Starting in September, students will be banned from using smartphones in school as part of the New York State budget, which includes $13.5 million for districts to implement the restrictions, Gov. Kathy Hochul said yesterday. Keshia Clukey reports in NEWSDAY that the proposal, part of a "general agreement" on a $254 billion state budget announced by Hochul on April 28, bans the use of internet-enabled devices such as smartphones, smartwatches and tablets for the entire school day — described as bell-to-bell — including at lunch and during study halls.

It aims to decrease screen time and social media use for students to protect their mental health, while increasing opportunities for learning and socialization.

"I know our young people succeed when they’re learning and growing, not clicking and scrolling," stated Governor Hochul.

Bill language had yet to be released as of Tuesday afternoon, but the State Legislature is expected to start voting this week, leaders have said.

The proposal, agreed upon by the legislature, would allow schools to develop their own plans for storing the phones throughout the day, but they must include teachers, parents and students in creating the policy, according to the governor’s statement yesterday. The funding is aimed at helping districts purchase storage methods, including but not limited to magnetic pouches.

Schools also must provide a way for parents or guardians to contact their students during the day.

There would be some exceptions to the restrictions for medical reasons or where required by a student’s individual learning plan, for translation purposes, for family caregiving and emergencies, according to the release.

***

A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration, restoring nearly $1 billion in COVID-19-era education grants to New York, 15 other states and Washington, D.C. John Asbury reports in NEWSDAY that the states had filed a lawsuit last month against the U.S. Department of Education after Secretary Linda McMahon canceled funding from three COVID-19 grant programs: Homeless Children and Youth (HCY), Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) and Emergency Assistance to Nonpublic Schools (EANS).

New York had been awarded $9.3 billion by the federal Education Department for districts statewide under the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act, according to the lawsuit. The funding had previously been extended to allow New York school districts to spend the remaining $134 million through March 2026, New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a news release announcing the injunction.

Judge Edgardo Ramos of the U.S. Southern District of New York approved the states’ request for a preliminary injunction Monday to prevent the liquidation of COVID-19 funds and immediately restore access to the money while the case continues in federal court.

"The Trump administration’s illegal decision to cut off essential education funding put some of our most vulnerable students at risk of falling behind in school," James said in a statement yesterday. "This is a major win for our students and teachers who are counting on this funding to help them succeed. I will continue to defend New York’s schools and ensure they get the resources they need to provide a quality education to everyone."

The remaining grant money for New York was planned for repairs to school ventilation systems and programs such as tutoring and mental health counseling to address learning gaps from the pandemic, according to the lawsuit. It also included classroom upgrades, wheelchair accessible buses, library books, playground equipment and food, classroom supplies and field trips for homeless youth.

***

Southold Town Senior Services hosts a Health and Wellness Fair tomorrow from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Southold Town’s Human Resource Center in Katinka House, 750 Pacific Street, Mattituck. Information about Alzheimer’s awareness, home care agencies and nutrition will be available, along with free mobile health screenings from Catholic Health’s Mobile Outreach Bus.

For more information, call 631.298.4460.

That’s the Southold Senior Services Health & Wellness Fair tomorrow from

10:30 am – 1:00 pm at Southold Town Human Resource Center, 750 Pacific Street, Mattituck, NY 11952

***

State lawmakers will finally begin voting on New York’s massive budget package today, but the public and even politicians themselves aren’t sure what the spending bills will say. Vaughn Golden reports in THE NY POST that thousands of pages of text that make up the budget bill were scheduled to be released starting on last night, meaning the public and even rank-and-file lawmakers would only have hours to review the package before voting on it. Some sources are even casting doubt on the $254 billion figure that Gov. Kathy Hochul announced last week. “The senators have not seen a budget bill, we are told they are on their way, and we’re gonna begin voting this week, we haven’t seen one,” State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt (R-Niagara) said. “Let these bills age. Let us dig in. Let us know what we’re voting for for the people of New York,” Ortt added. Under the state constitution, the legislature must wait three calendar days before voting on a newly introduced bill, such as the state budget. But that will be bypassed with a “message of necessity” from Governor Hochul that will allow an early vote on the budget.

The NYS budget process is mostly negotiated behind closed doors between the governor and legislative leaders.

Both the NYS Senate and Assembly are Democrat majority chambers…and Governor Hochul is also a Democrat.

The annual NYS budget was due on April 1st.

***

Maureen’s Haven is seeking a new location for its homeless outreach center after Riverhead Town filed a lawsuit aiming to force the nonprofit to vacate the Lincoln Street property it’s occupied for more than a decade.

Alek Lewis reports on Riverheadlocal.com that Maureen’s Haven is permitted to operate an office at 28 Lincoln Street in Riverhead but has instead been operating “a day center for the homeless,” which is beyond the scope of its permit and the property’s residential zoning designation, according to a complaint filed in Suffolk County Supreme Court last month by Riverhead Town attorneys.

The lawsuit states that the town attorney sent a letter to Maureen’s Haven in September outlining the town’s position and requesting compliance with the town code to avoid court intervention. No response was ever received, the complaint says.

Riverhead Town Attorney Erik Howard said the objective of the lawsuit is to remove Maureen’s Haven from the Lincoln Street area. Maureen’s Haven is in a neighborhood near homes and professional offices and “was never intended to be a day center,” he said following the Town Board’s approval of the lawsuit filing on April 1.

Maureen’s Haven Executive Director Dan O’Shea tells Riverheadlocal.com that the organization “has been actively looking for a better facility that would meet the needs of our clients, as well as better serve the community and the Town of Riverhead, and we hope to secure a new facility in the coming months.”

Maureen’s Haven provides support services for the local homeless population, including housing and job assistance programs, counseling and a winter emergency shelter program in collaboration with East End churches.

***

Hallockville Museum Farm invites you to join them this coming Saturday, May 10th at 1pm in the Hallock State Park Community Room, 6062 Sound Avenue in Riverhead…where there will be a presentation by Hallockville Board Member Richard Wines about his recently released book, A Farm Family on Long Island’s North Fork. Richard traces the history of our vital agricultural community here on the North Fork through the story of the last family to live in the old Homestead at Hallockville.

For well over two centuries, community members were almost all descendants of the same group of seventeenth-century Puritan founders. Yet, despite their shared heritage and complex interrelationships, cultural wars raged resulting in tens of decades of old North Fork drama.

Learn more about A Farm Family on Long Island’s North Fork, this Saturday, May 10 from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm in the Hallock State Park Community Room, 6062 Sound Avenue, Riverhead.

This event is free, but registration is required. For further info and registration visit hallockville.org.

***

Tens of thousands of UnitedHealthcare policyholders on Long Island may lose their in-network coverage for Stony Brook Medicine on June 1 if the two entities cannot come to an agreement on reimbursement rates.

About 35,000 members "were notified about the current negotiation with Stony Brook," UnitedHealthcare said in an email. United’s Empire Plan members are not affected, but Stony Brook said in a statement that almost all other UnitedHealthcare and Oxford plans are covered in the contracts that expire May 31. David Olson reports in NEWSDAY that Stony Brook Medicine includes Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital and Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital. It also includes 20 physician medical practices, most for specialized care. The down-to-the-wire negotiations over how much UnitedHealthcare pays Stony Brook hospitals and physician practices for its policyholders’ care is the latest dispute between an insurer and a major Long Island health care provider.

Stony Brook Medicine said in a statement that it was hopeful. "We continue to work diligently with UnitedHealthcare toward a mutually beneficial settlement and are optimistic that we will come to terms," the statement said.

"We are engaged in productive, good-faith negotiation with Stony Brook Medicine," United said in a statement. "Our top priority is to utilize the remaining time on our contract to reach an agreement that is affordable for consumers and employers while ensuring continued, uninterrupted network access to the health system."

State law requires that policyholders in state-regulated plans — which include fully insured commercial plans and Medicaid plans — maintain in-network access to Stony Brook’s hospitals for an additional two months. Self-funded plans not regulated by the state, which includes many employer and labor union plans, are not covered by the extension. Stony Brook advised policyholders to contact their employer’s health benefits office, UnitedHealthcare or Oxford to confirm which type of plan they have.

UnitedHealthcare said in an online statement that members who want to know if they would qualify for continuity of care coverage after June 1 should call the phone number on their health plan identification card.

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Stony Brook Medicine will open a freestanding emergency department in East Hampton, the only ER between Southampton and Montauk. First responders expect the emergency department will make it easier to help patients in a timely fashion. in the summer, East Hampton's population swells from fewer than 30,000 year-round residents to more than 100,000 people, according to the town supervisor’s office. Montauk Highway, the area's main road, is often clogged with traffic, making it hard to get anywhere fast — especially in an emergency. Lee Meyer reports in NEWSDAY that emergency medical technicians on the East End — most of whom are volunteers — often navigate those delays to get patients to Southampton Hospital, or in more severe cases, Stony Brook University Hospital. The influx of seasonal residents adds to emergency call volume and response times.

The new emergency department, a freestanding facility located at 400 Pantigo Place in East Hampton that will be operated by Southampton Hospital, is awaiting approval from the NYS Department of Health. Officials expect it to open later this spring.

