Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing: 7/20/2020 – InsiderNJ
Below is Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing for 7/20/2020:
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “If you don’t like our leadership here, why don’t you go down to Georgia and see how that feels?” – Governor Murphy
TOP STORY: Polling Reinforces Murphy Handling of COVID-19
Follow Insider NJ’s COVID-19 Information Update Center and Insider NJ’s County COVID-19 Data Center.
The statewide COVID-19 count stands at 176,814 cases and 13,725 fatalities as of Sunday. Governor Murphy and state officials held their daily COVID-19 briefing on Friday, during which the Governor said there ‘nothing new‘ on reopening measures, and that the state is ‘largely in a holding pattern’, according to NJ.com. The Governor defended the COVID-19 Bond Recovery Act, signed into law on Thursday, saying ‘we’ll be broke by Nov. 3rd‘ when pressed on why the borrowing plan is bypassing voter referendum, according to NJBiz. The Governor signed an executive order establishing the ‘Disaster Recovery Office’ and ‘COVID-19 Compliance and Oversight Task Force’ to ensure greater accountability of the state’s handling of federal COVID-19 resources.
Civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis passed away after battling Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Governor Murphy mourned Lewis as the ‘soul of America‘ and a ‘true American icon’; he directed flags to half-staff in his honor until his internment. LG Oliver said the best way to honor Lewis’ legacy is to ’embrace his methods, listen to his words, and continue to build on his progress. Senate President Sweeney said Lewis was at the ‘cusp of history’s arc and relentlessly bending it towards justice’. Speaker Coughlin hailed him as a ‘trailblazer‘. Rep. Sherrill said Lewis was ‘living proof‘ that the nation can improve. Rep. Watson Coleman said Lewis ‘dedicated his blood and tears to making this country just a little bit better, a little more true to the ideals we claimed at our founding’. Rep. Pascrell said that Lewis’ courage ‘helped finally pull our nation towards equality for all Americans’. Rep. Norcross said Lewis ‘spoke softly but powerfully, he walked slowly but purposefully and he acted kindly but fought tirelessly for justice’. Rep. Gottheimer mourned Lewis as a ‘legend and an American icon’. Rep. Sires called him a ‘titan of justice and civil rights’. Rep. Payne said Lewis’ ‘passion and love for his country and people brought out a ferociousness in this mild-mannered man’. NJDSC Chairman Currie said Lewis ‘should be forever remembered as a force for change and an inspiration to all people’.
According to reports, a gunman opened fire at the home of Judge Salas in New Brunswick, killing her son and injuring her husband.
The NJ Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on August 5th in the NJGOP’s lawsuit against Governor Murphy over the recently-signed ‘New Jersey COVID-19 Emergency Bond Act’, according to NJ.com.
The White House advised 18 states to roll back reopening plans, placing them in ‘red zones’, though New Jersey is not among them, according to NJ101.5.
The Atlantic County Board of Elections is dealing with another post office glitch, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
Bergen County will conclude its mobile COVID-19 testing for the summer this week.
Cumberland County officials are rethinking a new jail and considering a community center instead, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
The Essex County Freeholder Board passed a resolution opposing the transfer of ICE detainees to different states. The Board approved an increase in legal services grant funding for undocumented detainees.
Reps. Norcross and Pallone led the state’s delegation in urging HHS Secretary Azar to extend the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Rep. Pascrell penned an op-ed calling for the release of President Trump’s tax returns.
The Rutgers faculty union lamented their lack of a contract, according to NJ.com.
Hackensack Medical School ended its partnership with Seton Hall, according to the Bergen Record.
New Jersey has the second worst unemployment rate recovery in the nation according to a WalletHub study.
ICYMI: Bond act sparked debate in Senate, Assembly voted 46-26, Murphy quickly signed, GOP filing a lawsuit to halt plan; state regained 26% of lost jobs, UE increased to 16.6%; Murphy lifts 50% capacity limit on public transit, gives more time for party reorgs; Persichilli addresses rising case count among young adults; ‘burn your mask‘ protest at Guv’s house; Murphy approval 66% in June (iLine post); Murphy fires at critics: ‘lets cut that crap out
Second quarter fundraising by state parties and leadership PACs has dropped 36%, according to ELEC.
