Below is Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing:
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “He is a snake oil salesman, plain and simple. I wouldn’t trust him to dog-sit for me, let alone govern our state.” – Assemblyman Bergen smacking Bill Spadea
TOP STORY: The Fight to Look Like the Toughest One in a Fight
The world mourned the passing of Pope Francis, according to NorthJersey.com. New Jersey leaders reacted to the Pope’s passing, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
Nadine Menendez was found guilty on all charges, according to NJ Globe. Menendez decried the verdict as ‘politically motivated’ and ‘this is all political’, according to Politico NJ.
The NJMVC launched an emergency REAL ID issuance program.
The state filed an appeal in the dismissal of it’s case against George Norcross and others, according to NJ Globe.
A judge dismissed key arguments to block NYC’s congestion pricing, according to NorthJersey.com.
Schools are facing hard choices: tax hikes or steep cuts, according to the Asbury Park Press.
Trump tariffs and utility rate increases are spinning NJ politics into chaos, according to NorthJersey.com.
AG Platkin discusses Trump, Norcross, and the Governor, according to NJ.com.
NJ Transit rail reliability is plummeting, according to NJ.com.
Attempted federal health cuts could affect local health care, according to NJ Hills.
High levels of metal contaminants were found in the Raritan River, according to NJ.com.
The NJ Reentry Corporation held their annual conference, according to Hudson County View.
What about Bob? How a new bill could save money and lives in New Jersey (Sponsored Content)
Sources in both parties offered pulse points on the gubernatorial primaries.
Democratic gubernatorial primary candidates are battling for the ‘fighter’ role.
Rep. Sherrill campaigned amid the stock market tumble.
A Fulop Super PAC finally let loose after amassing millions over a decade, according to Politico NJ.
Bill Spadea was once too conservative for the NJGOP – now he’s a leading gubernatorial primary candidate, according to Politico NJ.
Taking on Trump has become a requirement in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Assemblyman Bergen endorsed Jack Ciattarelli for Governor and smacked Spadea, according to NJ Globe.
Food and Water Action endorsed candidates.
In LD32, Hector and Alonso accused Mayor Stack of not paying property taxes, according to Hudson County View.
Female county committee candidates were added to the Camden County ballot after a ‘clerical error’, according to NJ Globe.
ICYMI: The edge in the Dem guv primary; Kranjac looks to make impact; Gottheimer acknowledged ‘obsession’ w/ cutting taxes; Spadea sees pathway to victory; Fulop rolled out affordability plan
Download and read Insider NJ’s Healthcare Power List publication.
Many are describing housing affordability in the state as a crisis, according to NJ Spotlight.
Governor Murphy announced the release of the Responsible Gaming Task Force report.
The state erased another $927M in medical debt, according to NJ Biz.
Disability advocates promised a fight over budget cuts, according to NorthJersey.com.
A Jersey Shore bar owner warned that a alcohol tax hike could be a ‘final blow’ for many businesses, according to NJ.com.
Business groups and the police union sparred over data privacy law, according to NJ Monitor.
Lawmakers are considering limits on sports betting ads at colleges, according to Trenton Journal.
Senators Tiver and Pennacchio will introduce legislation to eliminate sales tax and fees on utility costs.
Assembly Majority Leader Greenwald highlighted the role of local news in democracy.
Assemblyman McGuckin wants the bribery statute to include candidates.
Assemblyman Sauickie wants an independent audit of the Newark School District.
In Bernards, a housing proposal was approved, according to NJ Hills. Funding was approved for a group home, according to NJ Hills.
In Bridgewater, the town is selling properties for affordable housing units, according to TAPinto.
In Camden, a carpenters’ skills and community hub center was opened, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
In Chatham Borough, trash rates were raised, according to NJ Hills.
In Fair Lawn, a budget hearing will be held, according to TAPinto.
In Harrison Township, a townhome project hit resistance, according to the Daily Journal.
In Harvey Cedars, a new restaurant was denied, according to the Asbury Park Press.
In Hopatcong, stores are hurt by the Route 80 sinkholes, according to NorthJersey.com.
In Jersey City, the council will vote on appointing Hulings to the Ward B seat, according to Hudson County View. McGreevey has $626k for his mayoral run, according to Hudson County View. McGreevey has a big edge in fundraising in the race, according to NJ Globe. Mayor Fulop lauded the preliminary budget, according to Hudson County View.
In Mahwah, the demolition of the Sheraton Crossroads was delayed, according to NorthJersey.com.
In Margate, the Washington Ave streetscape plan was presented, according to Downbeach.
In Medford Lakes, the town is trying to reign in unruly youth, according to 70and73.com.
In New Brunswick, the town moving forward with plan to close George Street to traffic, according to TAPinto.
In Newark, Mayor Baraka delivered the State of the City, according to NJ.com.
In Ocean City, Castaway Cove is the only remaining amusement park left, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
In Paterson, the feds pulled back $450k over Medicaid debt, according to Paterson Press.
In Phillipsburg, the town capped cannabis cultivators, according to Lehigh Valley Live.
In Plainfield, a school tax increase was scrapped, according to MyCentralJersey.
