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What’s Next?

Where the Money Go? Part III: What Has Changed?

By I'Jaz Ja'ciel
Published June 3, 2026 at 11:00 AM EDT
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Red and black image with text reading "What's Next? Anniversary Special: WHERE DID THE MONEY GO? $92,896,293.56 PART III: WHAT HAS CHANGED?

In the final installment of What’s Next?’s three-part anniversary series marking four years since the May 14 Tops mass shooting, the focus shifts from promises to outcomes. The conversation examines whether the investments and commitments made after the tragedy have translated into meaningful change for Buffalo’s East Side. Topics include poverty, homeownership, employment, food access, mental health support, and the lasting effects of decades of disinvestment. Community leaders and residents also discuss the need for transparency, accountability, and coordinated efforts to address the systemic challenges facing the community.

What's Next? 2026
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I'Jaz Ja'ciel
I'Jaz Ja'ciel is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning investigative reporter and a Buffalo, N.Y. native. She re-joined the Buffalo Toronto Public Media NPR newsroom in February 2026, having begun her journalism career at BTPM NPR in 2019 as a weekend anchor. Ja'ciel later reported for Spectrum News 1 Buffalo and Investigative Post before her return to public media.
See stories by I'Jaz Ja'ciel
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