Here are the top stories for Monday, July 22

NJ Gov. Murphy Emerges as Possible VP Pick After Biden Drops Out

National Democratic leaders are talking to Gov. Phil Murphy about running as second fiddle in the 2024 presidential election after President Joe Biden dropped out on Sunday, according to a report.

After announcing his decision to not seek reelection, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him at the top of the ticket. However, Biden will remain in office to complete his term.

If there is an open primary, Gov. Murphy will not run for president, the New Jersey Globe reported citing several unnamed sources.

However, some party leaders have reportedly called the New Jersey governor to discuss joining Harris on the ticket as a candidate for vice president.

1 Dead in NJ as CDC Investigates Listeria Outbreak in Deli Meats

Federal health officials are investigating a bacterial outbreak that has killed at least one person in New Jersey.

The outbreak of listeria has hospitalized 28 people in 12 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While there are 28 confirmed cases, officials say the number of infected people is likely much greater because some people recover without medical care.

New Jersey has two confirmed cases linked to the outbreak. One person who was sick has died, according to the CDC.

Investigators from the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration, and other state health agencies believe the outbreak may be connected to deli meats.

NJ Teacher Charged with Assaulting 11-year-old Special Needs Student
WEST ORANGE — A special education teacher is facing charges including child endangerment for assaulting an 11-year-old student at school, according to authorities.

Jaron Spicer, 32, of Bayonne was arrested on July 16, according to Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens.

The teacher at Mt. Carmel Guild Academy in West Orange is charged with second-degree child endangerment and simple assault for the April 18 incident, authorities said.

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A 2% surcharge on property insurance policies, mandatory fees on the oil and gas industries, and holding a public referendum are ways a public-private group formed in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy recommends to pay for projects to protect New Jersey from the next big storm.

In a report released this week, Rebuild By Design, which formulates plans for disaster resilience, says New Jersey is being pummeled by climate-related disasters, costing taxpayers $7.2 billion over a decade.

It urges the state to hold a public referendum for voters to approve investments in climate-related resiliency projects. It also advocates for a surcharge on property and casualty insurance policies, as well as the creation of a “Superfund” for the resiliency projects to be paid for through mandatory charges to the oil and gas industries.

Two Democratic state lawmakers introduced a bill to do that in New Jersey earlier this month. New York passed a similar law, which is awaiting action by Gov. Kathy Hochul, and similar efforts have happened in Massachusetts, Vermont and Maryland, the group said.

“A majority of the federal funding for building climate resilience is only available when people are already suffering in the aftermath of a disaster,” said Amy Chester, the group’s managing director. “We need to shift those investments to dollars that can be allocated more proactively to build resilience ahead of storms and before the most vulnerable communities suffer.”

The group has designed programs in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut stemming from lessons learned from Sandy. They include a mixture of hard barriers such as flood walls and gates; nature-based solutions such as wetlands restoration; and stormwater and drainage improvements that are in varying stages of completion in the region.

It says New Jersey has experienced 14 federally declared disasters between 2011 and 2021. Each of the state’s 21 counties has experienced at least five such disasters, including flooding and wildfires, during that time.

The $7.2 billion in disaster recovery aid spent in New Jersey ranks the state third in the nation over that time span, the group said.

Environmental groups applauded the call for a stable source of funding for projects to mitigate the effects of the next storm rather than just clean up and rebuild after it.

“New Jersey is the fastest warming state in the Northeast and third-fastest in the country, meaning our communities and homes are on the frontlines,” said Anjuli Ramos-Busot, New Jersey director of the Sierra Club. “We have an urgent need for state funding to protect ourselves and our environment in advance from worsening storms, flooding, and extreme weather events to increase our ability to withstand and recover. We must take preventative action now to save lives and our pockets from future disasters.”

Tim Dillingham, executive director of the American Littoral Society, said bad land-use decisions have put many people and public investments in harm’s way.

“That vulnerability is growing as climate impacts increase,” he said.

Ray Cantor, an official with the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, said the group agrees on the need to increase resilience to natural disasters. But he added, “How it’s funded is, as always, a conversation that needs to account for feasibility and affordability.”

Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy’s office did not respond to a message seeking comment, and the state Department of Environmental Protection, declined comment.

Sandy hit the nation’s most populous metro area on Oct. 29, 2012. It swamped coastline communities, knocking out power, flooding transit systems and setting neighborhoods ablaze. It has been blamed for 182 deaths, including 12 in New Jersey and 48 in New York, and caused tens of billions of dollars worth of damage, including $36.8 billion in New Jersey and $32.8 billion in New York.

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Kamala Harris now has three delegates after picking up the backing of Newark Council President LaMonica McIver.

“Vice President Kamala Harris is more than prepared to unite and move this country forward,” McIver said.  “I offer my full support for her as she pursues the Democratic nomination for president.”

McIver endorsed Harris even though U.S. Senator Cory Booker, who once held the Newark Central Ward city council seat she now occupies, has not yet announced if he intends to run to seek the presidency.

McIver was elected as a district delegate to the Democratic nomination pledged to Joe Biden.

She’s also essentially a congresswoman-elect after winning a special Democratic primary last week to replace Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. (D-Newark) in New Jersey’s 10th district and the Democratic nomination to take Payne’s place on the general election ballot.    McIver must still win a September 18 special election to fill Payne’s unexpired term against Republican Carmen Bucco, but the 10th is among the most Democratic House districts in the nation.

The other two delegates to endorse Harris are Atlantic County Democratic Chairman Michael Suleiman and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka.