>> tonight on NJ Spotlight News, Supreme Court showdown.

An appeals court favors restrictions on the distribution of the worship hill.

-- the abortion pill.

>> we had the district court saying no, we need to rollback what the FDA has done.

>> smoke-free New Jersey, the fight to protect Garden State youth from tobacco as a ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars is imminent.

>> passing the law as a first step that we need to do more on the enforcement side.

>> shutting down Boston market, dozens of the famed restaurant is close to death forced to close doors after they faced allegations of millions.

>> whether it be a small business on Main Street or a large corporate multinational, all get treated equal under the law.

>> Hamden schools host enrollment fares to ensure children are enrolled in preschool and boost post-pandemic numbers.

>> it's wonderful, a lot of kids are not able to get those resources, so for them to provide that.

>> NJ Spotlight News begins now.

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From NJ PBS this is NJ Spotlight News with Rhianna.

>> thank you for joining us this Thursday night.

A Supreme Court showdown is on the horizon after a federal appeals court on Wednesday issued a ruling on the abortion medication pill Mifepristone.

The court says the drug should remain legal for now but with significant restrictions.

The FDA approved Mifepristone 23 years ago and today it is widely used.

Medication abortions account for half of all abortions in the U.S..

The Fifth Circuit ruled actions the FDA took to make the pill available to pregnant people were illegal.

The decision would ban the pill from being obtained through telemedicine appointments and by mail.

Patients would have to get a prescription by a doctor and have three follow-up appointments.

The ruling is on because until be Supreme Court makes a decision on the case for more on what that means for New Jersey where abortion remains legal, I'm going to buy Rutgers law professor Kim.

Always good to have your voice on this.

The important thing to note is everything it remains status quo for now.

But what does change, if anything, in the immediate before the Supreme Court intervenes?

>> nothing, and that is the most important message at this point.

You know, everything that's happened in this case so far is preliminary.

It is all procedural and it is all trying to figure out what is going to happen to access to Mifepristone while there is a trial to get to the merits of the case.

So we are in the beginning stages and thus day that the Supreme Court issued when we had got the initial decisions in this case last spring I guess, late winter, early spring, that is in place.

What the Supreme Court said was everything is going to stay exactly the same during the pending proceedings unless and until the Supreme Court gets the case in front of them.

The Justice Department is going to appeal with the Fifth Circuit did, it will go back to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court will probably say the standard remains in place and then we will go down to the District Court have a trial on the merits of this thing.

>> this is the same Supreme Court that overturned Roe v. Wade.

What can we expect or what do you expect as someone with a lot of expertise in this area to come from this court, to come from these justices Russ?

k >> the majority of the court will want it to stay and we might have a few dissents.

But there is some sense -- this is me giving too much credit to the justices but I'm going to keep trying, I have some sense that the turmoil that would be created by the siding thatm cannot be on the market anymore, that would be huge, it's been on the market since 2000, or rolling back the changes that the FDA has made to how Mifepristone gets distributed since 2016, that would be a big deal.

To give you a sense of what that would mean, if we took the Fifth Circuit opinion and went back and said any changes made a post 2016 will not be in effect, now you have to go to three doctors appointments and you have to physically be in the space because you can no longer dispense telehealth.

It rolls back the number of weeks of pregnancy where somebody can use medication abortion.

It rolls back who can prescribe medication abortions.

It would be only physicians and people with scribing power.

Whatever happens, that would be alive.

Keeping things status quo is what makes sense at this point so I think that is what the Supreme Court will do and it certainly is what they should do.

>> remind us quickly, there was a lawsuit wrought by a group of Democrats regarding Mifepristone .

Where does that stand and where is it headed?

>> we are on a collision course and a collision course is kind of a good thing.

When you're talking about cases like this, a collision course is what takes you to the Supreme Court.

what we had in the other case was a court that made a different decision from what the circuit did and what the district did in this particular case read on one hand, we have a court that is saying Mifepristone is fine and what the FDA did to approve it is fine, then we have the District Court and the Fifth Circuit saying no, no, no, no, we need to roll back some of what the FDA has done when you have that split in the circuits, that is what sends a case to the Supreme Court.

