The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
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Hackensack, NJ — August 30, 2025 — A suspicious fire broke out Saturday night in Hackensack, torching at least three police vehicles in an overflow parking lot near Hackensack Fire Department headquarters and a nearby mosque, authorities confirmed.
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New Milford, NJ — August 29, 2025 — Just before 8 p.m. on Friday night, the New Milford Fire Department was dispatched to Beech Place after receiving reports of a tree crashing into a home. Upon arrival, Unit 304 confirmed that a large section of a tree had come down, striking two houses.
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Washington DC, mortgage fraud was at the center of the 2008 financial crisis, yet some political leaders today appear to have forgotten just how devastating those practices were. The issue has resurfaced with Federal Reserve Board member Lisa Cook, who is suing the Trump administration after being removed from her post over allegations of mortgage application fraud.
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Ridgewood NJ, the Democratic Party’s financial struggles just took another major hit. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has officially halted funding to Arabella Advisors, a consulting and fundraising powerhouse long tied to Democratic causes. The move, first reported by The New York Times, signals a major shift that could leave Democrats scrambling to recover from an already devastating fundraising slump in 2025.
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TRENTON, NJ — As thousands of New Jersey residents and visitors prepare to celebrate the unofficial end of summer, the New Jersey State Police are stepping up enforcement on the roads and waterways this Labor Day weekend to keep communities safe.
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Ridgewood NJ, a groundbreaking new study reveals that artificial intelligence is hitting early-career workers the hardest—causing a double-digit drop in job opportunities for those just entering the workforce.
Continue reading BACK TO SCHOOL: New Data Shows AI Is Crushing Job Opportunities for Young Workers
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Ridgewood NJ, despite new federal guidance encouraging schools to use AI and classroom technology, a shocking new report reveals that more than 47 million American students are navigating an education system unprepared for the AI age.
Wildfires have become increasingly destructive in recent years, leading to countless property losses and emotional distress for affected families. While insurance coverage is meant to provide relief during such devastating times, not every claim gets approved. In fact, many policyholders are surprised when they receive a denial letter instead of the financial help they expected. As legal actions influencing wildfire regulations continue to shape how claims are processed, it’s crucial to understand why an insurer may reject a claim in the first place.
Continue reading 5 Reasons Why a Wildfire Claim May Get Denied
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SADDLE RIVER, NJ — After being disbanded in 2022 following a controversy tied to the Choctaw Trail affordable housing project, the Saddle River Borough Council has officially reinstated its Environmental Commission with seven new members.
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TRENTON, NJ — New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced that Steven Smink, 62, of Philadelphia, has been convicted for orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot to kill multiple New Jersey government officials, including prosecutors and judges involved in his prior criminal case.
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SADDLE RIVER, NJ — A Saddle River teenager, charged in connection with a July shooting on Chestnut Ridge Road, has been released from jail following a detention hearing.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — As Americans gather to celebrate Labor Day 2025, Mark Mix, president of the National Right to Work Committee and the National Right to Work Foundation, is calling on policymakers to honor the nation’s workers not just with festivities, but with concrete protections for their freedom on the job.
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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II and Sheriff Amir Jones announced on August 28, 2025, that three Essex County Sheriff’s officers have been charged with theft following an investigation into the unauthorized removal of property during a January 10, 2023 narcotics search warrant in East Orange.
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MORRISTOWN, NJ — The Garden State Initiative (GSI) says it has been proven right about the hidden dangers of New Jersey’s Energy Master Plan (NJEMP). In a newly released report, The Reality of the Renewable Energy Provisions of the NJEMP, GSI outlines how the plan’s heavy reliance on wind and solar energy is projected to cost $5 billion per year and drive up electricity rates by 35%, all while reducing the state’s overall energy reliability.
