I live in New Jersey
It took me a while to admit that.
Trivia about me: I once had a choice between living on the Mediterranean coast of Spain or moving to New Jersey, and I chose New Jersey. That experience gives me some background for the story that I’m sharing today.
This was back in 2012. I was finishing a book project, and I had a friend who owned an apartment in a small town near Barcelona. She offered to let me rent it on the cheap, and it seemed like a great opportunity.
But then, a much bigger opportunity came up: I went to a reunion, and reconnected with my college girlfriend. Lightning struck (for the second time). We got back together almost instantly and were engaged within a few months.
So, I packed my things, moved to North Jersey to be with her.
New Jersey? Yes, New Jersey!
Best. Decision. Ever. We’re married now, we have a daughter, and we have a great life.
Meanwhile, I’ve embraced my environment.
I’ve come to really like New Jersey.
That’s why I was a bit surprised — but not really — at my proud reaction when I heard about a small change United Airlines recently made regarding Newark Liberty International Airport, which is where I fly out of 19 times out of 20.
I’ll let Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz, who is the majority leader in the New Jersey state senate, explain, since she apparently has spent 18 years advocating for the change.
Here’s what she wrote on social media:
Today, I got a call with exciting news! I’ve spent close to 18 years advocating for Newark to be listed as the primary location for Newark Liberty International Airport!
… A proud and long-awaited win!
Thank you United Airlines!
Newark/New York
Yes, it’s that simple. Until recently, if you were to use the United app to book or check a flight and suggested you wanted to fly out of EWR, United would have listed the airport as “New York/Newark.”
Now, it’s reversed: “Newark/New York.”
Comments on the post were almost universally elated:
“I always hated seeing New York in the listing for Newark. Thank you!”
“We are close to NYC but we have always prided ourselves on having our own identity. Thank you!”
“Always wondered about this! Thank you!”
“Loooovvee this!! I did not know others cared about this like me.”
“I bought a flight yesterday and noticed that!!! Congratz!!!”
(If you click through to Ruiz’s post, you’ll see a screenshot of the app.)
Local pride
“They called me on Friday. It was lovely that they listened and took it to heart,” Ruiz told me when I reached out, adding: “It was long overdue … I know it’s a small thing, but it overjoyed me to finally get that respect.”
Sure enough, a United spokesperson confirmed the change and agreed that it had to do with local pride:
“I think it’s just a matter of showing a sense of pride for our New Jersey customers who want to see Newark lead the nomenclature.
We love both New York and New Jersey. … At least locally, it’s something that was strongly advocated for by the senator. …
We’re proud to be in Newark just like we’re proud to provide service for a lot of New Yorkers.”
13 years, if you can believe that
One thing I’ve learned from living in New Jersey the last 13 years is that it can get overshadowed by its bigger neighbors.
There’s no getting away from the fact that many people in northern New Jersey (or as most would say here, “North Jersey”) are here because they (or maybe their parents or grandparents at one time), were commuting to New York.
I’ve never lived in southern New Jersey (or, “South Jersey”), but my sense is that it has kind of the same relationship with Philadelphia.
That said:
Why do so many New Yorkers fly out of Newark? Because it’s actually more convenient for many of them than JFK or LGA.
For that matter, why do the NFL’s New York (sic) Jets and New York (sic) Giants play in New Jersey?
Because we got the stadium, and it’s actually convenient for a lot of New Yorkers to get to.
Look, the truth is: I love New York. I’ve lived in a lot of places, and it’s probably the greatest city in the world.
Heck, Sen. Ruiz of New Jersey wanted to make that clear when I talked with her, too:
“I love going into Manhattan. I love being in New York City. It’s only about 20 minutes from home on the train.
But I also want people to love the same way when they come here.”
El Prat-Barcelona?
That’s all we’re looking for, those of us who fly United and who live in New Jersey: a bit of respect.
I’ve never looked back since choosing to live here. But, on a hunch, I just looked up the major airport near Barcelona.
It’s called Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport, named for the first president of the Government of Catalonia — along with the major metro area and the town in which it’s actually located.