In CD3, Rep. Kim was endorsed by the SEIU NJ State Council.
In CD4, Rep. Smith was endorsed by Giffords, the gun-control advocacy group founded by former AZ Rep. Gabby Giffords.
GOP Senate candidate Rik Mehta says he won’t seek the NJEA’s endorsement, according to SaveJersey.
Former Monmouth County Freeholder Curley’s lawsuit against the freeholder board and county has been dismissed, according to MoreMonmouthMusings.
Jeff Kolakowski was named interim CEO of the NJ Builders Association, according to ROI-NJ.
Paterson Mayor Sayegh’s ‘One Paterson’ non-profit raised $100k at a cocktail party, according to Paterson Press.
Governor Murphy’s approval rating stands at 67% according to a FDU poll, according to NJ.com.
ICYMI: Morris GOP affirmed Ali as chair; Cumberland’s Pearson in 2nd place (iLine post); Pallotta won Sussex by 4300 votes; in CD11, Sherrill v. Becchi
Several Central Jersey mayors will hold a webinar with the SBA for local businesses on Wednesday.
In Newark, the city launched a first-of-its kind program to provide eligible Section 8 recipients with the opportunity to use their vouchers towards the purchase of a home.
In Atlantic City, Mayor Small remains ahead in the Democratic primary with all provisional votes counted, according to the Press of Atlantic City. The Eldorado-Caesars merger was approved by the Casino Control Commission, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
In Berkeley Heights, Ocean County freeholders are choosing sides in the dispute with the local GOP, according to the Asbury Park Press.
In Paterson, the council is considering filling the Ward 2 vacancy, according to Paterson Times.
In Jersey City, officials expressed dismay with the current waste pickup service as their contract was renewed, according to Hudson County View.
In Hoboken, Hoboken University Medical Center reported no new COVID-19 cases for the 1st time since March, according to Hudson County View.
In Wildwood, the biker fest was nixed because it doesn’t fit the town’s ‘family-friendly image’ says the mayor, according to NJ.com.
In Trenton, the city’s fourth water director inherits a mountain of problems, according to the Trentonian.
In Egg Harbor, the township passed short-term rental regulations, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
In Phillipsburg, the school district proposed a hybrid in-person/online schedule for students in the fall, according to Lehigh Valley Live.
In Ridgewood, protesters called for systemic change in the village, according to the Bergen Record.
In Sparta, the BOE approved a separation agreement with the superintendent, according to NJ Herald.
In Nutley, the NLRB ruled that an EMT was wrongfully terminated, according to NorthJersey.com.
In Summit, GOP council candidate Kristen McCumber withdrew her candidacy, according to TAPinto.
In High Bridge, residents called for action on protecting Lake Solitude, according to MyCentralJersey.
In Colts Neck, the GOP council candidates held a fundraiser, according to TAPinto.
In Somers Point, a new parkway bridge bike path opened quietly amid some safety concerns, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
In Madison, the Democrats are planning a virtual wine tasting fundraiser, according to TAPinto.
In Bordentown, the township is upgrading roads and parks this year, according to Burlington County Times.
In Denville, the council approved the budget for the downtown business improvement district, according to TAPinto.
In Margate, commissioners tabled a resolution on the wording of the boardwalk referendum, according to Downbeach.
In Wayne, Black Lives Matters organizers addressed the council on race issues, according to TAPinto. A rally was held in support of President Trump and the police, according to NorthJersey.com.
