Less than a month after the Long Island Expressway's Clean Pass program lapsed, some groups and lawmakers are trying to bring it back, saying commutes have gotten longer since electric vehicles got booted from the HOV lanes. Peter Gill reports in NEWSDAY that about 48,000 Clean Pass vehicles lost their ability to legally use the high-occupancy vehicle lanes on Oct. 1 because the federal government did not renew permission for New York and 14 other states to grant exemptions for zero-emission vehicles in HOV lanes on federal highways. Currently, only “3 or more” occupied vehicles are allowed to use the HOV lanes.

At the federal level, two bills have been introduced with bipartisan support, including from Long Island’s delegation, to renew Clean Pass and similar programs across the country through the end of next year. However, neither bill has made it out of committee and are unlikely to do so amid the current government shutdown.

The House bill is sponsored by Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) and co-sponsored by Rep. Laura Gillen (D-Rockville Centre), among other Democrats and Republicans from New York, Arizona, and California. The Senate bill is sponsored by Democrat Alex Padilla, of California, and co-sponsored by Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand, of New York, and Republican John Curtis, of Utah.

Separately, state Assemb. Rebecca Kassay (D-Port Jefferson) told Newsday she intends to introduce a bill for New York to reinstate Clean Pass without federal approval, although it is unclear if that is possible without risking federal highway funding.

Spokesman Stephen Canzoneri said the DOT "has observed some increases in traffic in the non-HOV lanes of the Long Island Expressway" since Clean Pass ended, but added that "the numbers are only preliminary and the sample size is too small to draw any relevant conclusions."

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Two Southampton Town police officers were treated for smoke inhalation after helping an elderly man who suffered minor burns escape from a house fire Wednesday evening, police and fire officials said. Around 9:20 p.m. Wednesday on North Road in Shinnecock Hills the pair of Southampton Town Police officers Jonathan Parsons and Maura Torres were the first to arrive at the scene and entered the burning house to try to get to the lone occupant, an elderly man, on the second floor, but were blocked by a locked interior door. The two officers instead carried a table and a mattress out of the house and placed them below the window of the room where the man was trapped. Officer Torres climbed up the exterior of the burning house to help the man get out the window and jump onto the mattress. The man landed on the mattress safely. He was taken to Stony Brook Southampton Hospital for treatment of minor burns to his feet. Both officers needed medical attention for smoke inhalation. Fire chiefs arrived at the scene within four minutes of the initial call, according to Southampton Fire Department spokesperson Chris Brenner. Firefighters extinguished the blaze within 30 minutes. Bridgehampton, Hampton Bays and North Sea fire departments were all called for mutual aid. Southampton Town fire marshals are investigating the cause of the fire, Brenner said.

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East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen plans to run for East Hampton Town Supervisor as a Democratic Party candidate in 2026. Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that Larsen announced the decision to a crowd at Si Si Restaurant on Three Mile Harbor last Friday. The mayor will not appear on ballots this November, as East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez will appear as an uncontested candidate. If it gets to that point, the election in question would be a primary in June 2026. Right now, what the candidacy means is Larsen will screen with the local Democratic Party for the nomination and should the party not select him he will enter next year’s primary. As for the issues, Larsen cited employee retention and recruiting, both of which he said were not taking place. Larsen said he thinks he can bring leadership to the Town of East Hampton which he said it currently lacks. Burke-Gonzalez, asked to comment on Larsen’s announcement, sent a press release with her endorsements for elections in both 2025 and 2026. They include: State Assemblyman Tommy John Schiavoni, County Legislator Ann Welker, Sag Harbor Village Mayor Tom Gardella, New York League of Conservation Voters President Julie Tighe and the Long Island Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. Burke-Gonzalez took over for Peter Van Scoyoc as East Hampton Town supervisor in 2024, having served on the Town Board since 2014, and before that, on the Springs School Board.

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The federal judiciary is set to scale back operations beginning Monday as the government shutdown hit a two-week mark, leaving some staff and cases in limbo.

For the first 17 days of the shutdown, federal courts relied on fees, balances, and so-called "no-year appropriations" to pay its staff and operate normally, according to a memo from Judge Robert Conrad, director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.

Bahar Ostadan and Joe Werkmeister report in NEWSDAY that this will impact Long Island as the U.S. Eastern District, which has federal jurisdiction over Nassau and Suffolk, has federal courthouses in Central Islip and downtown Brooklyn, where prosecutors handle cases ranging from MS-13 gang leaders to COVID-aid fraud schemes.

