Social media companies operating in New York must start reporting content moderation policies to the state beginning this week as required by the new Stop Hiding Hate Act passed by the legislature last year, New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced yesterday. John Valenti reports in NEWSDAY that the measure...which was signed into law in December — seeks to ensure social media companies are "more transparent and accountable" for content posted on their platforms, according to the attorney general’s office.

"With violence and polarization on the rise, social media companies must ensure that their platforms don’t fuel hateful rhetoric and disinformation," A.G. James said in an e-mailed statement announcing the start of the reporting date mandate, adding: "The Stop Hiding Hate Act requires social media companies to share their content moderation policies publicly and with my office to ensure that their companies are more transparent about how they are addressing harmful content on their platforms."

Officials said key requirements in place as a result of the act include: that social media companies must publish terms of service "in clear, accessible language and provide contact details for user questions"; that platforms must "clearly describe how users can report violations of the terms of service"; and, that companies must "detail the potential actions they may take against policy violations" — and said those actions include "removing posts or deprioritizing their visibility."

In biannual reports, the attorney general’s office said, social media companies must also provide specific data, including: the total number of posts "flagged with potential policy violations," the total number of posts "on which the company took action" and "details on the specific actions."

Social media companies that fail to post terms of service or that fail to submit a required report — and, companies that file "a materially incomplete or misleading report" — face a potential civil penalty of up to $15,000 per violation per day, the attorney general’s office said.

The goal of the act is to have social media platforms define their guidelines and protocols related to "hate speech or racism, extremism or radicalization, disinformation or misinformation, harassment, and foreign political interference," the attorney general’s office said, adding the additional goal is to have those companies define how they enforce those policies.

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The 13th annual SouthamptonFest fall festival begins in Southampton Village this evening and runs through this Sunday. Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that the festival starts with the annual Rotary Club Kickoff Party tonight at the Southampton Cultural Center on Pond Lane, also known as Concer’s Way. That party includes music and dancing and supports Southampton Rotary, a longstanding service organization in the community. Thanks to a new partnership between the Southampton Rotary and the Southampton Association, the cost to attend the party will be covered for local merchants, as a token of appreciation for their support and hard work. There’s a full schedule of events this weekend in Southampton Village geared around art, music, food and entertainment. Like last year, a portion of the festival proceeds will benefit the restoration of the World War I Memorial in Agawam Park, a historic community landmark first dedicated in 1923. SouthamptonFest is made possible through the support of main sponsors Northwell Health, Peter Marino Art Foundation and the Southampton Association, along with The Southampton Press, Lake Agawam Conservancy and many other local shops, restaurants and vendors, and the Troop 58 Boy Scouts. For a full list of events and offerings, visit SouthamptonVillage.org.

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The Springs Fire Department will celebrate its 60th Anniversary tomorrow, with activities at the Springs Firehouse at 179

Nearly 6,000 low-income Long Island seniors would lose their access to home-delivered food items if the federal government shutdown extends beyond three weeks, according to the head of one of the region’s largest food banks. Robert Brodsky reports in NEWSDAY that the USDA’s Commodity Supplemental Food Program provides Island Harvest in Melville with about 35 healthy food items that are packaged by volunteers and delivered each month to 5,777 seniors with incomes of less than $1,957 per month in Nassau and Suffolk, said Randi Shubin Dresner, president and chief executive of the food bank. Island Harvest is the lone operator of the program on Long Island.

With the lapse in federal funding, the Supplemental Food Program will run out of food in about three weeks, she said.

"This is a program that impacts some of the most vulnerable members of our society — senior citizens who have built up this community and who have an income of less than $1,957 a month to pay, literally, for all of their expenses," Shubin Dresner said. "And we've been supplementing close to 6,000 of these seniors with this food. And now they will have nothing."

Gregory May, director of government and community relations for Island Harvest, adds: "We can no longer submit orders for food as there's nobody at USDA to process the orders. So, the food that we have on hand, we can still deliver to the seniors. But we're not able to place any additional orders."

A USDA spokesperson said in a statement that “nutrition programs will operate based on state choice and the length of a shutdown.”

Contributing to the looming crisis, Shubin Dresner said, is that earlier this year the USDA slashed roughly $4 million in funding for Island Harvest amid major cutbacks to emergency food programs, limiting the non-profit’s reserves and creating a “cascading ripple effect.”

And the need is only expected to grow.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program [SNAP], which provides food benefits to low-income families, is at risk of running out of funding if the shutdown continues into November.

Thousands of unpaid federal workers could potentially turn to Island Harvest and other local food banks for emergency assistance if the shutdown stretches on, she said.

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The owner of Montauk Airport has applied to subdivide his land into four residential lots and over 20 acres of open space — a move that would entail closure of the airport. It being a preliminary proposal, many of the details of the application remain in flux — including what it might look like down the road, as the application did not include building plans. Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that Montauk Airport is situated on two separate parcels, totaling just over 36 acres. Surrounding the properties are hundreds of acres of wetlands and wildlife habitat. The property currently consists of a terminal building, a runway and three hangars. If the owner gets his way, though, the airport could become four residential lots — between 3.2 and 4.8 acres each — and 21.4 acres of open space. The latter is consistent with East Hampton Town code, which would require the owner to preserve at least 50 percent of the total area in the event of such a move. Under those zoning requirements, the airport could hold a maximum of five residential lots. This latest chapter in the airport’s history comes as a Federal Aviation Administration grant is set to expire in 2027, which would allow the owner to redevelop the land. The plans cannot take effect until that grant runs its course. If Montauk Airport closes, it would likely mean more flights taking off and landing at the East Hampton Town Airport in Wainscott.

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The Suffolk County Water Authority will hold three public hearings next week on whether it is subject to local zoning codes in connection with its proposed North Fork Pipeline project. Denise Civiletti...

What seems like perennial roadwork around Sag Harbor from the Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike to Route 114 will continue this fall, PSEG Long Island said this month. Elizabeth Flagler, a spokeswoman for the utility, said it had, in fact, stopped work on laying a new power cable from its Bridgehampton transmission site to East Hampton during the busy summer season, but had begun again in earnest earlier this month. “We recently began working on the remaining approximately 3,000 feet of trench work on Route 114 that will be completed at night by roughly the end of September, first week of October,” she said. “That will allow the crews to install conduits and pull the cable to increase reliability for customers.” Stephen J. Kotz reports on 27east.com that motorists driving between East Hampton and Sag Harbor at night have been encountering several lit-up work areas along Route 114. PSEG has also been working on the Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike north of Scuttle Hole Road in Bridgehampton and along Jermain Avenue in Sag Harbor during the daytime hours, causing delays for motorists and leaving a bumpy road in their wake. Flagler said relief will come later this year. “We expect permanent restoration to be complete before the holidays,” she said. “This will include not only repaving the work area, the road will be paved from curb to curb.”

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You are invited to: How to Survive the Change of Life: A Free Symposium on Healthy Aging for Women After 40

Later today from 5 p.m. to 8 pm, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, is hosting a free, informative gathering for women

40 + years of age who are interested in learning how to manage perimenopause and menopause symptoms, as well as how to maintain good health and well-being. The event is sponsored by, and held, at The Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Hamptons at 111 St. Andrews Road in Southampton. Leading physicians and experts from Stony Brook Medicine, Meeting House Lane Medical Practice and Stony Brook Southampton Hospital’s Wellness Institute will be joined by leaders of local organizations to address the top questions women have about navigating life after 40.

There will be two panel discussions: “What to Expect During Perimenopause and Menopause” which will examine the wide range of symptoms that can occur during this life stage, including irregular periods, vaginal dryness, hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain, sleep difficulties, mood changes, brain fog, headaches and skin breakouts, and “How to Manage Symptoms and Thrive” which will provide holistic and medical approaches to managing symptoms and supporting overall well-being, including the role of exercise, nutrition, behavioral health, pelvic floor therapy, and women’s safety.

Following the panel discussions, guests are encouraged to visit information tables featuring Stony Brook women’s health services. Spanish translators will be available onsite to assist attendees. This community event is part of Stony Brook Southampton Hospital’s ongoing commitment to empowering women with knowledge, resources, and support for every stage of life.

That’s How to Survive the Change of Life: A Free Event on Healthy Aging for Women After 40…today from 5pm to 8 pm

at The Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 111 St. Andrews Road, Southampton, NY

This evening’s symposium is Free.

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The Amagansett Life-Saving and Coast Guard Station Museum will host its 34th annual Largest Clam Contest this coming Sunday, October 5, from 12 noon to 3 p.m. at the station on Atlantic Avenue in Amagansett. Sunday’s event will feature live music, a chowder contest, a live marine species exhibit and other activities. Chowder entries must be delivered by 11:30 a.m. Sunday, and clams entered must be dug between September 29 and October 4 from waters in the Town of East Hampton. That’s the East Hampton Town Trustees Largest Clam Contest this coming...

Many voters in Long Island’s minority neighborhoods have left the Democratic Party in the last decade to become independent voters, a data analysis by Newsday found.

Ten years ago, nearly 60% of Long Island voters in "majority-minority" districts were registered Democrats. Last year, that number dropped to about 50%, with a growing number of voters declaring themselves "unaffiliated" with any party.

"This has been a yearslong crisis in the making," said Ahmad Perez, founder and executive director of Islip Forward, a group working to grow voter registration in Brentwood. "These are pockets that have historically been the bedrock of Democratic turnout … but Democrats are struggling to maintain relevance in working class and minority communities."

Meanwhile, voters in majority-white districts were loyal to their political parties. A decade ago, about a third of that population was Democrat, a third Republican and a quarter “unaffiliated.” Those percentages are almost exactly the same today.

Nationally, Democrats are hemorrhaging enrollment. The party lost about 2.1 million registrants across 30 states between 2020 and 2024, while Republicans gained about 2.4 million, according to a New York Times analysis.

Though Democrats are losing enrollment among minority neighborhoods, they still make up almost half of active voters across New York state. Independent voters are second, making up a quarter of active voters, followed by Republicans at 23%.

Bahar Ostadan reports in NEWSDAY that on Long Island, about 36% of voters are registered Democrats, 31% are registered Republicans and 29% independent. There are differences by county: Nassau is home to more Democrats and Suffolk leans slightly more Republican.

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With the start of the school year, the Southampton School District has launched its five-year “Set, Sail, Soar” strategic plan, to serve as a blueprint for improving student performance, student wellness and teacher efficacy.

Michelle Trauring reports on 27east.com that developed by district stakeholders, including administrators, teachers, parents and students, the plan comprises four main pillars of focus: student academic achievement, social-emotional learning and mental health supports, STEAM education — which stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics — and culturally responsive practices, explained Superintendent of Southampton Schools Dr. Fatima Morrell at a recent Board of Education meeting.

“It is essentially going to be the engine that drives the work of our district for this entire year,” she said, “and the next four.”

The strategic plan was largely informed by an analysis of performance data, community surveys, two dozen stakeholder meetings, and administrative presentations during Board of Education meetings, Morrell explained.

“With a five-year plan, we had to decide, as an administrative team and as a collaborative, what will we focus on?” she said. “It’s a 15-page plan…So we chose strategically what areas will give us the biggest bang for our buck in our budget this year.” Dr. Morrell added, “We know that our students will achieve and soar beyond their wildest dreams…We just have to get on the same page with them, because they believe in themselves. We need to believe in them, as well, and this plan will help us to do that.”

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Southold Town Planning Director Heather Lanza told the Southold Town Board at its work session last Thursday that a draft code will not be ready in time for the town to discuss it at the Sept. 30 code committee meeting. Thus, tomorrow’s meeting was postponed. A new date has not yet been set.

Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that the Town of Southold currently sets a minimum stay at 14 days but that code has proven to be difficult to enforce. A task force last year recommended a permitting process to allow individual...

Two Republican super PACs paid nearly $1 million this month to quietly settle an inquiry into whether they illicitly coordinated with the campaign of former U.S. Congressman Lee Zeldin, during his 2022 run for governor of New York. Nicholas Fandos and Shane Goldmacher report in THE NY TIMES that the state’s top elections watchdog spent years investigating the matter, using subpoenas to try to show that there was illegal overlap between the Zeldin campaign and two groups that spent $20 million supporting it, Save Our State Inc. and Safe Together New York.

An agreement to settle the case, reached in recent days, ultimately does not include an admission of wrongdoing by the super PACs, a copy of the document obtained through a Freedom of Information request shows. Zeldin, a Republican from Shirley, Long Island, who is now the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, was not a party to the agreement.

But the $900,000 fine is the largest ever paid in a super PAC coordination case in New York, where the free-spending groups seeking to sway elections have grown in size and number over the last decade.

In an unsealed report of the state’s chief election enforcement counsel provided to The New York Times yesterday, an investigator wrote that he had found that “substantial evidence demonstrates that respondents knowingly and willfully coordinated with candidate Lee Zeldin, both directly and through agents, resulting in unlawful contributions.”

The current chairman of the New York Republican Party, Edward F. Cox, is also linked to the investigation and his emails are included in the documents as a leader of one of the pro-Zeldin super PACs.

Eric Amidon, who was Mr. Zeldin’s 2022 campaign manager, said the campaign had “no involvement whatsoever” in the investigation. He called it “nothing more than political extortion by New York aimed at silencing political opposition.”

In addition to Lee Zeldin, the case has touched party operatives, a pollster for President Trump and Ronald S. Lauder, a billionaire cosmetics heir who helped bankroll the groups.

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The Butterfly Effect Project is a nonprofit, community-oriented organization which seeks to empower young girls by giving them the tools to achieve emotionally stable and self confident futures, in hopes of bringing forth a generation of women who are strong, independent and knowledgeable. Alek Lewis reports on Riverheadlocal.com that volunteers with the Butterfly Effect Project have brought the historic Tuthill farmstead in Jamesport back to its roots, creating a garden club to help bring fresh food to local families and teach gardening to the next generation. The garden club was created “as a means for kids to meet safely outside and also provide supplemental nutrition for the community,” said Brienne Ahearn, the BEP’s garden club coordinator. It supports the nonprofit organization’s mission of encouraging collaboration and youth empowerment.

The garden club first launched at the First Baptist Church in Riverhead, where the Butterfly Effect was headquartered during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Butterfly Effect Project moved its headquarters to the Daniel and Henry P. Tuthill family farmstead, at 1146 Main Road in Jamesport last year…where it will host a ribbon cutting on Saturday, Oct. 4 from 12 to 2 p.m. to celebrate the new community garden. The public is invited to attend.

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On Saturday, September 27…that’s tomorrow…from 7:30 a.m. until 2 p.m., the Hamptons Marathon will run through the Village of Southampton. The Southampton Village Police Department is advising motorists that they should expect sporadic travel delays as the event takes place. The event includes a 5K (3.1-mile race), marathon (26.2 miles) and half-marathon (13.1 miles), that will be run south of Hill Street and Hampton Road in Southampton Village. Pond Lane will be closed for the duration of

Speeding, weaving, cutting off other drivers and other angry behavior from behind the wheel are on the rise on Long Island roads and nationwide, according to a AAA study that shows a major uptick in aggressive driving and local law enforcement.

In what may come as little surprise to Long Island drivers, 96% of those surveyed admitted to aggressive driving behavior in a nationwide study that surveyed about 3,000 drivers and focus groups.

Mike Armstrong, 73, of Lindenhurst, who served 32 years as a Suffolk police officer, said yesterday that aggressive driving has increased with rising tempers and distracted drivers.

“It’s pretty wild. Aggressive drivers are a reflection of more aggression in society,” Armstrong said.

“People, just think about where you're going and why you have to be there.”

John Asbury reports in NEWSDAY that according to AAA’s study, 82% of drivers admitted to speeding up through a yellow light to beat a red light and about 68% of drivers admitted to using the slow right lane to pass another vehicle. About 65% of respondents admitted using their horn rather than other measures to avoid a crash. The same number of drivers admitted to glaring at another driver when passing on the road.

More than half of drivers admitted to going 15 mph over the normal flow of traffic, which can often go well above the speed limit.

