Category: Uncategorized

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N.J. Supreme Court ruling a lifeline for young immigrants

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AUGUST 26, 2015, 12:58 PM    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2015, 11:46 PM
BY SALVADOR RIZZO AND MONSY ALVARADO
STAFF WRITERS |
THE RECORD

Young people living in New Jersey who entered the United States illegally as minors have the right to apply for a federal amnesty program geared toward those under 21 who were battered or abandoned in their home countries, the state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.

The court handed a victory to three immigrants who walked across the U.S.-Mexico border — one young man from India now living in Passaic County and two teenage girls from El Salvador now in Elizabeth — who argued that they could not return home because they faced life-threatening conditions such as extreme poverty and rampant gang violence.

In a 6-0 decision, the high court ordered new hearings before New Jersey family judges to determine whether the three were abused, neglected or abandoned in their home countries and whether their “best interest” is to stay in the United States.

No matter the outcome, they then may apply to federal authorities for “special immigrant juvenile status,” the court said. Only the U.S. Department of Homeland Security can make the final decision whether to grant them legal status — and, in the case of the two girls, to stop or continue their deportation proceedings, the court said.

Writing for the court, Judge Mary Catherine Cuff also found that the young man was subjected to gross negligence by his mother, his sole caregiver in India, where he was born. That finding, which reversed a lower-court ruling, could help him persuade federal officials to grant him legal status.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/n-j-supreme-court-ruling-a-lifeline-for-young-immigrants-1.1398481

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NARRATIVE BUSTER: AGAINST HILLARY, TRUMP POLLS BETTER THAN BUSH WITH NON-WHITES

-donald-trump-candidacy-speech-thridgewoodblog

25 Aug 2015
by JOHN NOLTE

One of the top talking points the media and the Republican Establishment are using to scare GOP primary voters away from Trump is the idea that his blunt talk on immigration will so alienate minority voters he won’t have a chance to win the presidency. CNN’s latest poll, however, shows that the billionaire businessman actually does better than Establishment-favorite Jeb Bush with non-white voters.

In a head-to-head match-up with Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush wins only 23% of the non-white vote. Hillary win 72%. That’s a difference of -49 points.

Trump loses the non-white vote by -47 points, 71% to 24%.

The +2 point difference in Trump’s favor is within the poll’s margin of error but blows away the idea that Jeb’s pandering to the Left and media on the issue of border security is the key to Republicans taking back the White House.

When you look at all registered voters, the folly of Jeb’s pandering becomes even more clear. Jeb loses to Hillary by -9 points, 52% to 43%. Trump is only -6 points behind Hillary, 51% to 45%.

https://www.breitbart.com/2016-presidential-race/2015/08/25/narrative-buster-against-hillary-trump-polls-better-than-bush-with-non-whites/

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Obama said to give Biden his blessing

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August 25, 2015, 10:12 am
By Jesse Byrnes

President Obama has given Vice President Biden his “blessing” to launch a 2016 bid for the White House if he chooses to run, a senior Democrat told CNN on Monday.

Obama and Biden met for a private lunch at the White House on Monday, where the president gave Biden the green light for launching a 2016 bid, CBS News also reported.

While Biden does not need Obama’s permission, the president made it clear to Biden that he would not stand in the way or advise him against running, the senior Democrat told CNN.

https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/251876-obama-said-to-give-biden-his-blessing

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Republican pollster Frank Luntz , ” Republican Leadership doesn’t realize the grass roots have abandon them “

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GOP pollster’s legs ‘shaking’ after Trump focus group

August 25, 2015, 08:23 am
By Jesse Byrnes

Republican pollster Frank Luntz reported wobbly legs after hearing from a group of Donald Trump supporters, according to TIME.

Luntz conducted a focus group of 29 people from Washington, D.C. and its suburbs that either like or adore the GOP front-runner, paying each participant for the more than two-hour session Monday night, the magazine reported.

“I used to sleep on my front porch with the door wide open, and now everyone has deadbolts,” one man said during the session, according to TIME. “I believe the best days of the country are behind us.”

“I’m frustrated beyond belief. I feel like I’ve been lied to,” a woman said. “Nothing’s getting better.”

“We know his goal is to make America great again,” another woman said. “It’s on his hat. And we see it every time it’s on TV. Everything that he’s doing, there’s no doubt why he’s doing it: it’s to make America great again.”

After the group watched recordings of Trump’s political flip flops and remarks on women, the individuals reportedly said they liked Trump even more.

“You guys understand how significant this is?” Luntz asked reporters, according to TIME. “This is real. I’m having trouble processing it. Like, my legs are shaking.”

“I want to put the Republican leadership behind this mirror and let them see. They need to wake up. They don’t realize how the grassroots have abandoned them,” Luntz continued. “Donald Trump is punishment to a Republican elite that wasn’t listening to their grassroots.”

Luntz conducted a focus group aired live on Fox News immediately following the first GOP debate early this month, finding mostly negative views of Trump – then also the front-runner.

https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/251864-gop-pollsters-legs-shaking-after-trump-focus-group

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New online mapping tool unveiled covering stretch of Ho-Ho-Kus Brook in Ridgewood

RHSfieldflood2_theridgewood+blog

file photo by Boyd Loving

AUGUST 24, 2015, 4:19 PM    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2015, 7:50 AM
BY JAMES M. O’NEILL
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

A new online mapping tool that covers flood-prone neighborhoods along a six-mile stretch of the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook in Bergen County was unveiled Monday, the fourth in a series of maps designed to help residents in numerous Passaic River basin communities get better information about potential flooding from oncoming storms.

The newest maps show stream flows, water depths and streets likely to be flooded during various brook cresting heights for the area from White’s Lake Dam in Waldwick, downstream through Ho-Ho-Kus to Grove Street in Ridgewood.

The interactive flood inundation maps, a collaboration between federal and state agencies, are expected to help the towns’ emergency management officials plan evacuations and road closures – and make it easier for officials to persuade people in a projected flood zone to evacuate, reducing the risks for emergency personnel who must rescue stranded residents in the middle of major flooding.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/new-online-mapping-tool-unveiled-covering-stretch-of-ho-ho-kus-brook-1.1397663

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Investors report problems with TD Ameritrade, Scottrade amid sell off

screwed

Nathan Bomey, USA TODAY1:19 p.m. EDT August 24, 2015

The brokerage is directing online account holders to a toll-free phone number to complete trades.

Investors encountered problems accessing their online stock accounts and completing trades through brokerage TD Ameritrade on Monday morning amid a feverish sell off in the broader markets.

TD Ameritrade first confirmed the issue in response to traders on Twitter who complained about the problems. The firm directed traders to a toll-free phone number and a special website address to complete trades.

Scotttrade also experienced issues as investors flocked to execute trades.

Collectively, the issues exposed creaking digital infrastructure not capable of handling a massive surge in trading on a day with heavy interest in the equity markets.

TD Ameritrade spokeswoman Kim Hillyer told USA TODAY in an email that the firm’s site experienced “industry-wide latency issues” during the morning rush.

“The sell-off is causing wide-spread issues in multiple areas of the market. We saw a significant increase in trading volumes at the open, and volumes remain above average,” she said. “Client trades were and continue to be executed, although there has been some slowness in some cases, related to these industry-wide issues and the historic nature of the day.”

The company wasn’t the only online brokerage to experience troubles during the selloff.

Separately, brokerage Scottrade also experienced problems with its site. The firmacknowledged the problems on Twitter and said it had restored its access after a brief outage

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2015/08/24/investors-report-problems-td-ameritrade-amid-selloff/32258207/

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Freeholder candidate John Mitchell makes the rounds and gets and ear full on the Iran Nuke deal

John Mitchell

photo by Patrick Basel

August 24,2015

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Fair Lawn NJ, Freeholder candidate John Mitchell made the rounds in Fair lawn over the weekend and there is nothing like a picnic in Fair Lawn hosted by the Cosgrove Team.

