The Jersey Angle

What's would be the quintessential New Jersey way to commemorate the nation's semiquincentennial?  How about a Sloppy Joe sandwich, a very long walk, a possibly illegal boat ride and a bunch of giant bonfires? As our nation prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday this year, the growing roster of events and commemorations being announced kept reminding me (partly for what the agenda seems...

This winter is brutal. We need someone to make us laugh. We need a good therapist. How about someone who's both a comedian and a therapist! Host Brian Donohue sits down with Kate Nichols to discuss ways to cope, drunken teenage sledding outings, a weird Maplewood no-heat contest and the epic November 2018 surprise snowstorm. Meanwhile, Brian and Mark discuss the frozen-finger perils of old school...

New Jersey's outgoing attorney general Matthew Platkin sits down with Jersey Angle host Mark Bonamo for a wide ranging pair of interviews about corruption in New Jersey, his (some would say refreshingly) aggressive tenure as AG and the recent controversy over a bill opponents say would gut government watchdog agencies. Bonamo and co-host Brian Donohue break it all down from a booth in the Mark Twa...

Do you think you know how your town gots its name? Well, the story could be complete BS, and Scott Salmon is here to set you straight. Salmon has written a book entitled "Naming New Jersey: The Etymology of its Historical and Geographical Landmarks" which traces the origin of the names of more than 800 towns, landmarks and other spots. Brian and Mark sit down with him for a free-ranging...

Did you know when Newark Mayor and Democratic candidate for governor Ras Baraka was arrested at an ICE detention facility the Mr. Softee Man was there to serve ice cream? Have you heard about how one Republican hopeful would fabricate ridiculous falsehoods on the TV news show he hosted? Did you know about the reporter who is Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop version of The Pink Panther's "Ca...

Brian and Mark explore New Jersey's complicated relationship with the land across the kills, Staten Island. From the migration of Staten Islanders to NJ to issues like politics and taxes, to Staten Islanders' love of Jose Tejas and NJ malls. There's even a Staten Island diss thrown out from the pulpit at NJ's most grand Catholic cathedral. Perfect for listening while stuck in traff...

On the week the state’s largest newspaper, The Star-Ledger and several other papers print their last editions and the venerable Hudson County daily The Jersey Journal closes, Jersey Angle hosts Mark Bonamo and Brian Donohue discuss what’s being covered and what’s being missed in a state where two decades of media downsizing have left huge swaths of the state as news deserts. Also: is there hope em...

He was once south Jersey’s version of Carrie Bradshaw, penning a popular dating column for singles of the hoagie/water ice set.  He’s the guy whose pointed “what did you know about Bridgegate” questions former Gov. Chris Christie sarcastically swatted away with the line “yeah, Matt I put out the cones.”  And now, he’s captivating listeners worldwide with a chart-topping new podcast “Inconceivable...

Living in New Jersey you can find yourself often wracking your brain for any explanation for absolutely insane sketchy things you see happening around you on the daily. When journalist Jesse Coburn started seeing cars with temporary NJ license plates all over his Brooklyn neighborhood, he started digging. He uncovered a massive black market of "ghost tags" - fake temp plates - that allow...

Is there a more Jersey story than a guy who becomes a beloved hero for almost winning? Chuck Wepner grew up in hardscrabble Bayonne. He served in the US Marines and was the NJ state heavyweight boxing champion. He bled all over Bayonne Times Editor Rosy Rosenberg’s leisure suit in his 1970 fight against Sonny Liston and earned the nickname “The Bayonne Bleeder.” He fought Muhammad Ali in his prime...

Being a proud New Jerseyan leaves you with a bunch of lousy choices when deciding what sports teams to root for. No matter where you look you’re in jeopardy of betraying your beloved state. We have two football teams (and a Major League Soccer team) who pretend they don’t even play here. An NBA team that split on us. A NJ Devils hockey team that wholly embraces the state yet struggles to win over...

 If you think the importance of representation, diversity and the arts are some theoretical notions that don’t have real effects on people’s lives and their communities, Talia Young has a story to tell. The President and CEO of Newark Symphony Hall talks with Jersey Angle co-host Mark Bonamo on the stage of the storied century-old theater where everyone from Billy Holiday and the Rolling Stones to...

Episode 1: Broken and bonkers: New Jersey politics with Charlie Stile. Nobody has had a front row seat on the famously insane world of Jersey politics like Charlie Stile. A longtime reporter and political columnist for The Bergen Record and northjersey.com, Charlie has plenty of stories to tell and no compunction for calling B.S. in a world where it’s hip deep. That’s what he does on this episode,...