Latest news with #UniversityofMountSaintVincent
CBS News
29-07-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
NYC mayoral candidates fight for position following deadly Midtown office shooting
Monday's deadly office shooting in Midtown Manhattan happened against the backdrop of a hotly contested New York City mayor's race. Public safety and voters' perceptions about whether they can safely walk the streets has now been catapulted, again, into the top spot on the campaign trail. Extra police in high-profile locations -- stationed there by a mayor seeking reelection -- were a visible reminder Tuesday that the Park Avenue rampage could have a major effect on who gets to run the city. The shocking attack had many of the mayoral contenders stating they are the best person to keep New Yorkers safe. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams took the added precaution of making sure there were more officers at key locations. "You're going to see our critical response teams at our large shopping locations to make sure we protect the people of this city," Adams said. Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo played up his handling of the COVID-19 crisis to prove his public safety bona fides. He slammed Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, and his raft of social media posts showing a lack of sympathy for the NYPD. "This political defund the police far left movement has gotten it wrong," Cuomo said. Republican Curtis Sliwa also slammed Mamdani, who was rushing back to New York City from a marriage celebration in Uganda. "I'm the law and order candidate," Sliwa said. "He's the guy who wants to have social workers instead of cops and defund the police." Being out of the country, Mamdani used social media posts to praise the officer who was killed, saying he wanted to "honor the legacy of service and sacrifice he leaves behind." J.C. Polanco, a law professor at the University of Mount Saint Vincent in the Bronx, told CBS News New York, for a variety of reasons, Adams, Cuomo and Sliwa are positioned to pick up support from voters worried about feeling safe, and Mamdani will have some work to do. "It's an important time for him to come in and show that he can lead, say that he's going to support the NYPD, focus on safety, you know, ask for forgiveness for all of the awful tweets in existence about defunding them and calling them awful names," Polanco said.
The Age
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Cuomo concedes to upstart Mamdani in New York mayor primary
The race will ultimately be decided by a ranked-choice tabulation after neither Democrat got a clear majority. With more than 90 per cent of ballots counted, preliminary results showed democratic socialist Mamdani ahead of Cuomo by 43.5 per cent to 36.3 per cent in the first round of voting. Loading Mamdani was also ranked second on more ballots than Cuomo, narrowing Cuomo's path to catch up. The next rounds of vote tallying are due to take place on July 1. But a tally for Cuomo below 40 per cent would mean the former governor is in 'real trouble' in the later stages, said veteran political consultant Jerry Skurnik of campaign consultants Engage Voters US before the results were known. Mamdani would be the city's first Muslim and Indian American mayor if elected. Incumbent Democrat Mayor Eric Adams skipped the primary and will run as an independent in the general election amid the fallout over his indictment on corruption charges and the subsequent abandonment of the case by Trump's Justice Department. 'The surge by Mamdani is something I've never seen before in New York City politics' J.C. Polanco, political analyst Cuomo also has the option of running as an independent in the general election. 'We are going to take a look and make some decisions,' Cuomo said. The vote takes place about four years after he resigned as New York governor following sexual harassment allegations, which he denied. Despite that, Cuomo has been the favourite throughout the race, with his deep experience, name recognition, strong political connections and juggernaut fundraising apparatus. The party's progressive wing, meanwhile, has coalesced behind the fresh-faced Mamdani, a relative unknown when the contest began. Mamdani has gained momentum by running a sharp campaign laser-focused on the city's high cost of living, and has won the backing of two of the country's foremost progressives, congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders. 'The surge by Mamdani is something I've never seen before in New York City politics,' J.C. Polanco, a political analyst at the University of Mount Saint Vincent, said before the results were known. 'It's been an incredible campaign that understood social media and marketing like no other.' Republican Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels, will also be on the ballot in the November general election. The rest of the pack has struggled to gain recognition in a race where nearly every candidate has cast themselves as the person best positioned to challenge Trump's agenda. Cuomo served as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development under president Bill Clinton, who has endorsed him in his mayoral run, and New York state attorney-general. He served nearly three terms as governor before resigning. Rent freeze and free buses If elected, Mamdani has pledged to freeze rents, make city buses free by raising the state corporate tax rate, and impose a 2 per cent income tax on city residents who earn more than $US1 million a year. The moves would require state approval. Cuomo says Mamdani's plans would cause an exodus of wealthy residents to states like Florida and Texas. 'You elect a socialist who tries to give everything away free, doubles the taxes on the wealthy, and the wealthy say, 'That's it, I'm gone,'' Cuomo said in an interview on Bloomberg Radio on June 9. Mamdani, an activist for Palestinian causes, has also faced questions over his ability to lead the largest population of Jews outside of Israel.
Sydney Morning Herald
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Cuomo concedes to upstart Mamdani in New York mayor primary
The race will ultimately be decided by a ranked-choice tabulation after neither Democrat got a clear majority. With more than 90 per cent of ballots counted, preliminary results showed democratic socialist Mamdani ahead of Cuomo by 43.5 per cent to 36.3 per cent in the first round of voting. Loading Mamdani was also ranked second on more ballots than Cuomo, narrowing Cuomo's path to catch up. The next rounds of vote tallying are due to take place on July 1. But a tally for Cuomo below 40 per cent would mean the former governor is in 'real trouble' in the later stages, said veteran political consultant Jerry Skurnik of campaign consultants Engage Voters US before the results were known. Mamdani would be the city's first Muslim and Indian American mayor if elected. Incumbent Democrat Mayor Eric Adams skipped the primary and will run as an independent in the general election amid the fallout over his indictment on corruption charges and the subsequent abandonment of the case by Trump's Justice Department. 'The surge by Mamdani is something I've never seen before in New York City politics' J.C. Polanco, political analyst Cuomo also has the option of running as an independent in the general election. 'We are going to take a look and make some decisions,' Cuomo said. The vote takes place about four years after he resigned as New York governor following sexual harassment allegations, which he denied. Despite that, Cuomo has been the favourite throughout the race, with his deep experience, name recognition, strong political connections and juggernaut fundraising apparatus. The party's progressive wing, meanwhile, has coalesced behind the fresh-faced Mamdani, a relative unknown when the contest began. Mamdani has gained momentum by running a sharp campaign laser-focused on the city's high cost of living, and has won the backing of two of the country's foremost progressives, congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders. 'The surge by Mamdani is something I've never seen before in New York City politics,' J.C. Polanco, a political analyst at the University of Mount Saint Vincent, said before the results were known. 'It's been an incredible campaign that understood social media and marketing like no other.' Republican Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels, will also be on the ballot in the November general election. The rest of the pack has struggled to gain recognition in a race where nearly every candidate has cast themselves as the person best positioned to challenge Trump's agenda. Cuomo served as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development under president Bill Clinton, who has endorsed him in his mayoral run, and New York state attorney-general. He served nearly three terms as governor before resigning. Rent freeze and free buses If elected, Mamdani has pledged to freeze rents, make city buses free by raising the state corporate tax rate, and impose a 2 per cent income tax on city residents who earn more than $US1 million a year. The moves would require state approval. Cuomo says Mamdani's plans would cause an exodus of wealthy residents to states like Florida and Texas. 'You elect a socialist who tries to give everything away free, doubles the taxes on the wealthy, and the wealthy say, 'That's it, I'm gone,'' Cuomo said in an interview on Bloomberg Radio on June 9. Mamdani, an activist for Palestinian causes, has also faced questions over his ability to lead the largest population of Jews outside of Israel.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion - Higher ed reform shouldn't punish low-income students
Congress is understandably concerned about the return on federal investment in higher education and the $1.6 trillion in federal student loan debt. But in its rush to fix a system that too often fails low-income students, the Trump administration's 'one big, beautiful bill' would further reduce opportunity and access for those very students and jeopardize the work of colleges and universities doing the most to serve them. If passed, the bill would enact sweeping changes to federal financial aid and accountability rules. Some of its goals are worthy. Colleges should be transparent about student outcomes. They should be accountable for quality. And no student should graduate, or drop out, with insurmountable debt. But reducing access to loans for the students who face the steepest barriers to opportunity is not the way to achieve those goals. One provision of the proposed bill would eliminate subsidized federal loans, which currently prevent interest from accruing while undergraduates are still in school. For students from low-income backgrounds who already borrow more than their wealthier peers, this would significantly increase the cost of a college degree. Another proposal would cap the amount of aid a student could receive at a national median cost by program, without regard for the individual student's or family's specific economic need. The legislation would also eliminate PLUS Loans and raise the minimum course load required to receive full Pell Grant aid, even though many working students enroll part-time by necessity, not choice. Reducing Pell Grant access is counterproductive to lowering student debt. Pell Grant recipients already account for seven of every 10 federal student loan borrowers, and, on average, incur $4,500 more in debt than other non-Pell graduates Capping graduate student borrowing, especially in health and public service fields, would undercut workforce development just as we face national shortages of nurses, teachers and social workers. And the bill's 'risk-sharing' proposal, which would penalize colleges when student loans are forgiven, even through programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness, would shift resources away from need-based aid and student support and discourage institutions from enrolling those most in need. That includes institutions like the University of Mount Saint Vincent, which I lead. Ours is a small, private, nonprofit university in the Bronx founded in 1847 to educate young women at a time when few others would. Today, we serve students of every background, and