Latest news with #LongIslander
New York Post
13-07-2025
- General
- New York Post
No bull! These are the wildest recent exotic-animal rescues in NYC, LI
John Di Leonardo got a shocking call when a Long Island bull that famously escaped slaughter in 2023 was finally found after two months on the lam in Suffolk County. 'We were on the phone with the police. They said, 'We're gonna shoot him,' ' Di Leonardo, Humane Long Island's executive director and anthrozoologist, recently recalled to The Post. 'I yelled, 'No, don't do that! I'll get a sanctuary on the way! I'll be right there!' So thankfully, they listened and just corralled him and did not take that shot they had planned,' he said. 7 John Di Leonardo has dedicated his life to rescuing animals in need. Dennis A. Clark The frantic intervention landed the iconically brash bovine, aptly renamed 'Bully Joel' after another famous Long Islander, a peaceful life in New Jersey. It also was just is one of many wild encounters Di Leonardo has had on the job, where he strives to protect all creatures great and small from Manhattan to Montauk. 'We save about 1,200 animals a year,' Di Leonardo said on the grounds of Humane Long Island's Baiting Hollow facility, where he and his wife, Juliana, care for animals before their new, safe forever home gets finalized. 7 Di Leonardo has helped rescue several bulls and cows on Long Island. Courtesy of John Di Leonardo 'We get animals in every single week. It could be a handful — or it could be 200,' said Di Leonardo, who has safely wrangled many other bulls in his job as well. Di Leonardo's role is treating critters that are either abandoned or rescued from harrowing circumstances across Long Island and parts of New York City, such as a small kangaroo — also called a wallaby — named 'Jackie Legs' who was recovered from the Coney Island boardwalk in 2023. 'We actually got a call about him being exploited in Madison Square Park. There was a guy charging money for pictures,' he said, recalling that a concerned citizen had no luck with police, as they were unfamiliar with legal technicalities. 7 He helped save 'Jackie Legs' the wallaby, too. Courtesy of John Di Leonardo Eventually, Di Leonardo teamed up with the NYPD's animal cruelty unit to create an undercover operation, using the volunteer caller as a spy to tail the marsupial's handler, then 22-year-old Michael Gibbons, who had bought his pet for nearly $4,000. 'She sat on him for a couple of hours while the authorities got themselves together, got down there and confiscated that wallaby,' Di Leonardo said. 'Now he lives in a sanctuary where he's living a much more natural life.' Another time last year, the animal rescuer had the task of handling a South African ostrich, also known as a lesser rhea, found inside a Bellmore, LI, basement with several other exotic animals. 7 Di Leonardo said this South African ostrich found in a Long Island basement. Courtesy of John Di Leonardo 'It was huge at 5 months old — almost as tall as me,' he said. 'She was surrounded by venomous reptiles, and I'm sure she was terrified.' Other cases involve animal abandonment, such as a recent baker's dozen of ducks rescued from a Brookhaven, LI, park. He said Suffolk County has become an unfortunate recent hotspot for abandoned animals, particularly since the Double D Bar Ranch in Manorville was slammed with 112 animal-neglect counts last winter. 'We had over 160 birds from them,' said Di Leonardo, who's been swung at and gotten death threats while doing his job at times. 7 Humane Long Island is currently taking care of a flock of ducks abandoned in Suffolk County. Dennis A. Clark In other instances, he's negotiated the release of animals from slaughterhouses by trading vegan food with the businesses. Di Leonardo also released an extremely rare orange lobster into North Fork waters after it was spotted inside the tank of a ShopRite in Bay Shore on Friday. The grocery chain was happy to oblige. 7 Di Leonardo (left) recently released a rare orange lobster found at a ShopRite into local waters. Courtesy of John Di Leonardo 7 The do-gooder and his wife, Juliana, make strong efforts to have their animal denizens feel relaxed and at ease around people. Dennis A. Clark Di Leonardo, who used to work with people with special needs, said, 'I always wanted to help the group that needed the most in the world. 'Right now, there's no other group on the planet that is being exploited and harmed on such a large scale as animals.' He said one of his favorite aspects of the job, where many rescues will be viewable at Humane Long Island's Aug. 6 gala in Riverhead, is witnessing how animals adapt after just a few days out of harm's way. 'They've never known a human touch to be a good thing. So when they come, they're often terrified,' he said. 'After a couple of days or maybe a couple of weeks, they realize that we're here to love them and care for them. Many of them become very social and will follow us around and crave our attention.'
