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Posted: Aug. 3, 2017 12:55 am

HAMPTON -- Despite a low member turnout typical of late-summer gatherings, the Skylands Tea Party was full of energy on Wednesday night due to the group's guest speaker.

Constitutional Party gubernatorial candidate Matt Riccardi brought his message of "Liberty, Integrity, and Prosperity" to Sussex County and told the attendees he was running for the state's highest office because "New Jersey is at a pivotal point."

"I stepped up to the plate because I knew New Jersey was at a really bad point in its history," Riccardi said. "I didn't realize how bad it actually was."

Riccardi, 30, of Neptune (Monmouth County), is a Marine and married father of three who runs a business started by his father. He said his choice to run for governor was based on a desire to reform the system of corruption that he believes permeates every level of government in the state.

"New Jersey is the most taxed state in the country and the most in debt," he said, questioning how the state could take in so much revenue and still not be able to pay its bills. "Something doesn't add up. I think it's time for a change."

The cornerstone to Riccardi's bid to become the 56th governor of New Jersey is a "legally binding contract" he's making with the people. The contract, Riccardi said, will legally require him to keep his campaign promises or face a monetary penalty, which he said he will pay out of his own pocket. Riccardi said he's contacted the campaigns of Democratic candidate Phil Murphy and Republican candidate Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno to make the same pledge, but hasn't received a response.

"Kim and Phil are liars," Riccardi said. "They know the promises they've made have nothing to do with their job."

As an example of such a promise he's willing to take to the bank, Riccardi said he would veto any tax increase that's passed, regardless of what the revenue is slated to fund.

The high-intensity Riccardi said the people of New Jersey deserve better than two candidates "who don't represent them," and as someone who has already sworn to uphold and defend the U.S. Constitution he vowed to fight for the people.

"I don't care if you love me or hate me, I will fight for your rights," he said.

Riccardi also touted his strong Christian faith and is adamantly pro-life. He said he would donate his governor's salary to any charity, chosen by the people, which reflected that position.

As for the state's lagging economy and "worst in the country business climate," Riccardi said his jobs plan would provide opportunity to small businesses to thrive alongside large corporations in New Jersey by eliminating government fees, taxes and regulations.

Riccardi is one of five independent candidates running for governor in November. The other four are Green Party candidate Seth Kaper-Dale, Libertarian candidate Pete Rohrman, former Long Hill Mayor Gina Genovese and Vincent Ross.

Riccardi admits that one of the two major-party candidates will "likely" win in the fall, but he said he believes his candidacy will energize those who feel they have to choose between the "lesser of two evils."

"We have been afraid for far too long," he said, "and look what it's brought us."

More information about Riccardi and his campaign can be found online at: http://www.r4nj.org, or his Facebook page: Riccardi4NJ.

David Danzis can also be contacted on Facebook: ddanzisNJH, on Twitter: @ddanzisNJH, or by phone: 973-383-1274.

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High-energy third-party candidate pitches to Tea Party - New Jersey Herald

Hull FC open their Super 8s account against Salford Red Devils at the KCOM Stadium. Sports editor James Smailes previews the game.

Asked how his side would approach the Super 8s in terms of setting goals, Lee Radford said Hull FC would wipe the slate clean and aim to be top of a new seven-game league table.

Its probably the best approach given a look down at the current Super League ladder is enough to put the frighteners on anyone outside of runaway leaders Castleford Tigers.

Lets put it in context. Should Hull lose to Salford Red Devils at the KCOM Stadium and the rest of round one go pretty much to form, FC could find themselves sixth in the table heading to St Helens next week, sitting just a point ahead of Wigan in seventh.

Such are the fine margins in this season of unpredictability and surprise, each round feels almost like a knockout game with so much riding on it.

Even Huddersfield Giants in eighth will hold a belief they can spoil the top-four party, and while those chances are slim, the race for the play-offs really is wide open.

Getting off to a good start is paramount and Hull have the chance to do just that against a Salford side who have impressed this season, but fallen off in terms of results and performance in the past two months.

The Red Devils have a point to prove after being knocked out of the Challenge Cup by Wigan and are desperate to show they can hold their pursuit of a top-four finish.

Likewise, Hull must prove lessons have been learned from last year. Theyve shown everyone the quality they possess, now they must show the necessary consistency and mental toughness to stay on course in the league as the Wembley arch looms large in the background.

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Starting the Super 8s with a win will go a long way to doing that. Just as a defeat could see Hull playing catch-up, so a win opens a three-point gap over Salford and regardless of results elsewhere keeps Radfords men in the driving seat.

