On January 28, 2026, New York City Mayor Mamdani delivers a blunt warning: NYC is facing a serious fiscal crisis, with a budget deficit of at least $12 billion. He calls it the “Adams budget crisis,” alleging the prior administration systematically underbudgeted essential services—including rental assistance, shelters, and special education—creating what he describes as massive hidden gaps.
Mamdani also argues NYC’s finances were strained over years by a state–city imbalance, claiming New Yorkers contribute a larger share of state revenue than the city receives back. He cites independent projections (including city and state controllers) and says the true budget gaps are far higher than previously presented, framing the moment as more severe than the Great Recession-era gaps and over 300% above the pre-pandemic 10-year average in some years.
He promises a balanced budget within two fiscal years, rejects balancing it “on the backs of working people,” and signals bold solutions: resetting the fiscal relationship with Albany and taxing the richest New Yorkers and most profitable corporations—while pledging honesty, transparency, and clear communication about decisions ahead.
New York is betting big on “self-driving” science. Governor Kathy Hochul announced that Radical AI will open New York’s first fully autonomous materials science laboratory at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, building a new headquarters and AI-driven labs designed to run around 100 experiments per day. The $4 million project is backed by up to $2 million in performance-based Empire State Development tax credits and is expected to create 115 new high-paying jobs—as the company aims to compress years of materials discovery into months for industries like energy, aerospace, infrastructure, defense, and manufacturing.
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Governor Hochul Celebrates Radical AI Establishing New York’s First Fully Autonomous Materials Science Labs at the Brooklyn Navy Yard
Materials Science R&D Company Will Renovate New Headquarters and Build Advanced AI-Driven Labs
Project Will Create 115 New High-Paying Jobs and Catalyze New York City’s Growing Deep-Tech and Artificial Intelligence Sector
Supported by up to $2 Million in Performance-Based ESD Excelsior Jobs Program Tax Credits
Governor Kathy Hochul today celebrated Radical AI, a scientific research and development company focused on discovering novel inorganic materials, for establishing New York’s first fully autonomous materials science laboratory at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The company will renovate and repurpose space in Building 20 to create a state-of-the-art headquarters and research facility capable of running approximately 100 AI-driven experiments per day. The $4 million project, supported by up to $2 million in performance-based Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits from Empire State Development (ESD), is expected to create 115 new high-paying jobs in the fast-growing fields of materials science and AI. This investment builds on New York’s statewide strategy to grow next-generation industries, expand high-wage job opportunities, and strengthen the state’s innovation economy.
“New York is leading the nation in turning cutting-edge research into real-world innovation and good-paying jobs,” Governor Hochul said. “Radical AI’s decision to establish the state’s first fully autonomous materials science laboratory at the Brooklyn Navy Yard strengthens our position as a global hub for artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, and deep-tech research. By investing in companies that push the boundaries of science and technology, we’re ensuring the discoveries that drive long-term economic growth are developed, scaled, and commercialized in this state.”
Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “Radical AI’s decision to build New York’s first fully autonomous materials science lab at the Brooklyn Navy Yard underscores the strength and diversity of our innovation economy. This project brings together artificial intelligence, advanced research, and high-quality job creation in a field that touches nearly every sector of the global economy. With support from Empire State Development, Radical AI is helping ensure that the next wave of materials discovery, commercialization, and startup growth happens right here in New York City.”
Radical AI CEO and Co-Founder Joseph Krause said, “Our new facility will run materials experiments at a pace and scale that traditional R&D cannot match, capturing experimental data that makes our AI smarter over time in a continuous data feedback loop. Our mission is to compress decades of materials discovery into years or months, and we’re grateful to ESD for backing that vision.”
NYCREDC Co-Chairs Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, City University of New York Chancellor and William D. Rahm, CEO of Everview Partners, said, “New York City’s economic future depends on our ability to attract and grow companies operating at the cutting edge of science and technology. Radical AI’s expansion at the Brooklyn Navy Yard reflects the region’s unmatched talent pipeline, research capacity, and collaborative innovation environment. This project will not only create high-paying jobs, but also strengthen New York City’s position as a global center for AI-driven research, advanced manufacturing, and next-generation startup development.”
