The Jaffe Briefing - February 2, 2022
UP NORTH – There is tons of chatter about the University of Northern New Jersey (UNNJ) these days, the New Jersey Monitor reports, as the feds are now paying off hundreds of foreign nationals who enrolled in this bogus university via a recruitment office in Cranford. Migrants say they unknowingly played a role in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sting. UNNJ was even on social media, announcing closures for snow and sharing wedding photos after two “alumni” were married. Government agents even made shirts for UNNJ “students.” (Go Badgers!) Now, under the settlement, the government would pay $450,000 in legal fees and not admit to anything. A court hearing is scheduled for May 2 in Newark, likely followed by a UNNJ beer bash.
ATLANTIC CITY – On Oct 31, 2012, Gov. Chris Christie met President Barack Obama and shook his hand during Hurricane Sandy. Believe it or not, in our world of painfully polarized politics, that warm, simple handshake is still being debated. The latest: VP Kamala Harris cited that moment to show it “set a tradition” for bipartisanship in a crisis. Christie, aspiring to be president, was slammed by the GOP for actually being a productive human being, serving the people. NJ.com quotes Harris, who said Christie “in the height of a very contested presidential election, broke through that and worked in a bipartisan way to bring relief to the people of that state… showing that when we, in particular, face crises, we come together, regardless of party affiliation, to do the work that must be done.” Note that Christie’s approval rating was at an all-time high at that moment, reiterating once again that voters want politicians to work together, no matter party affiliation. A lesson that Christie forgot.
ATLANTIC CITY – A trip to a casino often ends with a trip to the dry cleaner, as there is no other good way to get the smoke out. Sen. Joe Vitale and other state lawmakers are questioning why smoking is still allowed in casinos, with a special exemption of a 2006 law that banned smoking from all indoor workplaces, including bars. Yet any quick visit to an Atlantic City casino still requires people to walk through the wafting smoke. New Jersey Monitor reports Vitale is planning to push a law in the spring that would expand the smoking ban in casinos, even as opponents claim such a move would make the AC casinos less competitive with Pennsylvania casinos. Maybe. Or, maybe it will encourage a new generation of gamblers to visit, yearning to breathe free.
BRIEFING BREATHER
Napoleon was once attacked by a bunch of bunnies.
TRENTON – No way is it a news story. But it is another cold winter day on a treadmill of cold winter days, so why not report about everything? And, so, for the second time in a year, there is an inane Twitter “war” between Gov. Phil Murphy and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont regarding who has the best pizza. Yeah, eye roll here, as the answer is painfully obvious. But let’s go with this anyway. NJ.com created clickbait about “Ten Reasons NJ is Better Than…” Lamont posted a photoshopped version, claiming the state was jealous about some New Haven pizza joint none of us would ever visit. He tweeted, “There, I fixed it for you.” Murphy tweeted back, “Delete this, Ned.” Ooo. Tough talk.
PATERSON – Never get between a man and his beer. But it seems a thirsty garbage collector stepped over the line, punching a local restaurant worker who refused to give him a freebie. That worker is now suing the city from the May 2021 incident. The Paterson Press says the plaintiff is arguing the city never did background checks on these workers, contracted through a trash vendor. If the city took that step, it would have quickly learned the garbage man had a criminal record and a “proclivity and propensity for violent harmful behavior to the general public as well as being unfit for his duties.” Or perhaps he just really likes free beer.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
FLORENCE, Ala. — Unclear who the big-time marketing gurus are here, but some residents are questioning the new municipal logo. Florence’s new logo uses the first three letters of its name — a capital F followed by an L and an O arranged as an exclamation point — to form F! There is already an online petition calling for its immediate repeal, as well as many wondering why the heck the city paid $25,000 to a Birmingham marketing firm for the ridiculous branding, WAAY-TV reported. City officials, in crisis mode, also apparently are paying PR people to defend the bonehead decision, releasing this gem of a statement: “The new logo symbolizes the people of Florence’s passion and love for the city. A sense of amazement, delight and pride is all reflected in the Florence logo exclamation point.” Uh-huh. You decide.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was this day in 1991 that U.S. postage was raised from 25 cents to 29 cents. Perhaps it is time for the widespread use of email.
WORD OF THE DAY
Factoid – [FAK-toyd]
Definition: A brief and usually trivial fact
Example: A factoid: Groundhog Day has its roots in the ancient Christian tradition of Candlemas, when clergy would bless and distribute candles needed for winter.
WIT OF THE DAY
“If I turn out to be particularly clear, you've probably misunderstood what I've said.”
-Alan Greenspan
BIDEN BLURB
“I respect the Fed’s —independence. And I’ve nominated five superb individuals to serve on the Federal Board of Governors — men and women from a variety of ideological perspectives. They’re eminently qualified, historically diverse, and have earned bipartisan praise.”
-Joe Biden
WEATHER IN A WORD
Grey