ICYMI: In Jefferson, GOP elected first transgender chair; in Fanwood, Trigo resigned; in Blairstown, Dems elected Trish as chair; in Perth Amboy, Joe Vas Jr. formally announced mayoral candidacy; in Highland Park, family and friends laid to rest the late Councilwoman Welkovits
AROUND THE WEB:
Ted Sherman and Susan K. Livio, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
- The death rate from the coronavirus in New Jersey nursing homes is the country’s highest. Nearly 6,700 nursing home residents have died in the pandemic and the numbers continue to climb as COVID-19 has run rampant in nursing homes.
Is Chris Christie planning to run for president in 2024? | Opinion
Mike Kelly, NorthJersey.com
- Let’s jump ahead of ourselves. It’s the summer of 2022. The coronavirus pandemic is (hopefully) under control. The White House is home to a fading Donald Trump presidency or halfway through Joe Biden’s first term – with Biden wrestling with the question of whether to run for a second term as an eighty-something guy. The other 2024 presidential candidates are starting to line up. Enter Chris Christie.
Sign of the Times: Editor resigns over liberal bias at New York’s leading newspaper | Mulshine
Paul Mulshine, Star-Ledger
- A note to the editors of the New York Times: When Bari Weiss says you’re too liberal, you’re too liberal. Weiss is the Times opinion editor who went out last week with a bang by firing off a resignation letter in which she stated that “a new consensus has emerged in the press, but perhaps especially at this paper: that truth isn’t a process of collective discovery, but an orthodoxy already known to an enlightened few whose job is to inform everyone else.”
Black lawmakers call out lack of diversity on borrowing review panel
Briana Vannozzi, NJTV
- Some of the dissent against the $9.9 billion borrowing bill came from members of the Legislative Black Caucus. Members made an impassioned plea for better representation and more diversity within the four-person panel that’ll decide how the money is spent. It hasn’t been specified, but Senate and Assembly leadership are expected to serve on it — that’s three white males and one woman.
The coronavirus pandemic is changing suburban office culture
Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com
- A talk with Michael Seeve on how the coronavirus pandemic is changing suburban office culture.
Tyler Barth, Morristown Green
- Many questions remain about the death of Amani Kildea, the 20-year-old Black man found hanging last month in Lewis Morris Park in Morris Township. But speakers at a vigil on Thursday seemed to agree on one thing: If this was suicide, and not murder, it was driven by the despair felt by many minorities in America.
Vineland schools reopen plan expected early August for families, staff
Joseph P. Smith, Vineland Daily Journal
- A survey of families here shows well over 30 percent are uncomfortable sending their children into schools and a higher percentage reluctant to have them ride buses, according to the Vineland School District.
NJ Shore Towns See More ‘Sunny-Day’ Floods as Seas Rise, Federal Report Says
Jon Hurdle, NJ Spotlight
- Towns up and down the Jersey Shore are being exposed to increased flooding as a result of sea-level rise rather than storms, according to a new federal report.
Paul Bergeron, roi-nj.com
- Monmouth Park will host the launch of a “new” triple-crown horse racing competition Saturday when it runs the Grade 1 Haskell, which features many of the leading 3-year-old thoroughbreds. The “BetMakers’ Bonanza” — a three-race contest based on traditional horse racing’s triple crown. The Haskell will represent the first leg. BetMakers Technology Group, an Australia-based company, in collaboration with Monmouth Park, will pay a $2 million bonus to any horse who wins in one year: The Haskell, The Kentucky Derby (Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs in Louisville) and a The Breeders Cup Classic (Nov. 7) at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky.
Jersey Joe Walcott was Camden’s ‘Rocky.’ A waterfront statue honoring him is taking shape.
Allison Steele, Philadelphia Inquirer
- With his gloves up and arms curled, Jersey Joe Walcott will one day watch over Camden’s waterfront. A statue honoring the famed boxer, sheriff, and city legend is on its way to being completed, and county officials plan to install it in Wiggins Waterfront Park by fall 2021.
Wildwood arrest looms large at Cape meeting on police use of force
Bill Barlow, For The Press
- Cape May County’s Black residents often feel unfairly targeted by police, residents told county Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland at a recent meeting called to discuss police use of force.
(Visited 206,722 times, 72 visits today)