Man convicted of murdering N.J. trooper wins freedom after 49 years
Sundiata Acoli was an activist with the Black Liberation Army when he was involved in murdering a New Jersey State Police trooper in 1973. His parole was blocked for years despite an exemplary prison record. On Tuesday, he won his freedom.
washingtonpost.comNew Jersey to start recreational marijuana sales April 21
(AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File) (Julio Cortez)TRENTON, N.J. — (AP) — Recreational marijuana sales in New Jersey for those 21 and older will begin April 21, Democratic Gov. The news comes about a year after the state's regulatory commission started operating, and a year and a half after voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot question to permit recreational marijuana for people 21 and older. New Jersey is one of 18 states, along with the District of Columbia, that have legalized recreational marijuana. How much tax revenue New Jersey gets from recreational marijuana isn’t clear. In 2019, as legalization of recreational marijuana was still just pending before voters, he had estimated about $60 million in revenue.
wftv.comNJ to start recreational marijuana sales April 21
TRENTON, N.J. — (AP) — Recreational marijuana sales in New Jersey for those 21 and older will begin April 21, Democratic Gov. Murphy's announcement on Twitter comes just three days after state regulators green lighted permits for seven facilities that already sell medical cannabis to begin retailing recreational marijuana. New Jersey is one of 18 states, along with the District of Columbia, that have legalized recreational marijuana. How much money the state will get in tax revenues from recreational marijuana isn’t clear. In 2019, as legalization of recreational marijuana was still just pending before voters, he had estimated about $60 million in revenue.
wftv.comCoronavirus: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy tests positive
Phil Murphy has tested positive for COVID-19, his office announced on Thursday. >> Read more trending newsMurphy, 64, took a rapid antigen test Thursday afternoon as part of his regularly scheduled testing regimen, and the results came back positive, Mahen Gunaratna, the governor’s communications director, said in a statement. Murphy then took a PCR test that also had a positive result, NJ.com reported. This afternoon, as part of a regularly-scheduled testing regime, @GovMurphy took a rapid antigen test that came back positive for COVID-19. He subsequently took a PCR test, which also came back positive.
wftv.comGovernors in 4 states plan for end to school mask mandates
Phil Murphy will end a statewide mask mandate to protect against COVID-19 in schools and child care centers, his office said Monday, Feb 7, 2022. New Jersey Gov. John Carney said his state’s school mask mandate will run through March. J.B. Pritzker’s statewide school mask mandate, the Democratic attorney general said Monday he will appeal the ruling. In New Jersey, it is unclear how many and how soon the state's 600-plus school districts might end the wearing of masks.
wftv.comGovernor ending New Jersey's school mask mandate
Phil Murphy will end a statewide mask mandate that was instituted to protect against COVID-19 in schools and child care centers, his office said Monday. The end of the mandate goes into effect March 7 and comes as New Jersey's caseload drops after an spike around the holidays fueled by the omicron variant. It's not clear, for example, if individual school districts could continue to require a mandate. Republicans claimed credit for pushing the governor to end the mandate. News that Murphy would end the mandate was first reported by The New York Times.
wftv.comAll-out effort to keep Biden COVID-free; no 'normal' yet
Gretchen Whitmer , D-Mich., listen as President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with the National Governors Association in the East Room of the White House, Monday, Jan. 31, 2022, in Washington. A White House staffer who was wearing a surgical mask when Biden entered the room was quickly handed an N95 version. For months, Biden aides have fretted that the people who are most protected against COVID-19 remain the most cautious, a dynamic they view as a drag on the nation’s economic and psychological recovery. Since even before Biden was elected, his aides have gone all-out to protect the now-79-year-old president from potential infection. As the nation’s virus response and vaccination campaign has become increasingly politicized, White House officials have expressed both political and policy concerns over a possible Biden infection.
wftv.comBiden issues an infrastructure 'roadmap' to help spend $1T
Biden President Joe Biden listens during a meeting with the National Governors Association in the East Room of the White House, Monday, Jan. 31, 2022, in Washington. Biden welcomed governors to the White House on Monday as part of the winter meeting of the National Governors Association, and he cajoled them on the importance of infrastructure. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican and chairman of the National Governors Association. Landrieu said he has already spoken with 43 governors and more than 250 mayors as part of the push. Not all the infrastructure money is able to go out as the federal government is operating on a continuing resolution that runs through Feb. 18, instead of an annual budget.