It was conceived to improve access to emergency care and reduce ambulance response and travel times in a community where people now have to drive 30 minutes or more to reach the nearest ER.

By comparison, a 2024 report commissioned by New York State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal (D-Manhattan) found that the statewide average for EMS call time — the duration from 911 call to hospital admission — was about 14 minutes.

The idea for the facility was proposed by Southampton Hospital a decade ago, according to the Southampton Hospital Foundation. After securing town approval, the hospital launched a capital campaign in 2019. That effort was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The foundation ultimately raised $30 million from more than 500 donors and received a $10 million state grant, according to a foundation spokesperson. Construction began in 2023 and finished late last year.

***

Sag Harbor Village Mayor Tom Gardella reminds village residents and visitors alike that new paid parking regulations have gone into effect for two parking lots in the Village of Sag Harbor. Stephen J. Kotz reports on 27east.com that the new rules adopted by the Village Board late last year will require non-residents to register with the ParkMobile app and pay to park in the lots at 5 Bridge Street, which is commonly known as the “gas ball” lot, and in the lot at 51 Meadow Street, which is just south of the village post office lot. The first hour of parking is free, but the second and third hour cost $4 each. The fourth hour is $6, and the fifth hour is $8. Sag Harbor Village residents or those who own property in the village will be eligible to apply for two free parking permits that will waive the new fees and allow them to park for as long as four hours in either lot. People who live outside the village, but in the Sag Harbor Fire District and School District, will be eligible to purchase up to two passes for $15 each that will also waive the fees. Both Sag Harbor Village residents and those who live in the fire and school districts will be able to purchase one additional permit for $15. “It’s going to start to be enforced,” Mayor Gardella said. “I’m not going to say they will be out there every day, but we are going to start to enforce it on a discretionary basis.” Regular enforcement will likely begin around Memorial Day weekend when traffic control officers are working regular shifts, he said.

***

Tomorrow evening at 7 p.m. Ellen K. Pikitch, Ph.D., Executive Director, Institute for Ocean Conservation Science, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University will present her lecture “What lies beneath: unveiling changing biodiversity in New York’s First Hope Spot during more than a decade of restoration”.

This Lecture will take place in-person in Duke Lecture Hall, which is located inside Chancellor’s Hall on the SBU Southampton campus. This event is free.

Dr. Pikitch will discuss the long-term fisheries study that reveals the impact of direct restoration efforts on the broader ecological community.

These studies provide robust evidence that the restoration of water quality and habitat have had strong, positive impacts on the diversity, abundance and trophic structure of the fish community of Shinnecock Bay

That’s tomorrow at 7pm in Chancellor’s Hall on the SBU / Southampton Campus. Admission is free.

***

Long Island residents were scrambling yesterday to get a REAL ID, or an enhanced license, permit, or nondriver ID card, which allows holders to also cross land and sea borders from the United States into Mexico, Canada and some Caribbean nations. DMVs in Bethpage, Garden City and Massapequa were showing virtually no openings Monday through the end of August. Suffolk was only slightly better with the Hauppauge, Huntington, Medford and Riverhead DMV locations listing a handful of openings over the next four months. Robert Brodsky and Lorena Mongelli report in NEWSDAY that to date, about 6.9 million New Yorkers — or about 45% of the state's population with a permit, license or nondriver ID — now have a REAL ID compliant document, said Tim O’Brien, a spokesman for the DMV.

Air travel passengers will still be able to use their passports for identification Wednesday and beyond.

But travelers who show up at one of the region's airports beginning tomorrow without a REAL or enhanced ID, or a valid passport — including TSA PreCheck passengers — could face "delays, additional screening and the possibility of not being permitted into the security checkpoint," Transportation Security Administration spokesperson Lisa Farbstein warns.

After applying for the REAL or enhanced ID, individuals will receive a temporary document that, combined with an old driver's license, can be used for travel, Farbstein said.

It takes about two weeks for the permanent document to arrive in the mail.

While there is no cost to get a REAL ID — an enhanced ID will set you back $30 — there are added fees potentially associated with early license renewal, along with other transactional costs, such as a Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District Fee.

***

After structural flaws in the Ponquogue Bridge over Shinnecock Bay in Hampton Bays were found earlier this year, the weight limit on the bridge was lowered substantially, requiring local fire departments to put in place alternative plans for what to do if a fire happened on the barrier island along Dune Road. Firefighters from Hampton Bays and East Quogue put their plans to work Sunday morning as they responded to a vehicle fire near the public fishing access site just south of the bridge just after 5:30 a.m.

Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that the plan, which was put into action Sunday, called for the Hampton Bays Fire Department to use an old brush truck to respond to the fire, establishing a water source from a nearby hydrant. The East Quogue Fire Department was called into service by dispatchers simultaneously to respond from the west as a supplemental force, according to a news release from Southampton Town.

Suffolk County, which is responsible for maintaining the Ponquogue Bridge, is working on a long-term plan to ensure the structural stability of the bridge, after cracked concrete, rusted steel and water damage were found in a New York State Department of Transportation inspection in October of 2024.

***

The Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce and David Falkowski of Open Minded Organics will team up with the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department to present a free Narcan training program at the Sag Harbor Firehouse on Brick Kiln Road at 10 a.m. next Monday, May 12.

The training will be led by Investigator Sergeant William Weick, who has held similar programs in the past.

Stephen J. Kotz reports on 27east.com that narcan is used to counter the effects of an opioid overdose, and all attendees will receive a Narcan kit to bring home with them.

In addition, any business that brings at least two people to the training session will receive a LifeVac anti-choking device.

Space is limited and reservations are required. To sign up, go to Eventbrite.com/e/we-stand-aware-sag-harbor-narcan-training-tickets-1347997138729.

***

The state will pay off a more than $6 billion pandemic-era debt to the federal government that’s been a burden on employers and has blocked an increase in unemployment insurance benefits to laid-off workers, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced yesterday.

She said the state’s takeover of the federal debt will be part of a state budget expected to be voted on this week.

John Asbury and Michael Gormley report in NEWSDAY that employers have been paying an added cost for their share of unemployment insurance since 2023. The cost has typically been about $450 per year for each employee into the state Insurance Fund. Employees also pay a share of unemployment insurances through their wages.

Under law, the state was barred from increasing the benefit for workers hit with layoffs until the debt was paid. The maximum benefit is $504 per week, which hasn’t changed since 2019. When the debt is paid, the benefit can rise to $860 per week next year, which was set under a previously passed measure.

Supporters of paying the debt this year noted that many economists are warning of a potential recession that would drive more New Yorkers to apply for unemployment benefits. State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said in November that the state’s $504 maximum payment was lower than the maximum in 42 states and just 42% of the typical weekly wage in New York City.

Business operators have complained for years that the vast majority of states had already paid off the special unemployment insurance debt to the federal government. The Biden administration provided the loan to states to deal with the spike in unemployment claims when the pandemic forced most businesses to shutdown to limit spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) said the decision will involve $8 billion in state funding — $6 billion to pay off the federal debt and more to keep the fund "solvent" and healthy enough for paying future benefits to workers.

He said, however, that the agreement doesn’t raise total spending in the budget. He said the action is, in fiscal accounting terms, a "transfer" of state funds to another state fund, rather than an increase in spending.

In an effort to attract more locals to watch over its often understaffed easterly beaches, the Town of Southampton is launching a new lifeguard certification course in Bridgehampton this month. Nicholas Grasso reports in NEWSDAY that the basic lifeguard training course, for which anyone can register online, will begin May 27 at the Bridgehampton Tennis & Surf Club. For those looking for “surf” lifeguard certification, meaning they are qualified to watch over swimmers in ocean waters as well as the calmer bay areas, training will be held at Sagg Main Beach in Sagaponack starting June 7. Scholarships to cover certification costs are available through the STAR AquaCenter, a Southampton-based nonprofit.

Southampton Town will also host lifeguard training at Suffolk County Community College’s Eastern Campus in Riverhead, as it has in previous years. That course will begin May 13.

Kristen Doulos, the Southampton Town parks director, said she generally has no trouble finding staff for the town's four beaches west of the Shinnecock Canal. But most lifeguards, especially those coming from hamlets west of the town, do not want to drive farther east on an often-bottlenecked Sunrise Highway to work, she said.

Doulos hopes the new training course in Bridgehampton will attract local high school and college students, as well as teachers who have the summers off, to cover its eastern beaches: Flying Point, Foster Memorial, Mecox, Sagg Main and W. Scott Cameron.

“Sometimes we can’t open all five beaches out there,” Doulos told Newsday on Friday.

***

More than 4,500 people ended up in Long Island hospital emergency departments in 2024 for what the state calls cannabis syndrome, a reflection of what experts say is a lack of knowledge of the potential negative effects of marijuana. Heavy, long-term use of marijuana can lead to nausea, vomiting and severe stomach aches. Overconsumption, even once, can lead to paranoia, psychosis or anxiety. Young children can experience breathing problems. David Olson reports in NEWSDAY that experts say people can consume marijuana responsibly, but it’s easier than in the past to overconsume because cannabis is far more potent. The THC concentration in cannabis has risen from 1.5% in 1980 to 30% or more today.

