by Chris White Elizabeth, New Jersey, is using a Chinese company’s drones to police citizens who fail to employ social distancing guidelines. Past reports suggest the drones are feeding China data. Elizabeth Mayor J. Christian Bollwage is deploying drones from Chinese-based company DJI to warn Elizabeth citizens who are walking outdoors not to get too close in physical proximity to other people. The drones blare sirens and issue this warning: “Stop gathering, disperse and go home.” Bollwage is dismissing critics of his approach. “If these drones save one life, it is clearly worth the activity and the information that the drones are sending,” the mayor said Friday in an MSNBC interview. New Jersey is considered a coronavirus hotspot — more than 3,000 in the state have died from the virus, which originated in Wuhan, China, before skipping across the globe and landing in the United States, where it has killed more than 30,000 people. The drones might not be benign. Past reports suggest DJI poses a substantial security threat to U.S. infrastructure. A 2017 memo from the Los Angeles office of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement bureau said officials had “moderate confidence” that DJI’s commercial drones are giving critical U.S. “infrastructure and law enforcement data to the Chinese…
Read the full storyTag: New Jersey
NJ Issues Citation to Woman Who Dared Organize Protest Against Stay At Home Order, a Gathering that Attorney General Calls ‘Nonsense’
A New Jersey woman was cited by police for organizing a protest against the state’s stay at home order.
Read the full storyCuomo: Coalition of Six Northeast States Set to Announce Regional Reopening Plan
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Monday morning that he feels “the worst is over” when it comes to the ongoing coronavirus crisis that has enveloped his state and the nation, and he suggested that a coalition of six Northeast states would be making a joint announcement at 2 p.m. on plans to reopen the economy in the weeks and months to come.
Speaking at his daily briefing on the pandemic, Cuomo said he had been in contact with the governors of Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Rhode Island about a regional approach to returning to normalcy.
Read the full storyWorld Health Organization: Abortion Is ‘Essential’ During Coronavirus Pandemic
Abortion is considered an essential service during the coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization said in a statement Saturday.
The WHO said in its statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation that “services related to reproductive health are considered to be part of essential services during the COVID-19 outbreak.”
Read the full storyTrump Considering Quarantine, Travel Restrictions on New York and New Jersey
President Donald Trump said Saturday he is considering travel restrictions and a quarantine on New York, New Jersey and other states hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
Read the full storyA New Jersey Hospital Has Six Male ICU Patients with Coronavirus, All Ages 28 to 48
One New Jersey hospital in the front lines of fighting the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak shows startling statistics as its section of the Garden State braces for more cases.
Of 11 cases at Holy Name Medical Center, six are in the ICU, and all six are men between the ages of 28 to 48, according to a story by ROI-NJ. Forty more patients are under observation at the Teaneck, NJ hospital, according to CEO Mike Maron.
“From what we’ve seen, it’s not impacting children at all — or pretty much anybody under 20,” he said. “That doesn’t mean they don’t have it. They may just process it in a better way, a faster way. That’s the beauty of being young.
Read the full storyNew Jersey Governor Signs Bill Allowing Illegal Aliens to Obtain Driver Licenses
Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation that allows illegal aliens in the state to obtain valid driver licenses, marking the 14th state in the U.S. to give licenses to undocumented immigrants.
Read the full storyNew Jersey Governor Restores Voting Rights for 80,000 on Probation, Parole
New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation Wednesday that restores voting rights for convicted criminals who are out on parole or probation. The measure will apply to roughly 80,000 convicts who are on probation or parole starting in March, ABC News reports.
Read the full storyAmerican Inventor Series: Thomas Alva Edison, Father of the Modern World
Thomas Alva Edison, born February 11, 1847 in Milan, Ohio, was fired from two jobs before the age of 18 for causing explosions in his places of work.
