| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | Good Monday morning! Let’s start off with some good news: After two weeks in the hospital, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell is now breathing without assistance and doctors are making plans for his discharge, according to his office. “Congressman Pascrell has been breathing on his own since last week and continues to improve every day. His doctors are very encouraged by his progress, have begun to discuss discharge plans, and continue to anticipate a full recovery,” chief of staff Ben Rich said in a statement. That’s somewhat unexpected considering the troubling news last week that the 87-year-old was needed breathing assistance. Even though Pascrell’s office said at the time that he was conscious and his condition was improving, it was hard to read that as anything but a sign that his condition was declining. When you think about how just a few months ago Rep. Donald Payne Jr. died after a long hospital stay during which the public was not told his true prognosis, you could be forgiven for assuming the worst about Pascrell. Rich’s statement went on to answer my next question before I asked it: Pascrell appears intent on continuing to run for reelection despite the health setback. “The congressman is relieved that this illness only led to him missing a few voting days. And after winning a decisive primary victory, Congressman Pascrell is excited to finish the job alongside Kamala Harris in November in defense of American democracy and New Jersey values,” Rich said. Now, for the sad news: Ingrid Reed, the former longtime chair of the Eagleton Institute’s New Jersey Project, died Saturday at 88. I’d known Reed since my first days reporting on New Jersey politics. She was, of course, extremely knowledgeable. She was also easy to get on the phone, even for a young reporter who needed schooling on New Jersey politics. And she focused a lot on very important but less-than-sexy issues, like redistricting. In fact, she was mentioned as a potential tie-breaker for the last redistricting process, but declined to be considered. And I often found Reed attending hearings and events in-person, well into her 70s and 80s. Reed also wasn’t afraid to scrap. She, along with Patrick Murray, helped successfully fight a controversial Democratic attempt to bake redistricting advantages for their party into the state constitution. TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at mmccarthy@politico.com. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Kevin McCabe, Elissa Schragger, Christian Fuscarino, Felicia Hopson, Robert Basmadjian QUOTE OF THE DAY #1: “I’ve been the target of intensified harassment and paid attacks that are allegedly orchestrated by both a candidate who has statewide political ambitions and an outdated political boss from North Bergen. They know that I won’t go along with their self-serving agendas. Embarrassingly, these attacks are launched by cowards, hiding behind their faceless and baseless claims.” — Union City Mayor/state Sen. Brian Stack about YouTuber “LeRoy Truth,” as well as North Bergen Mayor Nick Sacco and probably Jersey City Mayor/gubernatorial candidate Steve Fulop.(Sacco, like Fulop, denies anything to do with Leroy Truth.) QUOTE OF THE DAY #2: “First, I’ve never met or spoken to Leroy Truth. It’s always been clear that Brian is driven by paranoia and recent actions like sending out this letter make it appear that he may be suffering from a more significant mental illness. We hope he gets the help that he needs, both for his sake and for his constituents.” — Steve Fulop WHERE’S MURPHY? — Italy. Acting Gov. Way has no public schedule. | | | | Pro Briefing: Kamala Harris and the World. What we expect on foreign policy and trade. Join POLITICO Pro for a deep-dive conversation with our specialist reporters about the vice president’s approach to foreign policy. Register Now. | | | | | |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | |
THE KIMCUMBENCY ADVANTAGE — “An answer takes shape on filling Menendez Senate seat,” by The Star-Ledger’s Tom Moran: “Democrats are pressing Gov. Phil Murphy to appoint Rep. Andy Kim to the seat that Sen. Robert Menendez will vacate on Aug. 20, but so far, the governor has resisted. He’s offended that Kim had the audacity to wallop his wife, First Lady Tammy Murphy, in the fight for the nomination. This is about ego, at least partly. And it’s a serious problem because appointing Kim now would give him seniority over freshmen Democrats from other states who will take office in January … But there is an elegant solution in the offing. No one has gone public with it yet, but it’s under active discussion and is being taken seriously in both camps, according to informed sources in each. The idea: Murphy could appoint a caretaker to the seat, but on the condition that the caretaker must resign right after the Nov. 5 election. If Kim wins, as expected, Murphy could appoint him to the seat then, giving him the needed leg up on seniority.”