New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) Senior Vice President of Partnerships Justin Kreamer said, “We are thrilled that Radical AI will establish New York’s first fully autonomous materials science laboratory at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, benefiting from New York City’s deep talent pool and contributing to its status as the applied AI capital of the world. Radical AI’s new state-of-the-art headquarters will create over 100 future-oriented jobs, serve as a key hub for AI experimentation and research, and deepen New York City’s commitment to sustainable materials innovation, joining impactful initiatives already under way such as Gotham Foundry.”
Assemblymember Steven Otis said, “Congratulations to Governor Hochul, NYS Empire State Development, and the research and technology innovator, Radical AI for the exciting news of the cutting-edge materials research lab that will be at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Materials research, development, and testing are vital to our economic, environmental, and technology future. Radical AI is a leader in using AI to examine materials suitability for energy and technology innovation. This important research will give birth to new economic and growth opportunities and again highlights New York’s leadership in technology innovation. This announcement is also an example of the success of Governor Hochul’s focus on job expansion in technology industries and the synergy New York offers by bringing these companies to our state.”
Founded in 2024, Radical AI has grown from a small research team into a rapidly scaling company focused on accelerating the discovery of next-generation materials. Today, the company employs approximately 34 scientists, engineers, and technologists working at the intersection of AI, robotics, and materials chemistry. The company’s mission is to develop, test, and commercialize entirely new classes of materials that can transform a wide range of industries—from aerospace and energy to infrastructure, defense and manufacturing. Their autonomous technology combines AI and a self-driving laboratory to rapidly discover entirely novel materials that would otherwise take 10-to-20 years to develop. This approach enables faster innovation across industries such as energy, transportation, and advanced manufacturing, strengthening the city’s role in next-generation technology development.
Radical AI plans to convert an existing office space into a fully outfitted, advanced materials science lab equipped with specialized tools, gas lines, robotics systems, updated safety and organizational layouts, and essential infrastructure upgrades. Radical AI’s autonomous laboratory will focus exclusively on discovering new inorganic materials through AI-driven experimentation and R&D. The company’s high-throughput approach will accelerate the traditionally slow process of materials discovery by 370x, creating novel materials with applications across multiple industries.
With its expansion into the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Radical AI will further deepen its footprint in New York City and reinforce the city’s growing leadership in artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, and deep-tech research. This investment strengthens the city’s innovation ecosystem by pairing cutting-edge AI capabilities with world-class scientific talent, creating a new hub for materials discovery that will support startup formation, commercialization, and long-term economic growth across multiple industries. As materials science underpins everything from energy and transportation to defense and manufacturing, Radical AI’s presence at the Brooklyn Navy Yard positions New York City at the forefront of the next generation of technological breakthroughs.
Autonomous materials science combines AI, robotics, and advanced chemistry to rapidly discover entirely new materials that would otherwise take years to develop. This approach enables faster innovation across industries such as clean energy, transportation, and advanced manufacturing, strengthening the city’s role in next-generation technology development.
About Empire State Development Empire State Development is New York’s chief economic development agency, and promotes business growth, job creation, and greater economic opportunity throughout the state. With offices in each of the state’s 10 regions, ESD oversees the Regional Economic Development Councils, supports broadband equity through the ConnectALL office, and is growing the workforce of tomorrow through the Office of Strategic Workforce Development. The agency engages with emerging and next generation industries like clean energy and semiconductor manufacturing looking to grow in New York State, operates a network of assistance centers to help small businesses grow and succeed, and promotes the state’s world class tourism destinations through I LOVE NY. For more information, please visit esd.ny.gov, and connect with ESD on LinkedIn, Facebook and X.
About Radical AI Radical AI is a materials company combining AI and a self-driving, robotic lab to discover novel inorganic materials for mission-critical industries like aerospace, infrastructure, defense, energy and manufacturing. The company uses AI technology to screen billions of materials and identify the best candidates, synthesizes and tests these candidates in an autonomous lab, and captures valuable experimental data to improve future predictions in a closed-loop system. Radical has raised $55 million in seed funding led by RTX Ventures with participation from NVentures (NVIDIA), Noa, Eni, Infinite Capital, and AlleyCorp. The company is a Department of Energy partner in the White House Genesis Mission and holds an Air Force AFWERX contract to develop high-entropy alloys for hypersonic flight. For more information, visit radical-ai.com.
A West Virginia woman who worked as a public librarian has been arrested and charged after authorities say she used social media posts and videos to encourage or recruit someone to assassinate President Donald Trump.
