Thursday, October 1, 2026
The problem, however, is that data centers are a legitimate challenge to elected officials who aren’t always capable of understanding what the centers do and how the public may react. It’s a balancing act that isn’t working well, and the public has now become fired up, because people are afraid of rising electricity rates and don’t want their water supply depleted.
As vacations wind down, backyard pool parties continue and families make the last couple of trips to the beach before school begins, it’s easy to become comfortable. That comfort can become complacency — and complacency around the water can be deadly.
We are accustomed to thinking of our lives as local, and with good reason. This newspaper exists because the things that shape a day here — the school calendar, the traffic on Sunrise Highway, whether the field will be playable Saturday morning — are decided close to home by people you might run into at the deli. That proximity is the texture of life in a place like ours. The distance between a thing and its cause is usually short enough to walk.
Every day, hospitals across Long Island and around the country rely on a steady supply of donated blood to care for trauma victims, cancer patients, premature infants, people undergoing surgery and those living with chronic blood disorders. When blood is needed, there is no time to wait for donors to come forward. The blood must already be on the shelves.
The more you witness the history of our multiple governments, the more you realize how our current government is no longer capable of serving the people who desperately need it. I have no issue with the people from both parties who provide us with services in our counties, towns and villages. But I am saddened by our federal system, which serves only itself.
Those financial pressures were foremost in our minds in our analysis of the 2026 budget. We were faced with tough choices on how to protect taxpayers while ensuring fairness and respect for Nassau’s dedicated workforce.
Donnie never felt sorry for himself. In his last days on earth he was reaching out to friends who had heartache, relationship woes, business setbacks or medical problems. He preached a gospel of positivity, insisting on finding threads of hope. He left a legacy of goodness and generosity, changing the lives of so many people along the way.
You might imagine that becoming a despot requires tanks, secret police and a balcony from which to wave at enormous, inflamed crowds. You might believe you need a special degree or a fake Nobel Prize. But the road to becoming a despot is surprisingly well-traveled.
Recently I’ve come to believe that the strongest influence on developing human beings is the times in which they live. Try as I might, summoning all the empathy I possess, I simply can’t know what it was like to endure the London Blitz during World War II. Or the Dust Bowl in America, or the Holocaust, all of which changed the way people lived and thought.
But this loss is different. I discovered that I’m not myself anymore; more challenging, I’m not sure who I am. When you’re a partner in a 58-year-long marriage, identity becomes somewhat fluid. We were a “we” and now I’m an “I.”
With ticks and tick-borne diseases now a national plague in the United States, SciLine, an educational program based at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, recently organized an online “Media Briefing: Summer 2026 Tick Update.”
The Canadians have been our best friends for as long as I can remember. They were there for us during World War II, when they lost over 40,000 men in battle. They have contributed soldiers to many of our wars, and have stood up for us at the United Nations and around the world. One of the reasons behind the latest insanity is the president’s statement that he is mad at Canada because of the smoke that has drifted south to the United States.
Student debt makes the American dream unattainable, or, at best, greatly deferred. Gallup reports that 71 percent of student borrowers delay major life milestones — homeownership, parenthood, starting a business, retirement — because of their debt. On Long Island, those delays have a geographic consequence: 22 percent of residents between ages 25 and 34 have left the region over the past eight years. Student debt and housing costs are inseparable drivers of that exodus.
Preparedness is particularly important for Long Island residents. We know that severe weather can bring flooding, dangerous winds and extended power outages. A house fire or medical emergency can happen without warning. And while we can’t always be ready for anything, having a plan, and the right supplies, can make a significant difference.
For two decades I have worked with children, parents and families. Whether in my office, giving a speech, leading a workshop or discussing parenting on social media, I hear remarkably consistent hopes. Parents want their children to become happy, successful and independent adults. I would argue that happiness and success depend, at least in part, on independence. And one quality runs through all three — resilience.
The Promise to America isn’t a complicated pledge. It’s a common-sense commitment to a fair economy, lower costs, secure borders, safe communities, fiscal responsibility, effective government, free speech, patriotism, and respect for people who may see things differently. It’s a declaration of values from common-sense Democrats.
Long Island has no alternative water supply. We rely entirely on a vast but finite underground aquifer system that must meet all residential, commercial and public needs. That makes water conservation not just a seasonal suggestion, but a long-term necessity.
Maybe it’s nostalgia, but I remember a year-long excitement that captured the imagination of the entire country. The commercials on TV, the products in the stores, sports teams — even our local grocer was in on the action. And it wasn’t just the tall ships in the harbor or the red, white and blue decorations that adorned every inch of our neighborhoods. There was genuine excitement about our country and its story.
The nor'easter forecasted for Long Island has struck bringing heavy rain that is causing flooding and high winds resulting in scattered power outages.
For Billy Graziose, soccer has been part of his family’s life for years. His son, Michael, 11, began playing in Glen Cove’s intramural soccer program in kindergarten and now plays travel soccer. …
The Tribute and Honor Foundation recognized its 2027 award recipients at its annual announcement event last Sunday at the North Shore Historical Museum. Five North Shore residents are among those who …
