President Joe Biden stood by his comment that Vladimir V. Putin should not remain president of Russia, but he said it was an expression of his own horror over the invasion of Ukraine and not a change in American policy aimed at seeking to remove Putin from office. “The last thing I want to do is engage in a land war or a nuclear war with Russia. That’s not part of it,” Biden said. “I was expressing my outrage at the behavior of this man. It’s outrageous. It’s outrageous. It’s more an aspiration than anything. He shouldn’t be in power.” The New York Times
Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich and Ukrainian peace negotiators reportedly suffered symptoms of suspected poisoning after a meeting in Kyiv earlier this month. Abramovich, Ukrainian lawmaker Rustem Umerov and another negotiator developed symptoms following the March 3 meeting in Kyiv that included red eyes, constant and painful tearing, and peeling skin on their faces and hands. Abramovich, was blinded for a few hours and later had trouble eating, has shuttled between Moscow, Belarus and other negotiating venues since Russia invaded Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal
Diplomats from Ukraine and Russia are meeting in Turkey for their first face-to-face talks in more than two weeks, an effort that comes as a Ukrainian counteroffensive pushed back Russian forces. The talks are being held at a critical moment, with Ukrainian and Western intelligence officials cautioning that despite Ukrainian success in driving Russian troops from the Kyiv suburb of Irpin, Moscow’s forces continue to try to cut off eastern Ukraine and are exacerbating a humanitarian disaster with attacks against critical infrastructure across the country. News12 New Jersey
President Joe Biden’s $5.8 trillion spending plan for the 12 months beginning Oct. 1 would increase funding for Amtrak, restore the expanded Child Tax Credit, and spend more than $1 billion cleaning up contaminated Superfund sites. The budget provides $100 million as the first installment of the federal share for the long-sought Gateway Tunnel under the Hudson River. The funds will come from the Capital Improvement Grants program, which includes $339.5 million for the new Portal Bridge. NJ.com
The Hackensack River was recently one of five projects added to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA in its release March 17 noted the Hackensack River has been a center of industrial activities for more than 200 years. As a result, decades of sewage and industrial discharges into the river, prior studies and investigations show that the river contains sediments contaminated with arsenic, lead, and other chemicals. “The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed by our Democratic Congress delivers once again,” said Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. “I commend EPA Administrator Regan…and the entire Biden Administration for their focus on environmental issues and their accessibility on local issues like this. Together we will restore the Lower Hackensack River to its former glory.” North-JerseyNews.com
Two more Hudson County municipalities have joined calls opposing plans for a power plant in Newark. Secaucus and West New York are backing a plan for renewable energy sources to be utilized instead of the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission (PVSC) proposal to construct a gas-fired power plant in the Ironbound neighborhood. Hudson Reporter
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey is creating a special division to enforce federal civil rights laws throughout the state. The new division, which will bring together members of the existing civil rights unit and federal prosecutors from the office’s criminal division, will be able to better coordinate how to protect and advance civil rights. U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said he doubled the number of civil and criminal attorneys who will work the cases—now, six assistant U.S. attorneys will shoulder the load instead of three. The Daily Record
Republicans in Trenton want a new way to ensure residents are being heard when they search for answers to their problems: a Consumer Czar. State Sen. Anthony Bucco (R-25), along with Jon Bramnick (R-21), would create the position in a new bill to know if New Jerseyans can get anyone to pick up the phone when they call government agencies for help. Bucco noted the frustration of Garden State residents when dealing with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission and Department of Labor over the last two years as to why the czar is needed. “As legislators, we want trustworthy data that accurately quantifies the extent of the problem and measures the success of various reforms. This legislation will finally provide that source,” said Bucco. North-JerseyNews.com
The New Jersey Division on Civil Rights has sent cease-and-desist letters to seven landlords or housing managers over rental ads that appear to violate the Fair Chance in Housing Act that makes it illegal to discriminate against a potential renter based on a criminal record. The properties are in East Orange in Essex County, Jersey City and West New York in Hudson County, Lafayette in Sussex County, Phillipsburg in Warren County, South Amboy in Middlesex County and South Bound Brook in Somerset County. A review of ads on such online housing platforms as Zillow, Trulia and HotPads by state investigators turned up language that would appear to violate the law, which prohibits even inquiring about a potential tenant’s criminal history on initial housing applications. NJ Spotlight News
New Jersey is going to partner with the Federal Communications Commission to investigate illegal robocalls. More than 20 states have formal working relationships with the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau to support robocall investigations and protect American consumers and businesses, said Acting Attorney General Matthew Platkin. The state says joint investigations can provide critical resources and prevent duplicative efforts as both federal and state investigators seek records, talk to witnesses, interview targets, examine consumer complaints to build a case. NJ1015.com
A federal judge ruled former President Donald J. Trump most likely had committed felonies in his bid to overturn the 2020 Presidential election results, including obstructing the work of Congress and conspiring to defraud the United States. “The illegality of the plan was obvious,” wrote Judge David O. Carter of the Central District of California about the actions of Trump and his lawyer John Eastman. “Our nation was founded on the peaceful transition of power, epitomized by George Washington laying down his sword to make way for democratic elections. Ignoring this history, President Trump vigorously campaigned for the vice president to single-handedly determine the results of the 2020 election.” The Wall Street Journal
Poll workers in New Jersey are getting a pay raise. Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation March 25 to increase the compensation of election workers to $300 per day from $200 and appropriated $7.0 million to the Department of State to cover the increased cost. “Given the hardships that County Boards of Elections face in recruiting poll workers, my bill serves as aid to staffing the countless polling places around New Jersey for elections of all sizes and scopes,” said Assemblyman Kevin Rooney (R-40), a primary sponsor of the bipartisan legislation. “These election workers sometimes work upwards of 14 hour days and should be paid a fair wage to entice them to step up to this civic duty.” North-JerseyNews.com
Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin wants election officials to let the public know how many ballots they’ve yet to count on election night. A bill introduced last week would require county election boards to coordinate with county clerks to post online the number of ballots received, along with the number they’ve counted and the number they’ve yet to tally. The speaker’s bill would require the number of uncounted ballots to go up when polls close and be updated in real time as counts continue. The figures would be split by ballot type, meaning uncounted mail-in ballots would be shown separately from uncounted provisional, early, and machine votes. New Jersey Monitor
A Republican congressional candidate in New Jersey’s 3rd district, who plead guilty to vehicular homicide nearly fifteen years ago, was arrested on DUI charges March 27 after refusing to take a breathalyzer test. A lawyer for Ian A. Smith, the owner of the Atlis Gym and an outspoken critic of Gov. Phil Murphy, said Smith refused the breathalyzer test out of fear the police officer arresting him might be trying to set him up. A campaign spokesman explained Smith’s truck swerved in high winds and that he passed a field sobriety test. New Jersey Globe
Paterson school superintendent Eileen Shafer received a one-year contract extension that will keep her annual salary at $267,000. The contract will require Shafer to submit an “irrevocable” retirement notice that would take effect June 30, 2023. The board also voted to start the search for Shafer’s successor, something it twice rejected in 2021. The Record
Bayonne will unveil a new “20th anniversary” memorial to the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorists attacks in front of City Hall next month. The monument will include a chunk of steel from one of the World Trade Center towers that were destroyed in the 2001 attacks that left nearly 3,000 people dead. The unveiling ceremony will be held on April 6 at 11 a.m. in front of City Hall. The Jersey Journal
And finally…USA sled hockey gold medalist Jack Wallace returns to Franklin Lakes. The Record
