Choose your location
LATEST NEWS
Suburban New York county bans masks meant to hide people's identities
MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) — Suburban New York officials looking to stop violent protesters from obscuring their identities have banned wearing masks in public except for health or religious reasons. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, a Republican, signed the legislation Wednesday, calling it a “bill that protects the public.” Nassau County is on Long Island just east of New York City. The county’s Republican-controlled Legislature approved the ban on face coverings on Aug. 5. Legislator Howard Kopel said lawmakers were responding to “antisemitic incidents, often perpetrated by those in masks” since the Oct. 7 start of the Israel-Hamas war. The law makes it a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine for anyone in Nassau to wear a face covering to hide their identity in public. It exempts people who wear masks “for health, safety, religious or cultural purposes, or for the peaceful celebration of a holiday or similar religious or cultural event for which masks or facial coverings are customarily worn.”
Nassau County's Mask Ban Signed Into Law; Here's Possible Sentence For Violations
On Long Island, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed the “Mask Transparency Act” into law during a ceremony held Wednesday morning, Aug. 14. It came a little more than a week after the Republican-controlled county legislature passed the act by a vote of 12-0 on Monday, Aug. 5. All seven Democrats abstained from voting.
Long Island Lawmakers Approve Controversial Mask Ban
Legislators in Nassau County, New York approved a controversial bill banning people from using masks as a means to disguise or conceal their identity.Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed the bill into law at a public event on Wednesday. The County Legislature approved it last week in a vote that saw all 12 Republicans voting in favor while all seven Democrats abstained.“Take your mask off. Don’t be a coward,” Blakeman said at a press conference after the signing, insisting that “this is a bill that is going to protect the public.”The bill was drafted by Nassau County Legislator Mazi Melesa...
Nassau County executive signs protest mask ban, urges state and city to follow suit
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signs a bill that bans face coverings in public. The law prohibits groups from wearing masks to conceal identities during protests, sparking debate amid ongoing tensions. [ more › ]
Nassau Police Conducting Search for Missing Freeport Teen; Have You Seen Autumn McDegganlee?
The Missing Persons Squad report the details of a Missing Juvenile that occurred on Tuesday, August 13, 2024 at 12:00 pm in Freeport. According to Detectives, Autumn McDegganlee, 14, was last seen leaving Freeport High School. She is described as a female Black, 5’2” tall, 95 lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes. Her destination and clothing description are unknown.
Opposition grows immediately as mask ban becomes law
MINEOLA, N.Y. (PIX11) — Police can stop a person and question them if they’re wearing a mask, and officers determine that the mask is being worn for suspicious reasons. That’s what a new, first-in-the-nation law allows. It was formally adopted in a signing ceremony Wednesday morning, and within minutes, opposition to the measure started building. […]
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.