Up on the Board: Terrorism intelligence, prescription drugs and ice skating

An intelligence briefing about the Boston Marathon bombing has left some members of Congress feeling as though we've reverted back to the bad old days before the Sept. 11 attacks. That is, our many U.S. intelligence agencies aren't talking to one another. If the FBI had interviewed Tamerlan Tsarnaev on suspicious activity, why didn't his return trip from Chechnya last year trigger an alert? The editorial board is worried that bureaucratic inertia could be endangering lives.

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino's state of the county address last night left us puzzled over what will happen with the HUD housing settlement. Editorial board member Jerry McKinstry plans to blog about the political implications of Astorino's refusal to comply with HUD's plans.

We're taking a closer look at the Suffolk County prescription drug plan. The county had hoped to save $17 million by switching plans, and now that appears to have fallen through. What's going on?

Board members were divided on the new ice skating rink planned for the Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx. Some feel it's a shame there won't be shops and jobs created; others say there's a dire need for ice time in that area.

Got an opinion on any of the above? We'd love to hear it. Simply fill in a comment in the section below, or email letters@newsday.com.

This new Up on the Board feature is the editorial board's blog about what we just discussed at our weekday morning meeting. These meetings are where we talk about the news of the day and hash out our positions for the opinion sections of Newsday, Newsday Westchester and amNew York.