Air flights slowly returning to normal
Air flights slowly returning to normal Read More »
UPDATE: National flight cancellations NOT due to terror threat
All departing flights out of Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and across the United States are currently grounded following an emergency nationwide ground stop ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The directive, which began at 3:54 p.m. ET on Friday, November 13, 2026, was issued “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety” after a major telecommunications and frequency outage impacted all Air Route Traffic Control Centers nationwide. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin confirmed the disruption is a technical outage and not a security threat or cyberattack.
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Flights from New Jersey airports grounded until further notice
The Federal Aviation Administration grounded all flights across the country late on Friday afternoon “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety,” the agency said.
The order was issued “following communication issues” impacting regional air traffic control centers that direct planes among airports, the agency said in a statement.
The order was only the second ground stop since one was issued after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, according to Reuters. A brief, two-hour ground stop was issued in 2023.
At Newark Airport, their list of departures merely said “Data currently unavailable.”
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NYECC Honors Four Industry Leaders
The Energy New York Awards Recognize Leaders and Innovators in Sustainability and Community Impact
State Senator Kevin Parker, Chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Telecommunications, Keynotes the “Biggest Night in New York Energy”
NEW YORK, NY — The New York Energy Consumers Council (NYECC) honored four industry leaders at Town Hall at 2 Penn Plaza. Established in 2004, the Energy New York Awards (ENYAs) — the biggest night in New York energy — recognize individuals and organizations that have demonstrated exceptional vision, innovation, and leadership in strengthening New York’s energy reliability, sustainability, and economic competitiveness. Recipients span sectors including public policy, engineering, real estate, academia, and grassroots advocacy.
The 2026 ENYA winners are:
Community Impact Award
Laura Spencer Humphrey, L+M Development Partners LLC, for advancing affordable housing decarbonization in New York by bringing innovative energy solutions into practice, including heat pumps, advanced metering, and building controls.
Innovation Award
Walter Mehl, Jr., Trinity Consultants, for pioneering large-scale building electrification, including his work on JPMorganChase Tower, New York’s largest all-electric skyscraper.
Leadership Award
Cecil Scheib, New York University, for leading NYU’s groundbreaking retrofit of Rubin Hall, transforming a pre-war campus building into a model for decarbonization.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Anthony E. Malkin, Empire State Realty Trust, for championing the deep energy retrofit of the Empire State Building, proving that emissions reductions can be achieved alongside strong financial returns.
NYECC also recognized its Co-Presidents, Lauren Moss and Phil Skalaski, with the 2026 ENYA Organizational Leadership Award for their tireless service and dedication to the organization. Moss and Skalaski have brought together policymakers, utilities, and energy professionals to address New York’s evolving energy challenges.
State Senator Kevin S. Parker, Chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Telecommunications, delivered the keynote address and urged greater collaboration between NYECC members and policymakers to ensure that New York’s energy is affordable, reliable, and sustainable. New York City Department of Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani also spoke and emphasized the importance of NYECC’s role in making the City’s built environment more sustainable and energy efficient.
About NYECC
The New York Energy Consumers Council (NYECC) is committed to fostering an environmentally responsible, sustainable, and equitable energy future for New York City and Westchester County. On behalf of its members, NYECC advocates for the safe, reliable, and affordable generation, transmission, and delivery of energy. NYECC champions the interests of its diverse members and the public through active participation in proceedings before the New York State Public Service Commission, the New York Independent System Operator, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and other key regulatory bodies. In addition, NYECC serves as a trusted resource, providing information, insights, and reports on the evolving energy landscape and its implications for members, policy, and the broader community.
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Rutgers and its partners aim to transform flood-prone properties into functional natural landscapes
Rutgers ecologist Brooke Maslo stands in the floodplain forest she designed in Woodbridge, NJ
A $4.2 million award to Rutgers University will help transform former home sites along the Woodbridge River into wetlands and woodlands designed to reduce flooding in surrounding neighborhoods.
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a private conservation grant maker, has approved the funding for restoration in Avenel and Sewaren, two sections of Woodbridge Township, N.J., where properties have been acquired through New Jersey’s voluntary Blue Acres buyout program.
Led by Rutgers ecologist and RCEI affiliate Brooke Maslo, the project will create places to collect and temporarily hold stormwater, improve drainage and restore habitat for birds and other wildlife. The project is expected to start early next year. The work applies years of research and planning to a landscape where some homes have been removed and others remain, their owners having elected against accepting a buyout.
“Climate resilience requires us to rethink how we manage our landscapes,” said Maslo, an associate professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources and a wildlife ecology specialist with Rutgers Cooperative Extension. “Instead of relying exclusively on engineered infrastructure to manage flooding, we can restore the natural functions of these floodplains with thoughtful nature-based solutions to help communities adapt to a changing climate.”
The project, she said, “demonstrates how ecological science can be translated into practical solutions that benefit both people and wildlife.”
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Blue Acres program allows property owners in flood-prone areas to voluntarily sell their homes to the State and move away from the risk. Restoration gives the land left behind a new purpose, helping manage water in the surrounding community.
“Voluntary buyouts offer families relief from the ongoing trauma and stress of chronic flooding,” said Blue Acres program manager Courtney Wald-Wittkop. “When these highly flood-prone properties are converted to open space there is a benefit to the residual community in that these lands can be revegetated to act like a sponge to absorb and hold floodwaters and protect nearby neighborhoods from flooding.”
Following Superstorm Sandy, Woodbridge Township began its broader flood resilience effort in 2013, partnering with Blue Acres to enable the buyout of more than 160 flood-prone properties. Working with Rutgers and other partners, the township developed a plan for restoring these acquired lands, improving drainage and managing floodwater across 490 acres along the Woodbridge River floodplain. More than 30 acres of habitat have already been restored within the project area.
“This award builds on years of work by the township, our residents and our partners,” said Thomas Flynn, Woodbridge Township’s floodplain manager. “It will help us carry out plans for land that can better handle flooding and serve the community for years to come.”
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Despite AI pushback, Microsoft data center in Washington state brings “a kind of boom”
By Megan Cerullo, Emily Pandise, Jo Ling Kent, CBS News, Nov. 11 2026
Opposition to data centers helped propel Democratic candidates who pledged to stall new construction to victory in last week’s midterm elections. More than half of voters said artificial intelligence and data centers were a significant factor in their votes, according to a CBS News exit poll.
But one town says it has benefited from data centers, despite the pushback growing across the nation.
For 20 years, Microsoft has operated its Columbia Data Center in Quincy, Washington, where Mayor Paul Worley told CBS News its presence has created “a kind of boom” for the area.
Additional tax revenue from the project has funded a new high school and hospital, and helped improve other critical services, he said.
Microsoft president Brad Smith told CBS News about the pledge it makes to the communities where it builds and operates data centers.
“Basically, we will put the community first,” he said. “We will not do anything that will increase the electricity rates of our neighbors. We’ll ensure that we replenish more water, we put more water back into the community than we use.”
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