Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing: 1/13/2025
Below is Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing:
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I’ve spoken with the president about the wind turbines, and he told me to have my people draw up an executive order. We got it done in forty-eight hours.” – Rep. Van Drew on drafting an executive order freezing offshore wind at President-elect Trump’s request
TOP STORY: Fulop and the Bear Hunt
Download and read Insider NJ’s 2024 Insider 100: Rising Generations publication.
Congestion pricing so far has cut time on tunnel crossings but has few effects on NYC traffic, according to NJ Monitor.
Prosecutors are seeking a 15-year sentence for former Senator Menendez, according to NJ.com.
The state could soon get a permanent rape kit tracking system, according to NJ.com.
President-elect Trump promised a report on drones, according to SaveJersey.
Bergen County will vote on raises for officials, according to NorthJersey.com.
Burlington County purchased a abandoned college campus, according to NJ.com.
Rep. Kean will serve on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, according to TAPinto.
Rep. Van Drew is driving the offshore wind freeze, according to NJ Spotlight.
ICYMI: State announced a historic low in gun violence.
Download and read Insider NJ’s 2024 Retrospective/2025 Advance publication.
The gubernatorial race is poised to be one of the least transparent, according to Politico NJ.
Gubernatorial primary candidate Mayor Fulop released his ‘sustainability’ proposal.
Members of the Englewood council endorsed Rep. Gottheimer for Governor.
In LD6, Melinda Kane was elected to the Assembly in a special convention, according to NJ Globe.
ICYMI: Sumter, Wimberly collision course; Insider NJ sits down w/ Spiller; Sweeney announced campaign manager; Fulop released primary education video; look ahead at guv race; NJGOP announced Gonzalez as ED; Bramnick made reorg rounds
The SCI leader resigned abruptly after scrutiny, according to NJ.com.
Senators Zwicker and Vitale urged the Seton Hall President to resign.
ICYMI: Legislature devised interim solution to legal ads
Download and read Insider NJ’s 2024 Insider 100: Power publication.
Download and read Insider NJ’s 2024 Out 100: Power List by Jay Lassiter.
Download and read Insider NJ’s New Jersey History and Heritage Spotlight 2024 publication.
In Hoboken, Mayor Bhalla announced he won’t seek re-election this year. An Assembly candidacy appears imminent for the mayor, according to Hudson County View.
In Atlantic City, Councilman Tibbett switched parties to the GOP, according to SaveJersey.
In Clark, the disgraced mayor resigned, according to NJ Monitor.
In Edison, the council passed an ordinance abolishing new decorum rules, according to TAPinto.
In North Wildwood, there’s another delay for a massive beach project, according to NJ.com.
In Parsippany, the Morris GOP is seeking to broker a unity deal in the mayoral race, according to NJ Globe.
In Prospect Park, a new administrator was hired, according to NorthJersey.com.
In South Amboy, residents will vote on a school referendum, according to MyCentralJersey.
In Trenton, emails dispute assertions about the animal shelter made by the mayor, according to the Trentonian.
Insider NJ columnist Andrew Leven ‘The Other America‘
Insider NJ columnist Alan Joel Steinberg ‘Ciattarelli Wrong to Support for Kash Patel as FBI Director‘
Insider NJ reporter John Van Vliet writes ‘The League of Municipalities, the Aesthetics of Power, and Our Civic Destiny‘
AROUND THE WEB:
What’s the real message of Phil Murphy’s State of the State? Buyer beware | Opinion
Anthony M. Bucco
- November’s election sent an unmistakable message: Americans are eager for change. Across the nation, voters embraced Republican proposals, handing the GOP control of the presidency, U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. This decisive shift reflects a renewed optimism for pragmatic principles aimed at addressing the real-world challenges that families and businesses face every day.
Preserving open space and meeting housing obligations don’t go together in NJ | Opinion
Kristin Corrado
- Late last year, state Sen. Bob Smith and former state Sen. Kip Bateman authored an op-ed titled, “Open Space Efforts Benefit New Jersey. We have to keep going.” We write this letter in concurrence with the positions stated in the recent editorial. Preserving open space is extremely important for the well-being and quality of life of our residents. It can help stop overdevelopment, mitigate flooding and protect the environment. We are fully committed to supporting state-level efforts to aid its municipalities and preserve open space.
Sen. Ruiz: This is how N.J. can deliver the best universal preschool education | Opinion
- Teresa Ruiz
- Nearly a decade ago, while chairing the Senate Education Committee, I held a hearing focused on preschool and early childhood education.
These are the economic questions N.J.’s candidates for governor must answer | Opinion
Steven Lestition
- The candidates who intend to run for Governor of New Jersey are routinely asked their views on making consumer and healthcare prices affordable, on lowering property taxes, and on maintaining school funding. But this misses a broader set of economic dangers that will result from the policies being promised by the incoming Presidential administration.
Elon Musk isn’t just arrogant. He’s wrong about NJ teachers | Editorial
Star-Ledger Editorial Board
- The man who recently appointed himself “first buddy” to Donald Trump just mocked the state of New Jersey for allowing teachers into the classroom who can’t read. Or so he claimed. Elon Musk told his more than 200 million followers on X last week that due to a new law signed by Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, reading teachers “don’t need to know how to read in New Jersey.” It triggered a social media furor and breathless coverage on Fox News: “This is truly the blind leading the blind!” pundit Tomi Lahren declared. Please.
How New Jersey should respond to congestion pricing | Opinion
Eric Allen Conner
- This past Jan. 5 marked an increase in the Port Authority’s bridge and tunnel tolls and inaugurated New York’s much-delayed congestion pricing. New York’s new congestion tolls are designed not only to ease traffic in Manhattan’s central business district but also to raise revenue for the MTA, improve air quality across the region, and decrease carbon emissions that contribute to climate change.
Insurance companies are hiking costs, dropping N.J. homeowners more often due to climate risks
Steven Rodas, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
- You can look to the rising seas, raging wildfires and the lack of snow. A harbinger for the changing climate has also arrived for New Jerseyans in the form of something more innocuous but by no means less glaring: home insurance policies. Or, rather, the lack of them in some cases.
‘Curious’ zoo lion dies of cancer at his sister’s side
Rick Rickman, NJ1015
- For the second time in nine months, a popular animal refuge in Forked River is mourning the loss of an African lion. On Friday, the Popcorn Park Animal Refuge announced that Aslan the lion had died. He had an aggressive form of cancer that spread quickly, the zoo said.
Morris OEM coordinator named president of state association
Morris County Commissioners
- Jeffrey S. Paul, director of the Morris County Office of Emergency Management (OEM), was sworn in today as president of the New Jersey County Emergency Management Coordinator’s Association.
Crunch Fitness acquires five locations from Jersey Strong Gym
Linda Lindner, roi-nj.com
- Fitness Holdings North America, a leading franchisee of Crunch Fitness, is significantly expanding its New Jersey footprint by acquiring five locations from Jersey Strong Gym in Tinton Falls, Ocean Township, Wall Township, Freehold, and Marlboro. These new locations will undergo over $20 million in renovations and upgrades to enhance member experiences with modern amenities and cutting-edge equipment.
Forcing Overdevelopment in New Jersey
Gerry Scharfenberger
- Among many of New Jersey’s unique attributes is the moniker “most densely populated state in the nation.” Anyone who drives around the state, whether it is the Garden State Parkway or New Jersey Turnpike, or Main Street in suburban and rural municipalities knows that congestion, particularly during rush hour, is reaching crisis proportions. Try getting through Red Bank between the hours of 4 pm and 6 pm and you will see a microcosm of what is happening all over New Jersey.
A brief electoral history of Bill Spadea
Joey Fox, NJ Globe
- Most of the candidates running for governor in New Jersey this year have gone about their political lives in a very careful, ordered way. They’ve slowly built up connections in their local communities, won a seat in the state legislature or perhaps in Congress, and bided their time for the chance to run statewide. Bill Spadea has a different theory of the case.
