Noticias

Mayor Steven Fulop’s Jersey City recently became the latest community to achieve no-kill recognition. Jersey City’s Animal Care and Control has been officially recognized as a No-Kill Shelter for 2025 in Best Friends Animal Society’s Annual Shelter Statistics Report.

No-kill shelters have saved the lives of millions of cats and dogs; yet, unfortunately, they still do not represent the majority of shelters.  Fulop and his team with no small support and encouragement from Jackie Fulop, will always be remembered in the animal rights and rescue community for achieving this great milestone in New Jerseys’ second largest city.

Understanding the No-Kill Designation

The no-kill campaign started in the 1990s, with the goal of encouraging communities to take proper measures to save all healthy and treatable pets from unnecessary euthanasia.

In 1994, San Francisco became the first no-kill city in the country. Several other communities across the country have followed suit. In 2019, the number of cats and dogs euthanized in U.S. shelters per year dropped below one million for the first time.

Today, there is still no universal standard for what qualifies as a “no-kill” shelter. Typically, to be considered no-kill, a shelter or rescue must have at least a 90% save rate for the animals in their care.  Save rate means the number of animals who enter an animal shelter each year and leave alive. The second criteria is that animals are only euthanized for severe medical or behavioral reasons.

No-kill shelters tackle pet overpopulation through a variety of measures. They offer free/low-cost spay and neuter services to reduce the number of animals entering shelters. They also offer retention services to help new owners deal with their pets’ behavioral problems in an effort to prevent animals from being returned to the shelter.

No-kill shelters also advertise heavily, offer reduced adoption fees, run fundraising campaigns, transport adopted pets to new owners, and maintain flexible hours to accommodate working families. Many rely heavily on volunteers and foster homes to take care of their animals and reduce the amount of time animals spend in shelters.

Mayor Fulop Animal Advocacy

Jersey City Animal Care and Control took over the shelter in 2024 after numerous complaints about the previous operators. Since the city assumed operations, over 1,000 animals were surrendered by owners. This year, Animal Care and Control successfully saved more than 90% of the dogs and cats under their care.

The Jersey City Animal Care and Control, which is a division of Department of Health and Human Services, has improved animal services with longer operating hours, 24/7 animal control response, free and low-cost veterinary care, and a robust public adoption and volunteer program. It also established a targeted Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program for community cats, improved data transparency through monthly reporting, and significantly reduced preventable euthanasia by investing in preventative care and rescue partnerships.

Mayor Fulop credits the shelter staff, city officials, and the community of animal activists for being able to turn the shelter around so quickly. Fulop has long been aligned with animal welfare advocates and perhaps the most important animal activist in his life is the woman he married.

Jackie Fulop is a devoted animal rights and rescue activist.  She previously served as an executive board member for the Liberty Humane Society, one of New Jersey’s largest animal shelters from 2018-2023.  Among her many notable contributions to animal rescue, she helped raise over $300,000 to launch the first low-cost mobile spay and neuter program in Hudson County.

“Our goal in taking over shelter operations was to improve care, transparency, accessibility, and outcomes for animals and the families who love them,” Fulop said in a statement. “Today, those goals have been realized and then some, and the response has been overwhelming. It is incredible to see the love this city has for its animals.”

Establishing a no-kill community requires collaborative partnerships and coalitions among animal shelters, animal rescue groups, government entities, and community members working toward a common goal. Again, under Steven Fulop’s leadership Jersey City continues to serve as a model for the rest of the state.

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A federal judge said he hopes to rule by Wednesday whether Alina Habba, New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor, is in the role legally. 

A pair of defendants has challenged Habba’s legitimacy, arguing the Trump administration unlawfully maneuvered to keep her in the role after the expiration of her 120-day term as interim U.S. attorney. Pennsylvania District Court Judge Matthew Brann heard arguments in a Friday hearing in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and said he expects his decision to be appealed regardless of who he rules for, according to a person at the hearing.

President Donald Trump first appointed Habba, his former personal attorney, to the role of interim U.S. attorney in March. As Habba’s 120-day term was expiring, New Jersey’s federal judges appointed First Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace, Habba’s deputy, to succeed her. The Trump administration fired Grace and appointed Habba as first assistant, which automatically elevated Habba to acting U.S. attorney. Habba’s Senate nomination to a full term as U.S. Attorney was also withdrawn, since pending nominees can’t be named to the office in an acting capacity.

