Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing: 7/15/2024
Below is Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing:
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I want to try to unite our country. But I don’t know if that’s possible. People are very divided.” – Former President Trump on changing his GOP nomination acceptance speech following the Saturday assassination attempt
TOP STORY: Hennelly: An Apprehensive Flight into Milwaukee
Former President Trump was injured during an assassination attempt at his Saturday rally in Pennsylvania and rushed off stage; the suspected shooter was killed, one audience member was killed, and two others were injured. Trump returned to his Bedminster golf course following the shooting, according to MyCentralJersey.
NJ politicians condemned political violence after the Trump rally shooting, according to the Bergen Record.
Senator Menendez’s fate is now in the jury’s hands, according to Politico NJ.
Mercer County adopted its budget.
Former Assemblywoman Angelini was named President of the Monmouth County 200 Club.
Morris County approved $3.6M to preserve 20 historic sites, according to the NJ Herald.
Rep. Van Drew will speak at the Republican National Convention, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
ICYMI: Norcross pleaded not guilty; Sherrill doesn’t want President Biden to run; Menendez verdict will come soon; Murphy signed budget; courts shaping political developments; Critchley, Marino statement on Norcross
GOP gubernatorial primary candidate Senator Bramnick visited ally former President George W. Bush over the weekend.
NJDSC Chairman Jones says its ‘past time we coalesce‘ around President Biden.
The Atlantic County League of Women Voters’ chair resigned after expressing regret that former President Trump was ‘only grazed’ in the assassination attempt, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
In CD7, the race could have national implications, according to NJ Spotlight.
In CD10, 11 candidates participated in a forum, according to Hudson County View. The special primary election will be held tomorrow, according to NJ Spotlight.
Janice Fields will take a seat on the NJGOP National Committee, according to NJ Hills.
ICYMI: HCDO tapped Storm Wyche as ED; Ciattarelli unperturbed by Spadea; Wisniewski says Democrats should rally around Biden; Jones tells Dems ‘work harder’ and ‘worry less’ as Dems fret over optics while considering options amid serious doubts; Insider NJ Poll: Is Biden Salvageable?; Davis elected Monmouth Dems chair; Bashaw poll shows close race; Spadea’s early win; Durr participated in a FDU forum
The state is looking to expand scrutiny in hiring, according to NJ101.5.
Senator O’Scanlon and Assemblymembers Scharfenberger and Flynn called on NJ Transit to hold a special hearing to address transit issues.
ICYMI: Murphy announced departure of Gutierrez-Scacetti; Murphy says he doesn’t think about his legacy; Murphy announced promotions
Download and read Insider NJ’s 2024 Insider 100: Legal publication.
Download and read Insider NJ’s 2024 Insider 100: Lobbyist publication.
Former Senator Bob Gordon discusses his career and insights on current events.
In Bernardsville, 2024 salaries were approved, according to NJ Hills.
In Jersey City, the city lost another case in the battle to slop police officers from using cannabis, according to NJ.com.
In Montclair, the schools superintendent unexpectedly passed away, according to NJ.com.
In Montgomery, the town added to preserved land along the Princeton Ridge, according to MyCentralJersey.
In Newton, a sex assault case was the final straw in the removal of a gazebo, according to NJ Herald.
In Oakland, the Ramapo Indian Hills BOE ended a second meeting without a superintendent, according to the Bergen Record.
In Princeton, a ICE raid angered local officials, according to NJ Spotlight.
In Rockaway, land and water safety concerns highlighted a meeting, according to NJ Hills.
ICYMI: In Parsippany, Musella kicked off mayoral campaign; in Dover, bumpy transition; in Newark, Onyema won West Ward Dem chairmanship
Insider NJ columnist Bob Hennelly writes ‘The Wrong Questions Are Providing the Wrong Answers‘
In a guest column on Insider NJ, Senator Timberlake writes ‘A Call for Democratic Unity‘
In a guest column on Insider NJ, Newark Councilman Quintana writes ‘The Court has Transformed a President into a King‘
Insider NJ columnist Bob Hennelly writes ‘This Day in History: Just Larger than Life or Big Footing the Law?‘
Insider NJ columnist Alan Joel Steinberg writes ‘The Best Democratic Alternative: A Kamala Harris – Josh Shapiro ticket‘
Insider NJ editor Max Pizarro writes ‘Stand up with President Biden and NATO Against Trump’s Evil Threat‘
AROUND THE WEB:
Why this Republican can’t support Trump again | Opinion
David Sypher
- Donald Trump’s recent felony conviction has made me reflect deeply on the dismal direction of my party. I’m a lifelong Republican, ran for office as a Republican, and yes, I voted for Trump before. His conviction is not just a legal issue; it is a microcosm of a larger problem within the Republican Party and highlights how far we’ve fallen as a nation.
