The Jersey City Independent "

- The 9-month-old Jersey City boy stabbed multiple times in a brutal assault that claimed his mother’s life in a Downtown apartment building Tuesday is now listed in critical but stable condition after undergoing surgery. Authorities are looking for a man who lives in the building that they’ve spotted on a video; he is not yet a suspect but a person prosecutors would “like to speak to.”

- Parking Authority commissioner Jack Tarantula pens a letter to the Journal about the controversial purchase of the agency’s building on Central Avenue, saying it “is in the best interests of the JCPA.” Speaking of the purchase, Fitch Ratings has given the two bonds the city is floating to pay for it ratings of A+, which, despite meaning a perfect test score in high school, isn’t the highest rating — it’s the fifth highest out of 20.

- Six Hudson County groups will join groups from across New Jersey today in a 6.5-mile march from the Federal Immigration Building in Newark to the Elizabeth Detention Center to mark International Human Rights Day.

- A grand jury will decide if Angel Santos should be indicted for allegedly falsely accusing fellow bounty hunter Adel Mikhaeil of threatening him.

- A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of five Italian citizens who were among nine people killed in an August collision of a tourist helicopter and a small airplane over the Hudson River.

- New York’s Sixth reports that the Muscle Maker Grill on Washington St. near Exchange Place was slated to have a soft opening last night.

- Peter Tillers reacts to the recent decision that will allow Ward C councilman Nidia Rivera Lopez to retain her council seat, despite a challenge to her residency status. “Mr. Putin should come to New Jersey and see how the rule of law works,” he writes, referring to Lopez as well as the overall corruption scandal plaguing City Hall. “He would find much to emulate here.”

- A 61-year-old Jersey City man died yesterday morning after crashing into a parked car while driving under the influence of methadone on Tuesday

- The Northfield Bank Foundation recently gave a scholarship gift totaling $10,000 to four undergraduate students from Saint Peter’s College.

Today’s Best Bets:

- The 4th Street Ball at City Hall is the place to be tonight; the bash features live music, film, fashion and visual arts — and a lot of affordable artwork for sale. Just a few blocks over at the library, librarian Cynthia Harris and photographer Leon Yost will be signing and discussing their excellent new book, Changing Jersey City: A History in Photographs.

In statewide news:

- In a last-minute move, the Senate yesterday called off today’s planned vote on a same-sex marriage bill as supporters scrambling for votes said the controversial measure would have a better chance by shifting it to the Assembly for more debate. More from the NY Times, Politicker and Blue Jersey. Meanwhile, debate over the issue is simmering within religious circles.

- Gov.-elect Chris Christie has agreed to borrow more than $1 billion for the state’s nearly empty Transportation Trust Fund, which pays for highway improvements and public transit projects. The move comes after Christie said he’d review all borrowing the state plans to do, and also as he refuses to raise the gasoline tax, which would help keep the fund afloat. New Jersey’s gas tax is one of the lowest in the nation.

- Meanwhile, an email reveals that it was Christie’s transition team that urged the outgoing Corzine administration to delay applying for up to $400 million in federal education aid. When it was first made public that the state wouldn’t be applying in the first round for the money, the Corzine administration was blamed by many, including Christie’s spokeswoman. Corzine has since reversed course and the state will be applying for the aid.

- Speaking of education, the New Jersey League of Municipalities has started a major push to reform state tax law to have income taxes — rather than property taxes — pay for schools.

- The first major contract for $8.7 billion trans-Hudson tunnel has been awarded.

- The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids says New Jersey’s commitment to deter lighting up among kids is “disappointing,” because the state spends less than 10 percent of what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends to keep kids smoke-free.

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