last great move equates to staying there
Nearing 94, Singletary is an extraordinary witness to many decades of daily life in the state’s oldest public housing complex — which could be gone within two years.
Syracuse lawmakers direct Citizen Review Board to resume investigations of police, going against mayor, city lawyers
The decision followed a hearing at which three lawyers and advocates of the CRB pushed back against city lawyers.
Onondaga County Legislature set to decide whether to sue over term limit referendum
Chair Nicole Watts and Majority Leader Nodesia Hernandez are advancing an item that would allow the legislature to sue.
Could the North Country get its Micron moment?
As the North Country makes a pitch for its role in the Micron supply chain, Micron has responded with donations.
New York is struggling to track its own AI use
Several agencies’ high-profile AI programs do not appear in the state’s AI inventory.
How much did taxpayers pay for former Syracuse Housing Authority Executive Director Bill Simmons to retire?
As part of his separation agreement, Simmons received more than $90,000 for what appeared to be nearly six months of accrued vacation time.
Sean Kirst: What seemed impossible then is about to happen. It’s 25 years since Van Robinson made a public call to pull down I-81
In 2001, Robinson saw forces coming together that would allow his longtime dream to become a 2026 reality.
Legal experts to advocate for Syracuse to preserve its Citizen Review Board in meeting with lawmakers
The Common Council’s Public Safety committee will host Alan Rosenthal, considered an architect of the CRB, and NYCLU.
Brandon Hanks, SHA host last 10K tournament at Wilson Park for the foreseeable future
The Syracuse police officer said he’s looking for a place to host next year’s tournament, which has traditionally been held at Wilson Park.
McMahon proposes ‘path forward’ as Onondaga County legislators contemplate litigation
The county executive proposed what he termed a “bipartisan compromise.” Some legislators said they hadn’t seen the proposal before it was released.
As Onondaga County braces for potential legal civil war, it’s already planning on being $500K in the hole on outside lawyers, comptroller says
Both of the county’s elections commissioners have been assigned lawyers. Neither has committed to suing the other.
Syracuse never posted its license plate reader policy. Chief Mark Rusin plans to change that before activating Axon readers
Rusin said the department is working with Axon to meet requirements laid out four years ago by surveillance oversight experts and authorized by the mayor.
Flock Safety removes its license plate readers, finalizing eight-month breakup with City of Syracuse
All readers have been removed, police and the company said. One lawmaker who led efforts to remove them called on other entities to also cut ties to Flock.
Sean Kirst: Orphaned at 11, a Manlius woman’s World War II journey in ‘footsteps’ of Buffalo parents she dearly missed
Mary Ward’s mom and dad worked side-by-side in an American combat field hospital. Until last week, Mary still had her mom’s wedding dress, made of silk from a German parachute.
See you in court? Republican elections commissioner says he won’t greenlight Dems’ term limit maneuver
Kevin Ryan’s decision not to OK county executive term limits for the November ballot leaves court as the likely route to settle Democrats’ and Republicans’ disagreement.
Sean Kirst: A Kirk Park gathering Saturday to unveil memorial for Al Turner, ‘who got the soul of it’ in community he loved
Whether it was On Point for College or the Inner-City Rotary, a guy who did the quiet civic work that matters most.
With New York State Fair naturalization ceremony canceled, a quiet ceremony in the Onondaga County Courthouse
Rowan Wilson, the state’s top judge, had planned on presiding over the state fair ceremony but traveled to Syracuse to preside over Wednesday’s instead.
The Onondaga County Legislature got a lawyer back in April. The Democratic majority is using it to fight McMahon
Legislature legal representation is again at the center of a conflict after County Executive Ryan McMahon’s accidental signing of his own term limits.
No takebacks: Democrats try to enforce McMahon’s accidental approval of his own term limits
McMahon, the county executive, sent an email to legislature clerk with a signed adoption document but later tried to send the clerk a veto.
How $3.7M owed by the state DOT to the Syracuse Housing Authority could ease SHA budget constraints
SHA expects to receive nearly $3.7 million for these properties, also called easements from New York State Department of Transportation.
Sean Kirst: A goodbye to one-of-a-kind bond shaped by mismatched feet, though friendship goes on as legend
One man wore shoe size 13 left, size 9 right, the other the opposite. A seemingly difficult physical barrier became the bedrock of an extraordinary alliance.
Meet Syracuse Housing Authority’s new interim executive director Jalyn Clifford
Longtime SHA Executive Director Bill Simmons retired, effective July 10. Jalyn Clifford, the former deputy executive director, took over for Simmons.
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