# Ethics Watch NJ


## Posts

- [U.S. House Republicans grill immigration agency chief over p](https://ethicswatchnj.com/u-s-house-republicans-grill-immigration-agency-chief-over-p/): WASHINGTON — Republican members of a U.S.
- [UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson killed outside investor](https://ethicswatchnj.com/unitedhealthcare-ceo-brian-thompson-killed-outside-investor/): UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, was shot and killed Wednesday morning outside the Hilton in midtown Manhattan, where he was set to address investors.
- [High school exit exams dwindle to about half a dozen states](https://ethicswatchnj.com/high-school-exit-exams-dwindle-to-about-half-a-dozen-states/): Jill Norton, an education policy adviser in Massachusetts, has a teenage son with dyslexia and ADHD.
- [Sen.-elect Andy Kim joins Clara Maass nurses in fight for co](https://ethicswatchnj.com/sen-elect-andy-kim-joins-clara-maass-nurses-in-fight-for-co/): Sen.-elect Andy Kim joined a group of nurses Tuesday to support their drawn-out fight for a contract with Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, noting that his mom was a nurse who spent her career working in New Jersey hospitals.
- [U.S. Senate Democrats pick Amy Klobuchar and Cory Booker for](https://ethicswatchnj.com/u-s-senate-democrats-pick-amy-klobuchar-and-cory-booker-for/): WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Democrats in closed-door elections Tuesday selected leaders for their caucus, and elevated Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar to the No.
- [What Now For The Democratic Party?](https://ethicswatchnj.com/what-now-for-the-democratic-party/): Democrats lost the race for the White House, and lost control of the Senate, in 2024.
- [U.S. Education Department pings states, schools to set polic](https://ethicswatchnj.com/u-s-education-department-pings-states-schools-to-set-polic/): WASHINGTON — The U.S. Education Department called on every state, school and district on Tuesday to adopt policies on cellphone use in schools.
- [Biden’s pardon of his son draws blowback from Republicans, a](https://ethicswatchnj.com/bidens-pardon-of-his-son-draws-blowback-from-republicans-a/): WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son from federal gun and tax crimes —and any other offenses over a nearly 11-year period — has drawn outrage from Republicans, while only a few Democrats have criticized the outgoing president for establishing a potential precedent for the incoming GOP administration.
- [Paterson schools failed to protect students from sexual hara](https://ethicswatchnj.com/paterson-schools-failed-to-protect-students-from-sexual-hara/): Paterson school officials failed to properly respond to students’ allegations of sexual harassment, including sexual assault, during a five-year period starting in 2017, according to a letter the federal Department of Education sent the school district’s chief on Monday.
- [Third Party Candidates & Nonpartisan Voting Initiatives Falter](https://ethicswatchnj.com/third-party-candidates-nonpartisan-voting-initiatives-falter/): Even though many voters said they didn't like Kamala Harris or Donald Trump, very few who voted decided to cast their ballots for other candidates.
- [Trump's Transition Trouble](https://ethicswatchnj.com/trumps-transition-trouble/): Well before we know who wins the presidential election, a clock is ticking, counting down to the next administration.
- [Water woes boil over in New Jersey's capital, with revelatio](https://ethicswatchnj.com/water-woes-boil-over-in-new-jerseys-capital-with-revelatio/): Residents of Trenton and its suburbs received a letter last week from their local water utility that informed them an employee had been fired for falsifying drinking water data for 15 months — meaning the water went unmonitored for contaminants for over a year.
- [U.S. Senate Dem leader calls for traditional process for con](https://ethicswatchnj.com/u-s-senate-dem-leader-calls-for-traditional-process-for-con/): WASHINGTON — Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer sent a letter to incoming Republican Leader John Thune on Monday urging him to move nominees through the traditional confirmation process, including committee hearings and floor votes.
- [Suit over baby blood storage must go on to end 'double layer](https://ethicswatchnj.com/suit-over-baby-blood-storage-must-go-on-to-end-double-layer/): Attorneys for parents challenging New Jersey’s controversial practice of storing blood that hospitals take from babies under a mandatory disease-screening program have asked a judge to reject the state’s bid to dismiss their federal lawsuit.
- [Most county clerks settle lawsuit targeting county-line ball](https://ethicswatchnj.com/most-county-clerks-settle-lawsuit-targeting-county-line-ball/): Nearly all counties sued by Rep.
- [Court mulls school parental notification policies on transge](https://ethicswatchnj.com/court-mulls-school-parental-notification-policies-on-transge/): Attorneys for the state of New Jersey and four school districts squared off in court in Newark Tuesday over district policies that require parental notification when students change their sexuality or gender identity.
- [New legal claims offer ‘warning signs' about energy firm Hol](https://ethicswatchnj.com/new-legal-claims-offer-warning-signs-about-energy-firm-hol/): New legal claims lodged in recent weeks offer what critics say are disturbing insights into Holtec, the Camden-based company pushing controversial atomic power projects across the United States.
- [I was 'political pawn’ for Jersey City mayor, fired ex-aide](https://ethicswatchnj.com/i-was-political-pawn-for-jersey-city-mayor-fired-ex-aide/): A former aide to Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop sued him and other city officials Wednesday, accusing them of discrimination, defamation, and civil rights violations for trash-talking and ultimately firing him because he donated to his conservative sister’s political campaign.
