Opinion: This is the speech Obama never gave and Trump never will.

By Stuart J. Moskovitz

This nation is in the midst of a crisis. I’m not talking about the economy, or foreign policy or even terrorism. I am talking about a crisis that is worse than even those three. Let’s call it the fourth horseman.

We have encountered crises in this nation before. Many times. There is not a crisis this nation has faced that it has not overcome and become stronger. I believe we can do that with the economy. i believe we can do that with foreign policy. I even believe we can do that with terrorism. For the fourth crisis, however, I need your help. Everyone’s help. Each and every citizen and resident of this nation, no matter where you came from, how you got here, what your race, religion or national origin is, what your political beliefs are.

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New Jersey gas prices rise sharply

TRENTON (AP) — Motorists are seeing sharply higher prices at the pumps in New Jersey. AAA Mid-Atlantic says the average price of a gallon of regular gas in the state on Friday was $1.65, up 8 cents from last week. But that’s still much lower than the price from a year ago, when motorists were paying… Read the rest of this entry »

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U.S. Supreme Court staying out of pension fight is good for N.J., Moody’s says

TRENTON — A Wall Street rating agency called the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision not to hear an appeal on New Jersey’s pension contributions “credit positive” for the state. The Supreme Court late last month declined to review the case that pitted public labor unions against the Christie administration, which slashed billions of dollars in planned pension… Read the rest of this entry »

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No rail strike: NJ Transit and unions reach settlement

NEWARK — NJ Transit officials and members of its rail unions have reached a tentative agreement on their long-simmering contract dispute, averting a strike that threatened to paralyze the region. No immediate details on the settlement were announced, or when union members might vote on the proposed accord, but for now commuters can breathe a sigh… Read the rest of this entry »

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Monmouth County, Middletown and NY Waterway are working together to mitigate NJ Transit strike impact

Monmouth County, Middletown Township and NY Waterways officials are working together to lessen the possible inconvenience to commuters in the event of a New Jersey Transit strike starting Sunday morning.

“The County is working with NY Waterway and Middletown to take a proactive approach to the situation we may face next week if there is any disruption to how our residents travel to work,” said Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone. “We understand the inconvenience that a disruption would cause and are actively taking measures to make sure we are doing everything we can to arrange to accommodate an increase in ferry passengers.”

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Suspended Neptune cop pleads guilty, avoids life sentence in ex-wife’s killing

FREEHOLD — A suspended police sergeant who police say shot his ex-wife to death in front of their young daughter last year accepted a plea deal on Thursday that will allow him to avoid spending the rest of his life in prison. Philip Seidle, 51, pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter and child endangerment in the June… Read the rest of this entry »

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Feds pitching in: EPA, DEP addressing lead levels at Newark schools

NEWARK — The Environmental Protection Agency will be assisting the state in its continuing probe into elevated levels of lead found in the drinking water at 30 Newark public school buildings, an EPA spokesman confirmed Thursday. “The New Jersey (Department of Environmental Protection) has requested EPA’s assistance,” spokesman John Martin said Thursday. The lead levels reported… Read the rest of this entry »

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NJ Transit, unions say they would like to reach a settlement on Thursday

NJ Transit and union officials have both said they would prefer to reach a settlement on Thursday and avoid a Sunday morning rail strike. “Our concern is to get it done at the table,” Stephen Burkert, union coalition spokesman said at Wednesday’s NJ Transit board meeting. “We’d like to get this done tomorrow (Thursday) if we… Read the rest of this entry »

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Moody’s: Atlantic City faces big trouble without state takeover

TRENTON — A Wall Street credit rating agency suggested in a report Wednesday that Atlantic City would face significant financial shortfalls without the state taking over large swaths of the city’s local government. Moody’s Investor Services released the report a day before the state Legislature begins considering two measures aimed at helping the Jersey Shore gambling… Read the rest of this entry »

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Jury convicts N.J. man in first ISIS trial in U.S.

BROOKLYN–An Air Force veteran from New Jersey, charged with planning to “fight jihad,” was convicted by a federal jury Wednesday of attempting to join the terror group ISIS. Tairod Pugh, 48, of Neptune–arrested last year just weeks after being fired from his job as an aircraft mechanic in Kuwait–was accused of traveling to Turkey in an… Read the rest of this entry »

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