Read the full storyDecision to Vacate DOJ’s Wire Act Reinterpretation a Big Win for Online Poker
by Johnny Kampis A U.S. District Court ruling that said the Wire Act only applies to sports betting not only staves off a Department of Justice effort to end interstate online poker efforts, it will also help facilitate the growth of poker gaming across the country. Earlier this month, U.S. District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro in New Hampshire ruled on a challenge by the New Hampshire Lottery Commission that the 1961 Interstate Wire Act applies only to sports betting. Barbadoro said the opinion by the DOJ in November 2018 that the Wire Act applied to other forms of gambling is set aside. States were supposed to comply by June 14, but the district court ruling removes that obligation for now. That decision “represents just about the greatest win imaginable” for poker operators, wrote Mark Edelman in Forbes. Edelman, a law professor of Zicklin School of Business in New York City focusing on issues of gaming and antitrust, said the decision “clearly supports the legality of interstate poker compacts, paving the way for online poker’s further growth on a national or semi-national basis.” So far, Delaware, New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania and West Virginia have legalized online poker, with the last two now attempting to…
Read the full storyNew Jersey Parents to Rally Against LGBT Education Law
by Rachel del Guidice A rally this weekend will give New Jersey parents an opportunity to oppose a new state law requiring public schools to teach children about the “political, economic, and social contributions” of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. The new law also requires schools to stress such contributions made by disabled persons, but it’s the LGBT education component that prompted organizers to plan the rally. “When you teach about George Washington, you don’t teach that George Washington had sex with his wife and what he did; we teach what George Washington did as a president,” Victoria Jakelsky, a political consultant and parental rights activist in New Jersey, told The Daily Signal in an interview Wednesday. “But they are twisting it around to say that anyone who is LGBT, they’re going to explain what they did, who their relationships were [with], and incorporate it as gay and lesbian and bisexual people are the history-makers,” Jakelsky, a paralegal by training, said. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, signed the legislation into law Jan. 31, and it is set to go into effect for the 2020-2021 school year. Jakelsky is among those organizing the rally Saturday from 11…
Read the full storyKavanaugh Warns Of ‘Pure Discrimination’ as Supreme Court Denies Church Bid for Historic Preservation Grant
by Kevin Daley The Supreme Court refused Monday to decide whether religious institutions may be disqualified from public historic preservation funding, after a New Jersey court forbade local officials from dispersing $4 million to 12 churches. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote a separate opinion addressing the dispute, calling the lower court’s decision “pure discrimination.” “Barring religious organizations because they are religious from a general historic preservation grants program is pure discrimination against religion,” Kavanaugh wrote. “At some point, this Court will need to decide whether governments that distribute historic preservation funds may deny funds to religious organizations simply because the organizations are religious.” Justices Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch joined the Kavanaugh opinion. Morris County, New Jersey awards grants for the maintenance of historically significant structures. Several churches dating back to the colonial period have received public support through that program since 2012. The case at issue Monday arose in April 2016, when the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) and a local taxpayer brought a lawsuit claiming the Morris County program violates New Jersey’s constitution. The state constitution provides that no person shall be “obliged to pay tithes, taxes, or other rates for building or repairing any church or churches.” The New Jersey…
Read the full storyThreat: New Jersey Lawmakers Aim to Keep Trump Off 2020 State Ballot Unless Tax Returns Revealed
by Connor Moldo New Jersey state legislators are threatening to withhold President Donald Trump and other politicians’ names from the 2020 state ballot if they refuse to release tax returns to the public. The state Senate approved a bill Thursday that would leave off the names of candidates for president who are unwilling to make their tax returns public, according to NorthJersey.com. A similar effort was devised in 2017, but then-Republican Gov. Chris Christie vetoed the bill, calling it a “transparent political stunt,” squashing Democrats’ hopes. New Jersey would become the first state to enact such a measure should the Assembly and Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy approve the bill, as at least 30 other states have launched efforts to pass similar legislation, but none have become law, according to the Courier Post. These actions, primarily under the direction of Democratic lawmakers, were sparked after then-candidate Trump turned down requests to publish his tax returns, hindering the public’s ability to glimpse his personal finances. “It is so obvious with this president that had voters known some of what seem to be his business interests, he may not have been elected president,” Democratic state Sen. Loretta Weinberg, a sponsor of the legislation, told the Courier Post. The law raises questions about whether it…
Read the full storyNew Jersey Lawmakers Are Trying to Tax the Rain
