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NJ KILLING-HATCHET HITCHHIKER
Pa. coffee run leads to hatchet hitchhiker arrest
ELIZABETH, N.J. (AP) - A hitchhiker who became an online sensation but was arrested Thursday in a New Jersey man's beating death has been arraigned in Philadelphia.
Caleb "Kai" McGillvary is charged with killing 73-year-old Joseph Galfy Jr. He was arrested in Philadelphia on Thursday night.
Authorities say the two met in New York City on Saturday and went to Galfy's suburban home. Galfy was found dead there Monday, wearing only underwear and socks.
McGillvary was arraigned via video Friday. A court official says he is being held without bail and has a U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement detainer for three arrests in Canada in recent years.
McGillvary became known as "Kai the hatchet wielding hitchhiker" after intervening in a February attack in California and giving an interview that was viewed millions of times online.
CHRISTIE-OBAMA
Christie: Obama wasn't assertive enough
BURLINGTON CITY, N.J. (AP) - New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says President Barack Obama has not been assertive enough as three scandals involving his administration have mounted.
Christie said during a campaign news conference in Burlington City on Friday that "when you're the elected executive in charge of the government, the buck stops with you."
He says Obama was too slow to respond as his administration has been mired in questions about the targeting of conservative groups by the Internal Revenue Services, new details about how it explained last year's deadly attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, and the Justice Department's seizure of journalists' phone records.
Christie says he's most concerned about the IRS's action, saying that if people can't believe that the agency is nonpartisan, "then everybody's at risk."
PARK SHOOTING
Prosecutor: NJ couple's deaths a murder-suicide
MONTCLAIR, N.J. (AP) - The fatal shooting of a couple in a northern New Jersey park has been determined to be a murder-suicide.
Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray said Friday the regional medical examiner reached the conclusion in the deaths of 24-year-old Shanae Howard and 26-year-old Brandon Brown.
Howard, of Orange, and Brown, of Montclair, were found Thursday night in Canterbury Municipal Park in Montclair.
A weapon was recovered at the scene. On Friday, authorities said the weapon was used in the shooting. Howard sustained multiple gunshot wounds and Brown suffered a single gunshot wound to the head.
Earlier Friday, authorities reported that Howard and Brown had been dating.
POKERSTARS-ATLANTIC CITY
Judge: Atlantic Club casino can seek new buyer
MAYS LANDING, N.J. (AP) - The parent company of the world's largest online poker website is left with nothing for its troubles after paying an $11 million advance to a struggling Atlantic City casino the company intended to buy.
A New Jersey judge ruled Friday that The Atlantic Club Casino Hotel had the right to scrap the deal with The Rational Group. The judge said the contract clearly gave both parties the right to end the deal if Rational had not obtained New Jersey's preliminary approval to own a casino by April 26.
Rational, the British parent company of PokerStars, wanted to get in on New Jersey's recently approved legalization of Internet gambling. But it hadn't gotten state approval to purchase the casino by the April date.
NJ GOVERNOR'S RACE
Buono appeals to Democratic women in race for gov
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - The Democrat who wants to unseat Republican Chris Christie is appealing to women voters in her campaign for New Jersey governor.
State Sen. Barbara Buono says women "know that it's time for a change in New Jersey."
Buono spoke Friday at a women's luncheon at the Democratic State Committee convention in Atlantic City.
Buono has no serious primary challenger. However, recent polls show her lagging behind Christie among female voters, name recognition and fundraising.
NJ GOVERNOR'S RACE-BUONO
Buono to name her pick as next Dem committee chair
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - Democratic gubernatorial candidate Barbara Buono is set to announce her pick as chairman of the party's state committee.
Buono's camp says the senator will endorse Assemblyman Jason O'Donnell of Hudson County.
She's announcing her pick at a Friday dessert reception in Atlantic City during the Democratic State Committee's convention.
The state party chair has a large fundraising role and is also expected to unify the party ahead of elections.
Support for O'Donnell is not universal among party leaders.
The pick for state chair is generally left to the party's gubernatorial nominee but state committee members will vote formally to accept or reject Buono's choice in June.
O'Donnell met privately with Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver on Friday. He was part of a group that attempted to oust her last year.
SENATE-BOOKER-DISCLOSURE
Cory Booker has made $1.3M for speeches since 2008
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Newark Mayor Cory Booker has made $1.3 million in fees for 90 speeches he's given around the country since 2008, including nearly $500,000 since the start of last year.
Booker disclosed his income from speaking engagements since last year in a filing made Thursday with the U.S. Senate.
The Democrat is required to report his income because he is running for the U.S. Senate in 2014.
His campaign staff provided further details, saying Booker has paid $476,000 in taxes for his speech income and has given away $620,000 to charity.
From the start of 2012 through April, Booker was paid $174,000 as mayor.
Nearly half the speeches have been to colleges.
The most lucrative was the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles last year. It paid $31,500.
INTERNET GAMBLING
NJ issues regulations for Internet gambling
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - New Jersey casino regulators have issued regulations on how Internet gambling is to be carried out in the state.
The rules offered Friday include techniques to verify that players are within New Jersey's geographic boundaries, set a 15% tax on casinos' online winnings, and include cautions for people at risk of becoming compulsive gamblers.
The state Division of Gaming Enforcement still has not set a date when Atlantic City's 12 casinos may begin offering Internet bets, but such gambling is expected to start before the end of the year.
The rules also allow New Jersey to make agreements with other states or countries to offer Internet gambling as long as it is legal in both places.
New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware have legalized Internet gambling.
COSTLIEST HOSPITAL
Analysis: NJ hospital rates most expensive in US
BAYONNE, N.J. (AP) - A northern New Jersey hospital is reportedly the most expensive in the country.
The New York Times found Bayonne Medical Center charged the highest for nearly one-quarter of the most common hospital treatments.
The newspaper analyzed Medicare bills from 2011, the most recent available. The data showed how much hospitals charged Medicare for 100 common cases.
Bayonne Medical was found to charge four times more than the national average.
Based on bills it submitted to Medicare, the newspaper found Bayonne Medical charged five times as much as other hospitals for cases of chronic lung disease.
It was also found to charge six times the national average for treating a type of stroke that has no lasting effect.
Officials of the privately held hospital did not return requests for interviews.
MEADOWLANDS MALL
NJ sports authority approves Meadowlands megamall
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority has approved the master plan for the American Dream megamall in the Meadowlands sports complex.
The approval at Friday's special board meeting means the long-delayed retail and entertainment project can move forward again.
The NFL's Giants and Jets had opposed the mall being open on game days because of traffic concerns. A lawsuit by the teams against developer Triple Five and the sports authority was dismissed last year, but a judge said the teams could refile if the sports authority approves the project.
The teams didn't immediately comment on the board's action.
Once known as Xanadu, the mall project dates back 10 years. It was plagued by cost overruns and construction was stopped in 2009 because financing dried up.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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