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Articles by Emily Nonko
A safe transition beyond the wire
Up until a few years ago, Jodi Whitt’s trips to the Shawnee County jail in Topeka, Kansas, began with an arrest and an anxious wait in a bare intake cell for up to 72 hours. Her incarcerations lasted 30 days or so, until an abrupt release without resources or support — nothing but the clothes on her back. She’d fall back into her addiction, return to the jail, repeat the cycle. “I spent years in and out of the jail — it wasn’t like I had one stay here,” she says.
‘They Take Your Brokenness and Put It Together’
Up until a few years ago, Jodi Whitt’s trips to the Shawnee County jail in Topeka, Kansas, began with an arrest and an anxious wait in a bare intake cell for up to 72 hours. Her incarcerations lasted 30 days or so, until an abrupt release without resources or support — nothing but the clothes on her back. She’d fall back into her addiction, return to the jail, repeat the cycle. “I spent years in and out of the jail — it wasn’t like I had one stay here,” she says.
When ICE shows up, these businesses will be ready
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When ICE shows up, these businesses will be ready
Last April, at the James Beard Foundation’s Chef Action Summit, food industry leaders gathered to discuss the political and economic landscape with one concern hanging grimly in the air: Undocumented and immigrant workers were increasingly afraid to come into work after ICE raids ramped up at the outset of President Donald Trump’s second term.
A South Bronx Health Center Will Rise Again, Thanks to Local Organizers
The empty, worn-down building at 349 East 40th Street in the South Bronx has had many lives. It was constructed during the mid-1930s as a Public Works Administration project and opened as the Mott Haven Health Center.
Domino Refinery’s small-space pivot
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Domino Refinery’s Small-Space Pivot Original
If any Brooklyn office building could figure out how to beat the odds of a sluggish market, it was going to be the Refinery: 450,000 square feet of class A office space and high-end amenities inside the 19th-century brick landmark anchoring the Domino Sugar complex. It doesn’t hurt that the developer is Two Trees, which transformed Dumbo into its own unlikely office destination decades ago and spent the past decade investing billions in the Williamsburg waterfront.
When ICE Shows Up, These Businesses Will Be Ready
Across the U.S., training, resources and hotlines have emerged to help workplaces exercise their rights in the case of an ICE raid. Justice Last April, at the James Beard Foundation’s Chef Action Summit, food industry leaders gathered to discuss the political and economic landscape with one concern hanging grimly in the air: undocumented and immigrant workers were increasingly afraid to come into work after ICE raids ramped up at the outset of Trump’s second term.
Brooklyn Real Estate Listings Six Months Later: All Four Sold
This week, a look back at four of our featured listings from six months ago focuses on homes in Bay Ridge, Bed Stuy, Cobble Hill, and Park Slope. How did they fare? First up, this brick townhouse in Bay Ridge is tucked away on a private cul-de-sac. It has its original parquet floors with inlays, French pocket doors, stained glass, and coffered ceilings. This former Open House Pick sold for $1.415 million in January, $90,000 over ask.
Sunset Park One-Bedroom Asking $389K Blends Prewar Details With Modern Upgrades
This bright one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment is located in an early 20th century Finnish co-op in Sunset Park, just a block away from the neighborhood’s namesake park. Some renovations have modernized the residence, which has a sleek, mostly white interior with some remaining prewar touches. The four-story, 40-unit brick walkup located at 712 45th Street was constructed in 1924.
Contaminated water from California prison sickens residents of nearby town
Real journalists wrote and edited this (not AI)-independent, community-driven journalism survives because you back it. to sustain Prism's mission and the humans behind it. Last July, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) held a series of town halls inside Mule Creek State Prison intended to be run-of-the-mill information sessions on colon cancer.
Daily Links: Advocates Push to Pedestrianize Carroll Street Bridge
An overnight Gowanus car heist, lawsuit puts parts of ‘Open Streets’ program in jeopardy, and more Brooklyn news.
Long-Vacant Watchtower HQ Could Become Apartments Instead of Offices
A Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) is close to commencing for the former Jehovah’s Witnesses Watchtower headquarters, where a previous office and retail proposal fell through. This time around, developers propose a mixed-use project with 113,000 square feet of commercial space and over 600 apartments, some of them affordable. Developer CIM Group and Morris Adjmi Architects shared a pre-ULURP presentation to Community Board 2 in June.
Daily Links: BPL Delays Renovation for Carroll Gardens Library
Renderings for new developments in Cypress Hills, traffic signals suffer after snow, and more Brooklyn news.
