OPINION: DeSantis’ Deplorable Immigration Stunt. When Judge Douglas Fasciale was nominated to the New Jersey Supreme Court last week, he elegantly and lovingly spoke about his family’s journey to America. Fasciale, the highly qualified Republican chosen to ensure the tradition of keeping the court ideological balanced, detailed his family’s journey from Italy “crossing the Atlantic Ocean…(searching) for a better life and to live the American dream.” Hours later, the current harshness on immigration by MAGA Republicans was exemplified by the relocation of about 50 migrants unexpectedly arriving at Martha’s Vineyard. The flights were part of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ $12 million program to transport undocumented immigrants to sanctuary destinations. The juxtaposition was striking and truly disgusting. Children, ones the same age as Judge Fasciale’s father when he came to America all those many years ago, are being used as political pawns that are antithetical to the American Dream. We were all immigrants at one point, with our family members having faced the same intolerance that is exhibited today. We would be wise to learn from our past mistakes, not repeat them. The time for stunts is over, the time for solutions that incorporate both Republican and Democratic ideas is long overdue. North-JerseyNews.com
North Jersey Democratic lawmakers are blasting Republican governors for sending migrant workers to Democratic states. “Where are you when you say you are the party of the sanctity of life? What about the sanctity of the lives of the people you’re playing with who you lure onto buses like a human trafficker?” said Sen. Bob Menendez. Gov. Phil Murphy added that he was “outraged at Governor (Ron) DeSantis’ heartless attempt to exploit vulnerable Venezuelan migrants in a political stunt designed only to improve his standing among his right-wing followers. It is sad to see him joining Texas’ Governor (Greg) Abbott in this callous race to the bottom.” News12 New Jersey
Donald Trump appeared to more fully embrace QAnon at a rally in Ohio Sept. 17, playing a song at a political rally in Ohio that prompted attendees to respond with a salute in reference to the conspiracy theory’s theme song. While speaking in Youngstown. Trump delivered an address about the decline of America over music that was all but identical to a song called “Wwg1wga” — an abbreviation for the QAnon slogan, “Where we go one, we go all.” Additionally, scores of people in the crowd raised their fingers in the air in an apparent reference to the “1” in what they thought was the song’s title. It was the first time in the memory of Trump aides that such a display had occurred at one of his rallies. The New York Times
President Joe Biden said the COVID-19 pandemic was over during a televised interview that addressed questions about whether he would seek a second term. “The pandemic is over. We still have a problem with COVID,” Biden said in an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes as his administration is promoting new vaccines to protect against prevalent COVID strains and seeking billions in new funding from Congress. “We’re still doing a lot of work on it … but the pandemic is over. If you notice, no one’s wearing masks. Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape. And so I think it’s changing.” Additionally, Biden said he intended to run for re-election in 2024 and would announced after the midterm election but added it “remains to be seen” if that is a firm decision. The Wall Street Journal
A top World Health Organization (WHO) official believes the world has never been in a better position to end the coronavirus pandemic as deaths from COVID-19 last week were the lowest since March 2020. “We are not there yet. But the end is in sight,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters at a virtual press conference Sept. 15. Dr. Michael Head, senior research fellow in global health at Southampton University, added “It’s probably fair to say most of the world is moving beyond the emergency phase of the pandemic response.” The virus, which emerged in China in late 2019, has killed nearly 6.5 million people and infected 606 million. North-JerseyNews.com
New Jersey on Sept. 18 reported another 1,115 confirmed COVID-19 cases and four confirmed deaths. There were 799 patients with confirmed or suspected coronavirus cases reported at the state’s 71 hospitals. Of those hospitalized, 91 were in intensive care and 33 on ventilators. The rate of transmission was 0.97 and the positivity rate for tests conducted Sept. 14 was 11.5%. NJ.com
State Sen. Anthony M. Bucco (R-25) is not thrilled with the new workplace weed guidance issued by the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (NJCRC), arguing it took too long for a guidance to be issued and still leaves too many questions. “The longer this confusion goes on, the likelihood of litigation due to enforcement increases. Employers need something definitive—a final decision about how companies should proceed and what they can and cannot do to keep the workforce safe without violating workers’ rights to privacy,” said Bucco. “It is time to end the foot-dragging and make some decisions.” North-JerseyNews.com
Blue Violets was approved unanimously by the Hoboken Planning Board Spet. 15 at its first and only public hearing. The company, proposed for 628 Washington St., is the first adult-use marijuana store to clear the Hoboken Planning Board. They had previously gotten approval by the city’s Cannabis Review Board in April, and were hearing before the Planning Board at City Hall to go over their plans. The Jersey Journal
Negotiations on legislation to let legal cannabis businesses get bank loans, accept credit cards and open checking accounts are focusing on what restorative justice measures can be added without jeopardizing the 60 Senate votes needed to enact the bill. Proponents have acknowledged that the Secure and Fair Enforcement, or SAFE, Banking Act, opposed by U.S. Sen. Cory Booker and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), won’t reach the Senate floor without addressing their concerns. “We are at a point now where most people understand that the SAFE Banking bill as written is not enough to pass the Senate,” said Booker. “They’re going to have to add equity issues and fairness issues into the banking provisions and do some restorative justice as well. The question is how much can we get done.” NJ.com
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) defended his proposal to ban doctors from performing abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy and said his bill wouldn’t apply the ban to situations involving rape or incest or when a mother’s health is at risk. “I’m pro-life, even in an election year,” Graham said on Fox News Sunday. “And to those who suggest that being pro-life is losing politics, I reject that. So, listen to what I’m saying and you decide today who you’re with…I’m not inconsistent. To suggest that I’m new to the game opposing late term abortion is ridiculous.” The Wall Street Journal
New Jersey will put forward $17 million in grant funding with a target on combating auto thefts and reducing gun violence within the state, the announcement coming a day after an attempted carjacking in broad daylight at the home of a neighbor of Gov. Phil Murphy in Middletown. A $7 million fund would be used to acquire or expand existing gunshot detection technology, while a separate $10 million fund would be designed to acquire or expand existing Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology to combat auto thefts. “The allocation of these grants…will undoubtedly aid our policing and investigative capabilities.” said New Jersey State Police Superintendent Colonel Patrick J. Callahan. “Access to these resources will help combat the growing number of motor vehicle thefts and expand access to technology aimed at reducing gun violence.” North-JerseyNews.com
Police are looking for two teenagers who allegedly smashed their way into a home in Woodcliff Lake Sept. 15 before leading police on a high-speed chase in a stolen car they later dumped in Essex County. The burglars jumped into a previously stolen 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio and led a responding officer on a high-speed chase, authorities said. While fleeing, the teens nearly struck a second responding officer’s patrol car, according to police. The chase ended when police in Woodcliff Lake and a neighboring town terminated the pursuit for safety reasons. The stolen car was later found abandoned in Newark. NJ.com
Engelbert Ribeiro says his top priority as acting Paterson police chief is rebuilding the relationship with the people his department serves. “One of the things we have to do is rebuild the relationship with the community,” Ribeiro said. “We lost that trust. I want to build it back up.” The city plans to conduct a nationwide search to find a new chief, expected to be installed by the end of the year. The Record
Puerto Rico was left with a knocked-out energy grid, widespread flooding and continued heavy rains from Hurricane Fiona. All of the nearly 1.5 million customers tracked by poweroutage.us, which tracks power interruptions, were without power on Sept. 18. The power company LUMA warned on that full power restoration in Puerto Rico could take several days, with the storm creating “incredibly challenging” conditions for repair workers. The New York Times
New Jersey’s Department of the Treasury reported August revenue collections grew 14.9% from the year-ago period, continuing a strong start to the fiscal year. The state said in a news release that August revenue collections for the major taxes totaled $2.8 billion, up $365.7 million from August 2021. Fiscal year-to-date, total collections of $3.3 billion are up $494.9 million, or 17.7%, from a year ago. ROI-NJ.com
The Bayonne City Council is again considering using eminent domain to condemn the land of Bayonne Medical Center amid a battle between entities to operate the hospital. At its regular meeting in September, the City Council is set to introduce the two ordinances that would again begin the eminent domain process on the hospital, located between Broadway and Avenue E, and East 29th and East 30th Street. But the council must still wait for other necessary approvals after introducing the ordinances before it can adopt them. Hudson Reporter
New Jersey is serving as an incubator for Republican candidates in Pennsylvania, with two statewide candidates being New Jersey natives and longtime residents. Gubernatorial candidate Douglas Mastriano was a registered voter in New Jersey for 28 years until July 2021 when election officials changed his status to inactive. Dr. Mehmet Oz lived and voted in New Jersey until 2021, when he moved to Pennsylvania to seek a U.S. Senate seat. He remains on New Jersey’s voter rolls as a resident of Cliffside Park and could legally vote in his home state this November if he chose to not vote in Pennsylvania. New Jersey Globe
And finally…New Jersey is a work-from-home leader in the U.S. New Jersey Monitor
