Any information or special reports about various countries may be published with photos/videos on the world blog with bold legit source. All languages are welcome. Mail to lucschrijvers@hotmail.com.
Search for an article in this Worldwide information blog
vrijdag 2 augustus 2024
WORLD WORLDWIDE US USA - New York NY - New York City - NYC - the city THE CITY - CUNY aims to boost enrollment, Amazon Labor Union overhauls leadership
Dear New Yorkers,
Enrollment at City University of New York (CUNY) is up for the first time in five years — but that is still not enough to make up for the four consecutive years of losses that came before it.
“I think the pandemic kind of made people question, ‘is higher education as valuable as what we place on it? Are there other ways to achieve the goals I’m looking for without necessarily spending a lot of money and time?’” said Ayinde Bennett, a post-secondary access manager at the educational nonprofit Urban Assembly.
CUNY is hoping its ubiquitous subway ads and outreach campaigns will help. It is especially hoping to reach Hispanic students — the group whose enrollment was most impacted during the pandemic — by spending $12 million in ads to promote support programs for them.
Read more here about CUNY’s recovery, and why the University is working especially hard to boost Hispanic enrollment.
Thursday’s Weather Rating: 3/10. There might be fewer storms, but it’s much warmer with high temperatures in the low to mid 90s. It’s still quite humid, too. The vibes remain uncomfortable.
Our Other Top Stories
More than a year after a group of dissidents in the Amazon Labor Union sued its leadership to force a vote, workers at the JFK8 fulfillment center in Staten Island voted to elect reformists into key leadership positions. Christian Smalls, the embattled union president and ALU co-founder who led workers to defy the odds to become the first unionized Amazon shop in the country, did not run for election. And the reform caucus trounced the Smalls-backed slate, sweeping all 15 top leadership spots, including the four seats on the union’s executive board.
Fiscal watchdog groups interviewed by THE CITY are divided on whether to support two reforms that are headed for a voter referendum this fall, after Mayor Eric Adams convened a commission to tweak the City Charter. The ballot measures will ask voters to approve expanded spending disclosures — which are still a far cry from the constraints experts say are necessary.
Happy the elephant, one of the Bronx Zoo’s top attractions, has not been seen by visitors for at least two weeks. That’s according to the animal-advocacy group The Nonhuman Rights Project, which sends observers on daily monorail rides to observe the elephants. When THE CITY asked about Happy’s absence, a zoo spokesperson referred to a statement just posted online that flatly states: “Nothing is wrong with Happy.”
Did you know you can still catch a movie for $10 in the city? This week for our Summer & THE CITY newsletter, we spoke to a local movie theater owner — whose family owns Cobble Hill Cinemas, Williamsburg Cinemas, Kew Gardens Cinemas and Mamaroneck Cinemas in Westchester — about the “magical experience” of neighborhood cinema. “There’s all different types of people sitting next to each other in a shared space experiencing something and that is not as common as it used to be,” he said.
Reporter’s Notebook
Congestion Pricing Pause Could Mean More MTA Debt, Higher Fares
MTA officials warned Wednesday that the transit agency may have to take on more debt to help fund its next capital program in the absence of congestion pricing — a move that could lead to higher fares or service cuts.
The 2025 to 2029 capital plan, which will outline updated priorities for systemwide upkeep and improvement, is due by October 1. But its funding future is unclear after Gov. Hochul’s last-minute June indefinite delay of congestion pricing, which was designed to raise billions of dollars for MTA capital improvements by tolling motorists driving south of 60th Street in Manhattan.
“I’ll be damned if I’m going to personally let it go down, let the system go backwards, without a fight,” Janno Lieber, MTA chairperson and CEO, said at the monthly meeting of the transit agency’s board.
The next plan is projected to carry a larger price tag than the MTA’s current five-year, $55 billion capital program, which has had $16.5 billion of “less urgent projects” deferred because of the congestion pricing pause.
Kevin Willens, the agency’s chief financial officer, added that overly relying on borrowing will put pressure on fares, service levels and the MTA’s operating budget.
Board members received the mid-year update on the MTA’s financial outlook at the July board meeting, with officials also revealing that persistent bus and subway fare evasion and a drop in revenue from real estate taxes could create a nearly $430 million budget deficit by 2027.
— Jose Martinez
Summer & THE CITY brings you the best of summer, by and for New Yorkers. It’s a free, weekly newsletter to help you enjoy — and survive — the hottest months in the five boroughs.
Plus, we’re raffling THE CITY’s limited edition summer merch over there. Don’t miss out.
Saturday, Aug. 3: A SummerStage performance by The Originals, “a crew of DJs who have had their finger on the pulse since before hip-hop was a global phenomenon.” Free from 6 to 10 p.m. at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park.
Saturday, August 3: “Deep Looking: Points Of Connection Abound,” a “Field Guide” workshop that explores interconnected root systems. Free from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (pre-registration required, limited space) at Socrates Sculpture Park in Queens.
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten