alex arriaga
@alexarriaga.bsky.social
local journalist | new york focus audience engagement editor
1/ I'm really excited to share this animated and illustrated video today. Terrell Eleby was 26 when he was convicted of a crime that he says he did not commit. Today, he’s in his 60s and has stage four cancer, but is still fighting his conviction.
An Incarcerated New Yorker Wrote To Us About Fighting His Conviction.…
Terrell Eleby has been asking for his conviction to be reviewed since 2013. Now, he’s also fighting stage four cancer.
nysfocus.com
As school picks back up, I'm thinking about all the lessons I learned from my 4 year old niece, who recently had her first day. She's my teacher! littleclicks.substack.com/p/lessons-fr...
Lessons from Luna
Luna’s starting school this week. Here are a few things my 4 year old queen has taught me.
littleclicks.substack.com
see you tmrw!
New York Focus@nysfocus.com · 4w agoDon't miss the first installment of our lecture series, tomorrow September 17! Featuring speakers Alex Bores and Garrison Lovely, in conversation with Focus Editor-in-Chief Akash Mehta. They will discuss New York's role in regulating AI and data centers. Get your ticket! https://luma.com/kbutec5p
a "little click" from me on substack. a rumination on short-lived connections that leave their mark and let you go. littleclicks.substack.com/p/the-relief...
The Relief of Brief Encounters
It's ok to conclude an expired shared story.
littleclicks.substack.com
a "little click" from me on substack. a rumination on short-lived connections that leave their mark and let you go. littleclicks.substack.com/p/the-relief...
The Relief of Brief Encounters
It's ok to conclude an expired shared story.
littleclicks.substack.com
Yikes. Women accounted for all of the job losses and all of the labor force decline in July, according to @nwlc.org
Happy to have Amudalat Ajasa's excellent story about paraquat, an herbicide linked to Parkinson's disease, republilshed @theguardian.com. Give it a read if you haven't yet! @us.theguardian.com @nysfocus.com
‘Parkinson’s Valley’: the herbicide haunting a New York farm town
Paraquat is banned in over 70 countries. Some farmers and their families in Hebron believe the pesticide is causing Parkinson’s disease and are demanding that New York ban it
theguardian.com
After @nysfocus.com reported on the plan for a Western NY school district to bring an AI-programmed teaching assistant into classrooms, the pilot was put on pause. How the robot handle a student's questions and conflicts? @melissamanno.bsky.social interviewed Sally:
I Interviewed Realbotix’s AI Teaching Assistant. Here’s What Happened.
A New York school district is weighing whether to use an AI teaching assistant this fall. We interviewed "Sally" to see how it would interact with…
nysfocus.com
Paraquat — a herbicide commonly used to kill broadleaf weeds and grasses in New York and across the US — is banned in more than 70 countries. In an upstate town one resident calls "Parkinson's Valley," farmers are demanding that New York follow suit.
The Herbicide Haunting a New York Farm Town
Paraquat is banned in more than 70 countries. In an upstate town one resident calls “Parkinson’s Valley,” farmers are demanding New York follow suit.
nysfocus.com
"Nearly all of those interviewed for the report acknowledged that groups of “goon squads” would beat up incarcerated people they viewed as difficult." @chrisgelardi.bsky.social @nysfocus.com
New York’s Prison System Can’t Keep Track of Its Own Violence
An independent review found violence, weak oversight, outdated training, and dysfunction across New York’s prison system.
nysfocus.com
As the first audience editor at New York Focus, I kicked off the practice of introducing the organization to a statewide New York audience with a listening tour and online survey. You can read that report here: nysfocus.com/listening-to...
New York Focus Statewide Community Listening Tour
New York's only statewide newsroom dedicated to holding Albany accountable.
nysfocus.com
Standard layoff protections shouldn't be controversial.
ProPublica Guild@propublicaguild.org · 3mo agoPodcast producer Sabby Robinson knows firsthand how important layoff protections are in a union contract: “I started about 3 months ago, right after I got laid off from the Washington Post.” We deserve seniority-based layoff protections that are standard across the news industry.
