Daily News Roundup

Jaime Bedrin discusses the first half of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's hearing by NJ News Commons

Mary Galioto of MercerMe discusses her local news subscription program by NJ News Commons

Matt Skoufalos of NJ Pen discusses NJ's new microbrewery regulations by NJ News Commons

Stefanie Murray discusses Jesse Holcomb's latest research by NJ News Commons

March 5, 2018

Partly cloudy with high temperatures in the mid-40s.

MURPHY INAUGURATION COST MORE THAN $1 MILLION

The committee that planned the inauguration of Gov. Phil Murphy spent $1.1 million on the swearing-in ceremony in Trenton and the inaugural festivities held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.com reports. The Democratic State Committee covered $940,000 of the cost and the remainder was paid with individual donations of no more than $500 each, according to a report filed with the Election Law Enforcement Commission. When Gov. Chris Christie took office in 2010, more than half of the $1 million raised for his inaugural ball was donated to charities.

CHRISTIE SAYS KUSHNER SHOULD RESIGN WHITE HOUSE POST

Former Gov. Chris Christie says that Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, should resign from his job as a senior adviser, the New York Post writes. Kushner has been the subject of press scrutiny after his security clearance was downgraded and reports surfaced that his family’s business received loans from investors after they attended White House meetings.

PATIENTS DYING AFTER PROCEDURES AT NJ SURGERY CENTERS

New Jersey has 298 same-day surgical centers, which offer lower costs than hospitals, lower infection rates and greater convenience. But dozens of patients have died at the centers since the state began keeping safety records, Lindy Washburn writes in The Record.

HUDSON COUNTY WITHDRAWS FROM IMMIGRATION DETENTION PROGRAM

Officials announced last week that Hudson County is dropping out of a program that trained corrections officers to determine the immigration status of prisoners and flag those held on serious charges for possible deportation, The Record reports. Hudson County Freeholder Anthony Vainieri said the Trump administration’s vigorous enforcement of immigration laws was a factor in the decision. But County Executive Tom DeGise said bail reform in the state had significantly reduced crowding at the jail, eliminating the need to remove inmates.

PSEG, EXELON PUT HOLD ON CAPITAL PROJECTS AT NUCLEAR PLANT

Public Service Enterprise Group and Exelon are withholding money for capital projects at the Salem nuclear power plant until the Legislature approves a controversial measure that would have utility customers provide a $300 million-a-year subsidy for two South Jersey plants, NJ Spotlight writes. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, PSEG and Exelon said money for capital projects would be restored if legislation that “sufficiently values” nuclear energy is enacted in New Jersey.

March 1, 2018

Showers with high temperatures in the upper 50s. Storms moving in later.

CONDITIONS CALLED ‘INHUMANE’ AT IMMIGRANT DETENTION CENTERS

A human rights organization says immigrants being held at three detention centers in New Jersey are subjected to “harsh and inhumane” conditions, The Record writes. A report released this week by Human Rights First says detainees are served raw and spoiled food, given dirty drinking water and provided insufficient clothing and hygiene products. "Legal professionals who participated in the tours were surprised to note that the conditions of detention were poor or worse than those they had previously observed in criminal correctional facilities,'' the report says.

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE ADVANCES 6 GUN-CONTROL MEASURES

The Assembly Judiciary Committee approved six bills that would tighten New Jersey’s gun-control laws, which are already among the strictest in the country, The Record reports. One of the measures, known as a “red flag” law, would allow police to temporarily take guns from people who are ruled by a judge as a threat. Other legislation would impose a 10-round limit on the capacity of gun magazines, expand background checks to include private gun sales and ban bullets capable of penetrating body armor.

HEALTH INSURER TO USE PART OF TAX WINDFALL FOR POLICYHOLDERS

The largest health insurer in the state says it will use at least $275 million of its federal tax refund to benefit policyholders, NJ Spotlight says. Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey provide rebates or discounts to its 3.8 million members. It will also focus on improving mental health services, increasing access to substance abuse treatment, and expanding primary care. The money comes from the Trump administration’s tax overhaul, which changed the process used by some corporation to file income tax.

EMAIL THREAT CLOSES TWO SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Two Gloucester County school districts are closed today after a threatening email message was received by a staff member overnight, NJ.com reports. The Franklin Township and Delsea Regional school districts have been in close contact with each other and the police since the threat was received, authorities said. The threat was directed at a Franklin Township district employee but the Delsea district also closed because its facilities are in close proximity to Franklin Township’s. In a statement posted on Facebook, the Franklin Township Police Department said, "We are working diligently to identify the sender of that email at this time."

NOR'EASTER EXPECTED TO BRING HEAVY RAIN, HIGH WINDS

It looks like March is coming in like a lion. High wind and flood watches have been issued for most of the state as weather forecasts are indicating a nor'easter is approaching, News 12 says. Rain is expected to move in Thursday evening with urban and coastal flooding possible early Friday through Saturday. In addition, a winter storm watch has been issued for Sussex and western Passaic counties with the possibility of 2 to 6 inches of snow.

February 28, 2018

Partly cloudy with high temperatures near 60.

