Bon week-end: A happy Friday to everyone. It’s June 17, on which in 1885 most of the Statue of Liberty arrived from France. (The torch arm had been shipped over nine years earlier to rally fundraising for the pedestal. The whole shebang was finally dedicated in October 1886.)
Work to do: Private sector employment in New York grew at barely half the U.S. average during the 12 months ending in May, according to the latest monthly jobs report from the state Labor Department. Most of the jobs were in NYC; Long Island posted a modest 0.2 percent increase.
On a month-over-month basis, restaurants had a particularly weak May, adding a record low 1,100 jobs compared to an average of 3,400. Education and health services were the big gainers, followed by government, construction and financial services.
Late but welcome: A workforce development task force packed with Long Island state senators pushed through a legislative package that would better connect workers with jobs. It came on the last day of the session, though, so an Assembly vote is not soon to follow.
Related: The skills gap is the chief obstacle for small businesses, according to two new studies.
Innovator of the Year: Nominations are still being accepted for our annual salute to Long Island’s best, brightest and most creative. Nominate or request more info via events@innovateli.com.
$6 million man: Stony Brook professor Maurizio Del Poeta has been awarded two $3 million grants from the National Institutes of Health to continue his study of a potentially deadly fungus.
Also: The school has won four major energy-related grants.
Meanwhile, at BNL: Everything you need to know about gravitational waves.
Cleaner energy: Farmingdale State College physics professor Jack W. Simonson has landed a grant to find ways to mitigate the damaging effects of burning fossil fuels, the use of which is expected to climb by as much as 50 percent over the next 25 years.
Rising son: Ray Farrell has kicked off a two-year stint as chairman of the U.S. Bar-Japanese Patent Office Liaison Council, a 25-year-old group that focuses on IP law and practice and experiences of U.S. applicants at the JPO.
Latest arrival: Farrell Fritz welcomes Irene A. Zoupaniotis, Hofstra Law magna cum laude, as a labor and employment associate. She earned her Master of Laws from Columbia, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. Also fluent in Greek.
Unwired: You can now get a pacemaker without wires at Huntington Hospital. Call 631-351-2000.
ICYMI
The Altice acquisition of Cablevision is a done deal.
FLI Charge is charging ahead with an Indiegogo product release.
The just-launching Moiety App has inked a major development deal.
Caithness has awarded $25,000 in scholarships to 25 graduating seniors from Bellport, Longwood, and Patchogue-Medford high schools who will be pursuing college studies in science, engineering or the environment.
LICA is looking for pitchers for its September tech forum.
A failed Kickstarter campaign has not stopped The Crime Stopper.
Coming Monday: Women in craft beer.
From our sponsor: The Town of Islip’s Office of Economic Development holds its 6th Annual CEO Summit on June 23rd. Join Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter and Long Island Builder Institute’s Mitch Pally as they introduce several senior executives from Islip who’ll make presentations and give you fresh ideas for your business. This event is free, and light breakfast will be served. Register here!
ELSEWHERE
Connection day: Fon, the world’s largest WiFi network – 20 million hotspots, 17 countries – wants to remind you that Monday is World WiFi Day. Please celebrate responsibly.
Oops: Gov. Cuomo dropped news that the LaGuardia overhaul will actually cost around $7 billion, or about double what has been previously suggested.
Appellate review says: The JOBS Act is apparently legal.
Star power: Leonardo DiCaprio has invested in Manhattan-based startup Qloo, joining Cedric the Entertainer and That ’70s Show actor Danny Masterson. Qloo – it’s pronounced like “clue” – makes a recommendation app.
Eyeing the UK next: California has climbed two spots on the global economy list, passing France and India to become No. 6.
Internet of Wings: eBags is set to launch a suite of apps to help travelers keep track of suitcases and the stuff inside them.
And they’re off: The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the giant fund fueled by the Facebook founder and his wife, has made its first investment – $24 million in aNigerian talent accelerator.
An op-ed: New York, the Saudi Arabia of wind.
Assembling a future: Fresh off its mega-deal to buy LinkedIn, Microsoft has acquired tiny Wand Labs and announced a software partnership that tracks marijuana plants from “seed to sale.”
Getting its hip on: Eight months after buying the music site Pitchfork, ultra-conventional publisher Condé Nast announced it has acquired Backchannel, a site that has become known for sophisticated, in-depth coverage of the tech industry.
Three for four: Elon Musk’s SpaceX successfully launched a pair of satellites into orbit this week, but the booster came apart as it attempted to land on a drone ship, ending the firm’s streak of three successful recoveries.
Pumped up: Saudi Arabia is considering an IPO for its state-owned oil industry. Could be worth as much as $10 trillion. (Yes, that’s a T.)
BELOW THE FOLD
Inside outed: The guy who invented the California Roll was actually trying tohide the seaweed.
Forget the knife: Eight gadgets designed solely to spread butter on stuff.
Hurt, on display: The Museum of Broken Relationships opens in LA.
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Compiled by John Kominicki. Thanks for reading.
