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The Morning Briefing - January 20, 2016

TRENTON - Anti-smokers slammed Gov. Chris Christie as "a hypocrite," after he used a pocket veto yesterday to block a bill raising the age for buying cigarettes and other tobacco products from 19 to 21. Rob Crane, head of the Ohio-based Preventing Tobacco Addiction Foundation, told the AP: "It is the height of hypocrisy to buoy one's campaign recounting his mother's fatal addiction to nicotine, and with millions of Facebook video views about his friend's losing battle with addiction, then veto a bipartisan bill ... to keep thousands of adolescents away from addiction and death." Media suggests Christie's decision may have been fueled by money: Big tobacco gave more than $1 million to the Republican Governors Association while Christie was running the place. Meanwhile, raising the age would have cost New Jersey up to $16 million in cigarette and sales taxes. Our take: let teens debate the issue between hacks.

TRENTON - School kids took a hit yesterday when Gov. Chris Christie put the kibosh on a bill to guarantee them 20 minutes of daily recess. The recess bill would have ensured that kids in grades K-5 would get a break from classwork each day, giving them time to cultivate social skills and exercise. Christie's veto came just after after he criticized First Lady Michelle Obama for "meddling" in school lunch programs. Silver lining: The kiddies only have to wait a few short years before they can buy cigarettes.

ATLANTIC CITY - Ok, this is getting trickier than a high stakes game of Pai Gow Poker. New Jersey's struggling gaming resort is careening toward bankruptcy in the upcoming months, yet Gov. Chris Christie surprised many by rejecting legislation meant to save the city from financial ruin. Especially perplexing was that the governor rejected bills that he had marked up and were returned to him with the changes he requested. And the legislation received the support of the emergency manager he assigned to Atlantic City to save it. When the governor vetoes his own bills, and ignores the advice of the people he puts in place, one must wonder if he is just giving fuel to those salivating for a state takeover.

DOWN THE SHORE - Four hospitals in Monmouth and Ocean counties are now scrambling to enhance the quality of care, an Asbury Park Press report says. Everything from bed sores and catheter infections to pneumonia and post-op hip fractures caused the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to penalize CentraState Medical Center in Freehold, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, Ocean Medical Center in Brick and Southern Ocean Medical Center in Stafford. The hospitals are losing 1 percent of their Medicare reimbursements this fiscal year, forcing them to perform better. That also means the cost of a "Get Well Soon" Mylar balloon at the lobby gift shop will now cost $589.

HOWELL - Do-gooders beware: Being kind to wildlife can get you in trouble. Take Maria Vaccarella: She brought two abandoned baby squirrels into her home last summer, kept them warm and safe, bottle-fed them, even named them "George and Lola." After Vaccarella's family posted cute snaps and videos on social media, two state Fish and Wildlife agents showed up at her door last Halloween to say "keeping captive game animals" is illegal before they carted away little George and Lola, CBS News reports. Days later, a summons arrived in the mail. Now Vaccarella faces a $500-$1,000 fine and up to six months in jail. She goes to municipal court Jan. 27 to fight the charge. As for George and Lola, we think they were whisked into a secret wildlife protection program. Identities changed. New jobs in the woods. Whereabouts unknown.

JERSEY CITY - If you're old enough to work, you should be old enough to vote. That's the thinking behind 15-year-old Mahsiah Imes' effort to lower the voting age for municipal and school elections from 18 to 16. Because our state Constitution doesn't specifically prohibit anyone under 18 from voting, Imes believes cities, town and boroughs can use that loophole to let 16- and 17-year-olds cast ballots in local races. The Jersey Journal says the eighth-grader has persuaded Council President Rolando Lavarro and Assemblywoman Angela McKnight to explore his idea further. If Mahsiah gains any more traction, Mayor Steve Fulop may need a new "youth strategy." Meanwhile, free bubble gum for all voters.

IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS

AT HOME - If the password for your computer happens to be "123456," congratulations! You have the most common password on the planet. You've beaten those who have the word "password" as their password, followed by those who use "qwerty." Perhaps now is the time to change you password to something a bit trickier. Hmmm. How about "password1"?

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

It was this day in 1981 that Ronald Reagan became the oldest U.S. President, at 69 years and 349 days. Bernie Sanders, if elected, would be 75. Hillary Clinton would be 69. Marco Rubio would be 14.

WORD OF THE DAY

Majuscule - (mah-JUS-kyool) - noun

Definition: A large letter, either capital or uncial, used in writing or printing.

Example: I get what you are saying; no need for another darn MAJUSCULE.