As of next Monday, the court system will enter "phase 2," with only essential activities carrying on. Conrad instructed court units and public defenders to defer costs that are not "absolutely critical to the performance of their constitutional responsibilities."

Which cases and staff are deemed essential will likely "vary somewhat court to court" across district, appellate and bankruptcy courts, said Charles Hall, a spokesman for the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, in a statement to Newsday.

Interested parties can check whether a case has been postponed with the clerk of the court's office, or online at pacer.uscourts.gov. "Each clerk of court’s staffing will have some limited staffing to handle essential business, so the public can still direct inquiries there," Hall wrote, adding that each court will decide how to handle requests from the public.

"Regarding payments, the Judiciary have [sic] funding to cover all salaries through the current pay period, which ends Friday. No announcements have been made regarding after Oct. 17," he wrote.

Language interpreters for non-English-speaking or hearing-impaired defendants, for example, are considered "essential" jobs, and the courts can continue to contract them. But "payments to interpreters will be delayed until after Congress resolves the funding lapse," Hall wrote.

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Republican officials around New York State will convene today to disband their Young Republican organization, following reports that members in online chats joked about gas chambers and slavery and praised Adolf Hitler, according to sources with knowledge of the matter.

The Republican State Committee has slated a virtual meeting where it intends to strip the charter from the New York State Young Republican Club, the sources said. The group could be reorganized at a later date with new leaders.

Yancey Roy reports in NEWSDAY that the action stems from a Politico report which detailed seven months of racist and homophobic text messages from young GOP activists in New York, Vermont, Arizona and Kansas.

For example, Peter Giunta, a former chairman of the New York State Young Republican Club at the time, posted "I love Hitler," Politico reported. Bobby Walker, the vice chair of the New York State Young Republican Club at the time, called rape "epic."

Kansas Republicans quickly disbanded its Young Republicans group. Now, New York is poised to do the same.

A message was sent yesterday to members of the Republican State Committee, announcing a meeting Friday to "review the approval of the use of ‘Republican’ by the New York State Young Republican Committee," as well as the "voting rights of the New York State Young Republican Committee as part of the Executive Committee," according to a copy obtained by Newsday.

Sources said this will lead to the stripping of the charter of the NYS Young Republican Committee.

Ed Cox, the NYS Republican chairman has condemned the language in the Young Republicans' chat.

The messages were exchanged on Telegram, a social media and instant messaging service.

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Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps will unveil plans for its new headquarters at an open house tomorrow afternoon. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that RVAC is finalizing plans for replacement of its cramped and outdated headquarters with a 16,600-square-foot building providing adequate facilities for its staff of 150 professionals — 110 of which are volunteers — its emergency vehicles, equipment and supplies. The ambulance company is a private nonprofit founded in 1978 that contracts with the town to provide emergency medical services around the clock, 365 days a year, to 30,000-plus Riverhead residents and innumerable visitors. RVAC long ago outgrew its current headquarters, which it moved into in 1989. RVAC officers and members will be on hand at Saturday’s open house to review the need and plans for the new facility and answer questions about the ambulance corps and its operations. Tomorrow’s open house is from 2 to 4 p.m. at the ambulance headquarters, 1111 Osborn Avenue, Riverhead.

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Big crowds of protesters are expected tomorrow in thousands of places around the U.S. in opposition to what some are characterizing as increasingly authoritarian practices by President Donald Trump.

It's the second "No Kings" protest and third mass movement against the administration this year, and it comes amid an intensifying conflict between federal law enforcement and protesters nationwide.

Some conservative politicians have condemned the protests as “Hate America" rallies, while others say that it represents a “patriotic” fight for First Amendment rights.

Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that local No Kings rallies are scheduled for tomorrow in Riverhead, Hampton Bays and East Hampton. The Riverhead rally will be held at 9 a.m. at the County Center at 300 Center Drive in Riverhead. The East Hampton rally will be held at 11 a.m. at East Hampton Town Hall, and the Hampton Bays rally will begin at 11:30 a.m. at the Macy’s parking lot at the northwest corner of Flanders Road and Montauk Highway.

The “No Kings” organizers have led numerous virtual safety trainings leading up to the protests with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union, which is listed as an official partner on the “No Kings” website.

The trainings informed viewers about their rights during protests — such as whether you are required to carry ID or if wearing a mask is allowed (both vary according to each state) — and emphasized de-escalation techniques for encounters with law enforcement.

{In Suffolk County, New York an anti-mask law bans face coverings in public places except for health, religious, or cultural reasons.}

Each official protest has a safety plan, which includes designated medics and emergency meeting spots.