Rep. Mikie Sherrill was surrounded by a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers and law enforcement officials to promote her recent legislation intended to combat the rising rates of auto thefts in North Jersey. The Auto Theft Prevention Act in the House, authored with Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), would provide state and local law enforcement agencies with federal grant funding to help them combat auto thefts and stolen vehicle trafficking. “Motor vehicle theft is not just a growing public safety issue but a growing safety risk,” said Sherrill. “During the Summer, I have talked to many residents, police chiefs, and mayors about the rise in auto thefts. In my conversation, I heard the recurrent theme that law enforcement officials need more resources.” North-JerseyNews.com
President Joe Biden will authorize the release of 15 million barrels of oil from the nation’s reserves on Oct. 19, part of his administration’s effort to continue to lower gas prices. The Biden Administration said the release from the reserve, coordinated with allied countries, dropped the average price of a gallon of gas by about 40 cents and prices remain more than a dollar lower, on average, from the $4.84-per-gallon peak in June. The release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, a four-site complex of deep underground storage caverns along the Louisiana and Texas Gulf Coasts, will complete Biden’s pledge in March to release 180 million barrels over the next six months. The release from the strategic reserve will hit the market in December. The Wall Street Journal
The rising cost of food, energy and other daily staples could allow many Americans to reduce their tax bills next year, the I.R.S. confirmed on Oct. 18. Tax rates are adjusted for inflation, which in typical times means incremental movements in the thresholds for what income is taxed at what rate. But after a year that brought America’s fastest price growth in four decades, the shift in rates is far more notable: an increase of about 7%. Other parts of the tax code will be affected by the inflation adjustment, including the standard deduction Americans can claim on their tax returns. The New York Times
Republicans have out-paced Democrats in outside spending from Super PACs and other independent expenditure groups in the 7th Congressional District. Two Republican groups—the Congressional Leadership Fund and the National Republican Congressional Committee—have spent almost $3 million in the district, mostly against Rep. Tom Malinowski. Several Democratic groups and labor unions have spent about $850,000, mostly against Tom Kean Jr. PoliticoNJ
President Joe Biden promised that if Democrats keep control of Congress, “the first bill that I will send to Congress will be to codify Roe v. Wade. If Republicans get their way with a national ban, it won’t matter where you live in America.” President Biden, in an address at a Democratic National Committee event, vowed that if a Republican-controlled Congress were to pass a bill banning abortion nationwide, “I’ll veto it….The only sure way to stop these extremists’ laws that put in jeopardy women’s health and rights is for Congress to pass a law.”. New Jersey Monitor
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), the top House Republican, said that if his party wins a majority in next month’s midterm elections, its members would be unwilling to “write a blank check” to Ukraine. “I think people are going to be sitting in a recession, and they’re not going to write a blank check to Ukraine,” he said in a recent interview. “Ukraine is important, but at the same time, it can’t be the only thing they do, and it can’t be a blank check.” The New York Times
The State Senate approved Rachel Wainer Apter and Douglas Fasciale to the New Jersey Supreme Court on Oct. 17, ending an 18 month standoff over vacancies on the state’s highest court. Fasciale, a Republican judge with 18 years of experience, was unanimously approved by the members of the Senate. But the vote for Wainer Apter was divided mostly along party lines as Republicans questioned the qualification of Wainer Apter “No doubt Miss Apter has the legal experience—just not in our state, not in New Jersey. Her legal footprint in New Jersey is so tiny that no impression has been made…in a courtroom,” said State Sen. Kristin Corrado (R-40). North-JerseyNews.com
State Sen. Kristin Corrado (R-40) has called for the resignation of Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes. Corrado joins a group of local police unions and activists angered by her refusal to investigate Paterson police officers who were later convicted of corrupt acts in federal court and allegations that she abused a low-level court employee. New Jersey Globe
Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration sued five fossil fuel companies and their trade group for “systematically concealing” information that the burning of oil and gas has contributed to a warming planet and more intense storms that have hammered New Jersey in recent years. The lawsuit, filed in Mercer County Oct. 18, alleges that Exxon Mobil, Shell Oil, Chevron, BP, ConocoPhillips and the American Petroleum Institute have known for decades that fossil fuels are a major cause of climate change. The Record
