Suffolk’s Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory won his fourth term Tuesday to lead the 18-member county legislature for another year, vowing to focus on county’s budget problems.

Gregory was voted in on an 11-5 party line vote, with Republican lawmakers nominating Legis. Kevin McCaffrey, GOP caucus leader, as a symbolic alternative.

Despite his candidacy, McCaffrey complimented Gregory on being evenhanded with the minority Republicans.

Legis. Steve Stern (D-Dix Hills) and Tom Muratore (R-Ronkonkoma) were not present, but had excused absences.

Gregory said after the vote that he plans to name an ad hoc budget committee in the next few weeks to concentrate on cutting the county’s structural deficit, more closely scrutinize spending by county contractors and tackle fiscal matters lawmakers did...| read more ››

ALBANY — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo established a statewide “hotline” Tuesday to report hate and bias crimes and incidents after an “explosion” in “bias-motivated events,” including displays of swastikas and Confederate flags in White Plains, Wellsville, Geneseo and other parts of New York following Donald Trump’s win in the presidential election.

Cuomo, a Democrat, said the State Police, the state Division of Human Rights and university police around New York would investigate acts he called not only immoral but illegal.

“They were very, very troubling and we want to make a clear statement in this state: That there is no place for racism. No place for hate. No place for swastikas. And there is no place for racially inflammatory rhetoric...| read more ››