— “Cameo app violated N.J. law with celebrity endorsement videos, AG says” — “Ciattarelli duals with Spadea for young conservative voters” — “Toll increase coming for these N.J. and Philadelphia bridges for the first time in 13 years” — “The election reform that New Jersey needs | Opinion” — “Op-Ed: NJ clemency review process is ‘a potent model for national change’” | | BIDEN TIME | | JUDGE: I WANT YOU TO SHOW THIS TO WAY — Judge punts RFK Jr.’s ballot challenge to Secretary of State, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: A New Jersey judge on Monday dismissed a legal challenge seeking to keep independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. off the November ballot, saying that the decision rests with the Secretary of State — not the courts. The ruling from state Superior Court Judge Robert Lougy stems from a legal challenge brought by Democratic attorney Scott Salmon and allows the ballot challenge to continue, albeit in a different venue. Salmon, one of the state’s most prominent election lawyers, confirmed to POLITICO that he plans to bring Kennedy's ballot challenge to New Jersey Secretary of State Tahesha Way … In his Monday ruling, Lougy wrote that he was not reaching conclusions based on the merits of Salmon’s arguments but that Salmon filed in the wrong venue. SAY IT AIN’T JOE — “Kamala Harris reignites NJ Democrats' passion to win. Can they sustain it?,” by The Record’s Charles Stile: “For almost four years, the ‘Jersey for Joe’ Facebook page was the champion of President Joe Biden … Yet, that pro-Joe fealty quickly vanished last week in the whirlwind of history. In the flick of a switch, ‘Jersey for Joe’ was rebranded as 'Jersey for Kamala,' retaining all its members, energy and transferring all its hope and expectations to Harris … Like many longtime Biden diehards in New Jersey, the head-spinning turn of events plunged them into the ‘stages of grief,’ as one New Jersey veteran Democrat put it — anger, disbelief, acceptance and then commitment. 'When he withdrew from the race, it was bittersweet,' said Marilyn D. Davis, a former U.S. Department of Labor official in former President Barack Obama’s administration who co-founded the Facebook group. ‘But when he endorsed her, for most of us, it was like, OK, game over‚ pivot. The candidacy became not, ‘Can she? Will she?’ It was, ‘We're going to do this.’” — “NJ moves money to Harris, Trump” — “Kamala Harris’ choice for VP: Two guys with New Jersey ties” — “Eight independents file for president in N.J., including ex-Livingston resident” | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, our newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRI | | | | | | | LOCAL | |
COP BLOCKED — “Shortage of new officers, wave of retirements leave police departments vulnerable,” by The Record’s Megan Burrow: “New recruits … have much less competition these days to become officers. Law enforcement agencies have struggled in recent years to fill positions that earlier would have seen a flood of candidates. New recruits like [Andre] Novac and [Justin] Hugerich have much less competition these days to become officers. Law enforcement agencies have struggled in recent years to fill positions that earlier would have seen a flood of candidates. ‘After the summer of 2020, when we had the protests and calls to defund the police, large cities across the country started to see this difficulty in hiring,’ said Brian Higgins, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan and a former chief of the Bergen County Police Department. ‘Now we’re seeing that same trend in northern New Jersey.’ This drop in candidates comes as many departments are also experiencing a wave of retirements of veteran officers. ‘Years ago, guys would stay past their 25 years. You really don’t see that anymore,’ said Paramus Police Chief Rob Guidetti … In the past, Paramus, a large department that is in the top third in the state in pay and offers a desirable schedule and opportunities, would receive hundreds of applicants for a handful of jobs. During the last round of hiring, Guidetti had about 65 candidates for five jobs.” STUCK IN THE MIDDLE — “Move underway to separate Whitesboro from Middle Township,” by The Press of Atlantic City’s Bill Barlow: “From its start in the early 20th century, Whitesboro ran its own affairs, functionally independent of the municipality around it, according to a local historian. Many in the historically Black community retain that independent spirit and lament any loss of its unique sense of place. Now, some people want Whitesboro to separate from Middle Township and incorporate as its own municipality … Felicia Simmons, an Asbury Park resident and a member of the Whitesboro Historic Preservation Project, said the new community always meant to govern itself, and for decades it did so, in practice if not officially, with a constable, a fire company and a Whitesboro mayor, as well as train stations, a hotel and other businesses.” AUTHORITIES RAID MOTEL, FIND GUNS AND COPIES OF GIDEON’S BIBLE — “Vacant Neptune motel becomes home to raccoons, and neighbors want it gone