Below is Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing:
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “He must stand up now and leave the Senate. He must do that. And if he refuses to do that, I will lead that effort to make sure that he’s removed from the Senate. It is just the thing to do.” – Senator Booker on Senator Menendez
TOP STORY: Post Menendez Verdict: Word on the Union City Streets
Will he, or won’t he? NBC News reported yesterday that convicted Senator Menendez was telling allies he will resign from office, following a jury finding him guilty on 16 charges of corruption. Menendez refuted the claim, telling CBS that he ‘has not resigned’ nor spoken to ‘so-called allies’, and that there ‘seems to be an effort to force me into a statement‘, adding that that is the ‘worst way to achieve a goal with me’. Should Menendez leave, Governor Murphy will be in a position to appoint a temporary successor. A resignation by Menendez would avoid a potential Senate expulsion; Senator Booker said yesterday that he would lead the effort to catapult Menendez, and a dozen Senate Democrats support expelling Menendez, according to Politico NJ. Since the verdict arrived, pressure has been mounting on him to resign, according to NJ Spotlight. NJGOP Chairman Hugin, however, says Menendez should stay, according to Politico NJ.
Despite his conviction, Senator Menendez can seek re-election, according to NJ101.5.
Senator Menendez faces the loss of his state and federal pensions, according to NJ Globe.
The Menendez convictions sends a powerful warning to public officials, according to WNYC.
NASA says a meteor fireball was responsible for a loud boom heard over NY and NJ, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Governor Murphy’s quick trip to Germany was all about soccer and selling, according to ROI-NJ.
The state’s tourism industry is expecting a successful summer.
NJ doctors and nurses are taking bias classes to cut into the maternal health gap, according to the Bergen Record.
NJ Transit is stepping in as private bus companies drop routes, according to the Bergen Record.
Hazardous lead pieces washed up on the Jersey Shore, miles from a toxic site, according to NJ.com.
The DRPA approved a higher bridge toll and reduced the size of the increase, according to Burlington County Times.
Jersey Shore towns are standing firm against state offshore wind plans, according to TAPinto.
Sandra Nunes will become the first female chair of the Burlington County Bridge Commission.
In his RNC address, Rep. Van Drew told Democrats that ‘your party has left you behind’, according to SaveJersey.
Professor Tina Zappile was named the Executive Director of the Hughes Center For Policy at Stockton.
ICYMI: Menendez found guilty and faces a reckoning; Trump injured in assassination attempt; Norcross pleaded not guilty; Sherrill doesn’t want President Biden to run; Menendez verdict will come soon; Murphy signed budget; courts shaping political developments; Critchley, Marino statement on Norcross
Battle lines are forming over school cell phone bans, according to NJ.com.
The state restored $20M in budget cuts to community colleges, according to the Bergen Record.
The state doesn’t give out free ACs like other states, and its unlikely to change, according to NJ.com.
ICYMI: Way appointed Wolkenberg NJDOS COS; Murphy announced departure of Gutierrez-Scacetti; Murphy says he doesn’t think about his legacy; Murphy announced promotions
In Union City, residents reacted to the conviction of Senator Menendez, who’s political career began there.
In Atlantic City, the council pulled a vote on a route to move offshore wind energy under city streets and parks, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
In Bernards, school traffic is an issue with a manufacturing request, according to NJ Hills.
In Essex Fells, a bond ordinance was approved, according to TAPinto.
In Hillsborough, the BOE pumped the brakes on full-day kindergarten, according to MyCentralJersey.
In Hoboken, Councilman Russo has $222k COH, according to Hudson County View.
In Howell, the town stopped a pop-up pool party with a tough new law, according to NJ101.5.
In Jersey City, mayoral candidate McGreevey raised $400k in the second quarter, according to Hudson County View.
In Long Valley, pickleball courts won’t replace a dog park, according to NJ Hills.
In Paramus, the BOE seeks a new member after a resignation, according to the Bergen Record.
In Sayreville, an ordinance was passed on what flags can be flown at boro hall, according to MyCentralJersy.
In Spring Lake, the budget was adopted, according to TAPinto.
In Washington Township, no bids force the town to revisit EV charging stations, according to NJ Hills.
ICYMI: In Newark, Speight announced candidacy for Central Ward; in Wayne, debate popped up; in Parsippany, Musella kicked off mayoral campaign; in Dover, bumpy transition
AROUND THE WEB:
Gov candidate Fulop, the outsider, is defiant in the face of abandonment by HCDO leaders
Joshua Rosario, The Jersey Journal
- Steve Fulop, the self-proclaimed outsider in the 2025 governor’s race, said he saw this coming and perhaps he even welcomes it.
U.S. Attorney: There is no place for sexual harassment in housing in America | Opinion
Philip R. Sellinger and Rae Oliver Davis
- For many years, dozens of tenants and housing applicants in Elizabeth, New Jersey faced an unthinkable choice: submit to a landlord’s sexual demands or face the harsh consequences of being denied housing or suffering eviction.