In Red Bank, the budget will be presented, according to TAPinto. Train station redevelopment moves to the planning board for a critical vote, according to TAPinto.
In Rockaway, the Kelley lawsuit was tossed out, according to NJ Hills.
In Roseland, the budget was approved, according to TAPinto.
In Toms River, the regional school district may hike taxes while administrators lose jobs, according to the Asbury Park Press.
In Trenton, the city skipped bidding rules for $1.7M in contracts for parks and recreation, according to the Trentonian.
In Upper, the township delayed the presentation of development plans, according to the Press of Atlantic City. The former administrator was ordered to pay legal fees in a defamation suit, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
In Voorhees, the town is buying a property to rebuild a ‘disorienting intersection’, according to 70and73.com.
In Wildwood, talks continue on a contentious beach project, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
AROUND THE WEB:
Potential World Cup health risks: Are we ready?
Lilo H. Stainton, NJ Spotlight
- At Hudson Regional Hospital in Secaucus, staff is preparing for the worst-case scenario that could be coming from a few miles away. Hudson Regional is the closest hospital to MetLife stadium in East Rutherford, where several of the soccer matches in next summer’s World Cup — the biggest sports tournament in the world — are set to be held.
If not now, when? Democrats must recalibrate now or we’ll lose the republic | Opinion
Bayly Winder
- They-go-low-and-we-go-high has failed. That mantra was a source of pride for the Democratic party, a demonstration of our values. The lesson of that failure isn’t that we too should go low. It’s that the rules of the game have changed. Old norms and assumptions no longer apply. The party needs to adapt.
9 NJ towns where you’re most likely to get the middle finger
Chris Coleman, NJ1015
- If you’re feeling blah, this news probably won’t turn your frown upside down. Nine of the most miserable cities in the nation are right here in New Jersey. Yes, some of the most sorrowful, dejected, and depressed towns that you can possibly find across our great nation are just a short drive from where you are right now. And yeah, keep an eye out for someone flipping you the middle finger in these spots, just because they can.
Trenton makes, Montclair tapes: NJ gov candidates get cooking for new show
Kimberly Redmond, NJBIZ
- The 2025 gubernatorial race in New Jersey is really heating up. Ahead of the June primary, a special series hosted by Montclair State University President Jonathan Koppell is giving the public a chance to get to know the candidates in an unexpected setting – the kitchen.
BERGEN: Vote Ciattarelli for Governor, to Grow GOP Assembly Caucus
Brian Bergen
- Today, I am proud to formally endorse Jack Ciattarelli for the Republican nomination for Governor of New Jersey. He is the best choice to defeat the Democrats in November and the best choice to govern the state of New Jersey. He will work with Trump and support his agenda. He is a dynamic leader, a great person, and the one we need as our Governor.
ELEC: In pursuit for Hoboken mayor’s seat, Jabbour raises $82k, has $127k COH
John Heinis, Hudson County View
- Hoboken Councilwoman-at-Large Emily Jabbour raised $81,561, spent $13,786.89, and has $126,558.09 cash on hand after the first quarter of 2025 in her pursuit of the mayor’s seat.
Trenton should have shut down huge event hours after murder a block away
LA Parker, The Trentonian
- Less than 12 hours after two people were shot, one dead, near the corner of Stockton and East State streets, city officials allowed a 420 marijuana celebration to occur. Hundreds of cannabis guests toked weed near City Hall just yards away from Trenton’s latest shooting and homicide, as leaders lacked the stones to postpone or cancel the well-attended event.
Lawyers in school segregation case want appellate court to weigh in
Sophie Nieto-Munoz, NJ Monitor
- Attorneys representing a group of New Jersey parents and activist groups are asking a state appellate court to weigh in on a case that could reshape the state’s public education system.
Tom Kean Turns 90: Roger Bodman on Gov. Kean’s political career
David Wildstein, NJ Globe
- Roger Bodman, who managed Tom Kean’s 1981 primary and general election campaigns for governor of New Jersey, and then served in Kean’s cabinet as Commissioner of Labor and then Commissioner of Transportation, discuss the political career of Kean, who celebrates his 90th birthday today with New Jersey Globe editor David Wildstein.
How N.J. hospitals profit from a program meant to help the poor | Opinion
Semaj Y. Vanzant
- New Jersey has some of the best health care in the nation, thanks to renowned medical facilities, world-class research labs, and a large insured population.
Electric vehicle mandate puts N.J. consumers in impossible position | Opinion
Michael Egenton
- The federal government is on a path to completely upend the entire global auto industry with tariffs and sweeping policy changes that reverse years of climate investments. The electric vehicle (EV) sector will be hit hard if the federal government rescinds tax credits for consumers and continues stopping investment in charging infrastructure around the country. A growing sector that saw more consumers choosing EVs now faces mounting uncertainty moving forward, as does the path to achieving our state’s climate goals.
Murphy failed us on school segregation. The next governor shouldn’t | Opinion
Willie Dwayne Francois III
- Passover commemorates ancient Hebrew emancipation from the system of Egyptian slavery, a policy that exploited labor and segregated an entire people. This Jewish holy day reaffirms a story of triumph over an intransigent ruler, who refused to listen until he was ultimately compelled by a power greater than his own. It offers a chilling reminder of why politicians should align themselves with justice-seeking movements.
