The Morning Briefing - June 8, 2015
EAST RUTHERFORD – When you think of rowdy crowds and thrown beer bottles at MetLife Stadium, you’d assume the Jets are in town. But, last night, witnesses told NJ.com that police in full riot gear were throwing tear gas at concert-goers making a run on an oversold hip-hop concert after being denied entrance. Revelers at the annual “Summer Jam” were pushing past security and hopping over fences, yelling at cops and getting handcuffed on the ground. The melee seemed to be all over by 11 p.m., with plenty of strewn trash, broken glass and cops as the only evidence of what the media gushed as “chaos.” What a mess. Perhaps James Taylor should headline “Summer Jam” next year.
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL – ‘Tis the season when long-time prominent national leaders apparently have no idea what they are talking about, as Gov. Chris Christie has blasted Hillary Clinton, claiming “she doesn’t know what she is talking about” when she claimed Republicans are trying to quiet minority and young voters. No idea who knows what anyone is talking about, but kudos to our governor for stealing some headlines in the crowded primary field, showing he can give the Clinton Kingdom a smackdown.
TOMS RIVER – We can only assume this one prisoner really likes the “Tuesday Surprise” at chow time. There’s no other logical reason why, after finally being released from prison after robbing a Toms River shoe store in 1999, he would head right back to the same store and rob the same clerk. The 41-year-old Bridgeton man got hit with another 16 years in jail for stealing $389 and a cell phone, after finishing his first 15-year sentence. Gotta love that Tuesday Surprise.
EDISON — Middlesex County's “Dean of Democrats” – Dr. Thomas H. Paterniti – finishes his 22nd consecutive year as Edison Democratic Chairman tonight. His eight-year stint as party Chairman in the 1970s makes Paterniti the county's longest-serving Democratic leader. A political powerhouse, the Metuchen dentist twice served as Edison's mayor and 12 years in the state Assembly and Senate. Paterniti's decision not to seek a Guinness World Record for his party's leadership has set the stage for tonight's Democratic Committee selection of his successor among three candidates.
TRENTON – Entenmann’s chocolate chip cookies may soon have a run for its money in New Jersey, as a Senate committee today will consider a bill that would allow state residents to officially sell the baked goods they make at home. Honestly, we thought people were allowed to do this all along, with all those bake sales at school. These apparent criminals would now have to set out a placard disclosing the snickerdoodles were baked in a private kitchen, not subject to state inspections. The reason for all this? Exempting home bakers from the regulations that commercial bakers face.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
BOSTON – We can understand if someone has no cash and decides to slip through a turnstile to catch a train. But Boston cops are scratching their heads after a Woburn man was caught slipping through to beat the $2.10 fare – even though he was carrying $7,000 in cash. It wasn’t immediately clear if the man has a lawyer, but we assume he would be applying for a public defender to see if he can save the fees.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was this day in 1983 that is known for the best trifecta of movie premiers, with “Trading Places,” “Gremlins” and “Ghostbusters” being released the same day.
WORD OF THE DAY
Mumpsimus – noun
Definition: An outdated and unreasonable position on an issue.
Example: “Mel still embraces the old mumpsimus that a woman's place is in the kitchen.”