South Jerseyans are significantly less healthy than their North-Jersey counterparts and it’s correlated with poverty, Carla Astudillo reports. Cape May, Salem and Ocean Counties have the highest death rates in the state.
Phil Murphy has annoyed the environmentalists who want to challenge in court the state’s $225 million settlement with ExxonMobil over its contamination of hundreds of acres of wetlands, AC Press alum Christian Hetrick reports.
Originally the state wanted $8.9 billion, but Governor Christie agreed to the “much smaller amount” probably because he wanted to be president. Now the new A.G. is blocking attempts by environmentalists to appeal that settlement.
David Danzis, the new reporter at the Press of AC, has a piece about nonprofits in the city that are currently “in limbo” as officials spar over how the MGM/Mirage Corp. endowment fund should be allocated. It’s like the Dalai Lama used to say, politics is a kerfuffle, wrapped inside a palaver, wrapped inside a brouhaha.
Elsewhere in feats of journalism from across your region:
Ocean City calls in the dogs to handle geese–Ryan McAllister and Rex, a friendly and energetic border collie, patrol Ocean City’s municipal golf course, tracking around a deep puddle. www.pressofatlanticcity.com
MOODY’S LIKES THE LOOK OF NJ, OTHER NORTHEASTERN STATES, FOR OFFSHORE WIND–With costs declining and a favorable regulatory environment, the U.S. offshore wind market will grow rapidly in the coming years, according to Moody’s Investors Service in a new analysis of the sector. www.njspotlight.com
WITH YELLOW VESTS AND ‘ICE-SNIFFING DOG,’ ACTIVISTS WATCH FOR IMMIGRATION–Clad in fluorescent yellow vests, armed with pamphlets listing immigrants' rights, and accompanied by a Golden Retriever named Emma, a small group of activists are patrolling the outside of a municipal court in Central New Jersey looking out for immigration agents. www.njspotlight.com
I was a prosecutor. Let’s consider how D.C. and Vermont tackled legalizing weed | Opinion–Only several months ago, full-scale legalization of marijuana in New Jersey seemed like a foregone conclusion. www.nj.com