PLAINSBORO, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says having a sexy television star seated beside him made it easier to absorb the fat jokes Jimmy Kimmel made at his expense during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

Christie told reporters Monday that “when you have (Sofia Vergara) next to you to console you, let me tell you, you don’t care what the heck Jimmy Kimmel is saying about you.”

Vergara stars on the ABC sitcom “Modern Family.”

Kimmel made three jokes about the overweight governor during a monologue Saturday night that also cracked on President Barack Obama’s thinness. He suggested Christie misunderstood his state’s nickname, saying: “It’s not the Olive Garden State.”

Christie says that when Kimmel started joking about the president’s weight, “I figured I was in the zone of danger.”

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie insists he was listening — not sleeping — during a recent Bruce Springsteen concert in New York City.

Christie says a fan snapped a photo of him with head back and eyes closed during the show at Madison Square Garden one day after returning from the Middle East. The governor says The New York Post incorrectly concluded that he had dozed off.

Christie told reporters Thursday that actually he simply leaned back and shut his eyes to listen to the spiritual-sounding song “Rocky Ground” when the picture was taken.

The governor is a mega-fan who has attended 127 Springsteen concerts, though he and Springsteen seldom agree politically.

Christie says he buys his tickets from band members Steven Van Zandt or Max Weinberg at face value.

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A third company has announced plans to pull out of New Jersey’s gift card market.

Friday’s announcement by Blackhawk Network follows a similar announcement earlier in the day by InComm.

Both companies are third-party providers of gift cards to malls, groceries and convenience stores. They say it’s too hard to comply with changes in New Jersey’s unclaimed property law that lets the state take the value of unredeemed cards.

The law requires gift card sellers to obtain ZIP codes from buyers so the state can claim the value of cards not redeemed after two years.

Blackhawk says it will sever its ties with the state in June unless the law is changed. InComm says it will pull out June 30.

American Express has already removed its gift cards from New Jersey.

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A major player in the gift card market is the second company this week to announce it’s pulling out of New Jersey rather than try to comply with changes in the state’s unclaimed property law.

Atlanta-based InComm tells The Associated Press it will end ties with New Jersey on June 30.

The third-party gift card provider supplies 2,500 retail locations with cards for such brands as Visa, iTunes, Macy’s and Subway.

American Express earlier this week said it had pulled its gift cards from all New Jersey retail locations.

Both companies say it’s too hard to comply with a law requiring gift card sellers to obtain ZIP codes from buyers so the state can claim the value of cards not redeemed after two years.

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — American Express has pulled its gift cards from New Jersey pharmacies, groceries and convenience stores rather than attempt to comply with a new wrinkle in the state’s unclaimed property law.

As of Monday, New Jersey residents can buy the cards only from AmEx directly.

The Treasury Department will soon require sellers to obtain ZIP codes from anyone who buys a gift card. The state believes it can then claim the value of cards not redeemed after two years.

John Holub, president of the New Jersey Retail Merchants Association, says the law poses serious administrative burdens to businesses and potential problems for consumers.

AmEx spokeswoman Vanessa McCutchen says there’s no way the company can ensure compliance for cards sold through third-party retailers.

The case is being litigated. An injunction against ZIP code collections was lifted in March.

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey lawmakers took their oath of office for a new term in somber ceremonies Tuesday as they mourned the death of a Republican leader who collapsed the night before at the Statehouse.

The name of Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce, who died late Monday, was read along with the names of other assemblymen and women during the swearing-in.

Bagpipe music opened the ceremony in the Assembly chamber, where a bouquet of flowers rested on DeCroce’s desk.

His widow, Betty Lou DeCroce, a deputy commissioner with the state Department of Community Affairs, was present.