Paul Sween named grand marshal for 2025 Independence Day Parade
This honor follows Sween's recent recognition as the recipient of the Austin Area Chamber of Commerce 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award, highlighting his decades-long dedication to the people and progress of the Austin area.
"Paul's career has been a masterclass in community commitment," said Joe Bower, Chamber President. "From helping farm families stay rooted on the land, to enabling local housing developments, to supporting innovation with the University of Minnesota's upcoming FAARM project, Paul's work has helped shape the very foundation of our community."
Sween, a lifelong advocate for southern Minnesota, is best known not only for his legal expertise, but also for his integrity, vision, and care for both people and place. His selection as Grand Marshal celebrates a legacy of service that continues to benefit Austin today—and paves the way for its future.
The Independence Day Parade will begin at Eighth Avenue NW, continuing down Main Street toward Marcusen Park, with floats, music, candy, and community spirit on full display.
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New York Post
7 hours ago
- New York Post
Eric Adams vetoes controversial grocery bills, citing affordability crisis for New Yorkers
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Politico
8 hours ago
- Politico
Adams' fiscal legacy, his successor's likely inheritance
BORED MEETING: Mayor Eric Adams is leaving a financial predicament for his successor — who, as of now, is looking more and more like Zohran Mamdani. A board of the state's top fiscal authorities this morning slammed Adams' $115.9 billion 'Best Budget Ever' for rendering New York City unprepared for hard financial realities and looming federal clawbacks. The New York State Financial Control Board, chaired by Gov. Kathy Hochul and tasked with overseeing the city's fiscal planning, raised its concerns at a perilous moment for the city's financial future. The Trump administration is looking to cut federal funding for expensive social services as the city is already facing its slowest jobs growth outside a recession in decades, per a New York Times report. But New York's financial leaders, including State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli and City Comptroller Brad Lander, warned the city's financial woes predate Trump's second term. 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He requested a visit last Friday, he said, but a spokesperson for the Bureau of Prisons told him Tuesday night they wouldn't be able to accommodate him, without providing a specific reason. He came anyway to make a point and speak to the press. Goldman as well as Reps. Adriano Espaillat and Nydia Velázquez were denied entry for an unannounced visit last week. DHS didn't respond to a request for comment. The visit today came a day after a federal judge ordered ICE to improve conditions for detained immigrants at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan — a site where Goldman and fellow members of Congress have also been blocked from visiting. With a nod to that, Goldman said congressional oversight is now more important than ever. 'What are they hiding?' said Goldman. 'Now we know.' — Jeff Coltin From the Capitol HOCHUL'S GOT HIS BACK: Hochul hasn't endorsed Mamdani even though he's her party's mayoral nominee, but she still found a way to show a little love. 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Julia Salazar and Jabari Brisport, at a rally organized by Citizen Action of New York, VOCAL NY and Make the Road New York. They called on Hochul to convene a special session to pass legislation to limit local law enforcement's ability to collaborate with ICE and prohibit New York institutions from contracting with immigration detention centers. The lieutenant governor, who's running against Hochul in the Democratic primary, also took aim at the Democratic Party for not representing the working class. 'I'm so tired of my fellow Democrats talking about, 'we're worried about the rich leaving our state,'' he said. — Mona Zhang IN OTHER NEWS — BROOKLYN DODGERS: New York isn't collecting millions of dollars in penalties from a real estate firm that hasn't built promised housing at Atlantic Yards because the company threatened to sue them if they tried. 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Forbes
2 days ago
- Forbes
Alumni Make Major Gifts To UCLA, Georgetown And University Of Kansas
Last week saw a burst of higher education philanthropy with three major universities — the University of California-Los Angeles, Georgetown University and the University of Kansas — each receiving a gift of $20 million or more from alumni donors. University of Kansas alumni Paul and Linda DeBruce made a $25 million gift to KU in support of a renovation of the David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium and the area around it. The donation will go toward the University of Kansas' Gateway District project — a $750 million construction initiative — that will also feature a new conference center and other business and entertainment facilities. In recognition of the DeBruce gift, a hospitality space at the stadium has been named the Paul and Linda DeBruce Jayhawk Club. 'We're so grateful for the DeBruce family's generosity and continued legacy of loyal support for KU,' said Chancellor Douglas Girod in a press release. 'This incredible gift is an investment not just in the Gateway District but in our university, our students and the state of Kansas.' Paul DeBruce earned a bachelor's degree in business administration, and Linda earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education as well as two master's degrees from the university. After his graduation, Paul founded DeBruce Grain Inc., an international agricultural and grain-trading company that he sold in 2011. A former educator, Linda DeBruce has been a strong advocate for education and the arts, serving on a number of civic boards. The DeBruce Foundation is active in several philanthropic endeavors, with particular emphasis on higher education, workforce development and social services. 'We appreciate the strong educational foundation KU provided to us and the great friends and memories we've made at KU games throughout the years,' Paul DeBruce said. 'We're proud to support a project with impact of this magnitude.' UCLA alumnus Joe C. Wen and his family have made a $30 million commitment to the UCLA School of Nursing. It's the largest private donation in the nursing school's 76-year history and will be used to support its undergraduate and graduate programs as well as faculty and student research. In recognition of the gift, UCLA plans to name the school the UCLA Joe C. Wen School of Nursing. 'Nurses are the backbone of health care. In the span of our lives, a nurse is often the first and last person we see, a constant presence in our most vulnerable moments,' UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk said, in a news release. 'This extraordinary gift from Joe C. Wen and his family honors that vital role. It expands our ability to educate the next generation of nurse leaders and faculty, those who will care for people across their lifetimes and help fulfill UCLA's mission to improve lives through education, service and innovation in health.' Wen immigrated with his family from Taiwan to the United States as a teenager, later earning his bachelor's degree in economics from UCLA in 1998 and an MBA from the University of Southern California. He went on to found a paper trading company that evolved into Formosa Ltd., with holdings in businesses that include venture capital; lending; real estate holding, development and management; and forest products manufacturing and trading. 'This transformational gift will help create a global academic research powerhouse and think tank for future nursing leaders, and I am honored to support this great cause," said Wen. "Most importantly, the gift will have an immediate and profound impact on communities here in Southern California — especially in today's challenging health care landscape — by funding research and advancing AI technology in health care.' Georgetown alums William and Lisa H. Byrnes have made a $20 million bequest in support of new residential facilities at their alma mater. In recognition of their gift, Georgetown has named the west tower of the newest residential community on the Hilltop campus the William Gerard and Lisa Hawkins Byrnes Hall. 'Bill and Lisa Byrnes's extraordinary generosity helps foster a university where students feel a sense of connection and belonging,' said Georgetown Interim President Robert Groves, in the university's announcement. 'With this support, Georgetown has expanded access to living and learning spaces for juniors and seniors in state-of-the-art facilities, enriching university life on the Hilltop.' Lisa Byrnes earned her bachelor's degree in languages from Georgetown in 1980. She served as a liaison with Spanish-speaking communities during her career with the federal government and also taught French and Spanish to elementary school students. Bill Byrnes earned a bachelor's degree in finance from Georgetown in 1972 and an MBA from the University of Michigan. Over his investment banking career, he has served as CEO for a number of companies and has also taught at Georgetown. He is an independent trustee at Washington Real Estate Investment Trust and is a former member of the Georgetown Board of Regents. 'When I was an undergraduate, I had to move off campus in my junior year because there just wasn't sufficient housing,' Bill said in the announcement of the gift. 'Being on campus all four years can be such a rewarding experience for students. Lisa and I were mindful of this when thinking about how to give back.'
