| RANK |
PROGRAM |
NETWORK |
RATING |
ADULT VIEWERS (000) |
COMPOSITE VIEWERS (000) |
% OF COMPOSITE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60 MINUTES | CBS | 4.8 | 135 | 10,443 | 1% |
| 2 | YOUNG SHELDON | CBS | 4.1 | 115 | 8,888 | 1% |
| 3 | VOICE | NBC | 3.9 | 113 | 8,735 | 1% |
| 4 | NCIS | CBS | 3.7 | 107 | 10,757 | 1% |
| 5 | GREY’S ANATOMY | ABC | 3.6 | 102 | 6,283 | 2% |
| 6 | WILL & GRACE | NBC | 3.6 | 101 | 2,304 | 4% |
| 7 | MASKED SINGER, THE | FOX | 3.3 | 95 | 7,249 | 1% |
| 8 | AMERICAN IDOL | ABC | 3.2 | 92 | 7,471 | 1% |
| 9 | STATION 19 | ABC | 3 | 87 | 6,647 | 1% |
| 10 | FBI | CBS | 2.8 | 81 | 8,306 | 1% |
Trenton – Senate President Pro Tempore M. Teresa Ruiz issued the following statement commending Governor Murphy’s willingness to assist undocumented immigrants: “I am encouraged to hear that Governor Murphy is willing to explore offering financial help to undocumented New Jerseyans who may have lost their job or seen a reduction in hours due to the current public health crisis. While New Jersey’s undocumented immigrants contribute $587 million in state and local taxes, the sixth highest contribution in the nation, they are not currently eligible to receive unemployment benefits. Now is the time to address this issue comprehensively.
“We are exploring legislation to help undocumented New Jerseyans and we are hopeful the Governor will support our efforts. Leaving undocumented immigrants without any support would have ripple effects on the housing market, businesses and local economic activity and the economic loss would be felt greatly across New Jersey. As the Governor said yesterday, we are not going to break the back of this virus unless we bring us all along.”
Dear Governor Murphy,
As legislators serving Jersey Shore communities from Sandy Hook to Cape May, we write to you on behalf of the families we represent who depend on summer tourism for their livelihoods.
The hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans who earn the bulk of their annual income from Memorial Day to Labor Day need a detailed plan for reopening the Jersey Shore in some capacity to preserve their economic well-being. If we fail to act, all of those workers, their families, and tens of thousands of our cherished small businesses face financial ruin. Our state’s $45 billion tourism economy would be decimated.
With that in mind, we watched with great interest yesterday as you unveiled a roadmap for restarting New Jersey. We know this has not been an easy process, and we support the hard work of your administration. While we are glad that the much anticipated broad strokes for reopening the Garden State have been revealed, we believe we must go further with the preparation of an operational plan with specifics for the Jersey Shore, which should be shared before Memorial Day.
Such a plan may be developed through the newly formed Governor’s Restart and Recovery Commission that you announced as part of the reopening process. Further, to ensure that the interests of our tourism industry are considered, we recommend that a small business owner from the Jersey Shore and a representative of Atlantic City casinos be included as members of the commission.
Additionally, we are mindful that there exists a wonderful variety of communities along our coast that have vastly different capabilities for supporting the needs of visitors. Some may be more capable than others in implementing social distancing measures, and there are disparities in public health infrastructure that will need to be considered. The commission would be well advised to consult with the mayors in these communities that have this important local knowledge. It also should consider the reopening of parks and other open spaces that people will want to access after weeks of isolation.
As New Jersey moves toward lifting or easing stay-at-home orders and restrictions on business operations, we share your belief that reopening must be undertaken in a safe, sustainable manner. While we are concerned by some of the images from other places around the nation that have not effectively planned or communicated reopening guidelines with the public, we believe our joint efforts can lead to better outcomes in New Jersey. That’s why it’s so imperative that we begin work on this plan starting today.
There are few better places to be than the Jersey Shore in summertime. People return year after year because our beaches, boardwalks, and coastal communities are refreshing for the mind, body, and soul.
Let’s give our Shore communities and the visitors they depend upon a plan with some hope for this summer.
Sincerely,
Sen. Robert Singer
Deputy Minority Leader
Sen. Chris Brown
Deputy Conference Leader
Sen. Michael Testa
1st Legislative District
Sen. Declan O’Scanlon
13th Legislative District
At-Risk Patients Can’t Get the Care They Need
Senator Joe Pennacchio, while applauding the Governor for opening up parks, is calling on the Murphy Administration to begin reinstating “elective” surgeries in the state. “We are finally allowing people to get out and walk in our parks and reap the physical and emotional health benefits of exercise. Now it’s time to prioritize the general health of the population and the fiscal stability of our essential hospitals,” said Senator Pennacchio (R-26). “With the emphasis on the virus, at-risk patients have not had access to important and necessary procedures. It’s time to allow people who are not infected to get the care they need from hospitals, health centers, doctors, dentists and eye doctors.”
Pennacchio cited specific concerns for cancer and heart patients and those awaiting biopsies and diagnostic procedures. As the early cases of coronavirus began appearing in the state, there was a heavy emphasis on preparing hospitals to handle unprecedented demand from infected patients. As the pandemic worsened, residents were ordered to stay home in self-isolation.
