A Morning in Malverne with Mel; Groundhog Day 2022

A Morning in Malverne with Mel; Groundhog Day 2022

KJOY spent the morning at Crossroads Farm in Malverne to get the scoop from Malverne Mel, Nassau County’s famous prognosticator! Six more weeks of winter? Early spring? Find out what Mel had to say here:









Dua Lipa & Elton John

Dua Lipa & Elton John

Check out this awesome duet remix of “Cold Heart” with Elton John and Dua Lipa!

Ceasefire status is unclear after Israel reports continued missiles from Iran

Ceasefire status is unclear after Israel reports continued missiles from Iran


By The Associated Press

Israel warned its public to take shelter after detecting missile launches from Iran early Tuesday. The launches came after 4 a.m. local time in Tehran, the time Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran would stop its attacks if Israel ended their airstrikes. U.S. President Donald Trump said on social media Monday that Israel and Iran have agreed to a “complete and total ceasefire” to be phased in over 24 hours. It is unclear yet how the latest developments will impact possible ceasefire agreements.. Earlier Monday, Iran launched a missile attack on a U.S. military base in Qatar, retaliating for the American bombing of three key Iranian nuclear facilities. The U.S. said no casualties were reported.

Some candidates focus on blocking Cuomo’s path a day before NYC’s mayoral primary

Some candidates focus on blocking Cuomo’s path a day before NYC’s mayoral primary

NEW YORK (AP) — Their chances of becoming the next mayor of New York City may have dimmed. Their mission now? Stopping former Gov. Andrew Cuomo from getting to City Hall.
In the final day of campaigning before the city’s Democratic primary, candidates who are seen as long shots to win the nomination were urging voters to leave Cuomo off their ballots in the city’s ranked choice election in a last-ditch effort to block the former governor’s comeback from a sexual harassment scandal.
“Let’s make sure Andrew Cuomo gets nowhere near City Hall,” candidate and city Comptroller Brad Lander said Monday on WNYC radio, which interviewed the major candidates ahead of the election.
State Sen. Zellnor Myrie, another candidate, similarly asked voters to not vote for Cuomo, telling the station, “We need fresh leadership, we need to turn the page and we need bold solutions at this moment.”
The pitches came as Cuomo, who has been considered the frontrunner for months, has also been trying to fend off a charge from Zohran Mamdani.
Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assemblyman, would be the city’s first Muslim and first Indian-American mayor if elected. A democratic socialist who got elected to the Legislature in 2020, Mamdani started the campaign as a relative unknown but has won support with a energetic campaign centered on improving the cost of living.
The assault on Cuomo from fellow members of the Democratic field comes as he has continued to rack up establishment endorsements. Former President Bill Clinton endorsed Cuomo on Sunday, saying voters should not “underestimate the complexity” for the challenges faced by a mayor. The New York Times didn’t issue an endorsement this year, but wrote an editorial praising Lander and saying Cuomo would be a better choice than Mamdani, who it said was unworthy of being on people’s ballots.
Cuomo and Mamdani have ratcheted up attacks on each other in the campaign’s final days.
“He’s about public relations,” Cuomo said of Mamdani, dismissing his opponent as too focused on looking great on social media, and not skilled enough as an executive to run the city.
Mamdani, meanwhile, exuded confidence, telling WNYC he is “one day from toppling a political dynasty.”
“New Yorkers are done with the cynical politics of the past. They want a future they can afford,” said Mamdani, who was endorsed by U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders.
In a way, Mamdani and Cuomo represent the Democratic Party’s ideological divides, with Cuomo as an older moderate and Mamdani a younger progressive.
Their reactions to the American bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites on Sunday offered more evidence of the party’s internal split.
Cuomo, in a statement, criticized “the way Trump went about this without consulting Congress, without consulting the normal congressional officials” but stressed that “Iran cannot have nuclear capability.”
Mamdani released a statement that slammed Trump but quickly shifted focus back to his key issues, saying “these actions are the result of a political establishment that would rather spend trillions of dollars on weapons than lift millions out of poverty, launch endless wars while silencing calls for peace, and fearmonger about outsiders while billionaires hollow out our democracy from within.”
Cuomo, who won three terms as governor, resigned in 2021 after a report from the state attorney general concluded that he sexually harassed 11 women. He has denied wrongdoing.
New York City is using ranked choice voting in its Democratic mayoral primary election Tuesday, a system that allows voters to rank up to five candidates in order of preference. If one candidate is the first choice of a majority of voters, that person wins the race outright. If nobody hits that threshold, the votes are then tabulated in multiple rounds. After each round, the candidate in last place is eliminated. Votes cast for that person are then redistributed to the candidates ranked next on the voter’s ballot.
That continues until one candidate gets a majority.
Cuomo’s opponents have urged voters not to rank him at all and therefore deprive him of support in later rounds of counting.
“You do not have to go back to the name of Andrew Cuomo,” said Michael Blake, a former state lawmaker running in the primary. He told voters on WNYC that it was time to move on from the former governor.
Eleven candidates are on the ballot in the Democratic mayoral primary. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams isn’t one of them. He’s a Democrat but is running as an independent. The Republican Party has already picked its nominee, Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa.

