Thursday, August 21, 2025
MS-13 Member Sentenced in Pilgrim Psychiatric Center Assault
By Matt Meduri
On January 6, 2024, a fifteen-year-old was attacked at the Pilgrim State Psychiatric Center that left him unconscious. Seven members and associations of the Huntington Criminal Locates Salvatrucha (HCLS) clique of the MS-13 gang were convicted for the attack.
The final member to be convicted was Yeison “Yerba” Chavez Campos, 23, of Huntington Station (pictured right). He was convicted on charges of Gang Assault in the First Degree, Kidnapping in the Second Degree, and other related charges.
He was sentenced on Wednesday to fifty-two years in prison after facing a potential sentence of up to eighty years.
The fifteen-year-old victim was lured to the Huntington Train Station by a group of MS-13 members, who surrounded him and took his money. The group then repeatedly punched and kicked the victim. The group then forced the victim into a vehicle and drove to the Pilgrim State Psychiatric Center in Brentwood. The gang brought him into an abandoned building, where the gang struck him with a brick in the back of the head and stabbed him in the neck.
Chavez Campos, whose nation of origin is El Salvador, and the associates fled the building and left the victim unconscious on the ground. The gang members then returned to the abandoned building hours later with garbage bags and shovels to bury the victim, but could not locate him.
The victim had regained consciousness, walked to the side of the road, and collapsed. He was found by a passerby who called 911. The victim was placed under surgery, including a craniotomy, to treat a brain bleed and fractured skull, ultimately surviving his injuries.
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney (R) (pictured above right) said that the motive stems from how the gang perceives “disrespect.”
“This is disrespect that no sane people would agree with their [the gang’s] characterization of, but they dealt with that perceived disrespect as they deal with everything - with extreme violence,” Tierney told reporters in Riverhead. “It was only by the grace of God that the victim had the fortitude not only to regain consciousness, but get out because they were coming back to finish the job.”
Tierney noted Chavez Campos’ “absolute refusal” to “accept responsibility” and lack of MS-13 renouncement indicates the defendant’s devotion to the gang.
“If you cooperate against MS-13, even so far as taking a plea, that is grounds for MS-13 to seek to kill you,” said Tierney. “Obviously, this individual is still a member and in good standing with MS-13.”
Tierney called the fifty-two year sentence “appropriate” and expressed his office’s gratitude to the court for its “careful attention to the matter.”
The victim is “doing well”, according to Tierney.
Since Chavez Campos is an undocumented immigrant, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have lodged a detainer to take custody of Chavez Campos and deport him after he serves his sentence. Neither the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office nor
the Suffolk County Courts system have jurisdiction over immigration matters.
Chavez Campos is represented by Pierre Bazile, Esq. Bazile delivered remarks to the press after his client’s sentencing.
“The jury has spoken; it is what it is,” said Bazile, adding that his client has the right to appeal, particularly regarding the “flawed identification” of Chavez Campos as the assailant.
“The defense doesn’t have a burden; I don’t have to prove anything. It’s our position that the identification as proven by the people was flawed, and I think on appeal, the court is going to concur with us that identification was not properly executed in this case,” said Bazile.
The appeals court can throw out a case, modify a sentence, or order new trials, entirely up to their discretion. An appeal result might take several years to be realized.
“There were serious anomalies in how the identification in this case was procured,” said Bazile.
“The people’s evidence allegedly demonstrating him to be a member of MS-13 was also flawed. It was largely based upon hearsay evidence and statements of fellow gang members who had a lot to gain by implicating this defendant and did so to save their own necks.”
If you cooperate against MS-13, even so far as taking a plea, that is grounds for MS-13 to seek to kill you. Obviously, this individual is still a member and in good standing with MS-13.
“ “
He also took issue with Chavez Campos’ hefty halfcentury sentence, compared to his co-conspirators who received sentences as low as twelve years. Bazile said that the U.S. Supreme Court has previously found that a court does not have grounds to sentence a defendant more harshly because he or she refuses to accept responsibility.
“That person has the right to remain silent. That right remains even after sentencing so you can always continue to maintain your innocence,” said Bazile. “He’s [Chavez Campos] is the only defendant who chose to go to trial.”
Tierney
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray
Bazile also said that while Chavez Campos requested a trial, he did not testify at said trial.
This Week Today
Thursday, August 21, 2025
National, State, and Local Temperature Checks
By Matt Meduri
National
Last week, President Donald Trump (R-FL) announced the deployment of the National Guard to the District of Columbia and placed the Washington, D.C., police department under direct federal control in an effort to maintain law and order in the nation’s capital.
On Monday, Trump deployed 800 National Guardsmen to “rescue” D.C. from “crime, bloodshed, bedlam, squalor, and worse.” Attorney General Pam Bondi (R-FL) is charged with leading the city’s police force while it is under federal control.
Proponents say it’s long overdue, especially as a DOGE staffer was violently attacked after intervening in a confrontation. Opponents say it’s an “unprecedented” abuse of power. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) concedes that while there was a “terrible” spike in crime in the capital in 2023, the statistics for 2024 show an overall decrease.
The homicide rate for D.C. saw a historic low in the mid2010s, at around 20 homicides per 100,000 residents. It doubled to a near-twenty-year high in 2023, but has since decreased to around 30 homicides per 100,000. This is all down from a peak of around 80 homicides per 100,000 clocked in 1990.
Trump is using the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to place the city under federal control. The act was signed by President Richard Nixon (R-CA) to allow residents of D.C. to elect a city council and mayor. However, that bill allows the president to take control of the city’s police force if “special conditions of an emergency nature exist.”
The gerrymandering war continues as Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) issued his penultimate warning to President Trump to back down in goading red states to redraw their maps ahead of the 2026 midterms. Should that warning go unheeded, Newsom will pursue an initiative to redraw California’s lines, devoid of the state’s independent redistricting commission.
As Trump ramps up the emergency orders in D.C., Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) has done more or less the same in the Land of Enchantment.
Last Wednesday, Governor Lujan Grisham declared a state of emergency to combat violent crime, drug trafficking, and homeless encampments in Rio Arriba County, home to two Native American pueblo communities. The county stretches from just north of Santa Fe to the Colorado border. The declaration frees up $750,000 for local governments and tribal officials to call in reinforcements.
While Lujan Grisham has not deployed the National Guard, the order does allow for localities to call them in.
The move comes after an April emergency declaration made by the governor for Albuquerque - New Mexico’s largest city - citing an increase in violent crime that warranted the help of the National Guard.
California proposed gerrymander (Credit - Paul Mitchell)
(R), would bring
The proposed gerrymander is in retaliation to the Texas gerrymander drawn by Austin
Republicans. Texas House Democrats went on a two-week tour to blue states, such as New York with Governor Kathy Hochul (D) and Illinois with Governor J.B. Pritzker, to deny the Texas Republicans a quorum required for the House to do business. They returned to Austin on Monday. The House can now operate and unless there are considerable Republican holdouts, the proposed map seems poised to pass.
In order for the California map to take effect, the State Legislature will have to approve the proposal to send to voters as a ballot measure in November as a constitutional amendment. Voters would then decide whether they want
seat had reportedly been on the chopping block during regular redistricting after the 2020 Census, but some Jefferson City Republicans felt cracking his district to dilute Democratic influence would be a bridge too far.
In Indiana, some state lawmakers are resisting pressure from the White House to redraw their maps to box out the Gary-based IN-01. Those familiar with the White House’s logic on the matter say that Trump’s political operations will look to primary Republicans hindering the redistricting effort.
State
An axe has apparently been buried between Governor Kathy Hochul (D) and Congressman Ritchie Torres (D, NY-15).
Torres honored an earlier pledge to not seek a primary against Hochul for next year’s gubernatorial election if Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (D-Astoria) won this year’s New York City Mayoral Primary.
Once a harsh critic of Hochul, the Bronx Democrat has changed his tune.
“Now is not the time for infighting; now is the time for unity under the leadership of our Governor Kathy Hochul,” said Torres. “There might have been moments when I’ve underestimated the governor, and my message to Donald Trump is you underestimate Governor Hochul at your own peril.”
Torres has toned down his rhetoric of the last several months, during which he called Hochul “feckless”, a “downballot disaster”, an “accidental governor”, an “electoral train wreck”, and an elected official who knows “absolutely nothing” about minority communities.
Meanwhile, Hochul has further distanced herself from Mamdani, mainly due to his openly socialist plans for the Big Apple if elected in November.
Hochul told a Hamptons crowd this week that she favors “free enterprise”, particularly when it comes to Mamdani’s proposal of city-owned grocery stores.
