joining us now is matt katz, a reporter for wnyc.hanks very much for being here. >> big development today in the new jersey story is the assembly and the senate are merging their two investigations. what are the implications of that? >> yeah, this is a big deal. the democrats were somewhat embarrassed by the fact that they had these duelling committees issues two subpoenas. so they did themselves a favor by finally coming to an agreement on this. the governor, remember, he said he was going to cooperate with all appropriate inquiries in this regard. now they've taken away one opportunity, one potentially legal opportunity he would have had to complain about these two committees and to go to a judge and say these are -- this is overburdensome. and i couldn't possibly respond to two committees or my people shouldn't be forced to respond to two sets of subpoenas. so they' taken that away from the governor now and they can form a unified committee with one message. you can just imagine media even separating themselves to go to two commit

wnyc reports they masterminded the plan.nd from senator jay rock fefeller who sd it was improper decorum. lautenberg died last year. looking back on that hearing today you can see that he had diagnosed a problem at the port. p patronage was making the port turn away from its core mission. new projects were adding to the agency's debt and paid for out of the pockets of ordinary travelers. management hasn't been all gimmicks, gimmicks employed by previous new jersey governors. he has taken some proactive steps working with the democratic state legislature to pay toward state pension obligations limiting the size of arbitration awards. come to think of it these are the things that dawn zimmer, the mayor of hoboken worked with him on. >> i was, i think, the first democrat to stand behind him on the 2% tax cut. i think it's done a lot for hoboken and for the state. health care refom, arbitration reform. definitely helped hoboken in our negotiations with the unions. it's made a difference. >> but the overall picture of the christi

new york city's wnyc radio has placed this interactive map online. activity that has won over many new yorkers over the last few days. this family has been making giant snow sculptures like this three-meter high shock. a7guc 01/06/14 01/06/14 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] >> from pacifica, this is democracy now! americans are tired of these failed policies and are ready for new approach, and i think that is why we saw voters in washington and colorado go to end marijuana prohibition and those states. tax it, bring it under the rule of law. world's first state licensed marijuana retail stores opened in ra

hgi's performance, according to wnyc and others have been widely criticized. now that contractor is fired. as for governor christie, he unveiled an after dinner program in camden today. while he didn't take questions from supporters, it was open mic for the kids. >> sometimes do you like being governor? >> sometimes do i like being governor? most of the time i like being governor. >> what do you do every day? >> what do i do every day. well, it depends on the day. >> what's your favorite movie? >> my favorite movie, my favorite movie is a movie you can't see yet. are you not old enough yet. but my favorite movie is "the godfather." it's a little, are you a little too young to see that movie. >> how do you keep anything, oh, wait. >> how do i keep everything controlled? not so well sometimes. it depends on the day, man, it depends on the day. >> meanwhile, in virginia, former governor bob mcdonald is preparing for his arraign. on friday in federal court. mcdonald got his start in politics which is how the governor of new jersey 70 early part of his career as a

want to go back to trenton where matt katz, who has been covering the christie administration for wnyc radio, we want to pose this question. we're also learning about a federal awed i wiudit into theo than the storm that is familiar around the country after hurricane sandy. it featured the governor and his family in these ads in an election year and sort of challenges what's been christie's greatest assets, s the handle of the storm's aftermath. >> this contract was given to a firm for $2.2 million more than a competing form and the difference with the proposal is that they -- they featured the governor and his family in the ads on the beach. and this was -- in the midst of a re-election campaign obviously and his opponents accused him of politicizing the sandy money. now a federal investigation is opening into this but opening in the midst of what the governor is at in his lowest point in his political career. and the governor's office was quick to mention that today. it's very curious timing that the federal investigation from the obama administration would be opening now. that could

this is what she had to say on wnyc. >> in the context that we're in right now you can always look back and say, okay, it was retribution. so i think probably all mayors are reflecting right now and thinking about it. you know, i really hope that that's not the case. >> kelly, are we going to see a broader investigation into these claims, these other claims being made by mayors now around new jersey, which we should note at this point so far at least we've seen no direct evidence of directly targeting these democratic mayors. >> reporter: it's unclear how these kind of specific questions that are being raised will be investigated. when we talked to lawmakers here who are responsible for pursuing leads with respect to the bridge closures and the lane closures there, they basically acknowledge that if there is a culture that led to abuses of power or if there need to be changes in how the laws operate here in new jersey, that that would be something they would consider. it might not be the first thing that they're going after but they acknowledge it's possible that larger issues and sort

