Headlines for December 21, 2022

New York has approved its long-awaited plan to move the state to a fully carbon-free economy. On Monday, the state's appointed Climate Action Council approved the 300 page plan 19 to 3. The climate roadmap now moves to Governor Hochul and the state legislature who will implement the ideas through various laws and regulations. According to the Times Union, the plan covers numerous facets of clean energy, including electric vehicles, residential heat pumps, and the use of hydrogen fuel and nuclear energy. Supporters of the plan commended its wide-ranging nature and aggressive timelines, as well as its efforts to benefit traditionally disadvantaged communities. Others expressed uncertainty about the state’s ability to safely implement such rapid change, and argued that the cost for consumers would only increase. 

The New York Times is reporting that New York Representative-elect George Santos may have largely lied about portions of his career in the campaign trail. The Long Island Republican appealed to voters saying that he was “the full embodiment of the American dream.” He claimed to have risen from being a CUNY student to a Wall Street investor and later creator of an animal rescue charity that had saved thousands of cats and dogs. However, the Times' review of public documents found no records to support the claims. Further, questions remain unanswered about the source of large contributions he made to his own campaign. Mr. Santos is closely aligned with Donald Trump and appeared recently at a convention attended by white supremacism. He beat incumbent Democrat Tom Suozzi by eight points. 

Former Cornell fraternity, Phi Kappa Psi, has filed a lawsuit against the university alleging a breach of a 1966 contract between the two parties. According to the Ithaca Voice, the fraternity and university had had a longstanding shared relationship. But following the death of a student in late 2019, the fraternity was permanently suspended. The fraternity’s suit argues that its 1966 agreement with Cornell reserves certain rights related to its building at 525 Stewart Avenue. The suit also claims Cornell is in breach of contract for not using the building for veterans housing—a use which alumni have long lobbied for—and for planned renovations the fraternity has not agreed to.