The Morning Briefing - October 11, 2016
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL – Sen. Raymond Lesniak won't run for governor, making the 38-year veteran lawmaker New Jersey's third Democrat in two weeks to skip the race. Instead, Lesniak tells N.J. Advance Media he will go for his 10th state Senate term. Even after Mayor Steve Fulop and Sen. President Steve Sweeney acceded to Phil Murphy last week, Lesniak vowed to go mano y mano with the Middletown millionaire. But, endorsements from a host of county Democratic chairs apparently persuaded Lesniak it would be too much of an uphill battle. Lesniak says his gubernatorial aspirations were to “advance my agenda for the things I've been fighting for my entire career … I'm gonna stay in the Senate and I'm gonna fight harder than ever.”
EDISON – The Republican Hindu Coalition has Donald Trump headlining its anti-terror charity event here on Saturday at the N.J. Convention and Exposition Center. The petulant GOP presidential nominee – fresh from his vulgar videotape scandal and an acrimonious debate with Hillary Clinton – is helping raise money alongside Bollywood celebrities for “Humanity United Against Terror,” the Asbury Park Press reports. Kind of odd for Trump – who's made anti-immigration a campaign centerpiece – to parachute into a Democratic stronghold where Asian immigrants (most from India and most of them neither citizens nor voters ) comprise nearly 40 percent of the population. Trump takes the stage at 9 p.m. Let's hope no one's saree once he opens his mouth.
UNION TOWNSHIP – There are anti-Semites, there are dumb racists and then there are super-dumb racists. The idiots who have twice spray painted swastikas on the home of Peter Jacobs, running for the 7th Congressional seat, hit all three. It’s anti-Semitic, obviously, because of the swastikas. It is dumb because it creates easy publicity for an upstart candidate who is desperate for recognition. And it is super-dumb because Jacobs isn’t even Jewish; he is Indian-American and raised Christian, NJ 101.5 reports. If you are going to be a politically-charged racist, at least be accurate.
BACK WOODS – Bow hunters in New Jersey – often frowned upon in our congested cities and towns – relish this time of the year. With the encouragement of the state, they fan out through the backwoods of New Jersey with their favorite weapons and go “Thwat!” at anything that looks like a black bear. Yesterday was the first day of the hunt, with 146 bears killed. Hunters are giddy to note they nearly set a record for bear deaths; their “harvest” being the second-highest number since the state kick-started bear hunting in 2010 to thin the population. Uh, congratulations?
WAYNE – Assume that teens lit up social media last night, as a bomb threat cleared the Willowbrook Mall at 8:30 p.m. Wayne cops say a note was found before closing time, prompting well-trained mall security to wipe the mustard off their neckties and lumber into action. The Passaic County Bomb Squad was also dispatched, navigating around the throngs of 13-year-old girls, sobbing as they sat on the curb, losing out on the big sale at Pink. The good news: All Clear(isil).
IN THE MEDIA
NEWARK - New Jersey's cities often get short-shrift in state politics. NJ Spotlight is pressing the case with its second-annual "NJ Spotlight on Cities" conference, to be held Friday at New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Featured is a chat between Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and former Gov. Thomas Kean, as well as a closing panel of likely 2017 gubernatorial candidates – whomever they may be. Also expect talk about a wide range of topics, from the opioid crisis to community schools to environmental justice. Register here, including tremendous and exciting discounts for non-profits, educators, students and activists. No word yet on a Groupon.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
NEWRY, Maine – Expect one well-deserved back rub, as a Westbrook man clinched first place in this year’s North American Wife Carrying Championship. With his wife in tow, he now packs his bags for the world championship in Finland next year. To win, Elliot Storey carried his wife, Giana, through a 278-yard obstacle course featuring log hurdles, sand traps and water hazards in just 59.18 seconds. His award? Eleven cases of Goose Island Octoberfest beer and $665.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
America bid farewell to the hand-cranked telephone on this day in 1983, when the phone company yanked 440 customers in Bryant Pond, Maine into the 20th century, switching them to direct-dial telephones. Now, 33 years later, the town even has a basic Facebook site.
WORD OF THE DAY
Banausic [buh-NAW-sik] - adjective
Definition: Related to earning a living
Example: Consider my laptop to be my favorite banausic instrument.
WEATHER IN A WORD
Autumnal