Former New Jersey Governor John Corzine's hand must be cramped—on his last day in office he signed 54 bills into law, including one to legalize medical marijuana. And though he's letting state residents with chronic illnesses toke up, he also wants to discourage the munchies. Yesterday he followed New York's lead in making calorie postings mandatory at fast-food restaurants. more ›

In the close, nasty NJ governor's race, Republican challenger Chris Christie said on Don Imus's radio show yesterday that NJ Governor Jon Cozrine should “man up and say I’m fat.” He was referring to Corzine's suggestive ads; Christie also told Imus, "I'm pretty fat," and predicted he would be a "a big fat winner" next Tuesday. The NY Times looks at the candidates today—"the two rivals made no apologies for the ugly tone of the campaign." more ›

The NY Times endorsed incumbent NJ governor Jon Corzine for re-election, but not before going through his flaws: "Most New Jersey voters find him astonishingly inarticulate, and his credentials as a former co-chairman of Goldman Sachs do not seem as impressive as they did before the financial meltdown in 2008. He has poured lots of his personal wealth into this race, far too much of it for biting — and sometimes juvenile — attacks on Mr. Christie. In his second term, we would like to see him back away from the state’s unions." more ›

Born-again seat belt enthusiast NJ Governor Jon Corzine used his fortune and credentials from his days at Goldman Sachs during his Senate and gubernatorial races. But now the NY Times reports, "New Jersey’s economy is reeling, Goldman Sachs’s luster has dulled and Mr. Corzine’s greatest asset has become a political liability as he struggles to keep his job in November’s election." Challenger Chris Christie, even compared Corzine to Wall Street's Gordon Gekko in an Internet ad! Corzine's campaign is trying to focus on how Goldman is all in the past and his work on things like school funding and universal health care for children. more ›

Last night, President Barack Obama spoke at the NAACP's Centennial conference, held at the Midtown Hilton, giving what the NY Times called a "fiery sermon to black America.. warning black parents that they must accept their own responsibilities by 'putting away the Xbox and putting our kids to bed at a reasonable hour,' and telling black children that growing up poor is no reason to get bad grades." He added, "It means attending those parent-teacher conferences, reading to our kids, and helping them with their homework...No one has written your destiny for you...Your destiny is in your hands, and don’t you forget that. That’s what we have to teach all of our children! No excuses! No excuses!" more ›

Incumbent NJ Governor Jon Corzine will face off with former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, who won the Republican primary yesterday, in this year's gubernatorial election. Christie defeated Steve Lonegan, who staked out a more conservative position, and will be set on blaming Corzine for NJ's terrible financial state; he said, "For the past four years Jon Corzine has made bad choices - choices that have plunged New Jersey deeper into debt, increased the tax burden on working families, and driven business across our borders to Pennsylvania, Delaware and even New York.” Corzine was on the attack last night, "There were a lot of statements in the Republican primary that I know are contrary to where New Jerseyans feel on a woman's right to choose, on gun control, on a whole host of issues, in addition to whose taxes get cut, how many people get laid off." Politico reports that with Corzine's poor ratings, the GOP hopes to use a NJ gubernatorial victory as a "springboard to a national comeback in the 2010 midterm elections." Related: Primary participation was around 10%, lower than previous primaries. more ›

Goldman Sachs chairman. While billionaires Donald Trump and Wilbur Ross think Corzine would be great, the governor said, "I'm not going to say never to anything. I want to be very clear: I like what I'm doing. I have not had any conversations with anybody about this job. People can speculate--it's nice, my mother will like it. The reality is there are a lot of good people." His pick would be 82-year-old Paul Volcker, the former Federal Reserve chairman who many credit with ending 1970s stagflation. more ›

Governor David Paterson went to Washington D.C. yesterday and stated the case for the Empire State, "New York doesn't need a handout, we need a handback." more ›