As long as the performance is good enough to win was Radfords assessment of what he wants to see against Salford.

Hull dont have to play at their impressive best this evening, they just need to win and thats the case for the Super 8s as a whole.

If anything this side have shown they can turn it on when it counts in knockout games, they just need to make sure theyre in one come the conclusion of the Super 8s.

With injuries to Marc Sneyd, Mark Minichiello and Josh Bowden, Hull FC coach Lee Radford has made three enforced changes to his squad.

Jordan Thompson is expected to feature having been left out of the Challenge Cup semi-final victory, while Steve Michaels should also come into the side to allow Radford to freshen things up in his back division.

Jansin Turgut was the third alteration to the 19-man squad, but may have to sit out once again with Brad Fash in pole position to come into the 17-man squad having missed out last week as 18th man.

Salford have been dealt a blow after it was confirmed Lama Tasi has been ruled out for 10 weeks, effectively ending his 2017 season.

Its really frustrating to pick up an injury like this so late on in the season. Were coming up to crunch time with the Super 8s and to miss these sort of game is disappointing, said Tasi, who was suspended for the match at the KCOM Stadium anyway.

Fellow forward Mark Flanagan has also been ruled out for the season with a shoulder injury, but coach Ian Watson has half-back Robert Lui and centre Jake Bibby back.

Tyrone McCarthy and Manu Vatuvei are both set to make their Super League debuts.

If theres one attribute that Salford have plenty of in their locker its size when it comes to the outside backs.

The Red Devils are a big physical unit out wide, similar to Hull, and that makes the contest on either wing not just crucial but exciting to watch.

In that regard, the match-up between FCs Mahe Fonua and new Salford arrival Manu Vatuvei is going to be bring fireworks.

Vatuvei is expected to make his Super League debut having played in the Cup semi-final defeat last week. The Kiwi international is a monster out wide, but Hull have their own ace up their sleeve in that regard with Fonua.

Expect fireworks when these two clash.

Last ten meetings:

Salford 10, Hull FC 34 (SLR18, 9/6/17)

Hull FC 18, Salford 54 (SLR8, 7/4/17)

Salford 20, Hull FC 28 (SLR23, 22/7/16)

Hull FC 42, Salford 20 (SLR1, 5/2/16)

Hull FC 24, Salford 20 (SLR12, 1/5/15)

Salford 32, Hull FC 28 (SLR3, 28/2/15)

Salford 35, Hull FC 22 (SLR20, 12/7/14)

Hull FC 36, Salford 37 (aet) (CCR4, 3/4/14)

Hull FC 30, Salford 8 (SLR7, 28/3/14)

Hull FC 18, Salford 13 (SLR25, 16/8/13)

Super League summary

Hull FC won 31

Salford won 9

Hull FC highest score: 82-6 (H, 2004) (also widest margin)

Salford highest score: 54-18 (A, 2017) (also widest margin)

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Hull FC v Salford Red Devils big game preview, opinion, key battle and score prediction - Hull Daily Mail

One day after 16 states sued, the Trump administrationreversed its effort to delay Obama administration regulations to curb air pollution that forms smog.

With no mention of the challenges from states such as California, New York, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, who previously said he would delay the Oct. 1 implementation date of a rule to lower the level of ozone emissions from fossil-fuel burning, said in a statement late Wednesday that he would now work with the states through the complex designation process.

In the statement, Pruitt asserted that the Clean Air Act gave his agency the flexibility to allow one additional year for sufficient information to support ozone designations, and said he might take future action to use its delay authority.

With President Trump doubling down on his anti-climate views, California's governor, Jerry Brown, vows to aggressively battle climate change. (Alice Li/The Washington Post)

Pruitt claimed that it became evident early this summer that underlying complexities, methodological and information questions would cause workers to miss the deadline. It was not clear whether any of those challenges existed under the previous administration.

One of the attorneys general who joined the lawsuit against the EPA claimed victory on Thursday.

On Tuesday, we sued the EPA for blocking vital clean air protections. Last night, the EPA reversed course, withdrawing Administrator Pruitts year-long delay of these critical smog regulations, said New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman.One in three New Yorkers breathe dangerous smog levels. The EPAs reversal following our lawsuits is an important win for the health and safety of the 6.7 million New Yorkers, and the over 115 million Americans, directly impacted by smog pouring into their communities.

Since entering office, President Trump has sought to roll back rules created by the Obama administration. Congressional Republicans are currently trying to rewrite those rules. House conservatives recently pushed a bill that would delay the implementation of Obamas ozone rule, finalized in 2015, for eight years on behalf of smokestack industries such as power plants that called it burdensome.