A map was released on Friday. Called the “Gavinmander”, the map would provide Republicans with just four solid seats and one competitive one in the Central Valley. It would draw out four Republicans in red districts while shoring up Democratic incumbents in others. The northern CA-01, held by Doug LaMalfa (R), would go from a Trump +25 seat to a Harris +12 seat, while the Tahoe-based CA-03, held by Kevin Kiley (R), would go from a Trump +4 seat to a Harris +10 seat. The Riverside-based CA-41, held by Ken Calvert (R), would go from a Trump +6 seat to a Harris +14 seat, while the San Diego-based CA-48, held by Darrell Issa (R), would go from a Trump +15 seat to a Harris +3 seat.
Democratic incumbents are protected and even drawn into safer territory in seats around Stockton, Fresno, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, and Orange County.
The current map is a 43D-9R configuration. Republicans lost three seats in the Golden State in 2024.
The proposed map would likely make for a 47D-5R delegation, even less than when the GOP lost seven seats in the 2018 elections for a 46D-7R delegation. A map in which Democrats win the competitive CA-22, held by David
to replace the current map drawn by the independent commission with the Democratic gerrymander. A recent Politico/Citrin Center/Possibility Lab poll found that only 36% of Californians support returning the map-making duties to the State Legislature. The proposal by Newsom would only circumvent the commission until the end of the decade and would only be pitched to the legislature if and when the Texas map is approved, or if another Republican state redraws their own map.
An Emerson College poll shows that just 33% of respondents supported redrawing the map, with 25% opposed and 42% undecided.
The California proposal faces hurdles, however, as two-thirds of the state legislature is required to pass the initiative on to the voters. A simple majority of popular votes is required for its passage and enactment ahead of 2026, but current polling suggests that that’s a hurdle in and of itself, especially when ballot measures expected to pass easily last year failed outright.
Meanwhile, Missouri Republicans seem to be headed towards a special session to redraw their eight congressional districts. The GOP currently holds a 6R-2D advantage and all eyes are on the Kansas City-based MO05, held by Congressman Emmanuel Cleaver (D). Cleaver’s
Mamdani has pitched five city-owned supermarkets, one in each borough, to the tune of $60 million. His plan is receiving enhanced skepticism following the recent closure of a Kansas City city-owned supermarket that received nearly $18 million in public funds over a decade. That store was recently shuttered after it wrestled with empty shelves, theft, and losses. What followed were cuts to Kansas City’s free bus program, another proposal of Mamdani for New York.
Hochul has previously stated her ideological distance from Mamdani, but has remained diplomatic in doing so. Still, she hasn’t gone as far as endorsing a candidate in the November election, which makes for a noticeable rift in the Democratic establishment ahead of November.
Local
In recognition of the ninetieth birthday of Social Security, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) recently welcomed members of AARP Long Island and the Suffolk County Office of the Aging to celebrate (pictured left)
The Social Security Act was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (D-NY) on August 14, 1935. As of April 2025, approximately 73.9 million Americans are beneficiaries of Social Security - one-fifth of the total U.S. population. Executive Romaine spoke to the attendees about the importance of Social Security and vowed his support to maintain the program in addition to various senior services.
“We need to make Suffolk County more affordable for our residents, most notably senior citizens who are on a fixed income and rely on essential services such as Social Security,” said Romaine. “For ninety years, social security transformed how our senior population has lived – creating a form of independence. I will continue to fight for our residents and do everything I can to ensure the preservation and integrity of the program.”
Continued from front cover
Zeldin Encourages Local Control for BESS Facilities
Despite the benefits, BESS facilities do pose potential dangers, such as fires and explosions.
Such events can lead to the release of toxic gases and substances into the air and water supply.
Thermal runways can be triggered by power surges, physical damages, and extreme environmental conditions. The lithium-ion batteries are also notorious for their inability to be extinguished in the ways that conventional fires are. Multiple batteries can also lead to chain reactions if a fire starts in just one battery cell.
Much of the resistance to the construction of these facilities comes from local fire departments who simply do not have the technology and equipment to put out these fires when they occur. The fire departments are joined by elected officials and community members who are concerned about the close proximity of some of these proposed BESS facility sites and are nervous that the State will supersede local control to site the facilities to alleviate demand on the grid.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) joined a host of elected officials and community members at the Hauppauge Fire Department on Monday morning, particularly as concerns mount of a proposed BESS facility at 220 Rabro Drive. The site is located at the eastern end of the Hauppauge Industrial Park, the second-largest industrial park in the nation, just off the Long Island Expressway, near residences, churches, and Bretton Woods Elementary School.
The Islip Town Board extended its BESS facility moratorium in March for six months. Another vote is scheduled for September 16. Smithtown also has a moratorium in place, while Brookhaven has not imposed one.
Zeldin reassured Hauppauge and other localities that the federal government will not intervene to help the State site these facilities and maintained that local control will not be adulterated on the matter.
“We have seen in recent years the impacts of these lithium batteries on local communities and the challenges that result for these local fire departments to be able to respond,” said Zeldin, adding that some lithium fires take days or even weeks to burn out.
“These environmental concerns that we are hearing from the local experts are voices that absolutely must have a very emphatic, strong, influential seat at that table,” said Zeldin. “They are speaking out very professionally. They are doing so based on experience. This is something that is not based on fear.”
Zeldin also took issue with BESS facilities in New York that have seen issues, such as the facility in East Hampton in May. He says that there is a “rush” by the State to get “many thousands” of these facilities placed throughout the state and that since he took office in January, he has been receiving concerns from all across New York. He also reinforced his administration’s concept of “cooperative federalism” in dealing with issues like this.
“There is a belief in this federal agency [EPA] that the bureaucrats in Washington don’t know best, that we should be advancing partnerships with state and local communities, wherever common ground can be found, wherever there is overlap. Advancing cooperative federalism is a spirit that really applies no matter what level of government you serve in,” said Zeldin. “Now, for people in government, they might just say that they know best from that higher perch, and that a community needs to be railroaded and
steamrolled.
“But understand, when disaster strikes and those batteries are on fire, and there are toxic emissions and water quality impacts, it’s the people in this room [the local fire department] who are going to have to answer that call to put it out. The EPA stands ready to assist.”
Zeldin released the first-ever national guidelines based on “lessons learned” from BESS facilities. The guidelines suggest that communities should “consult BESS facility safety experts” when considering and designing installations and that improvements in BESS quality and design have led to a decrease in the number of failure incidents per gigawatt hour deployed.
Some notable incidents include a May 2024 fire in San Diego, where a BESS fire continued with flareups for one week. The facility contained about 15,000 batteries. Another incident was a January 2025 fire in Monterey County, California, resulting in a twentyfour-hour evacuation of about 1,200 residents.
The EPA suggests complying with state and local siting, zoning, marking, and permitting requirements for site suitability; considering the design of BESS units for quality assurance and industry safety standards; including remote sensors and monitoring; and communicating with local first responders to develop emergency response plans for incidents. Responders should be uphill and upwind of a facility, air emissions must be assessed for different substances, and runoff from water applications should be minimized, contained, or redirected as much as possible.
“The Hauppauge Fire Department is speaking out on behalf of their fellow firefighters because they’re the ones who are going to be in danger dealing with this,” said Zeldin.
Hauppauge Fire Commissioner Scott Monroe expressed “strong concerns and opposition” for the proposed 79-megawatt BESS facility on Rabro Drive.
“With nearly 20,000 residents in Hauppauge, this facility has the potential to impact many of them,” said Monroe, adding that the proposed location is less than one-half mile from St. Thomas More Church, 3,000 feet from the headwaters of the Nissequogue River, and just a stone’s throw away from a residential area and Bretton Woods Elementary School.
His other concern is the ability of local departments to respond. Hauppauge is just one of 177 volunteer fire departments on Long Island, but they have the “added challenge” of protecting the Hauppauge Industrial Park.
“We urge the developers to reconsider this proposal and prioritize the safety and well-being of our residents,” said Monroe.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R-Atlantic Beach) also took umbrage with the siting for BESS facilities on Long Island, particularly as Nassau County is much denser than Suffolk.
“Long Island doesn’t want to see these battery warehouses in our communities,” said Blakeman. “A fire in our [Nassau] community can set a whole village on fire. It’s common sense that we would oppose the location of these warehouses.”
Senator Mario Mattera (R-St. James), the Ranking Member of the Energy and Telecommunications Committee, delivered a fired-up speech against the proposal and expressed doubts about the efficacy of BESS facilities at large.
“If we do have a blackout, battery storage will only last for an hour, maybe two. It’s going to cost trillions of dollars. This experiment will be paid for by the rate payer,” said Mattera. “We have rates that are going up over 100% because of this experiment that’s not going to work.”
