The Morning Briefing - July 12, 2016
STATEWIDE – Roadside New Jersey is now a graveyard of idle construction equipment, as $775 million in state projects sits in limbo. The Record notes there is plenty of other stalled work, just out of public view, as NJ Transit halted some $2.7 billion in projects. Gov. Chris Christie, who famously cancelled the $9 billion ARC tunnel in Manhattan in October 2010, has now halted work on a $500,000 study to rebuild the train tunnel between New Jersey and New York, and dig a new tunnel beside it. Grrr. So, we all sit and wait. We wait to see if the governor and lawmakers can figure out this complicated mess. And the governor waits to see if he will be picked to run for vice president.
NEW BRUNSWICK – Rutgers University seems to be at the epicenter of the cola wars. Ten years ago, Pepsi was able to steal the plum account from Coca-Cola, throwing Rutgers $17 million over a decade. But now Coca-Cola has stepped up again, getting serious, and likely throwing millions more at the university for the exclusive rights to supply caffeine, sugar and a myriad of fizzy goodies to the thirsty masses. No details on the contract amount, but it was just high enough for Pepsi to back off and maybe start scouring the middle schools.
ON CAMPUS – Getting state-funded financial aid could get a bit easier for thousands of American-born children of illegal immigrants living in New Jersey. Until now, the state agency that awards state-funded college grants or loans would automatically deny any would-be college kid who couldn't show valid Social Security numbers for their immigrant parents. The Higher Education Student Assistance Authority is now changing its denial policy, NJ.com reports. Rejections won't be automatic and its appeals process will get less complicated when rejections do happen. So now, more students can go to Rutgers, crack open a Coke and smile.
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL – What's funnier than a Republican horde descending on downtown Cleveland to grudgingly pick a Presidential candidate many don't like? Answer: Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick. Okay, so Jersey's very own GOP funnyman won't take center stage at Quicken Loans Arena to soften up the convention crowd. Instead, Bramnick will do his 45-minute schtick next week at popular steakhouse in a Cleveland suburb. He expects a “captive audience” of 400 Garden State Republicans for his fundraising show. Other than his own performance, Bramnick told the Courier News, he looks forward to spending time at his hotel's “bar, swimming pool and (with other) Republicans … in that order.” None of those Republicans seem to be Donald Trump.
CRANFORD – If someone wants to pursue a college degree, it shouldn’t matter skin color or zeroes in a bank account. Right? So, that is why Union County College is launching a fundraising program for Black students to be able to succeed and graduate. Assemblyman Jamel Holley has embraced the campaign, hosting an event tomorrow night at the Cranford campus, from 6-9 p.m. For just $100 at the door, you can help close the gap.
JACKSON – Standing under a cascade of cool water on hot, sticky summer days sounds like a kid's dream come true. This Ocean County town made it happen with their new $197,000 sports-themed “spray park,” where an oversized baseball mitt, soccer ball, baseball and football goal posts are all interactive fountains, sprinklers and waterfalls designed for children under 12. The town opened its spray park on weekends only in mid-June, but it quickly became so popular that the Jackson Times says it's now open daily. Only a few other towns now have spray parks or “spraygrounds.” Considering the popularity, these may be newest way for towns to use up some of the federal block grant money or open space trust fund cash that's just burning a hole in municipal coffers. Of course, cracking open a fire hydrant is still lots cheaper.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
GOOCHLAND, Va. – If you have a kid, chances are you already know about the brand-new Pokemon Go app. In Goochland, where people take property rights extremely seriously, no one is pleased to be having kids wandering all over to place to play the smartphone game. And so there’s an official warning from the Goochland Sheriff's Office, saying that kids don’t have a license to trespass to play this “augmented reality” game, which encourages them to run around the physical world to find and catch new Pokemon on their screens. So, kiddies, stay out of stores, churches, government buildings and anywhere else, or the Goochland sheriff will show you what reality is really like.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was this day in 2011 that Moody’s downgraded Ireland’s debt rating to “junk status.” But there was also some good news: just 248 more days until St. Patrick’s Day.
WORD OF THE DAY
Moil (MOYL) - verb
Definition: To work really hard
Example: That mohel sure knows how to moil. Three a day, now, I hear.
WEATHER IN A WORD
Rays.