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Mask mandate in schools will continue ‘for foreseeable future,’ Murphy says
Mask mandates for students, teachers, and other school staff will continue “for the foreseeable future,” Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday, saying the order is necessary to keep New Jersey’s schools open amid a rise in positive coronavirus cases. Murphy’s latest directive comes as lawmakers are mulling whether to extend a series of executive orders, administration […]
N.J. Democrats’ coronation of Menendez Jr. is gross
The race to make sure Robert Menendez Jr. glides into the House of Representatives as Rep. Albio Sires’ successor is New Jersey politics at its worst. It’s been just four days since Sires announced he will retire at the end of his current term, and Menendez — the son of Sen. Bob Menendez, obvs — […]
Legislature should stop blocking expansion of public records access
The Legislature is killing what could be its last chance in years to expand access to public records in New Jersey. Republican opposition plus Democratic silence helped scuttle the advancement Monday of S-380, a bill backed by Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D) that would revise the Open Public Records Act in a few meaningful ways. One […]
Democrats, stop counting on Trump to win elections for you
Democrats may need an intervention to end their Donald Trump addiction, if Tuesday’s election results didn’t already send that message. Take Gov. Phil Murphy’s campaign. From his campaign flyers — every one I received had Trump as its main image — to the “Stop the Trump Team” signs that lined Route 3 in the days […]
Lawsuit alleges N.J. vaccine mandate violates constitutional rights
A group of New Jersey public workers allege in a new federal lawsuit that Gov. Phil Murphy’s mandate that they and other public employees get vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to regular testing violates their constitutional rights. The seven-count complaint, filed the same day as the deadline for state and school workers to be vaccinated, […]
‘Torres for mayor’ campaign in Paterson is shameless even by N.J. standards
“Why not?” That’s what Joey Torres told Joe Malinconico for a Monday story about Torres testing the waters for a mayoral run in Paterson, a story that posted almost exactly four years after Torres pleaded guilty to corruption charges and resigned in disgrace as the city’s mayor. I love messy drama, so part of me […]
Records reveal effort to silence public on Atlantic City needle exchange closure
When the Atlantic City Council voted in July to stop permitting a local needle exchange to operate, the governing body performed a disservice to its own community, one struggling with opioid addiction and HIV infections. The governing body’s rejection of a center that has proven critical to battling the opioid crisis has been well documented […]
Murphy says New Jersey will welcome Afghan refugees
New Jersey will welcome refugees from Afghanistan who have fled or are attempting to flee the country to escape Taliban rule, Gov. Phil Murphy said in a letter to President Biden Sunday. The people of Afghanistan, who have watched as their country has plunged into chaos in the leadup to the withdrawal of American troops, […]
New Jersey should be honest about unemployment call center shortcomings
Two weeks ago, our own Nikita Biryukov reported on a study out of the University of Chicago that ranked states on how easy it is to get a government official on the phone. New Jersey came in dead last. Researchers tried four different government agencies and reached a person less than 20% of the time […]
As move toward transparency, A.G. directive on police discipline is a dud
When then-Attorney General Gurbir Grewal last year ordered all New Jersey law enforcement agencies to identify by name their officers who receive serious discipline, he gave himself a pat on the back. The directive, he said in a statement, showed New Jersey was committed to “a culture of transparency and accountability in law enforcement.” “Today, […]
Now is the time to mandate vaccines for N.J. teachers
Gov. Phil Murphy, stop dithering and mandate vaccines for New Jersey’s public school teachers. Time has likely already run out to have a fully vaccinated army of teachers by the first day of school. If an unvaccinated teacher receives their first shot of a two-shot vaccine today, they won’t be inoculated by the start of […]
Murphy calls on Cuomo to resign over sexual harassment claims
Gov. Phil Murphy joined the chorus of Democrats Tuesday urging Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York to resign over an investigation that found Cuomo broke federal and state laws and engaged in a pattern of sexual harassment targeting 11 women. Murphy issued his call in a brief joint statement Tuesday night with Democratic Govs. Tom […]