The @nytimes on @GovMurphy's decision to lift the mask mandate in schools: "The effort began last fall, after he was stunned by the energy of right-wing voters in his blue state, who nearly ousted him from office in what was widely expected to be an easy re-election campaign." Arranging a series of focus groups across the state to see what they had missed, Murphy’s advisers were struck by the findings: Across the board, voters shared frustrations over public health measures, a sense of pessimism about the future and a deep desire to return to normalcy.

#BREAKING Absolute stunner of a race developing in South Jersey, where Senate President Steve Sweeney - the longest-serving legislative leader in state history - is now trailing his Republican challenger, a virtually unknown, by close to 3 points. #Election2021 Update: With 94% of the vote counted, Republican Senate candidate Edward Durr now leads New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney by roughly 2,000 votes; 32,134 to 30,125.

The New Jersey acting Education Commissioner is expected to issue her decision later today regarding the Lakewood School District's ability to properly meet its obligations and provide a "thorough and efficient" (T&E) education to its students. The expected decision, with potentially enormous ramifications, is the latest step in a long and drawn-out legal battle following the 2014 lawsuit filed by Lakewood High School math teacher Arthur Lang (@lakewoodlawNJ), which claims the state funding formula is unconstitutional.

#COVID19 in New Jersey. What we know:
-195,888 positive cases
-14,234 deaths
-483 people are hospitalized
-36 ventilators in use
-55 patients discharged yesterday
-Rt at 1.08
-@GovMurphy announces MVC changes #COVID19 in New Jersey. What we know:
-196,337 positive cases
-14,238 deaths
-462 people are hospitalized
-35 ventilators in use
-52 patients discharged yesterday
-Rt at 1.07
-10 counties in the "moderate" category, up from 3 last week

#COVIDー19 in New Jersey. What we know:
-29 positive cases
-20 tests in process
-1 death
-State of Emergency declared
-@GovMurphy *recommends* no public gathering of 250+
-New jury trials suspended
-Dozens of school districts closed
-State Legislature canceled committee meetings #COVID19 in New Jersey. What we know:
-50 positive cases
-80 tests in process
-1 death
-State of Emergency declared
-@GovMurphy *recommends* no public gathering of 250+
-New jury trials suspended
-Hundreds of school districts closed
-State Legislature canceled committee meetings

President Trump has commuted the sentence of Boaz Nahmani, a first-time offender who was sentenced in July 2015 to
20 years (240 months) in prison for the distribution of synthetic marijuana. Boaz, also known as Ronen, was found liable for selling smoking products for distribution in Massachusetts at a time when they were not regulated, but which were then resold by Ronen's customer at a time when the products were
unlawful.