"We have this notion of, ‘Oh, it’s benign. My grandfather used it,’" said R. Lorraine Collins, director of the Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research at the University at Buffalo and a public health professor there. "It’s not your grandfather’s cannabis anymore. It’s way more potent."

A small but worrying number of cases involve young children who find gummies and other products that look like candy and unknowingly ingest cannabis, doctors say. More cases involve teenagers: People 15 to 19 have by far the highest rate of emergency department visits and hospitalizations in New York of all age groups, state data shows.

Some of those getting higher than expected are older adults who may not have used marijuana for decades, in part because they didn’t want to seek out an illegal dealer. With legalization, they are comfortable going into a licensed store, said Jeffrey Reynolds, president and CEO of the Garden City-based Family and Children’s Association, which provides substance use services. Surveys show that, in the era of expanded legalization, marijuana use is declining among adolescents but increasing significantly among middle-age and older adults.

***

The Southampton History Museum will hold a Spring Fair this coming Saturday, May 10, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the grounds of Rogers Mansion, 17 Meeting House Lane in Southampton. The event will celebrate history and culture and feature demonstrations by skilled tradespeople, live performances of 19th-century music, stories of famous and lesser-known Long Island legends, interactive crafts, and games and toys for all ages, and more.

The Southampton History Museum is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization chartered by the New York State Board of Regents and incorporated under the New York State Education Department.

The Southampton History Museum states that their mission is education: “We educate diverse audiences about Southampton’s history and culture through our unique historic sites, archives, collections, and engaging public programs.”

For more information, go to southamptonhistory.org.

***

The Town of Southampton’s new 11,000-panel solar array atop the capped North Sea Landfill is a recent milestone in the reuse of former dumping sites on the East End, and its ribbon-cutting this spring caps an era of growing acceptance of solar arrays to power Long Island’s electric grid. Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that other projects on the East End are currently going through planning review, but they are facing more criticism, in part due to the current public backlash against Battery Energy Storage Systems, which can be used in conjunction with solar arrays to store excess power.

The Town of Southold’s Planning Board is in the final phase of review of a proposed 3-megawatt, 7,900-panel solar farm atop its capped landfill in Cutchogue, which has drawn out detractors who organized in response to a proposal more than two years ago for a BESS facility not far from the landfill, on Oregon Road.

A community solar project proposed by the Village of Westhampton Beach on village-owned land outside the village, in Quiogue, has also faced harsh criticism from neighbors, who have sued the village to stop the project.

In the meantime, Southampton Town has been signing up LIPA ratepayers for its community solar program, created as part of Kearsage Energy’s 20-year lease of the property atop the capped North Sea landfill. It’s the first such municipally run program on Long Island.

***

A new solar canopy that’s being constructed in the parking lot off Jobs Lane, adjacent to Agawam Park, has raised the ire of some Southampton Village residents. They say it is not an appropriate location for the array and also believe that Southampton Village officials did not include the public in the process of deciding to put it there.

Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that the canopy, which cars will be able to park underneath, is part of the Johnson Controls Sustainability and Energy Solutions Project that began in the village in 2023. The multimillion-dollar initiative, which was championed by former Deputy Mayor Gina Arresta, includes many green infrastructure upgrades throughout the village that will drastically reduce the village’s carbon footprint, bring several village buildings to “net zero” energy efficiency status, and reduce the Village of Southampton’s utility costs by more than 60 percent. Those goals are being achieved in many ways, one of which has been the installation of solar panels at various locations.

Southampton Village Mayor Bill Manger said earlier this week that the Jobs Lane parking lot was suggested by Johnson Controls as a good location for the solar canopy because it would not require the village to remove or cut down any trees to place it there. He said the village had considered other locations that would have necessitated tree removal, which he said he did not want to do. Mayor Manger said he understood the objection from some residents that there had not been much public discussion about the location but added that there weren’t many other viable options. “We were running out of possible locations,” he said.

***

Southold Town Senior Services hosts a Health and Wellness Fair this coming Thursday, May 8 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Southold Town’s Human Resource Center in Katinka House, 750 Pacific Street, Mattituck. Information about Alzheimer’s awareness, home care agencies and nutrition will be available, along with free mobile health screenings from Catholic Health’s Mobile Outreach Bus. For more information, call 631.298.4460.

The Senior Adult Day Care Program, also known as Katinka House, offers respite for caregivers while providing a full, meaningful day for participants in a cheerful, home-like setting. The Katinka House program is designed for frail or cognitively impaired adults, 60 years of age or older. The program provides socialization, engaging activities for cognition, nutrition, movement, recreation, and more. Breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack are included.

***

The high cost of living on Long Island can make already expensive divorce proceedings more complicated for couples looking to separate, forcing some to stay "unhappily" together, some experts said. Brianne Ledda reports in NEWSDAY that legal fees for divorce are substantial, with uncontested divorces starting at $335 in court fees and contested divorces costing upward of tens of thousands of dollars. Long Island's cost of living crisis has always been an impediment for divorcing couples, but it’s become more prevalent in recent years as housing and other expenses have crept up, said Maren Cardillo, a mediator with Divorce Mediation Professionals in Garden City. Higher mortgage rates in particular have made it more difficult for one spouse to buy out the other, she said. That, combined with high rent for apartments, sometimes forces couples to stay together under one roof but split up living space in the house.

“So many people together can barely pay all the bills. It’s like, paycheck to paycheck, month after month. And I’m talking about working people, professionals,” Cardillo said. “And then all of a sudden, we’re adding another rent to that.”

These financial issues lead some couples to stay “unhappily” together, because “there’s just no choice,” she added.

The financial issues that await individuals after separating from a partner can present a problem where “either alternative is untenable,” said Kathryn Leighton, legal director at ECLI-VIBES. So far as she’s aware of, there are no free legal services that handle contested divorces on Long Island.

In Suffolk County in 2022, 2,876 divorces were decreed, according to the most recent state data. The median income for households in Suffolk between 2019 and 2023 was $128,329.

New York’s proposed state budget includes $340 million to cover the cost of school meals for all of the state’s 2.76 million students, but education advocates and state lawmakers worry the investment could be undercut by federal cuts under the Trump administration. Keshia Clukey reports in NEWSDAY that Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a "general agreement" on a budget deal with legislative leaders on a $254 billion state spending plan on Monday, which included funds to expand eligibility for what’s known as the "Universal Free School Meals program" to nearly 300,000 additional students in public and private schools starting next school year.

Access to meals in school have been shown to boost academic performance and health outcomes, improve attendance and classroom behavior, according to education experts and nutrition advocacy groups.

The current program, which includes a mixture of federal and state funding, covers the cost of breakfast and lunch for 2.46 million K-12 students who meet certain poverty requirements, according to state Education Department data.

On Long Island, the expansion is expected to help 260 schools and 135,000 students, according to Hunger Solutions New York, a statewide nonprofit focused on alleviating hunger.

While education advocates and state lawmakers applauded the expansion, they expressed concern over proposed cuts from the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress that could put the school meals program in jeopardy or shift billions of dollars in costs to states.

Federal proposals aimed at reducing spending include cuts to funding for national school breakfast and lunch programs, as well as cuts to safety net programs such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, both of which are used to automatically certify students for free school meal programs.

Federal reimbursements to New York for the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program total about $1.5 billion, according to Hunger Solutions New York.

***

The protracted NYS budget process will continue into next week when legislators and the public will get a shortened amount of time to review how the $254 billion will be spent, legislators said yesterday.

The New York State budget was due by April 1.

Michael Gormley reports in NEWSDAY that the latest plan is to introduce budget bills Monday at the earliest. Those eight voluminous bills totaling hundreds of pages will reveal how the money will be spent as well as several major new policies in law enforcement and for schools, according to Democratic leaders in brief floor debates Thursday in the Senate and Assembly. Voting alone is expected to require at least two days.

The bills will for the first time detail the deals struck by Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Democratic leaders of the state Senate and Assembly in closed-door meetings since March. Those negotiations added $2 billion to the budget that Hochul proposed in January.

Legislators said Hochul is expected to issue “messages of necessity” next week that will suspend the state constitution’s requirement for three days of public review of the bills before voting can begin. Legislators said voting could start as early as Monday and the budget could be finally approved by next Thursday, more than 37 days after it was due.

***

Shelter Island Friends of Music present Michael Stephen Brown, pianist and composer, in concert tomorrow at 6pm in Shelter Island Presbyterian Church, 32 North Ferry Road, Shelter Island.

Described by the New York Times as “one of the leading figures in the current renaissance of performer-composers,” Michael Stephen Brown will perform a program featuring works by Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Von Weber, Fauré, Beethoven, and his own original compositions.

Michael Stephen Brown is a First Prize winner of the Concert Artists Guild Competition and a recipient of both an Avery Fisher Career Grant and the Bowers Residency from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

Admission is free.

A reception with the musician follows the concert.

***

Crescent ducks are back on the menu, for a limited time, anyway.

In recent weeks, ducks reared from the last remaining eggs from Crescent Duck Farm in Aquebogue have been available for sale at Miloski’s Poultry Farm in Calverton. Crescent lost nearly all its flock to avian flu earlier this year and the farm underwent what could be its final quarantine test Monday. A clean report could lead to some 3,000 ducks, which have been hosted at outside locations for the past two months, returning to the farm.

