Below is Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing:
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I think the senator has to take a look in the mirror and say ‘is there really a pathway for me?’ I think it’s very doubtful there is.” – Union GOP Treasurer Joe Sarno on the Senator Bramnick’s gubernatorial bid
TOP STORY: Fulop’s Palpitating Moves Intrude on Ongoing Ballot-Guv Dynamics
The Morning Intelligence Briefing will be off on Thursday and Friday, and will return on Monday. We wish all of our readers a Happy Thanksgiving and holiday weekend.
Download and read Insider NJ’s 2024 Insider 100: Power publication.
The Governor ordered departments to freeze hirings and salary increases, and reduce budgets by 5%, in an attempt to rein in spending in anticipating of a revenue drop, according to ROI-NJ.
New Jersey has a severe shortage of nurses and it’s likely to get worse, according to NorthJersey.com.
Congestion pricing is moving closer to reality, according to NJ Biz.
Senator Helmy co-sponsored the ‘Housing Survivors of Natural Disasters Act’.
Rep. Gottheimer was announced as the new co-chair of the Law Enforcement Caucus.
Rep. Menendez was elected Policy vice chair of the Hispanic Congressional Caucus.
Rep. Watson Coleman rejected a plan to bring a ICE detention center to Trenton.
Rep. Norcross reacted to the nomination of Rep. Chavez-DeRemer as Labor Secretary.
Rowan College of Burlington County President Cioce’s future is uncertain, according to Burlington County Times.
Roy Rogers is plotting a South Jersey comeback after 40 years, according to NJ Biz.
Moxie Strategies expanded its team and geography.
ICYMI: Gottheimer launched campaign for Governor; Sherrill launched candidacy for Governor; Democrats lost strength; voters aren’t familiar w/ guv candidates; Murphy addressed the loss of Democratic strength
In Morristown, a familiar name is resurfacing ahead of next year’s election.
In Jersey City, Baylock joined McGreevey’s council slate.
In Irvington, Councilman Vauss was sworn-in.
In Atlantic City, more weed businesses are on their way, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
In Bernardsville, the school BA resigned, according to NJ Hills.
In Clinton Township, a $1.75M bond was introduced to build an inclusive playground, according to NJ Hills.
In Edison, an ordinance was proposed to lease a property for the new first aid squad, according to TAPinto.
In Fair Lawn, the assistant superintendent is leaving, according to NorthJersey.com.
In Manchester, former school administrators are suing, according to the Asbury Park Press.
In New Providence, Dolan and Cumiskey won council seats, according to TAPinto.
In Old Bridge, a townhome development with affordable units was proposed, according to MyCentralJersey.
In Peapack-Gladstone, a storage facility and housing was approved, according to NJ Hills.
In Raritan Borough, locomotive noise from the train yard is on the rise, according to TAPinto.
In Roxbury, officials fear affordable housing rules will force high-rise apartment buildings, according to TAPinto.
In Saddle Brook, a lawsuit alleges a school’s toxic lead paint poisoned a child, according to NorthJersey.com.
In Toms River, the mayor was praised as homeless leave camps in the woods, according to the Asbury Park Press.
In Trenton, the NAACP called for the removal of the police director after the DOJ report, according to the Trentonian.
In Upper, the township will vote on a Beesley Point redevelopment proposal, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
In Wayne, the township settled tax appeals on four commercial properties, according to TAPinto.
ICYMI: In Marlboro, sign-stealing an issue; in Howell, GOP won election; in Marlboro, voters elected split BOE ticket; in Hoboken, Councilwoman Giattino passed away; in Howell, little unity w/in GOP; in Marlboro, tensions rising in the BOE race; in Somerville, JFK is on the ballot; in Randolph, council control at stake with huge significance
AROUND THE WEB:
NJ governor race 2025: Republicans to decide
Charles Stile, NorthJersey.com
- President-elect Donald Trump memorably bragged early in his 2024 campaign that he might win blue New Jersey.
Raw milk advocates turn to ‘pet’ milk amid state ban
Matt Cortina, NorthJersey.com
- Mia Clarke remembers the first time she stumbled upon raw milk. She was “off the beaten path” at a roadside farm stand in North Carolina. “I pulled up to the farm, and the cows were glowing in the sun and the lady was super nice. I wasn’t scared of it,” Clarke says. “I thought I would try it out, and when I had the first sip, it just tasted so good that it was hard to believe that there would be any danger about it.”