wftv.comMassive fire breaks out at chemical plant in New Jersey
(MattGush/Getty Images/iStockphoto, File)PASSAIC, N.J. — Authorities responded Friday night to a 11-alarm fire at a building housing a chemical plant and a furniture manufacturer in New Jersey. The company manufacturers chemicals for swimming pools, though Trentacost noted that the flames had not reached the main chemical plant as of late Friday. Phil Murphy urged people in Passaic to stay safe as firefighters battled an eight-alarm fire at a chemical plant on Passaic Street. “Praying for the safety of our first responders on the scene.”We urge everyone in Passaic to stay safe as firefighters battle a large eight-alarm fire at a chemical plant off of Route 21. https://t.co/70QQwbyqzt — Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) January 15, 2022Video obtained by WCBS-TV showed the massive fire that sparked around 8:30 p.m. Friday.
wftv.comCoronavirus: NJ gov counters ‘omicron tsunami’ with public health emergency declaration
With his state experiencing an “omicron tsunami,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy declared a new public health emergency Tuesday in a bid to keep safeguards in place to thwart the spread of the coronavirus. >> Read more trending newsMost notably, Murphy’s declaration recommitted to mask requirements in schools, just hours before those measures were slated to expire, NJ Advance Media reported. More coronavirus pandemic coverage:>> Coronavirus: How long between exposure to the virus and the start of symptoms? This tool will tell you>> How to not let coronavirus pandemic fatigue set in, battle back if it does©2022 Cox Media Group
wftv.comIn omicron outbreak, US governors lose appetite for mandates
They issued mask mandates, vaccine requirements and even quarantines in some places for people who had traveled to out-of-state hot spots. Even Democratic governors who passed strict mandates early on are now relying more on persuasion than dictates. But students are back in classrooms across the state, and he continues to resist imposing any statewide business shutdowns. “We don’t have the practical ability to really put on a statewide mask order at this point,” DeWine said in late December. Cooper has taken this tack even though the Republican-controlled legislature has lacked veto-proof majorities necessary to overturn his previous statewide COVID-19 mandates.
wftv.comVirginia preps for more bad weather amid storm of questions
Virginia officials have promised to review the state's response, though how exactly how they will do that is unclear. In Virginia, state lawmakers, local officials, at least two members of Congress and the AAA auto club called for action. She said she called Moran at 1 a.m. Tuesday and that by daybreak, state officials had begun deploying resources, including helicopters to survey roads and see where the worst chokepoints existed. In Virginia, officials said they had enough employees, but at least one locality cited staffing shortages. But Simpson said governments everywhere need to do a better job planning to provide aid to stranded drivers.
wftv.comVirginia preps for more bad weather amid storm of questions
Virginia officials have promised to review the state's response, though how exactly how they will do that is unclear. In Virginia, state lawmakers, local officials, at least two members of Congress and the AAA auto club called for action. She said she called Moran at 1 a.m. Tuesday and that by daybreak, state officials had begun deploying resources, including helicopters to survey roads and see where the worst chokepoints existed. In New Jersey, which regularly confronts winter weather on its highways, Democratic Gov. In Virginia, officials said they had enough employees, but at least one locality cited staffing shortages.
wftv.comVirginia preps for more bad weather amid storm of questions
With more bad weather looming, Virginia officials are seeking to reassure the public they are prepared as they reacted to harsh criticism of their response to a storm earlier this week that left hundreds of motorists stranded on Interstate 95.
Coronavirus: New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy tests positive for COVID-19
TRENTON, N.J. — Tammy Murphy, the wife of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, has tested positive for COVID-19, the governor’s office announced Sunday. pic.twitter.com/fCmOWxErXn — Tammy Murphy (@FirstLadyNJ) January 1, 2022Gov. The governor and first lady tested for COVID-19 after a recent known non-family contact was in their home, according to the statement from the governor’s office. Tammy Murphy posted a photo on Twitter on Saturday celebrating the new year with the governor and two of their children.
wftv.comSchools beefing up security in response to threats on TikTok
School threats: School officials said the anonymous threats on TikTok were not credible but said security would be tightened on Friday. ( Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images)Educators announced plans to increase security in response to social media posts warning of shootings and bomb threats at schools nationwide on Friday. >> Read more trending newsOfficials said the anonymous threats on TikTok were not credible but assured parents that security would be tightened, The Associated Press reported. Police in the Chicago suburb of Glenview, Illinois said the social media threats online were not credible, according to a news release on the department’s Twitter and Facebook pages. He said that even with the protections from Section 230, TikTok and other social media platforms can act to prevent harmful or potentially dangerous content.
wftv.comMurphy ekes out win in NJ, GOP's Youngkin upsets in Virginia
Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey narrowly won reelection in his reliably blue state while a Republican political newcomer delivered a stunning upset in the Virginia governor’s race, sending a warning to Democrats that their grip on power in Washington may be in peril.