“The people of our state were asked to make significant sacrifices, and as they always do in times of crisis, they responded,” Senator Pennacchio said. “The public’s cooperation and inconvenience helped flatten the curve, and it is beginning to dip downward. This has come at great cost, however, with record job loss and incalculable damage to our access to non-COVID medical care.”
In March, Murphy signed Executive Order No. 109, suspending all elective surgeries and invasive procedures as hospitals poured resources into preparing for the onslaught of coronavirus patients.
The long-term financial and health care implications for hospitals and all health centers should be a grave concern, the Senator emphasized.
“Early in this crisis, both the state and federal governments were mobilizing to save lives. It was the right thing to do at the time, but it created severe financial pressures on facilities and may have put some non-COVID patients at risk,” said Senator Pennacchio. “Hospitals and medical offices are hurting. It is time to shift emphasis to saving our healthcare system. Phase One of Washington’s plan to open up America allows elective surgeries to resume on an outpatient basis. New Jersey should take these steps immediately.”
Politico’s recent report analyzing the impact of the halt of elective procedures quoted the president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists who said, “Let’s be clear, elective surgeries are the lifeblood of many hospitals, if not all hospitals.”
The impact is hitting hard in New Jersey. A spokesperson for the state’s Hospital Association told NJ 101.5 the temporary freeze on elective surgeries means some areas of hospitals are quiet right now and people who work in those settings may be candidates for furloughs and layoffs.
Shore Medical Center in Somers Point sent a letter to employees “stating they had invested ‘significant resources’ on equipment to protect their staff who are treating COVID-19 patients,” NBC 10 reported earlier this month. “They also said they were experiencing a ‘dramatic decrease in revenues’ after they canceled elective surgeries and other scheduled services while protecting staff and patients.”
Other facilities across the state are – or are contemplating – furloughing employees.
“The coronavirus did not overwhelm our medical capacity as feared, but one of the many lessons from this pandemic is that the demand for beds could surpass our supply in a worse-case outbreak,” said Senator Pennacchio. “If we’re going to rely on doctors and hospitals in emergencies, we must unshackle doctors and allow them to do what they were trained to do and treat patients.”
Photo by JAFAR AHMED on Unsplash
When they’re not taking money for political endorsements or scheming to intimidate and harass public employees to get more public contracts, the district 10 Republican team is pushing bills that will probably die in their minority slice of the New Jersey Statehouse, but it’s for a good cause and it gets their name in the political hack websites.
10th District legislators will introduce legislation to create a toll-free helpline for first responders and health care workers who are experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano recognize the physical and mental strain that this pandemic has placed on New Jersey’s health care heroes and believe this helpline will create an outlet to help those who are struggling to deal with the stresses and emotional trauma of this prolonged crisis.
“We would like to thank all first responders and health care workers who are on the front lines day in and day out fighting the battle against this pandemic,” stated Senator Holzapfel. “The pressure and stresses of their profession can have an impact and put at risk both their physical and mental health. We are sponsoring this legislation to aid health care professionals who are struggling with the accumulated burden of watching so many people struggle with COVID-19 for so long.”
Under the legislation, the helpline is to be accessible 24 hours a day, seven days per week and is to respond to calls from first responders, health care workers, and their families.
“Our doctors, nurses and EMTs have played a crucial role in the fight against the coronavirus. While they need to stay physically healthy, we must not forget the emotional strain this pandemic has placed on them and their families,” continued Assemblyman McGuckin. “The hotline will provide a safe space for these health care workers and their loved ones to communicate their feelings of depression, anger and trauma they’ve experienced during this historic time and to get important support from trained professionals.”
The bill directs the Department of Health to establish the hotline in coordination with Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care.
“We witnessed the mental and emotional impact that 9/11 had on firefighters, police officers, and recovery workers,” added Assemblyman Catalano. “Our doctors, nurses, and other frontline workers today will face the same challenges after battling COVID-19. That’s why this hotline will be so important. It’s one way we can help ease the emotional burden that comes with being on the frontlines in a crisis.”
Senator Kristin Corrado is calling for legislative action to advance her bill that would increase the statutory penalties for those who threaten to infect others, including police officers and grocery workers, with COVID-19 during the State of Emergency. “Individuals who cough and spit on law enforcement officers while claiming they have coronavirus are frankly deplorable and disgusting,” said Corrado (R-40). “Further, even if that person is not infected, their actions may require victims to leave their jobs and quarantine from their loved ones until they are tested. If they are sick, they may actually be putting the lives of others at risk. The penalties I have proposed are an appropriate and thoughtfully strong punishment for this uncivilized and dangerous behavior. I am calling for an immediate vote on my bill that will properly punish those who threaten to infect police officers, essential workers, and others with COVID-19.”
Corrado’s legislation, S-2361, would clarify that is it a second-degree crime to make credible threats to infect another with COVID or a similar infectious disease that has triggered a public emergency.
A crime of the second degree is punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $150,000, or both.
On April 30, a Gloucester County woman claiming to have COVID-19 spit on a police officer. Last month, a Monmouth County man purposefully coughed on a grocery store employee, stating he had coronavirus.
“To those who think it is cheeky to pull a sick prank like this – you will suffer the consequences of your poor decisions,” added Corrado. “These threats will not be taken lightly, and those found guilty will be punished to the fullest extent of the law.”
