The Morning Briefing - February 27, 2017
ATLANTIC CITY - A Philadelphia recycling company thinks it is the rightful owner of two "TRUMP" signs that once proudly adorned the the Trump Taj Mahal Casino. After all, the company - calling itself "Recycling of Urban Materials for Profit" (or RUMP) - shelled out $250 for the signs from some guy hired to take the letters down, AP reports. The signs promptly went up in eBay, with RUMP salivating over a quick $100,000 return. But the Taj Mahal put on the brakes, telling eBay the signs were obviously stolen. Now RUMP is vs. TRUMP, going to court against the shuttered casino, asking a judge to decide.
NEWARK - Our renaissance city, with its new gleaming buildings and millions of dollars in new investment, is turning the corner. So there's really no space for those who act as if they are living in rural Peru. Cops nabbed two guys running the El Cacique Social Club on Saturday night, who were organizing a cockfight featuring a large crowd of people we assume do not commonly sip lattes at the Starbucks on Broad Street. There were 45 angry roosters nabbed in the raid. Five died. Great job, Newark cops.
CAMDEN - White House State Dinners may soon feature tomato soup after President Trump gave New Jersey's own Campbell's Soup two Oval Office shout-outs in two days. Sitting a few seats from Campbell's CEO Denise Morrison, the President told top business execs: "Good soup ... I like Campbell's Soup." He again brought up his admiration for the Camden-based company's broth in a CPAC speech, the Daily Mail says. So, Campbell's will likely be a White House commissary staple. Just don't order the Mexican Tortilla soup.
DOWN THE SHORE - You probably already know this, but it is now the 108th year since the invention of Skee-ball. But what you probably don't know - and won't be shocked to learn - is that Skee-ball was invented in New Jersey by a guy from Vineland, who offered up the first games in Wildwood and Atlantic City. We confirm this from a new page-turner, now out on Amazon and all other quality booksellers, titled "Seeking Redemption: The Real Story of the Beautiful Game of Skee-Ball." Read how Skee-ball survived patent wars, clone competition, and threats of bankruptcy and obscurity to emerge as a best selling iPhone app and a cornerstone of the Jersey boardwalk.
IN THE MEDIA
TRENTON – While Gov. Chris Christie was in DC this weekend, yammering with national media about his opinion on stuff that has nothing to do with New Jersey, or his authority hereunto, NJ Spotlight is actually writing about what matters: the upcoming state budget. Yeah, yeah, very boring, compared to such salacious topics as Russian tampering, Campbell’s Soup and Trump hair care. But the governor is set to make his final annual budget message tomorrow, and NJ Spotlight wants to remind us all about what really matters. Read here for five issues we should actually give focus.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
HARRISBURG, Pa. – One Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania Legislature could have argued he had terrible constipation for a year. At least that’s a plausible excuse as to why his alleged home in Philadelphia only used about 3,000 gallons of water over an 11-month period, or equivalent to two toilet flushes a day. (Insert lame constipation excuse here.) In any case, a state judge flushed away the aspiring political career of Frederick Ramirez, ruling he obviously didn’t live in the house or anywhere else in the district, making him ineligible for the seat.
IN YOUR CAULDRON – Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble. Witches worldwide are now trying to put the whammy on President Trump. Spells started flying at the stroke of midnight on Friday and will keep whizzing at the White House “on every waning crescent moon until he’s out of office,” the New York Post reports. Witches don’t wish “The Donald” real harm, they just want someone to scream: “You’re fired!” Or, at the very least, stop him from running his mouth, put his TV on the fritz, or magically collapse his Twitter account. Find out how much eye of newt you’ll need to order from Amazon for your very own spell.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was this day in 1991 that soul singer James Brown was released from prison, after leading cops on a two-state car chase and getting three years in the slammer. When asked how he’s doing, Brown replied, “I feel good!”
WORD OF THE DAY
Hoary – [HOR-ee] – adjective
Definition: Extremely old; Ancient
Example: When James Brown was released from prison, did his platform shoes feel, well, a bit hoary?
WEATHER IN A WORD
Warming