Written for WHYY/Newsworks

After Rutgers men’s basketball coach Mike Rice was fired over his abusive actions towards his players, I spoke to a lot of friends and colleagues to get their take on how it all went down. 

Opinions about the firing, which occurred after a video showcasing Rice dishing out tons of physical and verbal abuse made its way online, seem to diverge into two camps.

On the one hand, some think it was absolutely inexcusable that it took so long for Athletic Director Tim Pernetti to fire Rice, who saw the video five months ago and decided the appropriate punishment was to suspend the coach for three games and fine him $75,000. Remember, Rice’s homophobic outbursts came in the aftermath of the tragic suicide of Tyler Clementi, who jumped from the George Washington Bridge after his roommate and a fellow hall-mate shared webcam video of Clementi kissing another man.

Their view seems to be substantiated by the resignation of Pernetti, who threw himself on his sword over what university president Robert Barchi called a “failure of process” during a press conference on Friday.

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Curious why the Weather Channel started naming winter storms? Their explanation:

During the upcoming 2012-13 winter season The Weather Channel will name noteworthy winter storms. Our goal is to better communicate the threat and the timing of the significant impacts that accompany these events. The fact is, a storm with a name is easier to follow, which will mean fewer surprises and more preparation…

This is an ambitious project. However, the benefits will be significant. Naming winter storms will raise the awareness of the public, which will lead to more pro-active efforts to plan ahead, resulting in less impact and inconvenience overall…

Finally, it might even be fun and entertaining and that in itself should breed interest from our viewing public and our digital users.

Coming soon from the Weather Channel – sponsored storms! Hurricane Doritos is bearing down on the Northeast! Winter Storm Comcast is on the move!

Written for Newsworks New Jersey

“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.”

These are the words of Abraham Lincoln, as he closed his First Inaugural with an appeal to patriotism in his opposition of the secession of the southern states. That day, Lincoln made three legal arguments against the south’s desire to secede from the union, which obviously fell on deaf ears to a majority of southerners intent on forming their own country. (more…)

Written for Newsworks New Jersey

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie hasn’t been bashful about bestowing unbridled praise on to President Obama for his handing of Hurricane Sandy. But if he hasn’t already, the Governor should heap the same amount of praise in the direction of the many electric linemen working tirelessly to restore power to hard-hit areas of New Jersey. (more…)

Written for Newsworks New Jersey

For days, New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie has gone out of his way to praise President Obama at every turn – on local radio, on CBS, even in an appearance on Fox News.

Today, Christie lumped more praise on the President during a tour of the storm-ravaged New Jersey coast, saying Obama “sprang into action immediately,” and has exhibited “concern and compassion” for residents effected by the storm.

“It’s been a great working relationship,” Christie added.

Keep in mind this is the same man who delivered the keynote address at Mitt Romney’s Republican nominating party, and who reportedly turned down Romney’s offer of the Vice President slot (more…)

Written for Newsworks New Jersey

Every election cycle, politicians and pundits seem prepared for an October surprise – a news event that has the ability to influence or even change the outcome of an election.
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Written for Newsworks New Jersey

Back in March, John Ray Wilson was sentenced to five-years in prison for growing pot in the backyard of his Somerset home. At his trial, he wasn’t permitted to tell the jury he grew the pot to relieve the symptoms that came from having multiple sclerosis, even though New Jersey approved the legalization of medical marijuana in January of 2010.

Now, almost three years later, the first marijuana dispensary in New Jersey, Greenleaf Compassion Center in Montclair, has finally been cleared to begin selling pot to patients who have registered with the state’s Department of Health. This will be a giant relief for patients who suffer from horrible diseases like multiple sclerosis, terminal cancer and AIDS.

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Written for Newsworks New Jersey

While it’s practically a force of habit for our politicians and pundits to spin the truth on everything from who won a debate to who’s to blame for sputtered legislation, it’s very hard to spin the truth when it comes to math, something Chris Christie is becoming very familiar with.

Last week, the Department of Treasury released new revenue collection numbers that show that while collections have improved this month, they are still well below Christie’s extremely optimistic budget predictions. (more…)