David Wildstein, NJ Globe
- The four-day tenure of Tiffany Williams Brewer as the executive director of the State Commission of Investigation was three days shorter than the time Assemblywoman Evelyn Williams (D-Newark) served in the New Jersey Legislature. Assemblyman Donald Tucker, who had also been a Newark City Councilman for 31 years, passed on October 17, 2005 – 22 days before Election Day. He remained on the ballot and still won re-election in a landslide.
Antisemitic remarks made by Trenton official are ignored to fill cabinet vacancy
LA Parker, The Trentonian
- Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora joined a chorus of city officials who said a Jewish police officer made claims of antisemitism that were “not substantiated”. The determination set the stage for a unanimous 7-0 vote by members of City Council to tab Arch Liston as permanent director of Housing & Economic Development despite a pending lawsuit initiated by Lt. Alexis Durlacher. The veteran officer alleged Liston made cringe-worthy remarks that connected to her Jewish faith.
New Jersey school bus driver reads with kids between bus routes
Melanie Burney, Philadelphia Inquirer
- School bus driver Herman Cruse was looking for something to do to pass time in between routes. So, he started reading to students at Middle Township Elementary #1 and he loved it. His passion for helping students has turned into a reading program for the South Jersey district – Mr. Herman’s Kids.
NJ students need more opportunity. Expand the Interdistrict Public School Choice Program
Andy Mulvihill, Special to the USA TODAY Network
- New Jersey boasts some of the best schools in the entire country, yet the latest statewide test scores show that a majority of public school students are not meeting critical learning benchmarks. In fact, only 52.2% of students tested at or above expectations on the English language arts portion of the statewide New Jersey Student Learning Assessments for the 2023-2024 school year, and only 39.6% of students were at or above grade level for math.
Murphy celebrates “a full week of declining numbers” then says “status quo of lockdown will remain until new cases and fatalities decrease.” So, which of Murphy’s statements is accurate? He said 2 opposite things in a single paragraph of speaking.
He;s “vacationing” at his villa in Italy, while Covid surges and the state is paralyzed by “remote work”…………translation: NO WORK
That is what happens in practicality when they are “suspending their disbelief” (HR Clinton) in real numbers and going on predictive models to make decisions. And then after doing that, they vote with “feelings.”
lmao imagine supporting lockdowns after the largest mass death event in american history and calling that a feeling driven conclusion? maga chuds never fail to disappoint
keeping up with the news
OK
What I — and most of the women I know who are passionate about cosmetics —like about make up isn’t that the right gloss can make your lips poutier or that false lashes can make your eyes more doe-like. Rather, it’s how women can communicate messages and express ourselves through makeup. Certainly it’s not our single factor of communication, but it’s one of many forms of expression that allow us to showcase our individual styles.
keeping up with the news
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So….about those 56 machines in Bergen… <<>>
Murphy running for President is LAUGHABLE. Nased on what??
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Increasing Use of Cosmetic Products & Their Side Effects
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Murphy doesn’t want to be the president, he wants to be a state trooper.
Nice article! thanks for sharing the post!
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lETS NOT FORGET that during the pandemic Donald Trump sent the MERCY, a fully equipped, COVID prepared Hospital ship to save lives of victims and healthcare workers . But Murphy in his wisdom would rather send Patients back to nursing homes that were ill-equipped to treat these patients so they could die , rather than utilize a life-saving gift and be like NY governor Cuomo, another anti-Trump
tool.
Your blog is a haven of positivity in a sometimes chaotic online world.
Your exquisitely curated blog epitomizes erudition, captivating readers with its intellectually stimulating content and profound philosophical insights.
Gun owners don’t have to talk about guns because they know that they have to come out and vote to protect their constitutional right to bear arms. The Supreme court decision has affirmed that right and somehow our “leaders” haven’t learned how to read.
NJ is one of the most corrupt and racist places to live. There’s “0” accountability for the criminal acts, corruption, and unfair treatment of the people of this state. It starts with our governor who cares less for truth and honesty. Continue to ruin the lives of the citizens of this state.