Our California reporting jobs are now open for applications. * We are hiring four reporters! Salary of $100k to $160k: job-boards.greenhouse.io/propublica/j... * We are hiring one Ancil Payne reporting fellow (two years). Salary of $75k: job-boards.greenhouse.io/propublica/j...
California Reporter
California, United States
job-boards.greenhouse.io
In Tuesday's New York primary elections, candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America racked up victories despite an enormous wave of super PAC spending. The DSA is now poised to pick up at least six seats in the state legislature in November.
NY Primary Results: DSA Set to Pick Up 6+ Seats in Albany
The DSA made gains in New York despite super PACs spending $9.6 million in state legislative races — nearly five times the total from 2024.
nysfocus.com
There’s going to be a lot of discussion about this being a gentrifier-led revolution but imo a lot of what we’re seeing is a rise up among renters.
Mara Gay@maragay.bsky.social · 4mo agoErrol Louis of NY1 says New York is in the “middle of a political revolution of sorts.”
Days before the June 23 state primary elections, a mystery donor has given $850,000 to a super PAC dedicated to defeating state Senator Jessica Ramos in what appears to be New York’s biggest-ever donation to an independent expenditure committee focused on a single state legislative primary race.
Mystery Donor Spends Record $850K to Oust Jessica Ramos
The last-minute influx, the biggest ever for a legislative primary, boosts Jessica González-Rojas days before New York's primary election.
nysfocus.com
Across more than 4,400 pages, lawmakers passed a $269 billion budget that funded major programs serving New Yorkers across the state. nysfocus.com/2026/06/09/n...
Every year New York Focus moves as a pack to break down the spending decisions by state lawmakers. I'm so proud to have everyone on the team work on this interactive scrollytelling version of the budget story. It's fun, animated, and you'll see some familiar faces.
Inside NY's Opaque State Budget Process — and How It Affects You
In May, state lawmakers passed a $269 billion budget after haggling for months over thousands of line items and policies affecting New Yorkers.
nysfocus.com
Every year New York Focus moves as a pack to break down the spending decisions by state lawmakers. I'm so proud to have everyone on the team work on this interactive scrollytelling version of the budget story. It's fun, animated, and you'll see some familiar faces.
Inside NY's Opaque State Budget Process — and How It Affects You
In May, state lawmakers passed a $269 billion budget after haggling for months over thousands of line items and policies affecting New Yorkers.
nysfocus.com
Job alert 🚨 We are seeking a Sales Director to lead business development and revenue generation for Civic Square Partners — a new, collaborative advertising sales operation serving some of New York City's leading news nonprofits. city-report-inc.breezy.hr/p/0a65731340...
Advertising Sales Director, Civic Square Partners at The City Reporter
Advertising Sales Director, Civic Square Partners | New York City About Civic Square Partners Civic Square Partners is a new, collaborative advertising sales operation serving some of New York City's…
city-report-inc.breezy.hr
Here's what New Yorkers need to know about the changing work requirements for SNAP that just went into effect. @jiejennyzou.bsky.social @nysfocus.com
New SNAP Rules in NY: What To Know If You Lost Benefits
We’ve compiled information for SNAP recipients in New York on the changing work requirements.
nysfocus.com
NEW: It’s two months late, but it’s finally here: New York state’s $269 billion budget. Our searchable database breaks down the most consequential decisions Albany politicians made on climate, immigration, housing, schools, taxes, and more. nysfocus.com/2026/05/29/n...
What’s in the 2026 NY State Budget? Here’s What To Know.
Our searchable database breaks down the most consequential decisions Albany politicians made on climate, immigration, housing, schools, taxes, and more.
nysfocus.com
it's all happening on the @nysfocus.com homepage!
New York Focus@nysfocus.com · 5mo agoNearly two months past deadline, New York lawmakers passed the 2026 state budget. New York Focus reporters are breaking it all down: the rollbacks of the state's climate law, the historic child care investment, and a failure to avert huge losses in health care coverage.