REPORT: ANTI-SEMITIC INCIDENTS IN NJ ROSE 32% IN 2017

A report released Tuesday by the Anti-Defamation League says the number of anti-Semitic incidents in New Jersey increased by 32 percent in 2017, compared with the previous year, MyCentralJersey.com reports. New Jersey had the third highest number of incidents in the country, behind New York and California. Bergen County had the most incidents in New Jersey with 40, up from 28 in 2016.

MURPHY CREATES JOBS AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY COUNCIL

Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order Tuesday creating an economic advisory panel modeled on the federal government’s Council of Economic Advisers, NJ Spotlight writes. The 12-member Jobs and Economic Opportunity Council will use data to analyze economic trends and conditions to help guide Murphy’s administration in such areas as job creation and job retention. Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver will be a member of the council.

SUBWAY LINK BETWEEN NEW YORK AND NJ TO GET A LOOK

The Port Authority, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and NJ Transit have commissioned a study to look at ways of increasing commuting capacity across the Hudson River, and an extension of the No. 7 subway is one of the options that may get a look, The New York Times reports. The Port Authority’s executive director, Rick Cotton, said the subway option was one of a number of possibilities.

BLACK LAWMAKERS PUSHING BACK ON LEGALIZING MARIJUANA

When he campaigned for office, Gov. Phil Murphy advocated the legalization of recreational marijuana in New Jersey and many residents believe it will be only a matter of time before the Legislature takes action. But the Legislative Black Caucus has taken a skeptical view of the issue, The Record writes. In a three-hour hearing in Jersey City last week only two of the 17 people who testified to the caucus favored the concept of legal marijuana. “It will devastate the African-American community," said Bishop Jethro James of Paradise Baptist Church in Newark.

ASIAN TICKS FOUND ON A SHEEP IN NJ

The longhorned tick, which is native to East Asia, has been found on a sheep in New Jersey, NPR reports. The tick, which multiplies quickly by essentially cloning itself, was found on a sheep last August in Hunterdon County. This is the first recorded instance of all life stages of the ticks being found on unquarantined animals in the United States, authorities say. How the ticks ended up on the sheep remains a mystery.

February 27, 2018

Sunny with temperatures in the upper 50s.

TENSIONS RUN HIGH IN NJ SCHOOLS SINCE FLORIDA SHOOTINGS

Since the massacre at a school in Parkland, Florida, in which 17 people were killed, tensions have been running high in New Jersey schools, The Record reports. Dumont High School was placed on lockdown Monday after police became aware of a threat posted on social media. In Nutley, two juveniles were arrested over the weekend after a threat was reported to Abundant Life Academy. And in Mahwah, parents were notified that an elementary student, fearful of an earlier threat, had brought an airsoft gun to school. The Mahwah police chief says a surge in threats and false alarms is common after a school shooting.

MURPHY TALKS GUNS AND GATEWAY AT WHITE HOUSE

Gov. Phil Murphy joined other governors at a meeting with President Donald Trump on Monday where the discussion focused on gun safety, NJ.com writes. Trump used that forum to promote his plan to arm teachers in schools. In an earlier session with White House officials, Murphy and other governors focused on the administration’s infrastructure plans. Murphy said in a statement after the meeting, “Few issues are more critical to New Jersey's future than ensuring federal partnerships for our infrastructure needs, especially the Gateway project.”

NJ HAS WIDE RANGE IN PROPERTY TAX INCREASES, DECREASES

In 2017, New Jersey property taxes rose 1.64 percent on average, The Asbury Park Press reports. But while some municipalities saw high increases, other towns had significant decreases. Sea Bright had an increase of nearly 16 percent, while Walpack had a decrease of more than 30 percent. You can check where your local government fell in the full list posted online.

NJ ATTORNEY GENERAL MOVES TO MAKE POLICE VIDEOS PUBLIC

Police dashcam and body cam videos that document the use of deadly force should be released to the public once an initial investigation is completed, State Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said Monday, according to the New Jersey Law Journal. He said he was issuing the directive to promote “transparency in police-community relations.” The new policy will take effect after an analysis for compliance with attorney ethics rules is complete.

REPORT ON RED-LIGHT CAMERAS’ VALUE NEVER RELEASED

A report from a state engineer that said reviving the state’s red-light camera system could prevent pedestrian fatalities and deadly right-angle crashes was never released by the state Department of Transportation, The Record says. The controversial cameras were scrapped three years ago. The report says: “Despite all its problems, the program had a positive impact on the public. If we had been able to make some modifications, it could have done much more.”

Local Beat is the NJ News Commons’ weekly roundup of the best reporting by community news sources.

PROTESTERS PLEAD ‘NOT GUILTY’ TO CHARGES OF DEFIANT TRESPASSING AT REP. LEONARD LANCE’S OFFICE

Six protestors who were arrested earlier this month at a demonstration in support of DREAMers at Rep. Leonard Lance’s office in Westfield have pleaded “not guilty” to charges of defiant trespassing. Fred Smith and Jackie Lieberman of TAPinto Westfield say the protesters were arrested after refusing to leave Lance’s office after it was closed.

