The Morning Briefing - July 16, 2015
UP IN THE AIR – So, what knucklehead was spending the summer evening last night shining a green laser beam at planes passing near Newark Liberty International Airport? The pilots of 11 commercial airplanes reported the existence of a yahoo about four miles south of the Outerbridge Crossing shining the beam, which blinds pilots. Authorities quickly changed landing patterns at Newark to avoid the laser. If caught, this person could be looking at 20 years in jail and a whole new kind of pointer.
MURRAY HILL – When you think high-tech innovation, it’s California’s Silicon Valley or maybe Boston’s Route 128 corridor. Right? But Marcus Weldon, the president of Bell Labs, told those gathered for PSE&G’s Power Lunch yesterday that New Jersey still remains a hotbed of innovation. Weldon - in charge of the world-renowned research and development laboratory responsible for modern telecommunications - said New Jersey somehow lost its rightful place. The world, he says, needs to know Murray Hill is still a hotbed of innovation, just as it was in the mid-20th century. The trick is to steal some narrative from Silicon Valley and other trendy places that include the flip-flop as must-have business attire.
NEW BRUNSWICK – The Rutgers Board of Governors trudges into closed session this afternoon, expected to resurface in an hour with some all new and exciting tuition hikes for students. Yes, Rutgers is one of the most expensive public colleges in the universe, as it prepares the next generation of New Jerseyans to live in one of the most expensive places in the universe, with our outrageous property taxes, commuting costs and real estate. Yet, at “only” $25,000 a year, the state university is still considered a bargain when compared with the likes of such private institutions as Drew University or Stevens. Expect that to be a key talking point this afternoon.
LINDEN – Grassroots groups are gearing for battle, as Pilgrim Pipeline is looking to construct an underground line that would carry crude oil through New Jersey. The Record says this is a $1 billion project, with 16.8 million gallons of crude to head each day between Linden and Albany. That is 178 miles of pipe. The company has not yet filed a formal application, and it will ultimately be up to Gov. Chris Christie and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to give the green light. With municipal and county officials lining up in staunch opposition, Pilgrim is going to need one heck of a song and dance.
TRENTON – The state Department of Education has dumped a huge Excel spreadsheet on its website, unveiling the findings of its new teacher evaluation system. So much irony here, as the teachers are the ones given the grades. They can be deemed “ineffective,” “partially effective,” “effective” or “highly effective.” The very good news is that 97 percent of our teachers are considered effective or above. You can check out the spreadsheet here but understand that it does not list the names of individual teachers, like Miss Crabtree and her fanaticism with cats.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
LAS VEGAS – Apparently, heading to Vegas to get hitched by an Elvis impersonator doesn’t have all the class it once did, as the city’s velvet-clad wedding chapels are reporting a deep drop in business. The Las Vegas Sun said nearly 47,000 fewer couples are being married each year in those little chapels of love compared to a decade ago. For a place that was once home to one out of 20 weddings in the United States, now is the time to spring to action. The county clerk is asking government officials to increase the fee of a marriage license by $14, with the additional money used for a national campaign to woo drunken elopers.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Love was certainly in the air on this day in 1994, when blonde bombshell Anna Nicole Smith, 26, made a lifelong commitment to 89-year-old billionaire J. Howard Marshall II.
WORD OF THE DAY
Widdershins – adverb
Definition: In a backwards or counterclockwise direction. Often, witch lingo
Example: The witch did the spell whirling her hands around clockwise and then widderrshins.