A pair of New Jersey-based polls found New Jerseyans and Americans are in favor of the U.S. supporting Ukraine amidst the Russia invasion. The Monmouth University Poll found that the majority of Americans support a U.S. troop presence in Europe, but not in Ukraine itself. Meanwhile, the Rutgers-Eagleton Poll found three-quarters of New Jersey residents thought the U.S. should play at least a minor role in Ukraine, but support was split on sending additional troops to Eastern Europe. North-JerseyNews.com
Russia is stepping up their air and sea campaigns in an attempt to gain momentum, while Western nations are growing concerned about Moscow’s potential willingness to turn to deadly unconventional weapons. President Joe Biden is preparing to travel to a NATO summit this week in Brussels, where the Western allies are expected to discuss how they will respond if Russia employs chemical, biological, cyber or nuclear weapons. There is deep worry about how the Russian President Vladimir Putin might respond to further battlefield setbacks, including fears that he might use a lower-powered tactical nuclear weapon. The New York Times
While gas prices in New Jersey declined last week, they are expected to rise again soon. The price of oil surpassed the $100 mark on March 21 and production issues remain, from the ongoing war in Ukraine a primary driver of higher prices to a Yemen group aligned with Iran firing missiles and drones at Saudi Arabian refineries recently that curtailed oil production to the beginning of the seasonal switch from Winter to more expensive Summer blend gas. NJ.com
State Senate President Nicholas Scutari (D-22) said he currently isn’t in favor of allowing the option of self-service gasoline in the Garden State. “At this time, I do not support the self-serve proposal,” Scutari said. “The people of New Jersey are very clear in wanting to keep the system we have now, and there is no data supporting any contention that moving to a self-service model would save residents money at the pump. However, if the public sentiment changes or there is in fact data showing that it would dramatically reduce costs, I would reconsider,” New Jersey Monitor
A national poll from Monmouth University shows Americans are backing the historic nomination of President Joe Biden’s choice to the Supreme Court. Respondents to the poll approved the prospective appointment of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court by a more than 2 to 1 margin as well as President Biden’s fulfilling his promise to name a Black woman as his first SCOTUS nominee as more than two-thirds of the public feels it is important for the court to reflect the nation’s diversity. North-JerseyNews.com
Sen. Cory Booker called it “a day of joy” as he welcomed the first Black woman nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court. In his opening statement before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Booker noted the historic nature of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearing. “We’re going to see a new generation of children talking about their mamas and daring to write to the president of the United States of America that my mom should be on the Supreme Court,” Booker said. “Well, I want to tell your daughter right now that that dream of hers is so close to being a reality. Some tough days ahead, but I think it could happen.” NJ.com
Rep. Josh Gottheimer announced funds are now guaranteed for NJ Transit to move forward to rebuild the Roseville Tunnel in Andover. The money to support the proposed service expansion of the Lackawanna Cutoff and bring passenger rail to Northwestern New Jersey comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. With the guaranteed federal money to restore the tunnel, Andover and Sussex County can move forward with the associated project to buy land to rebuild and reroute a stream that flows under Roseville Road near the station. New Jersey Herald
New Jersey homeowners who file claims for flood after flood are getting some new help from the federal government to protect against future disasters. The Garden State was one of four states whose residents will be eligible for federal Federal Emergency Management Agency grants to make their homes more resilient to future flooding. New Jersey will receive $10 million under the Swift Current program that was part of President Joe Biden’s $1 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill that can be used for such expenditures as raising homes, moving them out of flood zones, or having the federal government buy and demolish the properties. News12 New Jersey
Sen. Bob Menendez visited Hoboken on March 21 to tout $250,000 in federal funds earmarked for electric vehicle charging stations in the city. The funding, which comes from the $1.5 trillion federal spending bill signed into law last week, will be used to install DC fast charging stations across the city to charge an electric vehicle from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. The installation of EV chargers is part of the city’s Climate Action Plan to go carbon neutral by 2050. Last year, the city activated five public charging stations, and is planning to add at least six more of them this year to have up to 22 across the city. Hudson Reporter
