Cornell University experts are available to interview on the benefits and risks associated any new tree planting initiative. New York City’s five borough presidents are calling on Mayor Eric Adams to plant a million new trees by 2030.

New York City

Energy, Environment & Sustainability

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The New York City Council is currently voting on a plan to close Rikers Island by 2026 and replace the complex with four new jails in Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens. Christopher Wildeman, policy analysis and management professor, studies the consequences of mass imprisonment for inequality, with an emphasis on families, health, and children. He says the the plan to close Rikers would be a major step forward in improving confinement conditions for those incarcerated in New York City.

Human Ecology

Law, Government & Public Policy

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Rick Geddes, founding director of Cornell's Program in Infrastructure Policy, discussed the infrastructure bill and what it means for New York State. 

Law and Policy

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Wegmans is set to open this Sunday at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York City. Edward McLaughlin, emeritus professor of food industry management, says given Wegmans’ supermarket innovation in service and products, New York City will now be able to relish in the legendary service, restaurant-quality prepared foods and wide selection of goods that are the envy of supermarket companies around the globe.

Food & Agriculture

New York City

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Enforcement of New York City’s vaccine mandate for uniformed service providers begins today. Lee Adler says the city’s uniformed service providers are potentially risking reputational damage and the high number of unvaccinated firefighters will likely result in service limitations.   

Industrial and Labor Relations

Health, Nutrition & Medicine

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New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today that public schools will not fully reopen for the upcoming school year. New York City students will return to school on a limited basis with only one to three days a week of in-person education and remote learning the remainder of the days. Noliwe Rooks, expert in cultural and racial implications for education says Mayor de Blasio needs to immediately outline plans for supporting low-income Black and Latinx children, and their families, who will be greatly impacted by this plan.

New York City

Arts and Sciences

Industrial and Labor Relations

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Elizabeth Lamb, says even though there is a tree shortage, trees are still readily available in New York state.

New York State

New York City

Agriculture and Life Sciences

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Amazon workers at four warehouses on Staten Island have filed a petition to form a union. Kate Bronfenbrenner says filing with only 30 percent of workers shows a lack of experience and likely won’t bode well for the campaign.

Industrial and Labor Relations

New York City

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Rick Geddes, founding director of the Cornell Program in Infrastructure Policy and expert on infrastructure, says congestion pricing has proven successful in other cities around the world and could be beneficial to New York City on many levels.

New York City

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President Martha E. Pollack comments on Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposed launch of the nation’s first public health corps to support New York's effort to vaccinate nearly 20 million people. As part of the effort, up to 1,000 fellows will be recruited to assist with vaccination operations and will receive an intensive public health training curriculum developed by Cornell University. 

New York State

New York City

Administration

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