In the News

The federal funding lapse that lasted through the first several months of 2026 caused staffing shortages that made for inordinately long waits at airport security checkpoints — as you may well know if you flew anywhere during that time.

Nurses at St. Charles Hospital Tuesday notified hospital officials they would go on strike on July 13 if there is no agreement on a new contract.

In a joint statement, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James celebrated the ruling, saying, "This victory sends a clear message: the Trump administration's attempt to halt Gateway funding will not stand."

The final deal, tucked into the $277 billion state budget approved in May, fell far short of labor’s original request but still delivered one of the biggest pension expansions since the state scaled back benefits for anyone hired after 2012 by creating a new track known as Tier 6. 

With Suffolk County a hot spot for tick-borne diseases in New York made worse by emerging threats, some $90 million more in federal funding will be needed to boost research and develop better testing and treatments, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday.

More than 63,000 Long Islanders will lose their state Essential Plan healthcare coverage on July 1.