NJ Spotlight News with Briana Vannozzi

NJ Spotlight News July 11, 2025

Tonight on NJ Spotlight News, Senator Cory Booker leads the charge to prevent ICE agents from wearing masks during raids and other immigration enforcement actions. Plus, a new report finds Amazon’s record delivery speeds come at a cost to contract workers who are subject to intolerable and possibly illegal conditions. Also, state lawmakers come under fire after diverting $45 million of New Jersey’s opioid settlement money. And, Jersey City’s famous Loew’s Theatre is undergoing a major restoration.

NJ Spotlight News July 10, 2025

Tonight on NJ Spotlight News, the New Jersey State Police unions take on Attorney General Matt Platkin, with a lawsuit over an ongoing investigation into racial profiling
Plus, a new Rutgers-Eagleton poll finds most New Jerseyans are unhappy with how the state government is handling affordability and cost of living.
Also, health care costs for state employees are set to skyrocket in the next year.
And, Governor Phil Murphy touts the return of the iconic Cosmos as a new minor league soccer team takes the famed brand into a new chapter in Paterson.

NJ Spotlight News July 9, 2025

Tonight on NJ Spotlight News, Governor Phil Murphy and state lawmakers make moves to expand access to free Pre-k and kindergarten in New Jersey. 
Plus, an ICE raid at an Edison warehouse rattles the community, as immigration advocates demand due process for detainees.
Also, a family dealing with the stress of deportation becomes a cautionary tale for the mental health toll heightened enforcement is taking on immigrant communities.
And, a look ahead to the next year's Congressional midterm elections. The race in District 7 is getting crowded as more Democrats try to take on Republican Congressman Tom Kean, Jr.

NJ Spotlight News July 8, 2025

Tonight on NJ Spotlight News, big crowds over the July 4th holiday buoy Shore tourism after a slow start to the season.
Plus, the fight over school funding continues in Toms River, where residents are reeling from a major tax hike needed to keep the district afloat.
Also, an annual report once again finds a broken system of care for people with disabilities.
And, as intense storms and flood waters wreak havoc nationwide, Gov. Phil Murphy's administration weighs new rules for development in vulnerable low-lying areas.

NJ Spotlight News July 7, 2025

Tonight on NJ Spotlight News, Plainfield is still recovering from last week’s sudden severe storm that left three people dead as New Jersey braces for the remains of Tropical Storm Chantal.
Plus, public health advocates warn that President Trump’s changes to Medicaid threaten to keep the most vulnerable from getting the care they need.
Also, the new state budget restores some funding for community colleges, but some students could still face financial hardships.
And, debate swirls over New Jersey’s official 9/11 Memorial.

NJ Spotlight News July 4, 2025

Tonight on a special 4th of July edition of NJ Spotlight News, summer is here and New Jersey's gubernatorial race is heating up.
Governor Phil Murphy is term-limited and will be leaving office in January, after serving for eight years. Voters will choose his replacement in November, weighing Trump-backed Republican former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, who came close to ousting Murphy four years ago, against Democrat Mikie Sherrill, the four-term Congresswoman who is a former navy pilot and federal prosecutor.
Early polls show Sherrill leading the race, but she'll have to buck historic trends to win this fall. No party has held the governor's office in New Jersey for three consecutive terms in more than 60 years.

NJ Spotlight News July 3, 2025

Tonight on NJ Spotlight News, all eyes on Washington as President Donald Trump’s massive spending cut and immigration package gets a final vote.
Also, cutting edge climate research and weather forecasting is on the federal chopping block in Trump's proposed budget.
Plus, growing talk of developing new nuclear energy in the Garden State as New Jersey leaders try to balance surging electricity demands with ambitious clean energy goals.
And, prices drop at the pump just in time for a weekend of holiday travel.

NJ Spotlight News July 2, 2025

Tonight on NJ Spotlight News, House Republicans weigh a critical vote on President Donald Trump's sweeping spending cuts package, a day after the bill squeaked by the Senate.
Plus, the leading budget officer for New Jersey Republicans weighs in on the state's new nearly $59 billion budget.
Also, work is underway on the multi-billion dollar expansion of University Hospital in Newark, a step towards fulfilling a vision 50 years in the making.
And, a pair of Rutgers Scarlet Knights make history, becoming the first two men's basketball players from the school to become lottery picks in the NBA draft.

NJ Spotlight News July 1, 2025

Tonight, on NJ Spotlight News…. The “Big Beautiful Bill” clears the US Senate but faces an uphill battle in the House… as we break down New Jersey’s largest-ever budget in state history; Plus, the White House wants the state’s interim U.S Attorney Alina Habba to serve a full four-year term…putting her nomination in play in the Senate; Also, “SAVE OUR FARM”, a land dispute over a farm in Cranbury has drawn the support of the Trump administration; And, OPEN FOR BUSINESS, the boardwalk in Seaside Heights is officially ready for fun this holiday week, with the Attorney General’s stamp of approval on its games… 
 

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.