A majority of the public believes Donald Trump should appear before the Jan. 6 House Select committee, and that such testimony should happen in public. The poll from Monmouth University found 60% of Americans believed Trump should have to testify before the House Committee, including 89% of Democrats and 61% of Independents. Conversely, only 34% said he should not have to appear, which included 67% of Republicans. In the scenario that Trump should be required to testify, 77% overall argued that the appearance must be at a public hearing. This finding was largely non-partisan, with 8 in 10 Democrats and Independents and nearly two-thirds of Republicans agreeing with the sentiment. Trump recently went to court to block the committee to receive documents asked for and testimony by Nov. 14. North-JerseyNews.com
The chairman of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol said a contempt of Congress referral against Donald Trump “could be an option” after Trump failed to appear for a scheduled deposition. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and the chairman of the panel, said lawmakers were evaluating their next steps, which could include pursuing a contempt charge. “That could be an option. And we’ll have to wait and see,” he said, adding: “The first thing we’ll do is see how we address the lawsuit. At some point after that, we’ll decide the path forward.” The New York Times
Donald Trump is poised to launch a third consecutive White House bid, aiming to reaffirm his position as the Republican standard-bearer despite disappointing midterm election results that have led some party leaders to suggest the polarizing former president step aside. Trump has set a 9 p.m. Tuesday’s announcement from his Mar-a-Lago estate for his 2024 Presidential bid as he still enjoys broad grass-roots support, has tens of millions in campaign cash and a history of steamrolling competitors. But since disappointing mid-term election results, Republicans have questioned the role of Trump in the party while he has lashed out at potential rivals for the nomination, primarily Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Wall Street Journal
Passaic County Superior Court Judge Marilyn Clark last week dismissed an indictment of Saddle Brook Police Chief Robert Kugler in connection to police escorts for funeral processions. New Jersey alleged in charges brought in March 2021 that Kugler ordered on-duty police officers under his control to escort funeral processions from his family-owned funeral home in the town. Use of police vehicles for escort services is prohibited by township ordinance, with the exception of escorts for the municipal government of Saddle Brook or nonprofit organizations. Kugler Funeral Home did not reimburse Saddle Brook for the escorts. “Although I am extremely disappointed by what my family and I had to endure in this matter over the past 18 months, the disappointment is now overshadowed by looking forward to returning to serve the community of Saddle Brook as their chief of police, a position that I have served in since 1995,” said Kugler. North-JerseyNews.com
Republicans are on the cusp of claiming control of the House of Representatives for the 118th Congress when it convenes next year. After notching victories late Monday night in a handful of congressional races in Arizona, New York and California, the G.O.P. is within one seat of taking the House. Attention will now be focused on a few districts in California and Colorado where the Republican candidate is leading in the vote count. A race call in any of these districts on Tuesday would almost certainly give Republicans the 218 seats needed to retake the House majority. The New York Times
Senate Democrats are moving ahead on advancing legislation protecting same-sex marriage, as lawmakers got back to work following the midterm elections. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) filed for cloture on the Respect for Marriage Act on Nov. 14, setting up an initial vote for later this week. Any legislation would require at least 60 votes in the Senate, which is split evenly between Democrats and Republicans. The Respect for Marriage Act, if signed into law, would codify the ability for same-sex as well as interracial couples to get married and require states to recognize the marriages. The push for a marriage law grew out of the Supreme Court’s ruling earlier this year that ended a federal right to an abortion and prompted some lawmakers to try to codify same-sex marriage, saying it could be in legal peril. The Wall Street Journal
A federal appeals court on Nov. 14 issued a nationwide injunction indefinitely blocking the Biden Administration’s student debt relief program in response to a challenge by six GOP-led states. The unanimous ruling by the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis came after the six states—Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, and South Carolina—argued that the loan relief program threatens those states’ future tax revenues and that the plan by the Biden administration overrode congressional authority. The appeals court found that the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, a major loan provider in the state, would lose revenue because of the debt relief program. New Jersey Monitor