Igor Danchenko, an analyst who provided much of the research for the Steele dossier of unproven assertions and rumors about Donald Trump and Russia, was acquitted on Oct. 18 on four counts of lying to the F.B.I. about one of his sources. The verdict was a final act to the criminal investigation by John Durham, the special counsel appointed by Attorney General William P. Barr three years ago to scour the F.B.I.’s inquiry into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia for any wrongdoing. Trump and his supporters had long insisted the Durham inquiry would prove a “deep state” conspiracy against him, but despite pursuing various such claims, Durham never charged any high-level government officials. The New York Times
Legislation targeted at a Saudi Arabia-backed golf league who held an event this year at a Donald Trump course in New Jersey was moved forward by the State Senate Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee Oct. 14. The legislation, authored by State Sens. Andrew Zwicker (D-16) and Richard Codey (D-27), would prohibit sports organizations that are primarily run through the use of money coming from sovereign wealth funds from hosting events within the state. “This legislation will prohibit the Saudi PIF from using New Jersey or its sporting organizations in any shameful ‘sportswashing’ endeavors,” said Zwicker. “There is no good reason to host this golf tournament ever again in New Jersey.” North-JerseyNews.com
NJ Transit has reached an agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s office to fix issues at five train stations on the Northeast Corridor line that don’t meet federal standards for access by people with mobility, visual or hearing issues. The U.S. Attorney’s office identified violations of the 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) at Newark Penn, Princeton Junction, MetroPark, Trenton, and New Brunswick stations, which are owned and operated by NJ Transit. Under the agreement, NJ Transit agreed to modify multiple facilities at the five stations, including making physical modifications to station platforms, waiting areas, parking lots, and restrooms. NJ.com
The Biden Administration has stopped paying to mail out free COVID-19 tests and expects to end free vaccines for Americans after Congress dropped billions of dollars for such efforts from a government funding bill last month. The administration’s COVID-19 task force will remain in place ahead of an expected uptick in cases in the coming Winter months with a focus from emergency response to longer-term issues, such as boosting domestic manufacturing of personal protective equipment, researching long Covid and supporting genomic sequencing to identify variants. The shift means that health insurers and employers will likely pay for Covid-19 vaccines, drugs and tests, as they do for most medical products and services. The Wall Street Journal
New Jersey educators say the state needs to step up support to help them get a handle on post-COVID-19 learning recovery for their students. At a State House hearing on Oct. 17, teachers and administrators pleaded with lawmakers to ease up on testing mandates and the rhetoric around student performance as they gave lamakers a glimpse at what the classroom is really like after two years of living with a pandemic. NJ Spotlight News
The Mount Olive Board of Education voted to suspend Superintendent Robert Zywicki effective Oct. 10 and until further notice, after he filed legal notice of his intent to sue two school board members for $10.2 million. Superintendent of the Mount Olive district in 2018, Zywicki has filed two tort claims— legal notification of his plans to sue—against board members Antoine Gayles and William Robinson. Neither side is saying what triggered the conflict. The Daily Record
Three finalists for the Paterson school superintendent’s job recently appeared at a community forum. The candidates identify from a nationwide search are: Andre Spencer, who is currently superintendent in Manor, a small town in Texas; Laurie Newell, a former school administrator in Paterson who is now superintendent of the Essex Regional Educational Services Commission; and Keith Miles Jr., the Bridgeton superintendent who previously had been an assistant superintendent in Trenton and a principal in Camden. The Record
The Jersey City City Council approved a $724 million 2022 municipal budget at a special meeting Oct. 18. The budget raises taxes by $1,100 to the average homeowner. Roughly two-third of the budget consists of salaries for city employees, and the biggest chunk of that goes to the fire ($79.2 million) and police ($109.8 million) departments. The Jersey Journal
Rutgers Athletics launched R Edge NIL Marketplace, the university’s official name, image and likeness (NIL) marketplace for student-athletes. The marketplace offers supporters, brands and sponsors a single, streamlined platform to easily find, pitch, book and compensate Rutgers student-athletes for their NIL services. Rutgers student-athletes will have profiles on the R Edge NIL Marketplace, which they can customize and promote to fans on their personal social media channels. Student-athletes will be able to review opportunities, receive deals and accept compensation, all within the Opendorse app. ROI-NJ.com
And finally…The New York Yankees advanced to the American League Division Series to take on the Houston Astros after defeating the Cleveland Guardians 5-1 Tuesday. NJ.com
