Episodes
Apr 24, 2025
Apr 24, 2025
26 min
Tonight, on NJ Spotlight News… ARSON ARREST… a 19-year-old has been apprehended, investigators say a bonfire he left burning triggered the blaze that claimed more than 15 thousand acres; Also, TAKING ON TRUMP, Attorney General Matt Platkin has filed more than a dozen lawsuits against the Trump Administration, and will now be defending one before the U.S Supreme Court; Plus, TRANSIT TROUBLES… after rejecting the most recent contract proposal, NJ Transit and its locomotive engineers union appear to be far from a deal; And, ON AGAIN OFF AGAIN …the tariff turmoil is hitting local businesses hard in the Garden State, rising costs and supply chain disruptions threaten to close some for good.
Apr 23, 2025
Apr 23, 2025
26 min
Tonight, on NJ Spotlight News…STATE OF EMERGENCY in Ocean County as a massive wildfire is claiming over 11 THOUSAND acres threatening structures and roadways in its path; Plus, HOUSING NOT HANDCUFFS, Summit’s city council considers a proposal that would ban homelessness in its community’s public places; Also, the state’s attorney general is calling it a “RENTAL CARTEL” filing a lawsuit against multiple landlords for alleged collusion in a statewide rent raising scheme.
((SOT PLATKIN))
And, SOUNDING THE ALARM … during this National Infant Immunization Week, health officials noting a recent increase in cases of preventable diseases across the state
Apr 22, 2025
Apr 22, 2025
26 min
Tonight, on NJ Spotlight News…NATIONAL SECURITY RISK ...Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill minces no words calling for the resignation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after yet another Signal chat surfaces; Also, GUILTY…GUILTY…GUILTY, Nadine Menendez is convicted of being her husband’s “partner in crime” on ALL 15 counts of a federal bribery plot; Plus, LOW TEEN TURNOUT…eighteen hundred 16 and 17 year olds registered to vote in Newark ….but only a fraction showed up to the polls.
And, SEPTA FUNDING CRISIS … proposed cuts could threaten an already troubled transit system in South Jersey…
Apr 21, 2025
Apr 21, 2025
26 min
Tonight, on NJ Spotlight News…CONGESTION PRICING LIVES ON …. The latest deadline to turn off the cameras in midtown Manhattan has come and gone…despite the orders from the Trump Administration; Plus, REMEMBERING POPE FRANCIS…The world mourns the passing of the “people’s” Pope …and one of the most progressive the Catholic church has witnessed; Also, VERDICT WATCH ….the fate of Nadine Menendez sits in the hands of a jury for her role in a federal bribery scheme that convicted her husband and the state’s former senior senator; And, REAL ID RUSH…what you need to know before flying domestically as the state faces long lines and high demand to meet the REAL ID deadline.
Apr 18, 2025
Apr 18, 2025
26 min
Tonight…. A special edition of NJ Spotlight News…We're kicking off Shore Week here on NJ PBS so we bring you an encore presentation of our 21 digital documentary series …From Monmouth County … The Thompson's make cleaning and preserving the shoreline a family affair; And just down the coast in Atlantic County…Cookie Till is changing farming and food in South Jersey. Nurturing the sandy soil to grow produce and fill a void left by the county's food desserts... Empowering the underserved population to appreciate the concept of home grown; Then there’s Johnny Walker …way down in Cape May County … a veteran who's doing everything in his power to keep aging Vets healthy and thriving along the coastline.
Apr 17, 2025
Apr 17, 2025
26 min
Tonight, on NJ Spotlight News…TAKING ON SOCIAL MEDIA …the state’s Attorney General is suing the teen messaging APP Discord, claiming it is actually a risk to kids; Plus, New Jersey Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman is not mincing words when it comes to President Trump’s deportation policies; Also, a new CDC report reveals a rising rate of autism, yet still no clear evidence to its cause; And, NJ DECIDES 2025… Several of the gubernatorial candidates square off with ideas to combat inequities in social justice.
Apr 17, 2025
Apr 17, 2025
26 min
Tonight, on NJ Spotlight News…NO DEAL, Locomotive engineers for NJ Transit vote NO on a contract, increasing the likelihood of a rail strike as soon as mid-May; Plus, a PLEA FOR FREEDOM, Hamas released a new video of Tenafly’s Edan Alexander, the last living US citizen being held hostage in Gaza; Also, PARENTAL RIGHTS … New Jersey’s Republican Gubernatorial candidates set their agenda for 2026 …. if elected; And … ART ON DISPLAY... Stockton University hosts an art-making workshop for people with disabilities.
Apr 15, 2025
Apr 15, 2025
26 min
Tonight, on NJ Spotlight News…The recovery phase is over but the investigation into what caused the tour helicopter to crash into the Hudson River continues; Plus, NJ DECIDES 2025…the race for governor heats up …and so does scrutiny of outside spending for NJEA President Sean Spiller’s campaign; Also, JUDICIAL SAFETY CONCERNS…as the Trump administration intensifies criticism of the courts, Jersey’s own Judge Esther Salas lobbies for tougher security measures; And, VOTING TIME…teens in Newark make history and cast THEIR vote for the first time in school board elections …
Apr 14, 2025
Apr 14, 2025
26 min
Tonight, on NJ Spotlight News…Justice for Amer…US Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim are the latest lawmakers calling on the Trump administration to investigate the death of the 14 year old Saddle Brook native; Plus, after a Louisiana judge ruled Columbia University’s Mahmoud Khalil could be deported, a federal judge in New Jersey has temporarily barred it; Also, The deadly crash of a tourist helicopter that killed 6 has renewed demand to ban non-essential helicopter travel over the Hudson River; And, tip your server … A new bill that would raise the minimum wage for restaurant workers has business owners fired up.
Apr 11, 2025
Apr 11, 2025
26 min
Tonight, on NJ Spotlight News…Tragedy on the Hudson…a tourist helicopter crashes killing SIX. Raising questions for the need to regulate the airspace along the river; Plus, the healthcare industry is bracing for another hit as new orders from the Trump Administration look to revoke legal protections for thousands of Central and South American workers; Also, Don’t count them out…A new AARP New Jersey report finds folks over age 50 make up the majority of voter turnout in both state and local elections; And, WORLD CUP FEVER…with just over a year to go before the FIFA tournament, the Meadowlands Chamber gears up for the economic impact.
NJ PBS, New Jersey’s public television network, brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to all 21 counties in New Jersey and its tri-state neighbors.
The network’s flagship weeknight newscast, NJ Spotlight News with Briana Vannozzi, provides multiplatform reporting from across the Garden State.