As mayor, Mr. Booker crafted celebrity status through his early adoption of Twitter. The Department of Justice launched an investigation into the department, though it was billed as “cooperative” and Mr. Booker said he “welcomed” the inquiry. For all the attention drawn to Newark by Mr. Booker’s national celebrity, recovery in the city has been mixed. Though crime is currently on a downward trend under Mayor Ras Baraka and development is booming, murders and robberies were on the rise when Mr. Booker left office in 2013. He also vigorously criticized a top Trump official, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, for concealing a racist comment made by Mr. Trump.

Source: New York Times February 01, 2019 13:00 UTC