Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday announced a $40 million fund for undocumented immigrants and other workers excluded from economic aid during the pandemic, as part of a larger $275 million economic relief package.

The news comes after a nearly month-long hunger strike by undocumented immigrants who were desperately seeking financial relief after being excluded from most forms of direct economic aid, including unemployment benefits and stimulus checks, since the coronavirus pandemic ravaged the job market and economy 14 months ago.

Groups representing the workers on Friday called it an important first step but fear it still won’t be enough to help the community.

New Jersey residents who were excluded from relief like unemployment and stimulus benefits will be eligible for the fund regardless of immigration status or whether they file taxes.

President Joe Biden’s proposed tax increases on the wealthy would prompt a greater percentage of New Jersey taxpayers to pay more than in any other state, according to a new study.

The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a progressive research group, found 1.2% of New Jersey taxpayers, or 53,000, would see their taxes go up. That’s tied with Massachusetts for the highest percentage of a state’s taxpayers facing a tax hike.

Still, that means that 98.8% of New Jersey’s taxpayers would see no increase. Nationally, the percentage would be 99.3%, leaving 0.7%, or 1.1 million filers, who would be affected.

In March, the Orange City Council took a preliminary vote, 4-2, in favor of an ordinance that would ban recreational marijuana sales within its borders.

The vote, which happened following the first reading of the ordinance, drew the ire of many in the community, including several business owners who are preparing to open recreational marijuana operations in the predominately Black township. The ordinance would need to be passed again at a second reading to become law.

“For an applicant, such as ourselves, who did everything correctly...if a town then pulls its support, do we then become free agents, essentially?” said Travis Ally, co-owner of 93iD.

Need an NJ Transit train or bus ride to get vaccinated? Novartis and Catalent are sponsoring up to two free round trips for 11,000 people to get their COVID-19 shots.

The public private partnership, to transport underserved and low income people to get vaccinated is the second phase of NJ Transit’s Vaxride program that started in March with a website feature showing people the closest transit services to vaccine sites.

Norvartis, a New Jersey based healthcare and pharmaceutical company is the lead sponsor, donating $120,000 and Catalent, which is among the global companies manufacturing vaccines, donated $12,000

The Biden administration temporarily has postponed a new rule that would cost New Jersey hospitals in Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean counties $100 million in Medicare funding, according to the New Jersey lawmakers who sit on the congressional committees overseeing the federal program.

The one-year delay will give state officials time to overturn the decision by the Trump administration to remove the three counties from the New York-Newark-Jersey City statistical area, according to Democratic U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez and Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-9th Dist.

The three counties were grouped together in a new regional area that would provide lower Medicare reimbursement rates in a state hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic.