OPINION: Broke Washington Causes Immigration Crisis in Our Area. Today, May 11, should be a celebratory day as President Joe Biden marks the end of the national health emergency related to the coronavirus pandemic while we remember the ones we lost. Instead, we will see images from our Southern border dominating the day as Title 42—put in place by President Donald Trump and continued by President Joe Biden—to stem the wave of immigrants coming across the border comes to an end. The worst part of this—those in power knew this day was coming and instead of finding a solution, they continued to talk around the issue and never with each other to solve the problem. We should be welcoming of that with the understanding there are rules immigrants have to abide by to enter our country and allocating the resources to ensure it happens at a greater pace. Unfortunately, a broken Washington is more satisfied with purity then finding a solution. North-JerseyNews.com
The pandemic and the recession that followed hit Latin America harder than almost anywhere else in the world, plunging millions into hunger, destitution and despair as they attempt to emigrate to the U.S. During this time period, a generation of progress against extreme poverty was wiped out, unemployment hit a two-decade high, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine choked off a key pipeline for grain and fertilizer, triggering a spike in food prices, and economic shocks were worsened by violence as conflict between armed groups festered in once relatively peaceful countries and raged in places long accustomed to the terror. The New York Times
Officials in Rockland County are opposing a plan by New York City Mayor Eric Adams to place up to 340 single male asylum seekers in an Orangetown hotel by framing the endeavor as an attempt to establish a non-permitted homeless shelter. Rockland County is asking a state Supreme Court judge to ban New York City and the Armani Inn & Suites in Orangeburg from housing immigrant men from the city, saying they have no legal authority to create a temporary shelter. The Record
The federal government formally ended its crisis response to the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 1.1 million people in the U.S. and infected many millions more. Immediate changes include a halt to a requirement that private insurers cover COVID-19 tests. Other pandemic-era changes such as free vaccines and some telehealth flexibilities will continue for some time. The Biden Administration will end the vaccine requirements for federal employees, federal contractors and international air travelers at the end of the day on May 11. The Wall Street Journal
Donald Trump repeated his false claims about the 2020 election and defended his behavior during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot by his supporters during a CNN town hall May 10. Asked if he should apologize to former Vice President Mike Pence, whom he pressured to help stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s win he said, “No because he did something wrong.” Trump also said he would be “inclined” to pardon many of the people who rioted at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. “It will be a large portion of them,” he said to applause. “They are living in hell.” The Wall Street Journal
An FDA advisory panel on May 10 unanimously recommended the agency allow a birth control pill to be available over the counter in the U.S. for the first time. The panel came to the decision after a two-day public meeting mostly centered on if people could safely and effectively take the birth control drug Opill without professional supervision. Experts on the panel said they were confident they could, and the benefits of making the pill more widely available far outweigh any risks. The FDA is expected to make a final decision this Summer. The Daily Record
Rep. George Santos was charged by federal prosecutors with 13 counts of wire fraud, money laundering, stealing public funds and lying on federal disclosure forms. Prosecutors say Santos was involved in three separate schemes, with the bulk of the indictment focuses on accusations of corruption in the Congressman’s political campaign. Prosecutors allege that Santos and an unnamed associate in 2022 solicited at least $50,000 in donations for what they claimed was a super PAC, which was then pocketed the money for personal expenses, including luxury designer clothing and credit card payments, prosecutors allege. The New York Times
A new round of subpoenas were reportedly issued May 10 in the ongoing federal probe of Sen. Bob Menendez. The new subpoenas did not identify any new targets in the investigation, but instead sought new information unrelated to the Weehawken-based meat company IS EG Halal and was served to at least one Hudson County politico. Menendez is under investigation in connection with the IS EG Halal over an exclusive contract with the government of Egypt to certify halal exports worldwide. HudsonCountyView.com
New Jerseyans are split over the development of offshore wind farms, with 36% saying they should stop and 39% believing the project should continue, according to a new Fairleigh Dickinson University poll. The survey numbers change dramatically when the question notes the allegation that wind farms are potentially related to whale and dolphin deaths. Without setting the context, support for wind farms is at 42%-33%, and support drops to 28%, with 46% in opposition. New Jersey Globe
The New Jersey Department of Health is soliciting feedback through May 31 on proposed changes to its infectious disease protocols that would tweak how hospitals, schools, public health officials and others track and report contagious outbreaks. According to briefing materials provided to some stakeholders, the proposal also calls for further aligning the state’s immunization requirements with federal guidelines. Those federal recommendations now urge children to receive vaccines for COVID-19, influenza and human papillomavirus, or HPV, among other shots not currently on the state’s list. NJ Spotlight News
In response to an increase of physical and verbal abuse of health care workers, Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law the “Health Care Heroes Violence Prevention Act” this week. The new legislation makes it a crime to intentionally threaten or physically assault healthcare professionals or volunteers in an effort to intimidate them or interfere with their healthcare duties. “If there’s one thing the COVID-19 pandemic made abundantly clear, it is the essential role health care workers play in our society,” said Murphy. “Growing threats and attacks against these courageous heroes are unacceptable.” North-JerseyNews.com
At least 79 New Jersey law enforcement officers were fired last year, another 300 or more suspended and a dozen demoted, according to newly released police discipline data from the New Jersey Attorney General’s office. The offenses ranged from an officer leaving stink bombs in a locker room or falling asleep on the job to accusations of murder, domestic violence and theft. The punishments varied even more widely between departments, from five-day suspensions to termination and criminal charges. NJ.com
A Bergenfield patrol officer has won a partial summary judgment in a lawsuit she filed against the Police Department, which denied her paid leave while she served in the New Jersey National Guard. Jessica Lynn Hunter filed a lawsuit in June 2021, saying she lost money and time when the police department changed the department’s military leave policy. Judge John O’Dwyer ruled that Bergenfield’s policy regarding military leave violated state law that allows a leave of absence for military members without loss of pay or time for inactive-duty training, active-duty training or any required training. The Record
Harrison public schools were placed on lockdown May 10 because of what turned out to a “swatting call” false alarm. Harrison police are investigating the source of the call, which was made at 11:38 a.m., by a male who stated there was an active shooter at the Washington Middle School. The school was placed immediately placed on a lockdown that lasted approximately 10 minutes, when the threat was determined to be unfounded, officials said. Police conducted a sweep of the school and was eventually declared it safe. The town’s other schools also went into lockdown mode in response and have reopened. The Jersey Journal
New Jersey Transportation Commissioner Diane Guttierrez-Scaccetti confirmed tolls on the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike will increase on Jan. 1, 2024. Three years ago the Turnpike Authority decided that instead of holding public hearings on proposed toll increases they would be tied to an economic indicator formula that would not require input from the public. NJ1015.com
And finally…The New Jersey Devils, down 3-1 in the best of seven series, travel to play the Carolina Hurricane tonight. NJ.com
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