A six-term House Democrat from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-jersey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Jersey</a> remains hospitalized more than a week after he experienced a &#8220;cardiac episode,&#8221; according to his office.
The office of Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-NJ), a 65-year-old <a href="https://payne.house.gov/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">husband and father of triplets</a>, released a statement on Wednesday with an update on the congressman&#8217;s condition.
&#8220;Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. suffered a cardiac episode based on complications from his diabetes last week,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;Today, he is in stable condition at a local hospital and continues to be under doctor’s care. While we hope for a full recovery, we ask everyone to keep him in your prayers.&#8221;
The statement was less confident than <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4585448-nj-democrat-donald-payne-hospitalized-cardiac-episode/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one released last week</a> when Payne&#8217;s office first acknowledged a health incident over the previous weekend. At the time, Payne&#8217;s team insisted he had a &#8220;good&#8221; prognosis and was expected to make a full recovery.
Payne&#8217;s office sent out the update on the congressman&#8217;s health in the hours after the New Jersey Globe <a href="https://newjerseyglobe.com/congress/donald-payne-remains-unconscious-eleven-days-after-heart-attack/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Payne had suffered a heart attack on April 6 and had not regained consciousness since that time. The report also said Payne had been hooked onto a ventilator in an intensive care unit at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center for 11 days.
In terms of House business, Payne&#8217;s absence could have an impact as lawmakers <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-gop-unveils-foreign-aid-bills-expects-final-vote-over-weekend" target="_blank" rel="noopener">consider foreign aid legislation</a>. The chamber is narrowly divided, with Republicans holding a slim majority.
A flurry of well-wishes appeared on social media after the New Jersey Globe report got published on Wednesday and Payne&#8217;s office did not deny its contents.
&#8220;Keeping my friend [Donald Payne] in my thoughts,&#8221; Rep. Donald Norcross (D-NJ) <a href="https://twitter.com/DonaldNorcross/status/1780695822289732035" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post to X. &#8220;He means so much to New Jersey and we are all praying for his swift recovery.&#8221;
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Anthony Coley, a legal analyst and former Department of Justice official, <a href="https://twitter.com/AnthonyColey/status/1780682796819677545" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> crisis medical communications for politicians &#8220;can be tough,&#8221; noting his own experiences working with former New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine, Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), and Rep. John Lewis (D-GA).
&#8220;Rule of thumb—candor w/ constituents is always the best,&#8221; he said, &#8220;Bad choice by staff/family to conceal this info early on.&#8221; Coley added, &#8220;Prayers for the Congressman’s complete recovery.&#8221;

Rep. Donald Payne Jr.

House Democrat Remains Hospitalized More Than A Week After ‘Cardiac Episode’

House Democrat Remains Hospitalized More Than A Week After 'Cardiac Episode'

Congress

House Democrats

New Jersey

U.S.

U.S. House of Representatives

Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bob-menendez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bob Menendez</a> (D-NJ) appears set to try to blame his wife, Nadine Menendez, for the federal bribery charges that the couple is facing, according to newly unsealed court documents.
“At trial, as part of his defense, Senator Menendez may elect to testify to communications with his wife that serve to materially decrease any inference of culpability on Senator Menendez’s part,” the motion <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/04/16/us-news/sen-bob-menendez-may-throw-wife-nadine-under-the-bus-in-corruption-trial-court-docs-show/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">states</a>. “Senator Menendez will explain, for example, what he and his wife discussed contemporaneously with their dinners with Egyptian officials (which colored his understanding of the purpose of such dinners); the explanations that Nadine provided for why [co-defendants Wael Hanna and Jose Uribe] had provided her certain monetary items; the reasons why he sent his wife a series of questions that other Senators purportedly intended to ask an Egyptian official; and many more topics.”
The 70-year-old senator is planning to show the &#8220;absence of any improper intent on Senator Menendez&#8217;s part&#8221; by &#8220;demonstrating the ways&#8221; that his wife &#8220;withheld information from Sen. Menendez or otherwise led him to believe that nothing unlawful was taking place,&#8221; the document continued.
The document added that by &#8220;demonstrating the absence of any improper intent on Senator Menendez’s part, they may inculpate Nadine.&#8221;
Menendez and his wife were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senator-bob-menendez-to-not-run-for-re-election-as-a-democrat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicted</a> on federal charges in September for allegedly accepting bribes from three businessmen in exchange for actions that he took as chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee. According to the DOJ, the alleged bribes were intended to protect the businessmen and to benefit Egypt.
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Prosecutors later said in a revised indictment that Menendez also allegedly used his clout to help a friend secure a multi-million dollar investment deal from the Qatari government, in part by taking actions that benefited Qatar.
In a subsequent superseding indictment, Menendez was also charged with conspiracy, obstruction of justice, public official acting as a foreign agent, bribery, extortion and honest services wire fraud.

US Senator Menendez defiantly rejects calls to step down

Democrat Senator Menendez Poised To Blame His Wife For Alleged Crimes: Reports

Bob Menendez

Crime

Egypt

Politics

Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro visited one of America’s forgotten cities devastated by the fentanyl crisis to speak with family members of people who have died from drug overdoses in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/fentanyl-america-s-silent-epidemic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest episode</a> of his docu-series, “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-divided-states-of-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Divided States of Biden</a>.” 
In the episode, Shapiro traveled to Camden, New Jersey, a city that has been completely ravaged by drugs, overdose deaths, and homelessness. He spoke with those who have been negatively impacted and why advocates are demanding that the Biden administration do more to fight the spread of fentanyl throughout America. 
“In the heart of America&#8217;s towns and cities, a silent crisis brews, one that knows no boundaries, spares no community, and leaves a trail of devastation in its wake,” Shapiro said. “The fentanyl crisis has become America&#8217;s deadliest drug epidemic, claiming lives with unprecedented potency and stealth. Behind the statistics lie the real stories of loss and despair, and a growing sense of abandonment by those who know that Joe Biden and his administration have not done nearly enough to protect American citizens.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
China sends it to Mexico. The Mexican drug cartels move it across our border. 100,000+ Americans die of fentanyl poisoning every year &#8211; it kills more Americans 18-45 than any other cause. This is the on-the-ground story of America’s silent epidemic &#8211; an act of war against the… <a href="https://t.co/nml57CtMJw">pic.twitter.com/nml57CtMJw</a>
&mdash; Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) <a href="https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1772299767428620460?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The episode “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/fentanyl-america-s-silent-epidemic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fentanyl: America’s Silent Epidemic</a>” features interviews with advocates, lawmakers, and investigators who have dug into the worsening crisis. It was released on Sunday on DailyWire+. 
Fentanyl overdoses have skyrocketed in recent years, rising from just 3,000 in 2013 to more than 73,000 in 2022. Death by fentanyl overdose is, by many estimates, the leading cause of death for those ages 18 to 45. To get a firsthand look at the crisis, Shapiro went to Kensington Avenue in Camden, where drug use is rampant and out in the open. Shapiro said that once someone enters the area, “all hell breaks loose.” 
“It&#8217;s just miles of drug addicts, people who are missing limbs and toes and fingers,” Shapiro said. “You&#8217;re seeing people who are bent over at the waist because the drugs have done such horrific things to their body they&#8217;re not capable of standing up straight. It looks like something out of ‘The Walking Dead.’”
<h3><a class="c-link" href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/fentanyl-america-s-silent-epidemic" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/fentanyl-america-s-silent-epidemic" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-1928">WATCH: Fentanyl: America’s Silent Epidemic</a></h3>
During the episode, Shapiro spoke with several women who lost family members to drug overdoses. They are now advocates for cracking down on those who distribute illicit drugs and called on the Biden administration to do more to shut down the flow of drugs coming over the U.S. southern border. 
April Babcock, whose son Austen died of fentanyl poisoning, said Biden’s border policies are a “punch” to her face. 
“I thought the sitting president is supposed to put Americans first,” she told Shapiro. “He has given operational control to the Mexican cartels. That&#8217;s exactly what he&#8217;s done.”
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Shapiro agreed, saying that decisive action was needed to stop the flow of fentanyl across the border. 
“It&#8217;s simply not in China&#8217;s and Mexico&#8217;s interest to stop the fentanyl trafficking, which means that absent strong American action, nothing is going to get done,” Shapiro said. “Solutions like increased funding for detection technology at our border or say, you know, shutting down the border itself haven&#8217;t been tried either. All of this information leads to the same conclusion: Joe Biden is unserious about fentanyl, and people are dying in unprecedented numbers because of it.”

Screen Shot 2024-03-18 at 1.19.04 PM

Ben Shapiro Shows How Biden Has Made Fentanyl Crisis Worse In New Docu-Series Episode

Ben Shapiro

Biden Administration

Drugs

Fentanyl

General

Homelessness

The Daily Wire

Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bob-menendez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bob Menendez</a> (D-NJ) said late on Thursday that he will not run for re-election in the Democrat primary, which comes as he faces multiple felony charges stemming for a corruption investigation involving foreign nations.
&#8220;I will not file for the Democratic primary this June,&#8221; Menendez said in a video posted to social media. &#8220;I am hopeful that my exoneration will take place this summer and allow me to pursue my candidacy as an independent Democrat in a general election.&#8221;
Menendez and his wife were indicted on federal charges in September for allegedly accepting bribes from three businessmen in exchange for actions that he took as chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee. According to the DOJ, the bribes were intended to protect the businessmen and to benefit Egypt.
Menendez was charged with conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, and conspiracy for a public official to act as a foreign agent.
Prosecutors later said in a revised indictment that he also allegedly used his clout to help a friend secure a multi-million dollar investment deal from the Qatari government in-part by taking actions that benefited Qatar.
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In a subsequent superseding indictment, Menendez was charged with conspiracy, obstruction of justice, public official acting as a foreign agent, bribery, extortion and honest services wire fraud.
Menendez has denied any wrongdoing and has instead cast the investigation as another attempt by federal law enforcement to take him down after he previously faced a corruption trial.
“Not content – or capable – of meeting those facts fairly at trial, the government has now falsely alleged a cover-up and obstruction,” Menendez said earlier this month.
“The latest charge reveals far more about the government than it says about me,” he added. “It says that the prosecutors are afraid of the facts, scared to subject their charges to the fair-minded scrutiny of a jury, and unconstrained by any sense of justice or fair play. It says, once and for all, that they will stop at nothing in their zeal to get me.”
This is a breaking news story; refresh the page for updates.

Sen. Bob Menendez

Senator Bob Menendez To Not Run For Re-Election As A Democrat

Democratic Party

Elections

A 26-year-old suspect was arrested on Saturday after he allegedly shot and killed three people in Falls Township, Pennsylvania, and stole a vehicle at gunpoint before barricading himself inside a home with others. Those in the home with the suspected shooter safely made it outside while the suspect remained inside, according to police.
The suspect, who is not being named in accordance with Daily Wire policy, was later apprehended while he was walking on a Trenton, New Jersey, street, police said, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/falls-township-shootings-pennsylvania-03-16-24" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>. After the alleged shooter barricaded himself in a Trenton home, police and a SWAT team set up a perimeter around the house.
&#8220;However, apparently, before the perimeter was completed, the suspect was able to get out of the location unseen. However, our information was that he was still in there,&#8221; said Trenton Police Director Steve Wilson.
Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora said police found the suspect two blocks from the home, and &#8220;he cooperated and gave his identity to police themselves.&#8221;
Police believe the suspect knew each of the three victims that he allegedly killed. Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said the alleged shooter killed his 52-year-old stepmother and 13-year-old sister before he then killed the 25-year-old mother of his two children at a different residence.
Residents of Falls Township, which is just a few miles south of Trenton, were told to shelter in place as authorities searched for the suspect. The shelter-in-place order for Falls Township was lifted after police found the suspect in Trenton.
“We are investigating a spree killing that took place in the township this morning,” Jeff Dence, chairman of the Falls Township Board of Supervisors, told CNN. “It is domestic related. Three people were killed at two different residences.”
Officers were first called to Viewpoint Lane in Levittown just before 9:00 a.m. Saturday where police said the suspect shot and killed two people who lived at the residence, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/active-shooter-reported-falls-township-pennsylvania" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a>. Just minutes later, he allegedly went to a home on Edgewood Lane, where he shot and killed another person. The suspect then allegedly carjacked a person at gunpoint in a Dollar General parking lot before driving to Trenton. Police said that he did not know the carjacking victim, and the victim was not injured.
Police added that the suspect is “believed to be currently homeless and has ties to the Trenton, New Jersey, area.” He is considered to be “extremely dangerous.”
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“He is believed to be in possession of an assault rifle which he used to commit these crimes. It is believed that the suspect may be in possession of additional weapons,” the Falls Township Police said in a statement.
The stolen vehicle was located and unoccupied on Miller Street in Trenton before police and a SWAT team surrounded the home where the suspect is believed to be barricaded with hostages.
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Trenton police are surrounding a duplex in the area of Phillips Ave. and Nassau St. believed to be connected to the gunman suspected of killing 3 people this morning in Falls Township, Bucks County. SWAT officers with long guns are running and a tactical vehicle is on standby. <a href="https://t.co/DgbnHv6wvd">pic.twitter.com/DgbnHv6wvd</a>
&mdash; Madeleine Wright (@MWrightReports) <a href="https://twitter.com/MWrightReports/status/1769048214324322326?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

