With help from Shawn Ness and Irie Sentner
New from New York
Happening now:
- Two Syracuse University alumni visited their old college town.
- New York spends the most per capita on schools, and it’s not even close.
- Reaction to the overturning of the Harvey Weinstein verdict in New York.
- The Carey Gabay scholarship is now available.
BIDEN VISITS THE STATE: President Joe Biden visited upstate New York this afternoon with Governor Kathy Hochul and Senator Chuck Schumer to celebrate up to $6 billion in federal funding for a semiconductor factory.
But the nation’s eyes were still about 250 miles to the southeast, as the chaos at Columbia University continued and spread to nearby colleges — and as former President Donald Trump’s trial resumed downtown.
Yet you wouldn’t know anything about the New York City turmoil in Syracuse — where it was all smiles and applause among the state’s and country’s top Democrats. The deal for Micron, first announced in late 2022, is seen as a game changer for the upstate’s struggling economy, which has faced decades of losses in manufacturing jobs and population.
“Guys, I want to thank Governor Hochul for having us here today and for her partnership,” Biden said triumphantly. He also mocked upstate House Republicans who criticized the CHIPS Act but are now celebrating their investments in New York. The district is a key race, with Republican Rep. Brandon Williams being one of the most vulnerable freshmen in the country this fall.
Still, the dichotomy of the time was apparent.
Biden and Hochul criticized the anti-Semitism spewed at campus protests, but they were also criticized by Republicans for not doing more — like sending in the National Guard to quell campus unrest.
Hochul said this week that he continues to talk with Columbia privately about ending the camps, saying the goal is “to ensure that all students on campus feel safe and secure.”
Hochul visited the university privately on Monday, and Biden is not scheduled to be in the city on his trip — although he is stopping in Westchester for a fundraiser tonight.
This is in stark contrast to how Republicans have handled the Colombia situation.
The president’s second in line to succession, House Speaker Mike Johnson, traveled Wednesday to the university with other House GOP members as they called on Hochul to step up enforcement on campus.
But Republicans were suppressed by student protesters who chanted “Mike, you suck!” and continued to refuse administrators’ orders to remove their camp from the university lawn.
This was also a contrast to Hochul – who posted Wednesday night on X that she was having a “beautiful day in the neighborhood” as she strolled through Central Park, eating a soft pretzel and taking selfies next to flowering trees.
State Sen. Jack Martins, chairman of the Senate Republican Task Force on Antisemitism, said the governor’s visit to Syracuse and Central Park showed she is more interested in “photo opportunities” than keeping students safe.
“There are kids who are being told that they can’t or shouldn’t go to school and that they should stay home, and the campus is closed for remote learning, and she’s walking through Central Park eating a soft pretzel, it’s a wonderful day.” , said Martins.
“That kind of ignorance, frankly, cannot be ignored. At a time when we need leadership, once again, the governor has fallen short.”
Avi Small, Hochul’s spokesperson, criticized the naysayers and pointed out that his walk through Central Park was just one of many posts that appeared on his X account on Wednesday.
“We are excited that so many New Yorkers closely monitor the governor’s social media accounts and encourage them to read yesterday’s posts about protecting survivors of sexual violence, defending abortion rights, and investing in the system of criminal justice,” he said. – Jason Beeferman
NY SPENDS MORE ON SCHOOL AID: New York is still number one – with the highest per-student spending rate in the country, according to the US Census Bureau.
New York City also had the highest per-pupil spending rate of the nation’s 100 largest school districts.
New York was at the top of the list, spending $29,873 per student. This was followed by the District of Columbia ($27,425), New Jersey ($25,099), Vermont ($24,608), and Connecticut ($24,453).
The announcement comes shortly after New York approved another monumental $1.3 billion increase in school aid, bringing total school aid in New York to more than $35 billion.
The state is, however, reviewing its base aid formula, which is used to divide the state’s largest school aid budget line, a move that could result in smaller increases in the future.
O study of the formula is due by December 1, and the Legislature and governor will decide which recommendations will be included in the enacted budget. – Katelyn Cordero
OTHER LOCAL ELECTORAL PROCESS: Rockland County has become the latest local government to sue the state over a new law that moves most city and county elections to even-numbered years.
“Electoral rigging without representation, forcibly removing our right to self-government and limiting the next term of the county Executive and Legislature to three years instead of the four years required by our laws, and reducing county and village officials by one year is wrong,” County Executive Ed Day said in a statement.
The law, signed just before Christmastoday it is the target of lawsuits in all corners of the state.
Onondaga County allocated funding for a case in February. Other counties that have filed or said they will file lawsuits include Oneida, Nassau and Rensselaer. -Bill Mahoney
‘THE LAW APPLIES TO ALL:’ Disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction was overturned today by the New York Court of Appeals, and the court ordered a new trial in the case.
Weinstein will remain in prison due to his 2022 rape conviction in California.
Outside the Manhattan courthouse where former President Donald Trump is on trial, Weinstein’s lawyer called it “a great day for America” and mentioned Trump’s case when talking about his client’s victory. .
“A judge will sit in his chambers and look at the law and precedent without fear or favor and say, ‘I don’t care who the defendant is, whether it’s the former president of the United States or the most famous man in Hollywood.’ producer of our generation, the law applies to everyone,’” said Arthur Aidala, who represented Weinstein in the appeal case.
“The law applies to everything from a murder case to a case of falsifying business records,” he added. -Irie Sentner
‘GUT PUNCH’ DECISION: Meanwhile, advocates seeking stronger labor protections in the fashion industry condemned today’s Court of Appeal ruling that overturned Weinstein’s sex crimes charges.
The Model Alliance, which pushed for the Fashion Workers Act, said the decision to dismiss Weinstein’s New York-based conviction strengthens the case for strengthened workplace protections.
“The Court of Appeals decision is an indictment of the criminal legal system and a punch in the gut to survivors like me who were victimized not only by Weinstein and his associates, but by the lack of regulation in the fashion industry that knowingly puts young women and girls at the mercy of serial rapists like Weinstein and Bill Cosby every day,” said Sara Ziff, founder of the Model Alliance.
Weinstein was convicted in 2020 of criminal sexual assault and third-degree rape. The state’s high court ruled, however, that a judge erred in allowing witnesses in the case who said they were sexually assaulted by Weinstein but whose cases were not part of the criminal charges. – Nick Reisman
NY WANTS MORE ART: More than 100 nonprofit arts and cultural organizations received a share of $32 million to revitalize their facilities and provide their creative work.
The 102 different non-profit organizations are spread throughout the state from New York City to Buffalo and north to St.
“From historic sites to new multi-use arts centers, these diverse projects will expand the accessibility and sustainability of arts and cultural organizations while growing local economies, boosting tourism and creating jobs throughout New York State.” , Hochul said in a statement.
Grants will range from $50,000 to $2 million for smaller projects and up to $10 million for larger projects that prioritize community development. – Shawn Ness
CAREY GABAY SCHOLARSHIP: Young lawyers have another chance to work at Hochul’s office through the Carey Gabay Fellowship. Applications for the position opened earlier today, Hochul announced.
The two-year paid fellowship is designed for attorneys admitted to the bar who are committed to public service and will receive a direct opportunity to work alongside the governor’s legal team on issues such as violence prevention, economic equity and community development.
The scholarship is named after Carey Gabay, who was shot and killed in a shooting in 2015. The position is designed to honor his legacy.
“Carey Gabay was tragically taken from us too soon, leaving a hole in the hearts of his family, his colleagues and, indeed, all New Yorkers,” Hochul said in a statement.
Forms will be accepted until May 15th. -Shawn Ness
-President Joe Biden and the New York Times have a petty feud. (POLITICAL)
– The White House refused House Speaker Mike Johnson’s call to send the National Guard to Columbia University. (POLITICAL)
– CUNY City College now has its own pro-Palestine camp. (Daily News).
– Speaker Carl Heastie is becoming a regular in Columbia County. There’s a reason (POLITICIAN Pro)
This story originally appeared on Politico.com read the full story
