Below is Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing:
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “The Roman Empire ruled for years as a dominant power in the world. l’m not trying to equate South Jersey with the Roman Empire, but you go through your highs, you go through your lows, and it becomes cyclical, it becomes generational, and change is evident. This is perhaps one of those cyclical, generational changes.” – NJDSC Chairman Jones
TOP STORY: Republican Challenger Wants to Dethrone Menendez
Download and read Insider NJ’s Out 100: LGBT Power List, compiled by Jay Lassiter.
Governor Murphy’s tenure as National Governors Association chair has ended, according to NJ Spotlight.
Governor Murphy declared a state of emergency following severe storms yesterday.
Governor Murphy signed a resolution dedicated July 14th as ‘Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Day’.
More emails discovered between Onyx and NJ Transit are heading to the headquarters drama, according to the Bergen Record.
Former First Lady Mary Pat Christie is joining a slate for the First Republic Bank board, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Passaic County unveiled new additions to Garrett Mountain Reservation, according to NorthJersey.com.
Senator Booker introduced the ‘SNAP Security and Nutrition Act’.
Rep. Sherrill will host a town hall next Monday.
Stockton University received a $700k grant to tag NJ harbor seals for the first time.
South Jersey is facing traffic snarls over gas line work, according to the Courier Post.
ICYMI: Basic facts are still murky about Port Newark fire, prompts questions; Murphy signed legislation to combat car thefts
In Bridgewater, the state Supreme Court will hear the OPRA case between the township and Rise Against Hate.
In Atlantic City, a neighborhood group is promoting local food markets, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
In Camden, the city is rolling out a ride-share app, according to NJ Spotlight.
In Chatham, rising seniors asked for an open campus, according to NJ Hills.
In Fair Lawn, the EPA will hold a meeting on the plan for contaminated groundwater, according to the Bergen Record.
In Hammonton, the Mount Carmel Festival embraced the town’s growing Hispanic population, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
In Long Hill, the master plan is progressing, according to NJ Hills. Falzarano was retained to sort through police issues, according to NJ Hills.
In New Brunswick, parking is at issue with a new townhome proposal, according to MyCentralJersey.
In Newark, Senate Majority Leader Ruiz opposes zoning plans, according to TAPinto.
In Ridgewood, Sunday pedestrian plazas were suspended for the summer, according to the Bergen Record.
In Watchung, Anderle was promoted to police chief, according to NJ Hills.
In West Orange, there’s discord among councilmembers, according to TAPinto.
ICYMI: In Parsippany, Barberio prevailed in GOP chair race; in Paterson, Mendez secured Council Presidency; in Mount Olive, Roman supporters and critics attend council meeting; in Parsippany, accusations between county, local GOP; in Bridgewater, Hayes seeking comeback, launched candidacy, Moench lambasted Hayes; in Middletown, BOE enacted parental notification policy
AROUND THE WEB:
What caused the deadly Port Newark fire? A 2020 explosion aboard a similar ship offers clues.
Ted Sherman, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
- The huge, Norwegian-flagged vessel, loaded with hundreds of used, broken-down cars and other vehicles, was preparing to leave port when the chief mate saw the smoke pouring from a ventilation duct.
Sun, sand, taxes: Every Jersey Shore town’s property tax bill for homeowners
Derek Hall, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
- New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the nation, and the average bill statewide hit a new high of $9,490 in 2022, a $206 increase over the previous year.
The real crisis in our schools (it’s not gender or books) | Editorial
Star-Ledger Editorial Board
- Most of the talk about education these days is focused on transgender bathrooms and books, and the raucous crowds at school board meetings.
New report shows how much inflation has eaten away at NJ spending power
Daniel Munoz, NorthJersey.com
- Despite the recent cooling of inflation, a new report showed that thousands of New Jerseyans lost $28,300 in buying power over the past 15 years thanks to the rising cost of living. That’s from a report issued Monday by United Way of Northern New Jersey. As of May 2022 — the most recent month with available data — the occupation held by the most workers in New Jersey was retail salesperson, at 105,000 people, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Murphy isn’t running for president in 2024. But what about 2028?
Brent Johnson, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
- Gov. Phil Murphy spent Friday morning wrapping up a large national conference that he helped host in Atlantic City, attended by 20 of his fellow governors and hundreds of other political staffers and officials from across the U.S.