New York Post
11-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
East Northport's Preston Carey excited to play for Georgia with eyes on NFL future
Ask East Northport's Preston Carey how long he's loved football, and he'll tell you 'since the helmet weighed me down as a 4-year-old.' The no-nonsense, towering defensive lineman — he stands 6-foot-5 and weighs nearly 300 pounds — has been the talk of the sport after recently committing to the University of Georgia inside a wing of the North Shore's lavish Oheka Castle, filled to the brim with a few hundred of his diehard fans. Advertisement 'I had a full scholarship offer from Georgia since eighth grade — and I believe another five other schools at the time. I would go to college football camps at that point, and just dominate ninth- to 12th-grade talent,' the soon-to-be Bulldog told The Post. 'Georgia believed in me since Day 1. … I was looking for the next big step, and Georgia was 100 percent that next big step,' added the 18-year-old, who narrowed his 50-something offers to UGA, Florida, Auburn and Rutgers. The big man, who said his favorite part of football is 'the aggression … and dominating your opponent,' added that his life's M.O. is accomplishing challenge after challenge to reach that next level. Advertisement Carey started on varsity as a freshman for prestigious St. Anthony's High School and led the Friars to a 27-20 state-title win over Buffalo's St. Francis High School in 2022. He credits the strict but caring South Huntington Catholic academy for giving him 'a great base' of discipline and motivation both on and off the field, as St. Anthony's students are held to a higher standard than most. 'A passing grade there is a 75, not 65 — so you have to be locked in for every class,' Carey said. 4 Preston Carey helped lead St. Anthony's to a 27-20 state-title win over Buffalo's St. Francis High School in 2022. Preston Carey Advertisement 'It definitely builds callus.' Stunt on 'em After two years, Carey took his talents to the prestigious IMG Academy in Florida, which has produced NFL talent such as Giants offensive lineman Evan Neal and Jets safety Andre Cisco — a Long Islander who also played at St. Anthony's before transferring to the Sunshine State school. 'It was easy for me. I would pack a bag up and go anywhere if it was beneficial for my career,' said Carey, who considers himself a Friar alumnus after 'a great two years.' 4 Long Island-based high school football standout, Preston Carey, who recently committed to Georgia, works out at Peak Training on July 9, 2025, in Deer Park, NY. Corey Sipkin for New York Post Advertisement 'When that came about, it was just a 'yes' for me, no matter what. Thinking about who I was leaving behind, everything else was an afterthought. … It was a business decision.' Carey soon soared with the IMG national team and developed a strong social media presence with several thousand followers keeping tabs on the young man's belligerent style of play. He has one more fall season at IMG before redshirting for Georgia in December at playoff time. Throughout his recruiting process, Carey said he's been in constant communication with Georgia defensive line coach Tray Scott, who has already been passing on advice to the youngster. 4 Preston Carey Preston Carey 'He keeps it real 100 percent through and through, and tells me what I do best and what I need to do better — and what it takes to get to that level of becoming one of those first-rounders,' Carey said. Got that dawg in him Like other years, Carey is spending his summer mornings — 6 a.m. sharp — at Peak Training System in Deer Park under the tutelage of Golden Ukonu, an offensive lineman who signed as an undrafted free agent with the Tennessee Titans in 2016. Advertisement After five hours in the take-no-prisoners gym he has trained at since middle school, Carey throws on gloves for MMA and boxing training. 4 Preston Carey Corey Sipkin for New York Post 'As a defensive lineman, you're basically boxing. You're using your hands to fight,' he said. 'Lots of hand-eye coordination, lots of quick feet.' Regarding mental preparation, Carey is keeping focused on being the best football player he can be, but is also enthusiastic about NIL opportunities — specifically as a way to give back to his family for its relentless support of his dream. Advertisement Still, the thought of prospectively appearing in the video game 'NCAA Football 27' puts a smile on his face. 'It's gonna be crazy,' Carey said. 'It's all a blessing.' He's looking to use his time in the SEC for an even bigger achievement in hearing his name called at the NFL draft some years from now. 'It's a goal, not a dream,' he said, 'because I'm working toward it every day.'