Will Trump bend the Senate to his will? A Q&A with Dr. Ross Baker
Dave D’Alessandro
- Members of the world’s greatest deliberative body affirmed their independence last week by doing nothing – other than publicly sharing their distaste for a credibly-accused pedophile to be named the nation’s top law enforcement official. It’s what you’d call a promising start. But even though many Republican senators made it clear that Attorney General nominee Matt Gaetz needed to be dropped into history’s wheelie bin, there will be more tests of their collective spine in January, when other repellent contenders sent by President-elect Trump will face confirmation hearings.
David Wildstein, NJ Globe
- New Jerseyans aren’t always civil, but it’s still possible for a liberal Democrat and a conservative Republican to have a rational and pleasant conversation about politics in the state. Dan Bryan is a former senior advisor to Gov. Phil Murphy and is now the owner of his own public affairs firm, and Alex Wilkes is an attorney and former executive director of America Rising PAC who advises Republican candidates in New Jersey and across the nation, including the New Jersey GOP. Dan and Alex are both experienced strategists who are currently in the room where high-level decisions are made. They will get together weekly with New Jersey Globe editor David Wildstein to discuss politics and issues.
Poll: NJ parents say social media is bad, but they aren’t watching their kids
Larry Higgs, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
- Most adults in New Jersey would support a warning label that appears when kids open up social media platforms on their devices, according to a poll out of Fairleigh Dickinson University. The same poll suggests a majority of New Jerseyans believe social media is bad for young people, but they don’t know why. The poll, released on Nov. 18, found big differences between parents and non-parents — and maybe not in the way that you’d expect.
Putin propaganda or Princeton prank? (updated)
Krystal Knapp, Planet Princeton
- A large black truck plastered with Russian President Vladimir Putin posters was spotted parked in the heart of Princeton on Thursday, sparking confusion and outrage by some Princeton residents. The posters on the back and sides of the truck included a photo of Putin and the message: “Disarm Ukraine. Vote Yes on Referendum 4. Support Putin.”
Psychedelic play shows therapy’s benefits
Bobby Brier, NJ Spotlight
- A patient meets tells the doctor that he has struggled with depression for years. The patient says he has been on several antidepressants to treat his mental health condition, but the medications make him numb. “Therapy keeps me stable, but it only works for a little while, and I don’t really feel like I’m living,” the patient says. “And the ketamine treatments that you prescribed, they also work for a short period of time, but I have to keep going and it’s really expensive.”
Trenton residents need more from city leadership in wake of police investigation
LA Parker, The Trentonian
- Good morning. Welcome to this meeting of the minds. Last week ended with more local news than an average person should endure, especially with that U.S. Dept. of Justice Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney’s Office District of New Jersey report on the state of the city’s police department and the City of Trenton.
Loves hugs, falls asleep in her mom’s arms: Here’s what this NJ farm says turkeys are like
Jenna Intersimone, MyCentralJersey.com
- Donna Gervasi, co-owner of Grayrock Farm Sanctuary in Clinton Township, knows turkeys have feelings. They cry. They whimper. They love. They mourn. “When we had to euthanize our turkey Nicholas, I had to cover his brother Elijah’s eyes because he was crying and whimpering,” Gervasi said. “And for days before that, Elijah stayed right next to him to guard him from any danger.”
New Jersey is not a swing state. How Democrats can win the governor’s race | Opinion
Matthew Hale
- The 2024 election results have many Democrats in panic mode. We hear crazy talk that New Jersey is the next swing state. It’s overblown. New Jersey has the same Congressional delegation makeup that we did in 2020. Chill out. Even so, the fact that Morris, Passaic, Gloucester, Atlantic and Cumberland counties all flipped from Biden in 2020 to Trump in 2024 is concerning to Democrats. But it doesn’t have to be. Democrats have messaging and policy options that can flip these counties back to blue. The question Democrats need to ask is which of their gubernatorial candidates is best positioned to pivot from the failed messages of 2024 to winning ones for 2025.
Federal judge position won’t be filled by this NJ attorney who went to Harvard. Here’s why
Hannan Adely, NorthJersey.com
- New Jersey litigator Adeel Mangi’s bid to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit effectively ended last week when he was left out of a bipartisan deal to advance court nominees. Mangi, who would have been the first Muslim American to sit on a federal appeals court, faced questioning during the confirmation process that critics decried as bigoted and Islamophobic.
2024 N.J. election results recap
Len Melisurgo, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
- Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States, an extraordinary comeback for a former president who refused to accept defeat four years ago, sparked a violent protest at the U.S. Capitol, was convicted of felony charges and survived two assassination attempts. With a win in Wisconsin, Trump cleared the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency.
