The Jaffe Briefing - April 21, 2021
NEWARK – There’s certainly plenty of aftermath in the wake of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin’s conviction for murdering George Floyd. It is impossible to cover it all in a paragraph or two, so here’s just one slice of it: A grassroots civil rights group is set to gather at 4 p.m. today at the Lincoln statue, West Market Street and Springfield Avenue. The People’s Organization for Progress, formed with a mission of eradicating racism and taking on relevant social issues, is coordinating an event that all hope remains peaceful and continues this important discussion.
STATEWIDE – It’s the sentence that’s been written again and again. So, let’s write it again: New Jersey appears to be turning the corner on this lingering pandemic. NJ.com is reporting ongoing drops in new cases and hospitalizations, as more and more New Jerseyans are getting the jab, with 2.5 million of us fully vaccinated. Apparently, the dreaded “third wave” has not been so strong, thankfully, and infectious disease experts seem not so depressed for the first time in 14 months. Gov. Phil Murphy is talking about “the right direction” and reopening more venues, as there are high hopes that restaurants and stores can finally expand beyond 50% occupancy.
STATEWIDE – Here’s a question: How does the “pause” in the Johnson & Johnson vaccine cause long lines at the MVC? NJ.com unravels that head-scratcher, explaining how the state planned to use the one-shot vaccine to inoculate as many MVC employees as possible, in an effort to keep them working and maintaining open offices statewide. These locations have been continually plagued with 14-day quarantines, making it pretty darn impossible for many eager 17-year-old kids to secure the Holy Grail: a driver’s license. Only four of 14 scheduled vaccination days have occurred at the MVC, while seven of the 39 MVC offices were closed on Monday for quarantine and mandatory sanitizing. Meanwhile, the MVC remains on the hot seat, as its administrator blames the chronic limit of healthy, available staff as the culprit for keeping these offices functional.
BRIEFING BREATHER
“Nerd” first appeared in Dr. Seuss' 1950 book If I Ran the Zoo. The passage reads, “And then, just to show them, I'll sail to Ka-Troo and bring back an It-Kutch, a Preep, and a Proo. A Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker, too!”
TRENTON – Next up: the issue of “vaccine passports.” State Sen. Mike Testa is getting in front of the issue, calling for a state law that would stop any private businesses from requiring proof of vaccination before someone can enter. So, think about football games, concerts, bars, festivals, trade shows and any other major event that private entities run. “No government entity should require their residents to carry a ‘Vaccine Passport’ around to gain access to schools, businesses and their daily life,” the GOP senator said. “These types of passports completely violate an individual’s right to personal freedoms, and they are a direct violation of HIPAA laws.” Testa’s press release is well-timed, as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo just announced his “Excelsior Pass” program, allowing people to prove their vaccination status. Expect there to be plenty of hearty debate between protecting public health and Constitutional rights – all of which could be easily solved if people just take the shot.
STATEWIDE – And next up, after that: proms and graduations. New Jersey’s school districts are still stinging from the infamous Class of ’20, which was stripped of most of the end-of-the-year festivities, like proms, parties, plays and in-person graduations. The Asbury Park Press is now reporting on this year’s crop of seniors, who have spent most of the year learning at home or via some “hybrid” status that doesn’t exactly compute to a fun-filled senior year. With vaccinations and some control over the pandemic, schools are now tipping their toes back in the water, despite the 200-person limit for outdoor activities. Neptune, for example, isn’t offering an indoor prom, but “plenty of end-of-year ‘milestone’ activities,” school officials say. Meanwhile, Freehold Regional – six high schools with more than 10,000 students - is all-in on proms and graduations depending, of course, on what the governor says.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
MANSFIELD, Conn. – It all sounded good, raising money through Facebook to help struggling neighbors during the pandemic. But because of all the success of a local middle school teacher last year to solicit donations – to the tune of $41,000 – Uncle Sam is suddenly interested in the endeavor. Under Facebook policy, the social media giant reports any donations over $20,000, prompting this well-meaning teacher to be socked with a hefty tax bill, for $16,031, the Hartford Courant reports. The teacher is arguing that he helped hundreds of families. He tracked 140 grocery trips, Friday night dinners to 125 families, holiday gift cards for 20 families, 31 Thanksgiving dinners and rental assistance to five families. People are trying to help him out with the tax bill, so far sending $2,000 in checks to a post office box – not via Facebook.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
There was really no reason for the 1996 NBA season, as the Bulls run away with it, winning a record 72 games, losing just 10.
WORD OF THE DAY
Ursine – [ərˌsin] – adjective
Definition: relating to or resembling bears
Example: Black bears and other ursine species keep ruining my picnic.
WIT OF THE DAY
“Raising kids may be a thankless job with ridiculous hours, but at least the pay sucks.”
-Jim Gaffigan
BIDEN BLURB
“My dad used to have an expression - 'It is the lucky person who gets up in the morning, puts both feet on the floor, knows what they are about to do, and thinks it still matters.'”
-Joe Biden
WEATHER IN A WORD
Changing