Free Republic

For pure entertainment value, not much can compete with the blood sport of New Jersey politics. Last week federal investigators launched a probe into whether U.S. Senator Robert Menendez illegally benefited to the tune of more than $300,000 from a rental-income deal he had with a nonprofit agency that received millions of dollars in federal contracts. Even liberal good government groups agree that the relationship may have violated congressional conflict-of-interest rules. The allegations have sparked a mini-panic among state Democratic operatives, who not so long ago thought Mr. Menendez -- who was appointed by Jon Corzine ... had the November...

OXFORD, Miss. -- Ole Miss athletic director Pete Boone announced Monday that the school will retire the late Chucky Mullins' No. 38 football jersey during pregame ceremonies Sept. 3, when the Rebels open the 2006 season against the University of Memphis. "There are only a few people in this world that have the courage and competitive spirit to overcome the unbelievable obstacles Chucky faced," Boone said in announcing the decision to retire No. 38. "His legacy reaches beyond the football field and deserves to be memorialized as such. "It was decided that the ultimate way to honor Chucky Mullins and...

New Jersey politicians have reached an agreement that will end the state budget crisis. The deal will be announced later this afternoon by Gov. Jon Corzine at a news conference. That conference is tentatively scheduled at 4:30 p.m. NBC 10 News and NBC10.com will live video coverage. Corzine hammered out a deal with his fellow Democrats, who were fighting him over a proposed sales tax hike, according to sources. The deal was reached six days after state government shut down, a high-ranking Statehouse official said. "They'll be announcing the final elements later this afternoon," said the official, who spoke on...

TRENTON, N.J. -- An agreement has been worked out that will result in a new budget for the state of New Jersey, sources told NewsChannel 4 on Thursday. Gov. Jon Corzine and lawmakers are still hammering out details on how to spend the penny sales tax increase. Indications are at least half the revenue will go for property tax relief this year with larger amounts going for property tax relief in later years. If lawmakers can begin acting on this deal, Atlantic City casinos could be open sometime this weekend and full state services would resume as early as Monday.

N.J. Gov. tells lawmakers to end shutdownBy TOM HESTER Jr., Associated Press Writer 1 minute ago New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine speaks to the media at the New Jersey Statehouse Monday, July 3, 2006, in Trenton, N.J. about the state's ongoing budget impasse. Corzine said state lawmakers must report to the Statehouse on the July Fourth holiday and stay there until they adopt a budget.(AP Photo/Mel Evans) TRENTON, N.J. - Gov. Jon S. Corzine hauled lawmakers in to work on the July Fourth holiday, imploring them to end a budget standoff that has shut down many government services, while...

“Due to the State budget impasse, the New Jersey Lottery has ceased normal operations. The Lottery has directed all agents to cease all ticket sales, effective 7:55 pm, Saturday, July 1, 2006. All lottery terminals will be shut down after the July 1 drawing at 7:55 pm. There will be no ticket sales (including instant tickets), winning ticket validation, claim payments or any activity on the “Green Machine” terminals after 7:55 pm Saturday. “Due to advanced ticket sales, the Lottery will direct essential staff to conduct the regularly scheduled drawings for these tickets at Lottery headquarters under the observation of...

TRENTON, N.J. -- Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy said he was arrested and roughed up by police over the weekend for intervening in an argument between a couple outside a Bradley Beach bar. Healy said he had just left Barry's Tavern _ owned by his sister, Kathleen Barry _ around 2 a.m. on Saturday when he saw a couple arguing in the parking lot of a nearby auto shop. He said the man was jumping on the hood of his girlfriend's car. After calmly talking the man down, Barry said, police arrived and began roughing up him and his wife....

Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) blasted the Department of Corrections for not immediately informing Newark residents that Carlos Moore, an inmate from Northern State Prison, escaped the facility on Thursday.

What a moron. Ann Coulter, that is. After calling a group of 9/11 widows "harpies" who seem to be "enjoying their husbands' deaths" in her new book, the conservative pundit has gone too far. She even added: "And by the way, how do we know their husbands weren't planning to divorce these harpies? Now that their shelf life is dwindling, they'd better hurry up and appear in Playboy..." Huh? Ugly is the only way I can describe what Coulter has written. Now I understand why Time magazine put her on the cover a few years ago and made her look...

May 9, 2006 -- A New Jersey man was charged with assault yesterday for beating an opponent on a Newark golf course - with his No. 5 and No. 6 irons. "Apparently things became a little heated on the 12th hole," Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura said of the Sunday morning foursome that turned fearsome. He said Therlow Roberts, 48, of West Orange and frequent golfing buddy Dwayne McCray, 40, of Orange got into an angry dispute over whether a shot had landed in or out of bounds.

MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO (March 10, 2006) -- Giving up the fame of the football field at 29 years old, one Company B recruit looked for a glory that was more permanent than any trophy. At age 13, Pfc. Jeremy Staat was 75 inches tall and weighed 230 pounds. It seemed as if he was built for football, according to Staat. “I really didn’t have to work hard at it,” said Staat. Starting as an offensive lineman, Staat grew as a football player and saw his first glimpse of the Marine Corps not long after starting at Arizona...

Who's laughing now? New Jersey, the state that spawned a thousand wise-guy bumper stickers and became the butt of a million late-night jokes, is actually a nice place to live. The research group Morgan Quitno crunched the numbers this year and yesterday ranked New Jersey the fifth-most-livable state. As for its neighbors? Pennsylvania finished 30th, New York 32d. "The people we talk to say they wouldn't live anywhere else, and I have to go along with that," said Mark Moran, a Bloomfield resident and one of the editors of Weird New Jersey magazine. "Whether it grows on you or people...

BEAVER FALLS, Pa. - A 17-year-old high school student said he was humiliated when a teacher made him sit on the floor during a midterm exam in his ethnicity class _ for wearing a Denver Broncos jersey. The teacher, John Kelly, forced Joshua Vannoy to sit on the floor and take the test Friday _ two days before the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Broncos 34-17 in the AFC championship game. Kelly also made other students throw crumpled up paper at Vannoy, whom he called a "stinking Denver fan," Vannoy told The Associated Press on Monday. Kelly said Vannoy, a junior...

Lighting up in the state's casinos will still be permitted under the new law, which requires indoor public places and workplaces, including restaurants and bars, to be smoke-free. Cigar bars or lounges and tobacco retail establishments will also be exempt. Violators will face penalties of $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second offense and $1,000 for each subsequent offense. The bill was approved by the state's Senate Dec. 15 and then by the Assembly by a 64-to-12 vote with two abstentions Jan. 9. The American Cancer Society and other health advocates have lauded the legislation, but some operators...

(AXcess News) New York - The people of the Garden State elected Senator Jon Corzine, a liberal Democrat, as their new governor and they have decided being a Blue State takes a front seat to ridding New Jersey of rampant corruption. Suprisingly, during the campaign, the editorial editors for all the major New Jeresy newspapers had endorsed Corzine's conservative opponent, Doug Forrester. The editorials stressed that while they didn't agree with Forrester's conservative views, he was preferable to Jon Corzine and his lack of honest and integrity. Jersey voters didn't agree. While the American people are being bombarded with news...

Muslims say a federal report supporting charges that New Jersey counterterrorism officials were compiling reports on Muslims solely because of their religion confirms what they have been claiming for years. "This shouldn't surprise anyone,'' said Yaser El-Menshawy, chairman of the Majlis Ash-Shura of New Jersey, the state's council of mosques. "Although it's wrong and it's bad law enforcement, Muslims understand that we have fewer rights than anyone else right now. I'm sure people in law enforcement realize that and know they can get away with things with Muslims that they can't with any other group.'' The Institute for Intergovernmental Research,...

AL ASAD, Iraq (Aug. 13, 2005) -- The “Patriots” of Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 26 have done it again. For the second time in less than a month one of their Marines has been recognized for outstanding contributions to Marine aviation. Sergeant Paul E. Fletcher, noncommissioned officer-in-charge of the squadron’s supply response division, was recently announced as the winner of the 2005 Capital Marines’ Sgt. Maj. Frederick B. Douglas Award. “I was very thankful to be nominated, but I wasn’t expecting to win,” said Fletcher. “I appreciate my seniors for the nomination and now that I’ve won I appreciate the...

Governor, NJ GOP Primary 6/6/2005 Forrester 43% Schundler 31% Other 22% Undecided 5% Data Collected 6/03/05 - 6/05/05 Geography State of New Jersey Sample Population 612 Likely Voters Margin of Error 4.0% Client WABC-TV New York WCAU-TV Philadelphia Analysis: In a Republican Primary for Governor of New Jersey today, 12 hours before polls open, Douglas Forrester defeats Bret Schundler 43% to 31%, according to final SurveyUSA tracking poll conducted exclusively for WABC-TV New York and WCAU-TV Philadelphia. 22% would vote for one of the other five candidates in the race. 5% are undecided. Since an identical SurveyUSA poll 12 days...

Drivers who gas up along the New Jersey Turnpike or Garden State Parkway could one day be asked, ``Cash or E-ZPass?'' A measure urging the Turnpike Authority to work with service area operators along the state's two main arteries advanced this week in the Legislature, inching drivers closer to being able to pay for gas using their E-ZPass accounts. The resolution will next be considered in the Senate and in the Assembly Transportation Committee. ``In the early days of E-ZPass, it was always intended that the tags would eventually have broader use than just a toll payment,'' said Sen. Nicholas...

Spurred by a case of "Gay" pride, Leigh Clemons tried to order a New England Patriots jersey last month online. Clemons, an assistant professor in Louisiana State University's Theater Department, had watched one of her former pupils, Patriots defensive back Randall Gay, play a key role in New England's 24-21 win against Philadelphia in Super Bowl XXXIX and wanted to show her support for the former LSU standout. But the NFL intercepted her attempts in mid-February to buy a jersey, personalized with Gay's name on the back, from NFLshop.com, the league's official online merchandise center. When Clemons entered the last...