Go Fourth: Welcome to Wednesday, dear readers, as we hurdle the hump, flip the calendar and gear up for a long and lovely holiday weekend.
July is here, and with Independence Day falling on a Saturday this year, off-days are slightly harder than usual to calculate – is your company closing Friday or Monday? For the record, this year’s official Independence Day federal holiday is July 3, but there are lots of companies closing Monday instead (or also), and plenty of folks taking extended vacations around the birthday-bash weekend.
That includes your favorite innovation-news hub, which will be lighting grills and sparklers for the next few days – so new newsletters on Friday or Monday. We’ll be back next Tuesday with all-new stuff.
Them: America was never supposed to be “us vs. them” — it was always supposed to be “us FOR them.”
Am I (red, white and) blue? These are tough times for the United States of America, as revealed by poll after poll detailing our rapidly declining national pride.
But over 250 years, Americans have faced tough times before. This is when patriotism matters most: Everyone loves their team when it’s winning, but only real fans stay true when their team’s on the skids. That goes double for patriotic pride.
Remember that phrases like “land of the free” and “justice for all” are not just trite platitudes to be bent by these people, but the basis of a belief system that’s empowered this nation for the better part of two centuries. Remember what American exceptionalism is (and isn’t) all about. Remember that it can be twisted, mocked and threatened by liars and crooks and racists and simpletons, and the spineless sycophants who support them, but never undone.
America has long been the shining city upon a hill (as preordained by Jesus, recalled by John Winthrop and reaffirmed by Ronald Reagan). Those city lights are dimmed today – ironically, on what should be the nation’s proudest birthday – but soon, this latest national nightmare will be over and that city will shine brightly again.
For now, dig deep and hold tight to the true American spirit – not the ugly “America first” claptrap that power-hungry autocrats desperately force upon you, nothing the far right or the fringe left have to say, but a simple formula multiplying science and sanity by compassion and justice.
And enjoy those barbecues and fireworks! It’s OK to celebrate your nation, even when it’s on the skids.
Half full: With the calendar flipping and Saturday being July 4 and all that, today must be July 1 – known best as Second Half of the Year Day, which is not a precise mathematical truth.
There are 180 days between Jan. 1 and June 30 in a standard year, and 181 days during a leap year. That makes July 1 either the 181st or 182nd day of the year – and either way, there are 183 days from July 2 to Dec. 31. But don’t worry about all that math stuff … all you need to know is, the second half of 2026 begins today!
Here’s the scoop: Think outside the carton on National Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day.
Snap to it: Numbers aren’t the only things worth crunching today – International Chicken Wing Day (sweet, mild, atomic … your call!), National Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day (something with nuts, please!) and National Gingersnap Day (celebrating the zesty combo of ginger, molasses and cinnamon) are all on the July 1 menu.
Cage match: Less into eating wings than observing them, the Philadelphia Zoo – America’s first zoo, for those keeping score – opened on this date in 1874 (15 years after it was chartered, thanks to the American Civil War).
Doping came later: Also making the rounds is the world’s most famous bicycle race, the Tour de France, which took its inaugural spin on July 1, 1903.
Best thing before sliced bread: Sliced is nice but fast is a blast – so America’s first automated bread-making plant was an instant hit when it opened in Chicago 116 years ago today.
Channel surfing: It’s a big anniversary for Greater New York television, as both WCBS-TV Channel 2 (originally WCBW) and WNBC-TV Channel 4 (originally WNBT) both hit the airwaves on this date in 1941.
Ad on: And not entirely coincidentally, it was that same date – July 1, 1941 – when commercial television became a thing in the United States.
The first American TV commercial – a 10-second ad for Bulova watches – was broadcast on that very same WNBT, prior to coverage of a Brooklyn Dodgers-Philadelphia Phillies baseball game.
You will believe a man can fly: And Lewis did, to the tune of nine Olympic gold medals and eight World Championship gold medals.
Speak Lauder: American businesswoman Estée Lauder (born Josephine Esther Mentzer, 1908-2004) – the cosmetics pioneer and marketing genius who launched her beauty empire from her kitchen – would be 118 years old today.
Also born on July 1 were American educator and grammarian William Strunk Jr. (1869-1946), who authored “The Elements of Style,” still the most influential writing guide in the English language; English aviator Amy Johnson (1903-1941), the world’s first woman ground engineer and the first woman to fly solo from London to Australia; Japanese-born British American actress Olivia de Havilland (1916-2020), a true Hollywood icon; Princess of Wales Diana Spencer (1961-1997), who never shirked her royal responsibilities; and American track-and-field star Frederick Carlton “Carl” Lewis (born 1961), arguably the 20th Century’s “Olympian of the Century.”
Animal instincts: And take a bow, Pamela Denise Anderson! The Canadian American actress, model, producer and activist – who leveraged her “Baywatch” stardom (and 1990s sex-symbol status) into productive work for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and other animal-rights organizations – turns 59 today.
Send birthday wishes for Playboy magazine’s February 1990 Playmate of the Month to editor@innovateli.com, where we’re always on the watch for your news tips and calendar events (and anything else you’d like to show us).
About our sponsor: Family & Children’s Association is here for every Long Islander – ages 2 to 102 – facing social, emotional or economic challenges. Whether it’s mental-health support, help with substance use or gambling, or programs that protect and empower our seniors, FCA offers a wide range of services designed to strengthen individuals, families and communities. Our mission is simple: to make Long Island a healthier, safer and more compassionate place to live, work and raise a family.
BUT FIRST, THIS
Indian Summer: With Consul General Binaya Pradhan looking on, Indian Institute of Technology Director Shireesh Kedare (left) and SUNY Old Westbury President Timothy Sams ink a pact uniting the institutions.
A passage to India: One of Long Island’s leading universities is joining forces with an Indian Institution of Eminence.
The State University of New York at Old Westbury has signed a letter of intent with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, an internationally renowned science and engineering mecca, aimed toward developing new research and educational opportunities on the SUNY Old Westbury campus. Signed June 26 by SUNY Old Westbury President Timothy Sams and IIT Bombay Director Shireesh Kedare, the letter lays the groundwork for new collaborative research projects focused largely on artificial intelligence and other emerging fields in play at ITT Bombay, which earned its IoE designation in 2017.
For SUNY Old Westbury – which has previously forged alliances with Brookhaven National Laboratory, SUNY Downstate Medical Center and other prestigious scientific hubs – the new partnership is a golden opportunity to work closely with another “world-class institution,” according to Sams. “We are excited to establish a direct partnership that advances teaching, innovation and excellence in disciplines like physics and engineering,” the university president noted. “Together, we can prepare the next generation of leaders who will fuel success across our region, state, nation and world.”
Reflective moment: Several Long Island roadways will become a little safer through New York’s second payout of federal “Safe System” funds.
The $43.2 million funding round, announced last week by the New York State Department of Transportation, pushes Albany’s “Safe System” disbursements – leveraging funds provided through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Zero Deaths and Safe System program – past $75 million. It includes $1.58 million for roadwork in the Town of Brookhaven, where grooved-in retroreflective markers are slated to be installed along the Sunrise Highway South Service Road, Ronkonkoma Avenue, Pond Path and more than a dozen other heavy-traffic byways.
New York City scored the highest stipend in this funding round ($14.8 million for new lighting along Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island roadways), while seven other statewide economic zones also received road-improvement funding – all the way down to a $261,000 grant to help Central New York’s Cortland County develop its own Local Roads Safety Plan. “Keeping New Yorkers safe is my highest priority,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement. “That includes making every effort to enhance safety on our roads for everyone who uses them.”
TOP OF THE SITE
Plate up: Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce President Phil Andrews weighs in on license plate readers – an essential tool for socioeconomic prosperity, he says, if properly managed.
Step up: Thank you to everyone who stepped up during Innovate Long Island’s first-ever Reader Pledge Drive, but we still have a long road ahead of us. If you haven’t yet visited our safe and secure donation page, please do – we’re determined to keep our website and newsletters paywall-free, and a little gift goes a long way!
VOICES
President Trump’s “transparency” strategy is not lowering spiraling healthcare costs, according to Voices Healthcare Anchor Terry Lynam – and the former Northwell Health senior vice president says governments, providers and insurers must take more substantial steps before costs get even worse.
STUFF WE’RE READING
The children shall lead: Young thinkers set an optimistic tone through the 2026 Global Shapers Innovation Prize. The World Economic Forum applauds ambition.
Social scrumptious: E-commerce-focused TikTok Shop is updating innovation for major food and beverage brands. Food Dive dives deep.
The Real deal: Real Madrid tops the annual list of most-valuable soccer teams, once again. Forbes nets profits.
RECENT FUNDINGS
+ GenerativeX, a California-based agentic AI startup, raised $4 million in Series A funding led by Nissay Capital, with participation from Salesforce Ventures, Angel Bridge, DeepCore and SMBC Venture Capital.
+ Altillion, a Texas-based brine mineral extraction platform, raised $5 million in Seed funding led by EIC Rose Rock and Flathead Forge.
+ Open Vision Engineering, a California-based AI-native conversational capture device, raised $11 million in funding led by Accel, Y Combinator, Vercel Founder/CEO Guillermo Rauch, ElevenLabs Co-founder Mati Staniszewski and Opendoor CEO Kaz Nejatian.
+ Nebulock, a Massachusetts-based AI-native contextual security platform, raised $25 million in Series A funding led by FirstMark, with participation from Bain Capital Ventures, Decibel, Zetta Venture Partners and Step Function.
+ Straiker, a California-based AI security and autonomous-agent protection platform, raised $64 million in Series A funding led by Marathon Management Partners, Citi Ventures, Illuminate Financial and Workday Ventures, with participation from Bain Capital Ventures and Lightspeed.
+ Quantifind, a California-based AI-native risk-intelligence and automated financial crime-detection platform, raised $200 million in growth funding led by Summit Partners, with participation from Citi Ventures, S&P Global, Deloitte and Stephens Group.
Like this newsletter? Innovate Long Island newsletter, website and podcast sponsorships are a prime opportunity to reach the inventors, investors, entrepreneurs and executives you need to know – on Long Island, and soon, across New York State (just ask Family & Children’s Association). Gregory Zeller can tell you more.
BELOW THE FOLD (All’s Fair Edition)
Plenty of good seats still available: Organizers hope things will pick up this weekend at the Great American State Fair.
Those who don’t learn from history…: Scholars blast the Great American State Fair’s historical inaccuracies.
Whistling Dixie: What was the Confederate Flag doing at America’s 250th birthday party?
No fair: New parking, delivery rules for August’s New York State Fair are vexing vendors.
Fair shake: Life doesn’t always give you one, so thank goodness there are champions like the Family & Children’s Association – one of the outstanding organizations that support Innovate Long Island – on your side. Check them out.
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