- [Ex-lawmaker can remain judge in COVID-19 benefits case, cour](https://ethicswatchnj.com/ex-lawmaker-can-remain-judge-in-covid-19-benefits-case-cour/): A New Jersey judge is not required to recuse herself from a case touching on a 2020 law she helped shepherd through the Legislature as an assemblywoman, an appellate panel ruled Monday.
- [State blasts bid by Dem power broker George Norcross to toss](https://ethicswatchnj.com/state-blasts-bid-by-dem-power-broker-george-norcross-to-toss/): In a new filing, state prosecutors implored Judge Peter E. Warshaw Jr.
- [Ex-Sen. Bob Menendez demands new trial over evidence error](https://ethicswatchnj.com/ex-sen-bob-menendez-demands-new-trial-over-evidence-error/): Attorneys for former Sen.
- [Vacancies, diminished duties of prison oversight boards spur](https://ethicswatchnj.com/vacancies-diminished-duties-of-prison-oversight-boards-spur/): An advocacy group that recently found New Jersey prisons routinely flout restrictions on solitary confinement recommended a reasonable reform — more oversight, with every facility getting its own independent board of trustees to address its unique needs.
- [Blue states prepare for battle over Trump’s environmental ro](https://ethicswatchnj.com/blue-states-prepare-for-battle-over-trumps-environmental-ro/): President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to slash federal climate, clean air and clean water regulations during his second term — an agenda that could target rules governing everything from auto emissions to power plant pollution to drinking water standards.
- [President Biden issues pardon to son Hunter on gun and tax c](https://ethicswatchnj.com/president-biden-issues-pardon-to-son-hunter-on-gun-and-tax-c/): WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden Sunday night announced he has pardoned his son Hunter, a reversal in his long-standing pledge that he would not exert his executive authority to clear his son of gun-related charges and tax crimes.
- [Governor Phil Murphy: Leading New Jersey Forward](https://ethicswatchnj.com/governor-phil-murphy-leading-new-jersey-forward/): Governor Phil Murphy has been a defining political figure in New Jersey since he took office in 2018.
- [Closely divided House means tough choices ahead for House De](https://ethicswatchnj.com/closely-divided-house-means-tough-choices-ahead-for-house-de/): On Wednesday afternoon, the Associated Press reported that Democrat Derek Tran flipped a California House seat held by GOP Rep. Michelle Steel.
- [Trump presidency could stunt New Jersey's renewable goals](https://ethicswatchnj.com/trump-presidency-could-stunt-new-jerseys-renewable-goals/): President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House could derail New Jersey’s ambitious clean energy goals.
- [Pardon people, not turkeys](https://ethicswatchnj.com/pardon-people-not-turkeys/): Each Thanksgiving, a photo op positions a governor or president alongside a turkey or two to bestow a “pardon,” as millions of Americans sit down to devour their turkey brethren.
- [Phone restrictions behind bars sting, especially near holida](https://ethicswatchnj.com/phone-restrictions-behind-bars-sting-especially-near-holida/): Jenean Owens spent 17 years incarcerated at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility, entering prison at age 21 and leaving a young son on the outside.
- [What Now For Trump's Court Cases?](https://ethicswatchnj.com/what-now-for-trumps-court-cases/): Federal investigations into Donald Trump's actions surrounding the Jan.
- [Taxing the wealthy: a popular, practical idea to support wor](https://ethicswatchnj.com/taxing-the-wealthy-a-popular-practical-idea-to-support-wor/): New Jersey’s working-class and middle-class families feel an economic pinch from all angles — high housing costs, wages not keeping up with inflation, difficult-to-find and expensive child care, and underfunded public transit.
- [A look at how tariffs, deportations and more of Trump’s prop](https://ethicswatchnj.com/a-look-at-how-tariffs-deportations-and-more-of-trumps-prop/): Americans hand over a huge chunk of their paycheck for a roof over their heads.
- [Election denialism has staying power even after Trump’s win](https://ethicswatchnj.com/election-denialism-has-staying-power-even-after-trumps-win/): President-elect Donald Trump may have quieted his lies about widespread voter fraud after his win earlier this month, but the impact of his effort to cast doubt on the integrity of American elections lingers on.
- [Biden administration unveils plan to cover weight loss meds](https://ethicswatchnj.com/biden-administration-unveils-plan-to-cover-weight-loss-meds/): WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced Tuesday it’s reinterpreting federal law to allow Medicare and Medicaid patients access to anti-obesity medications to reduce their weight over the long term.
- [Unlikely Trump can actually eliminate Education Department,](https://ethicswatchnj.com/unlikely-trump-can-actually-eliminate-education-department/): WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to get rid of the U.S. Department of Education will be far easier said than done.
- [The next census will gather more racial, ethnic information](https://ethicswatchnj.com/the-next-census-will-gather-more-racial-ethnic-information/): The U.S. Census Bureau and a growing number of states are starting to gather more detailed information about Americans’ race and ethnicity, a change some advocates of the process say will allow people to choose identities that more closely reflect how they see themselves.
- [DOJ special counsel Smith drops federal criminal cases again](https://ethicswatchnj.com/doj-special-counsel-smith-drops-federal-criminal-cases-again/): WASHINGTON — The federal election interference case against President-elect Donald Trump is over, at least during his forthcoming presidency.