How about those unintended consequences.
New Jersey mandating that all cars being sold by 2035 be electric is telling us what we can or cannot buy with our own money. There will always be gasoline powered vehicles because of the power produced by internal combustion compared to the power produced by batteries; which is to say the more power the bigger the battery to the point of rediculousness. My thought is that if the state wants fewer gas powered vehicles on the road it should create a mass transit electric powered system that would emphasize convenience for commuters and everyday shoppers. Of course that would mean vehicles weighing tons more because of the size of batteries and that creates a whole other question of where to dispose of them (also for elelectric car batteries), since they are composed of highly toxic materials that can’t be burnt or buried. These are unintended consequences no- one is willing to grapple with until its too late. I think by 2035 th he electric car fantasy will go the same way the offshore wind farm has gone.
Stephen Brickman
206 Stonehenge Dr
Phillipsburg,NJ 08865
Stephen.Brickman@gmail.com
Sent from my iPhone
The military serving in the Middle East represents every state in the Union. Those are our sons and daughters, Moms and Dads and yet we are very little to protect them, or REALLY retaliate when they’re attacked. Governor Murphy is the Chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, and past chair of the National Governors Association and yet you never hear him mention about any requests either organization makes to Biden to be more aggressive about protecting our kids in harms way. It’s as though it doesn’t seem to matter to them. No wonder we look so weak to the rest of the world.
Teaneck property taxes pays for the school budget. Teaneck High School students walk out. Is a Hamas military shuffle march property tax bill included?
I’m a conservative and I do believe life begins at conception but the problem is that each mother is responsible for that life and it is in the realm of her mental and physical health that she will either bring it to term or abort it. This should not be a political decision and should not be be dictated by thousand of strangers. The Supreme Court turned it over to the states but it still remains personal for the mother and her family.
I don’t think it should be an “agenda item” for any political party. A state medical society may want to impose a time frame within which an abortion can occur but even that may be subject to the mother’s doctor’s discretion.
I say just quit discussing it and leave it up to the mother a father.
Voting should be based on understanding what’s actually happening and knowing who would make life safer and more livable. The only way to do that is to get both sides of the information remembering there are always two sides to a story. Mainstream media in my area includes the Star Ledger and the Easton Express. If you look at the bylines of the opinions you will find writers from the Washington Post and Bloomberg, both notoriously on the left. Even the political cartoons are a dead giveaway. CNN and CNBC are also left leaning. So what are the options for getting opinions and news from the right? Fortunately cable news has Fox, which is near center, and Newsmax, and NewsNation which are full right. Watching these even just occasionally will show a much broader picture and give the reader more information with which to make an informed voting decision. And remember you DONT have to vote party if you feel there’s a wiser choice.
The governor signed off on having Narcan available in all schools grades 9 through 12. But what about the idea
of having Narcan available in ALL SCHOOLS in New Jersey?
How’s his for an idea? Uncover the identities of the un-elected advisors to Pres. Biden, and publish their names. That way there is actually someone to blame when we lose valuable lives from unanswered attacks by terrorist organizations. We know Biden isn’t making these decisions on his own. My guess is that these advisors will quit the team rather than take the heat for poor decisions, revealing a big weakness in this administration. It might lead to improvements to the decision-making process.
Note to Concealed Carry permit holders: make sure you subscribe to one of the insurance companies that specialize in CCP, ie: US LAW SHIELD. If you ever have to fire your weapon , that has to be the first phone call you make. The second is 911, the third is your family. With so many new permit holders there will probably be an increase in discharges until word gets out that it’s actually unsafe for criminals to be in New Jersey and crime will take a nosedive.
Now unless you have a conviction in your background you can get that CCP and really defend yourself and your family. And more women are applying which is great for family defense. The stats that record gun violence will have to be re-organized into guns used for crime and guns used to prevent crime. A lot of get-always here because sometimes just brandishing a firearm is enough to stop a crime. But it should be reported anyway..