TRENTON, NJ – Senator Joe Pennacchio released the following statement after Governor Murphy Governor had “knucklehead” signs posted on state highways. “I strongly condemn the flippant language the Governor has used in press conferences and on these signs. It is disrespectful to the citizens of New Jersey who have – and will continue to – make hard sacrifices to stop the spread of the coronavirus and save lives. “The sophomoric language is unbecoming of the Governor, and certainly not fair to the people of New Jersey. Webster defines a knucklehead as a ‘stupid person.’ Is that what you think of sacrificing New Jersey citizens? Really?”
TRENTON, N.J. – Assemblyman Brian Bergen is introducing legislation to put a layer of checks and balances on the governor’s ability to enact emergency executive orders.
“The governor’s ability to unilaterally impose restrictions on the freedoms of our citizens cannot go unchecked,” said Bergen (R-Morris). “One person with near absolute power is dangerous. Governor Murphy doesn’t even have a problem admitting that he doesn’t consider the Bill of Rights. My legislation will ensure that the governor has the ability to take emergency action, but that action must be reviewed and approved by the legislature within 14 days or it will expire.”
The governor’s emergency powers are defined in the Disaster Control Act to assist with a war effort, and was expanded to provide for civil defense and natural and unnatural disasters.
The state Supreme Court warned in Worthington v. Fauver, 1982, that “These emergency powers represent an extraordinary delegation of authority by the Legislature to the Executive. Because of the extraordinary nature of that authority, the executive orders must not only bear a rational relationship to the goal of protecting the public, but their scope must not exceed the extent of the emergency.”
According to Bergen, the steps Gov. Phil Murphy has taken have crossed that line.
“Right now, the governor is picking winners and losers in the business community,” said Bergen. “He is allowing box stores to remain open while shuttering main street businesses. You can buy a bike from Target but not your local bike shop; you can pave a road but not a driveway; you can buy a sandwich but not ice cream. Governor Murphy is making these decisions in a bubble with no checks and balances. That needs to end now and should never be allowed to happen again.”
Bergen’s legislation would require legislative review after 14 days of any executive order and would not allow an executive order to extend beyond that point without the affirmation of the legislature.
“The legislature is the lawmaking body of the state, and no governor should be able to trump all state, county and municipal law with the stroke of a pen without those actions being reviewed and approved by the legislature,” concluded Bergen.
SPARTA, N.J. – Following Assemblyman Parker Space’s comments that the governor’s plan to restart the state’s economy was more of a road block than a road back, he issued an online petition and video calling for concrete plans to reopen businesses and get people back to work. “I think it’s time the state legislature stands up and takes action against Murphy’s directives. We need to have a plan when we’re going to be able to get our doors open and his plan was, I have no plan,” said Space (R-Sussex). “Right now, he’s holding our property hostage. Businesses need to open now and we won’t survive much longer if we don’t get some sort of direction coming from our governor.”
WATCH: Parker Space stresses need to reopen businesses and economy in New Jersey
Murphy’s “The Road Back: Restoring Economic Health through Public Health” is more a set of guiding principles than a plan to reopen the economy. It has been criticized by lawmakers and business owners for lacking dates, real action and metrics.
“We have all been doing our part to stop the spread of COVID-19, but we also need to give businesses the opportunity to abide by social distancing protocols while still providing for customers, and most importantly their employees and New Jersey families. We need a solid date for a restart,” said Space.
An online petition calling on the governor to provide specific dates for restarting the economy can be signed here.
TRENTON, N.J. – Almost half of all state deaths related to Covid-19 have occurred in nursing homes. Seventy-four percent of all nursing homes and long-term care facilities have reported viral outbreaks.
“The number of cases and deaths occurring at long-term care facilities and veterans homes make it very clear how underequipped they are to handle and respond to a viral outbreak like the coronavirus,” said Dancer (R-Ocean).
Despite a state law that went into effect in February that requires nursing homes to have outbreak response plans that include policies regarding notifying residents, staff and families, there have been numerous complaints about their lack of communication.
In an effort to better understand the response of these facilities, make recommendations for future infectious disease outbreaks, and investigate the ability to care for people at home, Assemblyman Ron Dancer introduced a bill Friday (A4015) establishing the “Long-Term Care Facility Infectious Disease Preparedness and Home Health Care Study Commission.”
“It’s not enough to just understand what went wrong and why, but we need to prevent such tragedies from ever occurring again,” explained Dancer.
Infectious disease policies and procedures, staffing protocols, and response methods will be examined by the 15-member commission.
“We owe the residents of our veterans homes our freedom, but the system in place has failed to protect them,” said Dancer. “When there is a virus as contagious as the coronavirus, we need to look at ways we can properly care for people at their own homes. How do we retain more home health aides? How do we encourage home health care? The commission will look into all those questions and make recommendations.”
At the state’s veterans homes, 327 of the 696 residents have tested positive for Covid-19. Ninety-eight percent of the residents of the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home in Paramus have either tested positive for the coronavirus, are awaiting test results, or are currently hospitalized. Sixty-two of their residents have died. In the veterans home in Menlo Park, 50 residents have died and 132 have tested positive for the virus.
The commission would need to prepare and submit a report to the governor and legislature within a year.
