Free Republic

In his first major decision after being elected governor of New Jersey, Jon S. Corzine announced the selection of a Hudson County congressman to replace him in the United States Senate. Robert Menendez, the son of Cuban immigrants who became a lawyer then rose in the brass-tacks world of New Jersey politics, will fill Mr. Corzine's old post for at least a year, when he will face what may be a crowded run for re-election. Making the announcement inside a historic rail terminal in Jersey City's Liberty State Park, near the Statue of Liberty, this afternoon, Mr. Corzine described Mr....

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he didn’t retaliate against Steve Linick when he asked President Trump to fire him as State Department inspector general — and that New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez is to blame for stoking controversy about the move. Pompeo accused Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, during a Wednesday press conference at the State Department. “This is all coming through the office of Senator Menendez,” Pompeo said. “I don’t get my ethics guidance from a man who was criminally prosecuted — case number 15-155, New Jersey federal district court. A man for...

Even as New Jersey gradually reopens, residents will be asked to wear face coverings and practice social distancing until there’s a vaccine or effective treatment for the coronavirus, Gov. Phil Murphy stressed Tuesday. “This is the reality,” Murphy said during his daily coronavirus briefing in Trenton. “We’re not mandating you wear a mask, but we are strongly encouraging you to do that, and staying apart from people. I think that’s the new norm.” Murphy has started scaling back his near-lockdown orders in recent days as signs continue to show the COVID-19 outbreak in New Jersey is slowing and the economy...

Both owners were issued summonses and clients were given a warning. But Murphy suggested during his Monday briefing that the state might have to step in if the gym’s defiance continues. “I’m not concerned it will spiral out of control, and we will take action,” Murphy said. “If you show up at that gym again tomorrow, there’s going to be a different reality than showing up today. These aren’t just words. We’ve got to enforce this, but I also don’t want to start World War III.”

De Blasio said that New York City will begin installing fencing along the city’s beaches and asked residents to avoid large gatherings, and playing sports. Lifeguards will also be prohibited from being on duty. “Anyone tries to get in the water, they’ll be taken right out of the water,” De Blasio said. “It’s a dangerous situation to ever go in the water if there are no lifeguards present,” he added. Though Big Apple beaches are closed for Memorial Day weekend, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will allow beaches in other parts of the state to open. Beaches in Connecticut, Delaware,...

New Jersey now has lost 10,356 residents to the coronavirus outbreak with 146,334 total cases confirmed Sunday~~SNIP~~ The latest numbers include 107 new deaths and 1,272 new cases reported in the last 24 hours...~~SNIP~~New Jersey’s 71 hospitals also reported a continued decline in patients with confirmed or suspected coronavirus cases. The 3,411 patients as of Saturday night is the lowest number since the state began publicly reporting hospitalizations on April 4, and marks a 58% from the peak on April 14. Of those hospitalized, 1,030 are in intensive care and 819 are on ventilators - both the lowest in six...

An article in Nowhere Magazine several years ago explored the ways ancient cultures dispatched the elderly, a practice known as senicide. Author Justin Nobel recounted several gruesome rites that made the Inuit habit of putting Granny on an Arctic ice floe seem humane. At one point, Nobel mentioned that his own grandparents had moved “to a fancy nursing home in the suburbs of New York City.” That made me shudder.

New Jersey, the state with the second most number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country, experienced its first days with less than 1,000 new cases this week for the first time since March 25. The state, which is planning to reopen in phases in the coming weeks, saw 798 new cases of the virus on Tuesday and 817 on Wednesday. On Thursday, however, 1,144 new cases were reported. On March 25, the state reported 727 new cases, bringing its total then to just over 4,400. From there, the Garden State's number of daily COVID-19 cases skyrocketed, staying over...

The Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board Jerome Powell says more stimulus spending is needed to prevent a slow and painful economic recovery...... In Washington state authorities are gearing up for testing, contact tracing and quarantine efforts that will include children's "camps" in the name of fighting Covid-19..... More clashes tonight in the Mea Shearim neighborhood of Jerusalem as Orthodox Jewish residents sought to meet publicly in spite of Israeli government restrictions.... "Gestapo" was the message shouted at police in Lakewood, New Jersey Monday..... Police in Ukraine asking for the addresses of all the Jews in one community.... The family...

“Social distancing ambassadors” will be prowling popular New Jersey boardwalks this summer to make sure beachgoers don’t get too close. The teams will be dispatched donning special vests to Wildwood, Ocean City and other summer hangouts through Cape May County’s new coronavirus campaign, “Six Feet Saves Lives.” “As public places begin to reopen it is important to continue to take proper precautions, such as wearing a mask, washing hands frequently, and social distancing,” said Kevin Thomas, Cape May County Health Officer, in a statement.

An 18-person mob, with a great deal of diversity among its ranks, has been charged with organizing a five-car caravan to shoot a New Jersey detective who was investigating a home invasion. New Jersey investigators announced the arrest on Friday, and one alleged perpetrator still remains at large. They reportedly targeted Detective Richard Hershey of the New Jersey State Police. They allegedly targeted him outside of a mobile home in Pittsgrove Township on Apr. 25 at 10:40 p.m...

If Belleville, New Jersey, Mayor Michael Melham had COVID-19 in November of 2019 and the only place he had recently traveled to was Atlantic City, approximately 125 miles south, would that absolve Wuhan, China, of being the center of origin of the coronavirus? The answer depends on the legitimacy of the facts surrounding his illness and if China is or is not propagandizing whatever ailment the mayor claims to have contracted. The best way to get to the bottom of such a dilemma starts with the known facts. Mayor Melham told Fox News on Thursday (May 7) that he fell...

Democrat Cory Booker sounds a lot different in the way he is treating allegations against Joe Biden vs how he sounded during the time Brett Kavanaugh went through something similar. Cory Booker was very vocal against Brett Kavanaugh, but not so much against Joe Biden. Is that because they are both Democrats?

Whether you consider it a glimmer of hope or an act of sheer stupidity, Jersey Shore beaches are reopening. You may be thinking to yourself that a trip to your favorite beach at the Jersey Shore is just what your cabin fevered mind and soul need. Heck, just yesterday, I spoke with a good friend at the Jersey Shore. She basically said, C’mon down. We’d BYO food. We’d stay outside — no in-house bathroom breaks. (Fortunately, there’s an outdoor shower drain. Ew.) There would always be six feet — heck, make it eight feet! — between us. What could go...

Did you hear Governor Murphy's response to Assemblyman Kevin J. Rooney’s call for Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo's to fix NJ's backlogged unemployment system or resign? During Thursday's daily news briefing, Murphy stated that anyone unhappy with Asaro-Angelo's efforts should "go to another state." Is he serious?! We need elected officials with a clear vision who provide our citizens with hope and solutions during this pandemic — NOT someone who ignores serious concerns and suggests folks flee their homes. Join Assemblyman Rooney, Simonsen, McClellan and me in sending a clear message to Governor Murphy: it's time to REOPEN #NewJersey for business

Instead of coronavirus overwhelming hospitals, it overwhelmed nursing homes. Daniel Greenfield, a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the Freedom Center, is an investigative journalist and writer focusing on the radical Left and Islamic terrorism. On March 31st, New Jersey Commissioner of Health Judith Persichilli issued an order to nursing homes and rehab facilities ordering them to take coronavirus patients. Relying on Governor Murphy's Public Health Emergency executive order, she issued a Health Department order that set out to achieve "the expedited receipt of patients/residents discharging from hospitals" by warning that, "no patient/resident shall be denied re-admission or admission to the post-acute...

The US Justice Department moving to drop the criminal charges against former National Security Adviser General Michael Flynn who was prosecuted in connection with the Robert Mueller investigation into alleged "Russian collusion" with President Trump's campaign in 2016. The Justice Department is asking that the charges be dismissed "with prejudice" meaning they cannot be refiled in the future...... The US Supreme Court has overturned the conviction of a former aide to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie convicted in 2016 of fraud...... Oregon's Governor Kate Brown is talking about a regulated re-opening of Oregon business starting May 15th with new "rules"...

TRENTON, NJ – Governor Phil Murphy today apparently saw his shadow today, which means the New Jersey COVID-19 lockdown will continue for at least another 30 days with no clear plan for residents or small business owners who will remain out of work during that time. “I’m signing an EO to extend our public health emergency by 30 days,” Murphy said today. “To be clear: this does not mean we’re seeing anything in the data which would pause our path forward. These declarations, unless extended, expire after 30 days. We’re still in a public health emergency. If this extension signals...

Police officers in New Jersey are facing scrutiny over their use of force after videos of their response to reports of a street fight went viral on social media. While authorities say the use of batons and pepper spray was justified and some of the viral videos have been edited, Jersey City residents who witnessed Tuesday's incident blame police for escalating the situation. Officials said at a news conference Wednesday that the situation escalated after a juvenile tried to grab an officer's gun. Police Chief Michael Kelly said that three 911 calls were received within a short time Tuesday regarding...

Catholic priest Father Kevin Robinson has sued NJ governor Phil Murphy alleging that executive order 107, invoked to fight the Coronavirus Pandemic, is infringing on his 1st and 14th amendment rights. Fr. Robinson who serves St. Anthony of Padua church in North Caldwell, NJ alleges that he has been unable to carry out his priestly functions due to the COVID-19 lockdown, saying in an email to his parishioners ”my civil rights have been violated as a result of Gov. Murphy’s unconstitutional order to shut down religious services in the State.” According to the suit Father Robinson: “has been threatened by...