Sen. Cory Booker has crossed himself off the list of possible gubernatorial candidates in 2025. Booker said he will not seek the Democratic nomination to succeed Gov. Phil Murphy, who is limited to two consecutive terms under the state constitution and thus can’t run for re-election again in three years. NJ.com
State Sen. Joe Pennacchio (R-26) and Assemblymen Jay Webber (R-26) and Brian Bergen (R-25) have secured support from more than 80% of Republican county committee members from Morris County as they prepare to seek re-election in the 26th district in 2023. The endorsements of the conservative Republican lawmakers include 100% of all county committees in Denville, East Hanover, Hanover, Morris Plains and Lincoln Park. In Parsippany, the largest municipality in the 26th district, 70% of the county committee signed nominating petitions for Pennacchio, Webber and Bergen. Among those mentioned in challenging the lawmakers in a primary are former Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce in an attempt to regain her seat and Morris County Commissioner Thomas Mastrangelo to go against Pennacchio. New Jersey Globe
Eight months after changes to the state’s K-12 sex education standards became the latest issue to spark shouting matches at New Jersey’s school board meetings, candidates running on opposite platforms won seats on the same board and only in a few cases did an entire slate rout another. Among the town’s that saw victory for candidates running on a parental rights platform were Sparta, Hardyston and Frankford. The Record
Christina A. Khalil has filed papers with the Federal Election Commission to take on Sen. Bob Menendez in the 2024 Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. Khalil is a certified alcohol and drug counselor who works as a clinician at the BlueCrest Recovery Center in Woodland Park. She has volunteered for the Bergen County LGBTQ+ Alliance and as a front line health care worker at a medical detox center during the coronavirus pandemic. New Jersey Globe
Assemblywomen Kim Eulner and Marilyn Piperno (R-21) recently introduced two bills that would enhance existing laws prohibiting municipalities from engaging in illegally paying-out their employees for unused sick days despite recent laws passed forbidding the practice. Both bills would mandate municipalities to either publish their supplemental payment policies on their own website, or on the Department of Community Affairs’ site, supplemental payments to employees would have to be approved by resolution and an Office of Leave Time Compliance within the Department of Community Affairs would be established. North-JerseyNews.com
Union County will ban firearms from property owned by or affiliated with the county, or in county-operated public transportation vehicles starting Nov. 16. The commissioners said properties covered by the ban include but are not limited to parks, office buildings, and the Union County Courthouse and Family Court. An exemption in the law is made for law enforcement officials. NJ1015.com
Assembly Democrats advanced a sweeping gun control bill through committee Nov. 14 for the fourth time, with amendments that won support from New Jersey police. The new amendments retooled portions of the bill banning firearms in sensitive places, swapping a broad category of weapons for a narrower group of destructive devices. The old definition could have seen residents face steep penalties for carrying daggers, brass knuckles, and other non-ballistic weaponry in parks, schools, and bars, among a host of other locations. The amended bill, which was endorsed by four major New Jersey police unions, will require New Jersey residents who carry a firearm in public to hold at least $300,000 in liability coverage as well. New Jersey Monitor
New Jersey will receive around $17.8 million from Google as part of the settlement of a multistate investigation into whether the company misled consumers about how it collects and uses location data. All told, Google will pay $391.5 million to 40 states in what is the largest-ever multistate privacy settlement with state attorneys general. “Digital platforms like Google cannot claim to provide privacy controls to users then turn around and disregard those controls to collect and sell data to advertisers against users’ express wishes—and at great profit,” said state Attorney General Matthew Platkin. NJ1015.com
As employees return to New York City and Philadelphia workplaces, transit ridership is increasing and vehicular traffic on some bridges and tunnels has surpassed or approached pre-pandemic highs seen in 2019. Drivers commuting to New York already experienced the traffic rebound, as some Hudson River crossing traffic volumes have surged past 2019 numbers. South Jersey drivers commuting to and from Philadelphia over Delaware River bridges saw traffic increase, but not surpass 2019 volume. NJ.com
And finally…Up to two inches of snow is forecast for northwest counties overnight. NJ.com
