The majority of New Jersey residents continue to give positive ratings to their home state even as the quality of life has dropped significantly among urban residents. Monmouth’s Garden State Quality of Life Index score was at +24, which was slightly lower from the +27 rating reported in 2022. Urban residents saw the index score drop 15 points year-over year, falling to zero in January 2023 from +15 in April 2022. However, the number only declined 2 points to +29 for those who live in stable growth towns and increased 2 points to +33 for those in the suburbs. North-JerseyNews.com
The family of slain Sayreville Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour has hired an attorney to get assurances about the seriousness of their investigation into her death. John Wisniewski, a former Assemblyman who led the legislative investigation into Bridgegate, says the family will have their first sit down meeting with officials from the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office this week. “They just wanted to have an opportunity to meet with the prosecutor’s office to understand that they’re not prematurely ruling things out, that they’re taking everything seriously, that they’re exhausting every possible lead, whatever they may be, so that they have that assurance,” said Wisniewski. NJ1015.com
A Toms River man has been charged with throwing smoke bombs and attempted to pepper spray a crowd leaving an Asbury Park church’s anti-racism concert in January as he shouted “white lives matter, too.” Nicholas G. Mucci, 28, faces second-degree charges of risking widespread injury or damage and possession of a weapon along with third-degree offenses including arson, aggravated assault and terroristic threats. Mucci was wearing a black face covering at around 9 p.m. Jan. 27 when he blocked people from leaving the concert at Trinity Church on Asbury Avenue and threw two smoke bombs at the crowd from an SUV, authorities said. NJ.com
Incumbents ruled the day at the Morris County Republican Committee Convention over the weekend. In the 26th Legislative District, State Sen. Joe Pennacchio was the victor over Morris County Commissioner Tom Mastrangelo by a 174-55 margin. For Assembly, Assemblyman Brian Bergen—his seat redrawn from the 25th—received the most votes from party members with 200. In second was incumbent Jay Webber with 165 votes; former Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce received 46 votes. Morris County Republicans voted to back the slate of Assembly Parker Space for state and his running mates seeking Assembly seats— Sussex County Commissioner Dawn Fantasia and Chester Township Mayor Mike Inganamort. Space received 80 votes compared to Steve Lonegan’s 14. In the Assembly race, Inganamort, the only Morris resident in the race, finished first with 78 votes, followed by Fantasia with 69. As for Lonegan’s running mates, Warren County Commissioner Jason Sarnoski recorded 25 votes and Lafayette Board of Education President Josh Aikens 17. North-JerseyNews.com
Morris County Board of Commissioners have proposed a budget of a $343.5 million budget that features for a fourth straight year no tax increase. Despite a rise in inflation over the past year, “we are still delivering the same level of public services and even increasing funding in some key areas,” Commissioner Deborah Smith stated in a statement announcing the budget. The Daily Record
East Rutherford has filed the latest lawsuit against American Dream mall, claiming the owners have refused to make its contractual payments to the town for parcels of land that have yet to be developed. The suit, filed in state Superior Court in Bergen County, centers around development rights that the defendants agreed to make payments to East Rutherford in lieu of real estate tax obligations on the sites. The agreement was that once American Dream was open to the public, the tenant defendants would be required to make quarterly payments to the borough. The Record
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is likely to caution on Capitol Hill that strong economic activity this year could lead U.S. central bank officials to raise interest rates more than they expected to combat high inflation. Powell is set to testify for two days, starting March 7 before the Senate Banking Committee and continuing the next day before a House committee. They will be his last scheduled public remarks on interest-rate policy, and a final chance to shape market expectations, before the Fed’s next meeting, March 21-22. Officials begin their pre meeting quiet period on March 11. The Wall Street Journal
The U.S. economy could quickly shed a million jobs and fall into recession if lawmakers fail to raise the nation’s borrowing limit before the federal government exhausts its ability to pay its bills on time, the chief economist of Moody’s Analytics, Mark Zandi, will warn a Senate panel on March 7. The damage could spiral to seven million jobs lost and a 2008-style financial crisis in the event of a prolonged breach of the debt limit, in which House Republicans refuse for months to join Democrats in voting to raise the cap, Zandi and his colleagues Cristian deRitis and Bernard Yaros wrote in an analysis prepared for the Senate Banking Committee’s Subcommittee on Economic Policy. The New York Times
A new USDOT online dashboard launched March 6 provides the answer for domestic flights about which do and do not charge a fee for adjacent seats for children under 13. Of 10 major domestic airlines listed, only three—Alaska, American and Frontier—don’t charge extra for parents and children to sit together. The others, Allegiant, Delta, Hawaiian, Jet Blue, Southwest, Spirit and United, have a red “X” on the dashboard that indicates they do charge a fee. NJ.com
