NJ Spotlight News with Briana Vannozzi

NJ Spotlight News July 13, 2026

Tonight on NJ Spotlight News, a new poll puts New Jersey in LAST place for business friendliness - We’ll talk with one biz leader sounding the alarm on what the state needs to change this reputation.
 
Plus, the state’s crisis hotline 9-8-8 is expanding, but its funding is not. We look at the impact of the state budget on mental health services.
 
And, continuing our analysis of the final budget - we take a look at the surplus, and whether it’s enough to cover a rainy day in New Jersey.

NJ Spotlight News July 10, 2026

Tonight we’re bringing you a special NJ Spotlight News edition of Reporters Roundtable – where Joanna Gagis has a roundup of the top political stories of the week with the help of a panel of local journalists.

NJ Spotlight News July 9, 2026

Tonight on NJ Spotlight News, is the World Cup paying off for New Jersey? We’ll look at the winners of the fan experience.
 
Plus, school’s out for the summer but many districts are already scrambling for September because of budget cuts.
 
And, is the new state budget truly affordable? We get the perspective from a progressive think tank.

NJ Spotlight News July 7, 2026

Tonight on NJ Spotlight News,  from extreme heat, to storms and pounding rain, the weather has wreaked havoc on the state for the last few days, we’ll get the latest on the hardest hit areas.
 
Plus, we’ll get reaction from the business community to Governor Sherrill’s final budget
 
And, Stevie Van Zandt is in the house- the Musician and E Street Band member joins us to talk about celebrating America’s 250th with music.

NJ Spotlight News July 6, 2026

Tonight on NJ Spotlight News, we get the latest from Washington from Rep. Tom Kean Jr. to birthright citizenship.
 
Plus, Jersey City got a last-minute bailout in the state budget, but some council members are calling for an audit of their books.
 
And, speaking of the state budget, we talk with Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin about the state’s record-level spending plan.

NJ Spotlight News July 3, 2026

Tonight we're bringing you special edition of NJ Spotlight News, in commemoration of America's 250th anniversary. We're looking back at the Revolutionary War history that unfolded right here in New Jersey and showcasing stories that often get overlooked in textbooks. 

NJ Spotlight News July 1, 2026

Tonight on NJ Spotlight News, the final state budget bill has officially been signed into law - we’ll get you the latest.
 
Plus, as temperatures climb into the triple digits ahead of the holiday weekend, we’ll hear from the new state climatologist on how to stay cool.
 
And the Supreme Court released a number of landmark decisions this week, including birthright citizenship, we talked to New Jersey’s Attorney General Jen Davenport about that and more.

NJ Spotlight News June 30, 2026

Tonight on NJ Spotlight News, today is the budget deadline. The final bill is moving through the legislature and Governor Sherrill has until midnight to sign it.  We’ll take a look at what’s in it, and get Republicans’ reaction to it.
 
And, we continue our coverage of America’s 250th anniversary with a look at the untold stories of the American Revolution.

NJ Spotlight News June 29th, 2026

Tonight on NJ Spotlight News, the clock is ticking for lawmakers to approve the state’s next fiscal year budget before tomorrow’s deadline. Lawmakers were finally able to see a draft of the bill on Sunday, as they gathered in Trenton to vote on a flurry of bills that provide revenue to help fund the record $60.7 BILLION dollar budget.
 
Plus, the Supreme Court ruled today to allow mail-in ballots to be counted if they were post-marked on election day. We’ll look at the impact of that and other significant decisions.
 
Also, while the state budget awaits final passage in the legislature, questions abound about WHY the city of Trenton lost funding for high-impact tutoring, even though students there are in desperate need of support.
 
And, as we prepare to celebrate America’s 250th this week, we look at the important stories often LEFT OUT of our nation’s history.

NJ Spotlight News June 26, 2026

Tonight we’re bringing you a special NJ Spotlight News edition of Reporters Roundtable – where I’ll have a roundup of the top political stories of the week with the help of a panel of local journalists.