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- The corruption probe took a human and perhaps dark turn yesterday when Jersey City political consultant Jack Shaw was found dead in his Paulus Hook apartment. There is speculation and unconfirmed reports that the death may have been a suicide; we might not know for a few weeks if a toxicology report has to be done. Shaw was charged last week with accepting $10,000 from a purported developer in exchange for exploiting his “very good relationship” with an unnamed Jersey City official later revealed to be Mayor Jerramiah Healy.

- Mayor Healy tells the Associated Press that he’s going to fight the PR war for Jersey City in the wake of last week’s corruption arrests. He says he is “very concerned” about the effect the arrests could have on the city’s image and on future development projects. While worrying about the city’s image to developers is all fine and good, perhaps the mayor should also be worried about the city’s image to many of the concerned citizens who live here. There is very palpable and real concern about the allegations brought to light last week amongst Jersey City’s citizens. If you count yourself among those with such concerns, you can join One Jersey City and others at an “ad hoc” rally prior to this morning’s City Council meeting at City Hall. The rally is slated to begin at 9 am; the meeting at 10 am.

- Meanwhile, in a sit-down interview with NBC, Healy says the diner in the criminal complaint in which he is named is the Medical Center Luncheonette, and that he goes there several times a week. He also says there “was definitely no quid pro quo” between him and Solomon Dwek.

- The city’s Law Department is researching the procedure and grounds on which the mayor and the City Council can remove Joe Cardwell from the Municipal Utilities Authority board; the position has no salary but comes with benefits. Meanwhile, Edward Cheatam agreed on Saturday to resign as a board member of the Jersey City Housing Authority, but JCHA chairman Raj Mukherji says he’s yet to receive the letter. That leaves Council president Mariano Vega as the last person charged in the probe who continues to receive a city salary and perks. The administration cannot suspend him from his post, since it is an elected position, and Vega says he will not resign.

- Matt Friedman looks into the way the political corruption probe may affect the ability of political operatives in Jersey City and other HudCo locales to get out the vote, particularly the vote for Gov. Corzine in this fall’s gubernatorial election.

- On the state level, many observers say large ethics loopholes remain at many levels of government. A number of committees, boards, commissions and agencies all have something to say about ethics, but none have the final word.

- Assembly deputy speaker John Wisniewski of Sayreville says that he is the “DOT official” described in a criminal complaint against Assemblyman L. Harvey Smith.

In other news:

- A Bayonne man shot in Jersey City last summer has died and homicide detectives are waiting for a final medical report to decide if additional charges will be filed against the alleged shooter.

- Saint Peter’s College will join three institutes of higher education across the country and be equipped with MINI E cars, the latest generation of 100 percent electric, zero emission vehicles for a one-year test period.

- A number of dead fish are floating to the surface of the lake in Lincoln Park, perhaps due to oxygen depletion caused by an algae bloom.

- The Record takes a peek at this week’s All Points West festival. JCI has received our press passes, and we’ll be there each day with updates from the massive music festival.

In statewide news:

- Business interests say a new measure requiring them to pay — gasp! — living wages to workers on so-called green projects will lift labor costs, make the companies less competitive with larger businesses that can afford higher pay and slow the state’s growing renewable energy industry. But one large-scale developer of green projects — Secaucus’ Hartz Mountain Industries says this changes nothing for them because it was expected that the projects would pay laborers well. (Hartz has many buildings in Jersey City.)

- In the wake of the latest death of a pedestrian to be hit by an automobile in New Jersey, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia says that the state needs to address the deaths, and lays out what leaders need to consider to do so.

- The state has filed a lawsuit against Merrill Lynch & Co. charging that it sold the state Division of Investment $300 million in preferred stock based on misleading information about the firm’s financial condition.