NJ News You Missed: Ukraine Distraction Edition

When every channel is talking about the same thing, dig deeper

Hello, Comrade. We’re leading with humor to defuse attacks before they’re launched.

Writing a headline declaring Ukraine a distraction means WANJ will be accused of being Putin apologists, however, we take no sides when it comes to governments and their award-winning war productions. We ARE, however, on the side of the People which sets us apart from every legacy media outlet out there.

Can you see it yet? Seemingly overnight the media traded one emergency for the next. Friends divided by masking status have now been convinced by the lying Press to unite around a common cause and change their Facebook profile pics to the flag of a country they never cared about before. Despite BILLIONS of our taxpayer dollars flowing to Ukraine ceaselessly, generous Americans are still being shaken down for money by every “charity” cunning enough to “never let a good crisis go to waste.”

While the failing “mainstream” media hits you “in the feels” to further an agenda, WANJ is here to smack you back to reality with what you missed over the past few weeks in our State:

Governor Murphy Proposes Record High FY23 Budget Totaling $48.9 Billion

“Governor Murphy’s FY2023 Budget builds upon the historic progress made over the last four years towards a stronger, fairer, and more affordable New Jersey. The proposal includes new investments that will deliver substantially more property tax relief to many more families, provide the highest level of school funding in history, make a second consecutive full pension payment for the first time in more than a quarter century, and support significant investments in the economy and health and safety.”

Transparency: NJ Supreme Court says police must release internal affairs files

“The unanimous decision is a victory for transparency advocates throughout the state who have long pushed for greater access to police internal affairs files, which departments have generally shielded from public view. 

CJ Griffin, the Hackensack attorney who argued to release the records, called it a landmark ruling that will have far-reaching effects on which documents reach the public’s eyes.”

NJ to Distribute $641M From Settlement for Opioid Crisis

“Murphy announced the settlement funds during a roundtable discussion with stakeholders and acting Attorney General Matt Platkin.

The funds will be used on opioid treatment, recovery, prevention, first-responder support programs and research. Murphy and Platkin pledged that the money would not be used to plug budget holes and would not supplant any current funding.”

Happy to be regulated? Fallout from BlockFi settlement is a matter of speculation

“Founded in 2017, BlockFi is a New Jersey-based crypto financial institution with a team of 850 and one million clients worldwide. Its popular BlockFi Interest Account product, with half a million users, including 407,000 in the United States, was the object of a cease and desist order from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and 32 state attorneys general on July 20, 2021. A statement at that time by the NJ Attorney General’s Office alleged that BlockFi was “selling unregistered securities in the form of interest-earning cryptocurrency accounts that have raised at least $14.7 billion worldwide.”

“It might seem unlikely that BlockFi founder and CEO Zac Prince would describe a prosecution that resulted in a $100-million fine for his company as “a win not only for BlockFi but for the broader cryptocurrency industry,” but that is indeed what he said. And, he might be right, although it remains to be seen for now.” 

School funding formula likely an area of concern as N.J. budget appropriations process begins, analysts say

“According to Rasmussen, New Jersey brought in much more revenue than projected, thanks to an infusion of federal coronavirus funding, loans borrowed through state legislature and a growing economy.

“The [school funding] formula has resulted in some increased aid to some districts and some decreased aid in other districts. And so I think there are winners and losers. And I think you’re going to hear from a fair number of the losers as the budget process unfolds,” Rasmussen said.”

NJ Transit Sees $550 Million Hole When Covid Aid Declines

“The hole in fiscal 2026, which starts on July 1, 2025, is more than double an anticipated $216.8 million in Covid aid and 17% higher than than an expected handover of $470 million in toll revenue from the New Jersey Turnpike. The gap is listed as “funding needed” in exhibits for tonight’s meeting.

Murphy, a 64-year-old Democrat and retired Goldman Sachs Group Inc. senior director, began his second term in January. Among his renewed commitments was to turn around NJ Transit bus and rail after years of budget cuts left the nation’s largest statewide mass-transportation provider less safe and increasingly unreliable.”

Biden Nominates NJ Hospital CEO, Former Health Commissioner to Veterans Affairs Leadership Role

“If confirmed, Elnahal would be returning to familiar territory. He became a White House fellow at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in 2015 and rose to assistant deputy under secretary for health, quality, safety and value at the agency, where he served until 2018.

Elnahal, who lives in Summit with his wife and three children, left the VA to become New Jersey’s health commissioner in 2018, making history as the youngest and first Muslim to hold the job. He served for 20 months under Gov. Phil Murphy, leading the state through a fatal virus outbreak at a pediatric care facility and the opioid epidemic.”