Los Angeles (AFP) – The first fatality from the novel coronavirus has been confirmed on US soil, a woman in her late 50s who was “medically high-risk,” President Donald Trump said Saturday, as he urged Americans not to panic.Health officials said the woman in Washington state was one of a handful with no known links to global hot zones to have contracted the virus — indicating that the pathogen was now likely spreading in communities.The death occurred in King county, the most populous in the state and home to Seattle, a city of more than 700,000 people, officials in the state told AFP.The vi… Read the rest of this entry »
KFC has closed its Neptune City location on Route 35, according to a report by the Asbury Park Press.The fast-food chain was located at 35 Third Ave. There was a sign on the door stating, “This restaurant is no longer open,” according to the report.“The KFC franchisee, who owns the restaurant located at 35 Third Ave., made a business decision to close the restaurant,” a KFC spokeswoman told NJ Advance Media. “While this is always a difficult decision, we appreciate the patronage of our loyal guests and hope they will visit other KFCs in the area.”The 2,400-square-foot property is currently up f… Read the rest of this entry »
The possibility that coronavirus (Covid-19) or some other new disease could wreak havoc in the United States and overwhelm our public health systems should give us all pause. The status and visibility of public health in America is so diminished that many people probably do not know what the term “public health” means, and most cannot name key public health leaders, for example, who is our surgeon general?While the coronavirus spreads, the public is looking for expert advice and clear plans, but our leaders are failing. President Trump is sharing off the cuff unscientific opin… Read the rest of this entry »
New Jersey’s school funding shakeupcontinues with Gov. Phil Murphy’s 2021 state budget proposal, producing another round of winners and losers.The annual changes range from a $55 million increase for Newark Public Schools to a $55 million decrease for Jersey City, which is losing state dollars because of its strengthened local tax base. (Find out how much Murphy proposed for your district in the search tool below.)The governor’s $9 billion investment in K-12 schools increases funding by $336 million, but only 64% of districts will receive more money. A small fraction of districts, just 12, are… Read the rest of this entry »
A New Jersey boy with autism can receive his First Holy Communionthis year, Catholic Church officials said Friday as they issued an apology for “an unfortunate breakdown in communication” that led to national headlines about the case.But the boy’s parents disputed the church’s apology and said they are looking for a new parish.Anthony LaCugna’s parents said earlier this week the Rev. John Bambrick at Saint Aloysius Parish in Jackson decided their son, who is non-verbal, could not receive the sacrament of communion because his disability prevents him from distinguishing right from wrong. The fa… Read the rest of this entry »
Direct Support Professionals Asking for $16.5 Million to Cover Minimum Wage Increase
When the Democrats in Trenton passed legislation in 2019 to increase the state minimum wage incrementally until it reaches $15 per hour in 2024, Senator Declan O’Scanlon and Republicans in both houses warned of the consequences for New Jersey taxpayers, those providing essential services and those that depend on those services.
Two months after the implementation of the second annual increase raising the state hourly minimum from $10 to $11, O’Scanlon’s cautions are being proven. Read the rest of this entry »
Legislation sponsored by Senator Declan O’Scanlon that would allow senior citizens to continue to enjoy their “senior freeze” benefit if they downsize to a smaller home was advanced by the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee today.
“The Senior Freeze provides needed property tax relief for older homeowners, including many who are struggling to make ends meet on fixed incomes,” said O’Scanlon (R-13). “While the majority of senior citizens live in one- or two-person households, only a small percentage of them reap the savings provided by selling their family home and downsizing.
“This measure will ensure if an eligible homeowner does move to a smaller, more affordable home, it will not jeopardize their reimbursement,” O’Scanlon explained. Read the rest of this entry »
WASHINGTON, DC— Rep. Chris Smith joined President Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump, Attorney General William Barr, and other congressional and State Department officials at the White House today to mark the 20th year since enactment of Smith’s landmark Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA, Public Law 106-386). Read the rest of this entry »
Los Angeles (AFP) – The first fatality from the novel coronavirus has been confirmed on US soil, a woman in her late 50s who was “medically high-risk,” President Donald Trump said Saturday, as he urged Americans not to panic.Health officials said the woman in Washington state was one of a handful with no known links to global hot zones to have contracted the virus — indicating that the pathogen was now likely spreading in communities.The death occurred in King county, the most populous in the state and home to Seattle, a city of more than 700,000 people, officials in the state told AFP.The vi… Read the rest of this entry »
