OPINION: North-JerseyNews.com is endorsing Joe Biden for President and Cory Booker for U.S. Senate. Joe Biden is a centrist Democratic America needs at this moment in time to help navigate the COVID-19 crisis and to rebuild our economy, one that he has first hand experience with from his work overseeing the 2009 Recovery Act after the Great Recession. And Cory Booker will be a key figure in fighting for Biden’s agenda and is worthy of your vote to re-elect him to the Senate. North-JerseyNews.com
Democratic nominee Joe Biden leads President Donald Trump, 53% to 39%, among registered voters in the new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, which was conducted in the two days following the debate but before news emerged that President Trump had tested positive for COVID-19. Mr. Biden’s 14-point lead compares with an 8-point advantage in September and 11 points in July, which was his largest of the campaign at that time. The Wall Street Journal
President Donald Trump traveled to the Bedminster fundraiser because it was believed he posed no threat to himself or anyone else even after being exposed to the coronavirus, said White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany. According to McEnany, Trump had tested negative the day before his Bedminster trip and departed for a fundraiser and roundtable with supporters on Oct. 1 even after a top aide, Hope Hicks, tested positive for COVID-19. NJ.com
After being diagnosed with COVID-19, Gov. Chris Christie checked into a North Jersey hospital Oct. 3. The former New Jersey governor is part of a cluster that has tested positive while in close contact with President Donald Trump in the last week or attended a Rose Garden ceremony for Amy Coney Barrett on Sept. 26 where a majority of attendees did not wear masks or were socially distant. “In consultation with my doctors, I checked myself into Morristown Medical Center,” said Christie. “While I am feeling good and only have mild symptoms, due to my history of asthma we decided this is an important precautionary measure.” North-JerseyNews.com
At least 206 people attended the fundraiser for President Donald Trump at his New Jersey golf course, said New Jersey Department of Health officials. The White House has supplied the names of the attendees and contact tracers are in the process of reaching out to those who attended, and asking those who had close contact with the president or his staff to self-quarantine for 14 days. Golf club staffers will be interviewed by the Somerset County Department of Health to determine if they had close contact with the president. NJ.com
Demarest’s public schools will move to remote learning until Oct. 19 after three new coronavirus cases were reported in the borough. The Demarest Board of Health announced Oct. 2 that Demarest Middle School, Luther Lee Emerson, and County Road schools will “move to a remote learning platform for our entire district as a safety precaution for all students within our schools.” The schools are attended by students in grades K to 8. The Record
The Haledon Public School will be closed Oct. 5 and 6 after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. The infected staff member is an academic coach who primarily interacts with staff members and a few students. With a dozen staff members awaiting test results, the decision was made to close the school for two days to allow the facility to be sanitized during that time. The Record
The state Assembly unanimously passed legislation requiring nursing homes and long-term care (LTC) facilities to be better prepared for future public health emergencies. The bill requires licensed facilities to maintain sufficient inventories of personal protective equipment (PPE). Supply requirements will depend on the number of facilities owned by a health system. North-JerseyNews.com
New Jersey voters will decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana, after the Democratic-led state legislature fell short of enough votes to pass new legislation. The ballot measure would amend the state constitution to allow people ages 21 and older to use marijuana, allowing the state to establish a regulated market to grow, distribute and sell the drug. If the measure is approved, New Jersey would become the 12th state in the U.S. along with Washington, D.C., to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes. The state has already legalized medical marijuana. The Wall Street Journal
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit contesting New Jersey’s vote-by-mail elections filed by President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign. The filing by the DCCC’s argued New Jersey’s policy ensures that each voter may only vote once, writing “Under the system devised by the Election Law, if a voter submitted a mail ballot and attempted to also vote provisionally, the second ballot would not be counted, protecting New Jersey from the very ills about which Plaintiffs warn.” New Jersey Globe
The United States Postal Service said ballots found by a dumpster in North Arlington were reported, collected and delivered. A spokesman said the matter has been turned over to our Office of Inspector General. New Jersey Globe
An appellate court ruled that four luxury Hoboken developments must reserve 10% of its units for affordable housing, a requirement developers allegedly tried to waiver. The Harlow, The Artisan on Clinton, Park + Garden and Vine and Hoboken will be required to provide 56 affordable homes. Between the four developments, there will be a total of 546 new luxury homes. The Jersey Journal
The Environmental Protection Agency approved a cleanup plan for toxic water in Ringwood that many residents and the Wanaque Reservoir operator have criticized because it falls short of a complete remediation plan at a Superfund site with a history of trouble. The $3.4 million plan calls for compounds to be pumped underground to treat dangerous chemicals that likely originated from paint sludge and other pollution dumped by contractors for Ford Motor Co. a half-century ago next to a low-income neighborhood and just north of the reservoir. The Record
Hoboken named Jason Freeman as the business administrator permanently. Freeman, who has been with the city for three years, previously served as the mayor’s deputy chief of staff and director of operations. The Jersey Journal
And finally…The New York Yankees will do battle with the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS starting tonight. The Daily Record
