NJ Spotlight News with Briana Vannozzi

NJ Spotlight News April 2, 2025

Tonight, on NJ Spotlight News…Cracking down on a growing threat… a new law allows the state to bring civil and criminal charges against people using A-I to make or distribute “Deepfakes” - Plus, New Jersey classrooms face another funding crisis … After swift action from the Trump administration, 20 New Jersey schools are expected to lose out on 85 million dollars in federal funding; Also, the state’s new top federal prosecutor takes office… and is already pushing a false narrative of rising crime here in the state; And, our Washington correspondent was inside the chamber for Senator Cory Booker’s record-breaking speech.
 

NJ Spotlight News April 1, 2025

Tonight, on NJ Spotlight News…A MARATHON SPEECH…Senator Cory Booker takes center stage on the Senate floor railing against the Trump administration; Plus, BANKRUPTCY DENIED...the Garden State pharma giant Johnson & Johnson will have to face their massive legal and financial peril over lawsuits from their  talcum powder products; Also, tomorrow is “Liberation Day” according to President Trump…but how will additional new tariffs affect you.; And, UNDER THE DOME …a new reporting project here on NJ Spotlight News focusing on the statehouse and how the decisions made impact you….tonight the state budget battle 
 

NJ Spotlight News March 31, 2025

Tonight, on NJ Spotlight News…TESLA TAKEDOWN…protests and counter protesters duel in the Garden State, and across the country targeting Elon Musk; Plus, OFFSHORE WIND SETBACK...Attentive Energy is now asking the state for a year delay to start its multi-million dollar wind farm project; Also, On Trans Day of Visibility, advocates are stepping up their efforts to push for the protection of transgender rights within the state; And, Governor Murphy honoring work Kittatinny High School students are doing at the Holocaust and Genocide Research Center.

NJ Spotlight News March 28, 2025

Tonight on NJ Spotlight News: Governor Murphy holds a roundtable discussion on the potential impacts of Medicaid cuts; Residents in Union County push back against the sale of the county jail, fearing it could lead to a new immigration detention center in their neighborhood; Staffing cuts and potential future cuts at the Social Security Administration leave the 1.6 million New Jersey recipients frustrated and confused; Columbia grad student and pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil begins his legal battle in a New Jersey court; A national advocacy group launches a campaign and posts billboards in Newark to raise awareness about sex trafficking around sporting events - like the NCAA Tournament; Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. hosts a phone meeting with constituents as GOP leaders tell lawmakers to avoid in-person town halls.

NJ Spotlight News March 27, 2025

Tonight on NJ Spotlight News: Attorney General Matt Platkin announces two separate arrests of people charged with child sexual abuse-related crimes as the state sees an uptick in online predatory activity; President Trump places a 25% tariff on all imported cars and car parts, intensifying the trade war; Parents in Middletown mobilize to push back against possible school closures, mass layoffs and rising property taxes; Riley Yates, the lead data reporter at NJ.com, joins Briana Vannozzi to discuss the rise in big campaign donations after the state gutted its so-called "pay-to-play" laws; NJ Spotlight News health care writer Lilo Stainton joins Briana Vannozzi to discuss overdose deaths dropping across all racial and ethnic groups in NJ for the first time in a decade; Fans flock to Newark as the Prudential Center prepares to host the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 rounds in the men's NCAA basketball tournament.

NJ Spotlight News March 26, 2025

Tonight, on NJ Spotlight News…BACK IN COURT…The two co-defendants who went down with Senator Bob Menendez will now testify in defense of his wife; Plus, a deeper dive into President Trump’s personal attorney turned top federal prosecutor here in the state; Also, ALIEN ENEMIES…President Trump’s use of a wartime law sparks legal questions and new fear in immigrant communities; And, BATTLING YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH…Students gather in Newark to learn strategies to support themselves and their peers. 

NJ Spotlight News March 25, 2025

Tonight, on NJ Spotlight News…Should the state reconsider the multi-billion-dollar Turnpike expansion, now that data from the new midtown toll appears to be reducing highway congestion; Plus, firearm purchasing is on the rise, but are folks buying them for the right reasons? Also, the recent sinkholes are now sending ripple effects and fears into neighboring communities; And the democrats on defense, showing up in the state’s predominantly red districts to fight back against the President’s agenda. 
 
 
 

NJ Spotlight News March 25, 2025

Tonight, on NJ Spotlight News; Highway Havoc…Another sinkhole opens, this time on i-287, and leads to more lane closures, detours and commuting delays; Plus, opening arguments began today  in the corruption case against Nadine Menendez, prosecutors say she was the conduit to her husband’s crimes; Also, Republican leaders descended on Atlantic City this weekend for the annual GOP leadership summit and gubernatorial hopefuls made their case to lead the state; And after years of neglect for our state veterans,  NJ lawmakers announce legislation to establish a new standalone Department of VA  Affairs.

NJ Spotlight News March 21, 2025

Tonight, on NJ Spotlight News…Congestion Pricing lives on…for now, at the eleventh hour the Trump administration extends the deadline to end New York city’s congestion pricing program; Plus, fallout after President Trump signs an executive order aimed at dismantling the Department of Education. What could this mean for students in New Jersey? Also, LONG COVID lingers on, Five years after the pandemic, a new report shows many Americans are still suffering from the virus’s long-term effects; And Miss Newark USA and public health advocate on her journey to the crown. 

NJ Spotlight News March 20, 2025

Tonight, on NJ Spotlight News…A second sinkhole opens up on I-80 forcing the closure of both sides of the interstate causing more delays, more detours and fears the road is unsafe; Plus, a CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS is brewing as the Trump Administration continues to defy federal judge after federal judge; Also, congress passed a spending bill to avert a government shutdown, what cuts will impact the Garden State; And, making menopause matter….New Jersey lawmakers are working to fast-track a bill focused on improving treatment options for women.