Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing: 9/16/2024
Below is Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing:
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “With no state Senate elections, the Democratic caucus has seen fit to continue on with the same leadership. We are in unprecedented times where elections will soon dictate control of the White House, our Congress, the Governor’s Office, and the General Assembly.” – Senate President Scutari announcing another bid to lead the Senate
TOP STORY: Trump Drama Roils Longtime Christie-Ciattarelli Feud
Former President Trump was safe yesterday following gunshots in his vicinity.
The USS New Jersey was officially welcomed, according to the Bergen Record.
Governor Murphy hopes an investigation into Rutgers gymnastics leads to ‘reform’, according to NJ.com.
The state Supreme Court declined to bar casino smoking, according to NJ Monitor.
The state blocked nearly 1M fraudulent ANCHOR applications last year, according to NJ Spotlight.
The NJDHS is making naloxone available to all school districts.
A petition is calling for more police and drones to catch dangerous drivers on the Parkway, according to NJ.com.
The ‘shoobie’ term for tourists at the Shore comes with a history and unkind connotations, according to Burlington County Times.
Somerset County is seeking to reduce traffic accidents, according to TAPinto.
Senator Helmy introduced his senior staff and office locations. Helmy highlighted youth mental health as a priority while in office.
Rep. Van Drew demanded accountability from Atlantic City Electric.
Rep. Gottheimer launched a new ‘Unity Commitment’.
Rep. Watson Coleman sent a letter to the FBI demanding information about militia groups.
Rep. Kim marked the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month.
ICYMI: Legislation pending to honor Pascrell; funeral held for the late Rep. Pascrell; smoking still allowed in casinos; Kelly may have helped torpedo Mastro
Trump drama is roiling the longtime Christie-Ciattarelli feud.
In CD7, Sue Altman zeroed in on working class voters in Rahway. Democratic Majority For Israel PAC endorsed Altman.
In CD10, voters will fill the unexpired term of the late Rep. Payne, according to NJ Globe.
The state is on track for its most diverse congressional delegation ever, according to NJ Globe.
ICYMI: Schaffer impressed by Harris; GSE Action Fund released endorsements; abortion flashpoint issue; Bramnick to fundraise w/ Boehner; Dems crammed BBQ; Bashaw’s campaign highlighted polling data; Elect Women NJ announced endorsements; PAM’s List endorsed candidates; NJGOP wants real race in the state; Gottheimer’s road to Guv goes through Middlesex; Pou by acclamation
Senate President Scutari announced his bid to run for another term as Senate President.
Governor Murphy’s conditional veto of Hurricane Ida aid vexes homeowners still struggling, according to NJ Monitor.
Senate Minority Leader Bucco says the state needs a balanced energy strategy, according to NJ.com.
Assemblywoman Katz mounted a full court press to address electric bill rate hikes.
Behind the Ballot: Getting on – and off – the Ballot for President in NJ
In looking at the career of the late Rep. Pascrell, its instructive to consider the 2012 primary battle as a stand-out race.
Al Sullivan’s memories of Rep. Pascrell.
Download and read Insider NJ’s 2024 Insider 100: Policymakers publication.
Compliance Corner: Navigating ELEC Investigations and Complaints
Download and read Insider NJ’s 2024 Insider 100: Legal publication.
Download and read Insider NJ’s 2024 Insider 100: Lobbyist publication.
In Asbury Park, a home improvement program was launched, according to TAPinto.
In Camden, BOE President Muhammad resigned, according to Burlington County Times.
In Cherry Hill, former Mayor Platt passed away, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
In Fair Lawn, BOE candidates weighed in on issues, according to the Bergen Record.
In Harrison (Gloucester), a development proposal sparked opposition, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
In Jersey City, the council delayed the final vote to dissolve the construction appeals board, according to Hudson County View.
In Phillipsburg, the crime diversion program turns a year old, according to the Lehigh Valley Live.
In Ridgewood, new personnel was sworn-in, according to TAPinto.
In Wanaque, the town is trying to condemn and acquire a townhouse site, according to NorthJersey.com.
In Ventnor, an ordinance was introduced to control microplastic contamination, according to Downbeach.
