The Morning Briefing May 2, 2012

NUTLEY – A woman who looks as if she sleeps every night in a tanning bed is facing charges for apparently going tanning with her six-year-old daughter. The mother of five told CBS News that she didn't put her child in a tanning bed. Police were notified when the school nurse noticed she had a sunburn, prompting the kid to say, "I go tanning with mommy."

GARFIELD – Gov. Chris Christie is expected to use his "Jersey Comeback" tour stop in Garfield today to slam state lawmakers for not acting on his plan to cut income taxes, NJ.com reports. The Governor still wants to slash income taxes by 10 percent for all New Jerseyans, but Democrats in the state Legislature have their own plan. Summer recess is not far away, so expect Christie to begin beating the drum louder and louder.

JACKSON – There are 950,000 reasons for one detective to be a snitch against two fellow officers. He is walking away with a $950,000 settlement in a harassment claim against the police department, The Asbury Park Press reports. The detective, who headed the union, said fellow officers called him a rat and even left stuffed mouse and rat toys in his desk, after he testified against the officers. The cop said it all took a toll, as he went on extensive sick leave to be treated for emotional distress, prompting a demotion. While this expensive soap opera plays out, local residents just want their streets to be safe.

JERSEY CITY – Liberty State Park – once a gritty industrial area teeming with dockworkers, con artists and prostitutes – is getting a bit hoity-toity. On June 2, the park will host the fifth-annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic – which is apparently the place for all socialites to be seen and admired. The wealthy will be pulled from their waterfront homes in East Hampton to see the likes of Nacho Figueras, who is supposed to be the Derek Jeter of polo. The event will benefit some extremely important charity to be named later. Money and champagne will flow, until the well-coifed caravan returns to their Range Rovers for the four-hour trip back on 495 East.

NEWARK – Big night at the Rock, as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will be performing one-night-only in the Brick City for the first time. It's been sold-out at the Prudential Center – likely since before tickets officially went on sale - as the Boss concludes a 20-show North American swing. Then, he is off to Europe for most of the summer, which is never good for the tourism biz in Asbury Park – where there is always the nice buzz of "will he or won't he" show up at a benefit concert.

PLAINSBORO – Bristol-Myers Squibb isn't sharing how it handles its laboratory animals, rejecting the demands of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Protesters outside the pharmaceutical giant's offices on Tuesday were dressed in monkey masks and holding signs that read, "Monkey Scalded to Death," claiming a monkey had died when it was accidentally locked in a cage that went through hot water. Corporate shareholders, apparently, don't want to talk about any monkey business.

STATEWIDE – The sticky issue of high school graduation rates is getting some attention this morning, after a new formula shows that there are less seniors graduating in New Jersey than originally thought. 2011 had an 83 percent graduation rate under a new federal reporting system. The Class of 2010 – mostly self-reported by school districts – showed nearly a 95 percent rate. Hmm. This raises a lot of questions, such as: "Were school districts not reporting dropouts?" and "Why?"

STATEWIDE – The organ donor community is handing some kudos to Facebook for encouraging people to use an application on the site to become organ donors. NJ Sharing Network notes the percent of people registered as organ donors in New Jersey is one of the lowest in the country; this is a smart way to inspire a new generation to let their wishes become known. Very few other non-profit entities are afforded such a focus on Facebook. This is a home run, and will save many lives.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

"Love is a Wonderful Thing" was not that wonderful for singer Michael Bolton, found guilty this day in 1994 for plagiarizing an Isley Brothers tune.