- [Pay raises frozen for some state workers as Murphy sends dire warning about N.J. budget](https://ethicswatchnj.com/pay-raises-frozen-for-some-state-workers-as-murphy-sends-dire-warning-about-n-j-budget/): It’s the latest — and maybe biggest — sign that New Jersey’s state government is facing an increasingly tough financial picture.
- [Facing budget gap, Gov. Murphy seeks reduced spending and a](https://ethicswatchnj.com/facing-budget-gap-gov-murphy-seeks-reduced-spending-and-a/): Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration has ordered a pause to some pay raises for state workers, limits on new hires, and spending cuts to bridge structural deficits in the state budget, according to emails reviewed by the New Jersey Monitor.
- [Here’s what Kamala Harris is telling people privately about her future](https://ethicswatchnj.com/heres-what-kamala-harris-is-telling-people-privately-about-her-future/): Governor Kamala Harris? Or maybe President Kamala Harris?
- [NEW POLL: What Americans are saying about Trump cabinet picks](https://ethicswatchnj.com/new-poll-what-americans-are-saying-about-trump-cabinet-picks/): Americans are optimistic about President-elect Donald Trump’s transition into the White House as he continues to announce his picks for his second administration, according to a new poll.
- [Governor orders departments to freeze hiring, salary increases – and reduce budgets by 5%](https://ethicswatchnj.com/governor-orders-departments-to-freeze-hiring-salary-increases-and-reduce-budgets-by-5/): In the latest acknowledgement that the long anticipated ‘fiscal cliff’ is coming, the Murphy administration, in an email sent last week, notified the heads of all the cabinet departments that the state will pause approvals for discretionary salary increases and that each department should limit new hire requests to those that are “mission critical” to the functioning of the department, ROI-NJ has exclusively learned.
- [The visionary: Paladino honored by R&D Council](https://ethicswatchnj.com/the-visionary-paladino-honored-by-rd-council/): Great visionaries not only can see the future – they can see it in the present.
- [Some in the venture capital community backed Trump. Here’s w](https://ethicswatchnj.com/some-in-the-venture-capital-community-backed-trump-heres-w/): Some venture capital investors, who have funded the tech boom in Silicon Valley and beyond, say they are excited by the prospect of a lighter regulatory environment under a new Trump Administration than they saw under President Joe Biden.
- [Hit-and-run accident leaves one dead in N.J.](https://ethicswatchnj.com/hit-and-run-accident-leaves-one-dead-in-n-j/): Police are investigating a fatal hit-and-run accident that left a pedestrian dead in Teaneck Thursday night.
- [Power & Politics: The race for New Jersey governor widens](https://ethicswatchnj.com/power-politics-the-race-for-new-jersey-governor-widens/): Rep. Mikie Sherrill announced her candidacy for governor just three days after her colleague Rep. Josh Gottheimer did the same.
- [I’m a pollster. This is why Democrats failed miserably in 2024](https://ethicswatchnj.com/im-a-pollster-this-is-why-democrats-failed-miserably-in-2024/): The dismay among Democrats over the election results shouldn’t come as a shock.
- [Debate Erupts Over Recess Appointment Strategy](https://ethicswatchnj.com/debate-erupts-over-recess-appointment-strategy/): Sparks flew on Monday evening during a heated CNN panel as Ana Navarro, a vocal never-Trump conservative, clashed with Erin Perrine, a former Trump strategist, over the controversial possibility of Donald Trump bypassing Senate confirmation for his nominees through recess appointments.
- [Jake Tapper Ask's Is GOP  Losing Its Moral Compass?](https://ethicswatchnj.com/jake-tapper-asks-is-gop-losing-its-moral-compass/): CNN host Jake Tapper didn’t hold back during a Sunday interview with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), pressing him on his Christian values and the decision to block a controversial ethics report involving former Congressman Matt Gaetz.
- [Letitia James Takes on Donald Trump in High-Stakes New York Fraud Case](https://ethicswatchnj.com/letitia-james-takes-on-donald-trump-in-high-stakes-new-york-fraud-case/): In a showdown that could change the face of his business empire, Donald Trump faces off against New York Attorney General Letitia James in a fraud lawsuit that challenges his claims of wealth and power.
- [Danville Police Exposed: Violent Arrest Sparks Outrage](https://ethicswatchnj.com/danville-police-exposed/): Danville Police Exposed: It was supposed to be a routine trip to Walmart. Instead, for 66-year-old Mr.
- [Titus’s Raw, Unfiltered Take on a Tumultuous Presidency](https://ethicswatchnj.com/titus-raw/): Comedian Christopher Titus offered a "Armageddon update" in a no-holds-barred edition of his YouTube program that seemed more like a frantic eyewitness testimony from a dystopian political circus than a typical monologue.
- [GOP Attack on DEI: Diversity Programs Under Threat](https://ethicswatchnj.com/gop-attack-dei/): Instead of calming down, the GOP's assault on DEI is intensifying.
- [Federal Judge Blocks Trump's Freeze on Federal Funds](https://ethicswatchnj.com/federal-judge-blocks-trumps-freeze-on-federal-funds/): In a fast-moving showdown that caught political watchers by surprise, a federal judge just pummeled the Trump administration’s brazen move to freeze all federal grants and loans.