I wonder if there’s a Spanish version of Senator Ruiz in El Prat — pushing for the same sort of change. Who knows? United might be receptive.
7 other things worth knowing
The Department of Health and Human Services will cancel contracts and pull funding for some vaccines that are being developed to fight respiratory viruses like COVID-19 and the flu. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced in a statement Tuesday that 22 projects, totaling $500 million, to develop vaccines using mRNA technology will be halted. (Yahoo News)
The Trump administration says it's removing age restrictions on who can become a federal officer doing immigration enforcement, in some cases with a $50,000 signing bonus. Secretary Noem: "In the wake of Biden’s open borders disaster, our country needs dedicated Americans to join ICE to remove the worst of the worst out of our country. ... We are ENDING the age cap for ICE law enforcement. Qualified candidates can now apply with no age limit." (DHS)
Florida is soliciting bids to build a second giant immigration detention center, like the so-called Alligator Alcatraz, but located in the northern part of the state. There was no official announcement, but journalists figured it out after initially finding a $39,490 state contract for a WeatherSTEM and two lightning sirens for the facility. (Tallahassee.com)
Bureau of Labor Statistics data plays a crucial role in Americans’ financial lives: influences how much people pay in taxes, receive in retirement benefits and even how much they earn on some investments. The consumer-price index, published each month, is used to update everything from 401(k) contribution limits to pension payments to income cutoffs for Medicare costs. President Trump’s firing of the bureau head Friday has suddenly sparked worries among economists about the reliability of this data. The BLS had already raised alarms earlier this year after cutting back its data collection for the CPI. (WSJ)
A zoo in Denmark is asking for donations of small pets as food for its predators. The Aalborg Zoo said it is trying to mimic the natural food chain of the animals housed there “for the sake of both animal welfare and professional integrity” and offers assurances the pets will be “gently euthanized.” The zoo points to guinea pigs, rabbits and chickens as possible donations. (AP)
A blind Chicago man whose service dog was stolen is walking up to seven miles each day, handing out “missing” flyers to try and find his beloved pooch. Angel Santiago, who became legally blind due to glaucoma and also manages Type 2 diabetes, says his beloved 14-year-old dachshund, Bam Bam, was stolen from the yard at his home in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood on June 5. Now, he walks up to seven miles each day, giving out flyers to people in hopes that someone has seen his dog. (Yahoo News)
A motorist was clocked driving at more than 320 kph (199 mph) on the Autobahn west of Berlin, a record high, German police said. The unidentifed driver was fined 900 euros ($1,043), stripped of two points from his driver’s license and banned from driving for three months, police said. Germany’s famed Autobahn motorways have captured fascination and interest around the world for their lack of speed limits in some places, but the section where the record-breaking driver was caught has a limit of 120 kph (74.5 mph). (AP)
Thanks for reading. Photo by Nicolas Jehly on Unsplash. I wrote about some of this before at Inc.com. See you in the comments.
Congrats on getting the nomenclature upgrade. It sounds like a big deal.
I'm curious. Since President Trump fired the head of the BLS, has the administration come out with the actual employment figures? I haven't heard a word about any update and how they arrived at the "actual" numbers especially since Trump had no evidence that the figures had been rigged.
With the daily barrage of news - whether about ICE & detention centers, public health/vaccines, tariffs, Epstein, threatened National Guard in DC, attacks on colleges, the Paramount merger, redistricting, you know I could go on - it is worth being mindful of the following:
Political scientist Dr. Lawrence Britt recently wrote an article about fascism ("Fascism Anyone?," Free Inquiry, Spring 2003, page 20). Studying the fascist regimes of Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia), and Pinochet (Chile), Dr. Britt found they all had 14 elements in common. He calls these the identifying characteristics of fascism. The excerpt is in accordance with the magazine's policy.
The 14 characteristics are:
1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.
2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.
4. Supremacy of the Military Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.
5. Rampant Sexism The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.
6. Controlled Mass Media Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
7. Obsession with National Security Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
8. Religion and Government are Intertwined Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.
9. Corporate Power is Protected The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.
10. Labor Power is Suppressed Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed .
11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.
12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.
13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.
14. Fraudulent Elections Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.