STATE OPEN

May 14 2026WEATHER

Stormy Winds, Heavy Rains and a Heat Spike Hit Staten Island

Staten Island will see a mix of strong breezes and wet weather this week. In the afternoon, gusts may reach 40 miles per hour across much of the area. That same day, a slow‑moving cold front will bring widespread showers and possible thunderstorms from the evening into Friday. The heaviest

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May 12 2026HEALTH

Staten Island trains workers to spot suicide and overdose risks at the same time

Staten Island is tackling two big problems—overdose deaths and suicide—by teaching frontline workers how to handle both at once. Around 300 people have already gone through a six-part training that mixes mental health and drug-use screening. The idea is to catch warning signs early, whether someone

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May 08 2026TECHNOLOGY

Voice Tech Gets a Boost: New AI Tools Let Apps Talk, Translate and Listen

OpenAI has added several new voice‑powered tools to its developer kit, aiming to make apps that can actually speak and understand people in real time. The latest model, GPT‑Realtime‑2, offers a more natural talking voice and smarter logic than its earlier version. It can handle tougher questions an

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May 06 2026TECHNOLOGY

ChatGPT Gets a Smart Upgrade

OpenAI has rolled out a new version of ChatGPT’s core engine, called GPT‑5. 5 Instant. The change is meant to make the AI more precise and reduce the number of “hallucinations” it produces, especially when users ask about complex topics like medicine, law or finance. The upgrade also improves the

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May 05 2026TECHNOLOGY

AI Rewrites Finance Work With a New Partner

OpenAI is teaming up with PwC LLP to create AI tools that can handle financial tasks on their own. The plan is to let these systems work alongside the company’s internal finance team, showing how they can change a key part of business operations. The goal is to make revenue tracking and the final ac

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Apr 24 2026TECHNOLOGY

New AI model boosts coding and research with fewer questions

OpenAI just released a fresh update to its AI tools, called ChatGPT 5. 5, built for people who need help with tough tasks like coding and research. Seven weeks after its last version, this new model is here to make everyday digital work easier. The team behind it says it can figure out confusing pro

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Apr 21 2026POLITICS

Prediction Markets: Who Gets to Tax Them?

States want to raise money from online prediction sites, but they’re not sure what those sites actually are. The debate centers on whether the sites should be treated like sports betting, financial derivatives, or something else entirely. If they’re seen as gambling, states could tax them the sam

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Apr 21 2026WEATHER

Cold Weather and Pollen Alert for Staten Island

Staten Island residents can expect a sharp temperature dip after Monday’s brief showers. The National Weather Service says it will be partly sunny in the morning, with a high around 54°F. At night, the temperature will plunge nearly 20 degrees, settling near 34°F by Tuesday morning. Sunlight

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Apr 20 2026WEATHER

Spring Weather Switch: Rain, Wind, and Allergies Hit Staten Island

Staten Island is about to face a spring mood swing this week. After a taste of warm 80-degree days last week, the upcoming forecast is bringing it back to typical spring unpredictability. Rain showers are expected to roll in starting Sunday, kicking off a stretch of days that feel more like April th

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Apr 18 2026TECHNOLOGY

OpenAI Shifts Focus, Key Leaders Exit

OpenAI is pulling back from its video‑making experiment and trimming staff, as a senior project head steps down. The company said last month it was abandoning Sora, its video generation tool, and this week the team’s chief announced his departure. This move fits a larger pattern of trimming “side qu

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