New Jersey has no plans at this time to adopt the mask recommendations published by the CDC on May 13, according to Gov. Phil Murphy. “A big part of that reason is that folks are getting vaccinated…doing the right thing,” said the governor, who added the new rules are “further validation that if you’re vaccinated, you’re in a completely different category” when it comes to wearing masks. “But we’ve come much too far to backslide now,” said Murphy. “So we’re keeping our indoor mask mandate in place in public settings and, as we approach our vaccination target in the coming weeks, we expect to be able to lift it soon.” North-JerseyNews.com
The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said only unvaccinated people are at risk if they take off their masks. “If you are vaccinated, we are saying you are safe, you can take up your mask and you are not at risk of severe disease or hospitalization from COVID-19,” the C.D.C. director, Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, said on “Fox News Sunday.” “If you are not vaccinated, you are not safe. Please go get vaccinated or continue to wear your mask.” The New York Times
The United Food and Commercial Workers union is supporting the continuation of the mask mandate in New Jersey. In a statement released by the Governor’s office, union president Marc Perrone said, “As the union for frontline food and retail workers across the country, UFCW is calling on governors to follow the lead of states like New Jersey and Hawaii that are keeping these life-saving mask mandates in place as we work to vaccinate the millions of Americans still at risk.” News12 New Jersey
New Jersey’s health metrics continued to move in the right direction over the weekend. On May 16, there were 865 COVID-19 patients hospitalized across the state, the lowest number since Oct. 20, 2020. More than 55% of the state’s 6.9 million adults have been fully vaccinated, with at least 4.59 million people having received their first dose at a New Jersey site. NJ.com
Republicans in New Jersey’s State Senate continued their push for legislative oversight of the Murphy Administration’s pandemic response, with a focus on what they consider were unnecessary deaths of thousands of elderly nursing home residents. “If it’s a bipartisan committee, we’d be happy to present,” stated New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli during a virtual May 11 Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee hearing. North-JerseyNews.com
U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez criticized Israel’s attack on a Gaza building housing the Associated Press and other international news outlets on May 15. “Given the complexity of Gaza’s densely populated civilian areas, and Hamas’s shameful record of exploiting that reality by hiding military assets behind the innocent, Israeli authorities must continue taking the conscientious practice of giving advance warning of its attacks to reduce the risk of harm to the innocent,” said Menendez. “I also believe there must be a full accounting of actions that have led to civilian deaths and destruction of media outlets.” NJ.com
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled out the prospect of an immediate cease-fire with the Palestinians in the deadly flare-up of Middle Eastern violence, defying growing international demands for de-escalation and concerted mediation efforts by regional and world powers. Netanyahu said May 16 that the Israel Defense Forces are seeking to degrade Hamas and its missile capabilities, and that operations wouldn’t be called off until that had been accomplished. The Wall Street Journal
New Jersey recently enacted a law to help families of New Jersey State Police troopers who died of illness following rescue, recovery, and cleanup efforts at the World Trade Center after the terrorists attacks on Sept. 11. The legislation would allow families of 9/11 responders in the ranks of the State Police to collect benefits through the State Police Retirement System provided they died of health impairments or qualifying illnesses connected to recovery efforts. In a separate matter, North Jersey lawmakers introduced legislation that would cut through the “state secrets privilege” to find justice for 9/11 victims and their families. North-JerseyNews.com
State Sen. Nicholas Scutari, chairman of the State Senate Judiciary Committee, said the process for the New Jersey Supreme Court nomination of Rachel Wainer Apter could go past September. Scutari did say that while Wainer Apter “has a high likelihood” of making it to the state’s top court, the “process has just begun. The nomination has been made. It’s now public. The vetting process is at the very beginning.” New Jersey Globe
Former Elmwood Park Mayor Frank Caramagna says he will not run for office again, now that his criminal record has been expunged and he is eligible to do so. Caramagna resigned in April 2019 after he was charged with interfering in the 2017 election by improperly filling in other registered voters’ mail-in ballot applications and certifications. The Record
Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis is reportedly considering replacing two council members with whom he won two elections with. Davis, who denied the rumor when asked, is believed to be looking to push out City Council President Sharon Nadrowski and Councilman Sal Gullace by running new candidates for their seats next year. Both Nadrowski, who was elected to an at-large seat, and Gullace, who represents the Second Ward, said they still plan to run, even if they won’t have the backing of the Hudson County Democratic Organization. The Jersey Journal
OPINION: North-JerseyNews.Com is endorsing Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce and DeAnne Defuccio for GOP Assembly Primary. The two GOP races are part of a disturbing trend we see in this cycle where women, who are already underrepresented in New Jersey state government, are being pushed aside by party insiders for no good reasons. We can not stress enough that there is no questioning of party credentials or ethical questions facing DeCroce and DeFuccio. We urge GOP primary voters in the 26th and 39th legislative districts to respectively cast their votes for BettyLou DeCroce and DeAnne C. DeFuccio to return to the Assembly. North-JerseyNews.com
New Jersey’s public worker pension shortfall continued to grow last year, adding nearly $3 billion in unfunded liabilities to one of the worst-funded systems in the country. As of July 1, 2020, the seven pension funds that make up the pension system had enough assets to cover just 58% of what they owe to active and retired state and local government workers, according to new Treasury Department reports. NJ.com
The Pascack Valley Regional School District decided against ending the hybrid model, meaning students will not be reunited for their final weeks. The students will remain in separate cohorts, except for vaccinated seniors, who will have the option of attending school in person five days a week. The decision was made to protect traditions such as senior prom and graduation. The Record
And finally…The New York Knicks will face the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The Daily Record
