EnviroPolitics Blog

Solano rejoins Gibbons to help launch new White Collar & Investigations Group

From left: Peter Torcicollo, Gibbons PC managing director, and Ricardo Solano Jr. and Lawrence Lustberg, co-chairs of the firm’s White Collar & Investigations Group – GIBBONS PC

By Kimberly Redmond/June 2, 2023

Former Assistant U.S. Attorney and First Assistant Attorney General of New Jersey Ricardo Solano Jr. is rejoining Gibbons PC to help launch, lead and build the Newark-based firm’s standalone White Collar & Investigations Group.

In a June 1 press release, Solano, who began his legal career as an associate in Gibbons’ criminal defense practice and later returned as a director for the unit, described his return as “a real homecoming.”

“At various points over the past two decades, I have worked at Gibbons as a summer associate, associate, and director, and I have worked with Gibbons attorneys as colleagues, adversaries, and co-counsel,” said Solano.

He went on to say that co-chairing the new practice with longtime Gibbons attorney Lawrence Lustberg “feels like a natural next step, and I look forward to helping direct the White Collar & Investigations Group and ensure its continued growth.”

Until recently, Gibbons’ white collar criminal and investigations practice operated under the administrative umbrella of the Commercial & Criminal Litigation Group. However, the firm decided to establish a separate group to better support and grow what is currently one of its most vibrant practices.

“By spinning off the practice into a full-fledged legal department, Gibbons is providing its white collar defense attorneys the administrative infrastructure and management resources they need to support a practice that is expanding in size and significance to the firm and its clients,” said Gibbons, noting that many of these cases are “often high-profile and precedent setting matters…not only in New Jersey, but throughout the region and nationally.”

Read the full story here

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Guess who was one of just four Democratic Senators voting no on on the debt ceiling bill?

Pa. senator John Fetterman said his vote came down to new work requirements on older Americans receiving food aid.

By Julia Terruso, Philadelphia Inquirer

Pennsylvania’s two Democratic senators split their support for a debt ceiling and budget cuts package, which passed the Senate late Thursday. The bill now goes to President Joe Biden, who is expected to sign it, ending a months-long congressional slog to avoid national default with days to spare.

Sen. Bob Casey voted for the bill to suspend the debt ceiling, which passed 63-36. Freshman Sen. John Fetterman joined four fellow Democrats and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) in opposing the bill.

The compromise package negotiated between Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy left both Democrats and Republicans displeased on certain points but able to move on from a volatile issue that risked upending the U.S. and global economy until 2025 after the next presidential election.

Fetterman said his vote came down to new work requirements on older Americans receiving food aid, a part of the bill added to sweeten the deal for Republicans pushing for more government spending cuts. Currently, the law requires most able-bodied adults between the ages of 18 and 49 without dependents to work or attend training programs in order to receive assistance. The bill phases in a higher work age cutoff of 54.

Read the full story here

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Air quality not too good today in several NJ counties

By Ali Reid and Lanette Espy, TV 12

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has issued an air quality alert set to be in effect until 11 p.m. Friday. NJDEP says certain parts of the region – across Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Union and eastern Passaic counties – may approach unhealthy standards. A number of factors could contribute to this.

Officials say air pollution concentrations could become unhealthy for sensitive groups such as children, people suffering from asthma heart disease or other lung diseases, and older senior citizens.

A wildfire continues to burn at Bass River State Forest in southern New Jersey. People have reported seeing and smelling smoke as it’s reached at least 5,000 acres. This may also cause some air quality issues.

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Minnesota BPU’s rejection of Xcel rate increase could jeopardize the uility’s investment in electric-vehicle charging stations

Xcel Energy said it will reconsider significant investments in Minnesota after state regulators on Thursday approved a three-year rate increase that was much less than what the the state’s largest utility wanted. The utility filed a petition late Thursday asking the PUC to withdraw its $330 million Clean Transportation Portfolio proposal. The centerpiece of that plan would have Xcel building and owning 730 electric vehicle fast chargers in Minnesota, which would make the state home to the largest utility-owned charging system in the country.

By Mike Hughlett Minnesota Star Tribune, JUNE 1, 2023 — 6:12PM

The Minnesota Public Utility Commission (PUC) approved the $306 million — or 9% — increase, which also was less than the state Department of Commerce and an administrative law judge recommended. Xcel was most recently asking for $440 million over three years.

Xcel “is still getting an increase in rates, and they need that to provide reliable and efficient service,” PUC Chair Katie Sieben said in an interview after the vote. “I wasn’t convinced they needed as big an increase as they were proposing. The commission struck a good balance.”

In a statement, Xcel said it was “extremely disappointed with the commission’s decision, which will limit our ability to continue to lead the clean energy transition for our customers.”

Xcel said it will ask the PUC to reconsider its rate decision. The PUC usually rejects such reconsideration petitions, and petitioners then often take their beef to the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

Read the full story here

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Fast-moving N.J. wildfire expands to 5,000 acres

Multiple roads are closed, the Timberline Campground has been evacuated, and six homes are threatened

A view of what the New Jersey Forest Fire Service has dubbed the Allen Road Wildfire in Bass River State Forest on Thursday.New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

By Frank Kummer, Philadelphia Inquirer

A fire that raced through Bass River State Forest in New Jersey’s Pinelands region had burned 5,000 acres as of Thursday evening, making it the largest wildfire of the year so far.

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service said it is working to contain the fire burning in the area of Allen Road in Ocean County. As of 6 p.m. Thursday, firefighters had contained 50% of the blaze, which began Wednesday night.

Relaed news:
Fast-moving N.J. wildfire expands to 3,100 acres
Wildfire season is starting earlierin New Jersey

Multiple roads are closed and the Timberline Campground has been evacuated. Local fire companies are also responding.

The Batona Trail, a 53-mile path through the Pine Barrens, is closed as it crosses through Bass River State Forest.

Although the risk of fire is listed as moderate Thursday, it is prime wildfire season and May was unusually dry. Officials said a backfiring operation, or a fire set intentionally along the fire line, helped in the containment.

It marks the second major wildfire this year.

Read the full story here

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Weehawken, NJ Lawyer Arrested In Boston Rape Cases

*New Jersey FBI agents and Boston police descended on the Estuary building in Weehawken on Tuesday in search of Matthew Nilo, 35. (Jenna Fisher/Patch)*

By Caren Lissner, Patch Staff

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — A Hudson County attorney arrested at his waterfront home Tuesday stands accused of a series of Boston rapes committed more than a decade ago.

Matthew Nilo, 35, waived his right to extradition proceedings in a Hudson County courtroom on Thursday, and will be transported back to Massachusetts, a source said.

Nilo, who lives on the Weehawken waterfront, was charged with aggravated rape, kidnapping, and other charges linked to the 2007 and 2008 attacks, the Boston Globe reported Wednesday.

Nilo was a student at the time, living in Boston’s North End, and the crimes were committed in the Charlestown neighborhood, The Globe story states.

A LinkedIn profile for Nilo shows that he graduated from law school in San Francisco. At the time of the alleged crimes, he was a psychology major at the University of Wisconsin.

Investigators tracked the crimes to Nilo using complex DNA technology that was not available at the time of the rapes, multiple news outlets reported.

Now, they are looking for a connection to other unsolved crimes.

Read the full story here

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