The TDG Take: Dowdell launches podcast aimed at inspiring and empowering communities of color
ROI-NJ Staff
- The Tara Dowdell Group, an award-winning social good public relations and marketing agency in Jersey City, announced this week that it has launched a podcast, “The TDG Take,” which will aim to providing engaging and inspirational content that will offer practical insights and actionable advice to fuel professional growth and success.
YouTuber arrested for disorderly conduct at Union City meeting, vows to file lawsuit
John Heinis, Hudson County View
- YouTuber Leroy Truth was arrested for disorderly conduct at last night’s Union City Board of Commissioners meeting, being led out in handcuffs, prompting him and his attorney to vow to sue the city.
Thousands fewer NJ high schoolers apply for federal college aid
Hannah Gross, NJ Spotlight
- Kean University senior Kamilla Gell said it would not have been possible for her to attend Kean without financial aid she received through the federal financial aid system known as FAFSA.
Historic New Bridge Landing’s new visitor center in River Edge unveiled
Linda Lindner, ROI-NJ
- A new 3,750-square-foot visitor center and museum building that is planned for Historic New Bridge Landing is one step closer to reality with the recent unveiling of the final approved building plans by the Bergen County Historical Society. The BCHS shared both the colored renditions by architectural firm Arcari & Iovino Architects along with detailed drawings in hopes of strengthening donor support to help complete the project, whose groundbreaking is slated for fall.
Great white sharks in New Jersey may be a thing
Maria Francis, USA TODAY NETWORK
- Shark sightings aren’t uncommon, but the elusive great white shark is most certainly the rarest for a close-up view or encounter along New Jersey’s coast. A possible great white shark was captured in photos according to Pearson’s Pursuit Inshore Fishing social media post on Sunday.
Beachwood beach closed following two days of high fecal bacteria levels
Amanda Oglesby, Asbury Park Press
- Health officials closed Beachwood’s Beach West to swimming and bathing on Wednesday, July 17, due to high levels of fecal bacteria, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
EDITORIALS The time has come, Sen. Menendez. For New Jersey’s sake, resign: Editorial
USA TODAY Network New Jersey Editorial Board, NorthJersey.com
- Sen. Bob Menendez, now a felon convicted on 16 federal charges related to corruption and bribery, must resign. New Jersey’s senior senator was found guilty Tuesday in a complex bribery and corruption scheme in which he and his wife accepted bribes from Garden State businessmen in exchange for exerting political influence. He must now step aside. If he will not, his colleagues in the U.S. Senate must vote to expel him.
Feds need to investigate ASAP whether toxic Jersey Shore site could be spreading, congressman says
Steven Rodas, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
- If newly-discovered pieces of lead at the Jersey Shore indeed stem from a nearby Superfund site, federal officials need to act as soon as possible, a New Jersey congressman said Wednesday morning.
Veteran homelessness is on the rise despite government efforts—here’s how it happens
Stacker, Down Beach
- Homelessness reached record levels in 2023, as rents and home prices continued to rise in most of the U.S. One group was particularly impacted: people who have served in the U.S. military. “This time last year, we knew the nation was facing a deadly public health crisis,” Jeff Olivet, executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, said in a statement about the 2023 numbers. He said the latest homelessness estimates from the Department of Housing and Urban Development “confirms the depth of the crisis.”
NASA updates meteor over NYC track saying it originated over the city then moved west over NJ
Brad Luck and Checkey Beckford, NBC New York
- The path of the meteor that passed over New York City Tuesday morning has been updated by NASA. The space agency now says the meteor originated over New York City and moved west into New Jersey. It also upgraded the speed of the meteor to 38,000 miles per hour.
Inside Bob Menendez’s downfall: ‘The arrogance went to his head’
Matt Friedman, Politico
- Over the years, Bob Menendez gained a reputation as New Jersey’s ultimate political survivor. On Tuesday, his endurance ran out. The conviction of the Democratic senator on 16 counts in a sweeping bribery case comes nearly seven years after he beat prior corruption charges thanks to a hung jury — and 18 years after another federal investigation ended without charges.
How Bob Menendez conviction could change how politicians are prosecuted – Stile
Charles Stile, NorthJersey.com
- Throughout his latest criminal ordeal, Sen. Bob Menendez defiantly declared himself a patriot, a duly elected representative carrying out the cause of democracy. But a jury of 12 New Yorkers saw him simply as a grubby crook who turned his office into a general store of corruption, taking gold bars and a Mercedes-Benz and stacks of cash in exchange for helping further the interest of Egypt and a couple of “friends” from New Jersey who sought his help in sabotaging criminal investigations.
It’s Murphy’s move on Menendez seat: Appoint Andy Kim ASAP | Editorial
Star-Ledger Editorial Board
- Bob Menendez is on his way out, after selling his powerful Senate seat to the highest bidder for cash, gold bars and a luxury car, and being convicted on all corruption charges, including being a foreign agent. In theory, he could fight this case all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, but the odds are against him, and a chorus of colleagues are already calling for his resignation – and if not that, his swift expulsion from the Senate.