The national increase in aggressive driving is certainly showing itself on Long Island, said Robert Sinclair, a spokesman for AAA’s Northeast Division.

"I think Long Island typifies all of the bad behaviors in this study. They all manifest while driving on the Long Island Expressway," Sinclair said. "Aggressive driving is going to lead to crashes, injuries and may lead to fatalities. These things come about as a result of bad behavior and can lead to road rage, the physical manifestation of aggressive driving,"

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Accused Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex A. Heuermann will face a single trial for all seven alleged killings, a Suffolk judge ruled yesterday in Riverhead.

NYS Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei informed attorneys for both sides during a brief conference Tuesday morning that he ruled against a defense request to split the cases into multiple trials.

Mazzei also determined for the second time that nuclear DNA evidence in the case will be admissible at trial, denying a final push by Heuermann’s defense to exclude the DNA because an outside laboratory lacked New York State Department of Health permits.

Grant Parpan reports in NEWSDAY that Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney described the judge’s decisions as victories for his office, which he said properly joined each of the killings in a single superseding indictment because they are "inextricably interwoven." D.A. Tierney noted that an alleged planning document for the killing that investigators found Heuermann once maintained was a considerable factor in Mazzei’s decision to keep the cases joined together.

Justice Mazzei, who previously indicated a trial date could be set this week, instead set a Jan. 13 deadline for defense motions to be filed.

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Brookhaven National Laboratory’s first female director has stepped down two years after coming from the West Coast to take the post, the Upton, Long Island lab announced yesterday.

JoAnne Hewett decided earlier this month to resign to focus on her other role as a faculty member with the C.N. Yang Institute of Theoretical Physics at Stony Brook University, lab officials said in a news release.

Carl MacGowan reports in NEWSDAY that John Hill, the lab's deputy director for science and technology, will serve as interim director until a permanent director is named. The lab plans a nationwide search to find Hewett's permanent successor.

BNL is part of the U.S. Department of Energy and is operated by Brookhaven Science...

House Democrats are calling on Long Island Republican Rep. Andrew Garbarino to force Trump administration border czar Tom Homan to testify about allegations he took a bribe from undercover FBI agents last year as part of an anti-corruption investigation.

"No one is above the law," the Democrats wrote yesterday to Congressman Garbarino (R-Bayport), who in July became the new chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security.

"We call on you to require Trump administration ‘Border Czar’ Tom Homan to appear before the committee to answer allegations that he accepted cash bribes in exchange for promises to deliver government contracts," states the letter signed by the panel’s ranking member, Rep. Bennie Thompson, (D-Miss.) and other committee Democrats.

The demand leaves Garbarino — who holds congressional subpoena power — in a bit of a political pinch.

Billy House reports in NEWSDAY that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Homan "did absolutely nothing wrong," and President Donald Trump stands by him 100%. She said Homan "is a brave public servant who has done a phenomenal job in helping the president shut down the border."

In addition, Trump appointees at the Justice Department already have shut down an investigation by that agency into the matter earlier this year, according to multiple news accounts.

Garbarino represents New York's 2nd congressional district which is along the South Shore of Long Island. It includes southwestern Suffolk County and a small portion of southeastern Nassau County.

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The East Hampton Library’s Long Island Collection has unveiled a new exhibit, “Taking Care of Business,” now on display in the library’s front lobby cases.

Originally presented as a limited pop-up in July, the exhibit drew strong interest from the community. “The exhibit was so popular over the summer, and we received many requests to see it again, so we’ve moved it to a space where the public can continue to enjoy it,” Andrea Meyer, head of the Long Island Collection, said in a news release.

The exhibit highlights the history of East Hampton’s business district, focusing on Main Street, Newtown Lane and the shops that once lined them. It features historic images, maps and documents, along with a “then and now” list, property ownership maps, photographs and vintage postcards.

“Taking Care of Business” is available for viewing during regular East Hampton Library hours and will remain on display through the end of the year.