The power struggle has sparked legal challenges from Julien Giraud Jr., who faces drug and weapons charges, and Cesar Pina, who Habba indicted on money laundering and bribery charges.

Henry C. Whitaker, a Justice Department attorney, answered most of the judge’s questions for the Trump administration during the hearing, according to Law360. Thomas Mirigliano represented Giraud during the hearing, while Gerald Krovatin represented Pina.

Brann, a Republican appointed in 2012 by President Barack Obama, at one point suggested the Trump administration concocted a game of “musical chairs” meant to “shoehorn” Habba into the role, according to Law360.

Mirigliano has argued that Habba’s previous nomination to the role precludes her from being able to serve on an acting basis. He wrote that allowing the appointment to stand would allow presidents to bypass the Senate’s advice-and-consent role in approving federal prosecutors.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Coyne, writing on behalf of the Justice Department, has argued that no federal statutes bar the Trump administration from the moves it took, and that the president and attorney general have wide-ranging authority to appoint U.S. Attorneys as they see fit.

In a short filing, Brann wrote that supplemental briefs in the case should be filed by Monday evening and that he expects to file an opinion and order by the close of business on Wednesday. An appeal of his decision would go to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

Habba, a Trump loyalist, has spurred controversy during her time in the job. Her office charged Newark Mayor Ras Baraka with trespassing at a migrant detention center, charges that were quickly dropped, and charged Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-Newark) with assault stemming from a scuffle that occurred during Baraka’s arrest.

Several current and former members of Congress submitted amicus briefs to the court, arguing the Trump administration’s actions violate their own legislative intent as well as broader constitutional protections of the separation of powers.

Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim, both Democrats who have criticized Habba’s appointment, released a joint statement condemning the Trump administration’s maneuvers and calling on the administration to rehire Grace.

“Today’s hearing made clear that Trump is set on defying the lawful nomination process to reward his personal lawyer, Alina Habba, with the critical role of New Jersey U.S. Attorney,” they said. “This thwarts our prosecutors’ ability to tackle crime in every federal case across the state, putting public safety at risk. We are hopeful that the court will reject the Administration’s attempt to undermine the lawful nomination process, and we urge the Administration to restore Desiree Grace as interim U.S. Attorney while it works to identify and nominate a permanent, qualified individual who will put the interests of the people of New Jersey above all else.”

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Gov. Phil Murphy signed a pair of bills on Friday that he says will hold the state’s energy grid operator accountable as the state’s residents grapple with rising energy costs.

New Jerseyans were hit with a 20% increase in energy prices in June and are expected to face a smaller bump upwards next year. The spike in costs has become a potent political issue, with Republicans using it as a top attack against Democrats as they look to retake the governorship.

Democrats have largely blamed PJM Interconnection, an organization that operates the energy grid in parts of 13 states, including all of New Jersey. They say the firm has failed to efficiently add new energy sources to the grid, leading to a stagnation in production while new plants wait to come online. Republicans, meanwhile, say Murphy and legislative Democrats harmed energy production in the state by focusing too much on clean energy.

“These bills complement our long-term plan of action to hold PJM responsible for hardworking New Jerseyans’ skyrocketing electricity bills and a lack of new energy generation,” Murphy said in a release. “We are committed to creating a system that is fairer and more transparent for customers and the states that represent them — a necessary change from the opaque practices that have, for too long, defined PJM.”

The first bill signed on Friday, Senate Joint Resolution 154, directs the BPU to investigate PJM’s pricing model. The second bill, A5463, requires the state’s public utilities to disclose any votes at PJM meetings and explain how each vote furthers New Jersey’s goals of “prioritizing the affordability, reliability, and sustainability” in the energy system. The Legislature approved each bill on June 30, the last day before summer break.

“While electric bills skyrocket, PJM’s decision-makers have been setting our regional power grid policy in secret,” state Sen. Raj Mukherji (D-Jersey City) said. “That ends today. With the enactment of the grid transparency law, consequential votes and decisions impacting what 65 million ratepayers pay and the timeline for approving clean energy projects in the pipeline will become public record. This is about sunlight, accountability, and putting consumers at the center of our energy policy.”

PJM spokesperson Jeff Shields said the legislation does not help solve the rising costs.

“We understand the political motive to shift blame for high electricity bills, but the fact remains: PJM operates as a not-for-profit that plans the power grid and administers federally regulated wholesale electricity markets,” he said. “Pointing fingers will not solve the supply-and-demand realities driving higher prices for consumers in New Jersey, including challenges that stem from failed policies. Our focus remains on working toward real solutions, because New Jerseyans deserve nothing less.”

