With July Fourth now over, the break is on the downhill slope, and class will be in session before long.

We asked Long Islanders to reflect on life in this region, the state of the union and the opportunities and challenges ahead.

Out of the many daily puzzles available online, the New York Times’ Connections game is one of the trickiest. For those playing for the first time, the goal of Connections is to divide a block of 16 ...