About 100 faith leaders, social justice advocates and others rallied simultaneously at three Long Island congressional offices yesterday, frustrated over what they said was their inability to meet with the three representatives to discuss the mass deportation of immigrants in the country illegally. Olivia Winslow reports in NEWSDAY that Ani Halasz, executive director of Long Island Jobs With Justice, which sponsored the rallies along with Long Island Immigrant Justice Alliance, said the rally came about because they were unable to secure meetings with local members of congress including 1st Congressional District Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) during the August recess, typically when members of Congress return from Washington to their home districts. Richard Koubek, community outreach coordinator for Long Island Jobs With Justice.said the faith leaders were seeking support for legislation that would require Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to identify themselves with badges and uniforms, to "stop wearing masks" and to "restore protected status of places of worship, hospitals and schools."

Advocates attending the rallies at the 3 district offices said they handed off the letter to aides.

Koubek said about 60 people attended the rally at Congressman LaLota’s office in Hauppauge.

Mary O'Hara, a spokeswoman for LaLota, said in a statement regarding the faith leaders' request for an August meeting: "If we received a request to meet, it would have been considered. But our office never received such a request." As for reaction to the faith leaders' concerns, LaLota said in a statement: "Only in today’s politics could a group claim to fight for justice by opposing the very laws that uphold it."

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Long Islanders and businesses borrowing money will benefit from the Federal Reserve’s decision this week to lower its benchmark interest rate, economic experts said.

But they said the Fed’s cut will deliver limited relief to Long Island homebuyers seeking out mortgages.

Jonathan LaMantia reports in NEWSDAY that The Fed lowered the key rate by a quarter point on Wednesday to between 4% and 4.25%.

That decision will help borrowers taking on short-term loans, but the Fed has less influence over long-term debt, such as 30-year mortgages, said Stephen Kates, a financial analyst at Bankrate. A new report yesterday from Mortgage News Daily also showed mortgage rates may not continue their decline that started earlier this summer. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate hasn't dipped below 6% since September 2022.

The federal funds rate is the interest rate banks use to lend from one another overnight. The Fed’s Federal Open Market Committee sets this rate and uses it as a monetary policy tool to advance its dual mandate of maximum employment and stable prices, according to the Fed.

Essentially, the Fed wants to promote job creation and keep inflation in check, said Steven Kent, chief economist for the Long Island Association, the Melville-based business group.

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The East End Seaport Museum’s 35th annual Maritime Festival in downtown Greenport is this weekend. Folks from the north fork and beyond will be celebrating Greenport’s rich maritime history with their annual “Merry Merfolk” parade, street fair, local food, live music, a cardboard boat race, and an abundance of artisan vendors throughout the Village of Greenport!

Sailor, painter, designer, rigging specialist, volunteer, community leader and all around good guy, Paul Kreiling is this year’s Maritime Festival Grand Marshal!

That's the 2025 Maritime Festival this Saturday and Sunday from 10AM - 5PM in Greenport, U.S.A.

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The chairman of the New York State Democratic Party said yesterday that he would not support Zohran Mamdani, his party’s nominee for mayor of New York City, citing fundamental disagreements over Israel and democratic socialism.

The position puts the chairman, Jay Jacobs, directly at odds with both Democratic primary voters and Gov. Kathy Hochul, his de facto boss, who endorsed Mr. Mamdani on Sunday despite her own differences with the nominee.

Nicholas Fandos and Benjamin Oreskes report in THE NY TIMES that Mr. Jacobs, a moderate from Long Island, was so opposed to the governor’s endorsement that he told associates in recent days that he would sooner resign as chairman than back Mr. Mamdani, a 33-year-old NYS lawmaker and democratic socialist, according to people who spoke with the chairman.

It appears not to have come to that. But Mr. Jacobs’s exceedingly rare public break with Democratic voters and the governor underscores the deep divisions that persist around Mr. Mamdani within the party’s establishment, even as more elected officials move toward supporting him.

In a statement to The New York Times on Thursday, Mr. Jacobs, who is Jewish, said he told Mr. Mamdani directly that “I strongly disagree with his views on the State of Israel.”