New York Post
21-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Jewish New Yorkers rip Gov. Hochul for failing to help evacuate those stranded in Israel amid conflict with Iran
Gov. Hochul has done 'nothing' to evacuate New Yorkers stranded in Israel as missiles from Iran rain down on the country — while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has helped get hundreds of people to safety, angry families told The Post. Frantic calls to Hochul's office this week went unanswered, according to those trying to get their relatives home. 'It wouldn't even occur to Hochul to help constituents stranded in a war zone,' fumed one Long Islander with a teen relative studying in Israel. 'She's doing nothing.' Meanwhile, DeSantis contracted with the nonprofit Grey Bull Rescue to help about 1,500 Americans from multiple states get home. 4 Hochul was accused of 'deafening silence' on the issue of Americans who have been stranded in Israel. Gabriella Bass With Israel's airspace almost completely shut down, about 5,000 Americans have sought help, with the number of requests 'skyrocketing,' according to the rescue group. Desperate, they're taking ships from Israel to Lanarca in Cyprus, or traveling by land to Amman, Jordan and flying to Cyprus in a bid to get to America — all with the help of DeSantis' operation, which arranged for four wide-bodied chartered planes to collect them. So far DeSantis has welcomed two flights. 4 Gov. DeSantis had his state contract with a rescue group to help get Americans home. Getty Images 'She should be doing what DeSantis did — partner with private contractors to get your citizens out,' the frantic relative, who did not want to be named for fear of retaliation, said of Hochul. 'She should have organized this already,' the relative added. 'There's no excuse to sit on her hands as she heads the state with the most Jews in the country.' Erika Reichelscheimer said she felt 'completely abandoned' after calling the governor every day to no avail about her elderly parents, who were on a week's vacation in Israel when the conflict erupted June 13. 4 About 1,500 Americans have fled Israel thanks to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, he said. Erez Uzir, courtesy of Birthright Israel 'We cannot even get a call back,' said Reichelscheimer. 'Disappointed is an understatement.' 'I haven't even seen Hochul say anything,' said Reichelscheimer, 34, Her dad is running out of his heart medication. Meanwhile her brother, in Israel separately, was able to flee because of DeSantis' efforts, she said. Asked what message she would give to Hochul, a distraught Reichelscheimer begged: 'Please use your vast resources and platform as the governor of New York to help your constituents that are literally in a life or death situation abroad. The silence from your office on this has been deafening.' 'DeSantis is doing what he is supposed to do,' said a Long Island couple whose 18-year-old is stranded and who also requested anonymity. 'We wish Hochul was doing the same.' 4 Elise Stefanik slammed Hochul as a 'disgrace' for failing to get New Yorkers home from Israel. CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Rep. Elise Stefanik, who is believed to be challenging Hochul in the next election, slammed the governor. 'No answers from the Governor. No action. Not even the dignity of a call back. It's an utter disgrace. Kathy Hochul continues to prove she is the worst governor in America,' said Stefanik. 'Just last week, she proudly handed $50 million in New Yorkers' hard-earned taxpayer money to illegal migrants — and now, when actual New Yorkers are trapped in a war zone, she's doing absolutely nothing.' 'It's an absolute farce what's going on and Hochul should be ashamed of herself,' railed former veteran state assemblyman Dov Hikind, who said he's fielded countless phone calls from those looking for help. Hochul is a 'steadfast ally to Israel and to New York's Jewish community,' her spokesman, Avi Small said, adding the administration is 'in active conversations with Governors from other states with large Jewish populations to determine how to coordinate travel for constituents if commercial flights do not resume.' Roughly 1.4 million Jews live in New York state.