Mattera, calling himself a “preventative maintenance
person”, has advocated for different forms of renewable energy, such as opening the Constitution and NESE natural gas pipelines and retooling existing power plants with carbon capture. Such alternatives would alleviate the demand on the grid and drive energy rates down.
“Everybody needs to be vocal to make sure that there’s going to be a moratorium in Islip against these facilities,” said Mattera. He thanked Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R-Kings Park) and the Town Council for extending the town’s moratorium on BESS facilities.
While the EPA does not oppose the construction and usage of BESS facilities, they remain concerned about their proximity to the general public and water supply. He also said that New York’s out-migration is snubbing possible energy investments, as the future of energy policy should not rest exclusively with bureaucrats in Albany or Washington.
Zeldin said that research and development is taking place regarding lithium firefighting technology.
“I’m sure that in years ahead, abilities are going to grow. The EPA’s ability to assist has grown,” said Zeldin. “But if you polled this crowd, I’d be pretty confident in saying that it’s not going to extinguish their concerns when you place a facility right next to a school or playground.”
Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, said that the EPA coming out with guidance and assistance is a “good thing”, but that the energy situation in New York requires an “all of the above” approach to solving.
“We’re concerned that this administration is working to stop solar, wind, and now battery storage. That doesn’t work for America,” Esposito told The Messenger, adding that “we can’t stay addicted to fossil fuels.” Esposito says that the BESS facilities should be “sited very carefully and with rigorous public input”, but that the “technology has advanced.”
“The new technology is much safer than it was five or ten years ago.”
Esposito also says that there were some “mistatements” about the East Hampton BESS fire. The New York State Energy Development Agency (NYSERDA) found that there was no contamination of groundwater or the soil.
Suffolk County Legislator Dominick Thorne (R-Patchogue), a decades-long first responder and Chair of the Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Medical Services and Preparedness Committee, says that the concern of BESS facilities remains high in the County’s eyes.
“Last year, we had to add $125,000 in operating budgets to train our firefighters on the different tactics of fighting lithium fires,” Thorne told The Messenger. A standard car fire takes roughly fifteen minutes to put out, Thorne says, but that electric vehicle fires can take three to five hours to burn out.
“We won’t know for some time what the impact is,” Thorne said of the East Hampton BESS fire. “The problem is that the contaminants are known to seep into the water. I’m concerned that we don’t yet have the proper data to say that there was no environmental impact.”
The next Islip Town Board meeting will be held at Town Hall - 655 Main Street in Islip - at 5:30p.m. on September 16.
Legislator Leslie Kennedy’s Blood Drives Offer Mets Tickets to Donors
By Cait Crudden
Did you know that every two seconds someone in the United States needs blood?
Suffolk County Legislator Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset) is stepping up once again to help meet that critical demand.
Kennedy will host two community blood drives this month in partnership with the New York Blood Center: at the Nesconset Day Street Fair on August 24 and the Ronkonkoma Labor Day Weekend Street Fair on August 31. As an added thank-you, every donor will receive free tickets to a New York Mets game.
A former nurse, Kennedy has long championed the importance of blood donation. Together with her husband, Comptroller John Kennedy (R-Nesconset), she has been coordinating blood drives at local fairs for over twenty years, collecting more than 2,000 pints of blood, an effort that has saved countless lives.
“Blood can’t be manufactured; it has to come from volunteers,” Kennedy often reminds residents. Donations of both blood and platelets are always in demand, and even a single pint can make a lifesaving difference.
So, when you stop by either fair later this month, consider rolling up your sleeve. You’ll not only enjoy a day of community fun, you might just help save a life, and catch a Mets game too.
The Nesconset Fair will be held August 24 from 10:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. on Smithtown Boulevard between the Nesconset Gazebo and Nesconset Plaza.
The Ronkonkoma Labor Day Festival will be held from 11:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. on Hawkins Avenue.
Date: Sunday, August 31, 2025
Time: 10:00am - 4:00pm
Place: Ronkonkoma Street Fair
Hawkins Ave & Portion Road
Busmobile
To make an appointment please scan the QR code above or for further questions, please contact Erika Hershberger at (631) 854-3735
On the Campaign Trail
‘Pizza with Piccirillo’: Legislator Holds Packed-House Fundraiser
All eighteen seats in the Suffolk County Legislature are up for grabs this November. Two seats are open with sixteen incumbents running for re-election.
One such incumbent is Legislator Anthony Piccirillo (R-Holtsville), representing the Eighth Legislative District (LD-08). He first earned distinction for his near-defeat of entrenched incumbent Bill Lindsay III (D-Bohemia) in 2017. Piccirillo, the dark-horse candidate in the race, came just 244 votes away from defeating Lindsay that year.
However, 2019 would mark the start of Piccirillo’s career as a rising star in Suffolk politics and government. After winning two primaries, he would go on to defeat Lindsay by a near-reciprocal margin of 220 votes. Not only was that election a defeat of the Lindsay nameLindsay’s late father had served as Presiding Officer of the Legislature - but it was also emblematic of the political shift in southeastern Islip.
LD-08 contains Bayport, Bohemia, Holbrook, Holtsville, Oakdale, Sayville, and West Sayville within Islip Town, and parts of Holtsville within Brookhaven Town. The area once produced working-class Democrats such as Bill Lindsay III, Assemblywoman Ginny Fields - now a Republican - and Steve Levy - now a Republican - who served as a Suffolk County Legislator, Assemblyman, and Suffolk County Executive.
Today, these areas could not be more aligned with the Republican Party, sending officials like Assemblyman Doug Smith (R-Holbrook) to Albany,
Councilman John Lorenzo (C-West Sayville) to Islip Town Hall, and Piccirillo to Hauppauge - all by decisive margins. Piccirillo, standing not only on fundamentals of his district but also his own personal reputation, earned the most votes of any candidate in a twoway race between both Suffolk and Nassau County Legislative districts in 2023 - 13,389 votes for a 70% margin.
Piccirillo is now gearing up for a fourth term. He faces Kelly Perry (D-Oakdale), who recently returned to Long Island upon her husband’s retirement from the U.S. Air Force. His seventh annual “Pizza with Piccirillo” fundraiser was a huge success on Monday night, featuring a packed house, dozens of pies, and a slew of local officials to support their friend and colleague.
“We don’t anticipate support; we earn support,” Piccirillo told attendees. “We’ve worked very hard to maintain our community and quality of life, stop over-development, implement clean water infrastructure, get rid of red light cameras, and balance a budget from a deficit to a surplus. We’ve done the work of local government.”
Piccirillo was joined by Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst), a term-limited Legislator who is completing his final months on the horseshoe, who spoke highly of his time working with the Holtsville Republican.
“We’ve been in the trenches together. We’ve had a strategy that was to put our heads down, work hard, and come on top. That’s what Anthony has always done,” said McCaffrey. “He took on a tough race [2017] and came back and won that race again [2019]. That’s what he does in the Legislature; he doesn’t give up.”
McCaffrey hailed Piccirillo’s leadership of the Select Committee charged with investigating the crippling 2022 cyberattack on the County, as well as his leadership on squashing the notorious red light cameras and his position as Majority Whip.
Islip Town Republican Committee Chairman and Assemblyman Doug Smith (R-Holbrook) called Piccirillo “one of the best representatives” the community has “ever had.”
“No one is working harder than Anthony to get the message out, to put hundreds of more law enforcement officers on the street, to balance the budget, to hold people accountable when they try to break our laws or tap into our security system,” said Chairman Smith, adding that Piccirillo has brought about $80 million investments into the community’s infrastructure.
“Anthony is on the front lines. We need to keep him there,” said Smith.
Piccirillo was joined by Islip Town Council Second District candidate DawnMarie Kuhn (R-Bohemia), Suffolk County Legislature Ninth District candidate Guy Leggio (R- Bay Shore), Islip Town Tax Receiver Andy Wittman (R-Sayville), Assemblymen Jarett Gandolfo (R-Sayville) and Joe DeStefano (R-Medford), County Legislators Trish Bergin (R-East Islip) and Dominick Thorne (R-Patchogue), and Islip Town Councilmen John Lorenzo and Mike McElwee (R-West Islip).
(L-R) Receiver Wittman, Councilman Lorenzo, Assemblyman Gandolfo, Chairman Smith, Guy Leggio, Legislator Piccirillo, DawnMarie Kuhn, P.O. McCaffrey, Legislator Thorne, Councilman McElwee (Credit - Matt Meduri)
The Necessary Standard for American Education
Trifectas and Triplexes
By Matt Meduri
With the current gerrymandering conversation reaching a fever pitch - a rarity mid-decade - we find it appropriate to discuss political power dynamics that can and are affected by gerrymandering: trifectas and triplexes.
