The Morning Briefing - March 19, 2015
ATLANTIC CITY - When you think "Atlantic City" and "camping," you immediately think: "Hillary Clinton." Right? Us too! And that's why we're not surprised to see former First Lady/ U.S. Senator/ Secretary of State heading down the Parkway today to tell stories by the campfire at the American Camp Association's Tri State CAMP Conference - the largest gathering of camp professionals in the world. Expect wall-to-wall s'mores.
TRENTON - Oh, sweet glory! Spring is set to arrive at 6:46 p.m. tomorrow, after a winter of freezing temperatures and piles of snow. Ahhhh. But, wait! What? It is supposed to begin snowing at 6 a.m. tomorrow? Huh? Three to 6 inches for Sussex, Warren, Morris, Hunterdon and Somerset counties?? And 1 to 3 inches everywhere else??? But what about our budding crocuses? Hopefully, this is just another case of the weatherman confusing New Jersey with Vermont, a common mistake with both states continually appearing on the East Coast.
TRENTON - Democrats will be arriving at the Statehouse today extra early, wearing their favorite, camera-ready neckties and armed with a few key talking points, as the Assembly Judiciary Committee dissects the Christie Administration's proposed $225 million settlement with Exxon Mobil over contamination in Linden and Bayonne. Democrats will once again point to court documents showing damages should be in the $8.9 billion range, and, once again, will question how our tough, take-no-prisoners governor settled for pennies on the buck.
NEWARK - Verizon will be in the house today at George Washington Carver Elementary School, with 150 company employees leading students through STEM activities. Verizon staff is part of an elite group of newly hired college graduates comprising the Verizon Leadership Development Program. With students, they will be painting STEM-themed murals in the school's new science room, brightening the school's blacktop area with line games and assembling new raised planter beds for the gardening club in the school courtyard. They'll also somehow be turning a pizza box into a solar oven, building a robot that vibrates, spins and holds markers to doodle and helping build and race solar-powered cars. Lunch will also be squeezed in there somewhere.
BYRAM - That river isn't going to clean itself. And that is why 500 students and teachers will be heading up to Waterloo Village today for a massive litter clean-up of the Musconetcong River and Morris Canal Greenway Trail. It is all part of the seventh-annual Clean Communities Environmental Student Exchange event, Jersey's one-of-kind epic battle against litter.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
SAN DIEGO - It just seemed a matter of time. Merge the sinful glory of the donut with the high quality ingredients of the Pop Tart and....Voila! A San Diego donut shop has unveiled the "Big Poppa Tart Donut," a gigantic, one-pound donut stuffed with Pop Tart filling. The thing is two square inches of glob, stuffed with strawberry jam and a strawberry Pop Tart, then topped with diced Pop Tart, sprinkles and drizzled jam. They sell for $4 a pop; the shop owner tells the Orange County Register that 150 are sold a day. Not your thing? Go for the camper-preferred s'mores option. (Hillary's)
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was one year ago that the founder of the "Flappy Bird" vowed to reintroduce the app at some point, after his tough decision to remove it, fearing he created a monster that was way too addictive to kids.
WORD OF THE DAY
Cockalorum - noun
Definition: A self-important little man. Example: That weatherman calling for snow on the first day of is spring? Yeah, he is known for all his cockalorum, as well as his reputation for confusing New Jersey with Vermont.