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- A NJ Transit union leader says that Gov. Christie’s decision to cut state funding for the transit agency will lead to fare hikes of up to 30 percent, service cuts and potential worker furloughs. Transit leaders are set to discuss the ramifications of the cuts today. For more, check out today’s Guest Opinion piece by NJ Future policy analyst Jay Corbalis. Meanwhile, the Tri-State Transportation Campaign reminds us of the massive — and growing — price tag attached to the Turnpike and Parkway widening projects, a cost Christie has chosen not to cut.

- New Jersey After 3, which partners with with community groups to provide after-school programs, stands to lose $5.4 million as a result of Gov. Christie’s budget cuts. The organization operates about 115 programs, serving about 12,000 children in 30 municipalities, including Jersey City. The nonprofit has started an online petition asking the governor to spare it from his budget cuts.

- At-Large city councilman Mariano Vega*’s federal corruption trial won’t happen until this fall at the earliest, according to federal officials. The next of the dozens arrested to stand trial will be former Ocean County Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt; his trial is set to begin in May.

- Last week, David Cruz publicly asked Mayor Healy if he would apologize to the city’s residents for the corruption scandal that continues to engulf City Hall. This week, Healy offers up his usual statement about “provid[ing] the leadership the city needs” that sounds pretty much like all of the mayor’s public pronouncements since the July arrests.

- A 35-year-old Linden man and his 34-year-old accomplice were convicted yesterday in the 2007 murder of a 39-year-old Jersey City man in his Warren Street apartment.

- Jersey City was apparently featured on the most recent episode of the TV show 24.

Today’s Best Bets:

- The official unveiling of Pollie Barden’s “Bottled V.2″ installation is this morning (10 am) at the Mack-Cali building on Columbus Drive. (For more on the installation, check out the piece we ran earlier this month.) Later in the afternoon, any of you aspiring opera singers need to head to NJCU, where mezzo-soprano Eugenie Grunewald will conduct a free workshop on opera audition techniques.

In statewide news:

- Today the Assembly Budget Committee will take testimony on Gov. Christie’s plan to freeze aid to schools, transit, hospitals and colleges to close a $2.2 billion budget shortfall.

- A state commission designed to help immigrants, created by former Gov. Corzine last month, will likely narrow its agenda to reflect Gov. Christie’s opposition to many of its ideals, according to its chairman.

- U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg remained hospitalized Tuesday evening after being treated for a bleeding ulcer that caused him to fall in his apartment on Monday.

- Nasty weather conditions didn’t stop hundreds of people from showing up yesterday to apply for a job at the new New York/New Jersey Red Bulls soccer stadium in Harrison.

- Former Gov. Brendan Byrne was punched in the face yesterday while vacationing in London.