EDUCATION: The City University of New York is receiving a $75 million gift from the Simons Foundation, a private foundation that works to advance research in science and math — the largest donation in the university’s history. The university will use $50 million to create 25 new faculty positions and a master’s degree program in computational science — which entails using programming techniques to solve complex problems in fields like neuroscience and astrophysics — at the CUNY Graduate Center in Manhattan. The remaining $25 million will support CUNY’s participation in Hochul’s proposed Empire AI project, a consortium that will launch an artificial intelligence computing center in upstate New York. CUNY and the Simons Foundation are among seven founding institutions that are part of the consortium — the state’s leading universities and research institutions. “With this support from the Simons Foundation, CUNY reaffirms its mission to promote educational equity and advance its role as a driver of inclusive growth in New York,” CUNY Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez said in a statement. — Madina Touré NY RENEWS PUSHES MORE CLIMATE FUNDING: The NY Renews coalition and legislative allies want $1 billion in funding for community planning, electric school and transit buses, decarbonizing schools, transitioning low-income homeowners to electric heat and more. The spending package includes labor standards and protections, a key component of the coalition’s push. “What we want to do is build a union climate economy,” Ramos said at a Capitol news conference. Hochul proposed using $250 million in bond act money for voluntary buyouts for properties threatened by flooding and rising seas, plus $130 million for resiliency grants for flood control projects. The governor also wants $47 million to plant trees. But she made no major new proposals to fund emissions reduction efforts. “I do love trees,” said Assemblymember Anna Kelles (D-Ithaca). “That $47 million — fine — should not be a substitute. That cannot replace this package.” The NY Renews coalition is also supporting the NY HEAT measure, which would end subsidies for new gas hookups and end gas utilities’ “obligation to serve” new customers, giving the Public Service Commission the ability to offer alternatives to customers. Hochul included those two components in her budget but excluded another provision backed by NY Renews — a 6 percent of income limit on utility bills for low- and moderate-income residents. “This is a major breakthrough,” said Assemblymember Pat Fahy (D-Albany), who sponsors the bill of Hochul included portions in her budget. “We have work to do,” she added. “We need to keep this affordable.” Hochul did include $50 million to fulfill a commitment to keep low-income customers whose homes are electrified through the previously approved $200 million EmPower Plus program from paying more than 6 percent for their electricity bills. — Marie J. French WHAT SHE DIDN’T SAY: Hochul’s $2.4 billion for the state’s migrant crisis was a major step in providing more outside aid to New York City. But Senate Republicans said the governor’s omission of the migrant crisis in last week’s State of the State was telling. “It's very clear she doesn't want to talk about it,” Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt said at a news conference today in a preview of the Republican conference’s 2024 legislative agenda. “They don't want to talk about it because there's no way to defend the policy at this point. It's easier to talk about swimming pools and reading.” Beyond pressuring New York City to end its sanctuary status and advocating for a stronger border, the conference said their 2024 legislative agenda will focus on repealing bail reform, limiting state aid to colleges that have become “breeding grounds” for antisemitism and rejecting tax hikes. “This is about the unraveling of New York, the unraveling of America, because they despise America; they despise freedom,” Staten Island Sen. Andrew Lanza said, referring to some Democrats. — Jason Beeferman WORKERS SAFETY: The New Yorkers for a Fair Economy coalition, a labor-backed group, released its list of the most dangerous Amazon warehouses in New York. At the top, the Amazon HAL1 warehouse just west of Colonie outside Albany. The group was also at the Capitol to ask for $5 million in the state budget to pass the “Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act.” “Workers are seriously getting injured at a rate of 18.8 per 100 worker that's one injury for every five workers in that warehouse,” Theodore Moore, the executive director of ALIGN, one of the coalition's leaders, said. “That's not okay. And it's not exclusive to that warehouse close to here.” There was no immediate comment from Amazon. — Shawn Ness
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