New Jersey
New Jersey Passes ‘Seinfeld Bill’ to Unmask Telemarketers
State your name and purpose. That’s the mandate that New Jersey is passing down to telemarketers who want to call NJ phone numbers. Governor Phil Murphy signed the so-called “Seinfeld Bill” into law on Monday. The legislation (S921/A1545), requires that over-the-phone salespeople provide the name, and phone number of the company or person they are calling on behalf of, as well as disclose the purpose of their call within the first 30 seconds of reaching a potential customer.
“When you answer a telemarketer’s call, you should know right up front who they are and who they work for,” said State Senator Jon Bramnick, who co-sponsored the bill, in a press release from the Governor’s office. “If they’re on the up and up, telemarketing firms should have no issue with this bill,” he added.
In addition to the requirement to promptly provide information at the beginning of calls, telemarketers will also have to include a clear mailing address on business websites and in any written communication to customers. The bill further bans unsolicited calls between 9 P.M. and 8 A.M. ET, and compels telemarketers to adhere more strictly to “no call” lists.
Under the new law, failing to abide by any of these requirements will put telemarketers at risk of a disorderly persons offense (i.e. misdemeanor) charge in New Jersey. The legislation goes into effect in seven months.
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Obviously, telemarketers can be annoying. It’s both a truth and a cultural trope.
S921 gets it colloquial name from a 1994 episode of Seinfeld, where the eponymous Jerry Seinfeld concisely expresses his frustration at a phone seller. New Jersey’s Governor’s office even tweeted out the relevant clip.
During the season four episode The Pitch, Jerry picks up a call at his apartment. “Hi, would you be interested in switching over to TMI long-distance service?,” a disembodied voice asks through the phone.
“Oh, gee, I can’t talk right now. Why don’t you give me your home number and I’ll call you later?,” Seinfeld responds.
“Uh- well, I’m sorry we’re not allowed to do that,” says the in-show telemarketer.
Seinfeld retorts, “Oh I guess you don’t want people calling you at home.”
To which the telemarketer says, “No.” The joke exchange ends when Jerry says, “Well, now you know how I feel.”
But in addition to being irritating, telemarketing schemes and robocall scams can also prey upon people’s vulnerability and cause real financial harm. NJ Representative Paul Moriarty, another of the bill’s co-sponsors, noted in the news release that the legislation could help protect older adults and others often targeted by shady calls.
“There’s an overwhelming number of scams targeting seniors by phone,” said Moriarty. “This new law will clearly alert seniors that a telemarketer is seeking to sell them something and the law will provide them with a level of protection. It’s important to do what we can to protect our seniors from falling victim to scams. This may also help cut down on the overwhelming number of calls seniors receive at home.”
Fraudulent calls, coercing someone to send money or share financial information under false pretenses, identity theft, etc… are all already illegal. In theory, a legal framework currently exists to protect seniors from being scammed. It’s unclear exactly how the new legislation will further improve those safeguards for New Jersey residents. Perhaps though, by more closely regulating the act of calling, and by instituting a potential consequence for failing to be upfront, the state is creating a more effective avenue through which it can punish bad faith telemarketers.
In recent years, the number of robocalls has skyrocketed. The Federal Communications Commission has tried to control the tidal wave of spam calls through federal regulations and new requirements for telecoms companies. And though there’s been some headway including at the state level, people across the country are still having their phones blown up by unwanted, unknown callers. Potentially, the Garden State’s new approach could offer some sort of solution.
Gizmodo reached out to the NJ Governor’s media relation department with questions regarding enforcement of the legislation, how people can report noncompliant telemarketers, and how this bill fits in with existing laws. The office did not immediately respond.
New Jersey
‘Over 300 youth’ descend upon New Jersey mall, sparking massive brawl planned through TikTok: officials
Hundreds of youths descended upon a north Jersey mall Saturday night in a meet-up that was reportedly pre-planned on TikTok and led to a massive brawl.
Seven minors were arrested in the chaotic melee that was spurred by TikTok posts calling for juveniles to meet up at the Menlo Park Mall in Edison, New Jersey, that night, according to officials and local reports.