What authorities say happened
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said Morgan L. Morrow, 39, of Ripley, West Virginia, was taken into custody after investigators reviewed online content they describe as soliciting violence—moving beyond political talk and into what they interpreted as a credible, actionable threat.
Local reporting citing the criminal complaint says investigators were alerted on January 25, 2026, to threats posted from a publicly accessible social media account attributed to Morrow. One post referenced the idea of finding a “sniper” to kill Trump—language deputies say they treated as a serious threat rather than hyperbole.
Investigation and arrest
According to the complaint described in local coverage, investigators and assisting officers went to Morrow’s residence, brought her in for questioning, and say she acknowledged authoring the post and that it was directed at Trump.
WDTV (a West Virginia TV station) reported that Morrow was arrested following what the sheriff’s office called an active investigation with “documented and troubling concerns,” adding the agency said its public post about the arrest was not intended as a political statement.
Charges and custody status
Authorities say Morrow was charged with one count of “terroristic threats” (often described in coverage as making or communicating a terroristic threat). She was reported held at South Central Regional Jail, with no bond set at the time of those reports.
Official reaction and public safety concerns
Jackson County Sheriff Ross Mellinger told MetroNews that investigators viewed the alleged posts as far more than venting, describing them as repeated statements across platforms encouraging violence.
Meanwhile, Fox News reported the Jackson County Public Library posted a statement distancing the organization from the alleged comments and saying the matter was being addressed internally.
What’s next
The case is now expected to move through the court process, where prosecutors will have to prove the elements of the alleged offense. As with any criminal case, the charge is an allegation, and Morrow is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Sources: 1) 18 U.S.C. § 871 — Threats against the President and successors (official text on govinfo.gov) https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCODE-2011-title18/USCODE-2011-title18-partI-chap41-sec871 (cite: turn4search0) 2) 18 U.S.C. § 871 — version on the Law Revision Counsel website (official U.S. Code, uscode.house.gov) https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?edition=prelim&num=0&req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title18-section871 (cite: turn4search1) 3) DOJ Criminal Resource Manual 1528 — clarification on threats against the President (justice.gov) https://www.justice.gov/archives/jm/criminal-resource-manual-1528-threats-against-president-and-successors-presidency-against (cite: turn4search12) 4) U.S. Secret Service FAQ — How to report a threat and what the USSS investigates (secretservice.gov) https://www.secretservice.gov/about/faq/general (cite: turn4search2) 5) FBI — Threat Intimidation Guide (where to go/how to report threats) (fbi.gov) https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/counterintelligence/threat-intimidation-guide (cite: turn4search3) 6) FBI Tips — Official portal for submitting tips (fbi.gov) https://www.fbi.gov/tips (cite: turn4search11)
New York faced a major winter storm on January 25, 2026. Speaking from the state’s Emergency Operations Center in Albany, Governor Kathy Hochul warned that the weather would be dangerous—deep snow, extreme cold, and icy conditions.
She called it an “Arctic siege” and said the cold could be life-threatening. Snow started early in Long Island and New York City, then spread north across the state.
What New York State is doing
Hochul said the state had already declared an emergency and expanded its response:
More than 100 National Guard members were deployed to help where needed, especially downstate.
The state placed road restrictions to reduce crashes and keep plows moving.
Utility crews were put on standby in case of power problems, even though widespread outages were not expected.
What residents should expect
Officials warned that the heaviest snow would hit later in the day and overnight. In New York City and Long Island, snow could mix with sleet and freezing rain, making roads and sidewalks more dangerous.
Hochul’s main message was simple: if you can stay home, stay home. She urged employers to allow remote work when possible.
Schools and travel changes
Hochul said the mayor announced that New York City schools would switch to remote learning for the next day.
Public transit was expected to continue running on a weekend schedule, but officials said plans could change depending on conditions.
Safety tips: short and practical
The governor also shared basic safety advice:
Shovel carefully—lift with your legs and take small amounts.
Check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, especially if using heaters.
Keep emergency items in your car (blanket, charger, water) in case you get stuck.
Check on elderly neighbors and limit pets’ time outside.
Then the briefing changed tone
Near the end, Hochul shifted from weather to politics. She spoke about a reported incident in Minneapolis involving federal immigration agents and the death of a man she identified as Alex Prey.
