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Democratic state senators must be vaccinated by Oct. 18
New Jersey’s 25 Democratic state senators must be vaccinated by Oct. 18, according to a memo from the Senate Majority Office. The vaccine policy will apply to lawmakers, staffers, and district office employees, and there will be no testing option, two Senate officials said. Lawmakers must attest to their vaccination in writing by Oct. 18, […]
Ex-Paterson mayor disqualified from holding public office, AG’s office says
Jose Torres, the former Paterson mayor who is exploring another mayoral bid four years after pleading guilty to official misconduct, is ineligible to hold public office, the state Attorney General’s office said. Torres, who told the Paterson Press this week he’s “testing the waters” on a 2022 mayoral run, signed a court order in 2017 […]
4,600 N.J. businesses await specifics of Biden’s vaccine mandate
As more than 4,600 New Jersey businesses prepare to face President Biden’s sweeping vaccine mandate, employers and their staff are questioning how the directive will work. Who foots the bill for weekly testing? What happens if someone produces a fake vaccine card? What gives the federal government the power to issue this kind of order? […]
Republicans slam Murphy’s masking requirement for 2-year-olds in day care
Two-year-old toddlers aren’t known for being good listeners or keeping their hands to themselves. Now, under Gov. Phil Murphy’s new mask mandate, they’ll be expected to keep their mouths and noses covered for hours at a time. Murphy’s Monday announcement that children ages 2 and up will need to wear masks in all day care […]
Vaccine requirement and mask mandate issued for N.J. child care centers
New Jersey’s child care workers must be fully vaccinated by Nov. 1 or face regular testing, and all employees, visitors, and children older than 2 must wear face masks in day care centers at all times, Gov. Phil Murphy announced during a press briefing Monday. The mandates come as the Delta variant fuels a rise […]
New Jersey continues slow economic recovery, adding 20K jobs in August
After the pandemic led to widespread business closures and crushing job losses, New Jersey’s crawl to economic recovery continues. The state recovered another 20,300 jobs in August, the eighth straight month of gains. That brings the total number of jobs recovered since the height of the pandemic to 468,600, marking the return of about 65% […]
300K workers move to N.J.’s unemployment benefits after federal programs end
More than 300,000 workers who relied on pandemic-era unemployment benefits before they expired were automatically moved to the state’s extended benefits program this week, a state official said. Of the roughly 500,000 people who were receiving unemployment payments until Sept. 4, about 310,000 claimants are now receiving the extended benefits, said Thomas Wright, spokesman for […]
As ICE detention centers shutter, immigrant advocates eye Bergen County’s jail
Ten years ago, New Jersey had space in a quartet of detention centers for thousands of immigrant detainees arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcment. Now, years of protests by immigrant advocates has helped diminish the federal agency’s presence in New Jersey’s public jails. On Nov. 1, Hudson County says they will be out of […]
Hudson County seeks to sever ICE contract after years of protests
Hudson County officials are planning to exit their 10-year contract with U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement to hold immigrant detainees at the county jail, a change that comes after years of protests by immigrant advocates. The move would make Bergen County the only publicly run jail in New Jersey that houses ICE detainees, following Essex […]
Consumers should be wary of flooded cars hitting the market after Hurricane Ida
The car market has been a volatile one during the coronavirus pandemic, and now buyers should be extra careful as storm-ravaged vehicles could appear in the low-inventory market. Carfax estimated thousands of cars with flood damage from Hurricane Sandy were cleaned and place for sale on used car lots back in 2013. As New Jerseyans […]
N.J. takes first step in implementing historic housing discrimination law
New Jersey officials are reviewing proposed rules for a new law banning landlords from considering prospective tenants’ criminal histories, one intended to lessen racial discrimination in housing. It’s the first step in implementing what activists have called the strongest housing discrimination law in the country. It’s part of the “ban the box” movement,” a reference […]
Activists worry new LGBTQ curriculum is not being taught in most schools
With some New Jersey classrooms re-opening to students this week, activists who championed a law mandating school districts develop an LGBTQ curriculum say they are focusing on ensuring the state’s 600 districts are teaching the lessons required by the law. Schools should have already integrated the curriculum that teaches the historical and societal contributions of […]