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♪ >> From NJPBS, this is NJ spotlight news.

>> Good evening at thanks for joining us this Monday night.

Amid turmoil in Patterson, the police department swears in one of its largest classes in city history.

The 29 new recruits are entering the Academy in the midst of a state takeover of the force.

Their shields, carrying the weight of restoring trust within the community.

The Attorney General announced the takeover four weeks ago in the aftermath of a fatal police shooting, a violence intervention specialist and a string of convictions against the former officers within the department, from his conduct and other civil-rights violations.

The city is asking state officials for $5 million to help offset costs associated with the intervention.

Little other information has been made available to the public.

This morning's ceremony is being seen as the start of a long journey ahead.

The senior political correspondent, David Cruz reports.

>> It is a noble profession.

Regardless of what you see in the media, regardless of what a small percentage of the population says, this is a noble profession where you help people each and every day.

>> The state appointed officer in charge, stuck to the space -- speech you would expect new recruits to get when they enter the Academy, protect and serve.

These are not regular days at the Patterson PD.

Now under state control, the department has become the symbol of everything wrong with policing and police community relations.

The former Patterson Mayor did not try to avoid the obvious.

>> the past few month have been challenging.

Very -- for everybody.

If we ignore that, and slip it under the desk, or under the carpet, we are losers.

>> This is a tough job.

This is not for the movies.

This is not a photo op.

>> The department and this community have grown apart in unprecedented ways.

Instead of protecting and serving, some rogue elements within the department have been beating, stealing, and shooting unarmed residents.

The mayor has stood behind his police force, even as community anger and distrust have grown.

>> I commend you for accepting the challenge, to want to be a police officer in the current climate, in our country.

It's not an easy profession.

But it is an important one.

>> You have to think differently as a cop.

You have to train cops differently.

>> That is how you reimagine policing, public safety, they are not warriors, their guardians.

>> It is unfair to judge a class of recruits on the day before they report to the Academy.

Some of these recruits are very young.

There -- their answers suggest that the next six months of training will be critical.

What will be different from this class?

>> No matter what race, creed, color you are, we believe the same, we will be treated the same and fairly.

>> For the city, we will be here to help, no matter what the cost is.

These are good people.

>> Some activists are scriptable that Patterson police -- scriptable that Patterson police -- skeptical, that Patterson police will be reformed.

>> We equate public safety with police.

That cannot be the case anymore.

Public Safety comes with access to more resources.

The safest communities do not have more police, but more access to resources, better education, more recreation.

If you want to make our city safer, why are you trying to cut reparation by over $600,000.

We need more increase in our recreation budget.

We need to invest in hospital-based intervention programs.

Harm reduction programs.

These are the things that will keep us safe.

>> Those words never came up in the ceremony.

Lawn order, and -- law and order and protecting and service were the words.

If the department is undergoing a period of self reflection it was not on display today.

That is part of the challenge that lies ahead for Patterson and its people.

I'm David Cruz NJ Spotlight News.

>> The United States Supreme Court is preserving access to the abortion pill.

But it is not the last word.

The court's decision Friday night states, sweeping restrictions of mifepristone ordered by lower courts.

The legal battle is expected to drag on for months, setting the stage for the most significant case involving abortion, since roe was overturned.

The high court's decision appears to be in line with the majority of Americans.

A new PBS NewsHour poll finds about two thirds of Americans, including a majority of Republicans, oppose laws banning access to medication abortion.

The case has back to the appeals court.

Its outcome all but certain.

Our senior correspondent has a reaction from those on both sides of the issue in New Jersey.

>> I am glad we can continue to use this medication while the courts are sorting out with the next step is.

>> This Dr. gave a sigh of relief after the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday blocked a lower court ruling that could have imposed severe restrictions on mifepristone, the nations abortion method.

It is a temporary stay pending legal battles which could impact our -- the OB/GYN practice.

>> I am worried.

We don't have a firm decision about whether we can use this medicine in the future.

And it remains frustrating that I have to wait for judges to tell me what is best for my patients.

>> The original order by a Texas judge would have yanked mifepristone completely off the market, over alleged safety concerns.

The conservative Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed, stating the the drug could be dispensed, but only to the FDA's original were -- rules adopted 20 years ago, ignoring updates.

That would have restrict did use -- restricted use to -- not to the regular 10 after three in person after's visits -- a doctor visits and band delivery of the drug by mail.

The U.S. Supreme Court called a timeout.

>> what it means for the time being is mifepristone stays on the market.

It stays on the market exactly at status quo.

>> Rutgers legal analyst, claims she is not surprised to see the battle rubbed after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

She charges this new legal challenge, creates legal chaos.

>> The FDA is monitoring the safety and efficacy of the drug.

The idea that 20 plus years later, suddenly this drug is not safe enough to be on the market is ludicrous.

This is another attempt by folks who are antichoice to make it impossible for people to access safe abortion care in this country.

>> The Supreme Court's decision is disappointing.

There is evidence to show the FDA did not follow the normal protocol.

>> Marie, with New Jersey's right to life, seeking to end abortions, argues the FDA should have never approved mifepristone .

>> Women's lives and health are being put at risk because of their lack of oversight, and also giving it to political pressure.

>> Planned Parenthood fears even though New Jersey is an abortion sanctuary state, a final court decision to ban mifepristone would affect clinics across the nation.

They are already preparing a new medical abortion protocol without mifepristone.

As for now.

>> There is a ton of confusion around the country and in New Jersey.

We have patients who, just because of the news, thought that medication abortion was already illegal.

The chilling effect it has across the country in states where abortion is banned or heavily restricted, I can't imagine.

>> This is a medication used for miscarriage management, disorders, something unrelated to pregnancy.

Losing the medicine not only impacts abortion care, but all this other care.

>> this doctor with reproductive health, the case heads to the Fifth Circuit with hearing scheduled for mid May and appeals scheduled to last for months.

I'm Brenda Flanagan, NJ Spotlight News.

>> an implosion at a power plant Friday morning could be heard and felt by nearby towns.

The controlled demolition on the former BL England generating station at Beasley's point, brought down the boiler units.

Using about 1000 pounds of explosives, turning it into a pile of rubble.

You can see thick, gray smoke rising from the site.

The power plant had been in operation since 1961 using coal and diesel, but plans to shift to natural gas fell apart.

It was due to permits needed to get a pipeline through the -- approved.

It led to the station to shut down in 2019.

Sections of the structure had been demolished.

The most recent phase was the cooling tower in 2022.

The stack is next to be removed.

A state has not been announced.

In honor of Earth Day, celebrated over the weekend, some of the states top federal lawmakers are renewing an effort to ban offshore oil and gas drilling.

The legislation as part of a larger move to protect marine habitats from oil spills and other effects of climate change.

It comes about a week after a group of congressional Democrats sent a letter to the White House in response to the rise of Marine death off New Jersey's coastline.

Ted Goldberg reports.

>> Is not a hyperbole to say that this is causing our house to be on fire, and we have been supplying the matches.

>> the senator Cory Booker, joined the Congressman, the DEP Commissioner, and ocean advocates to tout a bill that would permanently ban offshore chilling off the Atlantic coast.

Booker says there are reasons to endorse the act from fighting climate change to protecting the economy.

>> we empower hundreds of thousands of jobs in New Jersey, tens of thousands of businesses.

Our state is dependent on the beauty, the clean, the strength, of our oceans, and our beaches.

>> Offshore drilling is banned within three miles of the coast, under state law.

Oil companies have largely ordered the Atlantic -- ignored the Atlantic.

Leaders have a new plan for producing energy on the shore.

Offshore wind farms.

>> Offshore wind is a central to transition into a 21st economy, bringing us good, local jobs, highly skilled jobs, reduce air pollution, less cancer and asthma, and it will protect our Marine environment from climate change.

>> The prospect of putting offshore wind farms has inspired protests up and down the state, from people who believe offshore surveys have led to an increase in dead whales over the last few years.

This Commissioner says climate change is to blame, since the unusual mortality events in humpback and North Atlantic right whales began before surveys did for offshore wind.

>> These unusual mortality events, they are in fact because of the changing nation of our climate and its impact on the oceans.

It's not because of an industrialization of the ocean, that does not exist.

>> We have been talking about, the last few months, about whales, dolphins, fish, but we're also talking about sea level rise and flooding from hurricanes.

We have to protect the Atlantic.

