President Joe Biden came to New Jersey to sell his party’s commitment to infrastructure as Democrats attempt to put the finishing touches on a reconciliation budget before two key governor elections next week. To highlight the importance of passing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and the Build Back Better Act for North Jersey, the President joined Gov. Phil Murphy and a host of North Jersey lawmakers for the Gateway Project’s Portal North Bridge groundbreaking ceremony. “We are going to make sure projects like this are just the beginning,” said Biden during his speech in Kearny. “We haven’t passed an infrastructure bill in a decade. We need to get this done.” North-JerseyNews.com
The Biden Administration is now bracing for high inflation to persist into next year, with Americans continuing to see faster—and sustained—increases in prices for food, gasoline and other consumer goods. Administration officials are promoting the President’s spending bills as reducing costs that American families face, citing provisions to cap childcare costs and expand subsidies for higher education, among other plans. Additionally, they have mobilized staff to scour options for unclogging supply chains, bringing more people back into the workforce, and reducing food and gasoline costs by promoting more competition in the economy via executive actions. The New York Times
Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency for New Jersey as a nor’easter slammed the state with severe thunderstorms and damaging winds that could deliver up to 6 inches of rain between Monday night and Tuesday afternoon. “The anticipated Nor’easter storm is forecasted to bring significant flash flooding, coastal flooding, and wind gusts across New Jersey,” Murphy said in a statement. “Residents should stay off the roads, remain vigilant, and follow all safety protocols.” The weather led some schools to cancel classes or offer delay openings. The Daily Record
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The total spending in this year’s gubernatorial election has reached $45.9 million since the June primary– a huge increase from the $28 million total reported three weeks ago – and $76.0 million overall, according to the most recent report released by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission. Of that nearly $46 million in spending, Gov. Phil Murphy has spent $12.6 million, while GOP challenger Jack Ciattarelli has spent $12.5 million. In addition to outraising Ciattarelli, Murphy has been the beneficiary of significantly more spending from outside groups. Of the $20.9 million in total independent expenditures, $18.2 million, or 87%, has been spent in support of Murphy. NJ Spotlight News
Nearly 34,000 New Jerseyans became the first to vote in-person using the state’s new early voting law during the first two days. A total of 19,426 votes were cast on Saturday and 14,651 on Sunday. The 33,843 votes cast make up about 1.5% of the total number of votes cast in the 2017 general election. New Jersey Globe
The Sussex County Board of Commissioners could be forced by voters into a legal battle with the state over information on COVID-19 deaths in the state’s long-term care centers. The lone county referendum on the ballot in Sussex this year would require the commissioners to “consider every legal action necessary” to force the disclosure of public documents and information related to COVID-19 deaths in Sussex long-term care facilities. The state has yet to respond to the county’s filing of a public records request in March 2020 for a series of documents regarding deaths at the Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center II. New Jersey Monitor
All Rutgers University employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 8 or face disciplinary actions that could include termination. Employees who want to request a waiver based on medical or religious reasons have until Nov. 8 to do so. An alternative testing option is not available for those who do not get vaccinated. The university said that it is taking this step in order to comply with an executive order signed by President Joe Biden on Sept. 9, mandating vaccinations for federal contractors. New Jersey Herald
A New Jersey commission will vote on Oct. 26 to require state lawmakers, legislative staffers, reporters, and members of the public to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or test negative for the virus to enter the Statehouse in Trenton. The measure reportedly has enough support to pass despite opposition from Republicans, as GOP members of the State Senate sent a letter to the Democrats who lead the state Legislature calling for them to stop the plan, saying it would “severely limit access” to the Statehouse and “the legislative process.” NJ.com
The New Jersey Department of Health directed its partners to begin administering booster doses of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines immediately to those who are eligible after the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommendations Oct. 22 in order to further protect all New Jerseyans who have completed an initial vaccine series. Individuals who received a Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, the following groups are eligible for a booster shot at six months or more after their initial series: 65 years and older; age 18+ who live in long-term care settings; age 18+ who have underlying medical conditions; and age 18+ who work or live in high-risk settings “This virus searches out vulnerable, elderly individuals, specifically those with underlying conditions,” said Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli. “To boost protection, we have been encouraging those eligible (to get a booster shot).” North-JerseyNews.com
Experts advising the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are scheduled to meet Oct. 26 to consider endorsing the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer for use in young children. The FDA last week said the results from the companies’ late-stage study met the criteria for immune responses in children 5 to 11 years, confirming data from the companies showing that the shot was found to be safe and 90.7% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in a study of the youngsters. Their positive recommendation would likely soon lead to an expansion of the U.S. vaccination campaign to millions of young children. The Wall Street Journal
Rep. Tom Malinowski introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen U.S. supply chains and prioritize American manufacturing of critical goods. The bill would create the Supply Chain Resiliency and Crisis Response Office within the Department of Commerce and give $45 billion to make grants and loans available to support expansion efforts for domestic manufacturing of critical goods and services, industrial equipment, and manufacturing technology. “We’ve learned many hard lessons during the pandemic—among them, we should never be dependent on strategic adversaries like China for the goods we need to keep America safe and secure,” said Malinowski. North-JerseyNews.com
A prominent developer in Bayonne appears to be the likely purchaser of Marist High School now that the city has ended negotiations for the uptown property. The city government both exited an agreement with the Marist Brothers and authorized its transfer to developer Peninsula Court, LLC after the Board of Education determined it could not afford to build a school on the property. The developer agreed to pay the city $100,000, the value of the city’s down payment on the property, as well as the equivalent of professional fees the city spent while pursuing the property. The Jersey Journal
Ridgefield suspended a teacher accused of telling an Arab American and Muslim student “we don’t negotiate with terrorists” in response to a request for a homework extension. The incident reportedly occurred Oct. 20 at Ridgefield Memorial High School, where the senior student had asked for more time on his homework in math class when the teacher made the statement. The entire class, including another teacher, saw the incident. The student said the teacher later approached him, saying, “I didn’t mean it like that.” The Record
And finally…Trenton was named as one of the best places to retire in the U.S. NJ1015.com