Brooklyn Developers Plead Guilty to Housing Fraud
Brooklyn SeltzerFest is coming, a rendering reveal for the smaller Mount Prospect skate park, and more Brooklyn news. Photo of the Day: Brooklyn Heights. Photo by Susan De Vries
City Scales Back Mount Prospect Skate Park
Con Ed will reimburse residents who lost power after the February storm, half of the city’s top speeders drive in Brooklyn, and more Brooklyn news. Photo of the Day: Brooklyn Heights. Photo by Susan De Vries
Weeksville Heritage Center Wraps Historic Renovation
The snow creations at Herbert Von King Park, Downtown Brooklyn is an entertainment destination, and more Brooklyn news. Photo of the Day: Brooklyn Heights. Photo by Susan De Vries
Checking in on NYC's "Trash Revolution" — Leaps, bounds, and room for improvement
Former Mayor Eric Adams brought the so-called “Trash Revolution” to New York City, which meant changes for many owners and renters in handling waste at their building. Bins started appearing for street pickup — what Adams called the “containerization” of New York City — and separating your food and yard waste for compost collection became mandatory. The Department of Sanitation (DSNY) reports all kinds of progress since efforts began in 2022.
TEN expert predictions for the NYC real estate market in 2026
Housing was on all New Yorkers' minds in 2025, as Zohran Mamdani won the mayoral election on an affordability platform that included freezing the rent for stabilized apartments. His platform triggered a mix of predictions for New York City housing, from indifference to alarm and some dire warnings about the luxury market. While it's still too early to tell due to the length of time transactions take, one month after his win, the Manhattan luxury apartment market continues to surge.
All aboard No One’s Ark: Brooklyn artists aim to revive a sunken ferry
An only-in-New York fundraiser quickly reached its goal to restore a 270-ton, 9,000-square-foot steel ferry which sank in Newtown Creek. The vision is to turn the ferry, named Schamonchi, into “No One’s Ark,” a floating hub for art, ecology and community programming.
Gothamist: New York City Local News, Food, Arts & Events
Neil deMause Articles by Neil deMause The old Board of Estimate first decided back in 1965 to slice up the city into cable-TV franchise fiefdoms, a setup that has survived largely intact.
Gothamist: New York City Local News, Food, Arts & Events
Emily Nonko Articles by Emily Nonko A new test article for mysterious error updates Prison abolitionists admit they aren’t offering a plan to shutter New York’s jails tomorrow. But they see enough promise in alternatives to incarceration to hope a jail-free New York could become a reality.
Why We Need Prison Journalism More Than Ever
Society / October 25, 2024 Why We Need Prison Journalism More Than Ever If we lose incarcerated journalists, we lose a whole voice from the conversation. Ad Policy (Marcia Straub / Getty) During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, incarcerated people who were highly exposed to the virus found themselves with minimal information on how to survive.
Beyond the Page: Empowerment Avenue
The Empowerment Avenue collective emerged from a simple need: incarcerated folks have limited support, on top of no internet and email access, to get their writing out of prison and into the hands of editors. The founder, Rahsaan Thomas, was writing at San Quentin State Prison at the time, and envisioned an effort that could address that gap. Four years later, our efforts to support incarcerated writers have evolved into an inside-outside community surpassing all expectations.
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Release Incarcerated Journalist Kwaneta Harris from Solitary Confinement
For eight years, incarcerated journalist Kwaneta Harris has been held in solitary confinement by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. In 2016, Kwaneta was placed in security detention -- TDCJ's official term for solitary confinement -- for being an “escape risk.” Yet during her following years held here, she has never made an escape attempt or posed a safety risk to herself or others. Perhaps for this reason, the justification for her continued security detention has changed.
Behind Enemy Lines, Prison Journalists Report At Their Own Risk
Featured ReportingLatest NewsMarvel Cooke FellowshipPrison Protest This article was funded by the Marvel Cooke Fellowship. Read more about this reporting project and make a contribution to fund our fellowship budget. Those who are brave enough to practice journalism in prison often encounter the most aggressive intimidation and retaliation from prison administrators and guards. Closely monitored telephone calls and messages. “Lost” and delayed mail. Random transfers. Contaminated food.
East Cleveland Residents Are Building A Closed Loop Economy
Above photo: Loiter. We’re building an intentionally regenerative and circular economy that understands the value of place, the environment and people. And is willing to say we don’t need to go bigger. MeetWake Robin Fermented Foods, a small company based in the city of East Cleveland, Ohio, focused on local sustainability.
