Authors
Nathan Porceng

Nathan Porceng is a writer and journalist living in New York City. His work has appeared in Balls & Strikes, Grist, The Daily Beast, and more. Nathan grew up in Central New York and spent five years as a submarine officer in the United States Navy.

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A photo collage, photo of smoke billowing above trees in Jennings Creek layered over an photo of brush on fire.
New York Isn’t Ready to Fight More Wildfires

New York could see more frequent and destructive blazes, but the state doesn’t have enough forest rangers and firefighters to respond to the growing threat.

November 26, 2024
Syracuse Officer With History of Abuse and Dishonesty Leads Police Union

Joseph Moran has long faced accusations of dishonesty — even from a fellow officer — records show.

June 18, 2024
A jail cell with keys in the lock seen through a dirty window.
Demystifying the New York Parole Board’s Murky Decisions

In New York, many incarcerated people don’t know how to secure their freedom. A court fight could clear up the lethally opaque process.

December 18, 2023
NYPD Vans in front of the New York County Surrogate's Court at 31 Chambers Street.
Police Discipline Comes Before the Court of Appeals

The state’s top court will settle disputes between Rochester, Syracuse, New York City, and their police unions next week in three cases that could reshape police discipline across the state.

October 13, 2023
A picture of Emily Gallagher in floor debate
Human Rights Watchdog Investigates Landlords, Teachers, and Dentists — But Not Cops or Prison Guards

The state Division of Human Rights considers prisons, jails, and police departments exempt from human rights law.

August 10, 2023
A forest overlooking Long Pond in the St Regis Canoe Area of Adirondack Park with artificial flames superimposed in the sky.
Will a Fear of Fires Burn New York?

Prescribed burns are banned in New York’s largest tracts of forest, but some rangers say they need to torch the brush to save the trees.

July 25, 2023
Syracuse I-81 viaduct with the city in green behind it and a crack through the middle.
How a Superhighway Split Syracuse

In Syracuse, the I-81 viaduct has two groups at war. One wants to tear it down, one wants to leave it up — all in the name of environmental justice.

July 6, 2023