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
States move to ban TikTok – could New Jersey join them?
Maryland, South Dakota and South Carolina decided the security threat posed by TikTok relative to China's government is too great to allow use of the app.
NJ spending $25M preparing for America’s 250th birthday
An increase in heritages tourism is expected as the nation marks its semiquincentennial, and New Jersey played a big part in the Revolutionary War era.
NJ sex offender’s defense: I can’t be guilty because I’m gay
A state appeals court has denied a bid to overturn a guilty plea from someone who says he couldn't have done the crime because of his sexuality.
How they voted: NJ Assembly approves new limits on carrying guns
After narrow approval in the Assembly, the legislation now awaits two additional votes in the Senate.
Is RU football a waste of money? A call to investigate spending by NJ colleges
After a report about huge bills for DoorDash deliveries for the Rutgers football team, a bill seeks an office that would focus on higher education spending.
Wawa Pays NJ $2.5M to Settle Credit Card Data Breach
Hackers got access to credit card data for as many as 34 million transactions in six states and D.C. in 2019, both in Wawa stores and at its fuel pumps.
The numbers are in for NJ’s first month of marijuana sales
Sales topped $24 million in the first month of adult-use recreational sales at dispensaries. Spending per transaction has been shrinking.
NJ pays off its unemployment fund loan … but not for long
With May quarterly payments in the bank, the state was able to temporarily pay down its unemployment borrowing. It won't' be fully solvent until mid-2024.
NJ pension dilemma: Spend billions or wait decades for increases
Cost-of-living adjustments were suspended in 2011 and won't return for many years, even with full contributions. But restoring them now costs $3.6 billion.
Sextortion ‘real … voluminous’ – and maybe soon, a crime in NJ
Sexual extortion would become a specific crime in New Jersey, under a bill endorsed Monday by a Senate committee.
Gas tax holiday to ease high prices not in the plans in NJ
Gov. Phil Murphy supports a federal gas tax holiday. The state's tax of 42.4 cents a gallon is set by a statutory formula and would need a law to change it.
NJ counties, towns opt in for potential $641M opioid settlement
All 21 counties and 241 eligible municipalities agree to the settlement with pharmaceutical companies over their role in deepening the opioid crisis.