US-CRIME-SHOOTING

Suspected Shooter Apprehended After Allegedly Killing 3, Barricading Inside Home

Pennsylvania

Police

Shooting

A restaurant booth made famous in the finale of “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/television">The Sopranos</a>” just sold on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ebay">eBay</a> for $82,600.
The series finale of the iconic mob <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">drama</a> starring James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano aired in 2007. In the last scene, Tony sits down in the diner booth with his family and orders onion rings before dropping a quarter in the jukebox, and Journey&#8217;s 1981 hit &#8220;Don&#8217;t Stop Believin'&#8221; starts to play. The camera cuts to customers entering the restaurant, which fans speculate could have been people arriving to kill Tony. Then, the screen fades to black.
The finale was filmed at the real-life eatery Holsten’s in Bloomfield, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-jersey">New Jersey</a>. Ever since the show aired, the booth has been a popular spot for fans. A <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/03/06/sopranos-booth-sale-final-scene/">report</a> from The Washington Post said that, on busy days, customers would wait up to an hour to sit in the booth. 
The spot became even more popular following Gandolfini’s death from an apparent heart attack in June 2013. Holsen&#8217;s co-owner Christopher Carley told the outlet he closed the booth for two weeks as customers came and left flowers, cards, and drawings as a tribute. The restaurant owner said he gave all the items to Gandolfini’s son, Michael.
Carley initially posted his intention to sell the booth on Facebook. 
“The time has come. All good things sometimes need an upgrade. The famous Sopranos booth is getting a much needed face-lift,” a February 28 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HolstensIceCreamParlor/posts/pfbid02QYme94uyLuRnJYGWTtARD5yAD2mn41d3rSPPBPvKRTPv852Se1hsbFiGnFJHDdiql">post</a> from the official Holsten’s account said. “Obviously, we aren&#8217;t going to change the nostalgia of our beloved shoppe&#8230;we aren&#8217;t crazy!  Just polishing up the place!”
“Please understand that we don&#8217;t want to do this. But the integrity of the booths are now compromised. They have been repaired many times and this furniture is over 60 years old. Obviously, we do not want to do this, however it has come to a point where they are structurally not safe anymore as a whole and we need to think about the safety of our patrons first,” the post continued. 
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“Customer safety is a priority for us and should be for our patrons as well.  Thank you and we hope you understand!”
Carley told the Post he hoped the booth would fetch at least $50,000. The outlet reported that on Sunday, the owner closed the booth and put a basket of onion rings on the table so fans could take photos one last time.

