Media Relations Office

Cornell University experts are available to weigh in on New York City's proposed congestion pricing and its potential impacts on traffic congestion, public transit ridership, greenhouse gas emissions as well as equity implications and health benefits.

New York City

Energy, Environment & Sustainability

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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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Joe Margulies, professor of law and government at Cornell University, says if the bill passes in New York City it will accelerate a national trend against solitary confinement, but he also warns of the importance of ensuring jails don’t continue the practice under a different name.

New York City

Law and Policy

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Noliwe Rooks, an expert in cultural and racial implications for education, says if New York City enacts the changes announced by Mayor de Blasio it would be a major step toward integrating the nation’s largest and most segregated school system.

New York City

Arts and Sciences

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Concern is growing given the sluggish rollout of the coronavirus vaccination distribution in New York. Cynthia Leifer, associate professor of immunology at Cornell University, says vaccines need to be given quickly as possible and rather than disqualifying sites from getting future distributions, expanding the number of distribution locations and incentivizing rapid use is a better solution.

Health, Nutrition & Medicine

Life Sciences & Veterinary Medicine

New York State

New York City

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New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio recently announced guidance for restaurants planning to provide comfort heating for customers dining outdoors during the fall and winter months. Max Zhang an expert in sustainable energy systems says although electric heaters emit no pollutants onsite compared to natural gas and propane heaters, electric heating actually causes more pollution in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.

New York City

Energy, Environment & Sustainability

Engineering

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New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday parents whose children are currently enrolled in all-remote classes will now have until Nov. 15 to opt back into in-person classes. Noliwe Rooks, an expert in cultural and racial implications for education, says it’s the responsibility of New York City officials to lead conversations with parents around safety concerns of in-person education, rather than making their anxieties a political issue.

New York City

Arts and Sciences

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On Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered new restrictions on COVID-19 hot spots in New York City, including the closure of all private and public schools in the nine city ZIP codes with upticks in coronavirus transmissions. Isaac Weisfuse, a medical epidemiologist at Cornell University says the restrictions are a wise decision to stop the spread of coronavirus but is concerned the interventions may be too late.

New York City

New York State

Health, Nutrition & Medicine

Life Sciences & Veterinary Medicine

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Following Gov. Cuomo’s new coronavirus restrictions on schools, businesses and religious gatherings, Orthodox Jewish leaders have voiced criticism that they are being singled out for the new surge of COVID-19 cases. Jonathan Boyarin, professor of modern Jewish studies and an expert on Jewish experience and culture, is available for interviews. 

Arts & Humanities

New York City

Law, Government & Public Policy

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Restaurants in New York City and other city centers around the country are making plans to reopen for reduced-capacity indoor dining. Lilly Jan, senior lecturer of food and beverage management at the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell, says that restaurant operators should find creative ways to resume indoor dining while considering maintaining viable options for outdoor dining as well.

Food & Agriculture

School of Hotel Administration

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