This court as you suggested has not been friendly at all to abortion access and abortion rights, at least the majority of the court.

if this case gets to the Supreme Court on the merits, I have some concerns about how that might turn out.

>> Rutgers Camden law professor Kim, thank you so much.

The ban on menthol cigarettes appears closer than ever without -- with the state legislature and FDA making moves to take the products off the market today a group of stakeholders met at Rutgers University to go over first of its kind research into tobacco use the school has been tracking consumer behavior and found despite age restrictions and bands on other certain nicotine products, they are ending up in the hands of our youth.

Senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan reports.

>> I just see vapor and electric cigarettes very prevalent across campus.

>> this Rutgers Junior says on campuses and neighborhoods in New Jersey flavored tobacco is common despite state laws and FDA recommendations against candy and fruit wavered e -cigarettes.

They are trying to keep young folks from a lifetime of nicotine addiction.

Menthol, still legal, anti-tobacco advocates say it is a student favorite.

>> the argument I hear is it is cool, it numbs your throat, it is not harmful, not addictive.

>> were trying to ensure everyone has an opportunity to make the right decision.

>> historically marketed to the black community by big tobacco, menthol tobacco products comprise 40% of tobacco sales in New Jersey.

One poll showed 80% of black adults who smoke cigarettes prefer menthol and when an advocacy group sent under age members around New Jersey to see what they could buy they logged 190 two underage tobacco sales.

>> out of those, 64% of those work for menthol cigarettes.

>> what does that tell you?

>> young people are using menthol cigarettes because there is no harshness when you inhale, they are easier to get addicted to.

>> meanwhile's the Rutgers Institute for nicotine and tobacco studies investigated retail shelves New Jersey and they were not surprised says director Christina.

>> we did 600 buys for a variety of product and are buy rates were 40%.

>> we discovered a rainbow of the vape products by a company called Lofa but in New Jersey.

>> these products were bought by 18 to 20-year-old underage buyers in New Jersey stores, so they should not be on the market New Jersey additionally, they do not have FDA authorization.

>> NJ Spotlight News called the company in Clifton about how they manufacture and market these products.

They hung up on us twice.

>> I think it highlights the fact that the tobacco companies are trying to use flavors as a way of inducing young people to smoke.

>> one recent study shows teens who vape for one month can experience shortness of breath and heightened risk of bronchitis.

Congressman Frank Polona expects federal action soon.

>> the FDA is supposed to by the end of the month give us a rule that says no more menthol products.

But, you know, we will see.

It may take a while for them to take effect.

>> a bill to ban may follow -- menthol products has been opposed by New Jersey's food Council which argues that could impact stills at Dutch sales at -- sales at small stores and they argue New Jersey should advocate rather than enforce.

>> there's not enough effort put into enforcement and it is left to local municipalities to follow up on.

Passing the law is the first step but we need to do more on the enforcement side.

>> I am Brenda Flanagan, NJ Spotlight News.

>> support for the medical report is provided by Verizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.

>> changes are coming to Rutgers University in Newark and local officials are not happy about it.

The administration of -- announced Nancy Cantor the Chancellor for the last 10 years will step down at the end of her contract next summer.

The announcement came as a surprise and sparked outrage from Newark Mayor who responded with a letter to the University asking leaders to reconsider.

Several commenters -- lawmakers signed on and even the CEO of NJ pack.

The representative was deeply disturbed by the decision.

According to reports, Cantor is not stepping down voluntarily.

A spokesperson for Rutgers said in a statement Cantor's set a standard for university partnerships.

She will have the option of returning as a university professor which has lifetime tenure.

A Middlesex County grand jury has indicted the Virginia man charged with during a councilwoman.

29-year-old Rashida Bynum is accused of shooting councilwoman Eunice in her car this past February.