- [A Good Guy: 279 Hours](https://ethicswatchnj.com/a-good-guy-279-hours/): Today, the first of a two-part investigation from NPR's Embedded.
- [Trump Pardons Jan. 6 Defendants](https://ethicswatchnj.com/trump-pardons-jan-6-defendants/): Fulfilling a campaign promise, President Trump pardoned more than 1,500 people who had been charged with or convicted of crimes associated with the Jan.
- [How Trump Is Governing In His Second Term](https://ethicswatchnj.com/how-trump-is-governing-in-his-second-term/): This past weekend, President Trump showed the country how he plans to govern in his second term.
- [Trump Rolls Back Federal DEI Rules](https://ethicswatchnj.com/trump-rolls-back-federal-dei-rules/): The president argues such programs, meant to increase the diversity of the federal workforce, were discriminatory in nature.
- [Trump Declared A "National Energy Emergency." Now What?](https://ethicswatchnj.com/trump-declared-a-national-energy-emergency-now-what/): During his inaugural address, President Trump said, "I will also declare a national energy emergency — we will drill, baby, drill."
- [How Trump's Executive Actions Are Impacting Federal Workers](https://ethicswatchnj.com/how-trumps-executive-actions-are-impacting-federal-workers/): President Trump campaigned on a promise of mass deportation and reducing the size of the federal workforce. Has he followed through on those promises?
- [TikTok to TrumpTok? The Ban-Unban & Political Dysfunction](https://ethicswatchnj.com/tiktok-to-trumptok-the-ban-unban-political-dysfunction/): Let’s be real: if you use TikTok, you probably spent the past few months alternately doomscrolling news about a potential ban and then going right back to watching cat videos.
- [What Now For The Democratic Party?](https://ethicswatchnj.com/what-now-for-the-democratic-party-2/): Democrats lost the race for the White House, and lost control of the Senate, in 2024.
- [Roundup: Noem Confirmation Hearing; Laken Riley Act](https://ethicswatchnj.com/roundup-noem-confirmation-hearing-laken-riley-act/): Senate confirmation hearings for President-elect Trump's cabinet picks continued Friday, as Gov. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.)
- [Trump Promises "Golden Age," Moves To Enact Sweeping Executive Actions](https://ethicswatchnj.com/trump-promises-golden-age-moves-to-enact-sweeping-executive-actions/): "I return to the presidency, confident and optimistic that we are at the start of a thrilling new era of national success," Trump said after being sworn in as the 47th president of the United States.
- [Supreme Court Ruling Clears Way for TikTok Ban in the U.S.](https://ethicswatchnj.com/supreme-court-ruling/): The U.S. Supreme Court dropped a bombshell on Friday, ruling that the federal government has the authority to shut down TikTok in the United States.
- [Part Of Special Counsel Report Released; Hegseth Confirmation Hearing](https://ethicswatchnj.com/part-of-special-counsel-report-released-hegseth-confirmation-hearing/): The Department of Justice's long-awaited election interference report against Donald Trump, released early Tuesday, said the evidence against the president-elect would have led to his conviction at trial — if not for his election victory that led to charges being dropped.
- [Trump's DOJ, Dept. Of State Picks Have Confirmation Hearings](https://ethicswatchnj.com/trumps-doj-dept-of-state-picks-have-confirmation-hearings/): President-elect Trump's picks to run the Departments of Justice and State faced senators today in confirmation hearings. Sen.
- [Israel, Hamas Ceasefire; Biden's Farewell Address](https://ethicswatchnj.com/israel-hamas-ceasefire-bidens-farewell-address/): After more than a year of fighting, President Biden announced a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas had been reached.
- [Schiff Corners Bondi Over Trump’s 2020 Election Lies and Possible Jan. 6 Pardons](https://ethicswatchnj.com/schiff-confronts-bondi/): During her confirmation hearing, attorney general nominee Pam Bondi found herself squarely in Sen. Adam Schiff’s crosshairs.
- [Roundup: What It Will Take To Get To 270 Electoral Votes](https://ethicswatchnj.com/roundup-what-it-will-take-to-get-to-270-electoral-votes/): On today's NPR Politics Podcast: Math Edition, we look at Vice President Harris' possible paths to 270 votes in the electoral college.
- [Trump Sentenced: No Jail Time, No Fine](https://ethicswatchnj.com/trump-sentenced-no-jail-time-no-fine/): President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced today in his New York hush money case.
- [Trump Puts Blame For Wildfires On Newsom's Shoulders](https://ethicswatchnj.com/trump-puts-blame-for-wildfires-on-newsoms-shoulders/): The Los Angeles area has been devastated by wildfires over the past week.
- [President-elect Trump refuses to rule out military involvement in Panama Canal](https://ethicswatchnj.com/president-elect-trump-refuses-to-rule-out-military-involvement-in-panama-canal/): President-elect Donald Trump held a press conference today from his home in Mar-a-Lago.
- [Joe Biden's Judicial Legacy](https://ethicswatchnj.com/joe-bidens-judicial-legacy/): When he took office, President Biden promised to diversify the federal bench. During his four years in office, he succeeded in making that promise a reality.
- [Washington Honors Jimmy Carter](https://ethicswatchnj.com/washington-honors-jimmy-carter/): Former president Jimmy Carter was honored today at Washington's National Cathedral.
- [Roundup: New Orleans investigation; Biden's last days in office](https://ethicswatchnj.com/roundup-new-orleans-investigation-bidens-last-days-in-office/): The FBI continues investigating the motivation of Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who drove a truck into a crowd in New Orleans on New Year's Day, killing at least 14.
- [Congress Certifies Trump's Election Win](https://ethicswatchnj.com/congress-certifies-trumps-election-win/): Every four years, Congress meets to certify the results of the previous November's presidential election in what is usually a calm and straightforward event.
- [Trump Official Lies About New Orleans Killer, being former Vet](https://ethicswatchnj.com/trump-official-lies-bourbon-street-killer/): Trump Official Lies about attack, Corey Lewandowski, is facing backlash for attempting to defend Donald Trump’s baseless claim linking the New Orleans mass murderer to "open borders."
- [Donald Trump's Domestic Policy Agenda](https://ethicswatchnj.com/donald-trumps-domestic-policy-agenda/): Trump campaigned on mass deportation, sweeping tariffs & other widespread changes to U.S. policy. How many of those changes are achievable?
- [How Trump's Tariffs Plan Might Work](https://ethicswatchnj.com/how-trumps-tariffs-plan-might-work/): President-elect Donald Trump made a lot of economic promises on the campaign trail, but none as sweeping as his plan to enact tariffs.
- [How Donald Trump Reshaped The GOP](https://ethicswatchnj.com/how-donald-trump-reshaped-the-gop/): Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign did not place him at the ideological center of the Republican Party, but the center quickly moved to him.
- [Donald Trump Poised To Win Election](https://ethicswatchnj.com/donald-trump-poised-to-win-election/): Donald Trump is poised to win the election and will likely return to the White House as the 47th president.
- [Roundup: Spending Bill Fight Continues; TikTok Ban Looms](https://ethicswatchnj.com/roundup-spending-bill-fight-continues-tiktok-ban-looms/): Lawmakers are up against a deadline of midnight Friday to pass a bill to fund the government. What's behind the hold up?
- [The Life & Legacy Of Jimmy Carter](https://ethicswatchnj.com/the-life-legacy-of-jimmy-carter/): Though he only served one term, Jimmy Carter occupies a unique place among U.S. presidents.
- [Joe Biden's Foreign Policy Legacy](https://ethicswatchnj.com/joe-bidens-foreign-policy-legacy/): As president, Biden sought to restore faith in the United States' abilities as a world leader, but was tested by a number of significant crises and wars abroad — and by opposition at home.
- [The Annual Can't Let It Go Year End Extravaganza](https://ethicswatchnj.com/the-annual-cant-let-it-go-year-end-extravaganza/): We look back on some of the highlights from 2024 that we just can't stop thinking about, politics or otherwise.
- [CNN surrenders to ‘sane washing’ Trump’s invasion rhetoric](https://ethicswatchnj.com/cnn-surrenders-sane-washing/): CNN is facing heated criticism for what many observers are calling its surrender to ‘sane washing’ Trump’s invasion rhetoric.
- [How Trump's early days in 2017 might be different from the upcoming term](https://ethicswatchnj.com/how-trumps-early-days-in-2017-might-be-different-from-the-upcoming-term/): NPR senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith has been looking at what Donald Trump did in early 2017 when he first took office, and what might be different this time around.
- [The Political Legacy Of Joe Biden](https://ethicswatchnj.com/the-political-legacy-of-joe-biden/): Joe Biden has been a national political figure for more than 20 percent of the United States' history.
- [Joe Biden's Domestic Policy Legacy](https://ethicswatchnj.com/joe-bidens-domestic-policy-legacy/): In his four years in office, President Biden managed to get significant legislation passed, but also faced strong headwinds from both his own party and Republican opposition.
- [Trump rails against ‘President Musk’](https://ethicswatchnj.com/trump-rails-against-musk/): “We will create a new Department of Government Efficiency, and guess who’s going to head it up? Elon Musk,” Trump told a cheering crowd.
- [Immigration drives nation’s population growth](https://ethicswatchnj.com/immigration-drives-nations-population-growth/): A recent immigration surge brought newcomers to every state this year, helping to offset a continued drop in U.S.
- [Looking At Reproductive Rights In 2024](https://ethicswatchnj.com/looking-at-reproductive-rights-in-2024/): The effects of the 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning the constitutional right to abortion continue to be felt across the United States.
- [Congress, White House Face Year-End Deadlines](https://ethicswatchnj.com/congress-white-house-face-year-end-deadlines/): Lawmakers face a Friday deadline to fund the federal government through March; will it get passed?
- [Judge approves $150M agreement for Passaic River cleanup](https://ethicswatchnj.com/judge-approves-150m-agreement-for-passaic-river-cleanup/): A federal judge approved a consent decree this week that calls for 82 firms responsible for pollution in the lower Passaic River to put $150 million behind cleanup efforts, rejecting a challenge from another alleged polluter that argued the agreement is too lax.