The Jersey shore communities depend on it.

>> We Are estate that thrives -- we are a state that thrives because we are a great ocean economy.

We thrive because we keep -- when we keep our beaches clean.

>> Pallone says the legislation faces a tough path in the House of Representatives, which passed a separate energy bill a month ago.

The lower energy costs act, passed the house by mostly partisan vote, a bill that Pallone called, an insult to Americans who are not gas or oil executives.

>> This was a bill that is a grab bag of oil giveaways and loopholes that endanger our health and safety.

And I try -- try to attach an amendment to ban Atlantic drilling, but the Republicans box -- block.

It.

>> Where we drill we spill.

In Alaska, oil spilling.

In California, catastrophic oil spilling.

Off the Gulf Coast, catastrophic spilling.

Where have we not had catastrophic spills?

On the Atlantic Ocean.

Why?

Because there has been no drilling.

>> New Jersey's coasts have been protected by a five-year offshore drilling moratorium, enacted by the Biden administration last summer.

I'm Ted Goldberg, NJ Spotlight News.

>> A new state program is aiming to get more mental health professionals at school districts with high levels of poverty.

A grab through the New Jersey Department of Education will be distributed over five years with more than $14 million going to schools.

It's a push by state officials to address the shortage of counselors, psychologists, and social workers amid an ongoing youth mental health crisis.

Our mental health writer joins me now with the details.

I'd like to know first is this state grant program different, separate from what the Murphy administration wants to do with this whole model for schools?

>> This would be different.

From what I am told from the spokesperson for the Department of children and families, who are running the current model in developing that, this would be different from that model.

Essentially, as the spokesperson told me, they would try to complement one another.

This grant that the Department of Education has received would be more clinical based to hire and retain more mental health professionals.

Whereas the other model would be a preventative measure.

These would work in tandem with one another.

>> So, all trying to tackle this crisis.

What type of positions with the schools be able to hire?

>> The positions they are looking to right now, would be to retain and recruit and hire more counselors, school psychologists, social workers.

Especially at school districts that have a severe lack of these mental health professionals, where more than 20% of students receive free and reduced lunches.

This would be, to not only add that to the curriculum, and to the school districts, but also to hire and retain more therapists of color to better serve and reflect students throughout the state of New Jersey.

>> We know it has been a hard year, a few years, for this age group in particular.

School-based age group.

How does this work, more largely to get at what has become a crisis in mental health, that the state now is trying to fix?

>> Yeah.

This will target, in order to have some of those clinicians in schools, where students are every single day, going to school, going to classes, participating in extracurricular activities, to build those relationships and allow the trust models.

School officials have spoken about this as a cornerstone to youth mental health.

This will not only hire and retain more of the professionals, but help them build that relationship five years down the road, 10 years down the road, so when kids graduate from these schools, they could come back and see these therapists as someone they can use throughout the rest of their lives, as role models to help them through good and bad times.

>> Finally, what are schools and students at large saying about the fact that this money will be available, and hopefully programs not in place before, will not be there for them?

>> School officials and advocates I have spoken with have really said that this is a huge step in the right direction.

As well as lawmakers.

This is much needed and long overdue when it comes to school mental health for kids to be able to not only relate to their peer groups and friends, but also relate to a counselor or school psychologist, who understands the community they come from.

As one advocate said, it makes all the difference in the world for one child.

Folks are excited about this next step.

>> Pleasure speaking with you.

Thank you so much.

Read more about the mental health resources that will be available through the state grant in his story on njspotlightnews.org.

In our business report, we say goodbye to another big jersey based retailer.

Struggling Bed, Bath & Beyond is going out of business, filing for bankruptcy protection Sunday in U.S. District Court in due jersey -- New Jersey, failing to come out successfully of turnout plans amid dismal sales against target and Amazon and other retail giants.

You could get towels at a discount with blue-and-white coupons.

Customers can still use the coupons until Tuesday.

That is when Bed, Bath & Beyond will close its 360 locations, unless it finds a buyer.

It is unclear what will happen to us 14,000 employees and 120 Buy Buy Baby stores.

An update on the Kia challenge story, we first brought you earlier this month.

The Attorney General's in 17 states, including in New Jersey and District of Columbia, are calling for recall on certain Hyundai and Kia vehicles, due to a lack of antitheft features.