Even on this beautiful warm summer day however, there was a cold chill in the air as the conversation turned to the possibility that Iran will be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. Nonetheless, the people I spoke with remain confident that our elected officials “will come to their senses” and reject this deal for the sake of our own U.S. citizens as well as for our long time ally, Israel. Hope springs eternal..!!

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Biden Sends a Jolt to Would-Be Backers With Warren Meeting

Joe Biden

Aug 22, 2015 7:51 PM EDT

Vice President Joe Biden’s meeting Saturday with Senator Elizabeth Warren doesn’t necessarily mean a Biden-Warren ticket for 2016, but it showed Democratic party activists and donors how seriously he’s pondering a late run for president.

The private, surprise session between the vice president and Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat once seen as Hillary Clinton’s strongest challenger for the nomination, comes at a pivotal point in the contest.

After his son Beau’s death in May from brain cancer, Biden has been shifting from not ruling out a run against Clinton to a posture in which he and backers are strategically, if mostly behind the scenes, testing his viability in early voting states and among uncommitted, major Democratic donors.

While Clinton remains the frontrunner, with support from key donors and organizers locked down, mounting concerns about how she’s handled questions about her use of a private e-mail server while secretary of state have increased support for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, a socialist who many in the Democratic establishment believe can’t win a general election.

Warren supporters comprise an energetic and significant element of the Democratic base. Clinton, who also understands Warren’s importance in the party, met privately with her last December.

https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-08-22/with-warren-meeting-biden-sends-a-jolt-to-would-be-backers

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Rift over parkland opens old wounds in Ridgewood

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AUGUST 24, 2015    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2015, 8:20 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

RIDGEWOOD — Recent discussions at Village Council meetings over what should be done with the Schedler property — 7 acres of wooded land the village purchased six years ago — have resurrected age-old allegations in town of political favoritism.

At the council’s work session Aug. 12, a handful of speakers contended that Ridgewood was a divided community where a collective “east versus west” mind-set was pervasive and that village officials had long overlooked their neighborhood on the far east side. They said decisions about the Schedler property reflected bias against residents of their neighborhood.

Generally, the railroad tracks are considered the dividing line. However, Route 17 severs a triangular tract on the east that touches both Washington Township and Ho-Ho-Kus from the larger portion of the village, which is home to the Village Hall, the central business district and all the village’s schools.

That neighborhood runs from Route 17 to just beyond Van Emburgh Avenue, and from Racetrack Road on the north down to Linwood Avenue.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/rift-over-parkland-opens-old-wounds-1.1397332

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Why Donald Trump Won’t Fold: Polls and People Speak

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By MICHAEL BARBARO, NATE COHN and JEREMY W. PETERSAUG. 22, 2015
In the command centers of Republican presidential campaigns, aides have drawn comfort from the belief that Donald J. Trump’s dominance in the polls is a political summer fling, like Herman Cain in 2011 — an unsustainable boomlet dependent on megawatt celebrity, narrow appeal and unreliable surveys of Americans with a spotty record of actually voting in primaries.

A growing body of evidence suggests that may be wishful thinking.

A review of public polling, extensive interviews with a host of his supporters in two states and a new private survey that tracks voting records all point to the conclusion that Mr. Trump has built a broad, demographically and ideologically diverse coalition, constructed around personality, not substance, that bridges demographic and political divides. In doing so, he has effectively insulated himself from the consequences of startling statements that might instantly doom rival candidates.

In poll after poll of Republicans, Mr. Trump leads among women, despite having used terms like “fat pigs” and “disgusting animals” to denigrate some of them. He leads among evangelical Christians, despite saying he had never had a reason to ask God for forgiveness. He leads among moderates and college-educated voters, despite a populist and anti-immigrant message thought to resonate most with conservatives and less-affluent voters. He leads among the most frequent, likely voters, even though his appeal is greatest among those with little history of voting

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/23/us/politics/why-donald-trump-wont-fold-polls-and-people-speak.html?_r=0

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The Valley Hospital Receives Gold-Level Recognition from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for Promoting Organ Donation

Valley_Hospital_theridgewoodblog

August 22, 2015

the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Valley Hospital was recently awarded gold-level recognition from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for the hospital’s efforts in promoting organ donation. The hospital was recognized as part of the national Workplace Partnership for Life Hospital Campaign, sponsored by HHS’s Health Resources and Services Administration.