Miloski’s owner, Mark Miloski, said he’s been helping out his longtime friend, Crescent owner Doug Corwin, by not only hosting about 1,000 ducks in his currently unoccupied turkey barns, but also selling a selection of male ducks that aren’t needed from the flock as Crescent focuses on growing mostly females to restart its operation. Mark Harrington reports in NEWSDAY that Miloski has been selling roast Crescent duck in his Calverton shop for the past week or so at $32.18 each, and they’ve been selling quickly. He is also planning to sell some of the male ducks to Modern Snack Bar, a mainstay on the North Fork, in the coming weeks.

The ducks hosted at Miloski’s are about 9 weeks old. The females won’t be able to lay eggs until they are 24 to 26 weeks old.

Corwin underwent a government bird flu test of his property Monday, and if all goes as planned, the final quarantine of his farm could be lifted in coming weeks. If that happens, all the remotely raised ducks could be returned to Aquebogue by late May or early June. A separate 10-kilometer quarantine was lifted last month, Newsday reported.

The farm is implementing new bio-secure measures to prevent future outbreaks, while maintaining a reduced workforce focused on farm upgrades and maintenance.

***

More than two dozen Long Island gang members and associates linked to conspiracies to commit murders, shootings, drug trafficking and other crimes have been charged in two separate indictments. A 168-count indictment charging 22 members of the Mak Balla Family alleges the defendants were involved in 38 separate criminal incidents, including 17 shootings, three armed robberies and murder conspiracy. The second indictment names six 9-Trey Bloods members with the shooting of a longtime rival in November 2024. The 23-count indictment also said the gang was involved in two shootings.

Michael O'Keeffe reports in NEWSDAY that both indictments are the result of long-term, multiagency investigations that took a global approach to gang cases, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney and other law enforcement officials said. Rather than prosecute individuals separately for gang-related crimes, Tierney said, his office charges everyone involved — the shooter, the leader who ordered the shooting, the gang member who obtained the weapon, as well as gang members who attempted to cover up the violence. "By doing this, by taking that group approach, we want to effect comprehensive change in our communities and make them more safe," Tierney said at the Police Academy at Suffolk County Community College. Tierney said collective prosecution has resulted in a sharp drop in shootings: There were 280 shootings in Suffolk in 2021, compared with 90 in 2024.

"The dramatic drop in shooting violence is a direct result of this approach to gang violence: getting a team together and attacking the gang from every angle," according to Suffolk Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina.

***

Riverhead Raceway, the last surviving oval track on Long Island, celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.

Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that Riverhead Raceway is part of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series circuit and the only NASCAR stock car track in the New York metropolitan area.

Track construction began in 1949. The raceway opened as a dirt track in 1951 and operated as a dirt track through 1954. The quarter-mile oval track was first paved in 1955.

Riverhead Raceway was honored as Business of the Year by the Riverhead Chamber of Commerce in 2012.

Riverhead Raceway’s 75th anniversary season opener takes place tomorrow with the NASCAR “Pack the Track Night” for the Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series.

***

The day after Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the framework for a $254 billion budget for New York State, she sought to deliver a celebratory message in two parts.

She visited a preschool and then dropped by the Albany County district attorney’s office, with each stop on Tuesday serving a distinct purpose. To prosecutors, she highlighted how she fought for changes to so-called discovery laws, decreasing the chances that criminal cases might be thrown out because of “some technicality.”

At the preschool, Governor Hochul reiterated how the budget, whose passage is now one month late, had become her fight for families. “I said it back in January that this budget will not be completed until I can provide relief for struggling families,” she said.

Grace Ashford and Benjamin Oreskes report in the NY TIMES that state budgets have always provided a fiscal road map for the priorities of the governor and state legislative leaders. But in New York, the budget can also be a blueprint for an assortment of political imperatives, from criminal justice changes to cellphone bans in public schools.

And for Governor Hochul, who is expected to face a hotly contested re-election next year, the messaging behind the budget — “your family is my fight” — may well be a preview of her campaign strategy and perhaps one that Democrats might follow in next year’s midterms. Yet this year's NYS budget agreement due April 1st still awaits bill language and formal passage.

The Suffolk County judge who halted the construction of a gas station by the Shinnecock Nation in Hampton Bays at the behest of Southampton Town has said that her March 17 preliminary injunction will be modified to allow contractors for the tribe to return to the site to complete some portions of the infrastructure for the sake of securing it in anticipation of an extended pause to the overall construction while the matter wends its way through the legal system.

Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that Justice Maureen Licccione ruled this past Monday that she would allow the contractors who had been working on the construction of the 20-pump gas station since the spring of 2024 to return to complete installation of emergency shut-down valves and to cover them with soil; to finish installing steel support beams and metal decking on the main retail building at the site; to cover the fuel pumps and fuel storage tanks with waterproof barriers or enclosures; and to remove or secure any materials and equipment being stored at the site.

On April 14 the judge allowed the contractors to install securing fences around the travel plaza building and gas pumps area for safety and security purposes, which both the tribe and attorneys for Southampton Town had agreed to.

The judge also said members of the tribe and anyone with their permission may still access the site known as Westwoods at any time but her injunction prohibits any activity that could be construed as furthering the construction of the gas station and travel plaza facilities beyond the specific safety and security measures she approved this week.

The Shinnecock own 79 acres of undeveloped land along the Peconic Bay waterfront in Hampton Bays - bisected by Newtown Road and Sunrise Highway — both of which the tribe says were forced through their land without their permission.

The gas station is meant to be the first phase of development at Westwoods. The tribe has said it also is planning for a 200-room hotel and convention center on the bluffs overlooking Great Peconic Bay that would one day become the foundation of a casino on the property.

***

For the first time since 1999, New York's list of endangered and threatened species has been updated, bringing state protection to a migratory shore bird, a bat, and a prehistoric fish which can all be found in and around Long Island, albeit in diminishing numbers. In the coming months, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation said it will be adding birds, insects, mammals, reptiles and additional amphibians to the list. Tracy Tullis reports in NEWSDAY that protection by the state could prove critical as the Trump administration proposes new rules to weaken the federal Endangered Species Act, and scientists warn the Earth is tipping toward a mass extinction. According to a 2023 study by the biodiversity research group NatureServe, 40% of animals are at risk. Several species added by the DEC are already on the federal endangered species list, including the three found on Long Island: the northern long-eared bat, the Atlantic sturgeon and the rufa red knot. Red knots embark every spring on one of the longest migrations in the animal kingdom, from Tierra del Fuego to the Canadian Arctic, and back again in the fall. They stop over on South Shore beaches during this epic 9,300-mile migration. Their populations are declining because of habitat loss and because a critical food source—horseshoe crab eggs—are also declining. Six fish species were added to New York's threatened list and 10 to the list of species of "special concern." Three of the new special concern species are native to Long Island: the black bullhead, eastern pirate perch and American eel, a migratory fish challenged by restricted spawning habitat because of the many dams on the Island’s rivers and streams. More species will be added to the list in the coming months, including birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects.

***

An anonymous letter is circulating throughout the Southampton community, calling into question the alleged “segregation” of students and mistreatment of administrators and staff within the Southampton Union Free School District. Michelle Trauring reports on 27east.com that sent in plain white envelopes with no return address, the letter — a laundry list of criticisms riddled with spelling and grammatical errors — largely accuses the district of preferential treatment toward African American and Shinnecock Nation students, and attacks Superintendent of Schools Dr. Fatima Morrell for certain choices made since her hiring less than a year ago. “For most of us is division and segregation towards one part of our school district,” the letter reads. “But we are not informed of what’s happening in our district and is our fault because with our busy life we don’t get involve anymore. And now, if you say something you will be call racist. In the meantime, some of our kids are being left aside.”

On Monday, Dr. Morrell responded in a districtwide statement to the Southampton community. She called the anonymous letter “libelous, defamatory, divisive and disrespectful.”

“Over the course of my career, I have not felt a need to address ‘anonymous’ correspondence,” she wrote. “This letter, however, was so incendiary that I must respond to mitigate the potentially harmful impact such a piece could have on the level of trust invested in my superintendency and in the Board of Education. I will not accept this ‘anonymous’ author’s attempt to thwart the excellent operations of our district, potentially causing a deleterious impact on the school life of our students and families,” said Superintendent of Southampton Schools Dr. Fatima Morrell regarding an anonymous letter accusing her of prejudicial leadership.

***

Food prices in the New York metropolitan region, including Long Island, spiked 25% since 2019 and more than 56% in the past decade, according to a report released yesterday by NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. Robert Brodsky reports in NEWSDAY that throughout the state, 11.3% of households, or about 875,000 families, experienced food insecurity between 2020 and 2022, in part due to the expiration of pandemic-era federal assistance programs. Food banks on Long Island said they've seen a major uptick in individuals seeking assistance in recent years, while at the same time they are experiencing a reduction in funding after federal programs were cut by the USDA.

