Inducted by Long Island’s own Billy Joel, Bill Medley and the Righteous Brothers joined the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2003. Now 82, Bill sat down to chat with WHLI’s Rob Rush before he plays a show in nearby New Jersey.
Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision for The Society of Singers/AP Images
Long Island’s Newsday apologized Sunday after publishing a syndicated cartoon about slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk that sparked fierce backlash from Republican leaders.
Local officials, including Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Rep. Nick LaLota blasted the image as “unconscionable” and urged readers to cancel or boycott the paper.
Newsday said it “deeply regrets this mistake,” has pulled the cartoon from its digital platforms, and extended condolences to Kirk’s family.
MADRID (AP) — A framework deal has been reached between China and the U.S. for the ownership of popular social video platform TikTok, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said after weekend trade talks in Spain.
Bessent said in a press conference after the latest round of trade talks between the world’s two largest economies concluded in Madrid that U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping would speak Friday to possibly finalize the deal. He said the objective was to switch to U.S. ownership from China’s ByteDance.
“We are not going to talk about the commercial terms of the deal,” Bessent said. “It’s between two private parties. But the commercial terms have been agreed upon.”
Li Chenggang, China’s international trade representative, told reporters the sides have reached “basic framework consensus” to resolve TikTok-related issues in a cooperative way, reduce investment barriers and promote related economic and trade cooperation.
The meeting in Madrid is the fourth round of trade talks between U.S. and Chinese officials since Trump launched a tariff war on Chinese goods in April. A fifth round of negotiations is likely to happen “in the coming weeks,” Bessent said, with both governments planning for a possible summit between Trump and Xi later this year or early next year to solidify a trade agreement.
However, nothing has been confirmed, and analysts say possible trade bumps could delay the visit.
Why a TikTok deal is needed
In Madrid, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the team was “very focused on TikTok and making sure that it was a deal that is fair for the Chinese” but also “completely respects U.S. national security concerns.”
Wang Jingtao, deputy director of China’s Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, told reporters in Madrid there was consensus on authorization of “the use of intellectual property rights such as (TikTok’s) algorithm” — a main sticking point in the deal.
The sides also agreed on entrusting a partner with handling U.S. user data and content security, he said.
During Joe Biden’s Democratic presidency, Congress and the White House used national security grounds to approve a U.S. ban on TikTok unless its Chinese parent company sold its controlling stake.
U.S. officials were concerned about ByteDance’s roots and ownership, pointing to laws in China that require Chinese companies to hand over data requested by the government. Another concern became the proprietary algorithm that populates what users see on the app.
Trump, a Republican, has repeatedly extended the deadline for shutting down TikTok. The current extension expires Wednesday, two days before Trump and Xi are scheduled to discuss the final details of the framework deal.
Although Trump hasn’t addressed the forthcoming deadline directly, he has claimed that he can delay the ban indefinitely.
Wendy Cutler, senior vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said it appears that “both sides have found a way forward to transfer ownership to a U.S. company.”
“If accurate, this would represent an important step forward in resolving a lingering bilateral dispute,” she said.
Fentanyl and other issues are still unresolved
Other long-running issues like export controls, Chinese investments in the U.S. and restrictions on chemicals used to make fentanyl also came up. Bessent indicated that money laundering, related to drug trafficking, “was an area of extreme agreement.”
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, who led the Chinese delegation, said the sides held “candid, in-depth and constructive” communications, according to China’s official news agency Xinhua.
But Li, China’s international trade representative, said Beijing opposes the “politicization” and “weaponization” of technology, trade and economic issues, adding that China would “never seek any agreement at the expense of principle, the interests of the companies, and international fairness and justice.”
He criticized the U.S. for overstretching the concept of national security and imposing sanctions on more Chinese companies. Calling it “a typical, unilateral, bullying practice,” Li said China demanded restrictive measures be removed.
“The U.S. side should not on one hand ask China to accommodate its concerns, whilst at the same time continue to suppress Chinese companies,” Li said.
As the weekend talks were underway, Trump said the war in Ukraine would end if all NATO countries stopped buying Russian oil and placed tariffs on China of 50% to 100% for doing so. The Chinese Commerce Ministry on Monday called the demand “a classic example of unilateral bullying and economic coercion.”
A leaders’ summit may be in sight
China’s foreign ministry on Monday did not say if Beijing has invited Trump for a state visit.
