27Speaks

The Kmart in the Bridgehampton Commons, the last full-size Kmart store in the continental United States, closed its doors for good on Sunday. But as the South Fork says goodbye to blue light specials, it appears that another big box store, Target, is preparing to take over the 90,000-square-foot retail space. On this week's podcast, the editors discuss the fate of the Bridgehampton Kmart, the reas...

Is the health care system on Long Island broken? What can the federal government do to make sure that Suffolk County residents have health care infrastructure that will keep them safe and healthy? What does having a “public option” really mean? Hear 1st District Republican Congressman Nick LaLota and Democratic congressional candidate John Avlon share their views on the issue in their own words, r...

There are numerous passionate residents offering input, though the conversations are splintered and many voices are competing. A major proposal by the Shinnecock Nation for a gas station off Sunrise Highway — and, in the longer term, development on the bluff at Westwoods — has sparked concern among Hampton Bays residents. But there are other pressures: a developer has amassed parcels and has a vis...

For nearly a decade, the Spanish Embassy’s Ministry of Culture, Education and Sports has recognized each of Southampton’s public schools as an International Spanish Academy, which implements a Spanish-English dual language immersion curriculum with the support of the ministry. The dual language program has helped students from Spanish-speaking households become proficient in English, and vice vers...

Women’s rights are under scrutiny in a way they have not been in a generation. What is the federal government’s role in protecting women’s rights? Where do most Americans actually stand on the right to abortion? Hear 1st District Republican Congressman Nick LaLota and Democratic congressional candidate John Avlon share their views on the issue in their own words, recorded in two separate panel int...

The feature-length mockumentary “The Premiere,” which was shot on the East End, will have its world premiere at Guild Hall this Thursday, October 10, as part of the Hamptons International Film Festival. Hamptons residents will see many familiar faces on screen, as this film uses true locals in its cast of characters. The premise of the film is a documentary about the debut production of "Scream: T...

Is the 1st District safer now than it was a year ago? How can the federal government address such a localized issue as criminal justice? How does the Second Amendment come into play in conversations around public safety? Hear 1st District Republican Congressman Nick LaLota and Democratic congressional candidate John Avlon share their views on the issue in their own words, recorded in two separate...

Westhampton resident Jack Weber is 100 years old and the subject of “Lessons From 100,” a forthcoming short documentary that will feature Weber in conversation with his grandson as they explore his life, how the world has changed over the last century and what has led to his incredible longevity. Joining the editors this week to talk about his life and the film are Jack Weber, his grandson, filmma...

Much of the economy of the 1st Congressional District on Long Island depends on immigrant laborers, making immigration a key issue in the race for the congressional seat between 1st District Republican Congressman Nick LaLota and Democratic candidate John Avlon. Hear them share their views on the issue in their own words, recorded in two separate panel interviews in September 2024 at WLIW-FM studi...

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand joins the editors on 27Speaks this week to discuss the status of the Equal Rights Amendment, which could have implications on reproductive rights, as well as her push for more funding to combat tick-borne illnesses, particularly Lyme disease, and legislation to address and prevent traumatic brain injuries among members of the U.S. Armed Forces.

The state of the economy is one of the most pressing issues across the country, but in the 1st congressional district it's especially urgent to address ever-rising costs of living, record-breaking housing costs, and a dwindling middle class. Democratic congressional candidate John Avlon and 1st District Republican Congressman Nick LaLota hold distinct philosophies on solving the economic problems...

For the residents of a smattering of streets that can only get out of their neighborhoods via accessing County Road 39, the South Fork traffic situation far transcends inconvenience. Terrifying, nerve-wracking and life-threatening are the terms many use to describe their predicament. A group of residents of the Greenfield Road neighborhood join the editors and reporter Michael Wright on the podcas...

Miniature whaleboats have been a hallmark of HarborFest in Sag Harbor going back to the 1960s, when author John Steinbeck and others founded the annual event, originally known as the Old Whalers Festival. The whaleboats went under a long-overdue restoration this year to keep them afloat for many HarborFests to come. HarborFest Whaleboat Committee leader Gavin Menu, who is also a co-publisher of Th...

A replica of the Amistad docked in Montauk in August, during the same week in 1839 when the original Amistad came aground at Culloden Point in Montauk. The schooner became famous after the Mende people onboard, who had been abducted in Africa to be sold into slavery, revolted against their captors. The ship was seized, and the Mende were put on trial in Connecticut for mutiny. Ultimately, the cour...

The Express News Group and WLIW-FM are collaborating on separate, issues-based interviews with incumbent Republican U.S. Representative Nick LaLota and Democratic challenger John Avlon. The interviews serve as a way to drill down on topics of importance to the East End and the entire 1st Congressional District and get the candidates on the record about their plans and positions. Diane Masciale, th...

Express News Group interns Hope Hamilton and Dan Stark join the editors to discuss their experience this summer.

Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League President Sandi Kruel and Tom Gleeson, the league's director of development, join the editors on 27Speaks to discuss HCBL's history and the current season.

When Aby Rosen, a billionaire real estate mogul, and his son, Charlie, decided to add the Southampton Village movie theater to their extensive portfolio of properties, they weren’t seeing dollar signs. Instead, they say, they were drawn to the historic but rundown theater — which went dark and has stayed that way since the start of the pandemic — for more personal reasons. During a recent exclusiv...

East Hampton Town is considering a proposal for the site of the former Stern’s department store to be redeveloped with 48 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, which will then be sold to local employers to house their employees. Kirby Marcantonio, the publisher of Montauk Life and Hamptons Life magazines, and a group of investors is pitching the novel solution to East Hampton’s workforce housin...

Roundabouts and other measures to help move traffic along are being explored at difficult intersections and chronically backed-up roads across the South Fork. Reporters Stephen Kotz and Michael Wright join the editors on the podcast this week to discuss specific proposals.

East Hampton Village recently banned late-night restaurant clubs and prohibited all restaurants in the historic districts from staying open past 11:30 p.m. The village's moves were designed to head off rumored plans to turn the Hedges Inn into an exclusive club akin to Manhattan's Zero Bond. Reporter Christopher Walsh, who has written on the topic, joins the editors on the podcast to discuss.

Father Alexander Karloutsos, the protopresbyter of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese's representative to the White House, joins the editors on the podcast to discuss his relationship with President Joe Biden and past presidents going back to Jimmy Carter. In 2022, Biden presented Father Alex with the Presidential Medal of Free...

Launched in 2017, The Gates Scholarship, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is based on evidence that “by eliminating the financial barriers to college, a last-dollar scholarship can enable high-potential, low-income minority students to excel in their course work, graduate college, and continue to be leaders throughout their lives.” It becomes evident early on during a conversation...

In Shinnecock Hills, an ancestral Shinnecock burial ground is back under the stewardship of the Shinnecock Indian Nation. The site is adjacent to the summit of Sugar Loaf Hill, land that has been used by the Shinnecock and other Indigenous people from as far away as New England for cremation and interment. A house deemed historic, but not yet landmarked, sits on the land, and the question of what...

Rex Heuermann, who is suspected of being the Gilgo serial killer, was charged last week with two more murders, including one victim who was discovered in North Sea in 1993. Reporter Michael Wright joins the editors on the podcast this week to discuss the new charges and the case's new connection to Southampton.