SRHS STUDENTS HOLD WALKOUT TO HONOR PARKLAND VICTIMS

Hundreds of students from South Regional High School in Manahawkin gathered on campus on Wednesday for a 17-minute school walkout to honor the 17 people who were killed in the shooting in Parkland, Fla. Kimberly Bosco of Jersey Shore Online says two students, Laura Esposito and Kyra Zdep, organized the event, compiled information on each of the victims, made signs, and spread the word to other students – all in less than two days.

IS TAX REFORM AFFECTING HOME VALUES? LOCAL EXPERTS WEIGH IN

Alan Grossman and Danielle Santola of TAPinto Livingston published the first in a series of articles that will highlight local perspectives on the ways in which the recent federal tax reforms will affect Essex County residents. This week’s article focuses on real estate issues.

FIRST-HAND ACCOUNT: SHOUTS OF RACIAL SLURS BRING POLICE TO SPARTA THEATRE

Sparta police arrived at the New Vision Sparta Theatre Sunday night after receiving calls about a woman shouting racial slurs during a screening of Black Panther. Jennifer Dericks of TAPinto Sparta says former state Assembly candidate Michael Grace was in the theater when two people started yelling racial slurs. Police arrived and asked the “extremely intoxicated 57-year-old woman and her boyfriend” to leave the theater.

EAST BRUNSWICK RABBI CHARGED WITH ENGAGING IN PROSTITUTION WITH A CHILD

Rabbi Aryeh Goodman of the East Brunswick Chabad Learning Center was charged with one count of engaging in prostitution with a child and one count of endangering the welfare of a child. Maureen Berzok of TAPinto East Brunswick says Aryeh was one of 30 men who were charged with having sex with the teenager over the course of four weeks.

INSIDE AN ACTIVE SHOOTER DRILL

Virginia Citrano of MyVeronaNJ was invited to attend an active shooter drill at a public high school in Livingston. Officers from the Verona Police Department and several other NJ departments also attended the drill, where some spent the entire day training and learning how to deal with an active shooter situation.

CAMDEN COUNTY FILES RACKETEERING LAWSUIT AGAINST OPIOID MANUFACTURERS

Matt Skoufalos of NJ Pen examines the recent lawsuit filed against Purdue Pharma, which makes the opioid OxyContin, as well as three Purdue executives. The suit alleges that “Purdue collectively, and the Sacklers individually drove the over-prescription of OxyContin for all manner of pain management, even knowing its highly addictive qualities. It further charges the manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of the drugs as being complicit in the practice.”

February 22, 2018

Rain with temperatures falling from the upper 40s to the mid-30s.

NJ STUDENTS HOLD WALKOUTS OVER SCHOOL SHOOTINGS

In solidarity with students in Parkland, Florida, students across New Jersey staged walkouts from school Wednesday to demand action on gun control, NJ.com reports. Schools in Manahawkin, Voorhees, Hazlet and Middletown were among the places where students and faculty protested. Meanwhile, New Jersey teenagers are planning to participate in a national walkout planned for March 14, The Record reports. Gov. Phil Murphy has said the state Education Department will issue guidelines to schools so students can safely protest on that day.

CAMDEN COUNTY FILES RACKETEERING SUIT AGAINST OXYCONTIN MAKERS

In what is being called a legal first, Camden County has filed a racketeering lawsuit against Purdue Pharma, the company that makes the opioid drug OxyContin, and three members of the Sackler family, who own the company, ROI-NJ reports. The defendants “executed an epic scheme to deceive doctors (and the public at large) into believing that opioids can be prescribed for long periods of time, with little to no risk of addiction; a blatantly false premise,” the suit contends. Over-prescribing of opioid drugs has led to the heroin epidemic, and Camden County says its police have been left to deal with addicts and overdoses.

$130 MILLION PLAN FOR FORT MONMOUTH FALLS THROUGH

A $130 million deal to redevelop an 89-acre tract at the shuttered Fort Monmouth in Eatontown has been called off, the Asbury Park Press reports. The plan called for Paramount Realty Service of Lakewood to redevelop the land into a mixed-use town center called Freedom Pointe. After a year of negotiations, the fort’s redevelopment board and the developer were unable to reach a final agreement. Negotiations will be opened with the second-ranked bidder for the tract.

PROTEST PLANNED AT RUTGERS OVER MINIMUM WAGE

Student groups and unions are planning a rally and march Friday at Rutgers in New Brunswick to call for a $15 minimum wage for all university employees, MyCentralJersey.com writes. The event, set to begin at 1 p.m. in front of the Brower Commons dining hall, is part of several nationally coordinated days of action. Friday's action is being organized by the Rutgers chapter of United Students Against Sweatshops and the union that represents Rutgers professors.

THINK TANK RECOMMENDS WIDENING OF NJ SALES TAX

New Jersey Policy Perspective, a progressive think tank, says in a new report that the state should significantly expand the list of services that would be subject to sales tax, NJ Spotlight says. The new report on state tax policy says that widening the list of taxable services would increase revenues and add equity to the sales-tax structure as the state’s service sector expands.

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