. >> you know, michael, hoboken mayor don zimmer told wnyc that she refused to endorse christie, ande funding she wanted for hurricane sandy relief. listen to this. >> with 20/20 hindsight, in the context we're in right now, you can always look back and say okay, it was retribution. so i think probably all mayors are reflecting right now and thinking about it. but, you know, i really hope that that's not the case. >> now, you've been doing a lot of reporting in new jersey. does this track along with some of the other stories you're hearing? >> look, yeah. we're hearing more and more stories like this. now, should it be pointed throughout is a political culture in new jersey that is pretty hardball. and things like this do happen from time to time. there is certainly a long history of that. you know, the question is at what point is the line crossed. and certainly i think people think in the george washington bridge closures that raise as lot of questions where you're really jeopardizing the public safety because there were emergency responders who they were having trouble responding

joining me now, political news director, chuck todd and mat katz for wnyc and new jersey public radio. welcome both. first to you, matt, the developments and of course the explanations, 108 minutes, what questions were not answered to your satisfaction? >> the biggest question lingering over the briefing room, why the governor had not spoken to the people involved since he found out what happened. he said he dismissed one of his closest advisers, bill stepien, and had not had a conversation with him though when he dismissed him from his role with the state party and republican governor's association. and a lot of reporters were questioning that and asked him again and again about that. why -- he said he wanted to get to the bottom of this and why then wouldn't he ask them what happened and why they ordered this traffic jam. >> chuck todd, let's talk about bill stepien, how big a role did he play in chris christie's political life? >> i mean, he was one of the main chief advisers. it's the equivalent of if the president to put it back in the first had to fire david axelrod or david plo

wnyc reports today that david samson's business at his law firm has really taken off since he got that port authority gig from chris christie. here's their lobbying business in 2007, 2008, 2009 and then the fourth bar there, the slightly larger one, that is when chris christie gets elected, gets sworn in. the end of 2010 is when chris christie dominates david samson to be chairman of the port authority. and then look what happens to his law firm's lobbying business once he becomes chairman of the port authority. yeah. 2011 looks great, 2012 still looking pretty good. it will be interesting to see when those numbers come out for 2013. david samson is a former attorney general of the state of new jersey. he is very, very, very well connected in that state. not in a particularly partisan way, none of this story is particularly partisan. there's people from both parties and no parties on all sides of this. by all accounts david samson is well respected in the state. but he is also the top chris christie related official, ally or appointee in this scandal who is most implicated in this brid

wnyc, thank you for your time. >> sure thing. >>> let's talk about the residents between the border of as a 28-year-old man was shot to death in an apparent road rage incident. >> police say the suspect is violent and may strike again. cnn's jean casarez has the story. >> reporter: residents of this small community of dillsburg, pennsylvania, continue to be on edge following a deadly highway shooting of 28 year timothy davidson. the shooter still at large, law enforcement says it was a case of road rage. >> we obviously have an individual out there who was so incensed that he continued to pursue mr. davidson. and took it to that next step. he -- you know, he murdered an individual for, you know, whatever slight that he perceived. >> our daughter travels the highway every day, you think it could have been her. it's hard to think things like that can happen in this small area. >> it's just scary. you're just driving along and all of a sudden, boom. >> reporter: it was 30 minutes away from this community on interstate 81 where davidson was driven off the highway last saturday morning. the

matt cats is a reporter for wnyc radio, covering the christie administration.bout you about what hailey barbour just said. she is coming out with these allegations. what do you make of that, matt? >> she told us over the weekend that it took her some time to come this this point. she said it was a pretty difficult thing to do. she has come to believe that there is some sort of connection here. it leaves her open to attacks, both from christie's people and his surrogates, like haley barbour. democrats and the so-called liberal media are piling on. i spoke to christie's people after the bridgegate scandal was broke. they said their biggest hope was that democrats could be seen as overreaching. what happened over the weekend allowed them to go on the offensive and attack her and democrats and the media like they hadn't before in this scandal. it is interesting what this does. it is damaging to him. it also gives him more ammunition to fight back. >> larry, let me ask you about democratic overreach. chris christie was in florida raci raising money for the republica