The Morning Briefing - February 2, 2015
LONDON – With all the delayed openings in New Jersey, it seems the only productive resident is Gov. Chris Christie, in London today with eight events scheduled. We are told this is all about promoting New Jersey and hopefully bringing biological research and development opportunities to the state. Meanwhile, the schedule includes private events with U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom Matthew Barzun, British Prime Minister David Cameron and an official dinner with British cabinet members. Nothing to do with running for President, of course.
ATLANTIC CITY – While their fearless leader is across the pond, apparently working hard to promote New Jersey, state Republicans are already planning for the post-Christie era. The GOP is expecting about 1,000 participants to attend its statewide event today at the Borgata. Of course, there will be plenty of buzz about the governor’s race in 2017, with the likes of Assemblyman Jon Bramnick, State Sen. Tom Kean and Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno expected to speak. We’ll leave it to PolitickerNJ for the gavel-to-gavel perspective.
NEWARK – Sen. Cory Booker will officially be in two places today at the same time. Schedulers have him at Rutgers in Newark meeting with the debate team to discuss student debt legislation from noon to 1 p.m., while reporters are invited to Newark Liberty International Airport at 12:45 p.m. to hear Booker and Sen. Robert Menendez call for more money for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. With all the stranded and cranky out-of-state voters milling around Terminal C, perhaps Booker should just stay within the friendly confines of Rutgers.
NEWARK – When he opened Elbow Room on Halsey Street in Newark two years ago, restaurateur Joel Bolden told Newarkers at a lavish grand opening with then-Mayor Cory Booker and two NFL stars that he loved Brick City because it reminded him of Brooklyn. Well, the love was short lived. The restaurant today is shuttered with a sign on the window advertising the space. Read more here.
WEST ORANGE – Sure, there are plenty of cancellations this morning. Unclear if that includes the really important business of the day – learning if there will be six more weeks of winter. Turtle Back Zoo employees will be consulting at 11 a.m. with “Essex Ed” to observe Groundhog Day. Perhaps Essex Ed will end up by himself, asked to send a text if he saw his shadow.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
PHILADELPHIA – If you think DeflateGate was the scandal of the month, you haven’t heard what happened at Friday’s “Wing Bowl” eating contest. Apparently, professional wrestler Mick Foley was caught stuffing some uneaten chicken wings into his fanny pack. After being ejected, Foley explained he was worried he would overeat - an odd comment for a guy jamming as many chicken wings in his mouth as he could. "I didn't want that to be my legacy," Foley said, whose legacy now is being a cheater in a wing-eating contest.
NEW YORK – Maybe we’ll never know who ditched a bag of 1,000 individually wrapped condoms at a city bus station. But Port Authority police are considering it “case closed,” after responding to the GWB bus station on reports of a suspicious-looking gray satchel. The canine unit was called in Friday night to sniff it out, learning it was just a big bag of rubbers. No one has stepped forward to claim the loot – now just another odd addition to what must be a fascinating “lost and found” department at the Port Authority.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was one year ago that the most expensive Super Bowl ever was played, as the host committee in New Jersey and New York blew through $100 million in public and private funds to hold the big game at MetLife Stadium. A silver lining: players on the Broncos and Seahawks had to pay tax to New Jersey for their income earned here.