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♪ From NJPBS, this is "NJ Spotlight News" with Briana Vannozzi.

Briana: Good evening, and thank you for joining us this Tuesday night.

President Biden is jumping back in, seeking reelection.

In a campaign video released early this morning the president asked voters to give him more time to finish the job.

President Biden now begins the battle of convincing the public his work in the White House merits another four years and that his age will not affect his ability to hold the office.

The president's own party is split on his reelection.

A recent poll taken prior to the announcement from the Associated Press and Center for Public Affairs Research finds only about half of Democrats think he should run again in 2024, but a large majority would support him as the nominee.

The decision puts President Biden on the path to a potential rematch with Former President Donald Trump, whom he beat in 2020.

But this election will play out in a nation that is even more politically polarized.

Senior political correspondent David Cruz reports.

>> That's why I'm running for reelection.

Because I know America.

Reporter: In case you were wondering, the president made it official today.

Though there was little doubt Biden would run again, there was and is some doubt about whether he should, even among fellow Democrats.

Almost half of whom say they would be OK with someone else in the party running.

>> There are Democrats who like to see a change.

They are not going to get it.

The Democratic Party is firmly in control of the White House, the incumbent president, as it always is, as it was four years ago for Trump.

So whether Democrats like the choice they will have, Republicans have the choice they have, that is going to be where we stand.

Reporter: All things equal, Democrats and Republicans will have to be ready to hold their noses and pull the lever for Biden or likely Donald Trump.

A Democratic strategist says that Biden has a real record to run on.

>> I'm going to start ticking off these huge programs, other than to say they are having massive and tangible results.

It is not a billion here, truly there, look at all the spending.

If you have diabetes and you are somebody of Medicare age, you no longer have to worry about the loss of insulin.

That is a tangible fact.

If you are driving down a highway in New Jersey or a local roadway, that road that is busted over and over again is now paved thanks to money that has come out of this administration.

These are tangible results that matter.

Reporter: But Biden is 80, already the oldest president ever, and has seemed to show his age on occasion, stumbling verbally and sometimes physically.

A Republican strategist Chris Russell says it is something that voters have noticed and don't expect to get any better over the next year and a half moving up to election day.

>> I don't think it is age, at least it isn't for me, but when you look at somebody, you have to wonder if they are there all the time.

I don't think he is there all the time.

I think others look at him the same way.

He has that glassy look, he looks a little lost, the constant images of him going the wrong way off the stage.

I think age is a number, and certainly the older one gets the more concern there is about that.

>> Yeah, can you do that job, could I do my job at 80?

Yeah, I have colleagues in their 80s, and they are fine professors.

If you were to ask them were they better, would they have more energy when they were 50 or 40?

Yeah, of course.

But we are not talking about teaching college.

We are talking about the president of the United States.

I think both Trump and Biden are probably too old for what is best.

Reporter: Granted there is a solid year and a half before polls open and age will be only one issue.

Likely by then not even the biggest, says this analyst.

>> Democracy is on the ballot.

You see books being banned, voting rights curtailed, when bodily autonomy for women has been curtailed, that is not just a political philosophy anymore, that is something much more sinister, something we have not seen in this country certainly in my lifetime, I'm not sure anyone's lifetime.

>> The support from his own party is not there.

That is not a good sign.

Republicans may not be wanting four more years for the nominee and say, man, if his own people don't want him, why do we?

Reporter: Biden has been counted out before, from the primaries of 2020 to election night that year.

The next election day is November 5, 2024.

18 months of patience for what promises to be an historically contentious election?

You are about to find out.

I'm David Cruz, "NJ Spotlight News."

Briana: The national debate over guns is in the public following a recent string of violent shootings across the country.

A Monmouth University poll finds national support for a ban on assault weapons dropped since last year.

Those surveyed were divided on the issue.

46% in support of, 49% opposed to those sales.

Last year a majority of the public favor the ban, 55%.

In Teaneck today, a rally called grandparents against gun violence was led by Senate majority leader Loretta Weinberg, with residents of a senior living community speaking out against the tragic shootings involving young people, including a 16-year-old black teenager shot by a homeowner in Kansas City, Missouri, after going to the wrong address to pick up his siblings, or the 20 year-old woman who was shot and killed in upstate New York when the vehicle she was in mistakenly turned into a driveway.

