Five baby-faced crooks wielding a baseball bat, a knife and pieces of wood mugged a straphanger before shoving him out of the car during his early-morning commute.
Day: January 23, 2025
Law enforcement joined meetings of far-right Oath Keepers, leak shows https://t.co/1bUKdAewDf
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) January 23, 2025
The state will invest $550 million in SUNY Downstate this year, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul, including the second half of a $750 million capital investment to ensure the hospital’s long-term future.
Hochul’s proposed executive budget for Fiscal Year 2026 includes $100 million for operations and $450 million in capital funding for the cash-strapped hospital, which was nearly forced to close last year. The budget was released on Jan. 21, a day before the first public hearing with the SUNY Downstate Community Advisory Board, a body created to assess the hospital’s needs and advise the state on how best to spend money on the facility.
Last January, Hochul ordered SUNY Downstate to come up with a plan to keep itself above water. After years of underfunding and management issues, the hospital was facing a massive budget deficit and various issues too expensive to address. But the plan created by SUNY and state officials would likely have forced SUNY Downstate — the only state-run hospital in New York City — to close entirely, which healthcare workers warned could lead to worse patient care and layoffs.
After months of protest, Hochul in April 2024 committed to keeping the hospital open. She allocated $400 million to SUNY Downstate in the 2024 budget, and said she would create a Community Advisory Board to study its needs, take public feedback, and create an in-depth report with recommendations to keep it open and running long-term. The $300 million dedicated to capital improvements in 2024 was withheld until after the Board’s report is released on April 1, 2025, the first day of the 2026 fiscal year. The Board will then decide how to spend the combined $750 million in capital funding.
“The Downstate Community Advisory Board has begun the critical work of helping to secure the long-term fiscal stability of SUNY Downstate,” Hochul said in a statement. “These public hearings are an essential step in engaging the Central Brooklyn community and building a sustainable plan that ensures SUNY Downstate continues to deliver health care in its community and train a diverse health care workforce for generations to come.”
Union leaders celebrated the funding, but said the state should have waited for the Board’s report — which will include public input submitted at three hearings — to decide how much it was willing to spend on capital improvements.
Frederick Kowal, president of United University Professionals, which represents thousands of SUNY employees, said he hoped the $550 million was a “placeholder” that could be changed if the Board determines more funding is needed.
“Public input will determine how much will be necessary to meet the long-term needs of Downstate hospital,” Kowal said in a statement. “That’s what should drive the amount that will be needed … otherwise, you’re essentially reverse-engineering the health care needs of the community by forcing them into an artificial and pre-determined cost range.”
The hospital will require a “large investment,” he added, after two decades of underfunding.
In a series of statements, board members said they looked forward to the hearings, and said that public input would shape the body’s recommendations and the eventual larger investment.
“Every day we come to the hospital, our main priority is providing the best care for the patients we serve,” said board member Dr. Enitza George. “And to build a sustainable hospital that continues to provide the best care to our neighborhood, the community will have an important role in guiding how we invest the historic $750 million, starting with these public hearings.”
THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AUSCHWITZ LIBERATION will be recognized at a Congressional ceremony taking place Thursday evening, Jan. 23.
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All across the state, I’ve heard from students, parents, teachers, and experts about the impact of smartphones on learning and on our kids’ mental health.
It’s up to us — the adults in the room — to help our kids by making our schools distraction-free. pic.twitter.com/3R5h2By8CO
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) January 23, 2025
AUTHORITIES ARE INVESTIGATING the death of Michael Shelonchik, 53, who died in a livery cab in Coney Island around 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21.
The post Man found dead in Brooklyn livery cab following violent robbery appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.
DUBAI-BASED WALL STREET EXCHANGE (WSE) agreed to pay more than $9 million in fines and forfeitures to resolve a bank-fraud
The post Dubai-based firm WSE to pay $9 million to settle money laundering charges appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.
A man who taped a sinister note to a Chinese ex-official’s door in New Jersey was sentenced Wednesday to 16 months in prison.
The post Man convicted of stalking Chinese ex-official by leaving him a dire note gets prison in US appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.
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Cartoon Sketchbook: January 23
A collection of topical political cartoons from various artists curated by the Brooklyn Eagle editorial staff.
The post Cartoon Sketchbook: January 23 appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.