OPINION: The Return of Joe Biden. Between the State of the Union and his leadership in bringing the world together against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, Joe Biden showed why he was elected President. We are not naive—we know there are big problems that America is facing, kitchen table issues that have us all worried. But that was why Biden was elected, because over 80 million Americans saw a man that believes in the greatness of America. After a year of growing into the job, it is good to see the Joe Biden voters elected return when the U.S. and the world needs him the most. North-JerseyNews.com
Russian and Ukrainian negotiators resumed talks on March 14, holding a virtual meeting as Ukrainian officials hinted at progress in negotiations. A priority of the meeting was efforts to provide assistance and facilitate the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of civilians from Mariupol and other cities facing Russian bombardment. Kyiv was hit by heavy artillery strikes on Monday morning, after days of heavy fighting in the suburbs. The New York Times
Russia has asked China for military equipment and other assistance for its war effort, according to U.S. officials. U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan, set to meet in Rome on March 14 with a top Chinese official on the Russian invasion, said “We are also watching closely to see the extent to which China actually does provide any form of support, material support or economic support, to Russia. It is a concern of ours, and we have communicated to Beijing that we will not stand by and allow any country to compensate Russia for its losses from the economic sanctions.” The Wall Street Journal
A 2017 declassified FBI report concludes that a California-based Saudi spy, Omar al Bayoumi, had a “50/50 chance” of advanced knowledge of the Sept. 11 attacks. Bayoumi was on the payroll of Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, the kingdom’s influential U.S. ambassador, and regularly passed intelligence findings to Bandar. But the report does not say whether Bayoumi told Bandar that he had met with two members of Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda terror network who had flown to California in late 2000 to begin preparations for the attacks. The Daily Record
Embattled Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo could be out of a job if Assemblyman Christopher DePhillips (R-40) gets his way. The Assemblyman introduced articles of impeachment against Asaro-Angelo, arguing that his incompetency has turned lawmakers’ offices into unemployment satellite offices. “Enough is enough and it’s time for a change. Our unemployed residents deserve undivided attention and unlimited in-person help so they can receive the payments they rightfully earned,” DePhillips said. “It is what the Labor Department is supposed to do and since it’s not happening, the commissioner must go.” North-JerseyNews.com
A federal judge in New Jersey has given Disability Rights New Jersey unfettered access to the Woodland Behavioral and Nursing Center as the nonprofit works to investigate alleged abuse and neglect of residents. The injunctive relief filing by Disability Rights New Jersey came after advocates, including the executive director, made several attempts to visit the Sussex County facility in late February and earlier this month. During an initial visit, advocates observed a resident being verbally abused by a staff member, who later yelled at the group as they were leaving that their presence was “upsetting people,” the complaint states. New Jersey Herald
Former President Barack Obama said on March 13 that he had tested positive for the coronavirus, though he’s feeling relatively healthy and his wife, Michelle, tested negative. “I’ve had a scratchy throat for a couple days, but am feeling fine otherwise,” Obama said on Twitter. “Michelle and I are grateful to be vaccinated and boosted.” The New York Times
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla says people will need a fourth COVID-19 shot as protection from the booster is effective, but doesn’t last. “It is necessary, a fourth boost for right now,” says Bourla. “The protection we are getting from the third, it is good enough, actually quite good for hospitalizations and deaths, is not that good against infections, but doesn’t last very long. But we are just submitting those data to the FDA and then we’ll see what the experts also would say outside Pfizer.” News12 New Jersey
Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. is asking profitable oil and gas companies to justify millions of dollars in executive compensation, stock buybacks and how they use U.S. tax law to benefit shareholders. Pascrell sent letters to the executives of 11 oil and gas companies with revenue of more than $1 billion on March 10 that stated “While it is bad enough American drivers are facing record high gas prices as Vladimir Putin conducts an illegal invasion of Ukraine, it is unpatriotic and unconscionable for any corporation to use the ongoing conflict as cover to gouge drivers even more.” The average price for a gallon of gas in New Jersey sits at $4.34, two cents above the national average. NJ.com
