Gov. Phil Murphy and state legislative leaders have reached a deal in principle on how to tax and regulate marijuana in New Jersey after months of negotiations, paving the way to bringing legal weed to the Garden State. Multiple legislative and industry sources confirmed an agreement was in place on a bill that would tax marijuana by the ounce, rather than the contentious sales tax that had divided Murphy and state Senate President Stephen Sweeney. “We don’t have a final deal," Scutari told NJ Advance Media on Friday night. "There still are more details to be worked out, but the two sticking points (taxes and a commission regulating the industry), we are there. But we are not finalized.”

The first details are out about Gov. Christie's trumpeted increase in state aid for public schools next year, showing a much more complicated picture that means big increases for some schools and sharp cuts for others. In all, 95 districts would get less, from a cut of 13 percent down to minuscule dips. Jersey City is slated to get a single dollar more. Other districts in for significant cuts include Pemberton Township, Winslow and Washington Township. http://bit.ly/wI5s1S

Wildlife officials said that the new status, a change from threatened, did not add protections. However, it is formal recognition that despite years of efforts to help the bird, its numbers continue to decline. The red knot population on the bay is about 15,000, down from nearly 100,000 two decades ago. http://bit.ly/zeDKlr

In response to the governor's budget proposal Tuesday, Democrats, who control the Senate and Assembly, say the governor should forgo the income-tax cut and redirect that revenue to offset New Jerseyans' property taxes, a plan they say is fairer.