China’s foreign minister warned that the U.S. strategy toward China risked plunging the countries into conflict and pledged to continue responding strongly to what he viewed as persistent attacks on Beijing by Washington. Qin Gang said the Biden administration was being insincere when it said it wanted to erect guardrails around the relationship, warned the U.S. against engaging in “new McCarthyism” and praised China’s ties with Russia. “If the United States does not hit the brakes but continues to speed down the wrong path, no amount of guardrails can prevent derailing and there will surely be conflict and confrontation,” said Qin, who was named foreign minister in late December after serving as China’s ambassador to the U.S. “Who will bear the consequences? Such competition is a reckless gamble.” The Wall Street Journal
Four Americans who traveled to Mexico last week to seek health care got caught in a deadly shootout and were kidnapped by heavily armed men who threw them in the back of a pickup truck, officials from both countries said March 6. The four, traveling March 3 in a white minivan with North Carolina license plates, came under fire shortly after entering the Mexican city of Matamoros from Brownsville, TX, the F.B.I. said in a statement. The bureau is offering a $50,000 reward for their return and the arrest of the kidnappers. The New York Times
More information is coming to light about a police encounter that left an anti-violence advocate dead in Paterson last week. Authorities say that Najee Seabrooks, who family and friends said had dedicated his life to reducing gun violence in the city, had a knife March 3 as he was going through what’s described as a mental health crisis and that one of the officers at the scene was actually a family member. But community members are demanding to see the police body camera videos. Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh met with Seabrooks’ mother on Monday to offer support. “I want this to be fair, impartial, as far as an investigation is concerned so we can get to the truth and make sure the public is reassured,” Sayegh says. News12 New Jersey
Lawmakers advanced legislation March 6 that would boost daily Medicaid rates for assisted living housing and programs, a move meant to help low- and middle-income seniors live independently longer and provide better pay for their caregivers. Under a bipartisan bill sponsored by State Sens. Gordon Johnson (D-37) and Robert Singer (R-30), the rates would climb $10 to $13, beginning in July, to $114 for assisted living facilities, $104, for comprehensive personal care homes, and $94 for assisted living programs. Rates would be recalculated each July under the bill. New Jersey Monitor
New Jersey state lawmakers will no longer be required to list their home addresses on annual financial disclosure forms—and can shield whether they even own a Shore house or other secondary home they don’t make money from—under a bipartisan resolution they voted to pass last week. Supporters say the move is out of safety concerns, while detractors warn it will weaken transparency. NJ.com
Gov. Phil Murphy will not reappoint Bob Gordon and Dianne Solomon to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, instead nominating a member of his senior staff and a lawyer from Basking Ridge to replace them. Christine Guhl Sadovy, who previously served as chief of staff at the BPU before becoming the governor’s cabinet secretary, will replace Gordon. To replace Solomon, the wife of New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Lee Solomon, Murphy has picked Marian Abdou. New Jersey Globe
State Sen. Nia H. Gill (D-34) has announced her running mates for the June Democratic Primary election in the 27th Legislative District. Gill will be joined by Eve Robinson of Montclair and Frank Kasper of Clifton in the new 27th District that is made up of Montclair, Clifton, West Orange, Livingston, Millburn, and Roseland. Gill and her team will run in the Democratic Primary against State Sen. Dick Codey (D-27), Assemblyman Tom Giblin (D-34), and Assemblyman John McKeon (D-27). InsiderNJ.com
The West New York slate headed by former Rep. Albio Sires filed nominating petitions with over 15,000 signatures in advance of the March 6 deadline. He’s running with incumbent commissioner Victor Barrera, Board of Education President Adam Parkinson, Board of Education Trustee Marielka Diaz, and housing advocate Marcos Arroyo. The opposing slate, headed by an incumbent commissioner and mayoral candidate, Cosmo Cirillo, filed with over 12,000 signatures. The Jersey Journal
Nine candidates filed for four seats on the Passaic City Council, where a slate that includes popular veteran City Council President Gary Schaer that has the backing of Mayor Hector Lora. Incumbents Thania Melo, Chaim Munk, and former Councilwoman Maritza Colon-Montanez are running with Schaer, the Assemblyman representing the 36th Legislative District. The seat of Salim Patel, who was appointed in 2018 following the death of Zaida Polanco and elected in 2019, has been vacant since last Summer when he was removed for poor attendance. The opposing slate is headed by perennial candidate Diomedes Minaya, joined by Lisa Abrue Wozniak, who lost a 2021 run for city council, and first-time candidate Marko Kopic. New Jersey Globe
And finally…A Rutherford church blessed with hundreds of prom dresses will give them away for free this weekend. New Jersey Herald
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