Sen. Cory Booker applauded the U.S. Senate’s passage of the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act, an issue he first launched at the federal level in 2018. “After 200 failed attempts and over a century’s worth of efforts, I am proud to say that Congress has finally passed legislation to criminalize lynching, a shameful instrument of terror used to intimidate and oppress Black Americans,” said Booker. Under the law, which heads to President Joe Biden’s desk, lynching would be recognized under the United States Code as a crime which warrants an enhanced sentence under existing federal hate crime statutes. North-JerseyNews.com
New Jersey will use the $641 million it will get from a nationwide settlement from the country’s opioid addiction crisis to fund drug treatment and prevention across the state. According to Gov. Phil Murphy, the money from Johnson & Johnson and three major distributors is expected to be divided evenly between the state and counties and municipalities and used to fund such items as public education campaign to warn about the dangers of fentanyl, more drug counselors into the streets, additional social workers in municipal courts and pay for anti-addiction medications in jails. NJ Spotlight News
Gov. Phil Murphy’s newly unveiled $48.9 billion spending blueprint for fiscal year 2023 proposes measures to discount property taxes and to provide a year-long fee “holiday” for New Jerseyans entering state parks and motorists renewing their drivers’ licenses. Under the fiscal responsibility heading, Murphy touted making a full payment to New Jersey’s public pensions for the second straight year, a proposal to put $1.3 billion into a fund for fiscal year 2022 to pay down debt and increase by $5 million funding for the Down Payment Assistance program, which helps first-time homebuyers purchase homes in New Jersey. North-JerseyNews.com
Federal agents raided the home of North Jersey political operative Sean Caddle three years ago, seeking records for more than 50 groups —super PACs, political parties, unions and corporations—which pumped millions in unregulated cash into elections throughout the state. A search warrant served in January 2019 also sought any records linking Caddle to two men who federal authorities say carried out a murder-for-hire plot set in motion by Caddle in 2014. The Daily Record
Morris County Commissioner Tayfun Selen defeated former Kinnelon Council President Larry Casha to win the Morris County Republican organization line for the 11th Congressional District on March 11. Selen beat Casha in the runoff election by 15 votes, 240 to 225, 51.6%-48.4% and makes him the clear front-runner to take on two-term Rep. Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey’s 11th district. Essex County Republicans are widely expected to award their line to the winner of the Morris convention. A third candidate, former Assistant Passaic County Prosecutor Paul DeGroot, said he will stay in the race through the June primary election having already secured the organization line in Passaic County. InsiderNJ
Tom Kean, Jr. won the Republican organization line in Morris County, prevailing in a runoff election by a vote of 88 to 42 over John Henry Isemann in his bid for the GOP nomination for Congress in New Jersey’s 7th district. Kean has now secured organization lines in Hunterdon, Union and Morris counties and the endorsement of the Warren County Republican in his bid for a rematch with Rep. Tom Malinowski. New Jersey Globe
Former Paterson Mayor Jose “Joey” Torres was charged March 11 with criminal contempt for launching a new mayoral campaign despite a 2017 criminal conviction that barred him from seeking public office again. “State law provides that any person convicted of a crime involving their public office will be forever barred from holding another public position in New Jersey,” said Acting Attorney General Matt Platkin announced the fourth-degree charge against Torres. “To promote public trust and integrity in government, we must ensure that this law and the court orders issued to implement it are rigorously enforced.” Torres attempted to submit 1,150 nominating petitions to the city’s clerk on March 4, but the clerk rejected them, citing his guilty plea. New Jersey Monitor
Hudson County Board of Commissioners Chair Anthony Vainieri officially launched his campaign for Chairman of the Hudson County Democratic Organization. A longtime party leader who was first elected to the then-Board of Chosen Freeholders in 2014, Vainieri has chaired the board for the past six years and promoted his record of keeping property taxes stable, improving county parks and services and managing the county’s successful COVID-19 vaccination program. Hudson Reporter
City education officials have postponed their public hearing about Paterson School Superintendent Eileen Shafer’s possible contract extension until March 16. The contract that has been kept confidential represents the latest twist in a three-month stretch for the school district that began in December 2021, when Shafer announced her retirement and the board seemed ready to replace her. But the board never launched a search for a successor for Shafer and the district now is preparing to extend her contract for at least another year. The Record
And finally…Rutgers, Seton Hall and St. Peter’s men’s basketball teams are playing in this year’s NCAA Tournament. NJ1015.com