The rule would limit the amount of ground-level ozone produced when pollutants from cars, oil refineries and other industrial plants react chemically in sunlight to 70 parts per billion from 75. State health departments, health-care groups such as the American Lung Association and conservation groups link ozone to asthma and other disease that leads to hospitalization and death. The EPA estimated that a drop in the cost of ambulance services, emergency room visits and hospital stays would more than offset the $1.5 billion cost of the rule.

Conservation groups that blasted Pruitts decision to delay say they were somewhat relieved.As he has before, Administrator Pruitt took an action that presented a clear and present danger to public health, and he did it without public input and without consideration of the consequences, said Peter Zalzal, an attorney for the Environmental Defense Fund. While we welcome this corrective action, we are deeply concerned about the threat that Pruitts actions present to the fundamental right to clean healthy air.

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Reversing course, Trump administration will not delay an Obama ozone rule - Washington Post

President Donald Trump is set to go on a 17-day golf vacation, despite having criticized his predecessor for taking time off and playing golf.

According to reports from the Associated Press, the Republican will be taking a break from Washington, D.C., on Friday. Hell be heading to his New Jersey golf course for a 17-day trip in what appears to be a contradiction of his previous statements about vacations.

During his presidential election campaign, Trump told voters: I would rarely leave the White House because theres so much work to be done. I would not be a president who took vacations. I would not be a president that takes time off.

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On another occasion, the president tweeted a quote from his book that suggested people who loved their jobs should not be taking vacations.

His suggestion followed a number of tweets critical of President Barack Obama for taking holidays or playing golf, while lamenting the amount of taxpayer dollars it cost for Obama to take a vacation.

When will Obama next go on vacation if he wins the election? The day after, Trump tweeted back in 2012.

President Obama has a major meeting on the N.Y.C. Ebola outbreak, with people flying in from all over the country, but decided to play golf! he said on Twitter in 2014.

Trump also hit the Obamas for wasting taxpayer money with their vacations, tweeting in 2012: The Obamas Spain vacation cost taxpayers over $476K. They love to spend money.

However, Trumps own vacations, coupled with weekend trips to his Mar-a-Lago resort, which he has dubbed the Winter White House, have seen him spend far more than Obama did on holidays.

Indeed, according to a report from CNN, Trump was estimated to have spent more than $20 million during his first 80 days as president on trips to his Florida resort. This puts Trump on track to have spent more on travel during his first years as president than Obama did during his eight years in the role.

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Trump Slammed Obama for Taking Vacation, but He Just Booked 17-Day Golf Retreat - Newsweek

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Thursday unanimously confirmed two nominees to serve on the Federal Communications Commission as the Trump administration looks to reverse many Obama-era telecommunications regulations.

Brendan Carr, a Republican who is general counsel at the FCC and Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democrat, were both confirmed by voice vote, bringing the five-member FCC to full strength and giving Republicans a 3-2 majority.

Rosenworcel served as a commissioner for the regulator until the end of 2016 when lawmakers failed to take up her renomination under former President Barack Obama.

The FCC, which since January has been controlled by Republicans by a 2-1 margin, is working to reverse a number of Obama-era telecommunications regulations, including the landmark 2015 net-neutrality rules prohibiting broadband providers from giving or selling access to certain internet services over others.

The Senate did not immediately vote to reconfirm FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to another term, even though he appeared at a confirmation hearing in July with the other nominees. Pai would need to leave the commission by the end of the year if he were not reconfirmed.

In a statement, Pai praised Rosenworcel and Carr's confirmations and said they have "distinguished records of public service and will be valuable assets to the FCC in the years to come.Their experience at the FCC makes them particularly well-suited to hit the ground running."

Pai, chosen by Trump in January to head the agency, also has said he wants to dismantle other significant regulations as part of a sweeping review he said would remove barriers to business and modernize rules.

Pai also plans significant changes to local TV ownership limits and plans other changes to media regulations.

Democrats insisted Republicans had agreed in 2015 to reconfirm Rosenworcel as part of a deal to confirm FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly. Republicans denied there was a deal but the standoff had delayed consideration of telecommunications legislation in the Senate.

Under Pai, the FCC chose not to review AT&T Inc's planned $85.4 billion acquisition of Time Warner Inc.

The FCC is currently reviewing Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc's proposed $3.9 billion acquisition of Tribune Media Co, one of the largest U.S. TV station operators.

Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Lisa Shumaker

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Senate approves two FCC nominees as it reviews Obama rules - Reuters