I'm the Statehouse bureau chief for New Jersey 101.5, covering the governor, Legislature and state politics, and had previously covered the Statehouse for Gannett newspapers for more than 15 years. I'm a lifelong New Jerseyan -- raised in Bergen, living in Hunterdon, Rutgers graduate. I'm co-author of the 2012 biography 'Chris Christie: The Inside Story of His Rise to Power.' I am not the Iron Chef with a similar name though sometimes get tweets meant for him, especially around Thanksgiving. Believe me, you don't want my cooking tips.
Michael Symons
Good news (and a little bad) about NJ ANCHOR property tax relief
Fewer than half the expected recipients have applied in the program's first two months. The deadline was extended a month, and an ad campaign is coming.
NJ wants more renewable energy — but grid needs upgrades to handle
Nine changes were recommended to the Board of Public Utilities. Four are now being proposed, while five more complex ideas need further debate first.
Record streak for New Jersey job growth snapped in October
Though the private sector added jobs, a loss in local government employment means New Jersey lost jobs overall for the first time in nearly two years.
The 10 school districts in NJ with biggest loss of students
Around two-thirds of school districts in New Jersey are going through enrollment declines. See which are down most and check your district here.
NJ election results: How voters decided most-watched races
New Jersey voters returned incumbents to Congress in most of the state's districts in the 2022 election, though the Republican challenger moved ahead in the too-close-to-call 7th District.
Another toll hike coming in January on 2 major NJ roads
To avoid big toll hikes like one approved in 2020, New Jersey's toll roads are instead indexing tolls to inflation, with hikes capped at 3%.
Grocery stores ask that NJ bag rules not be changed for home delivery
A Senate committee advanced a plan to allow paper bags and other options for home delivery, rather than reusable bags, for three years.
New Jersey records one of nation’s biggest spikes in poverty
Census Bureau estimates show the number of New Jerseyans in poverty climbed by more than 132,000 between 2019 and 2021, with median income down.
People in NJ are suing Walmart over drug testing
A Gloucester County man is suing after a job offer at a Sam's Club fulfillment center was revoked after a pre-employment drug test detected marijuana.
‘Disturbing’ that NJ lacks plan for pop-up parties, senator says
The unsanctioned pop-up car rally in Wildwood over the weekend in which two people died was the latest in a series of events fanned by social-media promotion.