In a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the attorneys generals, cited the growing number of thefts as a safety crisis.

The stolen vehicles have led to eight deaths and numerous injuries, along with property damage and significant police and emergency service resources that have been diverted, according to the letter.

Certain Kia and Hyundai cars made between 2011 and 2022 can be hotwired just with the USB cable, and lack engine immobilizer's.

The vulnerabilities were made known after a number of TikTok users posted videos of the techniques on social media.

On Wall Street, here is a look at today's closing trading numbers.

>> Support for the business report, provided by the Chamber of Commerce southern New Jersey, looking for economic prosperity by uniting business and community leaders through one for -- for 150 years.

Membership information online at chamberS and J.com.

>> Redlining has been outlawed for decades, but the problem has not disappeared.

It exists in new forms.

Lenders are finding modern ways to deny loans or other services for homeownership based on race and ethnicity.

The group of legal and government experts got together in Newark, announcing new measures to combat the housing discrimination.

Our senior correspondent reports as part of our ongoing series, chasing the dream, that focuses on justice, poverty, and economic opportunity.

>> Homeownership still is a dream denied, to communities of color.

>> Community leaders joined with several of the states top law enforcement officials to discuss redlining, an illegal process where banks deny home loans to people of color, based largely on where they live.

>> Redlining is happening in New Jersey, today.

It's happening today, right here in Newark.

>> They laid out the efforts at the state and federal level, to put an end to the practices once and for all.

>> We built out for housing units.

We think the governor for having us resources.

>> I created a civil rights division at the U.S. attorney's office in New Jersey.

We have doubled the number of attorneys, focused exclusively on civil rights enforcement.

And mobilized our resources in a single division, to concentrate our efforts to root out hate and discrimination.

>> The Newark Mayor spoke about the impact redlining has had on black communities over decades and how restoration has to be part of any response.

>> Punishing does not help me, unless it helps me.

In Newark, we have to do creative things.

We have to partner with Bank of America and CDF eyes, to make sure we can provide people who are in section eight homes, to become homeowners.

We have to sell property for one dollar in a city that is dilapidated and tell people they don't have to put money down on this property.

We have to be created about making homeownership.

The number of homeownership in Newark is slim.

>> 75% of Newark owners are renters, a result of redlining, in the city that exist today.

Lakeland bank was put under a consent decree after the company was found to be redlining around the state.

>> The allegations were shocking.

If you lived in a black or Hispanic neighborhood in Essex County, Somerset County, or Union County, you likely had little opportunity to apply for, and certainly not obtain a mortgage from Lakeland bank.

In fact, you probably never even saw a Lakeland branch in your community.

>> It is a matter a the consumer -- it is a matter the consumer euro -- Bureau is taking into consideration.

>> We are not going to look when someone is excluded, but also when someone is targeted.

Case law for years have affirmed that.

I think that this is really also a new page, a new chapter, of what the Attorney General, Merrick Garland, and the assistant AG have kicked off 18 months ago, which is combating modern-day redlining.

>> The banks charge with redlining or paying hefty fines to federal and state governments.

That money is being used to reinvest in communities of color impacted by the process -- practice.

>> Most of the money is being donated to loan subsidy phones, -- funds, these are to help prospective homebuyers with downpayments and other assistance including helping them secure lower interest rates on their loans.

>> An effort that will take several more decades before communities of color start to see the dream of homeownership become a reality.

For NJ Spotlight News, I am Joanna.

>> That is all we have for you tonight.

A reminder you can listen to NJ Spotlight News any time via podcast.

It is wherever you stream.

Make sure to download, and check us out.

Thanks for being with us.

Have a great evening.

We will see you back here tomorrow.

>> The members of the New Jersey education Association, making public schools great for every job.

Let's be healthy together.

And committed to the creation of a new long-term sustainable, clean energy future for New Jersey.

Funding for chasing the dream is provided by the JPB foundation, with additional funding from the PSEG fund.

>> It has been part of New Jersey for over a century.

We support our communities through an JM's corporate giving program, supporting arts and nonprofit organizations that serve to improve the lives of children, rebuild communities, and help to create a new generation of safe drivers.

We are proud to be part of New Jersey.

NJM, we have New Jersey covered.

♪