The Jaffe Briefing - December 2, 2019
TRENTON – It’s a governor’s right to reject or seek changes in legislation; heck, it’s a hallmark of the American system of checks and balances. But Gov. Phil Murphy’s spirited use of his veto pen has drawn a greater gap between himself and fellow Democrats in the Legislature — notably Senate President Steve Sweeney. According to a NJ Spotlight analysis, the governor has bounced more proposed laws than any other governor whose party controlled at least one house of the Legislature since 1996. But then, “It’s clearly a two-way street,” explained one political observer, noting that Democrats in the Legislature have a habit of sending him bills “they know he won’t sign, and don’t try to account for his concerns, and he certainly has done the same with his vetoes…” Why can’t we all get along?
NEW BRUNSWICK – While many figure the hiring of Greg Schiano to lead the Rutgers football team is the end of a drawn-out saga, it’s really the first words of the first chapter. It is hard to say how much it will really, truly cost to make Rutgers a contender in the Big 10 over the next few years. Facilities need to be built. Assistant coaches need to be hired. Recruits need to somehow be lured. And someone, somewhere, needs to pay for it all. There are only two real “knowns,” it seems. 1. Rutgers had no viable option to keep its fan base from a total revolt and 2. Interim head coach Nunzio Campanile is a class act who led the team through the final eight games of this nightmare season. Campanile is ready to take the next step – hopefully working for his new head coach.
STATEWIDE – Good news for drunk motorists: You now won’t automatically lose your license. Beginning Sunday, the laws changed in New Jersey, the Bergen Record reports. Now, if you are a first-time offender, and you are not completely plastered behind the wheel, you will be required to install an in-car Breathalyzer before you start the car, but you can still keep your license. That special offer is only for those who are pulled over with a blood alcohol content below 0.15%. If you are found to be drunker, you are still looking at a license suspension of four to six months, and then you would still need to install the interlock for at least nine more months under the new law. Your best bet: Drive sober.
ONLINE – It’s a pitch-perfect day for online retailers. There’s snow, and there’s Cyber Monday. And that means that plenty more people will likely be on their computers, a steaming mug of hot chocolate nearby, as they buy, buy, buy. Cyber Monday has already replaced Black Friday as the biggest shopping event in the United States. Last year, Cyber Monday raked in $7.9 billion in sales, up 20% year. This year, Cyber Monday sales are expected to rise yet another 18.9% year – before all those number crunchers factor in the snow, school cancellations, etc. What does this all mean? A very, very unproductive post-Thanksgiving workday.
IN THE MEDIA
KINETA, GREECE – Sometimes, it is brutal to be a reporter. Just ask Lazos Mantikos, a reporter for Good Morning Greece. He was delivering a live report on recent rains when he was consistently attacked by a large pig, who chased him around and even bit him. “Good morning, we have an issue,” squealed Mantikos, sowing seeds of discontent as he appeared with mic in hand to deliver his report. “Giorgos can you hear me? We have a pig here that has been chasing us since this morning … folks sorry I can’t stand [still] because it’s biting me.” Laughter in the studio ensued. Pigs.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
WARSAW, Poland – One item you won’t be able to purchase this Cyber Monday is an Auschwitz-themed Christmas ornament. Online retailers are thankfully pulling the items in Poland, following outcry from the Auschwitz-Birkenau state museum and anyone else appalled by mass genocide. Someone thought it made perfect sense to manufacture Auschwitz bottle openers, Birkenau “massacre” mouse pads and other related Holocaust “souvenirs.” Outraged people rushed to Twitter, calling such items disturbing, disrespectful and disgusting. This morning, the state memorial was still calling on one online outlet, Wish Shopping, to stop selling this crap. We eagerly await the response.
PHOENIX – Unclear if burritos are on the menu at a local prison. But that would certainly be good news for a 29-year-old city man who is to be arraigned this Thursday for stealing another man’s burrito. The suspect approached the victim earlier this month on the street, demanding his burrito and then snatching it, as police say, “by force.” The victim called 911 to report the theft and then followed the munching suspect, leading cops to the remnants of the stolen burrito (Exhibit A). The item was listed with a value less than $1,000; and the suspect was hauled to the Maricopa County jail, KPHO-TV reports. No bail, of course.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was this day in 2009 that North Korea deflated its currency for the first time in 17 years, making it worth slightly more than mud pies.
WORD OF THE DAY
WIT OF THE DAY
TODAY'S TRUMPISM
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THE NEW 60
A Jaffe Briefing Exclusive
by Andy Landorf & John Colquhoun