"Food prices rose sharply during the pandemic, putting more New Yorkers at risk of going hungry," DiNapoli said in a statement. "Now the implementation of tariffs and potential cuts to federal food and other support programs may exacerbate the problem. State and local efforts to promote access to high quality, affordable food are more important than ever to reduce food insecurity and ensure New York’s families have enough to eat."

Paule Pachter, chief executive of Long Island Cares-The Harry Chapin Regional Food Bank, said Nassau and Suffolk counties are experiencing similar levels of food insecurity.

From 2023-2024, Long Island Cares experienced a 30% increase — or an additional 65,000 Long Islanders — of individuals coming into its food banks, soup kitchens and pantries to seek assistance, Pachter said. Those numbers are in addition to the estimated 221,000 Long Islanders already experiencing food insecurity, he said.

The main reason, he said, "is the cost of nutritious foods like eggs, milk, lean proteins, the cost of chicken and so on," he said. "And given all the other expenses that families on Long Island have ... it's cutting in to people being able to purchase the food that they need."

***

The Greater Westhampton Chamber of Commerce will host its annual Spring Fling Festival this coming Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Main Street will be closed to traffic from Library Avenue to Moniebogue Lane during the event hours.

The event will feature music all day by East End Entertainment LI with DJ Michael, and The Mystic will perform from 1 to 3 p.m., playing a wide variety of pop and classic rock songs. There will also be plenty of activities for children in Maria Z. Moore Community Park, including a candy hunt, a bounce kingdom, games and a petting zoo. Also featured will be a mobile golf simulator, a photo booth, aerialist performances, food trucks, beer and wine, specialty food and craft vendors and artisan vendors.

This weekend in Westhampton will also include the opening of the Farmers Market on the Village Green on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and sidewalk sales by participating merchants this Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, visit the chamber’s website at westhamptonchamber.org.

***

Gov. Kathy Hochul is pushing for changes in the state budget that would give her the authority to cut up to $2 billion in state spending without an official vote from the NYS Legislature if revenues drop unexpectedly. Keshia Clukey reports in NEWSDAY that the proposal, which is still being negotiated with legislative leaders, would allow the governor to create a plan for spending cuts under certain emergency circumstances that the State Legislature could choose to approve without having to return to Albany, according to a legislative source familiar with negotiations and confirmed yesterday by State Senate Finance Committee Chair Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan).

If the legislature disagrees with the governor’s plan, it would then come up with its own reduction plan, which Hochul would have to agree to, Krueger confirmed. Hochul, in Manhattan on Wednesday, told reporters she is seeking legislative changes to allow her to act quickly in the case of emergencies.

"The legislature would have to approve this, but it’s been in our laws before…I want to make sure that I can work with lightning speed if a crisis arises of the magnitude that would call for this trigger."

The proposal comes as New York and other states face increased costs because of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on imported goods, as well as massive federal funding cuts proposed by the administration and Republicans in Congress, including to safety net programs, potentially shifting billions of dollars in Medicaid costs to the states.

Economists also have warned of a potential recession.

Hochul and state legislative leaders have said they wouldn’t work with hypotheticals when negotiating the state’s budget, but plan instead to come back for a special session if needed.

Cutting budgets midyear is "always terrible" and "transparency is crucial," Krueger told Newsday.

As of yesterday, parts of the budget were still being discussed and budget bills had yet to materialize. Negotiations are expected to take a few more days.

The annual NYS budget is supposed to be approved by the state legislature as of April 1.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul yesterday announced the framework of a roughly $254 billion state budget agreement, ending a monthlong stalemate over public safety issues that the governor had insisted on including in the fiscal plan. Benjamin Oreskes and Grace Ashford report in THE NY TIMES that the budget deal, which will now go to the Legislature for a full vote, includes changes to make it easier to remove people in psychiatric crisis from public spaces to be evaluated for treatment, and eases so-called discovery requirements for how prosecutors hand over evidence to criminal defendants in the pretrial phase.

Ms. Hochul also successfully pushed for an all-day ban on students having cellphones in schools. But another of the governor’s policy priorities relating to the restriction of the wearing of masks was whittled down by legislators over concerns that it would be selectively enforced and infringe on people’s civil liberties.

“We worked through some really challenging issues,” Ms. Hochul said at a news conference Monday afternoon. Despite the agreement most legislators concede that a special legislative session may be needed to reckon with the shortfalls once Congress passes its budget. Governor Hochul and others have been saying for months now that it is essentially impossible to plan until they fully understand forthcoming federal cuts.

“We can only devise a budget based on the information we have at this time,” Ms. Hochul said, adding the state had already been hit with about $1.2 billion in cuts.

“There’s a possibility that we’ll have to come back later this year and update our budget in response to federal actions,” she added.

***

MTA officials, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman voiced concerns yesterday over an Amtrak plan to take one of the four tunnels servicing Penn Station out of service for the next three years beginning next month, potentially impacting hundreds of thousands of Long Island commuters. Alfonso A. Castillo reports in NEWSDAY that while the MTA wants the tunnel repairs to be carried out on nights and weekends, Amtrak is moving ahead with a plan to shut one tube at a time for the project's duration.

At a meeting of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s board on Monday, board member Marc Herbst, who represents Suffolk County, raised what he called a "major concern" over Amtrak’s plan to repair Superstorm Sandy damage in two of its four East River Tunnels by keeping one tunnel out of service, around the clock, for the next three years.

The MTA — the Long Island Rail Road’s parent organization — has unsuccessfully pushed Amtrak to perform the repairs at off-peak times, allowing the tunnels to remain in service during the critical rush hours. Amtrak owns and maintains Penn and the adjoining tunnels.

LIRR president Robert Free said the biggest risk comes from an unforeseen issue in one of the remaining tunnels that could result in Penn Station running at half its tunnel capacity.

Superstorm Sandy inundated two tunnels under the East River with millions of gallons of corrosive saltwater in October 2012. Earlier this year Amtrak stated, "These significant upgrades will modernize critical infrastructure and ensure long-term improvements.” Amtrak has also said the alternative repair method supported by the MTA would not be a good fit for the tunnel project.

***

The Pierson High School Investment Club competed in the spring 2025 session of The Stock Market Game, earning top honors in multiple rankings. The online game simulates the global capital markets and engages grades four through 12 in the worlds of economics, investing and personal finance. The club’s Advisor Account secured first place out of 61 teams in the High School Region and placed 20th out of 4,537 teams across New York State.

In addition to The Stock Market Game, Pierson students took part in the 2024–2025 Wharton Global High School Investment Competition during the fall. This competition challenged students to build a portfolio that aligned with a fictional client’s investment goals. The Sag Harbor students developed a deeper understanding of portfolio construction and the mechanics of the investment management industry,” said Pierson High School and Middle School mathematics teacher Chase Mallia.

***

Stony Brook Southampton Hospital’s Nutritional Services Department is the second health care institution in the nation to receive the prestigious “Snail of Approval” award from Slow Food East End. Slow Food is a global movement to ensure good, clean, and fair food for all. The Snail of Approval award is given by local chapters based on evaluations that focus on sourcing, environmental impact, cultural connection, community involvement, staff support and business values.

As reported on 27east.com, the Nutritional Services Department earned this award for its dedication to providing high-quality, nutritious meals made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. The department fosters a warm and welcoming environment where teamwork and a shared passion for food service shine through.

“The staff takes immense pride in their culinary craftsmanship, ensuring that every meal served at the café or delivered to a patient’s bedside is prepared with care, flavor and attention to dietary needs,” said Emily Mastaler, chief administrative officer, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital. “Their commitment to sustainability, community engagement, and the well-being of those they serve exemplifies the values of the Slow Food movement.”

Stony Brook Southampton Hospital’s café is operated by the Auxiliary Services Association of Stony Brook University. The café serves all patient meals and operates as a cafeteria for all hospital personnel and visitors, Stony Brook Southampton students, faculty, and staff.

“Our goal is to create meals that are not only nutritious but also full of flavor and made with care,” said Shannon Cressy, director of dietary and retail Services. “By using fresh, locally sourced ingredients and innovative cooking techniques, we ensure that every dish we serve meets the highest standards of quality and taste.”

***

Landlords at several Long Island Rite Aid locations allege the company is late on rent, prompting concerns that the pharmacy chain will close more stores and leave the landlords scrambling to find new tenants. Lee Meyer reports in NEWSDAY that their fears come on the heels of news that Philadelphia-based Rite Aid Corp. is considering filing its second bankruptcy in the past two years and amid reports from across the country about potential store closings. The company didn't respond to multiple requests for comment for this story.

Newsday also reached out to landlords at Rite Aid's 13 locations on Long Island, where the chain shuttered four stores last year. Rite Aid is the third-largest drugstore chain on Long Island, behind CVS and Walgreens.

As of yesterday afternoon, most of the landlords had either declined to comment on the situation, couldn't be reached or didn't respond. But two of the property owners confirmed that Rite Aid was behind on rent this month. One property manager in Hampton Bays said he believed they had received a rental payment for April but could not confirm.

In Suffolk County, Rite Aid missed its April payment at its Kings Park location, according to landlord Tony Tanzi, who said in an interview with Newsday that his contacts at Rite Aid have not responded to his inquiries.