N.J. hospital fined $2.5K a day for months over dangerous health violations
Susan K. Livio, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
- A hospital in Hudson County that is emerging from bankruptcy has been fined $247,500 by the Department of Health for months of infection control violations.
ICE wants to boot NJ woman even though she’s the star witness in her own stabbing
Steve Janoski, Jersey Vindicator
- An undocumented New Jersey woman allegedly attacked last year by her knife-wielding ex-boyfriend may now get deported herself — and advocates worry that will torpedo the case against her would-be killer.
Civil War history is present in Trenton’s Locust Hill African Cemetery
LA Parker, The Trentonian
- Tuesday, April 9. With nothing planned at Locust Hill African Cemetery for the 160th anniversary of the end to the Civil War, not that such a milestone needs excessive acknowledgment, a woman friend brought her two granddaughters to the Hart Ave. gravesite in Trenton where at least six or more Black Civil War soldiers received burial.
Neill Borowski, 70 and 73
- A bumbling execution of the November 2024 election in Burlington County that saw some voters waiting six hours to cast ballots shows many fixes in the county’s election process are needed, according to an independent special counsel’s review. The Burlington County Commissioners ordered the review in January, and it was conducted by the Connell Foley law firm, which submitted interim recommendations on April 9. Lawyers John P. Lacey, of the Newark office and a former federal prosecutor, and Alexander J. Gacos, of the Roseland office and an investigations specialist, conducted the probe.
Who pays when a tree falls on a neighboring property? What NJ law says
Kyle Morel, NorthJersey.com
- If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? That philosophical question has stirred debate for centuries, but modern homeowners are often more concerned about a different arboreal query: If a tree falls on my property but belongs to my neighbor, do I have to pay for any damages?
Trenton’s Stacy Park scandal sounds and smells like corruption
LA Parker, The Trentonian
- City promises of getting to the bottom of this debacle sound similar to a 2023 police scandal when seven officers altered the department’s payroll system in their favor. In May 2024, four officers, including three captains and one lieutenant, resigned after the alleged theft by deception incident. City officials proved less than forthcoming about specific information regarding the scandal.
How much have Atlantic City casinos given out in jackpots so far this year?
Nicholas Huba, Press of Atlantic City
- Atlantic City casinos and their online partners have given out more than $107 million in jackpots since the start of the year. Since Jan. 1, there have been seven jackpots of more than $1 million.
Effort to reimburse NJ airports when airspace restricted during President Trump’s visits
Mike Deak, MyCentralJersey.com
- Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-Union, has written to federal officials asking that the government reimburse airports affected by Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR) during President Trump’s visits to his country club in Bedminster. TFRs have significantly impacted operations at Somerset Airport in Bedminster, not far from Trump National Golf Club, and Solberg Airport in Readington. The restrictions, particularly during the peak flying season in summer, have caused significant declines in airport activity and revenue.
Insider NJ’s Daily News Update: April 22, 2025
As we head into the final days of April, Insider NJ brings you the latest news and updates from around the Garden State. Here are some of the top stories making headlines today:
1. Governor Smith Announces New Infrastructure Plan
Governor Smith unveiled a new infrastructure plan aimed at improving the state’s roads, bridges, and public transportation systems. The plan includes funding for major projects such as the expansion of the state’s highway system and the construction of new public transit options. The governor emphasized the importance of investing in infrastructure to support economic growth and improve quality of life for residents.
2. COVID-19 Update: Cases Continue to Decline
Health officials reported a continued decline in COVID-19 cases across the state, with hospitalizations and positivity rates also decreasing. The state’s vaccination campaign has been successful in reaching a large portion of the population, leading to a decrease in transmission rates. However, officials urged residents to remain vigilant and continue following safety guidelines to prevent a resurgence of the virus.
3. Education Funding Bill Passes State Legislature
A bill aimed at increasing funding for public schools in low-income communities passed the state legislature with bipartisan support. The bill allocates additional resources to schools with high percentages of low-income students, aiming to address disparities in educational opportunities. Supporters hailed the bill as a step towards achieving equity in education across the state.
4. Environmental Advocates Rally for Clean Energy Legislation
Environmental advocates gathered at the state capitol to rally for clean energy legislation aimed at reducing carbon emissions and promoting renewable energy sources. The proposed legislation includes measures to incentivize the adoption of solar and wind power, as well as regulations to limit emissions from fossil fuel industries. Advocates urged lawmakers to prioritize environmental protection and combat climate change.
5. Local Business Spotlight: Jersey City Cafe Wins Award
A popular cafe in Jersey City was recognized with an award for its commitment to sustainability and community engagement. The cafe, known for its locally sourced ingredients and eco-friendly practices, was praised for its efforts to reduce waste and support local farmers. The award highlights the importance of supporting small businesses that prioritize environmental stewardship.
Stay tuned for more updates from Insider NJ as we continue to bring you the latest news and information from around the state. Remember to stay informed and engaged in your community to make a positive impact on New Jersey’s future.