These are total power consolidations by one party in a state government. While statewide seats cannot be gerrymandered, the two chambers of the state legislature can be, affecting which party holds power to varying degrees in their capitals.
What is a Trifecta?
A trifecta is seen as one of the most powerful political orientations a party can have, particularly during the legislative session and/or with an active executivethe governor. A trifecta occurs when one party has control of the governor’s office, the upper chamber of the state legislature, and the lower chamber of the state legislature. In cases of party-line voting, a common theme in today’s harsh political climate, this almost ensures that one party can have its way as long as all the majority members toe the line and none defect to the opposition’s side.
This column will seek to address the long-forgotten concept of civics and how it relates to American government in general, from the federal level to the local level. This column will explore Constitutional rights, the inner workings of government, the electoral process, and the obligations and privileges of citizens.
most of the top statewide positions under one party’s control. It can indicate a more unified approach to policies and implementation, as the governor’s signatures and initiatives are less likely to be challenged by other members of the executive branch. The attorney general is generally seen as the most powerful statewide position apart from the governor. As the state’s top prosecutor, the attorney general is involved in elections, business registrations, defending the state in litigation, and as a top consultant on criminal justice policies and prosecutorial oversight.
Not all trifectas are created equally, however, as the size of the majority can dictate its strength. A predominately red or blue state with large majorities in both chambers is much stronger than a majority determined by just a few seats. These tenuous holds on a chamber - regardless of whether the party possesses a trifecta - often give a few key legislators lopsided power in determining the fate of legislation. They often hold unrequited negotiating power and can brake check runaway legislation. Party moderates and centrists often hold these unique roles by circumstance of the previous election and can pose significant derailments to their party’s trifecta.
Supermajorities also help define a trifecta’s strength. A party’s control of a legislative chamber with two-thirds of the available seats is considered a supermajority, a very difficult hurdle for the minority party to clear and one often referred to as “veto-proof.” Conventional legislative rules state that a gubernatorial veto can only be overridden by a two-thirds vote of the legislature, an easier feat when one party has that majority on hand.
On top of governing quorums in the chambers of the legislature, the majority party also earns the chairmanship of every committee in the chamber in which they have a majority. This means that the party has significant say in what legislation makes it to the floor for a full vote. The size of the majority in the chamber can also dictate how many members of each party sit on each committee. Sheer numbers alone can make the committee process more of a formality. Opportunities for legislators also present themselves in these scenarios, with those looking to move up the ballot in contention for plum committee picks, often, however, in line with their personal and professional expertise in a certain concentration.
As of press time, there are thirty-eight trifectas across the country. Two trifectas - both Democratic - were lost as a result of the 2024 elections. Republicans hold twenty-three trifectas to the Democrats’ fifteen. Twelve states currently have a divided government due to varying reasons. Most divided states have a governor of one party but both chambers of the legislature of the other party, such as Arizona, Nevada, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Vermont. Others have split control of the legislature, such as Michigan and Pennsylvania. Alaska is a unique example, as both chambers in Juneau have coalition majorities, with members of both parties caucusing
together regardless of the pure partisan structure of the chambers.
In essence, some trifectas are harder to break than others. Some states have had trifectas for decades. The state with the longest running trifecta is Utah, where Republicans have had complete control in Salt Lake City since 1985. Since 1992, the most trifectas for each party were eighteen for Democrats in 1993 and twenty-six for Republicans in 2018. Looking at maps throughout the years, it’s shocking to see how some have changed. Before 2010, Democrats had trifectas in Arkansas and West Virginia, while the party had only seven nationwide before 2016. As recently as 2012, the GOP had trifectas in Maine and Michigan.
41.5% of the country lives in a state with a Republican trifecta, 36.5% in a state with a Democratic trifecta, and 22% in a state with a divided government.
States with the most tenuous trifectas are those with closely-divided legislatures such as Minnesota, Michigan, Arizona, and Pennsylvania. If the governorships were to flip the way of their respective state legislative majorities, trifectas could be formed in Nevada, Kansas, Wisconsin, and Kentucky. Democrats just might reform their trifecta in Virginia if they are able to flip the governor’s seat in November. Likewise, Republicans could crack the Democratic trifecta in New Jersey if they flip the governor’s seat in the autumn.
New York last had a divided government in 2019 when Democrats flipped control of the State Senate. New York has had a Democratic trifecta ever since then. Republicans have not held a trifecta in New York since 1974, also the last time that the GOP held a majority in the Assembly.
On the federal side, Republicans currently have a trifecta, controlling the presidency, the U.S. Senate, and the U.S. House. Democrats last had a trifecta in 2021, which was broken in 2023. Until Donald Trump (R-FL) was elected in 2016, Republicans had not had a federal trifecta since 2006.
What is a Triplex?
A triplex is when one party simultaneously holds the following three positions in a state government: the governor, the attorney general, and the secretary of state. Some states do not have all of these elected positions, but a triplex is considered if the others are filled by one party. Since these positions are elected on separate statewide ballots, there is more crossover potential. One party can hold a triplex but not a trifecta, vice versa, or both.
A political triplex can be powerful as it concentrates
As of press time, there are twenty-five Republican triplexes, twenty Democratic triplexes, and five states where neither party holds a triplex. In New York, Kathy Hochul (D) serves as Governor, Letitia James (D) serves as Attorney General, and Walter Mosely (D) serves as the Secretary of State. This gives Democrats a triplex in New York on top of their trifecta in Albany. Republicans last held a triplex in New York in 1998, when Dennis Vacco’s (R) term ended, making him the last Republican to serve as New York State Attorney General.
Democrats have triplexes in battlegrounds Arizona and North Carolina, while the GOP has secured them in New Hampshire, Georgia, and Virginia. Five states have divided triplexes with three Democratic governors and two Republican governors.
Coterminous Trifectas and Triplexes
Most states that have a trifecta also have a triplex: thirtyeight states fall under this category, with twenty-three states under Republican control and fifteen under Democratic control. Twelve states have different statuses.
Currently, seven states have a triplex, but not a trifecta, of the same party. Five states have neither a trifecta nor a triplex, while no states have a trifecta, but not a triplex, of the same party.
New York currently has a Democratic trifecta and triplex. The last time Republicans held both coterminously was 1974.
The combined power of the trifecta and the triplex means near-total consolidation of power in the state governments. On the legislative end, one party has control of the committees, which bills make it to the floor, and which bills die. With a supermajority, the chambers are more controlled by one party and can override a maverick or opposition party governor’s veto if necessary. This was seen with congressional redistricting in Kansas and Wisconsin, where both states are governed by Democrats but Republicans hold large majorities in both legislative chambers. This type of dynamic can allow gerrymandered maps to seep through the state capitals, despite a checkon paper - on their power from the governor’s mansion.
Moreover, full control of the state’s foremost executive positions likely means a lockstep approach to policymaking, implementation, and legal challenges, if any. With the legislature behind the statewide electeds, and vice versa, a formidable machine is assembled.
Ending control of a trifecta or triplex, in some states, is relatively simple. In many cases, the path of least resistance is flipping the governor’s seat, although any statewide seat will do to break a triplex. Of those that currently have neither form of control, flipping just the governor’s seat in eight of those twelve states would give the legislative party a trifecta, form triplexes in four states, and form both in four.
Most of these states have gubernatorial elections in 2026 and most are highly competitive states, meaning trifectas and triplexes are almost guaranteed to be formed and broken next year.
Current state trifectas and triplexes
By Madison Warren
Paper Doll Vintage Boutique Reopens at New Sayville Location
The Paper Doll Vintage Boutique has been a staple in the Sayville community since it opened its doors in 2012. Owner Dominique Maciejka faced the most challenging point in her career this past year when her store, along with several others on the Montauk Highway strip, was destroyed in a devastating fire.
But things have turned around for her and her business. Its grand opening at a new location this past weekend was a huge success and a strong step forward in this new chapter.
Dominique’s love for vintage began as early as she can remember—a hobby that soon grew into a passion. For her, fashion became a form of self-expression, with standout pieces serving as an art she held close to her heart.
After attending college and getting her feet wet in the business, she set a goal to open her shop. She stayed busy making money wherever she could, bartending, and taking on office jobs, all for the goal of making this dream a reality.
When Dominique opened her doors, the boutique quickly became a hotspot on Long Island and a haven for vintage lovers everywhere. Over the years, the shop has earned the “Best of Long Island” award for more than a decade straight, cementing its reputation as one of the region’s most beloved vintage destinations.