The two bills signed today are part of a broader package Democrats released in May, when the price spikes were still looming. In July, Murphy signed another pair of bills from the bundle, including one directing the BPU to study the impact of newly constructed data centers on energy demand in the region.

The package is just one way Democrats have sought to stifle the issue this summer. In June, Murphy announced the state would invest $430 million into reducing utility bills this year; he promised at least $100 per household, and up to $250 for low-income households. Republicans called that program an election-year gimmick.

Before he officially won the GOP nomination for governor, former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli attacked Murphy on energy prices in a television ad. The Republican, who seeks to replace the term-limited Murphy, said he would “clean house” at the Board of Public Utilities, the state’s energy regulatory board.

And Assembly Republican Leader John DiMaio, who is looking to add to his caucus when all 80 seats come up for grabs this November, formed a special task force that he said would search for short- and long-term solutions to rising energy costs.

Earlier this week, the BPU officially approved the plan to give residents a $100 credit for energy bills. Assemblyman Alex Sauickie (R-Jackson), a member of the Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee and the aforementioned energy affordability task force, said Democrats doomed the state with green-energy efforts and are blocking the way to reform.

“State Democrats are raising costs, again, and voting down any real shot at sustainable relief,” he said in a release. “I want residents to remember that when they go to cast their votes this November.”

A Fairleigh Dickinson University poll found New Jerseyans are split on who they think is at fault for the increase in costs. A plurality of New Jerseyans, 26%, said they blame the state’s utility companies, like PSE&G, even though they have no control over the rates. A majority of Republicans blame Murphy or the Democratic-led Legislature; a sizable chunk of Democrats, 22%, blame the Trump-run federal government.

“The bottom line is that people in New Jersey don’t really know why their electric bills are going up, so they’re blaming whoever they don’t like,” Dan Cassino, the poll’s executive director, said in the polling memo. “Republicans blame Democrats in state government; Democrats blame Trump and what they see as greedy companies.”

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A group of local Democratic officials in the Hunterdon County borough of Flemington is endorsing businessman Brian Varela for New Jersey’s 7th congressional district, wading into a crowded and murky Democratic primary that features no fewer than seven other contenders.

Varela, who hopes to unseat Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) next November, received endorsements from Flemington Council President Tony Parker and Councilmembers Brandon Arias, Jeremy Long, Susan Englehardt, and Trent Levitt, who is also the borough’s Democratic municipal chair – five out of the six elected Democrats in the 4,876-person borough, one of the few blue spots in Republican-leaning Hunterdon County.

“Brian is exactly the fighter we need representing New Jersey’s 7th District in Congress,” Levitt said in a statement. “He has that rare combination of principled leadership and genuine charisma that can bring people together and get things done for NJ-07. I’m proud to give him my strongest possible endorsement because I know he’ll be a relentless advocate for all of us in Washington.”

The batch of endorsements is evidence that Varela is beginning to successfully make headway outside of Morris County, where he’s lived for the last two years and serves as the chairman of the local Democratic Party’s Hispanic Caucus. Earlier this summer, Varela snagged endorsements from 17 local Democratic politicians in Morris County, representing a big chunk of the Democratic party rank-and-file in the county’s conservative western half.

That’s far more local endorsements than any other 7th district Democratic candidate has received thus far; former Summit Councilman Greg Vartan has gotten a handful of local backers in Summit, where he remains the Democratic municipal chairman.

Local endorsements may help Varela, whose prior run for Congress in 2022 was in an entirely different part of the state, build out his connections and name recognition across the 7th district. They also will likely be a boost during next spring’s county convention season, when candidates will compete to receive endorsements from the district’s six county parties.

Those endorsements, however, may mean far less now that the county organizational line is gone, and some county parties may decline to make any endorsement at all (three of them did just that in this year’s Democratic gubernatorial primary). Initially crowded Democratic contests for the 7th district in 2018 and 2024 were both whittled down to one main contender long before Primary Day, but with county parties’ power significantly weakened, there’s no guarantee of any similar winnowing this cycle.

Besides Vartan and Varela, also running in the Democratic primary for the 7th district are climate scientist Megan O’Rourke, former Small Business Administration official Michael Roth, attorney Vale Mendoza, former Navy helicopter pilot Rebecca Bennett, criminal justice professor Beth Adubato, and physician Tina Shah. The district, held by Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski until Kean beat him in 2022, may host one of the country’s most competitive House races next year.

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