President Biden and the psychology of letting go | Opinion
Star-Ledger Guest Columnist
- President Biden’s gait was stiff, and he appeared frail and pale in the debate with former President Trump. As public health psychologists with expertise in aging and mental health, we recognize there are dozens of health-related explanations for his inability to eloquently defend his record of accomplishments or fact-check the torrent of lies spewing from his opponent.
Will Matthew McConaughey run for office after drinking tequila with Gov. Phil Murphy?
Brent Johnson, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
- Maybe the final push Matthew McConaughey needs to enter politics is a night of drinking tequila with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy.
N.J. county park zoo plagued by flooding issues reaches an end of an era
Steven Rodas, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
- It’s not a plane, or Superman. It is indeed a bird. Specifically, a peacock.
Live longer in the Garden State: Top NJ counties for longevity revealed
Tamara Walker, Asbury Park Press
- Even though the fountain of youth has yet to be discovered, Americans have still found longevity. According to the Center for Disease and Control, back in 1970 the average American life span was 70.8 and in 2022 it jumped up to 77.5. That’s almost a seven year increase over 50 years.
Living history museum at N.J. state park will close temporarily due to finances
Lauren Musni, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
- The Historic Village at Allaire, a living history museum located in Allaire State Park in Monmouth County, posted on their Facebook page Sunday afternoon that they’re having financial troubles and will have to close temporarily. It says that over a year now, the nonprofit organization has been struggling due to “outside forces such as the economy, rising inflation costs, unprecedented weather and limited grant funding.”
Why this Republican can’t support Trump again | Opinion
Tom Moran, Star-Ledger
- Is Kamala Harris really the best Democrats can do? She’s a known quantity to voters, and most of them don’t like what they’ve seen. Like Biden, she’s behind Donald Trump in every poll. She flamed out of the 2020 presidential race early, quitting two months before the voting began. She flipped position on big issues, like health care, and was unable to manage her famously bickering staff.
After 235 years, America still isn’t ready for President Kamala Harris
Samantha Willis, NJ Monitor
- The question burning at the center of American public opinion since the first presidential debate: If President Joe Biden steps down, who will replace him as the Democratic nominee for president of the United States? The most obvious answer appears to be the nation’s second-in-command, Vice President Kamala Harris. But her candidacy would face nearly insurmountable odds of success, if American history and recent voter polls are any indication.
‘We are all Americans:’ Somerset Hills mayor decry Trump assassination attempt
PC Robinson, NJ Hills
- Somerset Hill mayors decried the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump as he spoke during a rally.
Chinese dissident Deng Yuwen and daughter target of harassment campaign
Jesse Bunch, Philadelphia Inquirer
- When dissident journalist Deng Yuwen became the target of an aggressive online harassment campaign over the winter, he had little doubt that the slew of social media accounts calling him a plagiarist and a traitor were tied to the Chinese Communist Party. After Deng was expelled from his home country in 2018 for criticizing its authoritarian government, he settled in the Philadelphia area.
Is Toms River a more livable small city than Lakewood? SmartAsset study has some answers
Juan Carlos Castillo, Asbury Park Press
- SmartAsset, a financial advice website, evaluated 281 small cities in the U.S. (populations between 65,000 and 100,000) and ranked them in terms of livability. Nine New Jersey cities were included in the ranking, but not in the best positions. Trenton, Union, Lakewood, Camden, Passaic and East Orange were placed in the bottom 20 spots and here’s why: The evaluation primarily considered the percentage of the population below poverty level, housing cost as a percent of income, commute time, and the amount of entertainment and recreation businesses.
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
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keeping up with the news
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Murphy running for President is LAUGHABLE. Nased on what??
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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.
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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.