ICYMI: In Bedminster, debate prompted ‘kindergarten behavior’
Insider NJ columnist Bob Hennelly writes ‘An Informed Public is the Best Civil Defense‘
In a guest column on Insider NJ, Archange Antoine writes ‘NJ Silent as Trump, Vance, and GOP Target Haitian Community‘
Insider NJ columnist George Ball writes ‘This Emperor Has No Clothes‘
Insider NJ columnist Alan Joel Steinberg writes ‘The Post-2024 Election NJGOP Gubernatorial Civil War: Reaganism (Bramnick) versus Trumpism (Ciattarelli)‘
Insider NJ reporter Fred Snowflack writes ‘The New Reagan Movie and the MAGA Crowd‘
Insider NJ columnist Andrew Leven writes ‘An Intersection of Antisemitism and the War in Gaza That You Can Live With, and By‘
In a guest column on Insider NJ, Charlie Wowkanech writes ‘Labor Day: It’s Better in a Union‘
AROUND THE WEB:
Trump is losing his talent for lying | Moran
Tom Moran, Star-Ledger
- Donald Trump has lied from the start, when he came down that golden escalator and claimed that Mexico was “sending” convicted rapists across the border. And he’s gotten away with it, mostly. Fact-checkers ding him over and over, but the bullets seem to bounce off him.
Trump courts the Jewish vote — while embracing a Nazi | Editorial
Star-Ledger Editorial Board
- In what should be a surprise to no one, Donald Trump has turned his Bedminster club into a Nazi safe space. Twice this summer, the disgraced ex-president opened the doors of his divot motel/ex-wife cemetery to host fundraisers for Capitol riot defendants. Perhaps the most infamous is Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, a neo-Nazi who was released from prison in December – one who wears a Hitler mustache and has expressed his opinion to coworkers that “Hitler should have finished the job,” and has seethed about a “Hasidic Jewish invasion” of New Jersey.
E-ZPass texted me about a toll. Is it for real?
Karin Price Mueller, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
- Tolls are a fact of life when you’re driving in New Jersey and in surrounding states. E-ZPass is supposed to make traveling through those tolls a little easier, even if you don’t have an E-ZPass account or transponder on your vehicle.
Jersey City schools chief has her work cut out for her | Jersey Journal editorial
Jersey Journal Editorial
- Congratulations to Jersey City Superintendent of Schools Norma Fernandez for winning the confidence of the city Board of Education, which extended her contract last month and bumped her salary enough to make her the highest paid public schools superintendent in the state.
Helen of Troy is landing in Morristown
Kevin Coughlin, Morristown Green
- No, not that Helen of Troy. But the mythological Greek beauty might have appreciated some of her namesake’s global consumer brands, such as Revlon cosmetics, Brut fragrances, Belson styling tools, and Oxo home products.
Port complex road improvement project ramps up
Matthew Fazelpoor, NJBIZ
- A major project to modernize the road network leading into the East Coast’s busiest port complex is advancing. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced this week that the ramp leading from eastbound Port Street to southbound Corbin Street will close for demolition and reconstruction beginning Sept. 16 at 8 p.m.
School shootings and threats raise anxiety over safety
Bobby Brier, NJ Spotlight
- Parents and students, mental health professionals and school staff are all grappling with renewed anxieties over gun violence after several schools in South Jersey were closed earlier this week due to shooting threats posted to social media.
New filter system removing microplastics from public water
Joanna Gagis, NJ Spotlight
- A New Jersey start-up is testing a filtration system in Atlantic City that would for the first time effectively filter microplastics out of water. Yidian Lu and Nathaniel Banks, who met while they were graduate students at Princeton University, co-founded the start-up PolyGone Systems and have developed a prototype that’s being piloted at the Atlantic County Utilities Authority.
Trenton Farmers Market is the right place to accidentally run into Jack Ball
LA Parker, The Trentonian
- Finding Jack Ball inside the Trenton Farmers Market turned commonplace into rarity. Back in the day, Ball and his wife, Marcia, ran the popular market for 39 years. Ball, the former mayor of Ewing Twp., who looks good and even sports a lengthy crop of hair, once roamed Trenton Farmers Market.
New Jersey’s affordable housing policy needs a complete revamping
Deborah Smarth, Asbury Park Press
- The government does not get it. It is not necessary to destroy acres and acres of land to put up new housing aimed at “affordable housing,” which is still too costly for both rentals and purchases. Developers use this tactic all the time to obtain development application approvals or otherwise threaten to sue a town under the Fair Housing Act. Has the “builder’s remedy” been stricken yet from the revised, amended Fair Housing Act recently signed into law by New Jersey’s governor?
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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Roofing In Brighton
Roofing Colorado Springs
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!