SHUTDOWN New Jerseyans and Americans are hurting as government stays in gridlock
SEE OPINIONS, PAGE 6
EGGS-ISTENTIAL CRISIS Record-breaking
Instagram post demonstrates the meaninglessness of social media, life, etc.
SEE INSIDE BEAT, PAGE 8
MEN’S BASKETBALL Baker and company’s
keys to victory over Nebraska
Weather Sunny High: 43 Low: 42
Serving the Rutgers community since 1869. Independent since 1980.
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY—NEW BRUNSWICK
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 23, 2019
Barchi pauses federal workers’ payments to U. CATHERINE NGUYEN STAFF WRITER
Yesterday afternoon Rutgers President Robert L. Barchi sent an email to students and faculty announcing that the University would temporarily put off collecting unpaid tuition, housing fees and other charges for federal employees and family members who are furloughed. Since Dec. 22 of last year, parts of the government have been shut down because President Donald J. Trump and Democratic politicians have been unable to agree over Trump’s request for more than $5 billion in funding for a wall on the border between the United States and Mexico, according to Al Jazeera. Furloughed employees are considered “non-excepted,” or
non-essential, meaning they are not allowed to work even on a volunteer basis, according to The Washington Post. These employees also cannot substitute annual leave or other methods of paid time off for the duration they are unpaid. Barchi acknowledged in the email that it was a stressful time for federal employees who were being put on temporary leave due to the furlough. “I hope we can eliminate disruption of academic careers while the federal shutdown continues. Although University budgets are constrained, we feel it is better for the University to temporarily carry this burden, rather than our students affected by the shutdown,” he said. Qualified students who have not yet paid their term bills will have their unpaid balances suspended
until the shutdown ends. In order to qualify, Barchi said these students are required to show that they or their parents are furloughed federal employees. Though the shutdown has affected federal workers in nine different departments, funding for the Department of Education, contained within the Appropriations Act of the Department of Labor and Health and Human Ser vices, was approved by Congress and enacted by the president last September. Barchi said ser vices such as federal student loans, grants or work study programs were all unaffected by the shutdown. Assistance to federal furloughed employees and family will also be applicable to any balances regarding federal student aid. The furloughed assistance will be available to qualified Rutgers students at all three branches, as well as Rutgers Biomedical and Health Ser vices. Students who wish to seek assistance are advised to visit Student Accounting, Billing and Cashier Ser vices, Barchi said.
University President Robert L. Barchi is temporarily halting the collection of unpaid fees from federal workers and dependents who are Rutgers students or faculty. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
BRENDAN BRIGHTMAN STAFF WRITER
BRENDAN BRIGHTMAN STAFF WRITER
SEE FEE ON PAGE 5
ONLINE AT DAILYTARGUM.COM
Professor organizes local health initiatives
Rutgers expert explains NJ healthcare fee New Jersey became one of the few states in the nation to pass an individual mandate requiring residents to buy health insurance or pay an additional amount on their state income tax. Michael Gusmano, an associate professor of health policy in the School of Public Health, gave some insight to the law’s effects in an interview with The Daily Targum. “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), when passed in 2010, included an individual mandate,” he said. “Which meant that people had to either pay insurance or pay what the law called a penalty.” The Supreme Court later identified the penalty as a tax added to the federal income tax. When the federal Congress passed a new tax law that eliminated the penalty or tax associated with the individual mandate, Gusmano said many scholars think the desire of people to have health coverage coupled with financial subsidies available through the ACA drives most people to sign up and purchase insurance. “Many states became concerned for people who did not have to pay
SEE SPORTS, BACK
New Jersey, under the administration of Gov. Phil Murphy (D-N.J.), passed a penalty on people who do not purchase health insurance. It is identical to the previous federal version. FLICKR
A wellness initiative throughout New Brunswick, which aims to promote healthier diets for much of the city’s poor and immigrant populations, has been aided by the Rutgers community. Nurgül Fitzgerald, an associate professor at the Department of Nutritional Sciences and an extension specialist in Nutrition and Public Health, has been one of the main organizers of the initiative. The initiative is carried out in collaboration with the local corner stores, New Brunswick Community Food Alliance (NBCFA) and the New Brunswick Farmers Market. Fitzgerald helped found the latter two organizations, she told The Daily Targum in an interview. One of the more recent events of the initiative has been the “Community Connections,” which was an event in October showcasing local healthy food at the Lincoln Annex School in New Brunswick. She said the event has been combined with FoodCorps, which has been teaching nutrition classes in the school. “To grow the circle of knowledge and awareness through children, and to reach out to families through that additional layer, and hopefully establish healthier eating patterns, eating habits among children. That’s our goal,” Fitzgerald said.
VOLUME 150, ISSUE 122 • UNIVERSITY ... 3 • OPINIONS ... 6 • INSIDE BEAT... 10 • DIVERSIONS ... 11 • SPORTS ... BACK
When the Farmers Market visited the school in October, it promoted the healthy fruits and vegetables options available, she said. Fitzgerald said for the future, the initiative will continue the FoodCorps classes and will stress physical activity. She also hopes to sponsor a “March Madness” nutritional event and scavenger hunts involving the long-running corner store initiative. “The kids will find the healthier foods in the corner stores,” she said. “Then they will come back to the classrooms and have a discussion to find out the nutritional aspects of the foods.”
LOCAL CORNER STORES
The “Healthy Fresh, Healthy Corner Store” initiative, in collaboration with the NBCFA, is aiming to promote healthier and more fresh options in New Brunswick’s corner stores, Fitzgerald said. Her past research has shown that residents are using these stores quite often. “We interviewed the owners,” she said. “We interviewed the customers of the corner stores, and the customers are there every week. Most of them are there multiple times a week.” These stores are a convenience, especially for lower-income residents with transportation issues, she said. SEE INITIATIVES ON PAGE 5