East Cleveland Residents Are Building A Closed Loop Economy
Meet Wake Robin Fermented Foods, a small company based in the city of East Cleveland, Ohio, focused on local sustainability. About 90% of its vegetables are sourced from farms in Northeast Ohio; all vegetable waste goes to compost; paper, cardboard and metal is reused or recycled; fermented products are packaged in reusable glass jars.
The Former Dumping Ground That Became a Flourishing Food Ecosystem
On a dead-end street in Cleveland’s Kinsman neighborhood, on 18 acres of land that previously served as an illegal dumping ground, an entire food ecosystem has emerged and thrived under the leadership of local residents. Rid-All Green Partnership started with a single hoop house erected in February of 2011; now acres of farmland support a community kitchen and farmer’s market. All food waste is turned into compost, which supports the farm and is sold across Cleveland.
The former dumping ground that became a flourishing food ecosystem
This story was originally published by Next City and is reproduced here with permission. On a dead-end street in Cleveland’s Kinsman neighborhood, on 18 acres of land that previously served as an illegal dumping ground, an entire food ecosystem has emerged and thrived under the leadership of local residents. Rid-All Green Partnership started with a single hoop house erected in February of 2011; now acres of farmland support a community kitchen and farmer’s market.
New Digital Legal Tool Helps Immigrant Workers Reclaim Stolen Wages
Above Photo: Justicia Lab. The ¡Reclamo! Tool was designed to help low-wage, immigrant workers seek economic justice. By making wage theft claims and gathering data to inform activism. In the fall of 2018, Rodrigo Camarena caught an article in El Diario La Prensa, a Spanish-language newspaper in New York City, detailing the increase of wage theft for immigrant workers. One worker told the paper their employer threatened to call immigration services if they complained about not getting paid.
A New Digital Legal Tool Helps Immigrant Workers Reclaim Their Stolen Wages
This is your first of three free stories this month. Become a free or sustaining member to read unlimited articles, webinars and ebooks. Become A Member In the fall of 2018, Rodrigo Camarena caught an article in El Diario La Prensa, a Spanish-language newspaper in New York City, detailing the increase of wage theft for immigrant workers. One worker told the paper their employer threatened to call immigration services if they complained about not getting paid.
Solutions: From dumping ground to flourishing food ecosystem
ABOUT THE SOLUTIONS JOURNALISM NETWORK As part of our solutions-oriented focus, The Atlanta Journal- Constitution partners with the Solutions Journalism Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rigorous reporting about social issues. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Advocates are creating a “closed-loop” system to aid areas that can be “food deserts” by meeting needs where the needs are. They are creating value in part through developing businesses that complement each other.
Former Dumping Ground Became A Flourishing Food Ecosystem
Above Photo: Rid-All Green Partnership. “We’ve created a circular economy,” says a co-founder of the Rid-All Green Partnership. “Piece by piece, we’ve built this business with things that complement each other.” Cleveland, Ohio – On a dead-end street in Cleveland’s Kinsman neighborhood, on 18 acres of land that previously served as an illegal dumping ground, an entire food ecosystem has emerged and thrived under the leadership of local residents.
The Former Dumping Ground That Became A Flourishing Food Ecosystem
This is your first of three free stories this month. Become a free or sustaining member to read unlimited articles, webinars and ebooks. Become A Member On a dead-end street in Cleveland’s Kinsman neighborhood, on 18 acres of land that previously served as an illegal dumping ground, an entire food ecosystem has emerged and thrived under the leadership of local residents.
Brooklyn CDC Envisions A New Model For Wealth Creation
Above photo: Rendering of plans for the Restoration Innovation Campus. Image courtesy of Adyaye Associates. The Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation is turning its historic public plaza into a tool to tackle the racial wealth gap at scale.
A Historic Brooklyn CDC Envisions A New Model For Wealth Creation
In Brooklyn, one of the country’s first community development corporations has announced its plans to transform its historic and much-beloved public plaza into a walkable “innovation campus” that supports wealth creation for local Black residents, amid rising gentrification in the neighborhood. The Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation was established in the Brooklyn neighborhood in 1967.
How to Price Your Home For Today’s Market (And Any Market, Really)
We all know about buyer’s remorse. What about seller’s regret? According to Zillow, 84% of those who sold a home for the first time between late 2020 and 2022 wish they did something differently. 39% of these sellers wish they set a higher listing price. Understanding the market to get the most optimal price is a common challenge. Market conditions this year might make it harder. High mortgage rates, falling demand, low inventory—we're headed for a spring selling season unlike any other.
An Indigenous Community Land Trust Is Creating Housing Through #LandBack
Ted Hernandez, Wiyot Tribal Chair, leading tribal members in the opening ceremony celebrating the purchase of the undeveloped coastal wetland and upland. Maria Rodriguez This is your first of three free stories this month. Become a free or sustaining member to read unlimited articles, webinars and ebooks. Become A Member A community land trust controlled by the Wiyot Tribe of California, and envisioned as a vehicle for Indigenous land return, is taking on its first project.
Seed-Planting Drones Are Reforesting Canada With Lightning Speed
Cameron and Bryce Jones were just 13 and 14 years old when they witnessed the Okanagan Mountain Park fire devastate their home city of Kelowna, British Columbia, in 2003. “The grounds behind my house were unrecognizable,” Bryce Jones recalls of the aftermath.
These Community Water Testers Proved That Newark Is Not, In Fact, “Lead Free”
Last year, officials in Newark, New Jersey, declared that the city was now “lead free.” Community members were rightly skeptical: Municipal, state and federal agencies had all failed to address, and actively downplayed, lead poisoning in the city’s water supply as far back as 2003. For the Newark Water Coalition, founded in 2018 to fill in where the government failed, it was hardly time to wrap up their work. Instead, the coalition posed a research question: “Is lead poisoning happening in Newark?
Here’s Why You Should Consider Getting an Inspection Before Selling Your Home
“A common misconception is that a pre-listing inspection can increase the value of a house,” Mr. Mittal says. “It’s about ensuring a transaction can go smoothly, that the sellers are attracting serious buyers, and that the cycle to complete the transaction is compressed. It’s about setting the right expectations on both ends,” Mr. Mittal said.
A Mobile Bank On Wheels Reaches Bronx Residents Where They Are
Above Photo: This coalition partnered with a credit union to provide services designed for an underbanked community. (Bronx Financial Access Coalition) Bank Closures Are Crippling The Bronx. So These Organizers Found Another Way To Serve Their Own Communities.
A Mobile Bank On Wheels Reaches Bronx Residents Where They Are
At the height of the pandemic, bank after bank began shuttering across the Bronx — between 2019 and 2021, seven banks closed 17 branches, with more than half happening in 2020, according to The Association for Neighborhood & Housing Development. The closures exacerbated an existing problem: prior to COVID-19, the Bronx had the fewest bank branches and the most check cashers and pawnshops per household in the state, possibly the country.
“Our Community Will Take Care Of It”
Chad Davis / CC BY 2.0 Days after George Floyd was brutally killed by a police officer in Minneapolis, two separate groups in the city called meetings. One — members of a local service workers union, predominantly Black security guards — wondered how they could use their expertise to be part of the conversation. Another — a group of longtime community de-escalators in North Minneapolis — wanted to formalize their work to respond to the moment.
The Immigrant Women Workers Disrupting the Cleaning Industry
Before Juana Camacho joined Liberty Cleaners, the country’s first women-led workers’ hub, she made less than minimum wage as a cleaner and felt she had no rights to negotiate with her employers. But as she organized alongside the women in the group, who together learned about their rights from wages to safe working conditions, her perspective changed. “I lost the fear,” she says. She began advocating for minimum wage – and now works for employers who pay it.
How to Get Your Ambitious Project off the Ground: ‘Do It Today’
It’s almost an understatement to call Kara Cutruzzula a go-getter. Cutruzzula is a widely published freelance writer and editor, a playwright, lyricist, and librettist who pens musicals, the author of the creative productivity newsletter Brass Ring Daily, and the voice behind the podcast Do It Today. How does she keep herself inspired, productive, and bold enough to delve into new creative projects?
How New York Is Giving Residents A Voice In The City Budget
A decade after four New York City councilmembers introduced participatory budgeting to their districts, and four years after voters approved a mandate to formalize and expand the process, the community engagement process that gives residents decision-making power over public money has officially launched citywide.
From Textile Waste to Refugee Livelihoods
Two glaring statistics stick with Ming-Ming Tung-Edelman, founder of Seattle-based Refugee Artisan Initiative. “Refugee women have the highest unemployment rate, about 60 percent,” she says, “and over 85 percent of the textile waste ends up in landfills.” She started the Refugee Artisan Initiative (RAI) in 2017 to address both figures. RAI hires immigrant and refugee women for livable-wage jobs to sew for small-batch manufacturing, all while upcycling discarded or leftover materials.
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