by Brittany Hunter Sometimes life mimics fiction. And sometimes life is so much stranger than fiction you have to double check the headlines to ensure they aren’t satire. The latest doubletake comes from New Jersey, where, under the guise of environmentalism, local legislators have passed a new tax on—wait for it— the rain. Governments are known for a lack of creativity and an uncanny ability to think only inside the box. However, when it comes to getting creative with inventing new forms of taxation, they never disappoint. Chicago, for example, recently implemented a “PlayStation” tax on its residents as part of the city’s previously existing “amusement tax,” which, just as it sounds, taxes individuals on almost all forms of entertainment. California, on the other hand, recently tried to get away with unprecedented levels of extortion when it tried to tax residents for their drinking water and text messages. The water tax is still on the table, but luckily, the Golden State did not succumb to the new ridiculous texting tax. New Jersey, though, might not be so lucky. Blame It on the Rain To be perfectly clear, while the new tax is being referred to as the “rain tax,”…
Read the full story10 States Now Offer Dreamers Financial Aid for College
The state of New Jersey has awarded $1.63 million in financial aid for higher education to more than 500 undocumented students, new government data showed Wednesday. New Jersey’s Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) reported that 513 students received the aid to cover university and college expenses starting with the 2018 fall semester. “This financial assistance offers these New Jersey students a life-changing opportunity,” David J. Socolow, HESAA’s executive director, said in a statement. “The successes of these first 513 students, who are now attending county colleges, state colleges and universities, and independent institutions around the state, will have a positive impact on countless additional lives.” To be eligible for the financial assistance, students must have attended a New Jersey high school for at least three years and graduated from one, or received the equivalent of a high school diploma in the state. They must also file an affidavit stating that they have filed or will file an application to legalize their immigration status. Male applicants are also required to register for selective service. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed the controversial measure into law last May, making New Jersey the 10th state to provide state aid to undocumented college…
Read the full storyNine States Back Environmentalists Trying to Shutdown Search for Oil in Atlantic
by Tim Pearce Nine states are intervening in a lawsuit against the Trump administration for approving oil and gas companies to search for oil and gas deposits in the Atlantic Ocean. Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh announced Thursday the states would join environmental groups in a lawsuit to prevent the Trump administration from allowing seismic testing off the coast of South Carolina. “The National Marine Fisheries Service has issued what are called incidental harassment authorizations. They would, by their own terms, result in harm to hundreds of thousands of whales and dolphins and porpoises,” Frosh said. “The permits eliminate a major obstacle to testing and we content that the authorizations are illegal.” Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina and Virginia accompanied Maryland in intervening in the lawsuit. The NMFS, an agency under the Commerce Department, issued “incidental take” permits Nov. 30 allowing oil and gas companies to conduct the tests. Environmental groups sued the federal government Nov. 11 to prevent the seismic testing, which involves air guns booming in the ocean seconds apart for days at a time. Environmentalists contend the permits violate the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Marine Mammals Protection Act and other regulations. The federal…
Read the full storyWisconsin and New Jersey are Among the States Looking To Copy Minnesota Model Of Using Federal Funds To Lower Insurance Premiums
by Evie Fordham Several states including Wisconsin and New Jersey are seeking to copy Minnesota’s model of federal reinsurance program funding that contributed to a 13-percent drop in premium rates in the state from 2017 to 2018. The Minnesota legislature adopted the program, which uses mostly federal funds to help insurers cover people with medical bills typically between $50,000 and $250,000, in 2017, reported Kaiser Health News. The program enables insurers to lower premiums and is a policy encouraged by the Trump administration. Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker is focusing his campaign on his health care accomplishments, including support for his state’s reinsurance program, reported RealClear Politics. He says premiums will be 11 percent lower than they would have been without the program in 2019, reported HealthLeaders Media. Minnesota’s 2018 reinsurance program received $131 million from the federal government, and many other states have applied or are applying for reinsurance program funding. Alaska and Oregon have programs similar to Minnesota’s in place. The main difference between Alaska’s program, which started in 2016, and other states’ is that Alaska’s covers all costs for people with “highest-cost conditions.” Wisconsin and Maine were approved in July, while Idaho, Louisiana, Maryland and New Jersey are working toward having programs set up by…
Read the full storyConservatives Team Up with Immigrants to Tackle Costly New Jersey ‘Hair Braiding’ Regulation
by Elias Atienza The New Jersey state chapter of Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is helping West African immigrants lobby the New Jersey legislature to change cosmetology requirements. West African immigrants, usually women, operate hair-braiding businesses that are essentially illegal, since state regulations require these workers to get a license, WNYC reported Monday. That license is acquired from cosmetology school, which is often expensive, and degrees can cost up to $20,000. These hair braiders have been lobbying Trenton for two years to pass a bill that would exempt the cosmetology school credentials from the licensing requirement. They received guidance from AFP in order to do so. “Those guys came and said, ‘We are going to work you through this,’” said Anita Yeboah, a braider who works at J&C African Braids in Trenton, to WNYC. “All we can say to them is, God bless them for their time, for all they are doing.” Since hair braiders often work under the table, customers sometimes skip out on their bills and threaten to tell the state the braiders lack a license if they try to complain or call the police. This then causes some braiders in Newark to hire gang members for protection, who go out and collect…