New York governor seeks to build the state’s first new nuclear power plant in decades

New York governor seeks to build the state’s first new nuclear power plant in decades

NEW YORK (AP) — New York’s governor on Monday proposed the construction of the state’s first new nuclear power plant in decades.
Gov. Kathy Hochul directed the state’s power authority to develop an advanced, “zero-emission” facility in upstate New York that she hopes will help create a clean, reliable and affordable electric grid for the state.
She said the state power authority will seek to develop “at least” one new nuclear energy facility with a combined capacity of no less than one gigawatt of electricity. That would increase the state’s total nuclear capacity to about 4.3 gigawatts.
The Democrat, speaking at the Niagara County Power Project in Lewiston, said the state needs to secure its “energy independence” if it wants to continue to attract large manufacturers that create good-paying jobs as it deactivates aging fossil fuel power plants.
Acknowledging concerns with nuclear power, she pledged the new facility or facilities would be safer than their predecessors.
“This is not your grandparents’ nuclear reactor,” Hochul said. “The new plan will be a model of 21st century nuclear design with safety at the forefront, automatic safety systems to enhance the containment and rigorous environmental standards.”
But Alfred Meyer, treasurer of Physicians for Social Responsibility’s New York chapter, was unconvinced.
He said nuclear power is a “very slow, expensive and dangerous” way to generate electricity that takes away resources from faster, cheaper renewable options while leaving behind highly toxic, radioactive waste.
“Nuclear power is not clean or green energy,” he said. “It is damaging to public health and the environment.”
Hochul said the state hasn’t decided on a potential location, but that upstate communities appear receptive, given the potential for creating 1,600 construction jobs and 1,200 permanent jobs once the facility is operational.
“Everybody is raising their hand right now,” Hochul said. “It’s going to be hard to decide.”
Among those likely in the running is the Nine Mile Point nuclear plant in Oswego. Hochul’s administration has been supportive of Maryland power company Constellation’s bid to build a new nuclear reactor at the two-reactor facility.
There are 54 operating nuclear power plants in the country, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
But American utilities have been broadly reluctant to launch new nuclear plants due to high cost overruns and delays on recent high-profile projects.
Georgia Power Company completed the first two new nuclear reactors in the country in a generation last year. Units 3 and 4 at Plant Vogtle in Waynesboro, Georgia, cost nearly $35 billion and were powered up some seven years later than initially hoped.
Last month, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation’s largest public power company, applied to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to develop what it bills as a next-generation nuclear power plant at its Clinch River site in Oak Ridge.
New York currently has three active nuclear plants, all located upstate along Lake Ontario and owned by Constellation. The Nine Mile Point, Robert Emmett Ginna and James A. FitzPatrick plants provide about 3.3 gigawatts of power, or roughly 20% of the state’s electricity, according to Hochul’s office.
The last nuclear power plant built in the state was Unit 2 at Nine Mile Point in 1989. At its peak, nuclear power provided about 5.4 gigawatts, or roughly one-third of the state’s electrical supply, according to the advocacy group Nuclear New York.
The New York Power Authority previously operated two nuclear plants, including the Indian Point Power Plant, which shut down in 2021. That facility was located along the Hudson River some 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of New York City in Buchanan.
The other facility, once operated by the state, was the FitzPatrick plant, which the power authority sold in 2000 and is now run by Constellation.


Thunder beat Pacers for NBA title

Thunder beat Pacers for NBA title

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander walked off the court for the final time this season, collapsed into the arms of coach Mark Daigneault and finally smiled.
It was over.
The climb is complete. The rebuild is done. The Oklahoma City Thunder are champions.
The best team all season was the best team at the end, bringing the NBA title to Oklahoma City for the first time. Gilgeous-Alexander finished off his MVP season with 29 points and 12 assists, and the Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers — who lost Tyrese Haliburton to a serious leg injury in the opening minutes — 103-91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night.
“It doesn’t feel real,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, the Finals MVP. “So many hours. So many moments. So many emotions. So many nights of disbelief. So many nights of belief. It’s crazy to know that we’re all here, but this group worked for it. This group put in the hours and we deserve this.”
Jalen Williams scored 20 points and Chet Holmgren had 18 for the Thunder, who finished off a season for the ages. Oklahoma City won 84 games between the regular season and the playoffs, tying the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls for third most in any season.
Only Golden State (88 in 2016-17) and the Bulls (87 in 2015-16) won more.
It’s the second championship for the franchise. The Seattle SuperSonics won the NBA title in 1979; the team was moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. There’s nothing in the rafters in Oklahoma City to commemorate that title.
In October, a championship banner is finally coming. A Thunder banner.
“They behave like champions. They compete like champions,” Daigneault said. “They root for each other’s success, which is rare in professional sports. I’ve said it many times and now I’m going to say it one more time. They are an uncommon team and now they’re champions.”
The Pacers led 48-47 at the half even after losing Haliburton to what his father said was an Achilles tendon injury about seven minutes into the game. But they were outscored 34-20 in the third quarter as the Thunder built a 13-point lead and began to run away.
“Deflated, but proud of everything we’ve accomplished,” Pacers guard TJ McConnell said.
Bennedict Mathurin had 24 points and 13 rebounds for Indiana, which still is waiting for its first NBA title. The Pacers — who were 10-15 after 25 games and were bidding to be the first team in NBA history to turn that bad of a start into a championship — had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in the series, but they simply didn’t have enough in the end.
Home teams improved to 16-4 in NBA Finals Game 7s. And the Thunder became the seventh champion in the last seven seasons, a run of parity like none other in NBA history.
Pacers forward Pascal Siakam was part of the Toronto team that won in 2019, Thunder guard Alex Caruso was part of the Los Angeles Lakers team that won in the pandemic “bubble” in 2020, Milwaukee won in 2021, Golden State in 2022, Pacers forward Thomas Bryant and Denver prevailed in 2023, and Boston won last year’s title.
And now, the Thunder get their turn. The youngest team to win a title in nearly a half-century has reached the NBA mountaintop.
The Thunder are the ninth franchise to win a title in NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s 12 seasons. His predecessor, David Stern, saw eight franchises win titles in his 30 seasons as commissioner.
“It really hurts on the one hand,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “On the other hand, this team has given all of Pacer Nation something to be very proud of.”


MTA’s Finance Committee has approved a $2.3 billion plan to purchase 316 brand new M9A train cars

MTA’s Finance Committee has approved a $2.3 billion plan to purchase 316 brand new M9A train cars

The MTA approved a $2.3 billion contract to design and manufacture 316 of the new rail cars — 160 for the LIRR and 156 for sister-railroad Metro-North.

The new trains will replace the 100 M3 trains from the 80’s that are still in service on the LIRR. The new M9A train cars would be put in service by 2030, with new amenities including push-button doors on bathrooms and USB ports.

State Education Department denies Massapequa request for mascot ban extension

State Education Department denies Massapequa request for mascot ban extension

The NY State Education Department has denied a request by the Massapequa school district for an extension to comply with the Native American mascots ban.

State officials say nothing has been done to eliminate the use of its ‘Chiefs’ name and the District has said that it has no intention of complying with the ban.

What to know about the conflict between Israel and Iran, and the US intervention

What to know about the conflict between Israel and Iran, and the US intervention

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The United States inserted itself into Israel’s war against Iran, bombing three of the Islamic Republic’s key nuclear sites overnight. U.S. President Donald Trump asserted that the sites were “completely and fully obliterated,” and warned there would be additional strikes if Iran retaliates.
The U.S. strikes came after a week of open conflict between Israel and Iran, sparked by Israel’s sudden barrage of attacks against Iran’s nuclear and military structure.
Israeli strikes began on June 13. Targeting Iranian military and nuclear sites, they killed several top military officials and nuclear scientists. Iran retaliated by firing hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, some of which penetrated the country’s vaunted multi-tiered air defense system. The war so far has killed hundreds of people and wounded more than 1,000 in Iran and killed two dozen and wounded hundreds in Israel.
Iran insists its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes. But Israel views it as an existential threat and has said its military campaign is necessary to prevent Iran from building an atomic weapon.
Although U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Tehran is not actively pursuing a bomb, Trump and Israeli leaders have argued it could quickly assemble a nuclear weapon, making it an imminent threat.
The region has been on edge for the past two years as Israel seeks to annihilate the Hamas militant group, an Iranian ally, in the Gaza Strip, where war still rages after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.
Here’s what to know about the conflict between Israel and Iran, and the United States’ intervention:
US bombs Iran
Trump announced the overnight “massive precision strikes” on Iran’s Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites in a televised address to the nation from the White House. Describing them as “a spectacular military success,” he said they had “completely and fully obliterated” the nuclear sites. Iran, he said, would now have to make peace.
Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization confirmed the attacks, but insisted its nuclear program will not be stopped. Iran and the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said there were no immediate signs of radioactive contamination at the three locations following the strikes.
The nuclear fuel enrichment site at Fordo is buried deep beneath a mountain, and the attack against it used bunker-buster bombs designed to penetrate the ground before exploding, a U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations. Only the United States has the 30,000-pound (13,600-kilogram) munition and the stealth bombers used to deliver them.
Trump warned there would be additional strikes if Tehran retaliated against U.S. forces, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump’s decision to attack.
Iran’s response
Iran launched a barrage of missiles against Israel overnight and into Sunday, with Israeli authorities reporting that more than 80 people were wounded, the vast majority of them lightly.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the time for diplomacy had passed and his country had the right to defend itself.
“The warmongering, a lawless administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far-reaching implications of its act of aggression,” he said in a news conference in Istanbul. “They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities.”
How Tehran might retaliate remains unclear, but an Iranian response could mean a wave of attacks on U.S. forces in the Middle East, an attempt to close a key bottleneck for global oil supplies or a dash to develop a nuclear weapon.
‘A dangerous escalation’
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “gravely alarmed” by the United States’ use of force, and called the strikes a “dangerous escalation.” World leaders issued calls for diplomacy.
“There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control — with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region and the world,” Guterres said in a statement on X. “I call on Member States to de-escalate.”
The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, but urged restraint.
“I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation,” she said in a social media post. Kallas will chair a meeting of the 27-nation bloc’s foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday, with the Israel-Iran war high on the agenda.
Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who had threatened to resume attacks on U.S. vessels in the Red Sea if the Trump administration joined Israel’s military campaign, called on other Muslim nations to form “one front against the Zionist-American arrogance.”
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had warned the U.S. on Wednesday that strikes against Iran would “result in irreparable damage for them.”
The Israeli military said Saturday it was preparing for the possibility of a lengthy war, while Iran’s foreign minister warned before the U.S. attack that American military involvement “would be very, very dangerous for everyone.”

Work begins on the Empire Wind project

Work begins on the Empire Wind project

Work has begun on lay the foundations for the Empire Wind project off Long Islands South Shore. The wind-power turbines are being built 14 miles off the coast of Long Beach.

Hundreds of crew members and more than a dozen ships are working to prepare the seabed with a rock layer to stabilize the 54 turbine foundations

The work follows a nearly two-month pause after the Trump administration ordered a review of the project in April.

Driver killed after crashing into Manhasset Quaker meeting house

Driver killed after crashing into Manhasset Quaker meeting house

An unidentified driver died after crashing into the historic Quaker Meeting House in Manhasset early on Thursday morning. Police say the car struck the building at a high speed, and erupting into flames.

Local fire departments responded to the scene to extinguish the fire. Damage was done to the meeting house that was built in 1812; the cause of the accident is still under investigation by police.

(Press Release) Fatal Vehicular Accident – Manhasset
The Sixth Squad reports the details of a Fatal Vehicular Accident that occurred on Thursday, June 19, 2025 at 5:22 am in Manhasset.

According to Detectives, Sixth Precinct Officers responded to Quaker Meeting House located at 1421 Northern Boulevard for a car into a building. Upon arrival, police observed a 2000 Ford Edge fully engulfed in flames. The Manhasset Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire. The male operator of the vehicle was pronounced at the scene by a Nassau County Police Medic. The building was unoccupied and sustained substantial structural damage. The investigation is ongoing.