The NJ Turnpike Authority presented a plan that would rails tolls 50% next year--and then another 50% in 2012 and 11% in 2023, according to WCBS 2. Given the state's budget troubles, Governor Jon Corzine has been trying to increase the fare to more than $3 in 2014 and to $5.80 in a decade--to much public outcry--but this plan would see a $3 toll in 2023. Right now, the toll is $1.20 (average), and under the proposed plan, it would be $1.80 in 2011 and $2.70 in 2012). The NJTA's board said, "We believe increasing tolls, even minimally, is an action of last resort, not one of first choice," but there are many infrastructure projects, like maintaining the roads and bridges, that need funding. more ›

Carla Katz was suspended as the head of the largest local of the Communications Workers of America. The CWA's national executive board believes there's, per the AP, "financial malpractice and suppression of dissent among the local’s 16,000 members, 10,000 of whom are state workers" (see the claims here). Katz denies the charges and says they are "appalling." Her past relationship with NJ Governor Jon Corzine has been scrutinized (Corzine gave her a $6 million settlement after they broke up) and a NJ state judge recently said Corzine must turn over his emails with Katz. more ›

NJ Governor Jon Corzine spoke out against NYC's congestion pricing plan, citing the Port Authority's proposed $1 billion worth of involvement to sweeten the deal. more ›

NJ Governor Jon Corzine, who was critically injured after not wearing a seat belt when his state vehicle crashed, endorsed a proposal requiring all passengers wear seat belts in vehicles on NJ roads. He also supported recommendations for stricter restrictions for drivers under age 20, even admitting his three children had been in accidents as teen drivers. more ›

Grieving families buried the three victims of last weekend's execution-style murders in Newark. Authorities also named a fourth suspect in the crimes: Rodolfo Godinez, a 24-year-old who has a record of robbery, assault, and weapons arrests. more ›

There's no session scheduled for the State Assembly Monday in Albany, but state senate leader Joseph Bruno took a break from barking back and forth with Governor Spitzer to draft a bill in an effort to lay claim to a half-billion dollars in federal funds targeted at improving transit. Senate Majority leader Bruno had the bill drafted and urged fellow lawmakers to convene in an effort to get the state's hands on $500 million in federal funds that New York is competing for, against other cities like Denver, Miami and Seattle. more ›

NJ Governor Jon Corzine told reporters that he will not use his e-mail anymore as NJ Republicans have filed a lawsuit demanding that Corzine's e-mails with ex-girlfriend and NJ union leader Carla Katz be made public. Corzine said, "We’ll go back to the 1920s, and have direct conversations with people." We'll guess his staff is also getting him books on Morse Code, smoke signals, and sending messages in bottles. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a found grenade(!) at Sedgwick Ave. and Depot Pl. in the Bronx, a child abduction on 8th Ave. and 150th St. in Manhattan, and a person struck by a train on 103rd St. and Roosevelt Ave. in Queens.
• A New Jersey State Police report concluded that the unauthorized use of flashing emergency lights by his driver didn't cause Governor Corzine's near-fatal crash, but it did contribute significantly to the accident by initiating the chain of events.
• Your apartment is only as small as your imagination and creativity, and a retired steamfitter who lives in Peter Cooper Village knows it.
• Parents Against Styrofoam in Schools (P.A.S.S.) are objecting to the approximately four million styrofoam trays used in New York's public schools every week.
• The woman charged with robbing rapper Foxy Brown was released from Rikers Island after her alleged victim failed to appear at the accused's grand jury hearing.
• Brownstoner notes that the DUMBO pedestrian plaza is coming together at a record pace.
• Before new city noise regulations kick in July 1, Stereogum rates the 20 Loudest Albums of All Time.
• Mayor Bloomberg lashed out against special tax breaks that could hand developer Bruce Ratner an extra $300 million for developing Brooklyn's Atlantic Yards. Mayor Mike hopes Gov. Spitzer will quash the "carve-out" benefit.