Bynum was extradited to New Jersey after Governor Murphy made a formal request to Virginia's governor to allow him to face charges here.

Bynum is indicted on first-degree murder, second degree on full -- unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

Bynum's contact information was in the phone.

They were a pastor who counseled Bynum several years ago.

Arraignment and detention hearing are scheduled for August 28.

State labor officials are temporarily shut down more than 2000 dozen -- Boston market restaurants after finding violations of workers rights, including more than half a million dollars in back wages owed to hundreds of employees.

The franchise has been slapped with hefty fines in as Raven Santana reports experts believe the violations are more common than we know.

>> this is a statewide case, prompted when our investigators received a complaint.

>> the next time you visit Boston market you might see these red stop work order signs because the New Jersey Department of workforce development ordered more than 2000 locations to close after an internal investigation that they amassed more than 2.5 million dollars in damages, fees, penalties, including more than hundred thousand dollars owed to 314 workers.

>> three dozen additional workers have come forward.

>> this Boston market is one of 27 throughout the state that has been ordered to stop operating due to multiple violations to workers rights.

Now the Department of Labor says it is all in an effort to stop future violations.

>> the stop work order process approved by Governor Murphy in 2018, there is an expedited appeal process, so the owners have the right to appeal and we need to give him a hearing within seven days.

Importantly as part of the law, workers will be paid for up to 10 days during a stop work order.

>> Boston markets operates all across the U.S., all across the map.

You can go in and it is the same store, aesthetic, food, menu, little local variations, but the thing that is different from state to state as we have different labor laws in place.

In New Jersey we have strong labor protections to protect workers rights.

A company like that needs to be very mindful of what the different laws are in place when they are operating franchises in different locations.

>> Tom is an assistant professor of labor studies and employment at Rutgers University.

They say the investigation could in turn a whole big franchises accountable in the future.

>> it is a big deal to see this happen, but I think it is a lot more common and widespread than we realize.

This is really bringing it to light, having charges in place, but I'm sure there's violations like this happening all across the labor market with various other companies it is encouraging for people to see that there are charges being filed and an employer is being held to account and forced comply with the law.

>> we reached out to Boston market but they did not immediately respond to our request.

The Altman goal is to protect all businesses, whether it be a small mom and pop on Main Street or a large corporate multinational on Wall Street.

For NJ Spotlight News, Raven Santana.

>> in our spotlight on business report, if you received a property tax rebate this spring through the states anchor program, keep an I on the mailbox.

The Murphy administration says 1.3 million renters and homeowners who initially qualified will automatically be reenrolled for the rebates.

It could be as high as $1700.

While it is likely welcome news, some critics are calling into question the timing of the payments.

For more I'm joined by budget and finance writer John Mayer.

Good to see you.

Let's talk first about the fact that he no longer have to apply for the rebate, that is kind of a big deal.

>> it is for two groups here.

More than one million people, you do not have to apply, you will be automatically enrolled in payments based on participation in the first phase that occurred earlier this year, so that is one group.

There is another group of people who may be eligible or for some other reason, they meet the standards and did not participate a bunch of applications will be going out this month to those people, 2 million people are going to be getting applications.

They will be able to jump in as well, but there is a big group that has been participating, they are automatically enrolled and they will be getting letters to confirm their automatic enrollment and give them an opportunity to change any key information.

Anchor comes as a check or a direct deposit, you need to change her bank account information or anything, your do that by September 30 everyone else who gets the application has to get that in by December 29.

>> this is important because folks potentially are getting two checks.

Previous programs, it was taken off your property tax bill, cash in your hands.

Not just that, but twice in one year.

Is this a political move?

Is this because the state is flush with money right now?

>> yes.

I think it is probably partly both things.

The state budget that was enacted at the end of June, the fiscal year budget would $2 million for anchor, a big number for direct property tax relief of them.

The state had a big surplus.

The timing of this, these things used to happen in the spring.

The state collects money and income tax payments in the spring and would fund these benefits, but now the state has a lot of money on hand read they are moving up the timeline.