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When flashing highway department signs recently began advertising “Roundabout Begins 9/22/25” at the intersection of County Road 48 and Route 25 in Greenport, they weren’t kidding. Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that after a lengthy hiatus, the New York State Department of Transportation resumed work yesterday on the new roundabout at the intersection that had long been controlled by a blinking light at the north end of Greenport’s Main Street. By late Monday afternoon, the longstanding traffic pattern there had been upended by a series of traffic cones and signs directing drivers to follow the outline of the future three-way traffic circle at the intersection, which had been shaped like the letter T.

The project, funded by the 2021 federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, has been in the works since April of 2024, and was initially slated to be completed in the fall of 2024.

In earlier phases, trees were cleared, utility poles were moved and drainage was installed in anticipation of the roundabout work, which the state had planned to do in the spring and fall months to lessen the effect on traffic.

The state said at the time the project was approved that it was designed to “help traffic continuously move in a smooth pattern and reduce congestion to and from the historic Village of Greenport and the Cross Sound Ferry nearby at Orient...

Long Island's towns and cities spent $341.3 million on employee and retiree health care premiums in 2024, nearly 12% more than in 2023, while state-set rate hikes quadrupled in recent years, a Newsday analysis found.

Premium costs for Long Island's 13 towns and two cities have climbed since 2021, according to data from the state Department of Civil Service, which administers health insurance to town and city employees. The municipalities paid a total of $341.3 million in 2024, an 11.8% increase over the 2023 Nassau / Suffolk total of $305.4 million.

Joseph Ostapiuk reports in NEWSDAY that the increased spending comes as the state has hiked premiums between 2021 and 2024 by a larger amount each year. Rates for the New York State Health Insurance Plan rose by 2.2% in 2021, 7.4% in 2022, 8.6% in 2023 and 8.9% in 2024.

Health insurance costs rose by 20% in 2024 over 2023 in three towns on Long Island's East End: Shelter Island, by 25%; East Hampton, at 22%; and Southampton, which had a 20% jump.

Becky Hansen, East Hampton's administrator and budget officer, said the town has tried twice to find a better alternative to the New York State Health Insurance Plan {NYSHIP} through a competitive bidding process. The efforts were unsuccessful, she told NEWSDAY. "That was kind of disappointing," Hansen said. "Yes, it's expensive for us as the employer, but it's also expensive for employees, too." Next year, the Town of East Hampton plans to allow retirees to use accrued sick leave to pay down health insurance premiums through the use of a state Civil Service law.

Governments would also benefit, she said, if the State Legislature allowed towns and cities to stash money in a reserve fund dedicated to health insurance costs.

"Because otherwise, health insurance is pay as you go," Hansen said. "We fund it during that year, we pay for it during that year."

NYSHIP sets its annual rates in December, generally weeks after towns and cities have approved their budgets for the following year.

That means towns and cities are setting budgets without knowing the exact cost of health insurance in the year ahead.

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The owner of the Youngs Avenue site in Calverton where organic materials have been stockpiled by a Nassau County waste management company has agreed to remove the materials over a two -week period beginning today.

Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that Joseph DeFigueroa, owner of both Patriot Recycling and Youngs Avenue LLC, the company that purchased 45 acres of preserved farmland off Youngs Avenue in Calverton, has signed a stipulation with the Town of Riverhead requiring the removal of the approximately 3,000 cubic yards of materials from the site, Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard announced Friday afternoon.

The stipulation between Patriot and the Town of Riverhead requires the company to pay upfront the $1,650 cost of environmental consultant Jeffrey Seeman, hired by the town at $165 per hour to monitor the removal activity.

Patriot is prohibited by the terms of the agreement from bringing any other materials onto the site.

The owner said removal of the material will begin on Monday, Sept. 22…that’s today…and will take several days to complete, according to the press release. The agreement requires removal of stockpiled materials to be completed within 14 days from the commencement of removal.

The stipulation states that it does not settle any of the outstanding tickets now pending in Riverhead Justice Court, which were issued for alleged town code violations. Patriot in the stipulation acknowledges the alleged violations. The town will pursue disposition of the violations, including applicable penalties, in Justice Court, according to the stipulation.

The stipulation also does not prevent the town from issuing additional tickets for future alleged violations or pursuing other...