With a new book out — her 13th — Ina Garten talked at length with the New York Times writer Frank Bruni about the unexpected success of her first cookbook, where her recipes come from, how she develops them, what makes a good dinner party, and much more.

Five days before Election Day, the results of Tuesday’s midterm elections were anyone’s guess, with dueling polls showing Gov. Kathy Hochul comfortably ahead of Representative Lee Zeldin and Mr. Zeldin with a slight lead over the governor.

Wednesday is World Adoption Day, and Michael Watson and Aaron Cummings of Springs would like nothing more in the world than to adopt a baby. But the road to becoming a parent via adoption is rarely straightforward.

Two serious safety incidents involving students continued this week to concern the community as officials in the Springs and East Hampton School Districts addressed the issues with parents.