The out-of-control gathering soon grew exponentially from just 100 people to “over 300 youth” from across the Garden State shortly after 8 p.m., Edison Mayor Sam Joshi wrote on social media.
At least four of the seven minors who were arrested were from other towns, according to Joshi.
Edison police had to call for back-up from neighboring police departments to clear out the hooligans.
As cops worked to get the rowdy crowd under control, one officer fractured their ankle, Edison Police Chief Tom Bryan told My Central Jersey.
None of the youths were injured and no weapons were recovered, cops said.
Of the seven arrested, one was charged with aggravated assault on an officer, and six others face disorderly conduct charges. One person was charged with both disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, Bryan told the outlet.
Some participating youth shared posts on TikTok and Instagram leading up to the swarm, telling people to show up at the mall at 7 p.m.
It’s unclear if any of the posts advertised a fight or if it was intended for some other kind of event, but Bryan confirmed that TikTok played a role in the huge crowd.
One TikTok shared last Tuesday that pitched a “Menlo Mall Linkup??” received over 9,000 likes and 156,000 views. The user posted about the meetup again on Thursday.
Videos later capturing the chaotic scene quickly went viral on TikTok overnight as teens wreaked havoc, screaming and running from officers while they were making arrests.
Impromptu fights spurred by social media meet-ups have resulted in slews of minors being arrested in the last year.
In October, “mass chaos” broke out at the Kings Dominion theme park just outside of Richmond, Va, following a social media callout. No one was arrested after 14 deputies responded to the scene.
In November, an armed teenage gangbanger lost hold of his gun during a fight at a mall in Long Island. A bystander kicked the weapon further away from the teen in a video released in early May.
The Post reached out to the Edison Police Department for comment.
At least one UNC basketball recruiter was in attendance for one of Deron Rippey Jr.’s 3SSB outings in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on Saturday. But the Tar Heels were by no means alone, as the electrifying point guard already enjoys a long list of full-fledged suitors and has drawn a big crowd of college coaches to watch him compete against other premier recruits in grassroots action this weekend.
ALSO READ: Tar Heel Transfer Target Schedules Visits Elsewhere
A 6-foot-2, 175-pound five-star with next-level speed and instincts on the perimeter, Rippey currently checks in at No. 19 overall, No. 5 at his position, and No. 1 among New Jersey prospects on the 247Sports 2026 Composite.
And he played to the level of his ranking — if not better — with well-known faces in the stands on Saturday morning. In his New Heights squad’s victory over Dream Vision, Rippey tallied 21 points, four rebounds, three assists, and four steals, exhibiting the versatility that has contributed to his 12-spot jump in the national rankings since this time last year.
In addition to the Tar Heels, who extended an offer to Rippey back in late December, there were dozens of programs displaying their interest in the Blair Academy (N.J.) junior on Saturday.
According to HS Top Recruits, the crowd included coaches from at least three other bluebloods in Kentucky, Kansas, and UNC’s archrival, Duke, plus another of Hubert Davis & Co.’s Tobacco Road foes, NC State.
Deron Rippey Jr. has neither announced finalists nor a timeline for wrapping up what has become a high-profile recruitment.
Stay tuned to North Carolina Tar Heels On SI for more UNC basketball news.
TransAxle, a New Jersey-based remanufacturer of rebuilt hydraulics, drivetrain components and truck parts, will close all of its locations, laying off more than 200 workers nationwide, including six in St. Paul, according to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.
The company, which was founded in 1979, maintains a location in St. Paul that employs a shop manager, mechanic, machinist and team leaders. All six workers will be let go.
In a letter to DEED’s rapid response team, company officer Richard Malagodi said TransAxle attempted to put itself up for sale “for some time” without success, and will instead lay off 80 workers at a dozen locations, most of them on the East Coast, between July 15 and July 29. Another 129 workers will be terminated from its four New Jersey sites in August.
An effort to reach a TransAxle spokesperson for comment on Friday was not immediately successful.
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