JACKSON, NJ – Jackson Township Councilman Barry Calogero has announced today that he his hosting a special meeting of the Jackson Township Council and Mayor on Tuesday, May 5th. A special council meeting agenda was released to the public on Friday. That agenda was essentially blank, listing simpy, “Opening comments by Council President Calogero”, with comments by the township council and a public comment portion of the meeting.
Calogero and Mayor Michael Reina were both absent at last week’s regularly scheduled meeting. Tuesday’s special council meeting represents just the third time in the past 15 years that the Jackson Township council has held a special meeting. In October, the council hosted a meeting to discuss litigation with their federal civil rights lawsuit versus Agudath Israel of America. Shortly after that meeting, Jackson Councilman Robert Nixon resigned from his seat on the board.
Tuesday’s meeting does not indicate any discussion of lawsuits as that would be required to be on the official agenda by law if discussed during the executive session. Some insiders within the Reina administration today suspect a resignation could be possible in the form of Jackson Township Councilman Barry Calogero. Calogero was condemned this week by the Anti-Defamation League and denounced by several high ranking members of the New Jersey GOP organization for his call to Governor Phil Murphy to deploy the New Jersey Army National Guard to neighboring Lakewood Township.
“In face of this public crisis, we share the fears that many residents in Ocean County feel for their safety and that of their loved ones. But we cannot allow this fear to embolden those who would take advantage of this moment to stir hatred and division. In this regard, we are deeply concerned by recent statements of Jackson Township Council President, Barry Calogero, suggesting that people are “hiding behind their culture and religious beliefs” to put others at risk,” said ADL Vice President Evan Bernstein “As we are seeing a spike in online anti-Semitism and attempts to scapegoat the Jewish community in Ocean County for Covid-19, these accusations are not only baseless – the virus has spared no religion, township or county – but also deeply offensive to a community that like everyone else is coping with the loss of life. Residents and public officials need to reject attempts at finger-pointing and work together to defeat this virus that is threatening us all.”
Calogero is a political appointee of President Donald J. Trump and heads the USDA’s NJ Farm Services Bureau, a big career change for a lifelong New York City guy who never worked on a farm.
Others suspect Calogero could be resigning because of declining health issues related to his condition of Parkinson’s Disease. Another insider suspects that the township could simply be offering a public presentation of a proposed legal settlement of one of many of the town’s ongoing state and federal lawsuits.
The town has refused to publicly or officially announce the nature of the meeting.
TOMS RIVER, NJ – Toms River Councilman Dan Rodrick called for an investigation into a possible corruption scandal involving 10th Legislative District Assemblyman Gregory P. McGuckin. McGuckin, has become a power broker in Ocean County politics since the departure of former GOP Chairman George Gilmore. According to his 2019 financial disclosure, McGuckin and his firm now holds 45 public municipal job appointments and his law firm recently picked up new contracts in Jackson, Manchester and Lacey – increasing his firm’s annual income to over an estimated $2 MILLION in just the past few months.
According to Rodrick, McGuckin may have been using tactics considered extortion under the law to gain control of the Toms River Municipal Utilities Authority. The MUA is an independent sewer authority whose board of commissioners are appointed by the Toms River council, but hiring decisions and contract negotiations are handled by the executive director.
According to the Asbury Park Press, Assemblyman McGuckin took one of the Toms River MUA Commoner’s out to breakfast on February 5th to speak to him about the commissioner’s health benefits package, and to ask him not to appoint a new Executive Director until he got word from the Assemblyman.
“The Assemblyman is not the township attorney and does not hold local office, so he has no legal authority to discuss who the MUA should hire, and given that the Assemblyman also discussed the commissioner’s health benefits package at that same meeting, I can’t help but wonder if the Assemblyman was pressuring – or even threatening the commissioners to gain control of the MUA” Rodrick said.
Former Republican Club President Robert DiBiase has served as the executive director of the MUA since 2018, but is widely expected to be retiring soon. Prior to that, the post was held by the former Republican Mayor of Brick, Stephen C. Acropolis. It doesn’t appear that DiBiase will cave into the will of the Hill-McGuckin political threats any time soon, which is why they both want DiBiase out of the picture, so McGuckin’s firm can be hired by their handpicked successor to replace DiBiase.
“I want to know why Assemblyman McGuckin is so interested in who is being hired to direct the MUA? Could it be because the MUA is a contract rich authority with millions in work every year?” Rodrick asked.
The Toms River MUA doles out millions in public contracts and legal work. It also has a huge workforce, employing numerous members of Ocean County’s political elite and their families. With such a large payroll and millions in public contracts, having influence over its executive director would increase McGuckin’s power base, and so would holding hostage the MUA’s Commoner’s Health Benefits. The health benefits business is a big business for the McGuckin-Hill syndicate, which enriches former GOP Chairman Joseph Buckalew’s firm, Connor Strong, Buckelew and Norcross. Yes, Norcross, the South Jersey Democrat power broker whose firm is already under its own political corruption investigation by the Attorney General of the State of New Jersey and Governor Phil Murphy.
In a recent Asbury Park Press interview, Assemblyman McGuckin did not deny his meeting or discussion with an MUA commissioner, but instead tried to turn it around on Councilman Rodrick, accusing him of leaking secrete information. Was outing potential corruption and extortion a leak, or is Councilman Rodrick a whistleblower? That’s something the residents of Toms River are going to have to decide. As McGuckin eluded in the Asbury Park Press story, Rodrick isn’t playing according to McGuckin’s Game of Thrones, which now makes him public enemy number one with the political elites of Toms River and Ocean County, and possibly even a target on his head, because we’re talking about tens of millions of dollars on the line in this legalized public mafia, headed by Assemblyman Gregory P. McGuckin.
Also last week, former Toms River Schools Superintendent Michael Ritacco was released from prison for his public bribery and corruption scandal. That scandal also involved a politically connected public health benefits company and a Toms River Mayor who was trying to push his weight around town hall. Both ended up in federal prison. The bribery scheme here is clear. McGuckin puts pressure on the MUA commissioners to hire his guy to replace DiBiase. In return, McGuckin will allow the board to continue taking a Cadillac public health benefits package that costs ratepayers $40,000 per year and the commissioners give McGuckin another six-figure public contract. If that’s not cut and dry enough for the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, FBI or Attorney General, then what is?
At the last township council meeting in April, Rodrick said he is going to file ethics charges against McGuckin and Hill with the New Jersey Department of Consumer Affairs regarding the incident with McGuckin and the Toms River MUA.
McGuckin sought to fine New Jersey residents $15,000 for violating Murphy’s Law.
A law in Trenton is being pushed through that would fine New Jersey residents up to $15,000 for violating Governor Phil Murphy’s executive orders and it’s not the Democrats who are pushing to increase the penalties, it’s your local Republican officials here at the Jersey Shore that are calling for it.
It was sponsored by Toms River Township Republican Assemblyman Gregory P. McGuckin and his partner in crime, John Catalano. Also signing on were Assemblymen Eric Houghtaling, Joan Downey, Sean Kean, Sam Thompson and Diane Gove.
Infractions that have transpired in Ocean County would be severely penalized and while the bill’s creators are seemingly trying to legislate violations in Lakewood Township, those fines would also be applied to the woman who was charged for taking pictures in Seaside Park or the guy playing guitar in a lifeguard stand at the beach.
Currently, violations of Murphy’s Law constitutes a disorderly persons offense carrying a potential sentence of up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
The Republicans at the Jersey Shore are now lining up behind Governor Phil Murphy and his unconstitutional series of laws that turn everyday citizens into criminals, as he released thousands of actual criminals into the streets of New Jersey.
In essence, many petty crimes will have less stiff penalties than a dad taking his little girl to the park to play catch on a warm spring day.
This is the new normal of New Jersey.
This bill would establish a monetary penalty, of not less than $5,000 and not more than $15,000, for any person who willfully or knowingly violates any provision of the “Emergency Health Powers Act,” P.L.2005, c.222 (C.26:13-1 et seq.), or any order issued pursuant to the act, that relates to a social mitigation strategy barring all indoor or outdoor social gatherings or, if still permitted, hosts or participates in any indoor or outdoor social gathering with a number of people that exceeds the number permitted to gather, which provision or order is intended to prevent the transmission or spread of an infectious disease, biological agent, toxic chemical from a chemical weapon, radioactive material from a nuclear or radiological device, or overlap agent or toxin, during a public health emergency declared by the Governor under the act. The penalty would be sued for and collected by the Commissioner of Health, along with all costs associated with the commissioner’s enforcement action, in a summary proceeding before the Superior Court or municipal court with territorial jurisdiction over the action pursuant to the “Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999,” P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.).
LAKEWOOD, NJ – A recently engaged Lakewood man was charged by police after approximately 25 to 30 cars were parked on his street and police said 20 people were standing in front of his home, not adhering to social distancing guidelines. Zachary Novosellar, 62, of Lakewood, was charged on April 28 by the Lakewood Police for hosting an engagement party at his residence on 14th Street. Police found 25 to 30 cars parked on the street and approximately 20 people standing in front of the residence, without social distancing. Novosellar said he arranged for the parties to meet to pick up engagement gifts, according to New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal.
Photo by Ravi Patel on Unsplash
CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – Preparations continue across NASA for the first launch of American astronauts on an American rocket from American soil since 2011. Launch is scheduled for 4:32 p.m. EDT on May 27. The mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew program, which encourages industry to provide human transportation services to and from low-Earth orbit, so that NASA can expand its focus on building spacecraft and rockets for deep space missions.
“A new era of human spaceflight is set to begin as American astronauts once again launch on an American rocket from American soil to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley will fly on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, lifting off on a Falcon 9 rocket at 4:32 p.m. EDT May 27, from Launch Complex 39A in Florida, for an extended stay at the space station for the Demo-2 mission,” NASA said. “The specific duration of the mission is to be determined. As the final flight test for SpaceX, this mission will validate the company’s crew transportation system, including the launch pad, rocket, spacecraft, and operational capabilities. This also will be the first time NASA astronauts will test the spacecraft systems in orbit.”
Behnken will be the joint operations commander for the mission, responsible for activities such as rendezvous, docking and undocking, as well as Demo-2 activities while the spacecraft is docked to the space station. He was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2000 and has completed two space shuttle flights. Behnken flew STS-123 in March 2008 and STS-130 in February 2010, and he performed three spacewalks during each mission. Born in St. Anne, Missouri, he has bachelor’s degrees in physics and mechanical engineering from Washington University and earned a master’s and doctorate in mechanical engineering from California Institute of Technology. Before joining NASA, Behnken was a flight test engineer with the U.S. Air Force.
Hurley will be the spacecraft commander for Demo-2, responsible for activities such as launch, landing and recovery. He was selected as an astronaut in 2000 and has completed two spaceflights. Hurley served as pilot and lead robotics operator for both STS‐127 in July 2009 and STS‐135, the final space shuttle mission, in July 2011. The New York native was born in Endicott but considers Apalachin his hometown. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Tulane University in Louisiana and graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in Maryland. Before joining NASA, he was a fighter pilot and test pilot in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Lifting off from Launch Pad 39A atop a specially instrumented Falcon 9 rocket, Crew Dragon will accelerate its two passengers to approximately 17,000 mph and put it on an intercept course with the International Space Station. Once in orbit, the crew and SpaceX mission control will verify the spacecraft is performing as intended by testing the environmental control system, the displays and control system and the maneuvering thrusters, among other things. In about 24 hours, Crew Dragon will be in position to rendezvous and dock with the space station. The spacecraft is designed to do this autonomously but astronauts aboard the spacecraft and the station will be diligently monitoring approach and docking and can take control of the spacecraft if necessary.
After successfully docking, Behnken and Hurley will be welcomed aboard station and will become members of the Expedition 63 crew. They will perform tests on Crew Dragon in addition to conducting research and other tasks with the space station crew.
Although the Crew Dragon being used for this flight test can stay in orbit about 110 days, the specific mission duration will be determined once on station based on the readiness of the next commercial crew launch. The operational Crew Dragon spacecraft will be capable of staying in orbit for at least 210 days as a NASA requirement.
Upon conclusion of the mission, Crew Dragon will autonomously undock with the two astronauts on board, depart the space station and re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere. Upon splashdown just off Florida’s Atlantic Coast, the crew will be picked up at sea by SpaceX’s Go Navigator recovery vessel and return to Cape Canaveral.
The Demo-2 mission will be the final major step before NASA’s Commercial Crew Program certifies Crew Dragon for operational, long-duration missions to the space station. This certification and regular operation of Crew Dragon will enable NASA to continue the important research and technology investigations taking place onboard the station, which benefits people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future exploration of the Moon and Mars starting with the agency’s Artemis program, which will land the first woman and the next man on the lunar surface in 2024.
The Asian giant hornet, aka vespa mandarinia, aka, the murder hornet, American beekeepers fear are starting to colonize the Pacific Northwest. Murder hornets get their name from their body count. In Japan alone, 50 people each year die from murder hornet attacks. Last fall two murder hornets were confirmed in Washington State and at least one beekeeper believes the destruction of his honey bees came at the hands of these two-inch long hornets. They are the world’s largest hornets and are also nicknamed the yak-killer hornet. A story in the New York Times today put the Asian giant hornet back on the radar in America.
According to the Washington State Department of Agriculture, in December 2019, the agency received and verified four reports of Asian giant hornet near Blaine and Bellingham.
“These are the first-ever sighting in the United States. Canada had also discovered Asian giant hornet in two locations in British Columbia in the fall of 2019,” the department said. “While they do not generally attack people or pets, they can attack when threatened. Their stinger is longer than that of a honeybee and their venom is more toxic. They can also sting repeatedly. If it becomes established, this hornet will have negative impacts on the environment, economy, and public health of Washington State.”
Asian giant hornet attacks and destroys honeybee hives. A few hornets can destroy a hive in a matter of hours. The hornets enter a “slaughter phase” where they kill bees by decapitating them. They then defend the hive as their own, taking the brood to feed their own young. They also attack other insects but are not known to destroy entire populations of those insects.
The USDA reported the Washington detection followed the eradication of a murder hornet nest in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada on September 18, 2019. These were the first detections of the Asian giant hornet in North America. Beekeepers have reported other observations dating back to October through public outreach campaigns by Washington State and British Columbia.
“Eradication of this species focuses on eliminating queens. Strategies to achieve this vary depending on the time of season. Queens can be directly trapped and killed in the early spring and late fall. During the summer, nests can be located and destroyed,” the USDA said. “Nests are formed in the ground and are challenging to locate. Methods for locating nests involve labor intensive strategies.”
If the idea of a bee colony killer lurking in the Pacific Northwest isn’t already a horrifying prospect for American beekeepers, it gets worse. Typical protective clothing worn by beekeepers will not prevent murder hornet sting injuries, so beekeepers on the front lines of this battle will have to upgrade their protective suits to thicker material. So far, the Asian giant hornets have only been confirmed at a few locations in Washington State and farmers and beekeepers are working aggressively to trap and kill the invasive species before any real damage could be done.
Photo by I. Kenpei, GFDL,Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.1 Japan License, Wikimedia.
NEWARK, NJ – New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced that the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) this week issued charges against 20 bars, restaurants, breweries and liquor stores for violating executive orders related to COVID-19. All 20 establishments face suspension of their liquor licenses for at least 10 days. Two other establishments were issued fines for lesser COVID-19 related infractions.