The liability limits for taxi cabs are extreme starting July 1. It was a plan in place through the insurance banking committee and it was abruptly changed with an amendment. The guys are barely making a living today and you’ve increased their insurance. What’s fair is fair and this is not it was an incremental increase, which was fair, and was removed by the governor please refer back to the original plan
Iowa gets it right. What better school security is there than trained, armed teachers with concealed carry permits. You wonder what parents and local government officials when they oppose this idea. Apparently they would rather wait for some demented individual, either a student or maybe an ex student pulls out a handgun of his backpack , or a long gun out of a duffel and starts firing do they can call it in and wait for help to show up. This move would save many lives and I would heartily endorse this idea nationwide. Of course I’m just an average gun owner who believes that our kids are our most valuable asset and need real protection.
The problem with the Line is that there is no vetting process. Whoever pays the most and/or is specifically unqualified and therefore relegated to the status of puppet is who the county bosses support and threaten the committee members to support. My opponent said on-air that he will do whatever they tell him. What kind of leadership is that. I have 8-10 organizations endorsing me to his zero. I have served many statewide for almost 4 years while he has never helped anyone but himself. No-brainer who is qualified, and they know it. That’s why they are getting nasty and vile while I continue to take the high road.
With the mainstream media touting the current president and suddenly discovers he’s been lying to us all about how supportive he is of Israel when it is reported he is receiving BIG donations from Soros and Rockefellers , both proven anti-American donors, to become pro Palestinian and Pro Hamas and Anti Israel by holding up ammunition shipments to Israel. And solidly answering the question of why he never goes directly against Iran. Is the MSM party to this also. How can the general public now know who and what to trust. They warn us how terrible a trump administration will be as if they have totally forgotten how good we had it under Trump. All I can say is put on your big boy pants and tell us how it really is.
Studies show that recreational cannabis is responsible a 10% increase in motor vehicle accident deaths. These studies show that cannabis impairs driving ability and driving while high is common among regular users. Since cannabis is still an illegal drug, insurance companies are within their rights to deny coverage in for an accident ruled a DUI due to cannabis. However a state that approved its recreational use should be held accountable for any and all the consequences of that DUI. States are more interested in the money they make but they should accept the responsibility for having approved the use of recreational cannabis.
Could you please fix your “bay blood spots “ typo. It sounds like a horror movie. Although “baby blood spots” isn’t much better. Maybe there’s a clearer and less distressing turn of phrase for all of our sensitive readers, lol. Please and thank you.
Reclassifying marihuana from CI to any other category will involve Pharmacy because by law only a Pharmacist with a DEA license can purchase or sell any drug with a CII to CV
Classification. (CI is exempt because it’s heroine or any other drug with no medical purpose). This is a National problem because it is all under the DEA. And since marihuana is a hallucinogen among other things it requires control. The whole weed issue has put the cart before the horse and really requires reining in to have it conform
to the legal requirements. (Sorry Mr. Weedman). And recreational use will get the biggest hit because it will require a prescription
for medicinal use, but that cuts out the recreational aspect. Maybe in the future Pharmacists may be able to prescribe it but not yet. And how many physicians and Nurse Practitioners will want to be involved in the weed industry, I wonder? Lots of questions and few answers so far.
Changing the regulations to allow Optometrists to perform surgery is foolhardy and dangerous. Their training is doing vision tests and prescribing the correct glasses to improve vision. Only an MD in ophthalmology should be the one to do eye surgery.
That’s like asking the fellow filling your gas tank to fix a ball joint suspension.
This is not the answer to a shortage of ophthalmologists
Can’t seem to access the Steinberg column on Sam Alito, Sr. on your website. Suggestions?
Stop complaining about taxes ,our schools , our crime, ,after all folks we keep voting in the same Democrat party politicians each time .
For instance who would think that every Democrat who represents us in congress would vote for men playing in woman sports ,but they did , ask yourself are you the kind of a person who would kill ( sorry to use that word kill but hard not to since the law is that is a human being and if the mother is murdered it’s a double homicide ) a baby up to the moment of birth sorry to tell you that is the law in New Jersey.