James Gandolfini

Iconic Booth From ‘The Sopranos’ Finale Sells For $82K On eBay

Iconic Booth From 'The Sopranos' Finale Sells For $82K On eBay

eBay

Entertainment

Television

A businessman and alleged associate of Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bob-menendez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bob Menendez</a> (D-NJ) pled guilty on Friday to seven corruption charges and agreed to testify against Menendez, the former head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who is accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes. 
Jose Uribe, 56, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/01/nyregion/menendez-bribery-defendant-guilty.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pled guilty</a> to charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, honest services wire fraud, obstruction of justice and tax evasion. Uribe admitted to giving Menendez’s wife, Nadine, a Mercedes-Benz with the expectation the Democrat senator <a href="https://apnews.com/article/menendez-uribe-federal-bribery-indictment-a7f1d893f1ee387f079161011e9dd37e?taid=65e2224817ae090001089d55&amp;utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&amp;utm_medium=AP&amp;utm_source=Twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">would</a> use “his power and influence as a United States senator to get a favorable outcome and to stop all investigations related to one of my associates.”
Uribe said that the car was given so that a “possible investigation into another person who I considered to be a member of my family,” would not be initiated. 
The businessman said that he paid for the car “in a manner to conceal my involvement because I knew it was wrong. I knew that giving a car in return for influencing a United States senator to stop a criminal investigation was wrong, and I deeply regret my actions.”
Uribe could be sentenced to 95 years in prison and has to forfeit $246,000. He will also now testify against Menendez, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-jersey-democrat-sen-bob-menendez-indicted-on-bribery-charges" target="_blank" rel="noopener">faces charges</a> of conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right.
Prosecutors allege that Menendez and his wife had a corrupt relationship with businessmen Wael Hana, Uribe, and Fred Daibes, who allegedly gave the senator bribes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. According to the DOJ, the bribes were intended to protect the businessmen and to benefit Egypt. 
“Those bribes included cash, gold, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle, and other things of value,” the indictment said. Federal authorities reportedly found gold bars and cash stuffed throughout the senator’s home that they traced back to the businessmen Menendez allegedly worked with. 
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Menendez is also accused of ghostwriting a letter to other senators to urge them to support to end a hold on $300 million in military aid to Egypt, a letter that was reportedly written in coordination with his wife and the businessmen in question. 
The trial for Menendez and his co-defendants is scheduled to begin on May 5.

NJ Senator Bob Menendez Indicted In Federal Corruption Probe

Businessman Pleads Guilty To Corruption Charges, Will Testify Against New Jersey Democrat Senator

Corruption

U.S. Senate

New Jersey&#8217;s ban on plastic bags has been not only inconvenient for the public but bad for the environment.
Back in 2020, New Jersey passed a law banning single-use plastic and paper bags in all stores and food service businesses. That law went into effect in May, 2022.
Since the ban took effect, though, it <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-jersey-plastic-bag-ban-report-environment-freedonia-custom-research-18d555d4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">looks like</a> the state&#8217;s consumption of plastic for bags spiked to three times as much, <a href="https://www.freedoniagroup.com/press-releases/freedonia-report-finds-new-jersey-single-use-bag-ban-boosts-alternative-bag-production,-increases-pl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a report from Freedonia Custom Research that was commissioned by the American Recyclable Plastic Bag Alliance.
The total number of plastic bags did go down, falling by 60%  to 894 million bags, but the problem was the alternatives ended up having a much larger carbon footprint.
Most of New Jersey&#8217;s stores switched to reusable shopping bags, the kind often sold in supermarkets. These bags are made with non-woven polypropylene, which uses more than 15 times more plastic, and they are often not recycled.
As a result, these bags caused greenhouse gas emissions to rise 500% compared to the old bags in 2015, according to the report.
On top of this, people tend not to reuse the new reusable bags as much as intended — on average they are only used about two or three times before being thrown away.
One factor contributing to this is the rise of grocery pickup and delivery services, which usually require new alternative bags for every grocery haul.
Overall, the ban failed to accomplish its goal.
&#8220;The outcome of the ban, revealed by market research, interviews, and comprehensive studies, unveils a complicated landscape as bag purchasing behavior continues to evolve,&#8221; the report says.
Back in November, 2020 when he signed the bag ban bill, Governor Phil Murphy (D) touted the plastic bag ban as a &#8220;solution&#8221; to climate change.
“Plastic bags are one of the most problematic forms of waste, contributing to millions of discarded bags that find their way into our landfills, rivers, and oceans annually,” Murphy, a Democrat, <a href="https://parsippanyfocus.com/2024/01/27/study-exposes-pitfalls-of-new-jerseys-bag-ban-plastic-usage-skyrockets/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> during a signing ceremony for the bill.
“With the historic signing of this bill today, we are directly addressing the issue of plastic pollution, offering solutions that will combat climate change and protect our environment for generations to come,” Murphy said.
New Jersey&#8217;s ban also prohibited Styrofoam products like cups, plates, takeout cartons, and other food containers.
At least 11 other states have bans on plastic grocery bags as well — California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