After 33 years, N.J. sheriff leads his final Thanksgiving food drive
Steve Strunsky, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
- Thirty-three years ago, not long after Armando Fontoura won the first term of his 11 terms as Essex County sheriff, he got a call from the nun in charge of the Newark location of Missionaries of Charity-St. Augustine, a women’s shelter, food pantry and soup kitchen personally dedicated in 1981 by the global missionary organization’s founder, Mother Teresa.
State blasts bid by Dem power broker George Norcross to toss racketeering case
Dana DiFilippo, NJ Monitor
- State prosecutors have urged a judge to deny Democratic power broker George Norcross III’s motion to dismiss his racketeering indictment, accusing defense attorneys of trashing their investigation to “indoctrinate the press, the public, and, worst of all, the prospective jury pool.” In a new filing, state prosecutors implored Judge Peter E. Warshaw Jr. to reject Norcross’ argument that he and five co-defendants were engaged in “hard-bargaining,” not extortion, conspiracy, and other crimes, in deals since 2012 to secure land, easements, and tax incentives along the Camden waterfront.
Mount Holly runoff question exposes flaws in N.J. election laws
David Wildstein, NJ Golbe
- The fourth-place finisher in a field of nine candidates for three Mount Holly Township Council seats, Sayke Reilley, will be back in court this week, arguing that an old runoff law was never repealed, and that the top six candidates must face off again. But the candidates who came out on top in the nonpartisan general election—Lew Brown, Chris Banks, and Rich DiFolco—say the runoff election was eliminated when they changed their municipal races from May to November.
VIDEO: Asw. Fantasia discusses Election 2025, N.J. Democrats’ bird feeder ban bill
Save Jersey
- New Jersey Democrats’ priorities remain as bizarre as ever, Save Jerseyans. Will it hurt them in 2025? Especially after Donald Trump’s single-digit finish in the Garden State earlier this month?
Bhalla says ‘I would never cancel the people of Palestine’ at Hoboken flag raising
Daniel Ulloa, Hudson County View
- Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla refused to back down from having a Palestinian flag raising inside the council chambers of City Hall this afternoon, declaring that “I would never cancel the people of Palestine.”
Final phase of major Shore flood defense project
Brenda Flanagan, NJ Spotlight
- A New Jersey Shore town is getting the final piece of a flood defense network: a $300 million system of interconnected levees, gates, walls and dune, all designed to channel, deflect and drain dangerous storm surges intensified by a warming climate. On Monday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced the final contract phase of the Port Monmouth Storm Risk Reduction Project.
Hazard NJ traces ‘forever chemicals’ from NJ roots to global crisis
Briana Vannozzi, Jordan Gass-Poore’, NJ Spotlight
- The Hazard NJ podcast is back and is examining the crisis of toxic pollution caused by PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” in New Jersey’s soil and water. The story starts in Salem County, where scientists stumbled upon the chemical that would become known as Teflon in 1938 at DuPont’s Chamber Works plant. The accidental discovery was considered a scientific miracle at the time. PFAS would go on to be used for countless products, like frying pans and fast-food wrappers.
(Visited 546,226 times, 58 visits today)
On November 26, 2024, Insider NJ provided its daily news update, covering a range of important topics impacting the state of New Jersey. Here are some highlights from the day’s news:
1. Governor’s Announcement on Education Funding: Governor Murphy made a significant announcement regarding education funding in the state. He unveiled a new initiative aimed at increasing funding for schools in low-income areas and providing additional resources for students in need. This move is part of the governor’s ongoing efforts to improve education outcomes and address disparities in the state’s school system.
2. Legislative Update: The state legislature passed several key bills on November 26, including measures related to healthcare, environmental protection, and economic development. These bills are expected to have a significant impact on various aspects of life in New Jersey, from improving access to healthcare services to promoting sustainable practices in the state.
3. Economic Development News: Insider NJ also reported on the latest developments in the state’s economy, including updates on job growth, business expansion, and infrastructure projects. These updates highlight the ongoing efforts to stimulate economic growth and create new opportunities for residents of New Jersey.
4. Local News: The daily news update also featured stories from various local communities in New Jersey, including updates on local government initiatives, community events, and public safety issues. These stories provide valuable insights into the diverse and vibrant communities that make up the state of New Jersey.
Overall, Insider NJ’s daily news update for November 26, 2024, offered a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in the state, covering a wide range of topics that are important to residents of New Jersey. Stay tuned for more updates from Insider NJ as they continue to provide valuable news and information to their readers.