now,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Charles Daye: “Residents in the Shark River Island neighborhood want the township or county to do something about the vacant, storm-damaged motel that has been an eyesore in their community for over three years. Resident Steven Mundorff remembers being out to dinner when a 2021 storm ripped the roof off the Route 35 Neptune Motor Lodge … Years later, he has new neighbors — the raccoons who now call the empty motel home … Last summer, the owners of the former Neptune Motor Lodge … said they had big plans to redevelop the area with a 100-room hotel, a restaurant and apartments. The idea was championed by state Sen. Vin Gopal, D-Monmouth, who had worked with neighbors complaining about the empty building. One year since those plans were made public, and three years since the storm, the vacant motel still stands, with surrounding neighbors saying they wish it would just be torn down.” PATERSON — “Judge dismisses indictment against Paterson cop in shooting that left man paralyzed,” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “Superior Court Judge Marilyn Clark on Monday called cell phone photos of a police shooting victim holding a gun ‘significant new evidence’ as she formally dismissed the misconduct indictment against Paterson cop Jerry Moravek. Clark noted that the New Jersey Attorney General's Office's grand jury presentation against Moravek repeatedly asserted that Khalif Cooper was unarmed when he was shot by the Paterson officer ... Clark on Monday also directed the Attorney General’s Office to prepare a report about why the cell phone material — including the gun photos of Cooper — was not turned over from the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office to state authorities who conducted the December 2023 grand jury proceeding.” CROCODILE AC — “Atlantic City seeks restrictions of reptiles and dogs on beaches and Boardwalk,” by The Press of Atlantic City’s Buzz Keough: “The city is considering stricter regulations for dogs and reptiles on its beaches and Boardwalk this summer. City Council, by a 6-3 vote, introduced an ordinance July 17 regulating the 'taking, leaving, keeping or allowing of certain animals' on the Boardwalk. A public hearing and final vote will occur at council's next meeting … It goes on to mention reptiles specifically. “The taking of reptiles onto the Boardwalk or beaches … is a specific concern,’ the ordinance states.” — “Parties in Atlantic City road diet lawsuit in settlement talks, meeting with judge Aug. 7” — “Old Bridge Superfund site may not be source of slag on beach” — “Parking tickets pile up at [Stone Harbor]. App driving some away” — “Lawmakers, city leaders crack down on illegal dumping in Camden, NJ” — “Newark’s Early Childhood Office beset by departures” | | EVERYTHING ELSE | |
BEST YEAR FOR THE BLUE-BLOODED SINCE CHRISTIE WHITMAN LEFT OFFICE — “Some good news for New Jersey’s ancient, dwindling horseshoe crab population,” by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Frank Kummer: “The horseshoe crabs that clamber like armored warriors by the thousands each spring across Delaware Bay beaches in New Jersey trace back hundreds of millions of years to the age of dinosaurs. While their numbers might look impressive to people who have witnessed the spectacle, horseshoe crabs are far below their modern peak marked in 1999. One of the reasons for the decline of the ancient species: Their highly prized blue blood is collected by the biomedical industry to support production of a clotting agent … Conservationist groups aligned with the nonprofit Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition rejoiced Friday when a major scientific organization, U.S. Pharmacopeia, issued new guidelines that pave the way for wider use of synthetic alternatives to horseshoe crab blood for biomedical testing.”
‘UNKNOWN ACTOR’ LIKELY EDUCATED BY NJCU’S THEATER DEPARTMENT — “New Jersey City University hacked by ransomware group demanding $700K,” by The Jersey Journal’s Joshua Rosario: “New Jersey City University’s computer network was struck by a cyberattack by a ransomware group that is threatening to release sensitive personal data of students and staff if it doesn’t receive $700,000 in Bitcoin by Saturday. The university alerted staff and students of the June 4-10 data breach Friday, some seven weeks after the hack that resulted in the theft of social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, financial account numbers, and credit card numbers … School officials did not respond to question about when they learned about the data breach. ‘In June 2024, our computer network was accessed without permission by an unknown actor,’ the university said in a post under its webpage’s data events.” — “Whales recorded in large numbers off New Jersey coast” — “NJ Transit wants to consolidate [Lyndhurst] stations on this rail line” — “[TCNJ] will let [Mercer] county college students live in its dorms for huge discount” — “[Centenary University] freezes tuition after financial aid chaos leaves families hanging” | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