Hochul said the incident showed a pattern of dangerous federal actions. She called for leadership changes at the federal level and said states should be able to fully investigate when civilians are harmed.
Bottom line
This briefing became two stories in one:
New York preparing for a severe winter storm, and
a strong political message aimed at federal immigration enforcement.
For most New Yorkers, the immediate takeaway remained clear: limit travel, prepare for extreme cold, and follow official alerts.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, joined by NYC Emergency Management (NYCEM) and other officials, held a press conference on January 25, 2026, to update the public on the city’s response to a major snowstorm and sustained cold temperatures.
Key points from the press conference include:
Remote School Day (1:09): All New York City public schools will switch to remote learning the following day due to extreme weather. All after-school programs, adult education, and school-based programming are canceled.
Weather Forecast (2:14): The city expects up to 11 inches of snow with heavy snowfall continuing into the afternoon and wind gusts up to 35 mph. Light freezing rain is expected overnight, tapering off by noon the next day.
Cold Weather Dangers and Homeless Outreach (2:44): The intense cold poses a fatal risk to those without shelter. Five New Yorkers were found deceased outdoors before the snow began, emphasizing the danger of extreme cold (2:56). The city has opened 10 warming centers in school buildings, in addition to 126 shelters, over 50 hospitals, and 35 safe havens (3:27). A “code blue” is in effect, ensuring no one is denied shelter (3:51).
City Operations and Snow Removal (4:50): DSNY (Department of Sanitation New York) began pre-salting highways and major streets on Friday. Over 2,500 sanitation workers have been deployed, with more than 700 salt spreaders and 2,200 plow vehicles monitored by the DSNY’s BladeRunner system (5:00).
Transportation Updates (6:00): All agencies are coordinating their efforts. The MTA is maintaining regular operations with some adjustments (6:21). The Long Island Railroad and Metro-North are operating on reduced schedules, and NYC Ferry service has been suspended (6:26). The Staten Island Ferry has moved to hourly service (6:43). All bus service at Port Authority has been suspended (6:49).
Public Safety and Advice (7:47): New Yorkers are strongly advised to stay home and off the roads due to hazardous conditions. If shoveling, pace yourself and check on seniors and neighbors (8:15). The Mayor encourages New Yorkers to sign up for Notify NYC updates by texting “notify NYC” to 692692 (8:46).
School Preparedness (10:10): The Chancellor of Schools, Kamar Samuels, reiterated the move to remote learning and highlighted the preparations made by educators and IT teams to ensure a successful virtual learning day. Students in grades K-8 will receive real-time and asynchronous instruction (11:14).
MTA Operations Update (12:34): A representative from the MTA emphasized the ongoing efforts to keep transit running smoothly. All subway lines are operating, mostly as locals, with the entire bus fleet outfitted with chains (13:13). Commuter railroads are on modified schedules (14:44).
Addressing Concerns (16:29): The mayor addressed questions regarding the five deaths, stating that at this time, it does not appear they were homeless, and an investigation is ongoing. He also explained the decision for a remote school day, citing state law requiring 180 days of instruction (20:48). For any technology issues with remote learning, parents can call the support desk at 718-935-5100, active from 6 AM to 6 PM (21:36).
The video provides an overview of New York City’s preparations for an incoming winter storm expected to bring 8 to 9 inches of snow (0:00-0:06).
Key preparations and public advisories include:
Department of Sanitation Efforts (0:09-0:40): The Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has converted thousands of trucks into snow plows, forming the nation’s largest snow-fighting force. Over 2,000 sanitation workers will be on 12-hour shifts, salting roads as soon as snow falls and plowing once there’s more than two inches on the ground.
Emergency Management Coordination (0:42-0:48): The city’s emergency management team is coordinating the response and keeping New Yorkers informed.
Public Responsibilities (0:50-0:56): Property owners are responsible for clearing snow and ice from their sidewalks.
Service Delays and Updates (0:57-1:10): Trash and recycling pickup may be delayed. Residents can get updates by calling 311, checking nyc.gov/dsny, or texting “notifynyc” to 692692.
Travel and School Advisories (1:12-1:26): Residents are advised to avoid unnecessary travel on Sunday. The MTA will ensure public transit runs smoothly, and a decision on Monday’s school status (in-person or remote) will be made by Sunday at 12:00 p.m.