So stop complaining your part of the problem.
NOTE TO SENIORS
I was 85 when I got my Carry permit. If you want to protect yourself and your family you are never too old to carry. As log as you can pass the test at the range, which is pretty simple, and you have a handgun you can handle (which is why I purchased a Walther CCP M2 PLUS which is easy to rack) and you have no police record or mental health problems, you can qualify. Of course you need to get a Federal weapons ID card, if you don’t already have one. We are targets because we are older and look easy. Well surprise , surprise. The more folks that are carrying the less crime because the bad guys wont know if you are armed and might not try something. By the way
it doesn’t matter- male or female!!
Great article, thanks for keeping us informed!
Assemblyman Schaer’s Bill to define antisemitism for New Jersey residents and to be able to react to it is great. But what about our kids going off to college, especially the Jewish kids. They should have a means to know what schools have active anti-Jewish protests, and/or pro-Palestinian demonstration allowed on and off campus. They should be able to feel safe wherever they go, and not have their studies interrupted by what I consider this unlawful activity. Are there websites with this kind of information posted?
Concerns about Jan 6 violence
The simple solution to allay the concerns of the Jan.6 violence happening again is to make sure the election is run in an honest and above board manner, which must include voter I.D. via a totally transparent system. Otherwise I’m betting all bets are off.
(The state’s voting system is secure, according to NJ Spotlight.)
This was without doubt one of the most farcical articles perhaps ever written. To give you an idea just how corrupt and lawless the voting system is, in 2021 Governor Murphy deviously ousted the Bergen County Superintendent of Elections with over 30+ years of experience (coerced and strongarmed into early retirement) in order to then deliberately and deviously insert Loretta Weinberg’s Chief of Staff who, had absolutely NO previous election experience whatsoever.
This was all masterfully formulated and then executed just several weeks prior to the Gubernatorial primary. But of course there was nothing nefarious regarding such an abrupt change.
Although Bergen County is not the largest County in New Jersey it is however home to the most registered voters of which the vast majority are also Democrats.
Keep in mind The Superintendent of Elections Office is also in charge of voter “registrations” – polls books, voting machines and of course – investigating any and all reports of voter fraud.
Murphy’s intentions had been to leave the position vacant until “after” the Gubernatorial Election in November but the media exposed his chicanery and he was forced to fill and announce his personal “appointment” immediately and how all of this came to light.
The former Superintendent of Elections was also a Republican and certainly would’ve never voluntarily retired “prematurely” but just prior to a major election. Her integrity was legendary throughout the entire County.
But of course there was nothing to Murphy’s sudden lead change “in the middle of the night” in Bergen County after the polls had already closed.
Murphy was and still remains loathed and despised by all because of his despotic actions and stance on the Covid lockdowns. He knew there was no other way he could ever beat Ciattarelli and never did. But certainly not legally nor ever legitimately. But keep believing “the voting system in NJ” is actually secure.
Once Trump pardons the Jan 6 participants they should immediately begin Class Action suit against Nancy Pelosi who was instrumental in conducting a huge Political Kangaroo Court unfairly sending hundreds of of participants to jail. They should seek 200 million dollars for redress as well as compensation for Ashley Babbit’s shooting for being unarmed and unthreatening and totally not deserving of a death sentence. And it should cover the medical needs of those jailed who were denied adequate medical care. This was a total abuse of politely power and a Class Action suit is needed to clear the air.
The selling off the wall piecemeal by Biden’s administration was not addressed, but it has to be looked at as a huge black eye for Biden. To counter this it seems prudent to advise those companies that bought in to the “Great American Fraud” that returning their purchase is a most patriotic act, even if there is a monetary reward of maybe 25 cents on the dollar, as well as not being seen to be in collusion with the deep state.in this fraudulent act. Remembering that American taxpayers already paid millions for the wall and would very much appreciate getting it back to increase Homeland Security, which was its purpose in the first place.