In midst of Hudson war with Stack, Sacco embraces Buono

Fierce rivalry with a local enemy provides exactly the motivation state Senator/Mayor Nicholas Sacco (D-32) needs to recommit himself to a friendship with state Sen. Barbara Buono (D-18), Metuchen, in a statewide brawl. Politicker

http://www.politickernj.com/63203/midst-hudson-...

In Jersey City, Fulop gongs Healy in aftermath of Coleman remark

Downtown Jersey City Councilman Steven Fulop, a candidate for mayor, today returned fire at Mayor Jerry Healy after the mayor demanded that Fulop's Ward F candidate apologize for a crack she made at a council caucus meeting about Ward F residents.  Politicker

http://www.politickernj.com/63196/jersey-city-m...

Latest from State Street Wire

Assembly panel – largely along party lines – releases package of gun bills

TRENTON – Assembly lawmakers briskly approved a package of 20 gun bills Wednesday evening following seven hours of heated testimony and debate.State Street Wire

http://www.politickernj.com/63213/assembly-pane...

sign up for a free trial of State Street Wire at http://www.politickernj.com/freetrial 

States act on minimum was Republicans toss Obama plan

President Barack Obama’s proposal to increase the U.S. minimum wage by 24 percent faces long odds in Congress, where Republicans took aim at it minutes after the State of the Union address. That might not matter: beyond Capitol Hill, some states took action long ago. Bloomberg

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-14/states...

With guns, killer and victim usually sane

DAYTON, Wyo. — Craig Reichert found his son’s body on a winter morning, lying on the floor as if he were napping with his great-uncle’s pistol under his knee. The 911 dispatcher told him to administer CPR, but Mr. Reichert, who has had emergency training, told her it was too late. His son, Kameron, 17, was already cold to the touch. N.Y. Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/14/us/to-lower-s...

Affordable Care Act deadline looms

For those states that just can’t quite make up their mind, time’s up.

Friday is the day when states are due to declare whether they’ll partner with the White House to build Affordable Care Act health insurance exchanges. After that, the sprint to the finish begins. Politico

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/02/obamacare...

N.J.-based firms donated over $700,000 to Republican Governors Assoc.

New Jersey-based construction companies, engineering firms, utilities and casinos — including many that are barred from making direct contributions to political candidates — gave the Republican Governors Association more than $700,000 last year when Governor Christie was its vice chairman. Record

http://www.northjersey.com/news/politics/NJ_fir...

Members of international rhino horn smuggling ring operated in N.J.

Locations in Little Ferry, Ridgefield and Wanaque provided the backdrop for an international smuggling ring that shipped rhinoceros horns hidden in vases to China, the Justice Department said Wednesday. Record

http://www.northjersey.com/littleferry/Members_...

Mercer freeholders want better service from JCP&L

Raising concerns about the inability to get a response from Jersey Central Power & Light in the wake of a major storm, freeholders are expected to vote tonight to approve a resolution asking that the utility be forced to invest in infrastructure and work to improve communication with customers.  Trenton Times

http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2013/02/merc...

Miss America pageant returns to Atlantic City

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - There she is, Miss America, headed back to Atlantic City.

The Miss America pageant, a staple in Atlantic City for decades before it was moved to Las Vegas in 2006, is making a return, Gov. Chris Christie's spokesman Michael Drewniak confirmed Wednesday. Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno was scheduled to make a formal announcement Thursday at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall. Associated Press

http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/2013...

Casino regulator: Revel seeks help with finances

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - Revel was supposed to help the struggling Atlantic City market turn around. Instead, it is the struggling casino-hotel that needs help turning around. Associated Press

http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20130213_...

Hoboken mayor touts plans for seawalls

In a State of the City speech dominated by talk about Hurricane Sandy, Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer outlined plans last night to build seawalls and install more pumps to protect the city from future superstorms. Jersey Journal

http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index.ssf/2013/...

Attorney General says 2 officials hid contaminant in water

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Two top officials at a northern New Jersey municipal water authority falsified records and shut down contaminated wells in advance of safety tests to hide elevated levels of a contaminant, the state attorney general's office charged in an indictment released Wednesday. Associated Press

http://www.phillyburbs.com/ap/national/nj-offic...

Full N.J. Transit service months away

Executive director James Weinstein gave an update Wednesday at the agency’s monthly board meeting. Townsquare News Network

http://nj1015.com/full-restoration-of-njt-rail-...

Sandy put icing on cake for N.J. hotels

Months before Hurricane Sandy boosted hotel and motel occupancy rates by displacing scores of homeowners and bringing hordes of construction workers and aid officials into New Jersey, the state's lodging industry was on pace to break occupancy records set prior to the recession, according to an analysis of state fees and municipal taxes collected from the properties throughout 2012. N.J. Biz

http://www.njbiz.com/article/20130213/NJBIZ01/1...

Retiring Parsippany police chief to get $132,000 a year

The township police chief will soon retire with an annual benefit of $131,951.76, according to state Department of Treasury spokesman William Quinn said. NJ.Com

http://www.nj.com/morris/index.ssf/2013/02/pars...

Opinion

Obama takes page from Christie on leadership

President Obama has a new bounce in his step as he begins a second term. He’s getting out of Washington more often, offering a full-throated defense of activist government and pointed criticism of Republican policies that favor the rich. Star-Ledger

http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2013/02/o...

Zuckerberg fundraiser for Christie about more than cash

It’s called a "Twitter bomb."

And it became the tactic of choice this week for some angry New Jersey liberals who were aghast that Governor Christie was invited to stock his campaign war chest tonight at the Silicon Valley home of Mark Zuckerberg, his new BFF (cyber slang for "Best Friend Forever.") Stile, Record

http://www.northjersey.com/news/state/190974871...