Green grocery bags

New Jersey’s Plastic Ban Did Not Work, Report Shows

New Jersey's Plastic Ban Ban Did Not Work, Report Shows

Carbon Emissions

Climate Change

Minors in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-jersey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Jersey’s</a> biggest city now have the right to vote in certain elections.
The Newark City Council voted on Wednesday to grant voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds for school board elections. The measure, sponsored by Council President LaMonica McIver, passed unanimously; she declared that minors had the right to representation.
“We support expanding our democracy and giving our young people the right to vote,” said McIver.
The <a href="https://newark.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6454487&amp;GUID=C98BC801-7B1E-40F6-AB82-F44D81A18B14">measure</a> declared that 16- and 17-year-olds deserve the right to vote because they may take on certain responsibilities like driving, paying taxes, and working, and civic activities such as political campaign contributions, volunteering in campaigns and at the polls, and attending political rallies.
Following prolonged and divided public remarks over the measure, Councilman Lawrence Crump remarked that minors today were capable of voting because they’re “much more mature, much more advanced” than he and his peers were in their youth.
“I don’t think we should punish children for what we as adults have failed to do, and I think if we don’t support [their right to vote] that’s what we’re doing, we’re punishing them from moving forward because of what we as adults and parents have not done,” said Crump.
Councilman Dupre Kelly said that granting certain voting rights to minors was critical to ensure a healthy democracy, and indicated that granting voting rights in school board elections was just the start.
“If you don’t utilize young people to help you build it, they will be the ones to tear it down,” said Kelly.
Councilwoman Louise Scott-Rountree said that it was Biblical to afford voting rights to minors.
“I think we downplay their wisdom because we think we elders know it all,” said Scott-Rountree.
Only one councilman, Carlos Gonzalez, expressed hesitation for the measure, warning that the next likely step would be policy allowing minors to run for election. Gonzalez also questioned whether the age limit was arbitrary, and if future arguments could be made for lowering the voting age even further.
“I don’t think they have the financial wisdom to handle that responsibility [of a billion-dollar budget],” said Gonzalez. “Where do we stop? I believe that we have to be concerned with the slippery slope of going from 18 to 16 to what?”
Councilman Patrick Council said that struggles with systemic racism and social justices had culminated in the measure. Council said that allowing minors to vote would help mitigate societal issues like gun violence.
Another major issue, the border crisis, was also brought up. Councilman Michael Silva expressed concern that illegal immigrant minors wouldn’t benefit from this new measure.
“My ward is going to be a reflection of a lot of wards the way the country is looking forward, and I think these 16 and 17-year-olds, even though they’re not American citizens, need to have their voices heard as well,” said Silva.
That same day, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy <a href="https://nj.gov/governor/news/news/562024/approved/20240109b.shtml">applauded</a> the measure in his State of the State address. Murphy asked that the state legislature pass similar legislation this session to grant minors voting rights for all local school board elections.
“I know, to some, this proposal may sound unconventional. But voting is a lifelong habit. And studies show that, if a person votes in one election they are more likely to turn out in the next election,” said Murphy. “So, encouraging our young neighbors to engage with democracy, is really about encouraging them to become lifelong voters.”
Last week, Murphy signed a bill allowing 17-year-olds to vote in primary elections if they turned 18 by the time of the general election.
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Murphy credited the push for minor voting rights to two young activists: Anjali Krishnamurti, a freshman at Harvard University and former campaign volunteer for Murphy, and Yenjay Hu, a high school senior.
“Honestly, when I see young leaders like Anjali and Yenjay, I cannot help but think: is it any surprise that New Jersey has the best public education system in the country?” said Murphy.
Krishnamurti and Hu co-founded Vote16NJ, a state spinoff of a national campaign, Vote16USA, both of which advocate for lowering the national voting age to 16 in local elections.
Vote16USA is a <a href="https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/generation-citizen/%23:~:text=If%2520you%2520are%2520a%2520human,vote%2520in%2520certain%2520local%2520elections.">project</a> of Generation Citizen, a progressive New York-based nonprofit. Among its top funders are the Ford Foundation, Bezos Family Foundation, the Jennifer and Jonathan Allan Soros Foundation, and Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

