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
NJ’s top counties for working from home – and how change may last
The share of people working from home is up across New Jersey – but varies greatly, with two counties where over 30% are in home offices one under 10%.
Where do I vote? Your NJ town may have been split into 2 districts
Congressional redistricting requires every district to have as precisely equal populations as possible, which makes splitting towns inevitable.
What district are you in now? A guide to new NJ congressional map
Details on all the changes in the new map that will be used for congressional races in New Jersey from 2022 to 2030.
Senator to Murphy on COVID vaccine mandate for schools: Don’t go there
A CDC panel wants the agency to recommend that states add the COVID-19 vaccine to the recommended list of immunizations needed to attend school.
Election 2022: What to do if you have trouble voting in New Jersey
State officials have prepared a series of websites and hotlines to provide information and assistance to voters for the 2022 general election.
Landmark approvals for first NJ recreational marijuana businesses
So far, adult-use cannabis is only sold through medical dispensaries. The first recreational-only businesses now have approvals for operating licenses.
Merger of two NJ colleges announced, to save one from closing
Bloomfield College of Montclair State University is planned to debut next summer, merging the small private college into the public research university.
Commute times getting shorter in NJ: Best and worst counties
Even for New Jerseyans who still commuted to their jobs in 2021, the average travel time to work shrunk by four and a half minutes.
Union representing 6,000 NJ state employees take Gov. Murphy to court
AFSCME says raises given to correctional police officers, in accordance with a January law, will widen racial and gender pay gaps unless also given to others.
Beyond ‘Google it': NJ to enhance information literacy in schools
Students are on the internet all the time. The state may require its schools to do more so they're discerning consumers of the information they see.