- [Final election results show scope of Trump's success with N.](https://ethicswatchnj.com/final-election-results-show-scope-of-trumps-success-with-n/): Now that all the votes have been counted in the 2024 presidential race, the final results detail the inroads Donald Trump made with New Jersey Latino communities.
- [Bills advance to revamp primary ballots, raise threshold to](https://ethicswatchnj.com/bills-advance-to-revamp-primary-ballots-raise-threshold-to/): New Jersey’s county line is one step closer to history, with Assembly lawmakers Thursday approving a bill that would retool New Jersey’s primary ballots in a 70-1 vote.
- [New shoplifting data explains why they’re locking up the too](https://ethicswatchnj.com/new-shoplifting-data-explains-why-theyre-locking-up-the-too/): CHICAGO — Shoplifting rates in the three largest U.S.
- [Fed drops its key rate but projects fewer cuts in 2025](https://ethicswatchnj.com/fed-drops-its-key-rate-but-projects-fewer-cuts-in-2025/): The Federal Reserve signaled that it will move more slowly and cautiously next year as it considers further rate cuts.
- [Troopers gave special treatment to drivers with courtesy car](https://ethicswatchnj.com/troopers-gave-special-treatment-to-drivers-with-courtesy-car/): Police courtesy cards and relations to law enforcement consistently helped drivers escape motor vehicle stops without penalties, even in instances of severe speeding and apparent impaired driving, a report issued Wednesday by the state comptroller found.
- [‘Why not us?’ Nannies, housekeepers win labor protections in](https://ethicswatchnj.com/why-not-us-nannies-housekeepers-win-labor-protections-in/): When she first started working as an au pair, Edy Dominguez earned less than the minimum wage and went without paid sick time or overtime pay for extra-long weeks.
- [Lawmaker urges action on antisemitism bill stalled for month](https://ethicswatchnj.com/lawmaker-urges-action-on-antisemitism-bill-stalled-for-month/): An Assembly lawmaker is calling for a bill incorporating a definition of antisemitism into state law to move after more than 10 months of stasis, arguing it is needed amid a rise in bias offenses.
- [You Can't Outrun Voters' Feelings About The Economy](https://ethicswatchnj.com/you-cant-outrun-voters-feelings-about-the-economy/): Donald Trump is heading back to the Oval Office, according to the Associated Press.
- [Harris' Failure To Differentiate From Biden Hurt Her Odds](https://ethicswatchnj.com/harris-failure-to-differentiate-from-biden-hurt-her-odds/): Vice President Harris conceded the race to President-elect Trump and implored her supporters to carry on the fight to make the country better.
- [Trump Holds First Press Conference Since Election](https://ethicswatchnj.com/trump-holds-first-press-conference-since-election/): The president-elect spoke to the media for more than an hour at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
- [Governor Murphy asks public to 'calm down' over drone sighti](https://ethicswatchnj.com/governor-murphy-asks-public-to-calm-down-over-drone-sighti/): Federal authorities arrived in New Jersey Friday to investigate if the nighttime lights reported across the state since mid-November are drones on mysterious, malevolent missions or just aircraft mistaken by a panicked public as drones, Gov.
- [Two N.J. churches win round in case over public funding of c](https://ethicswatchnj.com/two-n-j-churches-win-round-in-case-over-public-funding-of-c/): A federal judge has temporarily overturned a state constitutional provision that barred public funding for houses of worship, ruling it runs afoul of federal constitutional protections of religious freedom.
- [Assembly panel approves overhaul of New Jersey primary ballo](https://ethicswatchnj.com/assembly-panel-approves-overhaul-of-new-jersey-primary-ballo/): A special Assembly committee in a unanimous vote Monday approved a controversial overhaul of New Jersey ballots that will write the county line out of state law.
- [Federal hostility could delay offshore wind projects, derail](https://ethicswatchnj.com/federal-hostility-could-delay-offshore-wind-projects-derail/): Numerous East Coast states are counting on offshore wind projects to power tens of millions of homes and to help them transition to cleaner energy.
- [Political Violence in America: Our New Reality?](https://ethicswatchnj.com/political-violence-in-america/): The violence isn’t confined to one ideology. It cuts across the political spectrum, hitting figures on the left and right.
- [Who Is Kash Patel, Trump's Pick To Run The FBI?](https://ethicswatchnj.com/who-is-kash-patel-trumps-pick-to-run-the-fbi/): He was a public defender and former national security aide.
- [Why Some In Congress Are Skeptical Of Trump's National Intelligence Pick](https://ethicswatchnj.com/why-some-in-congress-are-skeptical-of-trumps-national-intelligence-pick/): Tulsi Gabbard doesn't have the typical background for a director of national intelligence, but the former Hawaii congresswoman has made a name for herself: she is a Democrat-turned-Republican who staunchly backed Trump in 2024, and she holds controversial foreign policy views.
- [Roundup: Jan. 6 Report; Biden Issues Pardons](https://ethicswatchnj.com/roundup-jan-6-report-biden-issues-pardons/): In a new report, the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Justice looked into FBI shortcomings in the run up to the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection.
- [US grocery prices – and eggs in particular – climb heading i](https://ethicswatchnj.com/us-grocery-prices-and-eggs-in-particular-climb-heading-i/): A rise in food prices makes for a less than merry holiday season.