New Jersey’s Biggest City Grants Voting Rights To Minors

Children

Phil Murphy

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) defended himself on the Senate floor Tuesday morning against the newest criminal charges he faces for allegedly accepting bribes in exchange for advancing the interests of Qatar.
The new charges were contained in a superseding indictment that was <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/02/politics/bob-menendez-superseding-indictment-qatar/index.html">unsealed</a> last week and alleges Menendez accepted various gifts and payments in exchange for taking action to help Qatar and one of the other co-conspirators listed in the indictment.
&#8220;I’m innocent, and I intend to prove my innocence – not just for me, but for the precedent this case will set for you and for future members of the Senate,&#8221; Menendez said. &#8220;Members of the Senate are not above the law, but they are not beneath it either. If for political expediency, an indictment and its accusations are now tantamount to guilt, we have upended our system of justice in America.&#8221;
Menendez claimed that there was &#8220;no evidence&#8221; of the &#8220;sensationalized allegations&#8221; being made against him and said that &#8220;a full explanation of what is the truth about those issues&#8221; will be presented at trial which he claimed &#8220;proves I am entirely innocent of the charges.&#8221;
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&#8220;I understand how the government&#8217;s accusations may be in the most sensational and purposely damning way possible,&#8221; Menendez continued. &#8220;It&#8217;s misuse of the grand jury system to bring superseding indictments, even though it had all the information they allege from the beginning, can be a source of concern and content by some of my colleagues, the political establishment, and most importantly, the people of New Jersey… I am suffering greatly as a result of what they have done after 50 years of public service – this is not how I wanted to celebrate my golden jubilee.&#8221;
WATCH:
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Senator Bob Menendez Responds To Latest Bribery Charges Against Him

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Hundreds of new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/illegal-immigration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">migrants</a> were dropped off near major cities as the year came to a close this week, a symptom of the ongoing migrant crisis at the border.
In New Jersey, some bus operators figured out a &#8220;loophole&#8221; in New York City&#8217;s new migrant restrictions and started dropping migrants off at New Jersey train stations, where they took the train to New York.
At least 13 buses carrying about 450 migrants have shown up in New Jersey from Texas and Louisiana since Saturday. One bus arrived early Monday morning in Jersey City, according to the city’s mayor.
&#8220;From what we understand after being dropped at the train station the migrants then took trains to New York City,&#8221; Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli <a href="https://secaucusnj.gov/government/news/1074-several-busses-of-migrants-arrive-at-secaucus-junction-train-station?fbclid=IwAR2VExj7K9vp8f4kvrt2vsFPSO8q0g5x03zR042F0KeiDA8ji_JZ7L176CM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a press release on the incident.
Last week, New York City Mayor Eric Adams <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/assets/home/downloads/pdf/executive-orders/2023/eeo-538.pdf?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_name=&amp;utm_source=govdelivery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ordered</a> that buses carrying migrants must provide the city with 32 hours notice before arriving and can only drop off migrants on weekday mornings. Violators risk fines and having their bus impounded.
More than 161,000 migrants have arrived in New York City since the spring of 2022, causing the city to scramble to find them shelter. The financial strain on the city prompted Adams to announce deep budget cuts affecting all agencies including the police force, the public school system, and sanitation services.
In the Chicago area, more than 350 migrants were flown to nearby Rockford from Texas on Sunday morning. They were immediately put on buses to Chicago.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said Texas did not give the city notice that it was sending the migrants, who he said arrived via private plane.
Since April 2022, Texas <a href="https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/operation-lone-star-bolsters-historic-border-security-mission-in-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> it has sent more than 90,000 migrants to &#8220;sanctuary cities&#8221; run by Democrats, including New York City, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.
Chicago scrambled to house migrants before the cold winter months set in, but many are still sheltering at the city&#8217;s police stations and airports.
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In Denver, as many as 19 buses and vans reportedly dropped off migrants in the city on Friday. Migrants were left in the parking lots of Home Depot, Walmart, and Sam’s Club, Denver7 <a href="https://www.denver7.com/news/investigations/sources-20-busloads-of-migrants-arrive-in-denver-some-reportedly-telling-customers-to-pay-for-free-parking" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
A day later, some of the migrants returned and reportedly tried to make money by trying to charge Sam&#8217;s Club customers to park in the free parking lot, <a href="https://www.denver7.com/news/investigations/sources-20-busloads-of-migrants-arrive-in-denver-some-reportedly-telling-customers-to-pay-for-free-parking" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a security guard who was hired to protect the parking lot. They also reportedly tried to earn cash by helping customers load groceries into their cars and cleaning windshields with spray bottles and paper towels, the outlet reported.
&#8220;I think the frustrating thing for us is we know this problem is solvable,” Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said.
“They should have federal dollars to help support them in the cities that they arrive in, and we should have a coordinated national plan for where these folks arrive,” Johnston <a href="https://www.denver7.com/news/investigations/sources-20-busloads-of-migrants-arrive-in-denver-some-reportedly-telling-customers-to-pay-for-free-parking" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.

