NJ Spotlight News with Briana Vannozzi

NJ Spotlight News June 30, 2025

Tonight on NJ Spotlight News ... UNDER THE DOME, as lawmakers in Trenton pass a record $58 billion dollar dollar budget bill and advocates from both sides of the aisle are criticizing the what’s in and what’s been cut; Plus, the budget calls for diverting millions in opioid settlement funds away from community groups to the hands of New Jersey’s largest hospitals…AG Matt Platkin slams the plan; Also, CHRONIC UNDERSTAFFING , a new report finds several nursing homes are lacking in patient care; And, CRISIS NURSERY, a nonprofit in Monmouth county is providing free childcare for any family in need. 

NJ Spotlight News June 27, 2025

Tonight on NJ Spotlight News…. President Donald Trump is declaring a “giant win” after the U.S. Supreme Court rules lower courts can no longer issue nationwide injunctions on his executive orders, 
Plus, state lawmakers will vote tonight on the multi-billion dollar state budget, and they've already advanced tax hikes as part of the spending package. What will it mean for your wallet? 
Also, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities seeks to bring internet access to all, pushing to expand connectivity to rural areas of the state struggling to get online.
And, it is the final weekend for North 2 Shore, the statewide festival bringing music and the arts to communities around the Garden State.

NJ Spotlight News June 26, 2025

Tonight on NJ Spotlight News…. New Jersey lawmakers craft a budget deal in Trenton., but what’s in and what’s been cut from the Governor’s multi-billion dollar spending plan…  
Plus, state lawmakers pitch new bills to deal with New Jersey's growing energy crisis.
Also, President Trump’s former attorney Emil Bove is grilled by Sen. Cory Booker after being nominated to become a federal judge.
And, with summer temperatures soaring, the spotlight returns to the dangers of extreme heat on the job.

NJ Spotlight News June 25, 2025

Tonight on NJ Spotlight News, the brutal heat wave gripping New Jersey extends into a third day. Record-breaking temperatures continue plaguing most of the state, causing power outages, transit delays, road damage and putting residents health at risk.
Plus, budget negotiations in Trenton heat up with five days until the deadline.
Also, Congresswoman LaMonica McIver is arraigned on assault charges following last month's confrontation with ICE at the Delaney Hall detention center. She entered her not guilty plea in Newark federal court on Wednesday.
And, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman joins the show to discuss the recent strikes in Iran and her push back against the “Big Beautiful Bill.”

NJ Spotlight News June 24, 2025

Tonight on NJ Spotlight News, President Donald Trump calls for Israel and Iran to stand down with a tenuous ceasefire.
Plus, a Supreme Court decision opens the door for Trump Administration’s immigration crackdown to continue.
Also, as temperatures hit 100 degrees around New Jersey, paramedics in Paterson are distributing water and providing additional medical care.
And, with summer in full swing, cuts to federal programs increase the risk of food insecurity among kids here in the state.

NJ Spotlight News June 23, 2025

Tonight on NJ Spotlight News, the U.S strikes three Iranian nuclear facilities and Iran retaliates, targeting the largest U.S military base in the middle east.
Plus, Mahmoud Khalil is freed. The Pro-Palestinian activist at the heart of a high-profile deportation fight is finally released from ICE detention.
Also, New Jersey braces for a heat wave, with many counties opening cooling centers to offer some relief from the rising temperatures.
And, new numbers show the Garden State is having success in bringing down the number of low-risk cesarean deliveries.

NJ Spotlight News June 20, 2025

Tonight, a special edition of NJ Spotlight News…Two years in the making …. A comprehensive study of slavery here in New Jersey that’s often been overlooked. The NJ Reparations Council presented its findings on this Juneteenth holiday. Now…how to begin repairing the harm slavery caused to so many… and the discrimination and segregation that still exists in the state today?

NJ Spotlight News Jun 19, 2025

Tonight on NJ Spotlight News, with the cost of power soaring and a heat wave on the way, state regulators and utilities hatch a plan to offer short-term relief for electric customers.
Plus, as a federal immigration crackdown sweeps the nation, ICE’s past problematic treatment of detainees resurfaces.
Also, a federal judge rejects ICE efforts to remove a New Jersey resident who’s been legally protected for more than 15 years.
And, Republicans in Congress target money for Planned Parenthood, threatening abortion access here in New Jersey.

NJ Spotlight News June 18, 2025

Tonight, on NJ Spotlight News… MEDICAID CUTS, state Democratic lawmakers call on the Trump administration to Save our Hospitals; Plus, NJ DECIDES 2025, the first joint public appearance for BOTH gubernatorial candidates… and the gloves are officially off; Also, RISING SEA LEVELS, the state debates an overhaul of its rules for building along the coast,  as costs to shore communities rise; And, UNDER THE DOME, taxes, taxes, taxes, as the deadline for the state budget looms, advocates push for changes to key property tax programs.  
 
 

NJ Spotlight News June 17, 2025

Tonight on NJ Spotlight News, one escaped detainee from the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark is still at large. Mayor Ras Baraka claims the facility was never equipped to house thousands of ICE detainees.
Plus, disgraced former Sen. Bob Menendez reports to federal prison. He will spend the next eleven years behind bars in Pennsylvania after being convicted of corruption & bribery charges.
Also, breaking down how New Jersey will spend more than a billion dollars from opioid settlement funds. 
And, examining a pilot program that provided hundreds of low-income Newark residents were given a guaranteed income for two years.