Are we even capable of turning down the temperature?
Jeff Edelstein, The Trentonian
- Former President Donald Trump was almost assassinated Saturday. I recognize I’m not breaking news here, but I kind of felt the need to type the sentence, mostly because I feel like … nothing has changed as a result, which is shocking. I’m (barely) old enough to remember President Ronald Reagan getting shot. In fact, it was my first “breaking news” story. It was after school, I was watching Woody Woodpecker on channel 5 out of New York, and they broke in with the breaking news.
Menendez guilty verdicts give New York prosecutors a win after high-profile setbacks
Erica Orden, Politico
- A sitting U.S. senator, stacks of gold bars and a clean sweep of guilty verdicts on 16 federal fraud, bribery and extortion counts: For federal prosecutors in the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office, Tuesday’s conviction of Sen. Bob Menendez was perhaps the biggest public corruption win in years. In rendering Menendez guilty of bribery, acting as a foreign agent for Egypt, obstruction, extortion and conspiracy, the trial marked the undoing of one of the most influential people in Washington and left him facing the possibility of decades in prison.
In Bob Menendez’s hometown of Union City, little love for now-convicted senator
Mark J. Bonamo, NJ Monitor
- Residents of Union City struggled to beat the 100-degree heat on Tuesday afternoon. And across the Hudson River in a Manhattan courtroom, U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, the city’s former mayor, failed to beat the rap. On the day Menendez was convicted on all 16 charges in his federal corruption trial, residents of this densely populated Hudson County town made it clear: He got what he deserved.
Dirty Politics: New Jersey’s Ugly Reality
Eric Scott, NJ1015
- The conviction of New Jersey’s senior U.S. senator on charges of bribery and influence peddling has only reinforced our image as “The Soprano State,” the moniker coined by journalists Bob Ingle and Sandy McClure in their book by that name.
Will the divisions calm after Trump attempted assassination?
Joanna Gagis, NJ Spotlight
- New Jersey leaders continued to react Monday to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on Saturday, several joining the calls for more respect and less rhetoric in the nation’s political discourse. Among them were gubernatorial candidates Steve Sweeney, a Democrat and former Senate president, and Sen. Jon Bramnick (R-Union), who released a joint statement calling for “civility in our civil discourse.”
How century-old Lake Hopatcong fountain was turned back on after 30 years in disrepair
Bruce A Scruton, Newton New Jersey Herald
- With a turn (actually 67 turns) of a wheel, the Hopatcong Dam fountain slowly gushed to life late Tuesday morning, ending a quarter-century of inactivity. On a set of stairs overlooking the century-old fountain, a woman recalled “swimming” here as a youngster. And on the hillside which forms the Morris County side of the dam, nearly a hundred people gathered to watch as the landmark came back to life.
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Good morning, New Jersey! Here is your Insider NJ Morning Intelligence Briefing for July 18, 2024.
1. Governor Murphy to Hold Press Conference on Economic Development Initiatives: Governor Phil Murphy is set to hold a press conference today to announce new economic development initiatives aimed at boosting job growth and investment in the state. The governor has made economic development a top priority of his administration, and today’s announcement is expected to outline new programs and incentives to attract businesses to New Jersey.
2. State Legislature to Vote on Education Funding Bill: The state legislature is set to vote today on a bill that would increase funding for public schools in New Jersey. The bill, which has been a top priority for education advocates, would provide additional funding for schools in low-income communities and increase resources for special education programs. Supporters of the bill argue that it is necessary to ensure that all students have access to a quality education, regardless of their zip code.
3. New Jersey Unemployment Rate Drops to 4.2%: The latest unemployment figures show that New Jersey’s unemployment rate has dropped to 4.2%, the lowest it has been in over a decade. The decrease in unemployment is seen as a positive sign for the state’s economy, indicating that businesses are hiring and the job market is strong. Governor Murphy has touted the decrease in unemployment as evidence of his administration’s successful economic policies.
4. State Parks and Beaches to Reopen After Storm Damage: Several state parks and beaches that were closed due to storm damage are set to reopen today. The recent severe weather caused significant damage to some of New Jersey’s most popular outdoor destinations, but state officials have been working diligently to repair the damage and ensure that these areas are safe for visitors. With the reopening of these parks and beaches, residents and tourists alike can once again enjoy the natural beauty of New Jersey.
5. Traffic Advisory for Major Highways: Drivers in New Jersey are advised to plan for delays on major highways today due to ongoing construction projects and increased summer traffic. The New Jersey Department of Transportation has issued a traffic advisory warning drivers to expect delays on highways such as the Garden State Parkway, New Jersey Turnpike, and Interstate 287. Motorists are encouraged to use alternate routes if possible and allow extra time for their commutes.
That’s all for today’s Insider NJ Morning Intelligence Briefing. Stay informed, stay safe, and have a great day!