Then came the day no businessowner ever wants to face. On October 25, 2024, the Sayville Main Street fire broke out, a destructive blaze that affected a total of eight businesses. Small business owners were left with nothing but the ashes of their livelihoods.
Dominique had started her Friday shift as usual, with customers coming and going throughout the day. But everything changed when she and a few shoppers suddenly smelled heavy smoke as the fire alarm went off. Rushing outside to safety, they saw flames already spreading from the former Café Joelle’s next door.
Thankfully, no one was hurt in the fire, but inside the shop, only a few pieces from the jewelry case remained. Everything else Dominique had worked so hard to collect was gone, along with an entire basement filled with vintage treasures and future inventory she had carefully set aside for the years ahead.
Unsure of where to go from there, Dominique even considered going back to college and starting over. She didn’t know then that a hopeful new chapter was waiting for her.
An overwhelming wave of support poured in from all over—customers who had shopped there for years, vintage enthusiasts, fellow collectible shops, and small businesses across Long Island. Each of them felt the loss as deeply as Dominique and rallied together to ensure this would not be the end of Paper Doll Vintage Boutique.
“People have made lifelong friendships at this store.” Dominque told The Messenger. “So, people took it very personally because the store has touched so many people. I know people were really moved by this because this was their safe space.”
She, along with her longtime righthand and store manager, Amanda Reilly, set out on this new chapter together to find and open a new space to call home. An outpouring of support eased the nightmare of loss—backed by the Sayville Chamber of Commerce and the wider business community—through
fundraisers, donations from people and businesses across Long Island, and even pop-up events at neighboring stores. All of it gave them the push they needed to move forward and rebuild.
With the help of Ricky Saetta—better known as “Ricky TeeVee”—who quickly stepped in to be part of this new chapter, the boutique found its design force. His vision became the creative driving power behind the stunning and simply iconic new look of Paper Doll Vintage Boutique.
Dominque, Amanda, and Ricky, three creative and dedicated artists, all in their way, helped create not only a vintage shop but a shop with an immersive and retro experience for all its customers.
Dominque said, “It has been since February [when the new location was found], I was working very closely with Ricky and Amanda to design the space from floor-toceiling to make it the most special and unique vintage clothing store that we could really ever imagine.”
Many different businesses stepped in to help move the process along, donating everything from flooring and wallpaper to paint and vintage pieces to restock the racks. These contributions were just a few of the many gestures that made the grand reopening possible.
Dominque and Amanda have been blown away by the community’s support and the outcome of the store. There have been so many people to thank for all its success in creating an “immersive, living, breathing piece of art and not just a store but a creative outlet for all of us,” as Dominque put it.
This past weekend’s grand opening was a massive success, with hundreds of customers lining up to see the big reveal of the new vintage shop. Dominique and Amanda are now looking ahead with excitement for what’s to come. With the momentum of their new location, they hope to expand by becoming vendors for other vintage stores, in addition to their current spot at Rosie’s Vintage in Huntington. They also aim to return to the world of TV productions, just as they had once been at their previous location. Above all, their mission remains the same—to continue sharing their passion for vintage treasures with a community that deeply appreciates them.
We wish Paper Doll Vintage Boutique continued success at its new location and look forward to all that’s still to come.
Take a step back in time and visit Paper Doll Vintage Boutique at its new and improved location, located at 106 Railroad Avenue in Sayville. The shop can be reached at (631) 319-1919, followed on Instagram at @paperdollvintage, or visited online at shoppaperdoll.com.
Photo credit - Ricky TeeVee
16 Local History
Thursday, August 21, 2025
Landmarks of Lake Ronkonkoma
By Ellyn Okvist, B.Sc.
Lake Ronkonkoma has a total of eight NYS Historical Markers, twenty-six Historic Landmarks of Lake Ronkonkoma, one Legends & Lore, and two permanent monuments.
Markers preserve history and heritage, educate the public, encourage pride of place and promote resident participation in their community’s roots. The markers are wonderful for the community, providing quick and easy information to absorb facts. Seeing the marker may trigger an interest for the reader, who will want to know where to obtain additional information.
Over the years we have had a huge number of inquiries, not only to find out who put in the markers but where additional information can be found. We only use primary source information which helps everything stay real. The research and final information are always available.
The process for additional information is underway, in the form of an Eagle Scout Project for a local Boy Scout. Not only will it identify the group who placed the marker, it will contain a QR code which will direct the public to the opportunity to be led to the correct place to continue their knowledge. They are very much needed at this time, and the community will benefit from them.
With the new plaque it will add the actual opportunity to do research, ask questions and perhaps add more knowledge about the site. Who to contact for the information is the key.
The Lake Ronkonkoma Heritage Association is the owner of the existing markers. The Lake Ronkonkoma Historical Commission oversees the markers and landmarks in Lake Ronkonkoma and has established a team of born and raised members and other experts who can determine a landmark. We are a welcoming group and would be proud to add new members.
The non-profit (above) will enhance the community and will refer to them as they see the sub-markers, and the entire community and any people coming through or researching from outside the community will benefit.
The NYS Historical Markers are easily identified as they are royal blue and sunburst yellow, which reflect NYS colors since the 1930s. After a long application period, The Lake Ronkonkoma Heritage Association won approval for these markers. At the time the initial cost of the marker was out of reach for the Heritage, and research steered them to the William G. Pomeroy Foundation of Syracuse. The markers remain the property of the Heritage, as the grant award to cover the costs was made by The William G. Pomeroy Foundation. It’s time to become familiar with the Landmarks.
NYS Historical Markers
1. L.I. Motor Parkway: Lakeland Fire Dept., 2415 Motor Parkway
2. St. Joseph’s RC Church: 45 Church Street
3. Lillian DeVere American Legion: 115 Church Street
4. Hook & Ladder 1: - 519 Hawkins Avenue
5. St. Mary’s Episcopal Church: 279 Lake Shore Road
6. Arrowheads: 39 Carroll Avenue (north side)
7. Caleb Newton: At small Triangle with Flag, Lake Shore Road
8. Methodist Episcopal Church - Location: Private
We have four additional NYS Historical Markers in line.
Legends & Lore
1. Indian Princess: 279 Lake Shore Road, Lake Ronkonkoma
This is a red & gold sign, presently located in front of the Indian Princess carving. We have 2 additional Legends & Lore in line.
Permanent Monuments
1. The Lake of Haunting Mystery: located at Eagle Watch Park, Shorehaven & Lake Shore Rd
2. F. Daniel Moloney Site: at triangle with Flag, Lake Shore Road/Portion Road
These were pre-existing permanent monuments, and research and approval was made by the LR Historical Commission.
The photos of the NYS, Legends & Lore, and Permanent Markers are shown.
The 26 Historic Landmarks of Lake Ronkonkoma consist of the everyday landmarks, some being around for many years. It was the wish of Kathleen Fish Cunningham and Ellyn Okvist to highlight the most important places and bring their existence to the community.
Purple European Beech Tree, Copper Red European Beech Tree --- WW I Memorial Rock WW II Memorial Tree --National Bank of Lake Ronkonkoma --- Lake Ronkonkoma Cemetery --- Ronkonkoma Fire Department Members --- Agnew & Taylor --- Methodist Church --- Petit Trianon --- The Cenacle --- Sandy Garth --- Lake Ronkonkoma Homemakers #38 --- Gatelot Avenue School --- Bowens
Pond & Well --- ‘Lost” fourth Purple Beech Tree ---Newton’s Garage --- Commerdinger Estate --- The Farm --- Elsie’s House --- Pillars “Trails End” Hans Homestead --- VFW Post/Indian Hill --- RR StationMaude Adams Statue & sign ---Lake Ronkonkoma Library --- Weeping Beech
Your suggestions will help us expand the program and will bring additional history and heritage to Lake Ronkonkoma. Please give us your thoughts. As mentioned, we have a new group in line. Landmarks do not stop at our list, but can contain homes, barns & outbuildings, and we are happy to see if your selection can be applied. There are no restrictions enforced regarding the site once a landmark is assigned.
F. Daniel Moloney
Hook & Ladder 1
Indian Princess
Lake of Haunting Mystery
Lillian Devere
LI Motor Parkway
A Granddaughter’s Love Drives AI Innovation in Elder Care Market Transformation
By Mollie Barnett | State and Signal, LLC
When Rashmi Joshi addressed the Long Island Capital Alliance Partnership this spring, her presentation illuminated a critical nexus between personal adversity and technological innovation. The founder of Asha AI recounted how her grandmother’s cancer diagnosis in India—while Joshi remained geographically separated—catalyzed the development of a conversational AI platform that now exemplifies the technological transformation reshaping the $1.7 trillion global elder care market.