Analysts have suggested that the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation countries in South Korea at the end of October could provide an opportunity.
The plan for another round of trade talks is “encouraging but seems to be cutting things close,” Cutler said, adding that more work is needed at lower levels for a Trump-Xi meeting to take place and that there are other opportunities for them to meet next year.
For now, “there is little time to hammer out a meaningful trade agreement,” she said. “What we are more likely to see is a series of ad-hoc deliverables, possibly a Chinese commitment to buy more U.S. soybeans and other products, a U.S. agreement to hold back on announcing certain further U.S. high-tech export controls, and another 90-day rollover of the tariff pause.”
By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Hockey Writer
Ed Giacomin, a Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender and one of the faces of the New York Rangers’ franchise in the 1960s and ’70s, has died. He was 86.
Giacomin died of natural causes, a Rangers spokesperson said after the organization learned of the news from his family. A spokesperson for the NHL Alumni Association said Giacomin died at his home Sunday night.
Known for puck-handling and leaving the crease before it was common practice for netminders, Giacomin won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goalie in 1970-71 and backstopped New York to the Stanley Cup Final in ’72.
“Giacomin routinely heard chants of ‘Ed-die! Ed-die!’ from adoring Madison Square Garden crowds,” the NHL said in a statement. “We send our condolences to Eddie’s family, friends and the many fans he thrilled throughout his memorable career.”
A native of Sudbury, Ontario, Giacomin was a five-time All-Star during more than a decade with the Rangers from 1965-76 before finishing his career with the Detroit Red Wings. His No. 1 is retired in the rafters at Madison Square Garden in New York, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987.
The Rangers in a statement said Giacomin personified what it meant to play for them, adding, “You cannot discuss the history of this organization and not immediately think of Eddie.”
NEW YORK (AP) — A potential strike has been averted that could have shut down the nation’s largest commuter rail system this week.
Unionized workers for the Long Island Railroad announced they voted overwhelmingly Monday to authorize their labor leaders to call a strike if an agreement on a new contract isn’t reached.
But officials representing locomotive engineers, machinists, signalmen and other train workers said they’ve also asked President Donald Trump to intercede by forming an emergency board that delays the potential for a strike at least for a few more months.
Union leaders said the earliest a strike could happen is in January while the Presidential Emergency Board, once formed, reviews the contract dispute and presents its recommendations.
A strike, which could have happened as early as Thursday under federal rules, would have impacted some 250,000 riders who ride the LIRR to work each day to and from New York City and its eastern suburbs.
A work stoppage would have also thrown a wrench in the Ryder Cup, which begins Sept. 26. The three-day men’s golf tournament between players from the U.S. and Europe is expected to bring 225,000 spectators to Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale on Long Island.
“This action does not mean a strike won’t happen, but it does mean it won’t happen now,” said Gil Lang, general chairman for the union representing LIRR locomotive engineers, at a news conference at the union’s office in Manhattan on Monday.
“We will continue to be the adults in the room,” he added. “A strike is the last thing we want, and we’ll do everything we can to avoid that.”
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which oversees the LIRR and other area transit systems, dismissed the union’s announcement as a “cynical delay” that “serves no one.”
“If these unions wanted to put riders first, they would either settle or agree to binding arbitration,” spokesperson John J. McCarthy said in a statement. “And if they don’t want to strike, they should say so — and finally show up to the negotiating table.”
The agency and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul had resisted calling for an emergency board even though they have the power to do so.
Instead, the MTA announced plans last week to provide commuters with free shuttle buses to take them from some LIRR train stations to subway stops in the New York City borough of Queens in the case of a strike.
Hochul, a Democrat, has also blamed the Trump administration in recent days for the prospect of a strike, even as she’s called on both sides to resume negotiations.
Spokespersons for the White House and the U.S. Department of Transportation didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
The last LIRR worker strike happened more than three decades ago and lasted about two days in 1994. Workers nearly walked out in 2014 before then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo reached a deal with unions.
In this most recent contract dispute, five labor unions representing about half the train system’s workforce are seeking a 16% raise over four years. The MTA has proposed a 9.5% wage increase over three years.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Seth Rogen and “The Studio” turned the Emmys into a wrap party, winning best comedy series Sunday and breaking a comedy record for victories in a season with 13, while Noah Wyle and “The Pitt” took the top drama prize.
The evening also brought meaningful wins for Jean Smart, Stephen Colbert and 15-year-old Owen Cooper, whose Netflix series “Adolescence” dominated the limited series categories.
“I’m legitimately embarrassed by how happy this makes me,” “The Studio” co-creator Rogen said with his signature giggle, surrounded by cast and crew from the Apple TV+ movie-business romp after it won best comedy at the Peacock Theater in a show hosted by Nate Bargatze that aired on CBS. Rogen personally won four, including best actor.
“The Pitt” from HBO Max completed a sentimental journey with its win for best drama series. The character-driven medical drama won over viewers and gained emotional momentum during a season whose biggest drama prizes once seemed destined to be swept by “Severance.”
Wyle won best actor in a drama for playing a grizzled, warm-but-worn-down supervising doctor, getting his first Emmy after five nominations with no victories in the 1990s for playing a scrubbed young cub doctor on “ER.”
“What a dream this has been,” Wyle said. “Oh my goodness.”
Katherine LaNasa, whose nurse is perhaps the show’s most beloved character, was a surprise winner of best supporting actress in a drama over three women of “The White Lotus” on a night when every acting Emmy but one went to a first-time victor.
The first-timers included Britt Lower, who won best actress in a drama, and Tramell Tillman, who won best supporting actor, in the night’s two biggest moments for “Severance.”
Along with its creative arts wins, the Orwellian workplace satire ended up with eight for its acclaimed second season. Star Adam Scott lost out to Wyle for best actor.
The show’s losses kept the evening from being a total triumph for Apple TV+, which has still never won a best drama prize, though it has now won best comedy three times between “The Studio” and “Ted Lasso.”
Lower’s win was a surprise in a category where Kathy Bates was considered a heavy favorite, for “Matlock.”
Cristin Milioti won best actress in a limited series for “The Penguin.”
Jean Smart bucked the rookie trend, winning her fourth Emmy for best actress in a comedy for “Hacks” and her seventh Emmy overall. At 73, she extended her record for oldest winner in the category.
‘Adolescence’ triumphs
Netflix’s widely acclaimed “Adolescence,” the story of a 13-year-old in Britain accused of a killing, won six times, including the Emmy for best limited series. Co-creator Stephen Graham won for lead acting and writing while Cooper won best supporting actor and became the youngest Emmy winner in over 40 years.
Cooper said in his acceptance that he was “nothing three years ago.”
“It’s just so surreal,” Cooper said. “Honestly, when I started these drama classes a couple years back, I didn’t expect to be even in the United States, never mind here.”
Best supporting actress went to Erin Doherty, who played a therapist opposite Cooper in a riveting episode that like all four “Adolescence” episodes was filmed in a single shot.
A blockbuster night for ‘The Studio’
“The Studio” came into the evening having won nine Emmys already during last weekend’s Creative Arts ceremony. On Sunday night, it added four more, which all went to Rogen. Along with the comedy series award, he won best directing with his co-creator and longtime collaborator Evan Goldberg, and best writing with Goldberg and others.
The show brought blockbuster buzz for its first season from the start and the Emmys ate it up, whether because of Hollywood’s love for stories about itself (with A-list guest stars) or the television industry’s love for stories that mock the self-importance of movie people.
Backstage, Rogen clumsily tried to hold up all four Emmys at once. Asked whether the night will be fodder for season two, he said no.
“This is, like, far too good a thing to have happen on our show,” he said. “Our show is generally based on stress and disappointment and right now, we’re all very happy.”
A night of surprise winners
Smart’s castmate and constant scene partner Hannah Einbinder, who had also been nominated for all four seasons of “Hacks” but unlike Smart had never won, took best supporting actress in a comedy.
She said she had become committed to a long-term bit where “it was cooler to lose.”
“But this is cool too!” she shouted, then ended her speech by cursing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and saying “Free Palestine!” Political sentiments from the stage were otherwise rare.
In perhaps the night’s biggest upset, Jeff Hiller won best supporting actor in a comedy for “Somebody Somewhere,” over Ike Barinholtz of “The Studio” and others.
Colbert gets a rousing send-off
Colbert may have been the night’s most popular winner, taking best talk series for “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” for the first time. He got huge ovations both when he took the stage to present the first award and when he won.
The win may have been the result of a protest vote and a desire to pay tribute to its host, weeks after its cancellation by CBS. Jimmy Kimmel, who was among his competitors, campaigned for Colbert to win.
“Sometimes you only truly know how much you love something when you get a sense that you might be losing it,” Colbert said in his acceptance.
Many perceived the end of the show as punishment of Colbert and placation of President Donald Trump after Colbert was harshly critical of a legal settlement between the president and Paramount, which needed administration approval for a sale to Skydance Media. Executives called the decision strictly financial.
Colbert showed no bitterness to CBS, thanking the network, which telecast the Emmys and aired a commercial celebrating his win, for letting him be part of the late-night tradition.
Bargatze delivered his opening monologue only after the first award was handed out.
The show opened with a sketch where “Saturday Night Live” stars Mikey Day, Bowen Yang and James Austin Johnson joined Bargatze, who played television inventor Philo T. Farnsworth opining on what the future of TV will be like.
Bargatze-as-Farnsworth mentions that there will one day be a Black Entertainment Television. When asked if there will be a network for white people, he replied, “Why, CBS of course.”
For more coverage of this year’s Emmy Awards, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/emmy-awards
NEW YORK (AP) — Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday urged New Yorkers to vote Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New York City, giving the Democratic nominee one of his most significant endorsements to date in the contest to lead the nation’s biggest city.
Writing in the New York Times’ opinion section, Hochul said that while she and Mamdani diverged on some issues, they came together on the importance of addressing the affordability crisis in the city and across the state.
“But in our conversations, I heard a leader who shares my commitment to a New York where children can grow up safe in their neighborhoods and where opportunity is within reach for every family,” wrote Hochul, a Democrat. “I heard a leader who is focused on making New York City affordable — a goal I enthusiastically support.”
The stunning success of Mamdani, a 33-year-old self-described democratic socialist, in the race for New York City mayor has exposed divisions within the Democratic Party as it struggles to repair its brand more than half a year into Donald Trump’s presidency. Hochul’s endorsement is the latest sign that Democratic leaders who had been skeptical of Mamdani’s liberal views are beginning to consolidate around him.
Mamdani thanked Hochul for the boost, saying it’s a sign “our movement is growing stronger.”
“Governor Hochul has made affordability the centerpiece of her work. I look forward to fighting alongside her to continue her track record of putting money back in New Yorkers’ pockets and building a safer and stronger New York City where no one is forced to leave just so they can afford to raise a family,” Mamdani said in a statement Sunday night. “I’m grateful to the Governor for her support in unifying our party — as well as the work she’s done standing up to President Trump, securing free lunch meals for our kids, and expanding access to childcare.”
In recent weeks, the other candidates in the race — former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, incumbent Mayor Eric Adams and Republican Curtis Sliwa — have intensified their criticism of Mamdani over his platform and past statements ahead of the city’s general election in November.
Hochul said another reason she decided to back Mamdani was his vow that he would make sure the New York Police Department had the resources it needs to keep the city’s streets and subways safe.
“I urged him to ensure that there is strong leadership at the helm of the N.Y.P.D. — and he agreed,” Hochul wrote.
Mamdani, who is leading in the polls, has not been endorsed by some prominent Democrats, including Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, the minority leaders in the U.S. Senate and House.
U.S. House Republican Leadership Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, a New York congresswoman, said Hochul’s endorsement is a sign that the governor is moving left to shore up falling poll numbers.
“At the exact moment when New Yorkers are looking for strong leadership from their Governor with a majority opposing Zohran Mamdani, Kathy Hochul embraces this raging Communist who will destroy New York making it less affordable and more dangerous — once again putting criminals and communists first, and New Yorkers LAST,” Stefanik said in a Sunday statement.
Mamdani soundly defeated Cuomo in the Democratic primary. Cuomo has since relaunched his campaign as an independent. Adams, a Democrat, skipped the primary to run as an independent in November. Sliwa ran unopposed in the Republican primary.
Hochul served as lieutenant governor to Cuomo and replaced him after he stepped down in 2021 following a barrage of sexual harassment allegations. He denied wrongdoing during the campaign, maintaining that the scandal was driven by politics.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields left in the fourth quarter of the 30-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills with a concussion.
After being sacked by Joey Bosa, Fields was checked out in the injury tent on the Jets’ sideline and emerged several minutes later with a towel over his head. The quarterback then walked inside to the locker room for further evaluation.
Tyrod Taylor replaced Fields with 12:03 remaining in the game and the Jets losing 30-3.
Fields and the Jets’ offense struggled mightily against Buffalo. He was only 3 of 11 for 27 yards before leaving the game. Fields also ran for 49 yards on five carries.
Taylor went 7 of 11 for 56 yards and a touchdown to Jeremy Ruckert in place of Fields.
Fields will be evaluated during the week and it’s uncertain if he’ll be ready to play in the Jets’ next game at Tampa Bay next Sunday.
Jets edge rusher Jermaine Johnson (ankle), nickel cornerback Michael Carter II (shoulder) and safety Tony Adams (groin) also left the game with injuries.
Police say an 84-year-old woman was seriously injured during a violent carjacking at the Walmart on Nesconset Highway in Setauket Thursday.
According to investigators, the victim was parking her Subaru Forester when she stepped out to move a shopping cart. That’s when 34-year-old Dareine Heller of Holbrook allegedly jumped into the driver’s seat, shoved the woman to the ground, and ran her over while fleeing.
The victim was dragged a short distance before Heller sped off, hitting a pole, stop sign, another vehicle, and a brick wall in the process.
She was later arrested at a home in Centereach. The victim was hospitalized with serious injuries.
Heller faces multiple charges, including robbery, assault, reckless endangerment, leaving the scene of an accident, and drug possession. She is scheduled to be arraigned Friday.
Long Island Rail Road commuters may face a full shutdown starting Thursday, September 18, if a deal isn’t reached between the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and several unions.
A federally mandated 30-day cooling-off period expires September 18, clearing the way for a legal strike.
Negotiations continue this week. The MTA and unions both say they want to avoid a shutdown, but no deal has been reached.
Commuters should sign up for LIRR service alerts and plan alternate routes.
NEW YORK (AP) — When longtime friends David Paine and Jay Winuk set out to encourage people to take part in volunteer and service projects on the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, their goal was simple: to turn a day of unimaginable tragedy into a day for doing good.
Now, as the nation prepares to mark the 24th anniversary of 9/11, that lofty mission has evolved into a national day of service where people across the country participate in projects that honor the nearly 3,000 dead.
The nationwide effort kicked off Wednesday as thousands of volunteers began assembling packaged meals for needy New Yorkers in a festive atmosphere aboard the USS Intrepid.
Teams of volunteers filled small plastic bags with various ingredients for making a kind of jambalaya, including uncooked rice, dehydrated vegetables, lentils, salt and other seasonings, as a DJ blasted upbeat tunes from the wing of an aircraft carrier-turned-museum.
“The vision was to create a ritual,” said Winuk, co-founder and executive vice president of 9/11 Day, the nonprofit organizing the event. “We couldn’t know that it would continue to resonate with people more than two decades later.”
The two-day event, which runs through Thursday, aims to package more than two million meals for local food banks. It is among 25 large-scale volunteer service projects being organized in some two dozen cities across the country, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle.
Overall, 9/11 Day estimates some 30 million Americans will participate in some form with the day of service, which Congress enshrined into law in 2009.
Beside meal packing, volunteers will be taking part in food and clothing drives, park and neighborhood cleanups, blood banks and other community events, the organization says. Even smaller acts of kindness count, like greeting strangers on the street or holding the door for someone.
“It’s really just meant to be a day when we remember and rekindle the way we all felt and the way that we all behaved in the immediate aftermath of the attack,” said Paine, who co-founded 9/11 Day and serves as its president. “When we weren’t red states or blue states. We were just human beings wanting to help one another.”
Winuk says it’s been “gratifying” to see Americans embrace the call to service and good deeds. His brother, Glenn Winuk, died on Sept. 11 while serving as volunteer firefighter and EMT.
“Glenn would have been first in line for this kind of thing. He lived his life and died in service to other people,” he said.
The call seems to be resonating in particular with the some 100 million younger Americans born after the 2001 attacks, Paine added.
“The amazing thing about 9/11 was that it brought our country together in a way that we had never experienced before, and I think there’s a longing for that sense of unity again,” he said. “I think that’s especially true for young people deeply discouraged by the kind of division, divisiveness, that they are feeling.”
John Danyliouk was among the young volunteers taking part in the meal pack for the first time.
The 25-year-old Queens resident said he was just a year old when the attacks happened and said his mother would talk about the trauma of being in lower Manhattan at the time.
“Being able to see 9/11 as the day of remembrance and service instead of a day that’s tragic, to change that viewpoint and have people come out and give back, I think, is a really good thing,” Danyliouk said.