NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 19, 2026--
The MCU Foundation, the charitable arm of Municipal Credit Union (MCU), today announced a $150,000 grant to Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley (RMHGHV). The grant will help hundreds of families staying with RMHGHV while their children receive essential medical treatments and care.
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The MCU Foundation will support RMHGHV’s meal programs with the preparation of thousands of freshly prepared meals to families staying at the Ronald McDonald House. Meals are also delivered to families at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital and Blythedale Children’s Hospital. The program’s goal is to ensure that families are properly nourished and are surrounded by a community of care and compassion during one of the most challenging times of their lives.
The MCU Foundation and RMHGHV recognize the financial strain families are faced with as many of these hospital stays extend to weeks and months, and the ability to provide basic necessities to these families has never been so important.
“Municipal Credit Union was founded to serve New Yorkers, and that commitment extends beyond banking,” said Kyle Markland, CEO of MCU. “This partnership reflects our belief that strong communities are built when institutions step forward to support families in their most challenging moments. We are honored to contribute to work that provides comfort, dignity and stability to families navigating serious medical care.”
"After seeing firsthand the impact our 2025 grant had on families served by RMHGHV, and how it helped provide basic necessities during incredibly difficult times, we knew we wanted to deepen our commitment. This partnership reflects our shared mission to help New Yorkers, no matter their situation. The level of involvement and enthusiasm from staff volunteering reinforces that commitment," said George Chacon, President of the MCU Foundation.
"We feel extremely fortunate to have the support of the MCU Foundation for the families we serve," said Karen Kosits, Director of Operations, RMHGHV. "Our shared belief in providing comfort, care, and a strong sense of community is embedded in our work and our approach. Our entire community benefits when we join together.”
About the MCU FoundationEstablished in 2023, the MCU Foundation was created by the Municipal Credit Union's (MCU) executive leadership with the mission of helping to build generational wealth and eliminate poverty - one New Yorker at a time. It furthers this mission by increasing access to necessities, education and homeownership to uplift the hardworking heroes in our community. For more information about the MCU Foundation and its programs, please visitmcufoundation.nymcu.org
About Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley(RMHGHV) provides families with all the comforts of home and eases some of the emotional and financial burdens they experience when faced with their child’s illness. Located on the campus of Westchester Medical Center, the House is just steps away from Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital. As partners in enabling family-centered care, RMHGHV strives to be part of the solution in improving the lives of children and their families by providing programs that strengthen families during difficult times. For more information on RMHGHV visit www.rmh-ghv.org
MCU Foundation representatives present donation of $150,000 to the Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley. Pictured (L to R) Luke Dougherty, Director of Marketing & Community Outreach, RMHGHV, George Chacon, President, the MCU Foundation, Toni-Ann Sforza, Board Member, the MCU Foundation, Peter Neiman, Vice President, Marketing, Municipal Credit Union, Richard Landau, Board President, RMHGHV
LONDON (AP) — The former Prince Andrew was arrested by British police Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to his links to Jeffrey Epstein, an extraordinary move in a country where authorities once sought to shield the royal family from embarrassment.
It was the first time in nearly four centuries that a senior British royal was placed under arrest, and it underscored how deference to the monarchy has eroded in recent years.
King Charles III, whose late mother lived by the motto “never complain, never explain,” took the unusual step of issuing a statement on the arrest of his brother, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
“Let me state clearly: the law must take its course,’’ the king said. “As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter.’’
The Thames Valley Police force, which covers areas west of London, including Mountbatten-Windsor’s former home, said Thursday that a man in his 60s, who is from Norfolk in eastern England, had been arrested and was in custody. Police did not identify the suspect, in line with standard procedures in Britain.
Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, moved to the king’s private estate in Norfolk after he was evicted from his longtime home near Windsor Castle earlier this month.
Police previously said they were “assessing” reports that Mountbatten-Windsor sent trade information to Epstein, a wealthy investor and convicted sex offender, in 2010, when the former prince was Britain’s special envoy for international trade. Correspondence between the two men was released by the U.S. Justice Department late last month along with millions of pages of documents from the American investigation into Epstein.
“Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office,’’ Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said in a statement.
“We understand the significant public interest in this case, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time,” he added.
Police also said they were searching two properties.
Earlier in the day, pictures circulated online that appeared to show unmarked police cars at Wood Farm, Mountbatten-Windsor’s home on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, with plainclothes officers gathering outside.
Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing in his association with Epstein.
The allegations being investigated Thursday are separate from those made by Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was trafficked to Britain to have sex with Andrew in 2001, when she was just 17. Giuffre died by suicide last year.
Still, Giuffre’s family praised the arrest, saying that their “broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty.”
