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Tag:
Bruce Blakeman
Mineola, NY
Politics
From Exile To Elections: These Stories Shook Long Island Politics In 2025
From a beloved Long Island celebrity leaving the country to a missing candidate remaining on the ballot, 2025 delivered a string of political moments that were as unsettling as they were unprecedented. The year saw national drama collide with local consequences across Nassau and Suffolk counties, with elections, scandals, court rulings, and resignations reshaping the region’s political landscape. Here’s a look back at the Long Island–linked stories that dominated headlines, sparked outrage, and defined a turbulent year in local and national politics — for better or worse. Rosi…
Albany, NY
Politics
Blakeman Launches Bid For NY Governor, Setting Up GOP Clash With Stefanik
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman has officially launched his campaign for New York governor, setting up a high-profile Republican primary fight with Rep. Elise Stefanik. Blakeman announced his run Tuesday, Dec. 9, releasing a campaign video and posting on X that he plans to “Put New York First” by focusing on public safety, taxes, and utility costs. “Our state is struggling with high taxes, rising utility bills, and rising crime,” Blakeman wrote. “New Yorkers deserve a proven leader who will put New York first” Blakeman pointed to his record as Nassau County executive, including keep…
Mineola, NY
News
Rabies Declared 'Imminent Public Health Threat' In Nassau County
Nassau County health officials have declared an “imminent public health threat” over rabies. Officials made the formal declaration Tuesday, July 22, after confirming two dozen rabies cases among raccoons and feral cats. At least 25 rabid animals have been confirmed since July 2024, marking a troubling return of a virus that had previously been eradicated from the area in 2016, according to the Nassau County Department of Health. “The resurgence of rabies in Nassau County, with its high population density and after nearly a decade of absence, represents a serious and evolving public health …
Albany, NY
Politics
Hochul Leads '26 Governor’s Race Against GOP Challengers, But Fails To Hit 50%, Poll Shows
Gov. Kathy Hochul holds a commanding early lead over three potential Republican challengers in the 2026 New York governor’s race, fresh polling shows. Hochul leads Rep. Elise Stefanik by 23 points, 47 to 24%, Rep. Mike Lawler by 20 points, 44 to 24%, and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman by 25 points, 44 to 19%, according to a Siena College poll released Tuesday, July 1. However, she’s still falling short of the 50% mark in every matchup, and more than a quarter of voters remain undecided, pollsters found. “While the early leads seem large, Hochul is not hitting the ‘magic’ 51% mark …
Massapequa, NY
Schools
Showdown At Massapequa: McMahon Says Mascot Ban Violates Civil Rights Law In Campus Visit
Federal officials are siding with the Massapequa Chiefs — and threatening action against New York over its ban on Native American school mascots. In a dramatic visit to Massapequa High School on Friday, May 30, US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced that New York’s statewide mascot policy violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits race-based discrimination in federally funded education programs. The US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) determined that state officials illegally targeted Native American imagery while allowing other race- and et…
Albany, NY
Politics
Trouble Ahead For Hochul In NY Governor's Race, Fresh Polling Shows
Fresh polling has alarm bells ringing in Albany. As New York’s 2026 race for governor begins to take shape, a new Siena College poll shows voters are craving new leadership, though incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul still leads potential Democratic challengers by a wide margin. The poll, released Tuesday, May 20, found that 36% of voters are ready to reelect Hochul, while 55% prefer “someone else,” a 10-point dip in support compared to last month. Her favorability rating sits at 44-46% and job approval at 50-46%—largely unchanged from April. Among Democrats, Hochul remains the frontrunner in a hy…
Massapequa, NY
Schools
Trump Weighs In On School Mascot Battle: ‘Long Live The Massapequa Chiefs!’
President Donald Trump is throwing his support behind a Long Island school district fighting to keep its Native American-themed mascot. Trump came to the defense of the Massapequa Chiefs, blasting New York’s push for a rebrand as “ridiculous” and “an affront to our great Indian population," in a Truth Social post on Monday, April 21. The school district has been ordered to retire its decades-old mascot under a 2023 New York State mandate banning Indigenous-themed names and logos in public schools. “I agree with the people in Massapequa, Long Island, who are fighting furiously to keep the M…
Mineola, NY
Politics
Plan To Deputize Private Citizens Faces Lawsuit From Nassau Dems: 'This Is Not The Wild West'
Long Island Democrats and civil rights attorneys are fighting back against a plan to deputize private citizens, calling the move illegal. A lawsuit filed by Nassau County Democratic legislators against County Executive Bruce Blakeman in New York Supreme Court on Wednesday, Feb. 5, seeks to block what they say amounts to an “illegal, taxpayer-funded militia.” Blakeman’s plan calls for deputizing private citizens as “special sheriff’s deputies” during emergency declarations. If activated, members would be paid $150 per day. Democrats blasted the move, arguing it lacks transparency, oversigh…
Mineola, NY
Politics
Nassau Cops Teaming Up With ICE For Mass Deportations Of Undocumented Immigrants
A local police department in New York is teaming up with federal immigration officers to carry out President Donald Trump’s plan for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. On Long Island, ten members of the Nassau County Police Department will be embedded with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to carry out targeted immigration enforcement, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said. The enforcement efforts will target undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes in Nassau County. “I want to stress that this program is about illegal migrants who have committed crimes…
Trenton, NJ
News
Mystery Drones 'Not The Enemy:' Trump Clears The Air
After months of speculation and sky-high conspiracy theories, the mystery around those mysterious drones has finally been grounded. Sort of. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt relayed a message “directly” from President Donald Trump during her first press briefing on Tuesday, Jan. 28, addressing the drones that have been seen over the tri-state since late last year. “After research and study, the drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) for research and various other reasons,” Leavitt quoted Trump as sayi…
Mineola, NY
News
Grounded: FAA Temporarily Bans Drones Over Parts Of Long Island Amid Mystery Sightings
Think twice about launching that drone. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued temporary flight restrictions over parts of Long Island on Friday, Dec. 20, amid mysterious drone sightings in the region. Restrictions are in effect until Sunday, Jan. 19, over locations determined by the FAA to be critical infrastructure sites, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office. Among the Long Island locales on the list are Oceanside, Roslyn Heights, Levittown, Melville, and Commack. "Since mid-November, New York has been carefully monitoring reports of drone activity and we have been communic…
Islip, NY
Politics
'Justice Prevailed': Leaders React To Acquittal Of Islip's Daniel Penny In Subway Death (
Poll
)
Local leaders had plenty to say after a jury acquitted a Long Island man in the death of a homeless street artist aboard a Manhattan subway car. Daniel Penny was found not guilty of criminally negligent homicide in the death of Jordan Neely by a Manhattan jury on Monday, Dec. 9, following 20 hours of deliberations, as reported by Daily Voice. The 26-year-old Penny, a Long Island resident from West Islip, had been accused of killing 30-year-old New Jersey native Jordan Neely aboard a Manhattan subway car on May 1, 2023. Multiple witnesses told NYPD detectives that Neely, a well-known Michae…
Mineola, NY
News
Nassau County's Mask Ban Causes 'Great Stress, Fear,' Federal Lawsuit Argues
A New York county’s controversial mask ban is already facing legal challenges. Click here for a new, updated story: Mask Ban Arrest: Hicksville 18-Year-Old First Person Charged Under Controversial Law In a class action lawsuit filed in the Eastern District of New York on Thursday, Aug. 22, Disability Rights of New York argued that Nassau County’s law barring face coverings in public violates federal law and discriminates against people with disabilities. The filing came a little more than a week after Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, a Republican, signed the “Mask Transparenc…
Massapequa, NY
News
NY County's Mask Ban Signed Into Law; Here's Possible Sentence For Violations
It’s now against the law to cover your face in public in this New York county. On Long Island, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed the “Mask Transparency Act” into law during a ceremony held Wednesday morning, Aug. 14. It came a little more than a week after the Republican-controlled county legislature passed the act by a vote of 12-0 on Monday, Aug. 5. All seven Democrats abstained from voting. Earlier Report: Nassau County Criminalizes Mask Wearing Amid Rise In Covid-19 Cases The bill makes it a misdemeanor for anyone 16 and older to wear a face mask in public spaces in…
Massapequa, NY
Politics
NY County Criminalizes Mask Wearing Amid Bump In
Covid-
19 Cases
Lawmakers in a New York county approved a controversial bill criminalizing mask wearing amid a summer bump in COVID-19 cases. On Long Island, the Republican-controlled Nassau County Legislature passed the “Mask Transparency Act” by a vote of 12-0 on Monday night, Aug. 5. All seven Democrats abstained from voting. The bill makes it a misdemeanor for anyone 16 and older to wear a face mask in public spaces in the county. It also gives private businesses the right to prohibit masks on their premises. It grants exceptions for health or religious reasons, though that distinction will be determ…
Massapequa, NY
News
Transgender Athlete Ban Signed Into Law On LI; AG,
Nyclu
Announce Plans To Sue
Attorney General Letitia James and the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) have announced plans to sue Nassau County after a bill preventing transgender women from participating in women’s sports was made official. The Nassau County bill was signed into law on Monday, July 15. Introduced by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman — whose February executive order with the same goals prompted backlash and was quickly struck down — the bill requires sports teams to designate whether they are a female, male, or co-ed team and prevents “biological males” from competing on women’s teams at th…
Massapequa, NY
News
Bill Banning Transgender Athletes Passed By Nassau County Lawmakers
The Nassau County Legislature passed a bill that prevents transgender women from competing in women’s sports on Long Island. At a meeting on Monday, June 24, lawmakers voted 12-6 to pass the law. Originally introduced by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s office, the bill would require sports teams to designate whether they are a female, male, or co-ed team and is aimed to prevent “biological males” from competing on women’s teams. Earlier Report: Bill Banning Transgender Athletes Advanced By Nassau County Lawmakers It echoes an executive order Blakeman originally introduce…
Massapequa, NY
Police & Fire
NY County Training Armed Residents To Be 'Special Deputy Sheriffs': Here's Where, Why
A New York county is training armed residents who could be deputized during emergencies and natural disasters. With the state's second-largest police force of 2,600 sworn officers, Nassau County posted a notice in March in local newspapers and other news outlets for a team of provisional emergency special deputy sheriffs "for the protection of human life and property during an emergency," said County Executive Bruce Blakeman in coordination with Nassau County Sheriff Anthony LaRocco. In the advertisement, Blakeman said the "special deputies" will have no police powers unless …
Massapequa, NY
News
Bill Banning Transgender Athletes Advanced By Long Island Lawmakers
A month after the Nassau County Executive’s executive order banning transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports was struck down in court, a new proposed bill with the same goal has been advanced to the next step. After an at-times heated discussion between lawmakers and public commenters at a Nassau County legislative committee meeting on Monday, June 10, a bill aiming to bar transgender women from women’s sports passed an initial committee vote. Earlier Report: Nassau County Bans Transgender Athletes From Competing In Women's, Girls Sports The bill, which was introd…
Albany, NY
Politics
NYers' Views On Transgender Athletes, Other Hot Button Issues Revealed In Fresh Polling
In an age where Democrats and Republicans can't seem to agree on anything, fresh polling shows New Yorkers on both sides of the aisle still have some common ground on a few hot button issues. Strong bipartisan majorities support safeguarding access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and enhancing protections for the LGBTQ community, a Siena College poll released Monday, April 22, showed. Specifically, 80 percent of Democrats, 70 percent of Republicans, and 72 percent of independents favored safeguarding access to IVF for all Americans, the poll found. Related Report: 'Blatantly Illegal…
Massapequa, NY
News
New Earthquake Update: Shaking Felt Across Long Island, 'No Major Incidents'
The shaking from a 4.8 magnitude earthquake that hit New York and most of the Northeast was felt throughout Long Island. Earlier report - 4.8 Magnitude Earthquake Hits New York, Northeast Long Islanders were in for a shock when, at 10:23 a.m. on Friday, April 5, many felt the waves of the quake that originated in Hunterdon County, New Jersey in the borough of Lebanon, according to the US Geological Survey. Suffolk County Executive Edward Romaine confirmed just before noon that “no major incidents” were recorded in the county following the quake; similarly, Nassau County Executive …
Massapequa, NY
Sports
Westchester Native, Ex-Olympian Caitlyn Jenner Visits NY In Support Of Trans Athletes Ban
Caitlyn Jenner, a former Olympian and media personality, paid a visit to Long Island to publicly back a recent executive order banning transgender women from participating in women’s sports. On Monday, March 18, the former Olympian, who came out as a trans woman in 2015, held a press conference alongside Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman in support of his polarizing transgender athlete ban. The executive order, which went into effect on Thursday, Feb. 22, prohibits the Nassau County Parks & Recreation Department from issuing permits to female teams that include transgender women, …
Massapequa, NY
News
Long Island Roller Derby Team,
Nyclu
Sue County Executive Over Trans Athlete Ban
Long Island’s first flat-track roller derby league, alongside the New York Civil Liberties Union, has filed a lawsuit against a ban on transgender women participating in women’s sports. “We’re ready for the courts to relegate this harmful, transphobic policy to the dustbin of history, where it belongs.” On Monday, March 11, the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), partnered with its plaintiff, the Long Island Roller Rebels, announced that it had filed a lawsuit against Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman in response to his February executive order banning transgender women from parti…
