The Morning Briefing - March 12, 2015
TRENTON – The much-debated, often-despised and completely maligned PARCC test will hit center stage today as state Education Commissioner David Hespe will appear before the Senate Education Committee to defend the test and himself. Hespe is expected to field critics’ questions about how PARCC is lousy, poorly written, expensive to administer, pointless, an unfair way of gauging teachers, and stressful to students. Also, generally speaking, how PARCC disrupts our public education system to the detriment of all society, now and forever.
TRENTON – It seems the Federal Emergency Management Agency is about to embark on a bureaucratic nightmare, opening up and reviewing 144,000 flood insurance claims filed by Superstorm Sandy victims. It follows a scathing report from 60 Minutes, as well as other allegations of soulless insurance companies doctoring engineering reports and rejecting legitimate claims to save a buck. No clue how long this review would take or the costs involved. But those found culpable should foot the bill, with a hefty mark-up, and not be allowed to pass the expense on to their customers.
FREEHOLD – Rarely do you hear “animal control officer” and “racist texts” in the same sentence, but we are throwing it out here, as the chief of the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has resigned amid a lawsuit. The Asbury Park Press reports the former chief apparently compared blacks to primates and threw in some insults to Jews and gays, as well. The chief says it was all a joke (ha-ha) by a bunch of guys (ha-ha), but the animal cruelty investigator filing the lawsuit wasn’t laughing.
ROSELLE – The borough made some history last night, swearing in the first female mayor in the 132-year history of the town. Christine Dansereau assumed the oath of office, succeeding Jamel C. Holley, who resigned to represent the 20th District in the Assembly. Holley, who also made history as the youngest person elected mayor of Roselle, will appear with Dansereau on the primary ballot, where they will actively look for ways to make more history.
ATLANTIC CITY – For those still trying to follow the saga of the bankrupt $2.4 billion Revel, the issue is back in the courts today. A judge will decide if the sale goes through to a Florida developer for a bargain basement $82 million, or if other potential buyers with more money can be considered. Or, the judge could just throw her hands up, give up and liquidate the place.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – One must wonder how drunk a man must have been, as he dropped to the ground and rolled around in dog poop to avoid arrest. The Times Leader tells the story a local man who jumped into traffic Monday night, apparently high and drunk. In a slurred voice, he told cops he was wobbling around to avoid stepping in the dung. When cops tried to arrest him, he dropped and rolled in the stuff, telling cops they can’t arrest a guy covered in feces. Cops disagreed, cuffing the guy, but kept the windows wide open for the ride to the police station.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was this day in 2013 that Google settled a privacy lawsuit, paying $7 million in damages for the way it took private information from WiFi networks from 2008 through 2010. Seemed a great way to sock it to Google, until one realized the search engine is worth at least $395 billion, plus all those hidden assets.
WORD OF THE DAY
Borborygm – noun
A rumbling or gurgling noise produced by wind in the bowels. Plural is borborygmi
Example:
Wilkes-Barre Cop #1 – “Jeez, it smells like a borborygm bombed the back seat. That drunk guy wreaks!
Wilkes-Barre Cop #2 – “You kidding, Carl? It’s much worse, like a whole bunch of borborygmi! We gotta hit the car wash after our donut run.”