The Morning Briefing - February 13, 2015
TRENTON – As if it matters to Gov. Chris Christie, his poll numbers continue to plummet in New Jersey, where he is already in his second term and will likely never again seek statewide office. This may be pointless to note, but 53 percent of New Jersey voters now have an unfavorable view of the Governor, a Rutgers Eagleton poll shows. Pollsters say the former darling of New Jersey politics is plagued by BridgeGate and his out-of-state travel schedule as an unannounced Presidential candidate still mulling it over. Some respondents “used words like 'arrogance,' 'rudeness' and 'abrasive' to explain the turnaround from his high flying post-Sandy days,” pollsters say.
MAHWAH – Ramapo College has a new revenue stream – doubling fines for drunk students requiring a trip to the ER. And if kids host a party in their dorm rooms, with under-aged students obviously in attendance, they’ll get booted from campus housing and slapped with a $500 fine. The Record reports the college is forced to crack down on the fun after some pretty awful incidents since the semester began last month. Students – taking stupidity to the nth degree - are giving the administration no choice.
NEWARK - Kai Campbell grew up in the South Ward, graduated from University of Virginia with a degree in economics, and came back to Newark. His original plan wasn’t to start a burger joint. But those of us in Newark who enjoy a good gourmet burger are appreciative. Campbell opened BurgerWalla on Halsey Street at the end of 2014. If you’ve ever been to Shake Shack, Smash Burger or Five Guys, you get the idea. Read the Morning Briefing exclusive here.
ATLANTIC CITY – Thinning the herd is benefitting the remaining casinos, as overall revenue from January has spiked nearly 19 percent since a year ago, the Press of AC reports. Casino execs are praying this is the bounce-back they have waged heavily on. Even with four fewer casinos, the total revenue from last month was still 1 percent higher than last January’s. And it has been damn frigid out, as well, meaning perhaps the worst is finally over… Please?
ATLANTIC CITY – The Golden Nugget may already have $1.5 million in the coffers for its February earnings, as a judge ordered 14 gamblers to pay back their winnings. It all stems from a mini-baccarat game a couple of years ago, when the cards weren’t shuffled, the Press of AC reports. Wide-eyed gamblers quickly caught on to the snafu, raising their bets from $10 a hand to $5,000. These guys ended up winning 41 straight hands before the pit boss realized that perhaps something was amiss. The judge ruled those hands were not legal because they did not comply with the rules of the game, which, er, requires shuffled cards.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
WASHINGTON – For a couple of minutes, C-SPAN was actually interesting, as the dozens of viewers watched Maryland Republican Rep. Andy Harris photobomb a fellow lawmaker on Tuesday. He was caught winking and grinning to the camera as he purposefully sat behind Rep. Buddy Carter of Georgia. Viewers watched Harris wink, grin, and then text from his phone, telling his mom to tune in and watch him grin and wink. He winks again 30 seconds later, and continues to grin and text for another minute. A Harris spokesman says mom likes to watch her son on C-SPAN. Good for mom, but is any work getting done in Congress? See it here.
IN THE MEDIA
MONTCLAIR – One day after the media was bidding farewell to Bob Simon of 60 Minutes, another giant in the industry has died – David Carr, the media columnist for The New York Times, well known for his battle against drug addiction. Last night, just hours before his death, Carr, 58, moderated a "Times Talks" conversation with Edward Snowden about his leak of National Security Agency documents. The newspaper is calling Carr “an indispensable guide to modern media" and “the finest media reporter of his generation.” Can’t get a better compliment than that.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was on this day in 1982 that Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” marks its 402nd week on the charts, finally giving us a legitimate reason to use the header at the top of this page.