Joshi’s narrative at LI CAP demonstrated how profound personal challenges can drive entrepreneurial solutions that address systemic gaps in care delivery. Her grandmother’s struggle to navigate complex treatment protocols from a distance revealed fundamental inadequacies in traditional elder care models, inadequacies that emerging AI platforms now target with increasing sophistication.
The profound love that motivated Joshi’s innovation underscores how deeply personal motivations often yield the most transformative technological breakthroughs. This emotional foundation—the urgent need to care for a beloved family member across vast distances—provided the clarity of purpose that enabled Asha AI to transcend typical technology solutions and address the holistic needs of aging populations.
Crisis-Driven Innovation Addresses Market Gaps
The circumstances Joshi described at LI CAP reflect challenges confronting millions of families worldwide as demographic shifts and geographic mobility complicate traditional caregiving structures. Her grandmother’s inability to consistently manage medication schedules, communicate health concerns effectively, or access emotional support illuminated critical vulnerabilities in conventional elder care frameworks.
Asha AI emerged as Joshi’s response to this personal crisis, functioning as a comprehensive conversational interface that bridges physical separation through voiceenabled health management. The platform integrates with electronic health records to deliver medication reminders, conduct preliminary health assessments, and analyze communication patterns for early indicators of cognitive or physical decline.
Recent demonstrations at CES 2025 showcased the platform’s ecosystem approach, coordinating care across multiple service providers including meal delivery, transportation, and telehealth platforms. This comprehensive integration reflects recognition that effective elder care extends beyond clinical monitoring to encompass comprehensive daily living support systems.
Market Dynamics Validate Crisis-Innovation Model
The trajectory from personal crisis to market solution that Joshi exemplifies reflects broader dynamics transforming the elder care sector. Demographic projections indicate the global population aged 65 and older will reach 771 million by 2050, representing more than a doubling from 354 million in 2019, according to United Nations data. Concurrently, declining birth rates and increased geographic mobility have diminished the availability of traditional family caregivers.
Healthcare expenditures for seniors average $13,000 annually per person in the United States, with emergency department visits and hospital readmissions representing significant cost centers that AI platforms target through preventive intervention strategies. This economic imperative, combined with demographic pressures, has attracted substantial venture capital investment to AI-enabled elder care solutions.
The competitive landscape includes ElliQ by Intuition Robotics, which has deployed companion robots that address senior isolation—a mortality risk factor equivalent to smoking fifteen cigarettes daily according to Brigham Young University research. Sensi.AI employs audio-based monitoring systems that detect behavioral pattern changes while preserving privacy, addressing surveillance concerns that have historically limited technology adoption among seniors.
Care.Coach focuses on avatar-based virtual companionship specifically designed for seniors experiencing cognitive decline, while Zemplee emphasizes predictive analytics through passive sensor networks to identify early indicators of health deterioration before clinical symptoms manifest.
Implementation Challenges Constrain Market Penetration
Despite technological advances, AI elder care platforms confront significant adoption barriers that analysts acknowledge could limit market expansion. Digital literacy among target demographics remains constrained, with Pew Research indicating only 37% of Americans over sixty-five express confidence utilizing new technologies independently.
Privacy considerations persist as families evaluate continuous monitoring benefits against potential data security vulnerabilities. Regulatory frameworks governing AI-enabled healthcare monitoring remain fragmented across jurisdictions, creating compliance complexities for platforms pursuing broader geographic deployment.
Healthcare system integration presents additional challenges, requiring AI platforms to interface seamlessly with existing electronic health record systems while coordinating with traditional care providers who may lack familiarity with emerging
technologies. Industry success depends substantially on achieving integration rather than disruption of established care networks.
Expert Analysis Projects Sector Transformation
Geriatricians and technology researchers increasingly characterize AI-enabled elder care as necessary evolution rather than optional enhancement. Dr. Linda Teri, director of the School of Nursing at the University of Washington, emphasizes that effective technology platforms must augment rather than replace human caregiving, preserving family connections while enhancing care delivery capabilities.
The success of platforms like Asha AI—originating from personal crisis rather than market analysis— suggests that effective solutions emerge from intimate understanding of care challenges rather than purely technological capabilities. This humancentered innovation approach may prove decisive in an industry where emotional and psychological needs equal clinical requirements in significance.
The love that drove Joshi to create Asha AI—that fundamental human desire to protect and care for family members—represents the emotional intelligence that distinguishes successful elder care platforms from purely technological solutions. This integration of compassion with innovation may determine which platforms achieve sustainable adoption in a market where trust and emotional connection remain paramount.
As Joshi continues promoting Asha AI at industry conferences following her compelling LI CAP presentation, her grandmother’s influence persists through technology addressing fundamental elder care challenges. The platform’s development trajectory indicates that successful AI applications in this sector will balance analytical sophistication with emotional accessibility, addressing both complex health management requirements and the preservation of family relationships across geographic distances.
The convergence of demographic necessity and crisis-driven innovation suggests the elder care industry approaches a technological inflection point, with personal narratives like Joshi’s catalyzing solutions that may fundamentally reshape how societies manage aging populations globally.
MOLLIE BARNETT is an AI Advisor for Business and Strategic Growth Architect on Long Island. Her team offers Secure AI, AI options, AI planning, integration, and education.
Photo by Richard Termine
Published by Messenger Papers, Inc.
AMAC
Thursday, August 21, 2025
HOUSE PANEL: China Exploiting Scholarship Program to Steal U.S. Tech
By Ben Solis| AMAC
House Republicans are cracking down on efforts by a little-known Chinese scholarship program to infiltrate the U.S. higher education system and potentially steal cutting-edge technologies. Recent revelations underscore the ongoing threat of intellectual property theft – and how major American universities may be playing right into the hands of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
In a four-page letter last month, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party warned seven top research schools – Dartmouth College, Temple University, the University of California-Davis, the University of California-Irvine, the University of California-Riverside, the University of Notre Dame, and the University of Tennessee – to immediately cut ties with the China Scholarship Council (CSC). Committee Chair John Moolenaar (R-MI) specifically warned that CSC plays a vital role in the CCP’s efforts to “develop and acquire key technologies through both legal and illegal means.”
CSC pays for about 65,000 Chinese students to study abroad each year, roughly 240 of whom end up at American universities.
The organization claims to only care about legitimate academic endeavors. However, evidence has emerged showing that the CCP surveils Chinese students who participate in the program. Students must also submit a report every three months to Chinese embassies or consulates detailing “academic progress, laboratory work, research outputs, and publications.” CCP agents are further tasked with monitoring the “ideological and academic progress” of CSC students.
Dr. Xiahou Li Wei, a former high-ranking official in the Chinese security apparatus who defected to the West in the late 1990s, referred to CSC’s operation as “zero risk espionage.” As he explained, the conditions of CSC’s arrangement with American schools were perfectly designed to facilitate the smooth transfer of information.
“No one has to risk smuggling anything through the border. The most critical information is passed through consulates legally,” he said. “The CCP lacks morality and will mercilessly plunder if it has such a wide-open gate.”
“CSC purports to be a joint scholarship program between U.S. and Chinese institutions,” Moolenaar wrote in his letter to schools. “However, in reality it is a CCPmanaged technology transfer effort that exploits U.S. institutions and directly supports China’s military and scientific growth.”
Notably, all of the universities named in the letter that allegedly work with CSC receive significant funding from the federal government – meaning that American taxpayers may be indirectly funding CCP efforts to steal American technology and trade secrets. U.S. colleges and universities involved in the program offer financial support, a living stipend, and healthcare benefits for up to 24 months for master’s students and 48 months for doctoral candidates.
As a separate committee report has detailed, breakthroughs made at American universities have been exported to China and used to develop technologies that threaten the U.S. homeland. The exchange of students between the U.S. and China is far from “mutually beneficial.” Instead, it benefits China twice “by gaining technology [from the United States] and using its closed system to strictly control outflows of information.”
Chinese researchers have specifically made breakthroughs in “high-performance explosives,” tracking underwater targets, and coordinated drone operations leveraging knowledge acquired by Chinese students in American universities. These students effectively hijacked research intended to strengthen the U.S. economy and national security and used it to bolster China.
Many CSC students notably enter American universities as non-STEM majors and then switch to STEM once on campus – raising even more concerns that CSC may be intentionally using its scholarship program to gain access to cutting-edge American research.
In response to the committee’s letter, the University of Tennessee quickly ended its agreement with CSC. Dartmouth also said it had cut ties with CSC even before receiving Moolenaar’s letter. Other schools that had previously worked with CSC, such as the University of North Texas, had already cut ties with CSC following a 2020 proclamation from President Donald Trump restricting Chinese graduate students and researchers from gaining visas to study in the United States. Former President Joe Biden also enforced that proclamation.