Under executive orders issued by Governor Murphy, businesses licensed to sell alcohol in the state are permitted to remain open during the COVID-19 state-of-emergency, but only for take-out or delivery services of food and alcohol. No table or bar service is permitted, on premise alcohol consumption is prohibited, and alcoholic beverages “to go” must be in sealed original containers.
The establishments facing suspension for violating the orders are:
The establishments that received fines are:
SEASIDE PARK, NJ – The Sawmill in Seaside Heights was one of 20 bars, restaurants and breweries targeted this week by the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control. New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said the restaurant could face at least a 10-day suspension of its liquor license for violating the executive order and serving alcohol inside the bar during the COVID-19 pandemic. The violation was part of a statewide operation by undercover agents visiting bars and trying to order service inside. No further details were given by the AOG’s office regarding the Sawmill incident, but the bar was not issued a monetary fine for their violation.
“Under executive orders issued by Governor Murphy, businesses licensed to sell alcohol in the state are permitted to remain open during the COVID-19 state-of-emergency, but only for take-out or delivery services of food and alcohol,” Grewal said. “No table or bar service is permitted, on premise alcohol consumption is prohibited, and alcoholic beverages “to go” must be in sealed original containers.”
File Photo by Elevate on Unsplash
New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced updates on the Division of Consumer Affairs’ actions to stop price gouging. As of this week:
The Division has logged a total of 4,245 complaints related to the COVID-19 emergency against 2,358 locations. Nearly 90 percent of the complaints allege unlawful price hikes on essential items like food, bottled water, cleaning products, and personal protective equipment such as masks, disinfectants and sanitizers.
Examples of alleged price hikes that consumers have reported to the Division include:
In addition to price gouging, the Division is looking into complaints from consumers alleging unlawful refund practices as a result of closures related to the COVID-19 health emergency. To date, the Division’s overall complaints include 202 reports of health clubs, hotels, ticket agents and other businesses allegedly refusing to issue refunds after they closed or suspended services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
New Jersey’s price-gouging law, which took effect on March 9 upon Governor Murphy’s declaration of a state of emergency, prohibits excessive price increases during a declared state of emergency and for 30 days after its termination. A price increase is considered excessive if the new price is more than 10 percent higher than the price charged during the normal course of business prior to the state of emergency, and the increased price is not attributable to additional costs imposed by the seller’s supplier or additional costs of providing the product or service during the state of emergency.
Price-gouging and other consumer fraud violations are punishable by civil penalties of up to $10,000 for the first violation and $20,000 for the second and subsequent violations. Violators may also be required to pay consumer restitution, attorney’s fees, and investigative fees, and will be subject to injunctive relief. Each sale of merchandise is considered a separate violation.
Consumers who suspect consumer fraud, violations, or believe that businesses have unfairly increased their prices in response to COVID-19, are encouraged to file complaints online to report specific details investigators can follow up on. Photographs of items being sold, receipts and pricing can now be uploaded to our new price gouging complaint form.
Photo by Jacques Bopp on Unsplash
It appears that one city in New Jersey has completely ignored Governor Phil Murphy’s COVID-19 executive orders and this week, nearly 500 new summonses were issued to residents and eight non-essential businesses have been shut down. This city has been a big problem for law enforcement since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and to this day, residents are just not complying. This city also happens to be ground zero for coronavirus infections in New Jersey with 5,579 cases and a staggering 423 deaths.
You might be thinking right now we’re talking about Lakewood Township where most of the media has been aiming their pens in recent months, but no, we’re talking about Newark, New Jersey, one of the true trouble spots nationwide in the COVID-19 pandemic. The Newark Police Department’s COVID-19 task force issued 490 summonses for violations of the emergency orders and ordered eight non-essential businesses closed in enforcement actions during the past week, April 24 through 30.
Here are some other Violations of Executive Orders, Including “Stay at Home” Order, and Ordinances
Violation of the emergency orders is a disorderly persons offense carrying a sentence of up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. Such violations are charged by summons, without arrest.
Middlesex County Acting Prosecutor Christopher L.C. Kuberiet and Director Robert Hubner of the Woodbridge Police Department said an Ocean County man was arrested today and charged with the theft of N95 Respirator masks from a business in Woodbridge.
Stephen Milligan, 54, of South Amboy, was charged yesterday with conspiring with Kevin R. Brady, 49, of Point Pleasant Beach, to steal up to 1,600 respirator masks from Prudential Financial in Iselin. Brady was charged in the theft on April 23. Like Brady, Milligan was charged with theft by unlawful taking and conspiracy to commit theft, both third-degree charges. The two men were charged in an ongoing investigation by the New Jersey State Police, Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, Woodbridge Police Department, and Point Pleasant Beach Police Department, based on a referral from the National Hoarding & Price-Gouging Task Force headed by New Jersey U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito. Brady and Milligan were on-site electrical contractors who had access to storage areas in the Prudential Financial facility. Between March 27 and April 1, Brady and Milligan allegedly stole seven to eight cases of N95 respirator masks, each case containing 200 masks. Prudential Financial had intended to donate the masks to a local hospital.
Brady was charged as a result of a joint investigation by the New Jersey State Police – Cargo Theft Task Force, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Woodbridge Police Department, and the Point Pleasant Beach Police Department, based on a referral from the National Hoarding & Price-Gouging Task Force headed by New Jersey U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito.