New York Post
18-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- New York Post
This is what Gen Z is obsessed with right now: Parke, Labubu and more
The scene is like something out of a turn-of-the-millennium teen movie — swarms of co-eds roaming college campuses, all wearing the same sweatshirt. This time, however, it's not a vintage Gap ad come to life — and modern girls are paying even more for the privilege of looking exactly like their peers. The object of their fashion affection is a $125 pullover from Parke, an out-of-nowhere online clothing company started by a Jersey girl influencer — and Gen Z's gotta have it. Advertisement 'It's almost like a status kind of thing,' Long Islander Gabriella Fischer, 20, told The Post of the spendy sweaters. 13 Parke is a fast-growing online clothing company known for its sweatshirts, which range in price from $125 to $140. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 13 Long Islander Gabriella Fischer, 20, said it's a 'status thing' to own one. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post Advertisement Chelsea Kramer founded her clothing label Parke, which is her middle name, in 2022 and started selling the now-inescapable Parke Varsity Mockneck less than two years ago. The sweatshirts are pretty exclusive — if you're not on the website when there's a drop, you're out of luck. Fischer owns four Parke sweatshirts and said most girls in her sorority at Penn State own at least one. 13 A big part of the hype around the sweatshirt is that sense of feeling included, said Fischer, pictured here with friends Samantha Rothseid, Kali Versailles and Ella Szerencsy. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post Advertisement 'You see people with the new sweatshirt, and everyone would be like, 'Oh my god, you got the new Parke,'' Fischer said. 'But I think once everyone has it and it becomes easy to get, it's not going to be as trendy.' Parke's limited collaborations are the draw — one with activewear brand Set Active was what put the company on Shirel Bendavid's map. 'It was all over my feed, and the aesthetic immediately caught my eye,' she told The Post, adding that she now owns three Parke sweatshirts, one from that collaboration. 13 'It's worth it,' Shirel Bendavid said. Courtesy Shirel Bendavid Advertisement 'Parke sweaters have that 'cool girl' look — effortlessly trendy, comfortable and visually appealing,' she said. 'Plus, being a relatively new brand adds to the excitement and sense of exclusivity.' The price of the sweatshirt definitely makes the girls pause, but for someone who loves fashion and staying on trend, Fischer believes 'this is the item to buy right now.' 'Once I saw more and more people wearing it and seeing it still be on trend after a few months, I was like, OK, it's worth it,' she admitted. 'If you're willing to have spent $130 on a sweatshirt, I would tell you it's worth it.' 13 Parke sweatshirts drop online — and only the fastest can scoop them up. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post Bendavid agreed. 'I only buy items I absolutely love and know I'll get a lot of wear out of.' Last year alone, Parke netted $16 million in revenue, Kramer told The Cut — and even she finds the cult status 'actually insane.' 'I think there's that element of virality, where…one person's wearing it and then the next,' Kramer told Glossy Pop in October. 'We could probably sell a garbage bag.' 13 'This is the item to buy right now,' Fischer said. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post Advertisement However, some have accused the brand of selling cheap duds at high prices. Abby French, known as @sustainablefashionfriend, went into 'private investigator mode' and screenshotted all of Kramer's videos to dig deeper. She believes Kramer buys $15 sweatshirts on Alibaba, puts 'PARKE' on them and sells them for over eight times the price. 'If a brand is telling you that they're transparent, they should at least be a little bit transparent, even if it's in pricing or where it's made,' French, a 29-year-old sustainability consultant, told The Post. 'You should be asking more from a brand that is charging you a lot for something.' 