more than half are the first in their family to attend college. More than half of our undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Ninety percent of our graduate students are preparing for public service careers in education, nursing or healthcare. And like many mission-driven colleges, we make enormous investments in financial aid and academic support, precisely because we know what it takes for low-income and first-generation students to thrive. This bill threatens our ability to invest in students and potential. It would impose a six-figure penalty, rising annually, because we enroll the very students we were founded to serve. That's not accountability. That's a deterrent. And we are not unique. Hundreds of small, private colleges across the country, many of them religiously affiliated, offer intimate learning environments, close faculty support and flexible programs that enable students to work while pursuing their degrees. These institutions are among the most accessible and most responsive options for students who are otherwise being left behind in higher education. The better path forward is one that strengthens accountability for all institutions without dismantling the tools that low-income students need to access and afford college in the first place. That means preserving need-based aid, not narrowing it. And it means supporting colleges that produce teachers, nurses and public servants, not penalizing them. At a time when the U.S. risks falling behind in educational attainment and workforce readiness, we should be doubling down on institutions that help students rise. The question isn't whether reform is needed, but whether we're reforming the right things. Susan R. Burns, Ph.D., is president of the University of Mount Saint Vincent in the Bronx. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
10-06-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Higher ed reform shouldn't punish low-income students
Congress is understandably concerned about the return on federal investment in higher education and the $1.6 trillion in federal student loan debt. But in its rush to fix a system that too often fails low-income students, the Trump administration's 'one big, beautiful bill' would further reduce opportunity and access for those very students and jeopardize the work of colleges and universities doing the most to serve them. If passed, the bill would enact sweeping changes to federal financial aid and accountability rules. Some of its goals are worthy. Colleges should be transparent about student outcomes. They should be accountable for quality. And no student should graduate, or drop out, with insurmountable debt. But reducing access to loans for the students who face the steepest barriers to opportunity is not the way to achieve those goals. One provision of the proposed bill would eliminate subsidized federal loans, which currently prevent interest from accruing while undergraduates are still in school. For students from low-income backgrounds who already borrow more than their wealthier peers, this would significantly increase the cost of a college degree. Another proposal would cap the amount of aid a student could receive at a national median cost by program, without regard for the individual student's or family's specific economic need. The legislation would also eliminate PLUS Loans and raise the minimum course load required to receive full Pell Grant aid, even though many working students enroll part-time by necessity, not choice. Reducing Pell Grant access is counterproductive to lowering student debt. Pell Grant recipients already account for seven of every 10 federal student loan borrowers, and, on average, incur $4,500 more in debt than other non-Pell graduates Capping graduate student borrowing, especially in health and public service fields, would undercut workforce development just as we face national shortages of nurses, teachers and social workers. And the bill's 'risk-sharing' proposal, which would penalize colleges when student loans are forgiven, even through programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness, would shift resources away from need-based aid and student support and discourage institutions from enrolling those most in need. That includes institutions like the University of Mount Saint Vincent, which I lead. Ours is a small, private, nonprofit university in the Bronx founded in 1847 to educate young women at a time when few others would. Today, we serve students of every background, and more than half are the first in their family to attend college. More than half of our undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Ninety percent of our graduate students are preparing for public service careers in education, nursing or healthcare. And like many mission-driven colleges, we make enormous investments in financial aid and academic support, precisely because we know what it takes for low-income and first-generation students to thrive. This bill threatens our ability to invest in students and potential. It would impose a six-figure penalty, rising annually, because we enroll the very students we were founded to serve. That's not accountability. That's a deterrent. And we are not unique. Hundreds of small, private colleges across the country, many of them religiously affiliated, offer intimate learning environments, close faculty support and flexible programs that enable students to work while pursuing their degrees. These institutions are among the most accessible and most responsive options for students who are otherwise being left behind in higher education. The better path forward is one that strengthens accountability for all institutions without dismantling the tools that low-income students need to access and afford college in the first place. That means preserving need-based aid, not narrowing it. And it means supporting colleges that produce teachers, nurses and public servants, not penalizing them. At a time when the U.S. risks falling behind in educational attainment and workforce readiness, we should be doubling down on institutions that help students rise. The question isn't whether reform is needed, but whether we're reforming the right things. Susan R. Burns, Ph.D., is president of the University of Mount Saint Vincent in the Bronx.
