Hot Topics

Voices

Voices January 22, 2021

Take your chances: A possible windfall, with real risks

By JEFFREY REYNOLDS // Faced with a $15 billion budget gap, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed the legalization of mobile sports gambling in his 2021/22 budget proposals, an idea budget officials estimate could bring in $500 million in annual tax revenues. “The question is really not whether or not we do mobile sports betting,” Cuomo declared at one point of his week-long budget address. “The question is more, ‘How?’” One issue is whether wagers go…

Read More

Voices November 5, 2020

As voting evolves, national voting laws must follow

By MICHAEL H. SAHN // Election Day, plus two: The votes are still being counted, with paper-thin margins in key states. The President of the United States wants the counting to stop here, but not there. The world waits. “Democracy in action,” “every vote counts,” “all politics are local” …  these timeless idioms have never been truer. We are witness to an historic election with an unprecedented national voter turnout. From a broad perspective, this proves we…

Voices October 30, 2020

COVID will end, but land uses will be changed forever

By MICHAEL H. SAHN // The pandemic is dramatically changing the real estate market across Greater New York and the nation, with long-ranging (and long term) impacts on infrastructure, land use and economic development. For starters, the pandemic has convinced many city dwellers to seek the suburban lifestyle. COVID has supercharged single-family homes purchases in traditional suburban subdivisions and created a seller’s market on Long Island, where demand exceeds supply and prices are skyrocketing. Meanwhile,…

Voices October 22, 2020

Communications meets politics, on a one-way street

By DAVID CHAUVIN // I’m of a certain age – OK, fine, I’m old, old enough to remember George, the ill-fated and short-lived political magazine created by John F. Kennedy Jr., may he rest in peace. That magazine – which debuted in 1995 with a then-controversial cover image of iconic 1990s supermodel Cindy Crawford dressed like George Washington – aimed to marry the popular, celebrity and political cultures into one publication. Rolling Stone meets The…

Voices October 16, 2020

Pressure point: As childcare teeters, moms are on edge

By JEFFREY REYNOLDS // Warm bubble baths, dreamy meditation apps and heart-pounding exercise routines are among the self-care techniques mental-health experts recommend to folks feeling anxious, stressed and depressed as they navigate a global pandemic that’s killed 220,000 Americans. For overwhelmed parents forced to choose between their kids, their jobs and their own wellbeing, we’ve lowered the bar even further, suggesting they take an extra five minutes in the shower or 10 minutes sitting in…

Voices October 9, 2020

A century later, 1918 pandemic’s lessons resonate

By TERRY LYNAM // Given COVID-19’s unprecedented nature and global impact, many analysts and health officials have drawn parallels to the 1918 Spanish Flu, which according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention infected one-third of the world’s population – an estimated 500 million – and killed about 50 million, including 675,000 in the United States. Although the flu and COVID-19 are caused by starkly different viruses, understanding how the H1N1 virus spread…

Voices October 2, 2020

As seasons change, Island producers bring the heat

By KATE FULLAM // The transition from summer to fall is fickle on Long Island. A stretch of chilly mornings, high winds and rain may retreat back to heat, humidity and a lingering beach day, even as September concedes to October. But winter is coming, and in preparation for the cold weather ahead, I highly recommend focusing on warming ingredients that will keep your body heated – and provide an exciting element to your meals….