13 Parke netted $16 million in revenue, its founder said. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post Advertisement 'I genuinely feel upset seeing all of these college girls buying this sweatshirt,' Mallory Brooks, @plzdontbuythat on TikTok, who works in textile and apparel design, told The Post. 'You're not buying something that has inherent value… What you're being sold is inclusivity, a sense of belonging.' But Parke isn't the only status symbol Gen Z is vying to spend money on. Here are some other things the young ones are blowing their cash on right now. Soho shopping sanctuary 13 Brandy Melville, often referred to as just 'Brandy,' is the cool spot in Soho for Zoomers to shop and hang. Tamara Beckwith The name on every Gen Z's lips is 'Brandy.' Advertisement Brandy Melville, the one-size-only stores that had their heyday in the early 2010s, is now being rediscovered. Lines formed at NYC stores within the last year, partly due to its TikTok-famous employee, Allegra Pinkowitz, who shares her outfits of the day while waiting for the subway. 13 Edikted is another shopping destination for tweens. Tamara Beckwith That's what's driven most early 20s shoppers to Soho — particularly on the block of Broadway in between Broome and Spring streets, which New York Magazine dubbed 'Tween Row' — as they wait in lines for Edikted, Princess Polly, Garage and PacSun. Advertisement Along with 'basics,' these stores sell resurrected trendy duds like extremely low-rise shorts, studded denim and chiffon tanks. Labubu lunacy 13 The status markers are everywhere — dangling from purses, backpacks and water bottles — but they're hard to come by. REUTERS No, Labubu is not the new internet slang for lobotomy. The creepy dolls with a monster-like smile might be the singular It item of 2025. The round and furry collectibles with pointy ears have been dubbed the 'Birkin bags of bag charms' because they're so exclusive. The $27.99 keychains are exclusively manufactured by Pop Mart and are sold in blind boxes, so the buyer doesn't know which Labubu they're going to get. The exclusivity around the trinket went into overdrive thanks to known Labubu lovers Lisa of Blackpink, Rihanna, Dua Lipa and Hilary Duff. 13 The internet calls them the 'Birkin bags of bag charms' because they're so hard to come by. JESSICA LEE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Pop Mart brick-and-mortar stores, like the one in the World Trade Center, have seen hourlong lines of people trying to get their hands on the beloved figure, as have the store's Robo Shop vending machines. New releases sell out online in seconds, and almost immediately, they go up on reselling sites such as eBay or StockX for triple the price. They're so hard to find that people are now actively seeking out the knockoff version, dubbed Lafufus, which has garnered its own fan base on TikTok. There's also an entire secondary market of clothes and bags for the Labubus, so you can accessorize your accessory. Scented sanitizer 13 The Touchland candy-colored sanitizers are $10 each and come in rectangular glass bottles that fit in the palm of your hand. Touchland Sanitation is now the ultimate symbol of 'cool' with the $10 Touchland candy-colored pocket sanitizers that come in rectangular glass bottles that fit in the palm of the hand. Part of the appeal of the sanitizer mist is the minimalist and colorful aesthetic that looks more like a gadget than a typical hand sanitizer. They've become so popular among teens and tweens that they're akin to Pokémon cards of previous generations, being traded as though they are prized possessions. The craze has gotten to the point where teachers have had to limit them during class. Lip gloss is poppin' 13 Summer Fridays lip balms cost $24 per tube. Not unlike the Lip Smackers craze or the millennial obsession with the EOS egg-shaped lip balms, Gen Z can't get enough of lip balms, oils, butters and glosses. But their go-tos have a bigger price tag than the $3 drug store options. Summer Fridays, Rhode, Ole Henriksen, Rare Beauty and Laneige, just to name a few, have become a staple for girls in their teens and 20s. Dig into any Zoomer's purse and you're sure to find at least one of these 'lippies' lying around.