U.S. regulators proposed stringent requirements for publicly traded companies to report information on risks related to climate change and greenhouse-gas emissions in one of the Biden Administration’s potentially most significant environmental actions to date. The Securities and Exchange Commission formally offered a 534-page proposal March 21 that would require publicly traded companies to report greenhouse-gas emissions from their own operations as well as from the energy they consume, and to obtain independent certification of their estimates. The Wall Street Journal
The Assembly’s budget committee held the first public hearing on the proposed 2023 budget March 21. With tax revenues surging and the state spending is at record levels, advocates lobbied for more spending on environmental initiatives; the state’s child care system that remains strained amid the coronavirus pandemic, especially in lower-income communities; and reentry services to those leaving state prison. Additionally, lawmakers heard ways prior budget investments have paid off, including by supporting low-income college students through New Jersey’s educational opportunity fund. NJ Spotlight News
About a quarter of eligible adults were still not fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since last Summer, the U.S. inoculation campaign has sputtered, undermined by vaccine skepticism, partisan politics and misinformation. And warnings of another potential surge, fueled by the new Omicron subvariant, BA.2, may have little impact on vaccination rates. The New York Times
Two weeks into the lifting of the state’s school mask mandate, there is no indication it has led to a spike in COVID-19 cases in New Jersey. According to figures released by the New Jersey Department of Health on March 20, all 21 counties are listed as having a low community transmission rate. CDC data shows 39% of the new cases sequenced in New Jersey are BA.2. But while federal health officials have predicted this subvariant will drive a surge in COVID cases in the coming weeks, they are optimistic it will not lead to a sharp increase in hospitalizations. NJ1015.com
Lawmakers advanced a bill that would allow state police investigating missing persons and human trafficking cases to access—without consent—someone’s cellphone records, medical records, and other private information. Current law requires a crime to have been committed for investigators to access such records. The new legislation, sponsored by Sen. Linda Greenstein (D-14), would create “a rebuttable presumption of criminal activity” in high-risk cases so investigators in the New Jersey State Police’s missing persons and human trafficking unit could bypass that requirement. New Jersey Monitor
New Jersey is throwing its hat into the ring to be one of the first states to hold a presidential primary as the Democratic party is reviewing its calendar. In a letter to the Democratic National Committee, New Jersey Democratic Party Chairman Leroy Jones Jr. made the arguments that New Jersey should be one of the first primary states when it comes to deciding the party’s nominee. “New Jersey has everything that our party needs to fulfill this important role,” wrote Jones. “Our party cannot cling to outdated traditions that do not help us reach new voters and motivate the diverse coalition of supporters needed to win elections and enact our pro-middle class agenda.” North-JerseyNews.com
Joey Torres cannot run for mayor in Paterson’s upcoming election because his criminal conviction the last time he had the job banned him from holding public office, a judge ruled March 21. In his lawsuit, Torres attempted to force the city to allow him to run for mayor, asserting that the question of whether he could take office if he won should wait to be resolved until after the results of the election. “How is it in the best interest of the public to allow someone who cannot serve as mayor to run for mayor?” asked New Jersey Superior Court Judge Thomas Brogan in his ruling. The Record
Assemblyman Parker Space (R-24) announced that he will not seek reelection in 2023. Space said he is stepping away as commitment’s to his family business have increased in the past year. “I do intend to fully serve through my current legislative term,” said Space. “I owe it to the residents who have put their trust in me as their state legislative representative and I look forward to continuing to work for their interests in Trenton for the remainder of my time in the General Assembly.” InsiderNJ
Paramus Democrats selected MariaElena Bellinger as their candidate for mayor to replace three-term incumbent Richard LaBarbiera. Bellinger, seeking to become the first woman mayor of Paramus, will try to keep the mayoral post in the Democratic column against Republican Councilman Christopher DiPiazza. The GOP took a 5-1 majority on the borough council in 2021. LaBarbiera decided to not seek re-election this year. New Jersey Globe
And finally…Mike Francesa is coming back with a twice-a-week podcast. NJ.com
