The "Stop Shootin Music Toy Gun Exchange" today in crime-riddled Newark, New Jersey—which allowed kids to turn in toy guns in exchange for a nonviolent toy or book—went off without a hitch, except for the gunfire that erupted a few blocks away while the event was going on, thanks to a man "accidentally shooting and injuring himself."

Garry McCarthy is co-star of the acclaimed Sundance reality series Brick City. In his spare time, he's the police chief of Newark, New Jersey. He's also kind of a dick. Now he's in the running to be Chicago's police chief.

Panasonic's North American headquarters are currently located in Secaucus, New Jersey. Today, the company plans to sign a lease to move its headquarters ten miles down the road to Newark, New Jersey. Why? Because the state of New Jersey paid them more than $100 million (in the form of tax breaks) to do so.

On Tuesday, a passenger informed airport security that he was bringing a dead dog in a cardboard box on a flight from Newark to Los Angeles. This was fine, until officials realized it hadn't been properly screened for explosives.

Both JFK and Newark airports are closed thanks to the storm. Hope your parents have cable!

The number crunchers at The Daily Beast ranked the country's 27 largest airports, and the three that serve the New York metropolitan area all ranked near the bottom of the list. The worst airport in the country: It's Newark.

Saddled with municipal debt, Newark Mayor Cory Booker proposes $600 million in budget cuts, including cutting funds for the purchase of toilet paper. "Call me Mr. Scrooge if you want, but there will be no Christmas decorations," Booker added.

Defarra Gaymon was a 48 year-old married father of four and CEO of the Credit Union of Atlanta. Last Friday night, he was shot and killed by a Newark police officer shortly after leaving his 30th high school reunion. Why?

With "Empire State of Mind" still topping the charts, parodies of it have become a cottage industry on the internet. In this one, the spotlight has been taken off New York City to praise our less glamorous neighbor, Newark.

Who finds pot, and throws it away? Airport security screeners, that's who. Two Newark Airport screeners are in trouble after being caught tossing a baggie they found on the floor. I feel like they sort of deserve it. [Newark Star-Ledger]

Remember when that guy went through security the wrong way and Newark Airport had to shut down while everyone looked for him? Well, the dude was just going to give his lady a goodbye snog. No explodey, just kissy. [Reuters]

Newark Airport turned into a mess on Sunday when an unidentified man strolled into an area reserved for screened passengers. The episode led to an evacuation of Terminal C and delayed thousands of travelers for hours. So how did the guy get past security personnel? The TSA guard at the exit was "chatting on his cell phone at the moment of the trespass." Naturally. [NYDN, NYDN]

Not quite as many people are planning to travel over the long weekend. But don't assume that means you'll have an easier time leaving the city if you do plan on traveling. A new report indicates LaGuardia, JFK, and Newark Airports ranked as the three worst airports in the nation for on-time arrivals through the first nine months of the year. [NY1, AP]

If your name was accidentally added to a no-fly list at one point or another (and you had to spends months working through red tape to have it removed), or you're one of the six people alive who takes TSA security precautions seriously, you may not find this video very amusing. But it seems Conan O'Brien had the nerve to mock the lovely city of Newark on his show last week and now Mayor Cory Booker has retaliated by adding Conan to Newark Airport's no-fly list. Let's hope Conan doesn't try to board a flight there regardless, get into a pushing match with security personnel, and fall down and bump his head or anything. [YouTube]

Cocaine: hell of a drug, but not much for childcare. Imagine if your parents fed you Cocaine Crunch for breakfast. Well, this happened:

Newark is getting a Zagat guide of its very own: It will be 16 pages long and include just 34 restaurants. At least now you'll know where to eat if you're carjacked on the way to the airport and the assailant asks you for some dining recommendations. [AP]

Good morning, mysterious "weekend" readers! Where are you rising and shining from today? New York City? Kansas City? A garbage-strewn gutter somewhere in Mexico City, wondering what happened to your wallet and your dignity? Hey, at least you're not waking up in New Jersey, amirite? Zing. Apologies to those of you who are waking up in New Jersey. But not to fear: the reputation of postindustrial wastelands like Newark and Trenton is being revived. Not by reality itself, but by luxury real estate developers. Open your wallets! The Times examines how developers of luxury apartment buildings in Newark and Trenton are pushing their inventory. Answer: lots of lipstick for the pigs.

The Newark Star-Ledger, the biggest daily newspaper in all of New Jersey, is NEAR DEATH. If 225 workers don't accept buyouts like now, the Newhouses (specifically Si's brother Donald) will sell the paper along with the Trenton Times. The Star-Ledger will lose $30 million to $40 million this year, so it's a great buy! Soon Jersey residents will have to go back to getting all their news from Springsteen lyrics and Kevin Smith movies. This just in! They closed down the amusement park and also marijuana is quite popular. [NYP]

Sharpe James is the old-school corrupt machine politician who ran Newark as his own personal fiefdom as mayor for 20 years before being unseated by Cory Booker in 2006. James' overall distasteful nature was aptly chronicled in the documentary Street Fight. So anyways, there Sharpe was last Friday, standing on the curb after his daily corruption trial, waiting for the bus, and—bam!—a bird crapped on his head. And it's all caught on tape. Was that bird god? That's for god to know, and for us to speculate upon. The instantly classic video is after the jump—the big moment comes about 55 seconds in.

So you're reading Rush & Molloy this morning and you come across this: