Northeast
New York county passes face mask ban
Wearing masks in public as a way to hide one’s identity will soon be illegal in one suburban New York county.
Lawmakers in Nassau County approved a bill on Monday criminalizing the wearing of face masks in public places, with exemptions for people who cover their faces for health reasons or religious or cultural purposes. Supporters of the bill in the Republican-controlled Long Island county say it would prevent violent protesters from hiding their identity.
The bill was introduced by Republican District 10 legislator Mazi Pilip, who told Fox News Digital over the phone Tuesday that lawmakers heard residents “loud and clear” when they expressed their desire to feel safe in their communities.
“Nassau County yesterday took the lead,” Pilip said, referencing how Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has been talking about a similar statewide ban since May, but has yet to take action.
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A pro Palestinian demonstrator blocks their face during a march through Greenwich Village, May 3, 2024, in New York City, New York. A refusal to be photographed by the media in public spaces while peacefully demonstrating is common amongst a new generation of political activists.
“I respect the freedom of speech,” said Pilip, who ran for Congress in a special election earlier this year but lost to Rep. Tom Suozzi. “I think we encourage people to come, to rally, to express their concern. That’s the beautiful thing about our country. However, there is no way we will support people who [are] hiding their faces and basically attacking or spreading hate speech and encouraging others to do so. We are not going to allow that.”
Mask wearing became the norm during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but was also observed more recently during anti-Israel demonstrations. Legislator Howard Kopel said the measure was introduced in response to “antisemitic incidents, often perpetrated by those in masks” since the Oct. 7 start of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
New York Civil Liberties Union Nassau County regional director Susan Gottehrer defended the use of masks during protests.
“Masks protect people who express political opinions that are unpopular,” Gottehrer said in a statement reported by the Associated Press. “Making anonymous protest illegal chills political action and is ripe for selective enforcement, leading to doxxing, surveillance, and retaliation against protesters.”
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Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, at podium, speaks during a news conference in Mineola, N.Y., Wednesday, March 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Philip Marcelo, File)
Monday’s vote by the Nassau County Legislature was along party lines, with 12 in agreement and seven legislators abstaining, FOX 5 New York reported.
Democratic Legislator Arnold Drucker said before the vote that the bill “overstepped and could be detrimental to First Amendment rights.”
County Executive Bruce Blakeman disagreed.
“Unless someone has a medical condition or a religious imperative, people should not be allowed to cover their face in a manner that hides their identity when in public,” Blakeman said in a statement reported by FOX 5.
After Blakeman signs the bill, which he is expected to, wearing a mask in public will be a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine for anyone wearing a face covering to hide their identity in public.
A participant seen wearing a face mask as a protest sign. Youth activists with the Youth Climate Finance Alliance and other youth groups, as well as adults from various New York City-based climate and climate justice groups, held a rally outside JPMorgan’s headquarters in New York during their Annual Shareholder Meeting to pressure the bank to heed its investors who are voting in favor of a proposed resolution to stop funding fossil fuel expansion. (Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images)
When it comes to determining whether someone is wearing it for criminal, medical or religious purposes, Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said officers would know the difference. He was also previously quoted in Newsday saying, “We are not going to just arrest someone for wearing a mask. We are going to go up to the person and talk to them and find out.”
Dozens of public speakers for and against the bill packed legislative chambers Monday. One woman was arrested for being disruptive, PIX 11 reported.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has also supported the concept of banning masks, saying in June that he supports using such a measure to curb crime.
“I’m a strong supporter of the decision of stopping masks on our subway system, masks in protests, and masks in other areas where it’s not… health-related,” Adams said.
“Masks are not new and covering your face while you do terrible things is not new,” he added. “There were these guys that used to ride around with hoods in the deep south. So, cowards cover their faces.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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GREENE TWP., Pa. (WKBN) – A 17-year-old Greenville boy on a minibike was killed in a crash over the weekend in Mercer County.
The crash happened around 5:30 p.m. Saturday.
A family member identified the victim as Ethan Guthrie, who attended Reynolds High School.
A Pennsylvania State Police report states that the teenager was driving a minibike traveling westbound on state Route 58 in the eastbound lane. A 2003 Lincoln Town Car driven by a 23-year-old man from Jamestown was traveling east in the eastbound lane.
The report states that the Town Car swerved to the right to avoid a head-on crash, while the minibike swerved to the left and hit the front end of the Town Car.
Guthrie, who was wearing a helmet, was transported to UPMC Greenville but died from his injuries.
Pennsylvania State Police were investigating the crash.
Hanna Erdmann and Kristen Hephner contributed to this report.
Rhode Island State Police said Tuesday that a dump truck that was left in the up position struck a bridge over Route 146 in Lincoln.
The crash happened at about 11 p.m. Monday at Breakneck Hill Road.
State police said their preliminary investigation showed the truck dumped a load of material south of Breakneck Hill Road, headed north with the dump body in the “full up” position and struck the overpass.
The driver complained of pain, but no other injuries were reported.
State police said Route 146 was shut down at 11:09 p.m. and re-opened at 2:10 a.m. after the truck was removed and Department of Transportation inspectors cleared the bridge. Traffic was detoured during the closure.
State police said they towed away the truck for inspection.
They said the truck is owned by A. Furtado’s Paving in East Providence, a private company sub-contracted by DOT. It was part of a paving project on Route 146.
Rabies is significantly on the rise among wild animals in Vermont, according to Vermont health officials. In response, the state and federal government are ramping up joint efforts to vaccinate wildlife against the disease.
Officials plan to put over 900,000 doses in bait they’ll distribute across 10 counties in Vermont. Workers in early May will drop the bait from low-flying aircraft in rural areas, and place it by hand in more densely-populated places.
Little blister packs covered in a waxy green coating will hold the vaccine. They’re scented to attract raccoons and skunks.
If you encounter these blister packs while you’re out, it’s important to leave them alone so wild animals can find them, said Vermont public health veterinarian Natalie Kwit.
“The way it works is they pick them up, they bite into it. It’s kind of like a pressurized liquid packet, and it bursts in their mouth, and then they swallow it, and it gets them vaccinated,” she said.
If your pet accidentally eats one of these blister packs, Kwit said they should be fine. But the health department wants you to call anyway to let them know.
Rabies is a deadly virus that attacks the brain and nervous system. Infected animals spread the disease through their saliva. In Vermont, it is most often found in raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats.
There were 66 rabid animals reported in both 2024 and 2025, more than double the previous annual average in Vermont. So far this year, 16 animals have been found to be rabid. While counties across northern Vermont have been affected, the greatest number of recent cases have been in Orleans County.
The vaccine bait drop is a joint project between the state and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which has been running the program across the eastern seaboard since the 1990s.
Officials also plan to conduct the regular, annual statewide bait drop in August. This year is the fourth consecutive year that Vermont has scheduled an extra bait drop in response to rising cases.
Rabies cases are up nationally, although officials say they’re still trying to understand why.
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