OPINION: Vote Like It Matters—Because it Does. Cast your vote as you see fit this week. We hope you vote for Republican and Democratic moderates and centrists to reverse the trend of the radical wings of each party gaining influence. You can have your apple pie, your fireworks, your favorite song extolling how great America is—but we believe the best way to celebrate the greatness of the United States is to make sure your vote is counted this November. North-JerseyNews.com
The Food and Drug Administration on Oct. 29 authorized the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 -11. The agency noted that the vaccine—given to the cohort as two shots, each one-third the size of each adult shot—provoked an immune response comparable to that seen in young adults. FDA added that “no serious side effects” had been observed in Pfizer’s ongoing clinical trial in younger children. PoliticoNJ
A federal appeals court will allow two COVID-19 lawsuits against the operators of Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation I and II to proceed in state court. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision rejected arguments made by the Sussex County facilities’ attorneys who argued the suits belonged in a federal court, citing they were protected under an emergency law that shields them from legal action. The ruling, issued on Oct. 20, is believed to be the first time a federal court has addressed which court should handle such lawsuits and if nursing homes are covered by the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act. The complaints allege at least 50 or more patients at Subacute I and II died from the virus due to the providers’ negligent acts. New Jersey Herald
New Jersey on Oct. 31 reported another 1,008 COVID-19 cases and one death as another county had its level of community transmission downgraded. The statewide positivity rate for tests conducted Oct. 2 was 2.95%—the lowest it’s been since July 19. Eleven of New Jersey’s 21 counties are listed as having “high” rates of coronavirus transmission, while nine are listed with “substantial” transmission. Hunterdon County had its transmission level downgraded from “high” to “substantial” on Sunday. In Union County, where “moderate” transmission has been reported, the recommendation is indoor masking for only those who are not vaccinated. NJ.com
The global death toll from COVID-19 topped 5 million on Nov. 1 in less than two years. Together, the United States, the European Union, Britain and Brazil account for one-eighth of the world’s population but nearly half of all reported deaths. The U.S. alone has recorded over 740,000 lives lost, more than any other nation. News12 New Jersey
North Jersey lawmakers in both parties will be in key State Senate leadership positions when the gavel is brought down for the two year term starting in 2022. Senate President Steve Sweeney confirmed that Essex County’s M. Teresa Ruiz (D-29) will become the Senate Majority Leader, replacing the retiring State Sen. Loretta Weinberg. And according to published reports, State Sen. Steve Oroho (R-24) has the votes to become the minority leader of the State Senate next year. North-JerseyNews.com
Assemblyman Nicholas Chiaravalloti (D-31) plans to remain involved in politics but does not see running for public office any time soon. “I’ve been involved in this since I was 14, so to say I wouldn’t be involved would be crazy,” said Chiaravalloti, who decided to not run for Assembly after losing the backing of Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis. “I enjoy it, don’t get me wrong, but if I could effectuate change by serving on committees and providing guidance and counseling people, I’d much rather do that.” The Jersey Journal
Incumbent Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy holds a lead over Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli in a 50% to 41% split, according to a Stockton University Poll. The figures reaffirm a September Stockton poll when Murphy also held a 9% lead over Ciattarelli. “When you consider that this poll was taken after the gubernatorial debates were done, it appears that voters’ feelings are fairly baked in at this point,” said John Froonjian, Hughes Center executive director. “The polling spread between the candidates is very consistent.” North-JerseyNews.com
Gov. Phil Murphy has a nine point lead over Republican Jack Ciattarelli, 53%-44%, according to a Fairleigh Dickinson University poll released on Oct. 29. According to the poll, independent voters have swung toward Murphy in the last week. Nearly one-quarter of independents (24%) said they were voting for Murphy in Oct. 25’s sample, but by Oct. 28, 54% indicated support for the governor’s second term. Despite the trend, Ciattarelli leads 56%-39% among independents. New Jersey Globe
State Sen. Holly Schepisi (R-39) called on the Murphy Administration to end a practice of teachers recording and logging health information for students. Schepisi called for an investigation regarding the partnership of Made to Save with the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers to train classroom teachers on conversations regarding COVID-19 vaccines. “It’s a gross invasion of privacy that Governor Murphy and the New Jersey Department of Education should prohibit immediately,” said Schepisi. North-JerseyNews.com
New Jersey Republicans are increasingly seeing an opportunity to make political gains on educational issues, targeting their message to parents disgruntled with mask and/or vaccine mandates as well as to those that object to the state’s new inclusion and equity curricula requirements. The GOP sees outspoken candidates for Board of Education positions and increasingly energized school board races as a way to bolster its base’s turnout for gubernatorial challenger Jack Ciattarelli, who has declared the decision on if “a child wears a mask should be decided by parents, not government.” The Daily Record
One of the more hotly contested local races in North Jersey is for Bergen County Clerk. Incumbent Democrat John Hogan is seeking re-election to his third five-year term, a role that includes recording, filing and maintaining many public records, as well as assisting with administering elections. His opponent is Republican Bridget Anne Kelly, a one-time aide to former Republican Gov. Chris Christie who became entangled in the Bridgegate scandal eight years ago. North-JerseyNews.com
About 30 towns have put public questions on their local ballots, relying on voters to help decide public policy fights or approve expenditures that have the potential to impact everyone. Among the referendums North Jersey voters will decide on are include approving a $1.8 million bond replacing the grass at DeHart Park with artificial turf in Maplewood, whether to change the way school board members are selected in Montclair, and should Tenafly keep municipal elections in May or move them to November. New Jersey Monitor
New Jersey will provide expanded Medicaid coverage for women for 365 days after childbirth. It is the second state in the nation, after Illinois, to receive federal approval to offer the extended coverage. Until now, postpartum Medicaid coverage has lasted 60 days. Nearly 9,000 New Jersey women are expected to benefit from the added coverage. NJ.com
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on Nov. 1 in challenges to a Texas law that has sharply curtailed abortions in the state. The question for the justices is whether abortion providers and the Biden administration are entitled to challenge the law in federal court. Officials in Texas say the novel structure of the The Texas Heartbeat Act, known as Senate Bill 8, forbids such challenges. The New York Times
New Jersey food banks are facing increased prices and difficulty sourcing and transporting food, another ripple effect of the global supply chain logjam. “There’s been a huge demand in need since the pandemic, riddled from day one with supply chain issues,” said Carlos Rodriguez, president and CEO of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, which provides food to local pantries in 15 counties. “The shortages that supermarkets are dealing with translated into less donations to us and increased costs.” The Record
Supermarket chains are revamping their operations to navigate persistent product shortages, expanding storage space and curbing discounts to make sure they don’t run out. Companies are planning for shortages of popular brands of food and staples to continue for months and managers are trying to keep up as different products run short from week to week, industry executives said. While food supplies overall remain plentiful, Nutella spread, Prego pasta sauces and Pringles chips are among many items that have been tough to secure in recent weeks. Lunchables snacks and Capri Sun drinks have been hit-or-miss for months. The Wall Street Journal
State treasury officials took a first step toward paying down some of New Jersey’s long-term debt Oct. 29. While the actual defeasance of perhaps 5% or more of the state’s more than $44 billion in bonded debt will be a complicated series of transactions that is expected to be completed by the end of December, the first approval in that process took place when state Treasury Department officials authorized the state to defease some general obligation bonds. NJ1015.com
And finally…Big SNOW, the indoor ski resort at American Dream, will not open again until 2022 after a fire closed it in September. The Record