Still, the damage from CSC and related programs may already be permanent.
Take, for instance, the Beijing Institute for General Artificial Intelligence, founded in 2020 by a Chinese researcher who benefited from hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants from the National Science Foundation. He poached scientists educated at leading U.S. universities who collaborated with him on U.S.-funded government programs.
In another instance of a one-sided benefit, China established an advanced chip production line that relies on discoveries made at the optical technology laboratories at Boston University. This information was published in Mandarin on a website about the chip production line. It is difficult to overstate the significance of this breakthrough for China since the chips are crucial for EVs, high-voltage power transmission,
Overview - AMAC -
The Association of Mature American Citizens
The Association of Mature American Citizens represents Americans 50 plus. AMAC is centered on American values, freedom of the individual, free speech, and exercise of religion, equality of opportunity, sanctity of life, rule of law, and love of family, with benefits at all levels.
AMAC plays a vital role in helping build the services that will enrich the lives of America’s seniors. AMAC Action, a 501 (C)(4) advocates for issues important to AMAC’s membership on Capitol Hill and locally through grassroots activism. To Learn more, visit amac.us
and Artificial Intelligence.
In yet another recent scientific breakthrough, the Chinese military now claims that it can make itself “invisible” in electronic warfare thanks to knowledge gained from U.S. universities. Known as “telepathy radio,” this method could help the People’s Liberation Army overcome electronic jamming on the battlefield. The researchers are from the Aerospace Information Research Institute at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and one key scientist has previously worked at the University of Maryland and Boston University.
Republicans – and increasingly Democrats as well – are finally waking up to the full gravity of this threat. American universities should be temples of knowledge and discovery that benefit the world. What they must not become are a tool for China to gain a strategic or military advantage over the United States.
WHERE BROADWAY MEETS MAIN STREET
WORD OF THE Week
Etymology: early 16th century: from Latin superciliosus ‘haughty’, from supercilium ‘eyebrow’.
SUPERCILIOUS
adjective
Pronounced: /soo·pr·si·lee·uhs/
Definition: behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others.
Example: “The manager had few allies due to his regular supercilious tone.”
Synonyms: arrogant, pompous, condescending
Antonyms: humble, modest, unpretentious
Source: Oxford Languages
August 23, 1850: First US National Women’s Rights
August 24, 1814: British forces capture Washington, D.C. during the War of 1812 and destroy many landmarks.
August 25, 1990: U.N. Security Council authorizes military action against Iraq for invading Kuwait.
August 27, 1896: Britain defeats Zanzibar in a 38-minute war (9:02 AM-9:40 AM). Shortest recorded war in history.
August 26, 1873: First free kindergarten in the United States is started by Susan Blow in Carondelet, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri.
August 21, 1974:
August 22, 1932: BBC begins experimental regular television broadcasts.
Amy Fisher, who when aged 17 (above), shot Mary Jo Buttafuoco while having an affair with her husband, born in Merrick.
By PJ Balzer
Change is Right Around the Corner
A few short weeks ago, our mornings here on Long Island felt much different.
I stepped outside around 6:00 in the morning to throw some fresh bird seed and set out for my cardinals, finches, chickadees, doves, sparrows, and occasionally a woodpecker who visits. To my pleasant surprise, it felt like a November morning. The very first hints and traces of change and of another autumn were in the air.
While summer is undoubtedly far from over and the New York humidity seems to follow us a little further each passing year, autumn has definitely been peeking her head around the corner, letting us know she’s en route. I couldn’t agree more with a quote passed around the many “Autumn Lovers” social media pages I follow that reads, “Life seems to start all over again when the weather gets crisp in the fall.”
Soon, we’ll all have to drive a bit more aware and cautious, especially in the early morning hours. There will be sleepy high school students standing outside basically in the dark. They’ll be dressed to impress of course, while also yawning away their summer routines, which usually consists of staying up late with friends and sleeping in until it’s time to go to the beach. The schedule that autumn brings with her takes some time getting used to.
Not too far behind the big kids stands the little ones. They’ll be standing at their assigned bus stop with their Bluey, Spiderman, and sparkly pink princess or Hello Kitty backpacks; new sneakers, shoes, and plenty of bows in the firstgraders’ hair. Unlike the bigger kids, mom doesn’t have to ask twice to hold a first-day photo shoot of these little ones. They are excited to show off their new gear, cool backpacks, and stand next to friends they haven’t seen since Field Day. How I personally miss those innocent and simple days when I didn’t know much.
Teachers are now shopping, planning, and hustling to get their rooms decorated just the way they like. Most already have a long list of new names that they’re excited to meet. Committees are beginning to form around their schools’ homecoming traditions and celebrations. Fall sports schedules are being finalized and released. Parents’ calendars for the “-ber” months are filling up fast.
Autumn sports are distinctive from any other time of the year. We start off the season watching them in shorts and finish in full out winter gear. While I love being inside a gymnasium to watch a highly competitive and contentious basketball playoff game in the winter, there’s something different about sitting in the bleachers with a hot chocolate watching a high school football or soccer game - the hats, hoodies, excited parents yelling in both English and Spanish; the way the autumn breeze carries the soccer referees whistle and the play announcer’s microphoned voice for a football first down. There’s just nothing more nostalgic, wonderful, and memorable than the approaching time of year.
Autumn also brings some breathtaking scenes with her each year, scenes that belong on calendars and screen savers. The rapidly changing foliage is easy to miss if you don’t make the time to stop and enjoy it. We only have a few peak weeks where reds, yellows, oranges, and maroons fill our roads, parkways, and our own streets as well. Families will hurry to the East End to pick apples and sip warm apple cider with an apple cider donut. Dad will usually grab a half dozen corn ears to bring home since our island’s local corn harvest is coming to its end. Mom buys a few mums to decorate the front porch.
The smell of the neighbor’s wood burning stove will permeate the air as we spend our Saturday afternoon raking up the leaves - but don’t wait too late in the afternoon to do so because it now gets dark by 5:00. Soon, we’ll be setting
our dinner tables for double the amount of guests as we gather around the year’s biggest feast. We’ll hold hands as we pray a prayer of Thanksgiving for our many blessings while taking a moment to remember those who left us an empty seat at the table.
Soon, we’ll be able to sleep with the windows open, crickets holding their yearly symphony, and the rumbling of the air conditioner far behind us. Bonfires all around us will hold a hint of a sweet smell, as the children hold out the sticks they found in the woods to make s’mores. Fishermen will line up again on our many miles of beaches’ shores as the striped bass make their fall migration.
With autumn near and change right around the corner, I pray that your children have a safe, blessed and successful school year. I hope that they find new joy in learning, while also making lifelong friends right in their own classroom and even their own bus stop.
Photo credit - Freepik
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Library News
Thursday, August 21, 2025
CENTRAL ISLIP:
Unplugged Family Fun - August 25, 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Mat Pilates - August 25, 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Baby Bookworms - August 29, 10:00 AM to 10:30 AM
ISLIP:
Adult Summer Reading Club - Ongoing through August 22
Summer Beach Huts for Teens - August 26, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Dubai Brownies - September 17 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
EAST ISLIP:
Adult Pilates - Every Monday and Wednesday , 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Little Sport Preschoolers - Sept. 18, 5:30 PM to 6:15 PM
WEST ISLIP:
Take & Make: DIY Pizza Kit - August 25, 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM
Author Talk: Stacy Horn - August 27, 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Internet Crime Night - September 17, 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
CONNETQUOT:
Diamond Painting: Plastic Tumbler - August 23, 3:00 PM
Fun with Grandma & Grandpa - September 6, 11:00 AM
Baby Bookworms - September 6, 10:00 AM
BAY SHORE:
Adult Chess Club - Every Thursday, 6:30 PM
Brushes and Bliss - Grades 3-5 - September 15, 4:15 AM
SAYVILLE:
Baby Games - September 5, 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Senior Defensive Driving - September 6, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
BAYPORT:
DIY Activities for Kids - Monday- Saturday, all of August, 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Beginning Yoga - August 23, 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
BRENTWOOD:
Summer Concert: Sugar and Spice Soul Band - August 22, 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Summer Karaoke - August 27, 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Tween K-Pop Club - September 5, 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Battle of New York: Giants Shine in Pre-Season Game Against Jets
By Ashley Pavlakis
Summer is coming to a close, which means fall is almost here. Football is back. Not officially, but training camps are underway, and pre-season games have commenced. The New York Giants and New York Jets took to the field at MetLife Stadium on Saturday afternoon for a friendly game of football.