The store has been a tenant in his shopping center since 1998.

Larry Weinberger, whose MGD Investments owns the North Bellmore Rite Aid building in Nassau County, also said that Rite Aid had not paid April’s rent.

Rite Aid was founded by Alex Grass as Thrif D Discount Center in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 1962, rebranded as Rite Aid in 1968 and was the third-largest pharmacy chain in the United States by 1981, according to its website. Today, it ranks as the seventh largest in the U.S., according to health care trade publication Becker's Hospital Review.

***

Patch and T-Mobile have teamed up to spotlight students excelling in academics, athletics and community service in New York State including Emma O'Kame of Westhampton Beach, New York who will be attending the prestigious Stony Brook Simons Summer Research Program this summer. Lisa Finn reports on Patch.com that the Westhampton Beach High School junior is the second Westhampton Beach High School student to earn entry into the highly competitive program — only 4 percent of all applicants are accepted. As part of the six-week program, Ms. O’Came will be working under the mentorship of Dr. Kathryn Gunn in the university’s department of biochemistry and cell biology. "Emma is highly motivated, hardworking and bright. She is a student who will absolutely make the most of this incredible research opportunity," said science research teacher Dr. Dianna Gobler.

***

The New York State budget deal just agreed upon includes a new law that would tack on an extra charge for perpetrators who wear masks while committing another crime, Gov. Kathy Hochul said yesterday. Vaughn Golden and David Propper report in THE NY POST that the governor and state lawmakers finally struck a deal — though it’s a far cry from an outright mask ban that some advocates were pushing for in response to anti-Israel protests that have been filled with masked demonstrators.

The agreed-to penalty could only be leveled if a suspect is charged with a class A misdemeanor or anything more serious, according to Hochul, who initially wanted stronger legislation. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie also confirmed the mask law deal attached to the $254 billion state spending plan while talking to reporters in Albany earlier Monday. “It’s really trying to concentrate on people who wear a mask in regards to hiding their identity while they commit another crime,” Heastie said, according to Gothamist.

NYS Sen. James Skoufis, who pushed for harder mask restrictions, told the outlet the new charge would be a class B misdemeanor and would also apply to suspects covering their faces while fleeing a crime scene. “I think it’s an important acknowledgement, and it’s a response to a very legitimate issue that is very strongly felt by a lot of New Yorkers, including the Jewish community,” the Democrat said. “We are at least doing something. It’s narrower than I would’ve liked,” added Skouflis who represents the 42nd district in Cornwall, New York.Wearing masks in public was outlawed in the state before the ban was lifted at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hochul originally wanted to create an increased penalty if someone hid their face while threatening a group of people, but lawmakers balked at that proposal — and civil liberty activists also voiced concern, leading to the narrower law agreed to this week.

Just before 10:30 a.m. this past Thursday, a hawk circled in a cloudless spring sky over the Conscience Bay-Little Bay Tidal Wetland Area in Setauket. "That means good luck," Helen Hart of Morning Star Sells, chairperson and elder of the Setalcott Nation, said. "It's a blessing for us to see the hawks. We, as Indigenous people, believe that." Maureen Mullarkey reports in NEWSDAY that the hawk was a fitting symbol for the occasion as members of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and elected officials gathered to announce that the Setalcott Nation — which inhabited Setauket long before European settlers — would be stewards of the newly improved and open wetlands site at 40 Dyke Rd.

Acting DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said that the site opening was about a decade in the making.

The DEC first attempted to acquire North Shore lands in 2008, she said. Since 2015, it has acquired six properties on Dyke Road.

"Now here we are, today, in 2025, with this really incredible accomplishment that's bringing these ecologically significant lands into public access, help ensuring greater resilience for the communities here, and really preserving this incredibly beautiful space," Lefton said.

The 15.2-acre site in Setauket joins the DEC’s existing 52 acres in the area. The sites are part of the 30x30 state and national initiative to conserve 30% of lands and waters.

"This area is a perfect example of a peaceful, tranquil, rare ecosystem that needed to be preserved," said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment. "We could have had a condo complex or a couple of very large mega-mansions. But instead, there was a collaboration that worked together, from the State of New York to the County of Suffolk, Town of Brookhaven, and a multitude of ... [nongovernmental organizations] and stakeholders."

The body of water in Setauket was named Conscience Bay by Quakers who settled the area in the 1600s after fleeing religious persecution, said Suffolk County Legis. Steven Englebright.

***

Volunteers from National Gird beautified the Long Island Rail Road station in Riverhead on Friday, planting new shrubs and flowers and cleaning up litter in a neglected area. Alek Lewis reports on Riverheadlocal.com that roughly 55 National Grid employees participated in the effort, National Grid Communications Manager Wendy Frigeria said. The employees also planted new flowers, created a small herb garden and built new benches at the Salvation Army site near the railroad station.

The initiative is part of Project C program, the energy company’s community service program. National Grid partnered with the MTA, the Riverhead Chamber of Commerce, Riverhead Rotary Club, Riverhead Town, Gabrielsen Farms and DeLea Sod Farms for the cleanup event, officials said.

“We live here; we work here; we are so blessed to be able to give back,” said Brain Sapp, the director of external affairs for National Grid.

The area near the Long Island Rail Road station is considered one of Riverhead’s most blighted and is the primary bus stop for county buses in Riverhead. Town officials have created an urban renewal area and special overlay zoning district there to spur revitalization of the area with the development of multi-story mixed-use buildings.

***

The Home Sweet Home Museum in East Hampton will open for the season this coming Thursday, May 1, with hours Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, from 1 to 4 p.m. The museum is at 14 James Lane in East Hampton.

Home Sweet Home is a distinguished salt-box home in East Hampton that dates from the first quarter of the 18th century. As noted on its website, “For all its simplicity, the old house seems to realize the dignity of its association with romance and its place in the hearts of people everywhere. The house has come to embody the spirit of all that is tender and sweet about home.”

Some say the house inspired John Howard Payne who visited East Hampton as a child to compose the song, “Home Sweet Home" in 1822.

“Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like…East Hampton, N.Y.

***

Upstate New York U.S. Congresswoman Elise Stefanik would be the clear front-runner in a Republican primary for governor next year and be the strongest candidate to take on Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul in a general election should she run, a new poll released Monday claims. Carl Campanile reports in THE NY POST that Stefanik — who has been rumored to be eyeing a gubernatorial run — got support of 44% of New York Republicans compared to 7% for lower Hudson Valley Rep. Mike Lawler and 5% for Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, according to the poll of likely voters.

Another 44% of respondents said they were undecided, the survey conducted by Republican pollster Landon Wall with GrayHouse found. Stefanik is better known and liked among Republican voters, with 56% having a favorable view of her and 9% unfavorable, or plus 47 percentage points. Meanwhile, 33% of Republicans had a favorable view of Lawler and just 3% had an unfavorable view, while nearly two-thirds didn’t know who he was or were undecided in their opinion of the congressman.

Even fewer Republicans statewide know Blakeman, who is running for re-election for Nassau executive this fall.

Stefanik, 40, was first elected in 2014 to the seat representing the sprawling 21st Congressional House District that stretches to the Canadian border.

President Trump announced Stefanik — who’s a member of the House GOP leadership — as his choice to become US Ambassador to the United Nations. He later pulled back the nomination, expressing concern about Republicans losing her seat and threatening the GOP’s razor-thin majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.

But she’s still a Trump favorite. The president recently posted on Truth Social that “Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is GREAT!!!”

***

PSEG Long Island has announced upcoming storm hardening work in Aquebogue, Jamesport and Riverhead intended to improve the reliability of the energy grid in the area. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the work will begin this week and is expected to last approximately two months.

PSEG-LI said the storm-hardening improvements include:

Stronger poles: PSEG-LI will replace some existing utility poles with stronger, more durable poles that are capable of withstanding winds up to 135 mph.

Narrow profiles: To help wires deflect falling limbs instead of catching them, PSEG-LI will install shorter cross arms atop some poles.

Stronger wire: Current wire will be replaced with more resilient and durable wire.

Upgrading: PSEG-LI will upgrade or replace worn equipment as necessary.

The work is part of PSEG Long Island’s Power On program, started in the spring of 2020, to prepare the grid for extreme weather in order to maintain reliable service for approximately 1.2 million customers, the utility said.

Power On focuses on mainline circuits, the backbone of the distribution system. The main lines feed the many branch lines that power the homes and businesses in individual communities.

***

The High Impact Community Outreach {HICO} program at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the South Fork {UUCSF} is seeking grant proposals through May 15 from local nonprofit groups, grassroots organizations, and national organizations with East End offices for programs that help communities and agencies under duress and address income inequality.

Awards are expected to be announced in August 2025.

Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the South Fork, under the leadership of Reverend Kimberly Quinn Johnson states that, “Today’s challenges are both immediate and in a state of flux. We are intensely aware of the threats to our neighbors and targeted groups that face risks and prejudices in multiple ways…Further, the intensified pressure on funding basic social services and traditional programs may create additional hardships. HICO will continue to work to ensure that individuals and groups are not cast aside or left behind. HICO and the UUCSF remain resources to assist our neighbors in living life to its fullest.”