- [Taxpayers paid $121M to settle 350+ lawsuits against New Jer](https://ethicswatchnj.com/taxpayers-paid-121m-to-settle-350-lawsuits-against-new-jer/): Two Camden men spent 25 years in prison for a double murder they didn’t commit.
- [Cannabis regulators hike special fee for 2025](https://ethicswatchnj.com/cannabis-regulators-hike-special-fee-for-2025/): New Jersey cannabis regulators on Thursday approved raising a cannabis fee intended to pay for social equity programs and announced a long-awaited application process for consumption lounges.
- [Biden commutes sentences of nearly 1,500 people, pardons 39](https://ethicswatchnj.com/biden-commutes-sentences-of-nearly-1500-people-pardons-39/): WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden Thursday commuted the sentences of roughly 1,500 people who were placed in home confinement during the coronavirus pandemic, and granted pardons for 39 individuals with convictions for nonviolent crimes.
- [U.S. Capitol Police chief details 700 threats against member](https://ethicswatchnj.com/u-s-capitol-police-chief-details-700-threats-against-member/): WASHINGTON — U.S.
- [State watchdog finds millions of dollars in fraud at 'New Je](https://ethicswatchnj.com/state-watchdog-finds-millions-of-dollars-in-fraud-at-new-je/): The owner and operators of a South Jersey nursing home pocketed millions of dollars in Medicaid money while its 110 residents lived in a dirty, understaffed facility, a scheme that went unnoticed for years by the state agencies tasked with oversight, the state Comptroller’s Office has found.
- [ACLU urges state, local leaders to set up 'firewalls' agains](https://ethicswatchnj.com/aclu-urges-state-local-leaders-to-set-up-firewalls-agains/): The American Civil Liberties Union is urging state and local officials to enact a “firewall” of laws and policies to protect citizens against civil rights abuses they expect will unfold over President-elect Donald Trump’s second term.
- [Biden urged to ensure immigrants’ temporary legal status bef](https://ethicswatchnj.com/biden-urged-to-ensure-immigrants-temporary-legal-status-bef/): WASHINGTON — Jose Cabrera took off work from his landscaping job to join three Latino Democratic senators for a Wednesday press conference urging the Biden administration to renew protected statuses, like his, before the return of President-elect Donald Trump to the White House.
- [Trump Talks Tariffs, Immigration, Pardons](https://ethicswatchnj.com/trump-talks-tariffs-immigration-pardons/): President-elect Donald Trump sat down for his first broadcast television interview since winning a second term.
- [Why Are U.S. Troops In Syria](https://ethicswatchnj.com/why-are-u-s-troops-in-syria/): After more than 50 years in power, the Assad regime has fallen in Syria.
- [Millions will see rise in health insurance premiums if feder](https://ethicswatchnj.com/millions-will-see-rise-in-health-insurance-premiums-if-feder/): Andrea Deutsch, the mayor of Narberth, Pennsylvania, and the owner of a pet store in town, doesn’t get health care coverage through either of her jobs.
- [Bob Menendez could skate on corruption charges again](https://ethicswatchnj.com/bob-menendez-could-skate-on-corruption-charges-again/): After a federal jury found Bob Menendez guilty of bribery and acting as a foreign agent in July, I assumed the U.S.
- [Republican U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton blocks press freedom bill Tr](https://ethicswatchnj.com/republican-u-s-sen-tom-cotton-blocks-press-freedom-bill-tr/): WASHINGTON — An effort to pass a sweeping measure aimed at protecting press freedoms was struck down in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday night.
- [U.S. Senate GOP wants mass deportations to 'start early' nex](https://ethicswatchnj.com/u-s-senate-gop-wants-mass-deportations-to-start-early-nex/): WASHINGTON — A top Republican on the U.S.
- [Ban on fusion voting shuts 'window of political opportunity,](https://ethicswatchnj.com/ban-on-fusion-voting-shuts-window-of-political-opportunity/): A three-judge panel on Monday heard arguments over whether a more than a century-old prohibition on candidates appearing more than once on ballots passes constitutional muster.
- [Cannabis use cost man a Walmart job, but he can't sue, appea](https://ethicswatchnj.com/cannabis-use-cost-man-a-walmart-job-but-he-cant-sue-appea/): New Jersey job applicants denied positions because they test positive for cannabis cannot sue employers, even though state law forbids employers from refusing to hire someone because they use marijuana, a federal appeals panel ruled Monday.
- [Trump immigration overhaul could threaten states’ agricultur](https://ethicswatchnj.com/trump-immigration-overhaul-could-threaten-states-agricultur/): If President-elect Donald Trump follows through on his pledge to deport millions of immigrants, it could upend the economies of states where farming and other food-related industries are crucial — and where labor shortages abound.
- [Andy Kim is now New Jersey's newest senator](https://ethicswatchnj.com/andy-kim-is-now-new-jerseys-newest-senator/): Andy Kim, who upended New Jersey’s political landscape in his campaign to succeed Bob Menendez in the U.S.
- [Police arrest suspect in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Bri](https://ethicswatchnj.com/police-arrest-suspect-in-killing-of-unitedhealthcare-ceo-bri/): Police in Altoona, Pennsylvania, arrested a suspect Monday in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week in New York, authorities announced.