The family added: “He was never a prince. For survivors everywhere, Virginia did this for you.”
“This is the most spectacular fall from grace for a member of the royal family in modern times,” said Craig Prescott, a royal expert at Royal Holloway, University of London, who compared it in severity to the crisis sparked by Edward VIII’s abdication to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.
“And it may not be over yet,’’ Prescott added.
Thursday’s arrest came a day after the National Police Chiefs’ Council said it had created a coordination group to assist forces across the U.K. that are assessing whether Epstein and his associates committed crimes in Britain. In addition to the concerns about Mountbatten-Windsor ’s correspondence, documents released by the U.S. suggest Epstein may have used his private jet to traffic women to and from Britain.
The documents also rocked British politics. Prime Minister Keir Starmer had to fight off questions about his judgment after the papers revealed that Peter Mandelson, the man he appointed ambassador to the U.S., had a longer and closer relationship with Epstein than was previously disclosed.
London’s Metropolitan Police Service has said it is investigating allegations of misconduct in public office related to Mandelson’s own correspondence with Epstein. Mandelson was fired as ambassador to the U.S. in September.
But it is Mountbatten-Windsor’s relationship with Epstein that brought the scandal to the doors of Buckingham Palace and threatened to undermine support for the monarchy.
The last time a senior British royal was arrested was almost 400 years ago during the reign of King Charles I that saw a growing power struggle between the crown and Parliament.
After the king attempted to arrest lawmakers in the House of Commons in 1642, hostilities erupted into the English Civil War, which ended with victory for the parliamentary forces of Oliver Cromwell.
Charles I was arrested, tried, convicted of high treason and beheaded in 1649.
Modern concerns about Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to Epstein have dogged the royal family for more than a decade.
The late Queen Elizabeth II forced her second son to give up royal duties and end his charitable work in 2019 after he tried to explain away his friendship with Epstein during a catastrophic interview with the BBC.
But as concern mounted about what the Epstein files might reveal, the king moved aggressively to insulate the royal family from the fallout.
Since October, Charles has stripped his younger brother of the right to be called prince, forced him to move out of the royal estate he occupied for more than 20 years and issued a public statement supporting the women and girls abused by Epstein.
Last week, the palace said it was ready to cooperate with police investigating Mountbatten-Windsor.
Charles was forced to act after Mountbatten-Windsor’s correspondence with Epstein torpedoed the former prince’s claims that he severed ties with the financier after Epstein's 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution.
Instead, emails between the two men show Epstein offering to arrange a date between Mountbatten-Windsor and a young Russian woman in 2010, and the then-prince inviting Epstein to dinner at Buckingham Palace.
Additional correspondence appears to show Mountbatten-Windsor sending Epstein reports from a two-week tour of Southeast Asia that he undertook in 2010 as Britain’s trade envoy.
Danny Shaw, an expert on law enforcement in the U.K., told the BBC that in most cases, suspects are held between 12 and 24 hours and are then either charged or released pending further investigation.
The absolute longest the former prince can be held for is 96 hours — but that would require multiple extensions from senior police officers and a Magistrate’s Court. It was unclear what time Andrew was arrested.
Andrew will be placed in “a cell in a custody suite” with just “a bed and a toilet,” where he will wait until his police interview.
“There’ll be no special treatment for him,″ Shaw said.
Soldiers exercise at Buckingham Palace in London, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026 after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested by British police on suspicion of misconduct in public office. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Reporters stand in front of Buckingham Palace in London, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026 after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested by British police on suspicion of misconduct in public office. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
A Police officer guards the entrance to Wood Farm at the Sandringham Royal Estate in Sandringham, England, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026 after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested by British police on suspicion of misconduct in public office. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
FILE - Prince Andrew leaves St. Giles Cathedral after the arrival of the coffin containing the remains of his mother Queen Elizabeth, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Sept. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Andrew, center, and his daughters Princess Eugenie, left, and Princess Beatrice leave Westminster Abbey after the wedding of Prince William to Catherine Middleton, in London, April 29, 2011. (AP Photo/Gero Breloer, File)
FILE - Prince Andrew leaves after attending the Christmas day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham in Norfolk, England, Dec. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
FILE - Britain's Prince Andrew, greets a business leader during a reception at the sideline of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, Pool, File)
FILE - A document showing an email exchange between Jeffrey Epstein and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, and who Epstein referred to as "The Duke," that was in a U.S. Department of Justice release, is photographed Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick, File)
FILE - Britain's Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, looks round as he leaves after attending the Easter Matins Service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, England, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
FILE - Then-Britain's Prince Andrew, left, and Britain's King Charles III leave after the Requiem Mass service for the Duchess of Kent at Westminster Cathedral in London, Sept. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Joanna Chan, File)