To apply for a 2025 High Impact Community Outreach grant, visit uucsf.org/impact

***

A transgender girl on a Suffolk County high school track team has ignited fierce debate over fairness in sports — and whether the district could lose all of it’s federal funding under a recent White House order.

The controversy centers around a 6-foot, 14-year-old freshman on the girl’s varsity track team at William Floyd High School in Shirley. Brandon Cruz reports in THE NY POST that the unidentified student has “socially transitioned” to female, meaning she is not on hormone treatment and retains biologically male characteristics but identifies as a girl, according to the South Shore Press. Her presence since joining the team in March for the spring season has split the community and sparked multiple rallies both in support of and against her participation on the girls team.

Some in the Mastic-Shirley community are saying that they have no hate toward their LGBTQ neighbors, but argue the female track participant has an unfair competitive advantage as a biological male.

“It’s wrong. It’s not about hate, it’s about fairness,” said a parent in the district who asked not to be identified. A member of the school’s girls varsity track team claimed that in practice, when students are supposed to be running at the same pace in warm-ups, the trans student “bolts” past everyone to the front, according to the South Shore Press. A group of student-athletes who asked not to be identified said they don’t necessarily care if a trans athlete competed with or against them but would feel uncomfortable if they had to share a locker room.

A parent told the outlet that the trans student had been allowed to use the girls locker room, although a plastic sheet was used to separate the athlete from their female teammates.

The controversy over the trans athlete could cost the school district more than $13 million in federal funding.

In February, President Trump signed an executive order saying the government would “rescind all funds” from schools that allow trans athletes to play on teams based on their gender identity as opposed to biological sex.

The potential loss in federal funding would be a massive hit to William Floyd, as the district receives more than $1,500 per student for nearly 10,000 students, according to the district budget.

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The U.S. Department of Transportation yesterday said it took the extraordinary step of replacing the federal lawyers defending it in a lawsuit over New York City’s congestion pricing program, after accusing them of undermining the department’s bid to end the toll. Stefanos Chen and Benjamin Weiser report in THE NY TIMES that the move came after the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District, which had been handling the case, said it mistakenly filed in federal court in Manhattan on Wednesday night a confidential memo that questioned the department’s legal strategy and urged a new approach.

In response, however, the department raised the possibility that the disclosure attempted to sabotage its efforts to halt congestion pricing. Transportation officials said they would transfer the case to the civil division of the Justice Department in Washington. The memo has since been removed from the public docket.

In the letter, dated April 11, the three assistant U.S. attorneys on the case warned that Sean Duffy, the transportation secretary, was using a shaky rationale to end the tolling plan and was “exceedingly likely” to fail, the lawyers wrote.

The existence of the document was reported earlier by Streetsblog. It’s not unusual for lawyers to advise their clients confidentially in this way. But the filing telegraphed the government’s legal weaknesses in the middle of a tense fight with Gov. Kathy Hochul and transit leaders who have vowed to keep the tolling program running.

In a statement on Thursday, the Department of Transportation called the filing of the memo “legal malpractice.” “Are S.D.N.Y. lawyers on this case incompetent or was this their attempt to RESIST?” a spokeswoman for the department wrote.

Nicholas Biase, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office, said in a statement that the filing “was a completely honest error and was not intentional in any way.” He said that the Southern District lawyers took immediate steps to remove the memo, which is subject to attorney-client privilege, from the docket.

Transit leaders in New York have promised to keep congestion pricing in place, saying it has helped ease traffic and raised much-needed funds for mass transit including the L.I.R.R.

***

PSEG Long Island says it earned 68.5% of its potential $22.9 million bonus for 2024, totaling $15.74 million, after a reduction in performance metrics from 93 in 2023 to 52 in 2024. The company scored higher in power supply and clean energy (98%) and electric transmission and distribution (73.2%), but missed key metrics in system reliability, safety, and IT system segregation. PSEG's performance report is under review by Long Island Power Authority and the NYS Department of Public Service, with a final decision on the bonus expected in mid-June. Mark Harrington reports in NEWSDAY that PSEG’s report card for 2024 comes as LIPA’s board is debating whether to turn over control of the management of the electric grid to Houston-based Quanta Services or PSEG. Some on the LIPA board are said to be pushing for PSEG to be awarded the contract, even though Quanta reportedly received high scores from LIPA staff. The LIPA board is meeting in private on Monday to further discuss the contract.

***

Basilica Parish of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in Southampton will celebrate a Mass of remembrance for Pope Francis this evening at 7pm. Pastor Mike Vetrano invites you to join the parish in prayer at this vigil Mass. Pope Francis’s funeral Mass in Rome is scheduled for tomorrow morning in St Peter’s Square.

The Basilica Parish of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary is a minor basilica of the Catholic Church at 168 Hill Street in Southampton Village. It is also a parish church of the Diocese of Rockville Centre. The Gothic Revival-style edifice was completed in 1908. The exterior is covered in white marble. Pope Benedict XVI elevated the church to the status of minor basilica on November 11, 2011.

Their remembrance Mass for Pope Francis starts this evening at 7pm.

***

In the wake of cuts that downsized the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Parrish Art Museum has lost over $140,000 in federal funding that supported its education and Access Parrish programs, an initiative that creates artistic learning experiences for individuals with special needs, including those with Parkinson’s Disease.

Michelle Trauring reports on 27east.com that the arts institution has begun a fundraising campaign to help fill the gap — though Executive Director Mónica Ramírez-Montagut is the first to acknowledge that it comes against a backdrop of troubling financial times. “Hopefully, people here in the region and beyond want to have a vibrant, dynamic museum in their own communities and are willing to support it,” she said. “And unfortunately, at this point, I think we’re on our own.”

Last month, the entire staff of the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services, or IMLS, was placed on administrative leave as a follow up to an executive order from the Trump administration earlier this month that called for its elimination “to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.”

In the weeks since, all funding to the IMLS was cut, including existing grants.

“There’s no need to cancel grants that have already been awarded by the federal government,” Ramírez-Montagut said. “That’s a complete lack of confidence in our government, where they’re not keeping their word, and it’s the first time ever, to my knowledge, that we can just not trust the word of our government that was created by Americans, for Americans.”

This executive order is just one in a series of closures, federal spending cuts and layoffs among national agencies, including the Department of Education, the National Park Service and health agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

***

This Saturday and Sunday April 26-27, fire departments across New York State open their doors for RecruitNY. Throughout the year, the Firefighters Association of the State of New York (FASNY) offers recruitment resources. Volunteer fire organizations have added thousands of members through the years thanks in part to the RecruitNY initiative. Joe Werkmeister reports in NEWSDAY that the statewide initiative this weekend to boost ranks of volunteer fire departments provides opportunities for anyone interested in firefighting to visit an open house in their neighborhood. The recruitment effort comes as volunteer firefighter groups across the county have seen a drop in numbers, a trend officials say extends two decades.

Eugene Perry, FASNY President and a 45-year member of the Patchogue Fire Department, said recruitment and retention is "an ongoing challenge."

"We’re making progress in some individual departments and areas in the state, while other places the numbers continue to decline," he said.

Rudy Sunderman, commissioner of the Suffolk County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services, said departments respond to about 300,000 calls each year in the county. The volunteer ranks, including firefighters and EMS, stands at about 12,600 — a decline of about 600 in the past year, he said.

Statewide, the number of volunteer firefighters has dropped from about 120,000 in the early 2000s to around 75,000 today, according to FASNY data.

Asked if there was a target number of volunteers to reach, FASNY officials said: "We’ll take as many as we can get."

For more info regarding the 16th annual Recruit NY campaign visit recruitny.org

***

The Town of East Hampton and the East Hampton Police Benevolent Association finalized an agreement for a two-year contract for dispatchers starting in 2026 and running through 2027. Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that the agreement solidified a pay increase of 4 percent starting in 2026 and another increase of the same amount which will be enacted at the start of 2027. Alongside this, East Hampton Town is offering more longevity incentives, including an additional $500 for the top three steps on the schedule.

The agreement came out of “extensive discussions,” the town said in a press release, “and reflects shared goals of “operational effectiveness, employee well-being and sustained high-quality service to the East Hampton community.”

The current East Hampton Town dispatcher annual salary was not disclosed in published reports about this town and PBA agreement.

***

A Bridgehampton resident concealed his leadership role in the 1994 Rwandan genocide on immigration applications, according to federal prosecutors, who charged the man with visa fraud and attempted naturalization fraud. Michael O'Keeffe reports in NEWSDAY that Faustin Nsabumukunzi ordered killings and encouraged rapes as a leader in local government during the 1994 genocide, prosecutors with the Eastern District of New York said in court papers and at Nsabumukunzi’s arraignment in Central Islip.

Nsabumukunzi, 65, pleaded not guilty to the charges during an appearance before U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert, who released him on $250,000 bond. Nsabumukunzi was arrested at his Bridgehampton home early yesterday, prosecutors said.

According to the indictment, Nsabumukunzi was a "Sector Councilor" — a local government official — who used his leadership role to direct Hutus to kill Tutsis during the 1994 genocide. He also encouraged Hutu men to rape Tutsi women, prosecutors said in court papers.