Read the full storyNew Jersey Woman Pardoned by Chris Christie Pushes for Change to U.S. Gun Laws
The handgun that Shaneen Allen was carrying when she was pulled over on a New Jersey highway could have sent her to prison for years if not for a pardon from Republican Gov. Chris Christie. Now the legal saga that kept the Pennsylvania mother of two in jail for 48 days has helped inspire a measure…
Read the full storyNew Jersey State Senator to Hold Hearings on Marijuana Legalization’s Negative Effects
TRENTON — One of New Jersey’s longest-serving state Senators said he plans to hold public hearings to question the next governor’s push to legalize marijuana next year. Sen. Ronald Rice, D-Essex, announced Monday he would use his authority as chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus to call public hearings to explore the negative consequences felt in…
Read the full storyNew Jersey Sues Big Pharma CEO For Illegally Pushing A Deadly Fentanyl Drug
Officials are in New Jersey are expanding the focus of their lawsuit against a top manufacturer of a fentanyl-based medication to include the company’s CEO. New Jersey Attorney General Christopher Porrino announced Friday that the state is amending its current consumer fraud and false claims complaint against Insys Therapeutics, an Arizona-based pharmaceutical manufacturer. Porrino is targeting…
Read the full storyRefs Walk Off in Protest After Players Kneel During Anthem at New Jersey Football Game
Two high school football officials walked off the field in protest Friday night after players from Monroe High School in Somerset County knelt during the national anthem before the team’s game against visiting Colts Neck. The officials, Ernie Lunardelli, 54, and his son, Anthony Lunardelli, 27, stood for the anthem and then abruptly left the field…
Read the full storyTrial of Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez and the Medicare-Milking Doctor Shows Flaws of Single-Payer System
I don’t know how the federal corruption trial of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez will turn out, but after following the case for almost four years I do know this: Medicare is guilty. Guilty of not having a “gate-keeper” that is. In health-care parlance, a gate-keeper is an administrator who decides whether a certain drug or treatment…
Read the full storyDonald Trump Will Attend Presidents Cup on Sunday at Liberty National in Jersey City
JERSEY CITY – The Presidents Cup will have its namesake in attendance for the final day at Liberty National Golf Club. The White House announced on Sunday that President Donald Trump will travel from his golf club in Bedminster to the tournament in Jersey City. He is expected to arrive at 3 p.m. According to his…
Read the full storyPHOTOS: Governor Christie, Family Soak Up Sun on New Jersey Beach He Closed to Public
BERKELEY TOWNSHIP — People hoping to visit Island Beach State Park this holiday weekend were not allowed in because of the state government shutdown Gov. Chris Christie ordered amid the state budget standoff in Trenton. But there was one family there: Gov. Chris Christie’s. They are using the summer beach house provided by the state for…
Read the full storyFinal Piece of New Jersey’s Gas Tax Hike Went Into Effect on Saturday
Drivers of diesel-fueled vehicles in New Jersey saw their prices rise at the pump on Saturday as the second half of the state’s motor fuel tax increase takes effect, which also could raise shipping costs for online shoppers. The state tax on gasoline was increased by 23 cents per gallon in November, but an eight cent hike on…
Read the full storyInside a Young New Jersey Man’s Alleged Path to ISIS
POINT PLEASANT — The web searches relating to ISIS propaganda allegedly came in rapid fire. “Where to buy black jihad flag,” “france terrorist attack,” “isis propaganda video.” At least two dozen of these types of internet searches were among the thousands officials say Gregory Lepsky, 20, who is accused of plotting to build a pressure-cooker bomb…
Read the full storyGrover Norquist Praised Chris Christie’s Gas Tax Increase in New Jersey Before He Signed Off on Haslam’s in Tennessee
Washington insider Grover Norquist, founder of Americans for Tax Reform, praised New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s gas tax increase in New Jersey in 2016, a year before he claimed Gov. Haslam’s gas tax increase proposal here in Tennessee is “Taxpayer Protection Pledge compliant.” In the letter he sent to Tennessee state legislators on Monday in which he expressed support for the amended version of Gov. Haslam’s gas tax increase that passed the Senate Transportation Committee last week, Norquist also sang the praises of Christie’s earlier gas tax increase in the Garden State. “In New Jersey last year, Americans for Tax Reform supported a tax package enacted by Gov. Christie that raised the gas tax from 14.5 to 23 cents per gallon, but coupled that with a phase out of his state’s death tax, a reduction in the sales tax from 7 to 6.6%, and an increase in the earned income tax credit,” Norquist wrote. “The package, like SB 1221/HB534 was a net tax cut overall. As such, not only did ATR not oppose the deal, ATR urged lawmakers to support it,” he added. “Republican Gov. Chris Christie and the Democratic-controlled Legislature agreed to the hike because the state had run…
Read the full storyWorst of the nor’easter yet to come for New Jersey
The nor’easter that’s been battering the Jersey Shore with powerful winds and pounding surf since Monday morning isn’t near finished or even at peak yet for most of the state. That’s the word from meteorologists who have been tracking the big coastal storm since it originated down in the southern United States, where it triggered deadly…
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