Why the overhead wires powering NJ Transit, Amtrak trains keep breaking
Larry Higgs, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
- The summer heat that makes the Jersey Shore a delight made rail commuters physically, and perhaps mentally, broil last week after causing overhead wire problems that stopped trains, stranded and delayed thousands of NJ Transit and Amtrak riders.
Replica of Gen. Washington’s war tent camps out at Ford Mansion
Brett Friedehnsohn, NJ Hills
- A replica of the war tent that George Washington slept in and did office work alongside his slave William Lee was pitched in one of the spots it originally stood, on the lawn of Ford Mansion, from Friday, July 7 to Sunday, July 9.
Morristown neighbors rein in support to restore GW statue
Alexis Algazy, Morristown Green
- George Washington cannot ride his horse into battle without the reins. For nearly 95 years, a statue of the general has stood across the street from the Ford Mansion, his headquarters for the worst winter of the American Revolution. The monument has endured some wear and tear over that span, leaving Washington astride his gallant steed without reins to steer with.
Former Margate firefighter gets 8 years for healthcare fraud conspiracy
Nanette LoBiondo Galloway, Down Beach
- A former Margate firefighter and a West Deptford man were sentenced to prison today for their respective roles in a multimillion-dollar health care fraud conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced. Thomas Sher, 50, of Northfield, was sentenced to 96 months in prison. Sher, a former Margate firefighter, was found guilty on Sept. 8, 2022, of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and three counts of health care fraud following a 12-day trial before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler in Camden federal court.
Update: Glouco GOP Chairwoman wins court battle, won’t face reelection until 2024
Matt Rooney, Save Jersey
- A big hat tip to David Wildstein of The New Jersey Globe who successfully lobbied to have today’s big Gloucester Republican chairmanship court fight livestreamed. Quick recap: Stephen Pakradooni, a small businessman and former legislative candidate, challenged incumbent Chairwoman Jacci Vigilante for her post. At issue was when Vigilante’s term ends… now or next year? The conflict was brought to a boiling point by last month’s GOP primaries between Vigilante’s organization-backed candidates and the ultimately-successful slate supported by a coalition led by Atlantic County GOP Chairman Don Purdy.
Op-Ed: Grease from pork does not aid good governing
Linda Stamato, NJ Spotlight
- Pork by any name — bacon, earmark, ornament — is still pork. It provides cover to bad public policy. Pork may amount to a small portion of New Jersey’s huge $54.3 billion state budget — and might escape the scrutiny it requires as a result — but it is no less wrong-headed. It needs to go.
Police department from Georgia returns to NJ seeking recruits
Melissa Rose Cooper, NJ Spotlight
- As police recruitment declines nationwide, some law enforcement agencies from other states are hoping to find their next officers in New Jersey. The police department from Alpharetta, Georgia held a recruitment event in Hasbrouck Heights where, for three days, residents interested in joining the department attended recruitment sessions and were physically assessed.
Melanoma is more deadly in Black men, Trenton should be educating residents
LA Parker, The Trentonian
- Black men are at a higher risk of death from melanoma than in other racial groups, according to a study published earlier this week in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD). According to the CDC, the study determined White men are more likely to get melanoma while Black people have a 26% higher risk of death from melanoma than the white population. The study observed 205,125 cases of male patients diagnosed with cutaneous invasive melanoma from 2004 to 2018. Black men showed the lowest survival rate at 51.7 percent. White men recorded the highest survival rate of 75.1 percent.
Celebrating Bordentown’s French connections at the estate of Napoleon’s brother Joseph Bonaparte
Kevin Riordan, Inquirer
- The mayors of a small city in New Jersey and a little village near Paris marked Bastille Day Friday at the former estate of a historical figure who called both places home. The celebration outside City Hall in Bordentown, Burlington County, also showcased the new state park at Point Breeze, where the international diplomat Joseph Bonaparte — Napoleon’s older brother — built an estate modeled on the one he left behind in Mortefontaine, France.
Jersey City Council votes unanimously to preserve childhood home of trans icon
John Heinis, Hudson County View
- The Jersey City Council voted unanimously (6-0) to preserve the childhood home of trans icon Venus Pellagati Xtravaganza, the filming location of the 1990 documentary “Paris is Burning,” at last night’s meeting.
(Visited 440,880 times, 206 visits today)