“Furthermore, I reject the platform of the so-called Democratic Socialists of America and do not believe that it represents the principles, values or policies of the Democratic Party,” Mr. Jacobs said.

At the same time, Mr. Jacobs said he respected Ms. Hochul’s decision, pledged not to endorse any other candidate in the mayor’s race and called the “fearmongering” about Mr. Mamdani a “wrong and a gross overreaction.”

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Aided by work rules, the Long Island Railroad’s top three overtime earners in 2023 — a year in which the MTA set an overtime spending record — all made more than $200,000 in overtime, according to pay records obtained by Newsday. The top earner was a train car repair worker with a base salary of around $75,000, who made more than $331,000 in 2023, including almost $3,000 in a single day. The now-retired worker said she did nothing wrong and earned her pay. MTA officials said through improved oversight and management, they have made meaningful reductions in overtime, though critics said broader reforms are needed.

Alfonso A. Castillo reports in NEWSDAY that LIRR worker pay is again under intensified scrutiny as the railroad remains locked in a contract impasse with several of its labor organizations that could result in its first union strike in more than 30 years. Five LIRR unions representing around half of the railroad's approximately 7,000 union workers are asking for raises above what other MTA workers have already accepted, saying that larger increases are needed to keep up with inflation and the cost of living. A request by the unions Monday for White House intervention delayed a potential strike until at least mid-January.

Ricardo Sanchez, who recently retired as general chairman of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 589 — the union representing LIRR electricians — said, historically, union work rules concerning overtime have disproportionately benefited workers from the SMART union, including train car repairmen. That's a key reason why other unions banded together to demand higher raises than those accepted by SMART, leading to the looming threat of a strike, he said.

Sanchez said he was "not surprised" the LIRR's highest overtime earner came from SMART. "The overtime rules benefit them," he said.

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Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt “Sundays at Two” series presents this Sunday at 2 p.m. “Bats on the Beach, Bay & Beyond” at Long Pond Greenbelt Nature Center in Bridgehampton.

Understanding the distribution and habitat use of bats is important to their conservation. While many people know about bats in the woods, relatively few realize that there are bats in coastal ecosystems as well!

Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that PhD student Delaney Constante uses passive acoustic monitoring to better understand where bats are spending their time. In her talk this Sunday afternoon, you’ll learn about our local bat species, why they’re so important to their ecosystems, and that you just might find them at the beach!

Meet at the Long Pond Greenbelt Nature Center, 1061 Bridgehampton/Sag Harbor Turnpike. Sundays at Two events are free and open to the public. To RSVP: [email protected].

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For the past few days in Southampton folks have been asking about all the signs posted downtown proclaiming, "Southampton Village welcomes THE GREEN PATRIARCH." Who is our distinguished visitor this weekend?

He is Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of 300 million Eastern Orthodox Christians worldwide. The 85 year old is making his first visit in four years to the United States, where he met earlier this week with President Donald Trump. Previously, His-All Holiness has been received by Presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama and George W. Bush. He has also been recognized by the United Nations and the John Templeton Foundation for which he's the 2025 recipient of the $1 million Templeton Prize for efforts at the intersection of faith and science.

Tomorrow at 12 noon in Avram Hall on the Stony Brook Southampton Campus the Stony Brook Council University Medal will be presented to His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, in recognition of his efforts on behalf of climate action, faith-based environmentalism and helping to foster interfaith dialogue.

Tomorrow’s event honoring the globally renowned "Green Patriarch" will also highlight Stony Brook Southampton's vital role in marine sciences and its groundbreaking Shinnecock Bay Hope Spot designation.

Tickets to tomorrow's medal ceremony at the Avram Theater are free. But, tickets are required.

To secure a free seat, please contact Stony Brook’s Office of Conferences and Special Events by email at [email protected]

Later on Saturday, Patriarch Bartholomew will preside over the Synaxis of the Hierarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the U.S. at the Dormition of the Virgin Mary on the grounds of the Greek Orthodox Church in Southampton. He will also celebrate the Patriarchal Divine Liturgy at the same church on Sunday.