An estimated 800,000 Tutsis were killed during a three-month rampage of rape, murder and mutilation.

Nsabumukunzi’s attorney, Evan Sugar of the Federal Defenders, said his client was a victim of the genocide, not a perpetrator.

"Mr. Nsabumukunzi is a law-abiding beekeeper and gardener who has lived on Long Island for more than two decades," Sugar said in a statement distributed to reporters before the hearing. "He was a victim of the Rwandan genocide who lost scores of family members and friends to the violence. Mr. Nsabumukunzi was rightfully granted refugee status and lawful permanent residence in this country. We will fight these 30-year-old allegations to the contrary, and Mr. Nsabumukunzi maintains his innocence."

Nsabumukunzi works as a gardener at the East End estate of a private equity investor, Sugar said.

Nsabumukunzi faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted on all counts.

The best way to minimize damage caused by the southern pine beetle inside Suffolk County's natural spaces is to cut off the insect’s communication, experts say. Jessica Cancelliere, a research scientist with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, described how the insects release pheromones when attacking a tree, attracting other beetles to bring together the thousands required to kill the tree. "Beetles rely on that communication," she said. "They're not successful without it." Joe Werkmeister reports in NEWSDAY that Cancelliere discussed mitigation methods such as "cut and leave," preventive thinning and prescribed fires during a Southern Pine Beetle Symposium yesterday that included representatives of the Central Pine Barrens Commission, Suffolk County Parks Department and various other county agencies tasked with emergency preparedness and fire safety. The destruction left behind by the beetles in the form of dead trees has heightened concerns of adding fuel to future wildfires in the county. More than 100 people attended the three-hour event at Suffolk County Community College in Riverhead.

The notorious southern pine beetle was first spotted in Suffolk County in 2014.

DEC forester Robert Cole said prescribed fires are key to clearing out the underbrush and results in a "much greener, healthier" forest. He described how thinning the forest ground can allow wind to blow through and spread out the pheromones and "the beetles don’t know where to go." It also removes fuel that can help ignite a brush fire, allowing flames to shoot up higher into the canopy where embers can more easily spread, the experts said.

Jason Smith, science and stewardship manager for the Central Pine Barrens Commission, said "fire will fix a lot of our problems" and "brings us back to a healthier system."

In 2015, the beetle damaged about 34,000 acres in Suffolk County. Mitigation methods have helped lessen the damage in recent years to about 4,900 acres in 2023, according to the DEC. Those figures include "very light," and "light" damage all the way to "very severe."

***

The first two days of Southampton Town’s experiment with bypassing traffic signals on County Road 39 in Southampton during the afternoon rush hour presented a stark contrast in impacts on how traffic flowed westward. Southampton Town Highway Superintendent Charles McArdle assessed Monday’s first run thusly: “If 10 was perfect, I’d give it a 2.”

Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that the new traffic patterns caused near gridlock congestion in Southampton Village, long backups between Noyac Road and Sandy Hollow Road, and only improved the flow of traffic on County Road 39 west of Southampton west of Sandy Hollow Intersection. But on Tuesday, after making adjustments to how personnel were stationed to direct traffic at conflict points, and dropping restrictions on the use of some residential back roads in North Sea, McArdle said the program, which he conceived, worked almost exactly as hoped. “We moved up to a strong 8 today,” McArdle said of Tuesday’s flow after the program ended at 7 p.m. with open traffic lanes on County Road 39. The traffic experiment, which is running on weekdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. through Friday, May 2, was similarly successful last evening. The Town of Southampton has approved $60,000 for the manpower needed to run the test for two weeks.

***

Beth Young of EAST END BEACON reports on two community gatherings of interest this evening.

The Mattituck Park District will be holding a Special Meeting with the Army Corps of Engineers on “Mattituck Harbor, NY – 2025 Maintenance Dredging” this evening at 6 p.m. in the Conference Room at Veterans Memorial Park. The Army Corps will be participating by Microsoft Teams. The discussion will focus on the project and Army Corps access to Bailie Beach.

Also, the Calverton Civic Association meets this evening at 6:30 p.m. in the Riley Avenue School. They’ll be hearing from a representative from Brookhaven National Laboratory and from resident Andrew Leven on “The Rule of Law, A Free Press & A Functioning Judiciary.

***

Long Island home prices set records in the first quarter, as competition for homes pressured buyers to pay above asking price in about half of all sales.

Meanwhile on southeastern Long Island…aka The Hamptons…the median price rose above $2 million for the first time in the first quarter. Jonathan LaMantia reports in NEWSDAY that the median sale price on Long Island, excluding the East End, was $705,000 during the winter months, or 11.9% higher than during the January-to-March period a year ago, according to data released today by real estate brokerage Douglas Elliman and appraisal firm Miller Samuel. Sales that closed during the quarter predate President Donald Trump’s major tariff announcement on April 2 and the subsequent drop in consumer confidence. But real estate experts said the lack of available homes on Long Island is likely to continue to prop up prices this spring. "The market has a lot of momentum in the context of pricing, and supply is not there," said Jonathan Miller, CEO of Miller Samuel. "So it's hard to imagine that we don't see a continuation of this pattern, meaning restrained sales, higher prices and low inventory going into the spring market."

The number of listings has risen from December, when for-sale listings reached their lowest point since at least 2003. But there are still fewer than half as many homes for sale as there were five years ago.

"We’re still in a place where we have far more buyers than we do sellers," said Todd Bourgard, Douglas Elliman’s CEO for Long Island, Hamptons and North Fork.

***

The median price among home sales on Long Island, excluding the East End, rose 11.9% to $705,000 in the first quarter, according to new data from Douglas Elliman and Miller Samuel. The median price in the Hamptons increased about 13.3% to a record $2,040,000. Long Island's real estate market continues to suffer from a shortage of listings, which has restrained sales and ratcheted up competition in the market.

Jonathan LaMantia reports in NEWSDAY that in Suffolk County, the median increased to $630,000 during the three-month period. Jonathan Miller, CEO of Miller Samuel said the Hamptons real estate market received a boost from rising fortunes on Wall Street last year. The average bonus paid to Wall Street employees rose by nearly one-third last year to almost $245,000 and the securities industry in Manhattan saw profits rise 90%.

"This market is joined at the hip with the securities industry in New York," Miller said of the Hamptons market. "When you have record bonuses per person, that’s going to drive demand."

On the North Fork, the median price fell 5% to $945,000, compared with the same quarter a year ago, among 105 sales.

Long Island stands out compared with the rest of the country. Nationally, the number of for-sale homes has been rising, and home prices have started to grow more slowly, said Chen Zhao, head of economics research at real estate brokerage Redfin. Long Island and other Northeast markets have seen stronger price appreciation this year than some Sun Belt areas, particularly in Florida and Texas.

"For Long Island, it looks like median sale price growth is quite a bit higher than the country as a whole," she said.

***

The Town of Southold’s zoning update website, southoldzoningupdate.com, has a fresh redesign, and the long-awaited Public Review Draft of the new code, along with a new interactive map showing how the zoning would change, has been uploaded for the public to see.

Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that the last time Southold did a major overhaul of its zoning code was in 1971, before planners had begun to understand the isolation of suburban sprawl, before walkable hamlet centers and smart growth principals were part of planners’ toolkits, and before words like short-term rentals, solar farms, co-working and even doggy day care had entered the planning lexicon.

Eleven public forums to discuss the code are being scheduled through the upcoming weeks, including meetings focused on each of the hamlets in Southold Town that has a civic association (Southold and Peconic have a combined civic association, as do Mattituck and Laurel).

Meetings to give a general overview of the Zoning Update will be held on Monday, May 12 at the Southold Town Recreation Center, 970 Peconic Lane in Peconic from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and via Zoom only on Wednesday, May 14 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

***

New York officials joined a lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s tariffs yesterday – with Gov. Kathy Hochul calling the fees a tax hike that is stirring “economic chaos” across the U.S. Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James said the State of New York is joining a legal action with 11 other states in a bid to fight back against the Trump administration slapping tariffs on imports globally. “President Trump’s reckless tariffs have skyrocketed costs for consumers and unleashed economic chaos across the country. New York is standing up to fight back against the largest federal tax hike in American history,” Governor Hochul said.

The states want the US Court of International Trade to stop the tariffs, including preventing the president from possibly going forward with additional duties that were paused earlier this month, officials said. The lawsuit argues that Trump can’t impose tariffs through executive orders and instead needs Congress to also act. David Propper reports in THE NY POST that state leaders warned the tariffs could cause a recession. State agencies would be forced to raise more than $100 million in additional costs because of increased prices, they said.

“The president does not have the power to raise taxes on a whim, but that’s exactly what President Trump has been doing with these tariffs,” A.G. James said in a statement. “Donald Trump promised that he would lower prices and ease the cost of living, but these illegal tariffs will have the exact opposite effect on American families.”

A new 10% baseline tariff on most imports remains in place while massive “reciprocal” tariffs are on hold presently to allow for 90 days of negotiations.

Other states joining the legal battle are Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Vermont.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom sued the federal government last week over the tariff plan.

The White House has stood by its tariff plan, saying the action would provide a boost to US industries and workers.