- [Governor signs new law to limit book bans and protect librar](https://ethicswatchnj.com/governor-signs-new-law-to-limit-book-bans-and-protect-librar/): Librarians and schools weary from escalating efforts to ban books have new protections under legislation Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law Monday.
- [No expansion of military IVF coverage included in final defe](https://ethicswatchnj.com/no-expansion-of-military-ivf-coverage-included-in-final-defe/): WASHINGTON — Congress will not expand access to in vitro fertilization for active duty military members and their families in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, the annual bill that sets policy for the Pentagon.
- [Fusion voting would encourage coalitions, decrease polarizat](https://ethicswatchnj.com/fusion-voting-would-encourage-coalitions-decrease-polarizat/): One of us served in New Jersey government as state treasurer under Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine.
- [Andy Kim First Asian American Senator](https://ethicswatchnj.com/andy-kim-first-asian/): Andy Kim has officially made history as New Jersey’s first Asian American U.S. Senator.
- [Trump's Proposed Immigration Changes](https://ethicswatchnj.com/trumps-proposed-immigration-changes/): Immigration was a central focus of Donald Trump's 2024 campaign. Now that he's set to take office, what changes are expected to U.S. immigration policy?
- [What Democratic Organizers Are Learning From 2024](https://ethicswatchnj.com/what-democratic-organizers-are-learning-from-2024/): After a difficult 2024 cycle, activists working to elect Democratic candidates are rethinking their playbooks for the next elections.
- [Weekly Roundup: Diplomacy, DOGE & Drawings](https://ethicswatchnj.com/weekly-roundup-diplomacy-doge-drawings/): Even though he doesn't take office until January, Donald Trump is already busy, nominating cabinet officials and taking visits & calls from world leaders.
- [US adds 227,000 jobs in what analysts say is a healthy econo](https://ethicswatchnj.com/us-adds-227000-jobs-in-what-analysts-say-is-a-healthy-econo/): The economy added 227,000 jobs in November, making for a strong jobs report despite a slight increase in the unemployment rate.
- [Worker collected OT while home faking water samples for test](https://ethicswatchnj.com/worker-collected-ot-while-home-faking-water-samples-for-test/): The Trenton water utility worker fired for fudging drinking water data for over a year in New Jersey’s capital and its suburbs collected about 125 hours in overtime and double-time pay during his 14 months on the job, payroll records show.
- [Federal appeals court upholds rapidly approaching TikTok ban](https://ethicswatchnj.com/federal-appeals-court-upholds-rapidly-approaching-tiktok-ban/): The law Congress passed this year to force the Chinese parent company of social media giant TikTok to either sell the service or face a U.S.
- [States go after ‘claim sharks’ that charge vets for help wit](https://ethicswatchnj.com/states-go-after-claim-sharks-that-charge-vets-for-help-wit/): For-profit consultants across the country make millions each year by charging military veterans for help in filing their disability claims with the U.S.
- [Senators take first steps to rework state's school funding f](https://ethicswatchnj.com/senators-take-first-steps-to-rework-states-school-funding-f/): Lawmakers on Thursday began exploring broad changes to New Jersey’s school funding formula meant to abate steep swings in state aid seen in recent years and allow some districts to more quickly meet their share of school funding.
- [Lawmakers advance bill to tighten oversight of sober-living](https://ethicswatchnj.com/lawmakers-advance-bill-to-tighten-oversight-of-sober-living/): Sober-living homes would face unannounced state inspections twice a year, more stringent reporting requirements, and stiffer fines for violations under legislation a state Senate panel unanimously advanced Thursday.
- [Bill would allow workers to take family leave to grieve deat](https://ethicswatchnj.com/bill-would-allow-workers-to-take-family-leave-to-grieve-deat/): Years after an ectopic pregnancy led to surgery, Stacey Matarazzo Dinburg became pregnant again through in-vitro fertilization.
- [Republicans will control Congress. But a slim House majority](https://ethicswatchnj.com/republicans-will-control-congress-but-a-slim-house-majority/): WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans huddled behind closed doors Tuesday to plot the path forward for the unified control of government they won in the November elections, though GOP senators said afterward a very narrow House majority will likely determine how sweeping their policy proposals will be.
- [Amid Newark building boom, Passaic River flooding poses thre](https://ethicswatchnj.com/amid-newark-building-boom-passaic-river-flooding-poses-thre/): Tanisha Garner, a resident of Newark’s Ironbound neighborhood, is raising her three daughters in an apartment building steps from the Passaic River, the environmentally damaged river that looks like the neck and right shoulder of New Jersey’s largest city on a map.
- [Corrections officer pleads guilty to prison beating over bre](https://ethicswatchnj.com/corrections-officer-pleads-guilty-to-prison-beating-over-bre/): A state corrections officer has pleaded guilty to beating a man at a Woodbridge sex offender treatment facility — an attack his family described as “a gang-style assault” in a wrongful death lawsuit they later filed against the state.
- [N.J. standardized test scores improve, but postpandemic reco](https://ethicswatchnj.com/n-j-standardized-test-scores-improve-but-postpandemic-reco/): New Jersey students’ English and math test scores saw modest improvement this spring, though performance remained below prepandemic levels and broad achievement gaps between demographic groups were mostly unchanged, state officials told the State Board of Education Wednesday.

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