New York Post
17-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
With airports in Israel closed, Jewish New Yorkers are desperate to find ways in
Despite a current US State Department advisory against travel to Israel 'due to armed conflict, terrorism and civil unrest' and closed airspace, some determined New Yorkers want to be in the Holy Land to show their solidarity with and support for the Jewish state. 'I feel guilty that I'm not there with my brothers and sisters being subjected to these missiles,' said Todd Richman, a Long Islander whose flight to Israel was canceled last Thursday as news broke of Israel's preemptive strike on Iranian nuclear sites. 'I feel guilty. It's hard to explain.' Since airports are shuttered, the 55-year-old, who works in finance, said he's looked into alternate means to get into the Jewish state, including a ship, to no avail. The minute flights open up, Richman declared, 'I'm there.' 4 Amidst Israel's conflict with Iran, some New Yorkers say they would like to be in the Holy Land showing solidarity with Israelis. ATEF SAFADI/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock The married dad-of-three added, 'It's hard to explain how you can want to be in a war zone right now, but there's something you feel in your heart.' With friends and family running into bomb shelters every night amidst a barrage of ballistic missiles launched from Iran, there's a sense of powerlessness. 'I'm watching it through their eyes and I wish I was there with them,' he said. 'There's something unique about the Jewish ruach (spirit) about being together during such a situation.' With 24 Israelis killed and hundreds injured in the days-long Iranian missile barrage, people are determined to stay resilient and strong in the face of evil. 'They're having bar mitzvahs in the shelters, singing in the shelters, celebrating life in the shelters,' Richman said, adding, 'I still feel safe there. In some ways you feel safer being in Israel with ballistic missiles landing than you do in most other parts of the world.' Chava Blivaiss, a 36-year-old trauma surgeon, feels similarly. 'People think I'm crazy, [but] I just feel the need to be there,' she told The Post. 4 'I feel guilty that I'm not there with my brothers and sisters being subjected to these missiles,' said Todd Richman.' Courtesy of Todd Richman The Long Islander is on standby with a fully packed bag, passport and medical IDs sitting by the door. 'I'm always ready to run into the fire — and if I could be there right now, I would,' she said. 'Even if I wasn't a trauma surgeon, I'd want to be there just as much. I'd go shopping there and help the economy, buying falafels.' While she's had no shortage of rockets and close calls before in Israel over the past year — sometimes having a mere 30 seconds to run to the bomb shelter in places like Ashkelon — Blivaiss asserted, 'it still feels safer there than it does here … you get used to the rockets and the running and the sirens.' Yocheved 'Kim' Ruttenberg, the American founder of Sword of Iron – Israel Volunteer Corp, a grassroots initiative that began as a modest Facebook group after October 7, said she's been inundated with messages from would-be volunteers from all over the world trying to reach Israel now. 4 'People think I'm crazy, [but] I just feel the need to be there,' said trauma surgeon Chava Blivaiss. Courtesy of Dr. Chava Blivaiss 'It doesn't make logical sense. It's something you can't explain, you just feel it,' Ruttenberg, 24, told The Post. It's a sentiment that David Harris, former longtime CEO of the American Jewish Committee, understands. The 75-year-old longtime Jewish activist, who lives in Manhattan, told The Post that he is planning to go to Israel as soon as he can. He's gone against the grain before. During the first Gulf War, when missiles started flying from Iraq to Israel, he said he was on the 'first plane to Israel.' He got a flight with legendary comedian Jackie Mason, with virtually no one else on board. 'We wanted to show solidarity and sit in the sealed rooms simply because there was nowhere else we wanted to be,' he said. 4 Yocheved 'Kim' Ruttenberg said her organization has been inundated with requests from people wanting to volunteer in Israel. Courtesy of Yocheved "Kim" Ruttenberg During the 2006 Lebanon War, he never thought twice about running to the Holy Land to 'sit in bomb shelters and tell Israelis they're not alone,' he said. 'And to tell myself that I wouldn't simply be a bystander rooting from far … There's no way to simply say that's their war and my place is here. My place is there.' Richman noted that people feeling this way is unique to Israel and the Jewish people. He said, 'Tell me what other country that's at war that has people scrambling to get back into the country.'