But also we cannot be a current of the fact that an election is coming up.

>> all 120 legislators on the ballot.

>> lawmakers love if you remember two years ago, there was income tax up to $500 check that went out to many families that arrived just before the election.

There is a long history of these election-year sweeteners and so it works out that it works from a budgeting perspective this year, but winds up very nicely with the election cycle if you are an incumbent lawmaker.

>> I read statements from a Mike test, others who are likening the Murphy administration and Democrats with Santa Claus handing out these texts.

-- these checks.

How much does that play into voters minds when they head to the pole and a gotten another check in the mail?

>> it can't hurt and we saw a poll data that indicates the approval rating is pretty low.

Some questions about how Governor Murphy has handled the issue of property taxes.

I'm sure it cannot hurt.

One quick thing to note, the budget enacted has a structural deficit, so the state will collect less from taxpayers than it will spend over the fiscal year, so when you are spending $2 billion on property tax relief that is part of the equation.

>> there has been talk also about how long the program can sustain, what do we know about that?

>> it's going to go as the economy goes.

Income tax funds this.

When receipts are flush there will be money for this.

The test will be when we see a recession, unemployment take up and wages fall, that will be the test because it is funded with income tax receipts.

>> thank you as always, John.

Wall Street is trying to recover from back-to-back losses this week.

Here is how stocks ended the day.

After preschool enrollment declines during the pandemic, school leaders in Camden decided they needed a new approach.

They have been going door-to-door and holding enrollment fares to make sure families have their little ones signed up for pre-k in September.

It is complete with music, food, prizes, health screenings, vaccinations and back to schools lies needed to start the year on the right foot.

Melissa Rose Cooper has the story.

>> kids in Camden are getting to have fun before they head back to the classroom next month while also getting some of the most important was they will need to succeed.

>> we have uniform vouchers.

If you need bookbags we have bookbags.

>> free laptops for kindergarten and newly enrolled students were on site.

The giveaway is part of the school district back to school enrollment and re-engagement fair.

It allows families to enroll children in their school.

Superintendent Christina says it is important for childhood programs.

>> we have multiple seats that we offer our young people.

To enter pre-k, free, free, absolutely free.

Pre-k at any of our locations .

>> children throughout the years and sometimes into adulthood, mainly in terms of life skills like collaboration, creativity, social skills.

>> they are department chair and Professor of early childhood education at the College of education at lowing University.

She says schools including New Jersey are trying to get enrollment numbers back up after dropping in the wake of the pandemic.

>> sometimes families were out of work, they were working remotely.

They had to have their children.

Not always by choice at home.

So we are recovering from that.

>> the district teaming up with Scholastic for the enrollment and re-engagement of vent, handing out take-home reading kits to students.

>> this is for the children of this district to walk away as lifelong readers and learners.

We anticipate a lot of curiosity and men touring moments and this will be shared not only in the classroom but the community.

We know from research that when students have access to a large number of books, guess what?

They are reading.

They have a more positive outlook as it relates to literacy.

We are excited to be here today.

>> as you can see, the kids are having a blast and parents say they are appreciative for the support they are getting today.

>> it's wonderful.

A lot of kids are not able to get those sort of resources, so for them to provide that is beautiful.

>> Maggie decided to check out the event with her 11-year-old daughter is entering 11th grade.

She is grateful for the help.

>> all the services that could possibly be needed in the school district, within the city.

It is wonderful.

>> is a testimony to the community and city, we are united to make sure young people know the importance and value of education.

But also we provided support for our families and they know that we are in this together.

>> families who have not enrolled their children can contact the district through its website or solution center and as long as seats are available, school officials say all students are welcome.

For NJ Spotlight News, Melissa Rose Cooper.

>> that's going to do it for us tonight, but a reminder, download the NJ Spotlight News podcast so you can listen anytime.

I am Briand of the nosy.

For the entire news team, thank you for being with us, have a great evening, we will see you back here tomorrow.

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