The Morning Briefing - October 12, 2016
ATLANTIC CITY - Pretty sneaky, sir. That's the thought among some lawmakers in Trenton, wondering if investor Carl Icahn deliberately closed the Trump Taj Mahal on Monday to get rid of those pesky 3,000 union workers who kept protesting in front of his property. The thought is that Icahn lay low for a few months, do some interior renovations and - WHAM - reopen the casino under a new name, with a non-union workforce. Senate President Stephen Sweeney says the practice is "union busting," and he wants to ensure Icahn doesn't get away with it. That prompted Sweeney to introduce a bill that would strip Icahn of his casino license. Salivating lawyers are already gearing for a bloody fight.
JERSEY CITY - Political signs are just a sign of the times, at least for the next 28 days or so. But the city's public works crews just got orders to remove the excessive glut of campaign signs and clean up fliers and pamphlets quickly becoming litter here. Signs are cropping up on city-owned property, right-of-ways, utility poles and street corners where they block motorists' visibility, the Jersey Journal says. It's all the result of 10 school board candidates, three Ward B council candidates and, of course, contentious campaigns over a North Jersey casino ballot question. We also hear unconfirmed reports of a Presidential election.
ON THE RAILS - Without a middle finger, how can a NJ Transit commuter possibly express how he really feels? Perhaps that question will be in court papers, as a 66-year-old Tenafly passenger is suing NJ Transit for losing half of his middle finger in the September 29 crash in Hoboken. His lawyers were working the media yesterday, holding a press conference at the Hilton in Newark to show some gory photos of their client with blood running down his face and a close-up of his messed-up finger.
SOUTH BRUNSWICK - Luckily there's lots of land left here because a Superior Court judge has ordered this town to come up with 2,907 more low-and moderate homes over the next decade to meet its affordable housing obligation. Judge Douglas Wolfson added 1,374 affordable units last week to the 1,533 that he already said this sprawling 41-square-mile town must allow, TAPinto South Brunswick reports. The additional lower-cost units, the judge ruled, are to cover a 16-year gap from 1995-2015 when too few affordable units were built. Unlikely South Brunswick takes this lying down, so expect gnashing of teeth followed by legal appeals.
STATEWIDE - Creepy clowns are giving poor Ronald McDonald a bad rap. So, McDonald's Corp. says its popular red-haired, red-nosed mascot will be laying low in McDonaldland until scary-clown sightings subside. The company says it's just being "thoughtful with respect to Ronald McDonald's participation in community events" due to the "current climate around clown sightings in communities." Not to worry kids: Ronald - who made his TV debut 1963 as the "Hamburger-Happy Clown" - is holed up with supportive pals like Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, and, the crowd favorite, Grimace.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
PORTLAND, Ore - Can a bakery be racist? Some think so, says the Oregonian, reporting that some customers are angered by the special "Mr. President" cupcake. The cupcake has an Oreo baked inside white cake, with cookies n' cream buttercream. The bakery owner denies the racism, noting she is black and that President Obama's favorite cookie is the Oreo. Still, plenty of customer criticism on Yelp, prompting the baker to rename her creation "the Professional." OK, now that's something we can support, just as long as no one will be yelling "You're Fired!"
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
The Minnesota Vikings wanted their man and were willing to do anything to get him. And that's why they agreed to trade 12 professional football players to the Cowboys to score running back Herschel Walker on this day in 1989. It was called the "Great Trade Robbery," helping the Cowboys march toward a Super Bowl victory in 1992.
WORD OF THE DAY
Phlegmatic [fleg-MAT-ik] - adjective
Definition: Having or showing a slow and stolid temperament
Example: I wish everyone a "good morning," in my typical phlegmatic way.
WEATHER IN A WORD
Clouds