Juan Vargas calling on federal lawmakers from New Jersey to take a stand and use their power to pass more gun reforms.

She joins me now from the protests.

Senator, clearly retirement not slowing you down.

What is the message you were hoping to get across today?

>> Well, after the events of the last couple of weeks, where young people were shot because they made the mistake of ringing the wrong doorbell or they drove in the wrong driveway, the proliferation of guns in our country has gotten completely out of hand.

We now have more children killed by guns than any other thing in the United States.

So I feel that not only do we have -- I'm doing an interview.

You notice nobody is shy around here.

[laughter] Briana: We get it, we know that you're popular.

>> You know, not only do we have legislators who I know are on our side, U.S. senators, Congresspeople from New Jersey by and large, but they need to speak up, they need to be making as much noise as the NRA does, as the pro-gun people do.

When you can get people -- a group of 80 and 90-year-olds out here making signs, willing to stand here, willing to have their voices heard, it is a message to our own people here in New Jersey.

We have children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, we don't want them growing up in this kind of country where they are not safe.

Briana: As someone who led a number of gun reform bills through the legislature, has this reached a pitch you did not expect?

>> Absolutely not.

I know New Jersey is a blue state.

I know the people I live among and worked among are on the right side of this issue, but I did not expect to see this kind of -- not only the proliferation of guns, but guns being owned by angry, scared people who because somebody rings the wrong doorbell, they come out shooting.

That is something I never thought I was going to see in numbers here in the United States.

It is not anything I ever would have thought I would see, that more American children are killed by gun violence than any other reason in our country.

That is mind-boggling.

More than disease, more than car accidents.

So we managed to get car seats.

We managed to get car belts.

It is now time that we registered guns, we make sure that people are trained, and that we ban the AR-15 and we have universal background checks.

And I would like to hear Cory Booker and Bob Menendez and Josh Gottheimer raising their voices on those issues at every time and chance they get.

Briana: I'm thinking about that sweeping gun bill packets you help to get through before you left office.

Did it go far enough or was there more you would have liked to have seen done before leaving the Senate?

>> I think we have done a pretty good job in New Jersey.

I think the numbers of gun violence victims we have, albeit still too many, but still lesser than a lot of other places.

But this takes national work.

So let's get to it, ladies and gentlemen in Washington, and let's make this a priority, and start using tactics.

Look, I'm not voting for that bill if you don't put this gun safety bill forth.

Those are the kinds of things I would like to hear from our representatives.

Briana: Retired former Senate majority leader Loretta Weinberg, thank you so much for your time.

>> Thank you, Briana.

Briana: Guns are increasingly being used in instances of domestic violence and the stories of survivors are on visual display today in Bergen County, turning statistics into T-shirts for the clothesline project.

More than 2000 shirts, each color representing a different type of violence, made by a survivor or someone who has lost a loved one to the violence.

It is a national movement that began in 1990 in Cape Cod, giving a voice to anyone who has been silenced, allowing them to express their emotions by decorating a shirt and hanging it on the clothesline.

The powerful display a reminder that the problem exists in every community.

More than half of women and almost one in three men have experienced sexual violence in their lifetimes according to the CDC.

The shirts are on view in recognition of National Crime Victims Week.

>> For many years survivors even today are shamed and embarrassed this is happening in their own home.

When they find out they are not the only ones and no longer isolated, they are able to express and reach out for help, they say this is what is happening to me, I need some help.

Briana: A group of so-called crisis pregnancy centers had their day in court, arguing today a recent state warning alleging the centers engaged in deceptive practices is a misinformed and unwarranted assault that unfairly tarnishes the reputations.

A group of seven crisis pregnancy centers brought the case against New Jersey over and alerted the division of consumer affairs sent in December warning that crisis pregnancy centers look to prevent people from accessing abortion and contraception, sometimes by providing false or misleading information.

The pregnancy centers deny those claims and they are requesting documents from the state providing the basis for the consumer alert, accusing New Jersey of wrongfully denying the requests for the records.

State attorneys contend the pregnancy centers don't have a right to that information behind the consumer alert.

A decision on the case is expected soon.

While three Rutgers University unions keep their strike on hold for now, a fourth union could be jumping into the fray.

The union of Rutgers administrators is still counting votes from members on a strike pledge.

They were on the picket line today in New Brunswick and Camden, accusing the state's flagship University of taking steps back in contract negotiations.

Ted Goldberg has the latest.

>> I'm the only income in my family.

If I went on strike and I did not get paid, it would be a very bad hardship, but I would have to do it to stick together and help everybody else.

Reporter: Rutgers management is continuing to see pickets and protests as contract negotiations linger.

This time it is from the union of Rutgers administrators.

They are analyzing member surveys from a strike plan, a move that could lead to an official strike authorization vote and possibly make them the fourth Rutgers union to go on strike this year.

>> We don't get an increase.

Everything went up.

We haven't gotten an increase.

I would like to be able to keep my house.

>> Everything is getting expensive in New Jersey.

The cost of living, don't forget about inflation.

All of that adds up.

It is not even fair.

Reporter: Members were inspired to start picketing not because of a lack of pay raises or a lack of increased paid family leave time but also because of what they perceive as a lack of respect from Rutgers management.

>> I would like them to honor our contract.

>> The sticking point is the unwillingness to respond to very reasonable demands we have put forth.

Reporter: The union Vice President says negotiations have not led to a lot of results, so strike could be on the horizon.

>> The economic proposals they have put forth are insulting.

>> We won some rewards for essential workers who cannot work from home, but yet we are here all through the pandemic keeping the place safe.

>> They seem to have taken a major step back from the last concessions.

Reporter: Christine Monk works with one of the unions representing biomedical and health science workers at Rutgers.

Their union has made some progress at the bargaining table but at a high cost.

>> The percentage increases have a stipulation that any other topics of negotiations get removed from the table and we settled it on money only.

Reporter: The three unions that went on strike just over two weeks ago suspended it to try to work out a deal with Rutgers management.

The largest faculty union tells us, "We have made some progress in the past couple days, but there are still significant issues that need to be dealt with before we have a full tentative agreement for members to vote on."

The adjunct union tells us they still have issues to negotiate, including how many credits they need to get to your appointment, which is the way they win job security and move beyond semester to semester hiring.

The third union representing faculty in the biomedical sciences says they are making progress.

They are hopeful administrative workers will not have to resort to going on strike.

>> We are very optimistic that we could do this without a strike because we've always done it, since 2008, without a strike.

We know the money is there.

We know our demands are reasonable.

Reporter: If a deal for the medical union is not reached by Thursday, member say they will rally Thursday night at the New Jersey medical school.

I'm Ted Goldberg, "NJ Spotlight News."

Briana: A toxic cleanup is underway in Monmouth County where hundreds of chemical waste drums were found leaking and abandoned at a former industrial site.

Schools and homeowners in the area have been given evacuation plans in case of emergency.

The Environmental Protection Agency began the cleanup in early April and says there is no immediate threat to nearby residents, but it is still not clear what type of chemicals are leaking and the hazards they pose.

Senior correspondent Brendan Flanagan reports.

Reporter: Workers in protective gear labor to contain the contaminated waste from the compounders industrial site in Monmouth County.

More than 400 damaged drums of suspected hazardous material stored here, possibly for decades.

The EPA is running this as an emergency Superfund cleanup, says the site coordinator.

>> Right now our short-term focus is securing all the drums that may be leaking or in poor condition.

We packed them into a larger drum and also just identify what type of hazardous materials could be found in these containers.

Reporter: Machines packed dilapidated drums and dirt inside of new drums to be tested and brought to disposal dumps.

Scenes like this alarmed residents who worry about air and water quality.

The township quickly established an evacuation plan for folks living up to a mile away.

They are still worried.

>> The safety concerns are also four people in the area and the event of a worst-case scenario, evacuation zone.

There are three schools within the evacuation zone, in excess of 4000 students.

>> It is more secure than it has been in prior decades.

Reporter: The office of emergency management says the evacuation maps are for caution, not an order.

The EPA set up air monitors and tester groundwater 500 yards away, finding no contamination so far.

>> The EPA is working on site every day.

When they are not working we have security that guards the property at night.

It is fully fenced in.

>> The response I'm seeing now is fantastic.

EPA has stepped up.

They have done everything we have asked with community outreach.

Reporter: The property impacts residents in Howell and nearby Farmingdale.

The asphalt is what official suspect caught fire in an old furnace back in February, drawing firefighters who discovered the site abandoned and littered with drums.

But it is far from the first problem for compounders.

In 2002, there was a chemical fire here and they reported finding stacked drums, some containing TCE, and vinyl chloride.

Shouldn't this have been resolved years ago?

>> Absolutely.

Reporter: The DEP in March and April levied more than a million dollars in fines, charging they operated the facility without proper permits, failed to mitigate the risk of fire, explosion of hazardous waste, did not complete site remediation, enclosed and sold the company to a new LLC without proper notice to regulators.

Some violations go back more than a decade.

Residents want answers.

>> It slipped through the cracks and nothing was done.

They had financial difficulties decades ago.

There was no impetus on the property owner to get the work done because they had no money to get the work done.

>> The DEP needs to find out who was responsible, who dropped the ball in the oversight process, and if criminal charges are warranted to bring them to the owners.

Reporter: The Farmingdale water supply is not affected, but Howell want private wells tested and more transparency.

The EPA is working on it.

>> So far a lot of the drums appeared to be related to the former site operations.

We are doing mostly field categorization.

We will send out samples for lab analysis.

Reporter: It could take six to eight months to get answers.

We got no reply from the business agent.

Brenda Flanagan, "NJ Spotlight News."

♪ Briana: In the spotlight on business report, more residents are enjoying legal weed roughly a year after recreational use was legalized in the state.

A new poll today from Stockton University finds about one third of adults in New Jersey have used marijuana or other cannabis products since the market opened.

About 6% to 9% bought the product from a licensed dispensary.

86% gave the experience top marks, but despite the open legal market, roughly 30% said they bought marijuana from an unlicensed dealer.

A lot of them said they did so because the prices and taxes at legal dispensaries were too high.

The main reason came down to location.

There were no legal dispensaries operating nearby.

The poll also finds the same amount of adult residents, about one third, visit a brewery in the past year and oppose the state ban on food sales at those locations.

Speaking of beer, one of the state's most popular craft beer companies is expanding and buying out the competition.

Cape May Brill company announced Monday it is acquiring Flying Fish Beer.

The beer is not going anywhere, Flying Fish will continue to be distributed by wholesale partners, but Cape May Brewing will acquire all of its assets, allowing the craft beer company to expand warehouse and production space.

In a statement they say the CEO for Cape May Brewing called it a milestone for both brewers that will allow them to expand their portfolio and the industry in New Jersey.

The takeover is expected to be finalized next month.

New Jersey is getting more aid from the federal government to help renters facing financial hardship.

The state will receive about $31 million in rental assistance funding.

According to state officials, that is enough money to help with about 2500 to 3000 families already on the waitlist for New Jersey's emergency rental assistance program.

According to state records there are more than 30,000 families in need on that list, which is now closed to new applicants.

The state says families in the program are awarded nearly $9,000 on average, which has helped tens of thousands stay in their homes.

Through the pandemic New Jersey received a billion dollars of rental assistance funding.

Officials say the need is another example of how this public health crisis continues to impact daily life.

Stocks tumbled to start the Des Peres here is how the markets closed.

Stocks tumbled to start the day.

Here is how the markets closed.

>> Support for the Business Report provided by New Jersey water.

We keep life flowing.

♪ Briana: Another setback for the Gibbstown gas project.

The federal Department of Transportation denied a special rail permit to a subsidiary of new fortress energy that would have allowed the company to transport liquefied natural gas to proposed export facility on the Delaware River and Gibbstown Gloucester County.

It marked a major win for environmental and community groups that have been fighting the permit since 2019 and the project more broadly, calling for an end of transport by rail.

They cite the hazardous and flammable nature and say it will pass through communities of color already overburdened with environmental injustices.

The environmental group say they are focusing on getting federal regulators to reinstate a ban on transporting LNG by rail.

That will do it for us tonight.

Reminder that you can now listen to "NJ Spotlight News" any time via podcast wherever you stream.

Make sure that you download it and check us out.

I'm Briana Vannozzi.

For the entire "NJ Spotlight News" team, thanks for being with us.

Have a great evening.

I'll see you back here tomorrow.

♪ >> The members of the New Jersey Education Association, making public schools great for every child.

RWJ Barnabas Health, let's be healthy together.

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

♪