During the investigation, it was determined that between March 27 to April 1, 2020, Brady, was employed as an on-site electrician and was working at Prudential Financial in Iselin. During his course of employment, he had unrestricted access to the Prudential Offices and entered a caged storage area in the basement and stole 7-8 cases of N95 Respirator Masks; each case contained 200 masks. Prudential Financial had intended to donate the masks to a local hospital at the time the theft was discovered.
The investigation is active and is continuing. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Brian Vella of the Woodbridge Police Department at (732) 634-7700.
Please report COVID-19 fraud, hoarding, or price-gouging to the National Center for Disaster Fraud’s National Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or email [email protected].
As is the case with all criminal defendants, the charges against Brady are merely accusations and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Photo by Macau Photo Agency on Unsplash
MOUNT LAUREL, NJ – The coronavirus has given perpetrators a new element to each and every arrest by police officers, the ability to spit their coronavirus and wishes of coronavirus on police officers. It’s a disturbing trend that is flying off the shelves quicker than toilet paper and hand sanitizer these days. The latest incident comes out of Mount Laurel where a man broke right through Governor Murphy’s social distancing guidelines to coronarage on another person.
Quentin Daniels, 33, of Mount Laurel, was charged by the Mount Laurel Police on April 28 with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer (4th degree) and obstruction (disorderly persons offense). Police responded to a report of a domestic dispute. Daniels refused to cooperate and attempted to leave. While being handcuffed, he allegedly purposely coughed on officers and said he had the coronavirus. Throughout his transport and upon his initial detention at headquarters, he continually removed the N95 mask placed on him by police and repeatedly coughed on officers, saying, “I hope you all get the virus.”
Brick, NJ – While quarterly property taxes are due May 1, Mayor Ducey and the Township Council have extended the grace period to pay taxes without interest or penalty until May 31. The Council unanimously passed a resolution authorizing the extension on Tuesday evening to provide relief to taxpayers and businesses affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.
“Everyone is experiencing some level of hardship due to the ongoing public health crisis,” said Mayor Ducey. “While we do not have the authority to delay the property tax due date, we do have say over the interest rate on late payments. Waiving that interest for 30 days is one way we can help people struggling during this time.”
The zero percent interest rate effectively provides a 30-day grace period to property owners.
While the Township is only responsible for roughly 30% of the total property tax bill, it is responsible for collecting 100% of property tax payments. The Township then forwards the funds collected to the Brick Township Public Schools, the County of Ocean and local fire districts.
“We are a pass through for most of the property taxes we collect,” said Mayor Ducey. “We send most of what is collected to the schools and county so they can meet their bills.”
The due date for property tax payments is May 1. For Brick Township taxpayers, payment must be received by May 31 to avoid interest on delinquent payments. On June 1, the interest reverts to statutory interest rates retroactive to the due date of May 1 as required by law.
During the pandemic, property taxes can be paid by mail or online by credit card. Tax payments may be made with check, cash, money order and by credit card through Paymentus Corporation (Visa, MasterCard and Discover Card). Be advised Paymentus charges a convenience fee of 2.5% for Credit and debit. Payments made through Paymentus are not received until the next business day and interest may be charged accordingly. Paymentus also allows Echeck payments and charges a $1 convenience fee. Taxes may also be paid via a dropbox at the municipal building.
Property owners may fill out a short form and provide a voided check at the tax office which will allow the Township to make a direct withdrawal (at no additional cost to the property owner or the township) from the taxpayer’s checking account or savings account. ACH payment may be cancelled by the property owner in writing at any time prior to the quarterly tax due date. ACH payments will come out of your account during the ten day grace period. The form can be downloaded on the Township website, www.bricktownship.net.
POINT PLEASANT BORO – We’ve all been stuck in the house now for 45 days and whenever a safe opportunity arises, sometimes you just have to get out, even if it’s just for a simple pleasure in life like getting some ice cream. That outing for one local resident went bad after she was assailed by another woman who just happened to be in the vicinity of the same ice cream stand. After getting ice cream and returning to her car, the woman was approached by a local Karen who coronaraged on her, according to police.
Jaymee Tice, 37, of Point Pleasant Borough, was charged on April 26 by the Point Pleasant Borough Police with second-degree terroristic threats during an emergency. Tice entered the driver’s seat of an occupied vehicle while the driver was inside getting ice cream at Sundaes on Route 88. The car owner saw Tice and returned to her vehicle. She managed to get Tice out, but Tice allegedly shouted at her, saying, “Do you want corona? Do you want to die?”
WOODBURY, NJ – Maybe it’s because New Jersey has been locked down for 45 days or maybe it’s because some people in our state are just crazy, but in Woodbury last week, a woman was charged by police for attacking a nurse and other medical personnel. Allegedly she went full COVID-19 pandemic coronarage and spat on nurses, even scratching one to ‘infect them with her coronavirus”. Now, she’ll have a nice story to tell the grandchildren when they ask her about the great pandemic of 2020.
Alana B. Hall, 24, of Wenonah, was charged on April 26 by the Woodbury Police with terroristic threats during an emergency (2nd degree), aggravated assault (3rd degree), and disorderly conduct. It is alleged that Hall purposely coughed on medical staff at Inspira Medical Center and said she was infected with COVID-19. She allegedly scratched and struck a nurse technician, spat on her, and fought with other medical personnel.