Virus fight stalls in early hot spots New York, New Jersey
About 54,600 people in New York tested positive for the virus in the last week, a number that has begun to inch up recently. The situation in New York and New Jersey mirrors a national trend that has seen case numbers inch up in recent days. AdNeither New York nor New Jersey is experiencing anything like what they saw last spring, when hospitals — and morgues — were overflowing. New Jersey hospitals are reporting about 2,200 virus patients — up by roughly 300 in the past couple of weeks. New York City's Public Advocate Jumaane Williams urged New York to pause reopening plans.
The Latest: Big West hoops tournaments banning spectators
(AP Photo/Aaron Doster, File)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Big West Conference will hold its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments without spectators, including family and guests of the teams. The Big West’s board of directors decided to start the season without fans in attendance. AdPelicans officials say they are hoping to allow as many as 4,000 fans per game later this season. The Cleveland Browns and Cavaliers have been permitted to have a limited number of fans at games during the pandemic. AdThe governor said about 1,700 to 1,800 fans should be allowed to attend Devils games under the new rules.
The Latest: Mexico receives shipment of Sputnik V vaccine
A medical worker prepares a shot of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in a local rural medical post in the village of Ikhala in Russias Karelia region, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)MEXICO CITY — Mexico has received its first shipment of Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine. Mexico received its first shipment of vaccines from Pfizer in mid-December, but turned to Sputnik V in January when other expected vaccine shipments were delayed. The company reiterated that it will have capacity to provide 100 million vaccine doses to the U.S. by the end of June. ___WASHINGTON — The White House now says it expects to catch up by mid-week on deliveries of coronavirus vaccine doses that were delayed by severe weather.
The Latest: Massachusetts braces for snow's arrival, wind
The winter weather prompted school districts to cancel in-person learning on Monday, and many COVID-19 vaccination sites were closed and rescheduling appointments. As much as 2 feet (61 centimeters) of snow was predicted to fall in areas throughout the day Monday and overnight. 11:30 a.m.BOSTON — The second phase of Massachusetts’ coronavirus vaccine rollout is being disrupted by a winter storm that’s causing schedule changes and at least one vaccination location to shutdown. A winter storm warning remained in effect until Tuesday for much of the state. Most of the state remained under winter storm warnings or winter weather advisories that were expected to remain in effect through Tuesday morning.
'A long two days': Major storm pummels Northeast with snow
Although the heaviest parts of the storm had moved through the metropolitan area by Monday evening, lighter snow showers were expected to continue virtually all day Tuesday, forecaster James Tomasini said. “We’re looking at a long two days here,” New York Gov. Across the Northeast, many coronavirus vaccination sites closed Monday. AdHundreds of flights and many trains and were canceled, and aboveground New York City subway service stopped at 2 p.m. In recent days, a storm system blanketed parts of the Midwest, with some areas getting the most snow in several years.
Census delay helps GOP in one statehouse, Dems in another
In past decades, the Census Bureau has given Virginia and New Jersey priority in receiving their redistricting data so they can complete the process in time to run their elections. That’s too late to accommodate Virginia and New Jersey, so they will have little choice but to conduct elections this year under the existing boundaries. He said if legislative redistricting were rushed in time for the 2021 election, it would likely be with incomplete census data. AdThe House of Delegates lines that were created in 2011 were drawn by a Republican-controlled chamber to benefit the GOP. That in turn fueled a Democratic gain of six seats in the 2019 House elections, flipping the chamber to Democratic control.
The Latest: South Korea enforces tough measures in prisons
The others are the lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, state treasurer, insurance commissioner and Kansas Supreme Court chief justice and four Republican leaders in the GOP-controlled Legislature. The legislative leaders and the state’s Republican attorney general passed, for now, because not all health care workers and nursing home residents have received theirs. The governor also said Wednesday that “hundreds” of other, non-elected state officials have been made eligible for early vaccines by their agencies. The others are the lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, state treasurer, insurance commissioner and Kansas Supreme Court chief justice and four Republican leaders in the GOP-controlled Legislature. Most of those Republicans said they didn’t want to jump in line ahead of health care workers, nursing home residents or other vulnerable Kansans.