The Valley Hospital’s awareness and registry campaigns educated staff, patients, visitors, and community members on the critical need for organ, eye, and tissue donors and thereby increased the number of potential donors on the state’s donor registry.

“Organ donation is such an important issue,” said Bettyann Kempin, Assistant Vice President for Medical and Surgical Services at Valley. “We’re proud to partner with the NJ Sharing Network to be a part of this national campaign to increase awareness about the importance of organ donation.”

Of the 1,856 hospitals and transplants centers enrolled in the campaign, 736 were awarded gold, silver or bronze recognition for effort to promote organ donation during Phase IV of the campaign, between August 1, 2014 and April 30, 2015.

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Best U.S. Home Sales Since 2007 Show Momentum in Housing Market

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America’s housing market has been heating up this summer.

Purchases of previously owned homes unexpectedly rose in July for a third straight month to reach the highest level since February 2007, figures from the National Association of Realtors showed Thursday. The gain was driven by stronger sales of single-family houses even as the share of first-time buyers shrank.

A limited number of available properties is keeping prices elevated, giving homeowners the financial flexibility to trade up as their housing equity improves. The data and a recent report showing the strongest rate of residential construction since 2007 are consistent with the Federal Reserve’s view that the industry is making progress.

“Demand is solid,” said Brian Jones, senior U.S. economist at Societe Generale in New York. “The driver is that we’ve got a labor market that’s very healthy and mortgage rates are still very low. The Fed has clearly got to be happy with the housing numbers we’ve seen.”

Another report Thursday showed the job market is holding firm. First-time claims for jobless benefits rose by 4,000 to 277,000 last week, according to the Labor Department. Since early March, applications have been lower than 300,000, a level typically associated with an improving employment.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-20/best-u-s-home-sales-since-2007-shows-momentum-in-housing-market

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Deez Nuts endorses Sanders in Dem primary

Deez Nuts

By Mark Hensch

A joke presidential candidate with national buzz is backing Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for the 2016 Democratic presidential primary.

Independent presidential candidate Deez Nuts announced he is supporting Sanders’ bid for the Democratic nomination.

“Just gonna throw this one out there,” Deez Nuts said on his campaign’s Facebook page. “This is not for the general election. My endorsement for the Democratic nomination goes to Vermont senator Bernie Sanders.”

He added in another post moments later that he endorses Ohio Gov. John Kasich for the Republican nomination.

Reports emerged Wednesday that Deez Nuts isactually Brady Olson, a 15-year-old from Iowa who registered with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for a White House run.

A surprising poll taken earlier this week found that in a race with Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump, Deez Nuts garnered 9 percent support in North Carolina.

https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/dem-primaries/251729-deez-nuts-endorses-sanders-in-dem-primary

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Trump’s audacious Southern spectacle is part of his strategy

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By Robert Costa and David Weigel August 22 at 12:03 AM

MOBILE, Ala. — It was the most audacious Donald Trump spectacle yet in a summer full of them, as the Republican presidential front-runner, in his Boeing 757, thundered over a football stadium here Friday night and gave a raucous speech to one of the largest crowds of the 2016 campaign.

But Trump’s flashy performance was about more than showmanship. His visit to Alabama was coolly strategic, touching down in the heart of red America and an increasingly important early battleground in the Republican nominating contest.

The Manhattan developer, who strode onstage to “Sweet Home Alabama,” is trying to show that his candidacy has broad and lasting appeal across every region of the country — especially here in the South, where Alabama and seven other states are holding a clustered voting blitz March 1.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-audacious-southern-spectacle-is-part-of-his-strategy/2015/08/21/31da2a88-4812-11e5-846d-02792f854297_story.html