The NY Times' Lawrence Altman, a reporter who is also a doctor, writes about NJ Governor Corzine's medical treatment after his April 12 car accident. For any medical procedure (or procedural) buffs, it's an illuminating look at how medical professionals react to treating high-profile medical figures all while just trying to do the best job they can. more ›

Via the NY Times: He also thanked the hospital staff and became verklempt as he spoke. Corzine, who lost half his body's blood and broke many bones, became a magnet for criticism as it became clear he wasn't wearing a seat belt as he sat in the front seat of an SUV. The SUV was also traveling 91 MPH, but he wasn't headed to a pressing emergency - simply the talks between Don Imus and the Rutgers women's basketball team. more ›

Governor Jon Corzine expects to be discharged from the hospital next week. Corzine has been at Cooper University Hospital where he has been recuperating after severe injuries after the SUV transporting him (where he sat seat-belt-less in the front passenger seat) crashed on the Garden State Parkway. more ›

NJ Governor Corzine showed the Associated Press that he's doing pretty well, sitting up (in red track pants, which is rather Fidel-ish) and reading his many get well cards. These are the first photographs of Corzine since he was in a car accident that left him critically injured and with 15 broken bones. Earlier this week, Corzine was still stuck in bed, but now he's able to leave bed and sit up. The cards look like they are from NJ school children; we hope that if they're making the cards during the school day, then there better be seat belts also drawn on them somewhere! more ›

• Tody on the Gothamist NewsMap: a carjacking in Staten Island; a missing patient at Woodhull Hospital in Brooklyn; and a fatal accident in Queens.
• The Staten Island carjacking, which included a police chase, injured three people, including a child and a police officer. One suspect is in custody and police are on scene looking for a possible 2nd suspect.
• The fatal accident in Queens was a small school bus striking a 23 year-old woman in Richmond Hill. The bus had special-ed students from St. Joseph's - the students are uninjured.

NJ Governor Jon Corzine has been moved from intensive care as his condition improved to stable. The governor continues in his second week of recovery after a car crash on the Garden State Parkway which revealed his SUV (a state trooper was driving) was going 91 MPH while Corzine was not wearing a seat belt in the front passenger seat. However, the governor's chief of staff Tom Shea said that Corzine will not be getting back to work any time soon, "The state is in very good hands with acting Gov. (Richard) Codey." Shea added, "[Corzine]'s not as grouchy as you might expect him to be." more ›

With the NJ State Police confirming that NJ Governor Corzine's SUV was going 91 MPH on the Garden State Parkway during a crash that left a seat-beltless Corzine critically injured, it was only natural for reporters to ask Mayor Bloomberg his thoughts. And the NY Times' Diane Cardwell says that his "nanny tendencies...were on full display" more ›

How much of an emergency is getting back to the Governor's mansion for a meeting between Don Imus and the Rutgers women's basketball team? Because the NJ State Police confirmed that Governor Corzine's SUV, which crashed last Thursday along the Garden State Parkway, was going 91 MPH, well over the 65 MPH speed limit. more ›

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Score: Gecko, 0, and People Tired of Ads, 1. more ›

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- And Real Worlder Kevin Powell (RW New York, circa 1992) isn't running for Congress anymore - don't get any ideas, Eric Nies! more ›

Or at least that's what World Trade Center leaseholder Larry Silverstein promised yesterday, now that he and the Port Authority have agreed on terms that divvy up control of Ground Zero's various components. "I have instructed our construction team to mobilize into the site tomorrow so that we can begin construction of the Freedom Tower immediately," he told the media. The Port Authority says that the eastern section of the WTC site will be excavated by next year, in order for Silverstein to start building his towers (Towers 2, 3, and 4 in the plan). At this point, (Gothamist can barely remember what's supposed to be at Ground Zero, so we've been going back to the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation's website about the WTC site - but we're not sure if all the changes have been updated on it.) more ›