PHILLIP PANTUSO
The Times Union
Robert Hoagland went missing in Connecticut a decade ago. Richard King’s death in a rural Catskills community only partially solved the mystery. December 2022
Story of homeless veterans displaced by migrants was false
Homeless men say they were recruited to pose as displaced vets
Two reports debunking a story that had gone viral in conservative media — that homeless men had been evicted from a hotel for asylum-seekers sent by New York City. My reporting was picked up by CNN, MSNBC, the New York Times, and others. May 2023
‘Her life matters’: A mother’s fight for traumatic brain injury care
How one family’s struggle to access neurobehavioral treatment and services illustrates care and coverage gaps for TBI survivors. My reporting led to the state Office for People with Development Disabilities issuing an RFP to change its care-delivery process. April 2023
How Sean Maloney lost — and Mike Lawler won — in the Hudson Valley
A powerful House Democrat lost to a freshman GOP state assemblyman in a district that leans left. What happened? November 2022 (Won an award for news writing from the New York Press Association)
A murder that never happened prompts debate about media ethics
Mid Hudson News falsely reported a murder in Newburgh. Does it matter that the digital outlet claims the city stymies the free flow of information? December 2023
Ulster County human rights commissioner fired amid inquiries into offensive language
Tyrone Wilson, chair of Ulster County’s human rights commission since 2020, was fired following questions from me about his repeated use of offensive language. April 2023
How Trump’s alleged fraud worked at his Dutchess County club
Among 11 properties named in Attorney General Letitia James’ complaint is Trump National Golf Club Hudson Valley, where the former president allegedly ran four schemes to inflate the value of the club. September 2022
My author page for The Times Union is here.
The Guardian
The family whose Black Lives Matter sign shook their conservative town
In the tiny Catskills community of White Sulphur Springs, there are a couple dozen Trump signs—and one house with Biden and Black Lives Matter signs. But even though everyone knows each other, there isn’t much dialogue. September 2020
Perhaps the best dinosaur fossil ever discovered. So why has hardly anyone seen it?
Two feuding families, a Montana rancher called the Dino Cowboy, and one of the most exciting paleontological finds of the century. July 2019, recognized by Longform.org
The New York Times
A profile of the Renaissance Street Singers, an atheist choir that performs in the streets of New York. April 2013
Bringing Bebop Back Home
At Bill's Place, a jazz speakeasy in Harlem. November 2014
A Place That Plucks Heartstrings
Visiting a West Village guitar salon, in the footsteps of Paul Simon. February 2014
Yes! Magazine
Green burial goes beyond not polluting. It's about people needing and caring for land, conducting life-affirming activities there—including death. September 2019, cover
The Unique Arts Festival Where Performers Play for Their Health Care
Reporting on O+ Festival in upstate NY, which establishes a radical community-betterment exchange. November 2018
Other selected features...
The Siren Song of the Mighty Towa Towa
On empire, nostalgia, transnational economies, finch singing competitions, and the Caribbean. Roads & Kingdoms/Explore Parts Unknown, May 2017
Visiting an Experimental, Do-It-Yourself Library in Brooklyn
At the Sorted Library, a library/art project about archiving, memory, collections, and discovery. Literary Hub, July 2018
How a 27-Year-Old College Dropout Is Simplifying Health Care
A profile of an innovative digital health care company. Fortune, October 2016
Street Fight
In and amongst the community-led redevelopment efforts of Brownsville, Brooklyn. BKLYNR, August 2013
What's Behind the Texas Breakfast Taco Wars
On gentrification and food politics in Austin. Extra Crispy, June 2016
Can Starbucks Make It In Italy?
An historical look at Italian coffee culture, or: the grande caramel macchiato comes to Milan. Extra Crispy, August 2016
The River Newsroom
Is Inpatient Behavioral Health Care Gone for Good in Ulster County?
An investigation into whether Westchester Medical used the pandemic as an excuse to get rid of inpatient psych and detox in Kingston. September 2020 (Awarded Best Digital News Project in its class by the Local Media Association)
Dutchess County Sheriff's Deputy Under Investigation for Social Media Posts
An investigation into racist online activity by the president of the local PBA—which led to the officer's suspension. March 2021
'Stop and Frisk' Finds Few Guns, Many Critics in Kingston
A joint law enforcement campaign made over 1,300 stops, but nabbed only five firearms. January 2021
My author page for The River Newsroom is here.
MM&M
The industry is rarely mentioned among the major polluters—and companies are intensifying sustainability efforts to ensure it stays that way. November 2021
The Art of the P̶o̶s̶s̶i̶b̶l̶e̶ Doable
How COVID-19 became a galvanizing event for the use of real-world data. September 2021
Healthcare marketers have finally acknowledged the importance of reaching caregivers. May 2021
Inside health-tech's efforts to spur better recruitment for clinical trials. May 2020
Best Behavior
Two behavioral marketing campaigns illustrate the challenges of resonating with patients. March 2020
Facebook's reputation as a responsible steward of personal data took a hit with the Cambridge Analytica scandal. How are its patient communities responding? September 2018
Brooklyn Magazine
Voices Carry
Out in Sunset Park with the copwatch group El Grito. September 2015
Letting Go
A cover profile of Noah Baumbach, on the occasion of While We're Young. March 2015, cover
Strange Ways: The Long Journey of Howard Fishman
In Brooklyn and Helsinki with the itinerant folk musician. September 2015