The New York Giants are led by head coach Brian Daboll. The G-Men had a productive off-season, acquiring veteran quarterback Russell Wilson and securing Jaxson Dart, a quarterback who was drafted 25th overall in the 2025 NFL draft. In addition, they also drafted Abdul Carter, Darius Alexander, Cam Skattebo, Marcus Mbow, and Thomas Fidone.
In the other home locker room at MetLife Stadium, the New York Jets are led by head coach Aaron Glenn. The Jets offloaded Aaron Rodgers in the offseason, looking for a balance of veteran and young talent to get things back on track. The Jets drafted offensive tackle Armand Membou seventh overall in the 2025 draft. They went on to select Mason Taylor, Azareye’h Thomas, Arian Smith, Malachi Moore, Francisco Mauigoa, and Tyler Baron to round out the 2025 draft class.
Practice is practice, but the only true way to test your skills to see what works and what doesn’t is to play someone new. Hence, preseason games exist to work out all the kinks and construct a roster ready for opening day. The Jets and Giants made it easy; they stayed home in New Jersey and played one another.
The Giants won the game 32-12. The Big Blue accounted for 478 total yards, making the most of their first downs. Most fans have their eye on Jaxson Dart, looking for the Mississippi graduate to bring some offensive power to New York. Dart did not disappoint, having scored one touchdown and accounted for 137 yards, as well as completing 14 of 16 passes on the day.
“That’s why we drafted him. We spent a lot of time with him and have a lot of confidence in the young man. He’s done a good job since he’s been here in every area you could do, off the field, on the field, leadership, moxie, intelligence, but it’s early. We’ve played a couple pre-season games against some vanilla looks, but he’s making strides every day, and that’s all you can ask of any other young player, “ Daboll said in a post-game press conference.
Opposingly, the Jets struggled to reach the endzone having only scored one touchdown, with the remaining points being scored on field goals. The Jets accumulated 333 total yards. The Jets saw three quarterbacks take the field in the pre-season matchup: Adrian Martinez, Justin Fields, and Brady Cook. They didn’t fare all that well. Martinez only completed 12 of 21 passes, Fields went 6 of 11, and Cook managed 1 of 5.
“We know that if we can just hunker down and get our guys to run the ball, that’s an advantage for us. But overall, still, it just wasn’t good enough,” said Glenn in a post-game press conference.
The New York Giants kick off their 100th NFL season on the road against the Washington Commanders on September 7. The New York Jets will begin the season at home, hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers in their 66th NFL season on September 7. Pre-season offered a taste of what’s to come this fall. Get ready, New York, football is back.
Long Island Native Sue Bird Honored with Statue by WNBA’s Seattle Storm
By Ashley Pavlakis
Professional athletes come and go throughout sports, all having careers that differ from the next. Some players get their jersey retired by the organization they played for. Others get a statue made in their honor.
Sue Bird received both.
Sue Bird, a former point guard for the Seattle Storm of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), was honored with a statue immortalizing her career and legacy as a professional women’s basketball player. Bird had her number ten retired by the organization in 2023, one year after she retired from the sport. Earlier this year, Bird was also inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
On Sunday afternoon outside Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, the stage was set for the unveiling of the statue. In attendance were many WNBA legends, including but not limited to Diana Taurasi, Swin Cash, and Lauren Jackson. All three women spoke at the ceremony to honor their beloved teammate and friend.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, proclaimed August 17, 2025, to be Sue Bird Day. ForeverSue was the slogan of the day.
“This statue doesn’t just belong to me; it belongs to Seattle. It belongs to every fan who believed in women’s basketball when the rest of the world wasn’t paying attention,” said Bird at the ceremony.
The bronze statue depicts Bird in her natural form, performing a layup. Uniquely, Bird started and finished her career with a layup. Bird is officially the first player in the WNBA to have a statue made in her honor.
“People ask me what it feels like to be the first. Truth is, I never set out to be the first at anything. But if being the first means I won’t be the last, if this means that in twenty years, there’ll be other statues of WNBA greats - some of whom are in this audience, and some names that we don’t even know yet - then I’m proud to be the first,” said Bird.
Sue Bird grew up in Syosset and attended Christ the King Regional High School in Middle Village, Queens, before eventually making her way to UConn to play for the Huskies. Under Geno Auriemma’s guidance, Bird won National Championships in 2000 and 2002. The Huskies went undefeated in 2002, and Bird racked up a wealth of awards and honors [10] for her spectacular play that season.
“Today I’m standing here looking at a statue of myself, honestly, that twenty-yearold [Sue] would never have believed this moment was possible, or that Seattle would become everything she didn’t know she needed. This statue, it’s not just an honor, its history. This statue goes well beyond just myself,” said Bird.
The Seattle icon spent two decades playing in the WNBA; she did it while only playing for one team. In 2002, Sue Bird was drafted first overall in the WNBA draft by the Seattle Storm. If her college days were anything to go by, Storm fans were in for a treat. Bird continued to build on her legacy, adding four WNBA titles to her resume, winning in ‘04, ‘10, ‘18, and ‘20. Youth, high school, college, professional, and international. Sue Bird has done it all. The All-American played for Team USA on the international stage, competing at four Olympic Games. Bird won four gold medals, winning in ‘04, ‘08, ‘12, and ‘16.
“To this incredible city [Seattle] that embraced me from day one, a point guard from Long Island, you made her feel like she’d been here her whole life. Thank you for 21 of the most incredible years. Seattle, you taught me that home isn’t just where you’re from, it’s where you choose to build something meaningful, and we’ve built something so special here. This legacy is now bronze, this is what it means to me; it means no one can rewrite the story or diminish what women’s basketball means to this city,” said Bird.
Pinkus
Ducks Light the Lamp for Hockey Night Victory
The Long Island Ducks shut out the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars 9-0 last Friday night in the opening game of a three-game series at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.
Friday’s game was also Tribute to LI Ducks Hockey Night, presented by the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame. The Ducks wore commemorative jerseys during the game, and fans can bid on those jerseys through 1:00p.m. on Wednesday, August 27, via the LiveSource mobile app or by scanning this QR code:
Troy Viola gave the Ducks an early 1-0 lead with a first inning RBI double to center field off Flying Boxcars starter Anthony Imhoff. A bases loaded walk by River Town in the sixth doubled Long Island’s lead to two.
The Ducks doubled the lead again in the sixth when Aaron Antonini and Ronaldo Flores led off the inning with back-to-back solo home runs to left field, making it a 4-0 game. One inning later, a four-run frame doubled the advantage a final time to eight. RBI singles by Viola, JC Encarnacion and Antonini along with a sac fly to left off the bat of Flores did the damage. Viola’s RBI double to left-center in the eighth rounded out the scoring.
That was more than enough support for Ducks starter Justin Alintoff (4-5) to earn the win. The righty tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing just a pair of singles while striking out three batters. Imhoff (1-6) took the loss, conceding four runs on six hits and three walks in five innings with six strikeouts.
Every Ducks batter reached base safely, while eight of the nine recorded at least one hit. Viola led the Flock with three hits, three RBIs and a run. Town also collected three hits, along with an RBI, three runs and a walk, while Antonini chipped in with two hits, two RBIs, a run and a walk.
The Ducks and Flying Boxcars continued their three-game set the following Saturday night, where they defeated Hagerstown 10-4. All fans in attendance were treated to a Fireworks Spectacular, presented by Farmingdale State College. It was also a Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP) Lucky Seat Saturday at the ballpark, and one lucky fan won 40,000 Breeze Points, enough for two roundtrip tickets, from MacArthur Airport to a Breeze Airways nonstop destination. Righthander Tim Melville (4-2, 5.42) took the mound for the Ducks against Flying Boxcars righty Jack Weisenburger (1-5, 4.68).
Tickets to the game and all Ducks games are now available and can be purchased by visiting the ballpark box office, calling (631) 940-TIXX. Those unable to make the game can follow all the action live on FloBaseball.
The Long Island Ducks are in their 25th Anniversary season of play in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and play their home games at Fairfield Properties Ballpark in Central Islip. They are the all-time leader in wins and attendance in Atlantic League history, have led all MLB Partner Leagues in total attendance for four consecutive seasons, and have sold out a record 718 games all-time. For further information, visit LIDucks.com or call 631-940-DUCK (3825).
About the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)
Celebrating its third decade, the Atlantic League is Major League Baseball’s first Professional Partner League, a player gateway to the major leagues, and a leader in baseball innovation. Over its 26-year history, the ALPB has sent over 1,400 players to MLB organizations while drawing over 47 million fans to its 10 state-of-the-art ballparks that stretch from New York to North Carolina. Catch
