OPINION: You Can Help Ukraine Refugees. We recently had the privilege of talking to two North Jersey residents who had separately visited Poland and saw the Ukrainian refugee crisis first-hand. It wasn’t the stories and experiences that stayed with us in regards to what they saw—it was their body language that really told the anguish of wanting to do more for those displaced from their homes due to the invasion directed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Let’s continue to see the best in humanity and help those forced from their homes with nothing but what they could fit in a suitcase or a duffel bag. North-JerseyNews.com
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Western leaders to take tougher steps to ensure that the killings blamed on retreating Russian forces were the “last manifestation of such evil on earth.” The photos of civilians, who Ukrainian officials said had been executed, prompted some European leaders to demand further sanctions as they allege Russia had committed war crimes. The outrage in Washington and in some European capitals was met with broad denials from the Kremlin, and allegations that the West had fabricated evidence of atrocities. Zelensky, in a speech released late Sunday that was laced with condemnation and anguish, directly urged the Russian people not to look away from the atrocities their army was accused of. The New York Times
The decision by President Joe Biden to release petroleum from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve was endorsed by Rep. Mikie Sherrill. Sherrill explained the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is stored for exactly this sort of crisis as President Biden announced his plan to release one million barrels of oil a day for 180 days. “Earlier this year, I called on the Administration to use the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to release more oil into the market for American refineries, reduce the price of gasoline for consumers, and diminish (Russian President) Vladimir Putin’s corrosive influence on global energy markets,” said Sherrill. “By releasing a million barrels every day, we will increase our domestic oil supply and lower the price New Jerseyans pay at the pump.” North-JerseyNews.com
North Jersey House lawmakers were part of the majority that passed the Affordable Insulin Now Act to lower the price of insulin to $35 for Medicare beneficiaries and holders of private insurance. This is the second time the House has voted in the 117th Congress to cap the price of insulin—on Nov. 19, 2021, the Build Back Better Act passed by the House that included this insulin reform. “For the nearly 10% of adults across the Fifth District who have diabetes, this critical bipartisan bill (will save) North Jersey residents thousands of dollars every year,” said Gottheimer. “Those dollars saved will go directly back into the pockets of middle-class families, helping make life more affordable.” North-JerseyNews.com
Recent studies suggest that 30% to 40% of all coronavirus deaths in the United States have occurred among people with diabetes. Diabetes patients hospitalized with COVID spend more time in the I.C.U., are more likely to be intubated and 20% of hospitalized coronavirus patients with diabetes died within a month of admission. People with diabetes are especially vulnerable because diabetes impairs the immune system and those with the disease often struggle with high blood pressure, obesity and other underlying medical conditions that can seriously worsen a coronavirus infection. The New York Times
Students at South Brunswick High School will once again be required to wear masks in school and on the bus through this week. The news comes following an outbreak that resulted in 150 students either testing positive for COVID-19, or are dealing with symptoms. The outbreak is contained to the high school and has been traced to a district event. News12 New Jersey
Over 20,000 Hudson residents left the county during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Hudson County saw the largest population loss statewide from April 2020 to July 2021—more than 3% of county residents. Essex County saw the second-largest population change, with about 7,000 residents leaving. Analysts found many people leaving Hudson County are older millennials in their 30s that are starting to raise families. The Jersey Journal
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the government will terminate a Trump-era policy May 23 that prevented migrants from claiming asylum during a health crisis, including the coronavirus pandemic. The order, known as Title 42, was enacted by the Trump administration in March 2020 as a way to prevent migrants from seeking asylum in the United States as well as expelling migrants to their home countries. “There is no longer a serious danger that the entry of covered citizens, as defined by the August order, into the United States will result in the introduction, transmission, and spread of COVID-19,” according to the notice. New Jersey Monitor
Republicans heading into the heart of the midterm primary season have disagreements over Donald Trump’s future in the party but are largely united behind his populist domestic agenda in fighting to win back control of Congress. GOP lawmakers and candidates are grappling with how much wiggle room they have in their relationship due to Trump’s politically polarizing persona. At the same time, most are embracing his record on such issues as immigration and energy policy, as they draw a contrast with President Joe Biden and his fellow Democrats, who control the House and Senate. The Wall Street Journal
Rep. Mikie Sherrill officially launched her re-election campaign April 2 with a rally at her Bloomfield Avenue campaign headquarters in West Caldwell. “In 2017 when I started to run and in 2018 when we were all coalescing around what we needed to do to flip this seat, we brought the nation along with us,” said the two-term congresswoman from CD-11. “So when I hear people say, ‘I don’t know if we’re on the right track,’ or worry about how we’re going to keep the House, I know exactly where to point them. The path to keeping the House that, quite frankly, starts in the 11th District of New Jersey.” InsiderNJ
Roger Bacon, a self-styled Trump Democrat and 73-year-old perennial candidate from Phillipsburg, will challenge Rep. Tom Malinowski in the Democratic primary. Bacon filed with 333 signatures, 133 more than he needs to qualify for the ballot. His slogan: “Putting America and American’s Rights First!” Malinowski, a three-term incumbent, faces a primary challenge from Brandon Wienberg, a 26-year-old Neshanic Station resident. Wienberg has filed with the Federal Election Commission but has not yet submitted his nominating petitions. New Jersey Globe
Hate crimes and reports of bias-motivated incidents rose for the third straight year amid the global pandemic and periods of racial unrest in New Jersey, data released by the New Jersey State Police and Division on Civil Rights shows. The Garden State saw 1,871 reported bias incidents in 2021, according to preliminary data made public on April 1. That’s a 29% increase from 2020, which saw 1,447. Anti-Black bias remained the number-one motivating factor in reported incidents in both 2020 and 2021, with anti-Jewish bias being the second-largest contributor. New Jersey’s LGBTQ+ community, particularly transgender New Jerseyans, experienced a significant increase in bias incidents over that same period. And Anti-Asian incidents, while representing 6% of the incidents overall in 2021, rose sharply to 129 in 2021 from 69 in 2020. The Daily Record
Gov. Phil Murphy is calling on Clark Township Mayor Sal Bonaccorso to resign after secret recordings caught racist and sexist remarks on tape were made public. In a whistleblower lawsuit, Lt. Antonio Manata claimed to have recorded Bonaccorso, the Clark police chief, and an internal affairs supervisor using a myriad of racial slurs, comments, and misogynistic remarks. “Governor Murphy is deeply disturbed by these allegations, both regarding the hateful language and subsequent misappropriation of municipal resources aimed at a misguided attempt to obscure the truth,” spokeswoman Alyana Post said. ”There is no place in government or law enforcement for these unacceptable words and actions.” NJ1015.com
State Treasurer Elizabeth Maher Muoio is set to appear before lawmakers April 4 for the first time since Gov. Phil Murphy put forward a $48.9 billion spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1. Lawmakers have heard from members of the public and interest groups with their own suggestions for the next budget, focused on finding ways the state can use its growing resources to better fund programs and services that benefit lower-income residents and those living in poverty as well as concerns about pocketbook issues to make the state more affordable. NJ Spotlight News
President Joe Biden’s $5.8 trillion budget blueprint for fiscal year 2023 is drawing praise from three North Jersey lawmakers both for its national security investment and its funding for North Jersey priorities. Sen. Bob Menendez, who chairs the U.S. Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee, said he was pleased with the budget proposal focus on U.S. diplomacy, while Rep. Bill Pascrell embraced the proposed $100 million for the Gateway Tunnel Project and $339.5 million to continue Portal North Bridge construction work in Secaucus next year. “No state or region in our great country relies on its bridges and tunnels more than New Jersey and the tri-state,” Pascrell said. “New Jersey and our region’s growth for the next generation depends on strengthening those avenues for travel and if we fail, the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast can atrophy. All of us know completion of a new tunnel and bridge is absolutely essential to guaranteeing our future.” North-JerseyNews.com
State Senate Majority President M. Teresa Ruiz (D-29) has introduced a bill that would require state government agencies and departments to provide documents and translation services in the 15 non-English languages spoken most frequently in New Jersey. Those languages, according to advocates and U.S. Census information, in order of how often they’re spoken: Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Korean, Portuguese, Gujarati, Arabic, Polish, Haitian, Russian, Hindi, Tagalog, Italian, Vietnamese, Urdu, and French. NJ.com
Pascack Valley Regional High School District has hired Sarah Bilotti, a schools chief in Warren County, to replace Superintendent Erik Gundersen, who resigned a year ago. Bilotti is set to begin on July 1. She is currently the superintendent at North Warren Regional School District, where she has served for almost seven years. Bilotti, who is an adjunct professor and doctoral candidate at Drexel University, has also done policy work on curriculum, mental health, and equity for students. The Record
Additional test pits were dug on a Blairstown property last week after state officials determined the amount of “dirty” fill hauled to the site was likely 10 times more than initially reported. Crews from Peak Environmental were at 50 Mount Vernon Road three times to retrieve samples from deeper pits over a wider area than those tested last year. Beginning in early 2021, neighbors complained to township officials about the amount of soil that had been dumped on the property over the previous months. Neighbors complained about a strange odor and a “different taste” to their private well water. New Jersey Herald
And finally….N.J. star SZA won her first Grammy for ‘Kiss Me More’ with Doja Cat. NJ.com
