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The editorial board had a long debate over the National Security Agency’s systematic surveillance of people’s phone calls and online activity. Editorial writer Joe Dolman argued that surveillance is essential to prevent terrorist attacks. Board member Lane Filler, who is often at odds with Dolman on such issues, said we need to be wary of government intrusion into our privacy.

The board came...

The editorial board is surprised at revelations that the National Security Agency is collecting the phone records of private citizens through Verizon. The Obama administration’s apparent interpretation of the Patriot Act seems too broad a sweep.

Board member Alvin Bessent says he’s somewhat reassured that the NSA sought a warrant and is only looking at phone numbers, not the content of the...

The editorial board debated the wisdom of President Barack Obama appointing Susan Rice as his national security adviser. Rice is a political hot-button, given her involvement in issuing false information after the U.S. embassy attacks in Benghazi, Libya, last September 11.

“He’s doing something that seems to have a politically huge cost, and she’s not head and shoulders above everyone else”...

Editorial board member Jerry McKinstry is attending a meeting this morning with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary Maurice A. Jones. Jones is in Westchester to talk about the county’s obligations under the Fair and Affordable Housing Settlement. Integrating upscale neighborhoods with affordable homes is the issue, and Westchester appears to be a national test case...

The editorial board is concerned that Suffolk County pulled out of two anti-gang efforts, given that the two fatal shootings in Central Islip appear to have been gang-related. What were Suffolk County’s motives for disbanding the police department’s centralized gang unit, and for leaving the Long Island Gang Task Force? Was it money or policing strategy? We’re looking into this.

We’re confused...

We’re taking a look at the State Legislature’s casino decision for Sunday. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's proposal to build casinos in two phases, five years apart, doesn’t make sense to the editorial board. For one thing, it’s important for New York to act quickly if it wants to capture a share of the casino market. Western Massachusetts and the Philadelphia area are planning casinos too. Also, concern...

The editorial board held a short meeting today because we had a visit from Ellen Biben, who is stepping down as the executive director of the Joint Commission on Public Ethics, and Daniel Horowitz, chairman of JCOPE. The discussion was eye-opening, and we plan to editorialize about this important agency in the near future.

For tomorrow, we’re looking at legislative proposals to...

The editorial board will be speaking with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s office this afternoon about his proposal to give tax-free status to companies that locate onto SUNY campuses. There are some blanks we want to fill in, but we plan at this point to write about the idea for tomorrow’s paper. One question is, would this be a good fit for all SUNY campuses? And, would it create a competitive disadvantage...

With Memorial Day behind us and summer unofficially begun, the editorial board is talking about a proposal in Albany to require boating-safety courses for new operators. Many on the board feel this is a good idea. Is there another instance when someone can operate a heavy vehicle like a boat with no prior training? However, many in the boating community are against the bill and see it as harassment....

There's so much noise around school testing this year that one would think "high-stakes" and "standardized" were New York's newest cuss words.

The noise has been so distracting that it took me quite a while to understand what's really been going on in classrooms. I had thought that the Common Core was a new curriculum fad, one of the many waves to roll through over the...