The Latest: China tests millions in port over virus cluster
(AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)BEIJING — Authorities in China’s northeastern port city of Dalian are testing millions of residents after seven new coronavirus cases were reported there in the last 24 hours. It has a deal to secure up to 100 million doses of the potential vaccine produced by AstraZeneca. Koca said the first shipment of three million doses of CoronaVac would be shipped to Turkey on Sunday and arrive Monday. He said Turkey could get 4.5 million doses until the end of March and would have the option buy up to 30 million doses. Indonesia has reported nearly 700,000 COVID-19 cases, the largest caseload in Southeast Asia and second in Asia only to India’s 10.1 million confirmed cases.
Snow continues to fall on Northeast US, with vaccines in tow
A woman waits for a Long Island Rail Road train in the Queens borough of New York as snow falls at the start of an oncoming snow storm, Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)NEW YORK – Snow continued to fall Thursday during a key period in the coronavirus pandemic, days after the start of the U.S. vaccination campaign and in the thick of a virus surge that has throngs of people seeking tests daily. Snow fell from northern Virginia to parts of New England on Wednesday. But we are on it and following it,” he told Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends.”The need for vaccines prompted New Jersey Gov. The National Weather Service reported that parts of Centre County were hit with as much as 13 inches (33 centimeters) of snow by Wednesday night.
'If not one thing, it's another': Northeast preps for storm
“Our theme today ought to be, ‘If it’s not one thing, it’s another,’” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said as he gave residents storm guidance that's new this year — mask up if you help your neighbors shovel. In New York City, officials braced for the biggest storm in about three years. But they are being told to secure outdoor furniture, remove heaters and take other steps to make way for plows. Gina Raimondo suspended the scheduling of coronavirus tests for Thursday and said some outdoor testing sites may close, though others will remain open.
US vaccinations ramp up as 2nd COVID-19 shot nears
Nurse Melissa Valentin shows a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to be applied to medical personnel at the Ashford Presbyterian Community Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020. Packed in dry ice, shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine began arriving Tuesday at more than 400 additional hospitals and other distribution sites. That projection assumes swift authorization of the Moderna vaccine, which also requires two shots for full protection. Elsewhere around the world, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is being given in Britain and Canada. The Moderna vaccine was more than 94% effective overall at preventing COVID-19 illness, and 86% effective in people 65 and older.
Gala ignites political dispute over COVID-19 restrictions
The New Jersey restaurant that hosted the political gala put on by the New York Republican Club was ordered temporarily closed Friday, Dec. 4, 2020, over potential violations of coronavirus guidelines. (Courtesy New York Republican Club via AP)A New Jersey restaurant that hosted a political gala put on by a New York Republican club was ordered temporarily closed Friday over potential violations of coronavirus guidelines. Phil Murphy, also a Democrat, has tightened restrictions on indoor gatherings recently in response to a surge in COVID-19 cases. New York Young Republican Club President Gavin Wax scoffed at the criticism online, saying the group had done nothing wrong. New York state reported 30,000.
Governors ratchet up restrictions ahead of Thanksgiving
Phil Murphy said Monday as he restricted indoor gatherings to 10 people, down from 25. The move closes many nonessential indoor businesses and requires the wearing of masks outside homes, with limited exceptions. Philadelphia banned all indoor dining at restaurants and indoor gatherings of any size, public or private, of people from different households, starting this Friday. Fourteen men were charged earlier this fall in an alleged plot to kidnap the governor in anger over her COVID-19 restrictions. Still, several other GOP governors were taking incremental steps, or resisting even those — continuing to emphasize “personal responsibility” rather than government edicts.
The Latest: Iowa's governor orders statewide mask mandate
Kim Reynolds has dropped her opposition to a statewide mandate for mask use to combat the spread of the coronavirus. The mandate applies only when people are within six feet of others for 15 minutes and they aren’t members of their households. ______NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Johnson & Johnson has begun a new late-stage trial of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine, this time on a two-dose regimen. Gavin Newsom said he was pulling the “emergency brake” Monday on the state’s efforts to reopen its economy as coronavirus cases surge more dramatically than during a summer spike. ___BERLIN — German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday the number of new coronavirus cases is flattening following two weeks of new restrictions, but it’s too early to tell whether more will be necessary.