OPED-CHICAGO-MIGRANTS-EDITORIAL-TB

Hundreds More Migrants Dropped Off In Chicago, New Jersey, Denver As Year Ended

Chicago

Denver

Illegal Immigration

Immigration

New York City

Illegal immigrants bound for New York City are now taking trains into the Big Apple after Democratic Mayor Eric Adams issued an executive order last week seeking to curb the busloads of migrants that enter the city. 
Adams’ executive order limits when migrant buses can come into the city and requires bus drivers who know they are transporting illegal immigrants to give the city a 32-hour notice of their arrival. According to New Jersey officials, however, bus drivers are working around Adams’ executive order by dropping migrants off at train stations throughout New Jersey, where the illegal immigrants then board a train heading into NYC, The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/4383899-migrants-new-jersey-train-stations-new-york-bus-restrictions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. 
“Our Administration has tracked the recent arrival of a handful buses of migrant families at various NJ TRANSIT train stations,” said Tyler Jones, a spokesman for New Jersey Democratic Governor Phil Murphy. “New Jersey is primarily being used as a transit point for these families — all or nearly all of them continued with their travels en route to their final destination of New York City.”
“We are closely coordinating with our federal and local partners on this matter, including our colleagues across the Hudson,” Jones added, according to The Hill.
Secaucus, New Jersey, Mayor Michael Gonnelli estimated that four busloads of illegal immigrants were dropped off at the city’s train station Saturday morning, POLITICO <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/31/buses-of-migrants-boarding-trains-from-nj-to-nyc-officials-say-00133371" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. 
“It seems quite clear the bus operators are finding a way to thwart the requirements of the [New York City] Executive Order by dropping migrants at the train station in Secaucus and having them continue to their final destination,” the mayor said in a statement.
Adams issued the executive order aiming to limit the number of illegal immigrants entering New York City as he continues to call on the Biden administration to take action to help the city deal with the crisis. Since 2022, more than 130,000 illegal immigrants have made their way to New York. City officials <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/teachers-union-sues-eric-adams-after-mayor-slashes-education-budget-to-deal-with-illegal-immigration-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">project</a> that the influx will cost the city $12 billion through fiscal year 2025. 
When <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/27/adams-executive-order-abbott-migrant-bus-00133250" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announcing</a> the executive order last week, Adams again asked the federal government “to do their part with one voice.” Adams also blamed Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott for using migrants as “political pawns” as he continues to bus and fly illegal immigrants to Democrat-run “sanctuary cities” across the nation. 
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“We cannot allow buses with people needing our help to arrive without warning at any hour of day and night,” Adams said. “This not only prevents us from providing assistance in an orderly way, it puts those who have already suffered so much in danger.” 
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chicago-mayor-claims-texas-governor-clinging-to-vestiges-of-confederacy-with-migrant-transports">Chicago Mayor Claims Texas Governor Clinging To &#8216;Vestiges&#8217; Of Confederacy With Migrant Transports</a>

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