State Sen. Joe Pennacchio (R-26) is again pushing for a more comprehensive investigation and legislative oversight hearing after a report that Murphy Administration has entered into a multi-million dollar settlement with families who lost loved ones at state-run veterans homes during the coronavirus pandemic. “A handful of the mourning families may be satisfied with a monetary settlement, but there are thousands more who would rather have answers,” said Pennacchio in a press statement. The Morris County lawmaker’s call comes as the state of New Jersey has reportedly agreed to pay nearly $53 million to the families of 119 residents of state-run veterans homes whose deaths were attributed to the coronavirus in the early days of the pandemic. North-JerseyNews.com
Federal health officials shortened by half the recommended isolation period for many infected Americans, hoping to minimize rising disruptions to the economy and everyday life. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had previously recommended that infected patients isolate for 10 days from when they were tested for the virus. But on Dec. 27, it slashed that period to five days for those without symptoms, or those without fevers whose other symptoms were resolving. Americans leaving isolation should wear masks around others for an additional five days after their isolation periods have ended. The New York Times
A Winter surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the Omicron variant is prompting economists to downgrade U.S. and global growth expectations in the early part of 2022 as businesses struggle with absenteeism and consumers stay home to avoid getting sick. A sharp rise in cases has already disrupted parts of the economy as airlines canceled thousands of flights over the Christmas holiday weekend and into Monday, in part due to COVID-19-driven staff shortages. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, downgraded his first-quarter U.S. gross domestic product forecast to 2.2% growth from 5.2% as he “can see the economic damage mounting going into the first quarter,” pointing to softer spending on travel and cancellations of sporting events and Broadway shows due to the disruptive COVID-19 outbreak. The Wall Street Journal
Hoboken will establish an indoor face mask requirement starting Dec. 29. The executive order signed by the city’s office of emergency management will go into effect on Wednesday at 6 a.m. and will require all residents and visitors over the age of 2 to wear a mask or face-covering while inside any public building or commercial establishment, except when actively eating or drinking. It will be lifted when the positivity rate for the state reaches five percent for a one-week average or when the daily positive cases in the city fall below the weekly average as compared to the first week of November 2021 prior the surge of the omicron variant, whichever is first. News12 New Jersey
President Joe Biden told the nation’s governors in a virtual meeting Dec. 27 that the federal government was prepared to help them cope with rising coronavirus cases due to the omicron variant. “If you need something, say something,” President Biden said on the conference call with the National Governors Association that included Gov. Phil Murphy. “We’re going to have your back.” Additionally, Biden acknowledged that “seeing how tough it was for some folks to get a test this weekend shows that we have more work to do.” NJ.com
New Jersey’s eviction moratorium is set to expire with the start of the new year, ending protections for roughly 350,000 middle and low-income households that have been in place since March 2020. Though a broader ban that barred removals for all New Jerseyans regardless of income level expired in August, a bill Murphy signed early that month kept protections for renters making 80% or less of their area’s median income. Those protections will sunset Dec. 31. New Jersey Monitor
A tweet sent out by Rep. Tom Malinowski after the new congressional maps were approved sent off speculation that the lawmaker may not run for a third term in an election national Republicans have eyed as a chance to flip the House of Representatives. “The NJ redistricting gods haven’t made it easy for us!,” was the message sent out by Malinowski’s campaign Twitter account. “I’m also incredibly moved by the messages of support we’re getting from so many folks in my current and new district. We will make our judgments with the people who got me here in mind and in the loop.” North-JerseyNews.com
Wayne Councilman Joseph Schweighardt is stepping down after three and a half decades of public service. The 87-year-old resident of the 6th Ward was praised for being an “independent thinker” and for having an uncanny ability to dissect complex issues with a “surgical approach.” Schweighardt, a retired radio-broadcasting executive, has been on the council since 2002. The Record
State lawmakers passed legislation Dec. 20 that would codify into New Jersey law the right for same-sex couples to marry. Currently, same-sex marriage in New Jersey is protected by the 2013 State Supreme Court decision in Garden State Equality v. Dow and the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Obergefell et al. v. Hodges. But State Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D-37), a sponsor of the bill, expressed concern that if state lawmakers did not codify the right to marriage for same-sex couples, the shifting balance of the U.S. Supreme Court could endanger the right to marry. “Devoted same-sex couples all across New Jersey are raising families as contributing members of their communities,” Weinberg said. “We don’t want to see those rights lost to an arch-conservative agenda of recent Supreme Court appointees.” North-JerseyNews.com
Social studies classes in New Jersey public schools will be required to include Asian-American history after bills passed both the Assembly and State Senate. At over 1 million people, the Asian population is New Jersey’s fastest growing, up 44% in the last decade. Assemblyman Raj Mukherji (D-33) said hate incidents were up 80% to 90% between 2019 and 2020 and there have been suicides among students of Asian descent but that the bill could help prevent more. “If it could lead to improved tolerance and acceptance of the AAPI community in the wake of what’s gone on during the pandemic, this bill could actually save lives,” Mukherji said. The bills await Gov. Phil Murphy’s approval. NJ1015.com
Hoboken will launch a new citywide renewable energy program allowing residents to get more of their energy supply from green sources. The program will offer residents a baseline of 10% more electricity from renewable sources like wind or solar than the current state minimum levels, which is at roughly 23.5%. Additionally, residents can choose to have 100% of their electricity from renewable resources. Hudson Reporter
The amount of lead in the drinking water in parts of North Jersey homes and businesses has fallen to its lowest level in at least 30 years, according to water utility Suez. The utility, which serves about 870,000 residents in Bergen and Hudson counties, said that it has spent $95 million over the past three years digging up and removing almost 8,000 lead pipes and changed the way it treats water to make it less corrosive. Lab results show lead levels have fallen to 5.9 parts per billion, about a third of the allowable amount established by state and federal standards. The Record
And finally…Closter is selling a seized 2015 Maserati Quattroporte through an online auction with all proceeds going to the borough for road maintenance, community programs, public safety and events for residents. The Record