Massapequa, NY
Sports
'Blatantly Illegal':
Nyag
Submits Cease-And-Desist Over Transgender Athlete Ban On Long Island
An executive order on Long Island banning transgender women and girls from participating in sports at public facilities was given five days to be rescinded, according to New York State Attorney General Letitia James. “This executive order is transphobic and blatantly illegal.” On Friday, March 1, just over a week after Nassau County Bruce Blakeman issued an executive order prohibiting transgender women (those assigned male at birth) from playing in women’s sports, James — who had quickly condemned the act — officially submitted a cease-and-desist against the order. Original Report:&nbs…
Massapequa, NY
News
NY Attorney General Condemns Nassau County's Transgender Athlete Ban
Hours after a county executive on Long Island announced an order prohibiting transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports, the New York State Attorney General publicly denounced the motion. On Thursday, Feb. 22, just hours after Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed his executive order, Attorney General Letitia James announced that her office would look into the next steps to protect transgender athletes from the ban, which she called “dangerous.” Earlier Report: Nassau County Bans Transgender Athletes From Competing In Women's, Girls Sports “This executive order …
Massapequa, NY
News
Nassau County Bans Transgender Athletes From Competing In Women's, Girls Sports
Nassau County will ban transgender athletes from competing in women’s and girls sports at local facilities, a move that mirrors similar legislation throughout the country and has sparked outrage among advocates. County Executive Bruce Blakeman announced the executive order, which will go into effect immediately, at a press conference on Thursday, Feb. 22. The order applies only to female competitive sports, not co-ed or male sports. It will prevent transgender women from participating in women’s sports at all county-run facilities. "This is not precluding anybody from participating in s…
Massapequa, NY
Politics
Poll Shows Tight Race In Special Election For George Santos Congressional Seat
Fresh polling continues to show a tight race ahead of New York’s special election to fill George Santos’ vacant congressional seat. A Newsday/Siena College poll of likely 3rd District voters released Thursday, Feb. 8, shows Democrat Tom Suozzi narrowly leading Republican Mazi Pilip 48 to 44 percent. Though both candidates have breakeven favorability ratings, voters feel that Suozzi would do a better job on protecting democracy, addressing the issue of abortion, and making Congress work more effectively, said Don Levy, Siena College Research Institute’s director. “Pilip is viewed as better …
Massapequa, NY
News
Just Dropping By: Police On Long Island Spread Holiday Cheer, Rappel Down Children's Hospital
Police officers on Long Island sent holiday wishes in a unique to children at a local hospital who couldn’t visit with family. On Saturday, Dec. 9, the Nassau County Police Department Emergency Services Unit headed to Cohen’s Children Medical Center, located at 26901 76th Ave, New Hyde Park, on a mission. Dubbed “Operation Holiday Drop In,” the mission was set to go off without a hitch, and when officers started rappelling down the side of the 40-foot building in holiday hats, it became clear that the mission objective was met – make kids smile. The event is meant to ensure that childre…
Massapequa, NY
Lifestyle
4-Year-Old 'Super Shane' Back Home After Heart Stops At Long Island Play Place
After spending weeks in the hospital and undergoing open heart surgery, a 4-year-old Long Island boy is finally back home after he suffered cardiac arrest at a local business. Shane Petruzzelli was playing at Laser Bounce Family Fun Center in Levittown on Friday, April 14, when he suddenly went into ventricular fibrillation, his mother Samantha Wendt said on Facebook. The dangerous heart arrhythmia quickly caused the boy’s heart to stop beating altogether. “I performed CPR on my sweet baby boy,” Wendt said. “I still don’t know how I did it.” Within minutes, officers from the Nassau Coun…
Massapequa, NY
Obituaries
‘Heaven Gained A Beautiful New Angel’: Long Island Community Grieves Young EMT, Holds Funeral
A young EMT from Long Island is continuing to leave an indelible mark on her community, even after her death. Glen Cove resident Susan Giovanniello, a 19-year-old who died suddenly while on duty on Monday, April 3, continues to be remembered not only by friends and family but also by the town in which she served. Earlier Report: ‘Brightest Smile In The Room’: Support Pours In After Glen Cove EMT’S Sudden Passing Giovanniello’s funeral ceremony and entombment were held on the morning of Thursday, April 6. Her dedication to service and untimely death has made an impact on even the most s…
Massapequa, NY
Obituaries
‘Hard Work’ Is Secret To Long Life, Says Long Island Woman Who Died At Age 105
Those looking to extend their stay in this life would do well to embrace the grind, according to a beloved Long Island woman who would know best. Nancy Canfarotta, of Valley Stream, died Monday, Feb. 20 at the age of 105, according to her obituary. A cause of death was not revealed. Born in Manhattan on Aug. 24, 1917, Canfarotta was the oldest of three brothers and one sister. She married husband Charlie Canfarotta in September 1946, with whom she had three children, her memorial said. The family later grew to include five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Relatives described…
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