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and Orsted.

Brianna: Opioid Settlement.

Another major company agrees to pay hundreds of millions of dollars for its role in our country's addiction and overdose crisis.

The FBI seeks to calm the public about drone sightings in the skies over New Jersey.

>> If you don't know where they're coming from, how do you know they don't Pose a threat?

Brianna: A troubling report that uncovered a large Medicaid scam.

What is being described as one of the worst nursing homes in New Jersey.

>> They profited on the despair of people who want to better care but had no way to get it.

Brianna: Both the Supreme Court decides the fate of gender affirming health care for youth, advocates are fighting to safeguard the protections in the state.

>> I think parents of transgender young people across the country are really scared, because this care is in jeopardy and some anyways.

Brianna: NJ Spotlight News begins right now.

♪ Announcer: From NJ PBS Studios, this is NJ Spotlight News with Brianna Vannozzi.

Brianna: Thank you for joining us this Friday night.

I am Brianna Vannozzi.

A few of the top headlines.

Other major domino falls as the federal government continues its investigation into the country's addiction and overdose crisis, and who is responsible for it.

The U.S. Justice Department announced McKinsey and Company will pay a $650 million settlement for its role in the growing sales of opioids.

The Justice Department says Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin paid McKinsey $93 million over 15 years to help boost sales of OxyContin, including identifying which doctors would generate the most prescriptions for the drug.

Investigators say the actions caused many patients to receive a prescription with no medically accepted reason, making the pills unsafe and ineffective for them.

The Justice Department says this was part of a strategy to market and boost sales without regard for patient risk for health.

In a statement, McKinsey said it should have, "appreciated the harm opioids were causing in our society and should not have worked with Purdue Pharma."

Federal state and local governments have agreed to $50 billion worth of settlements with drugmakers and pharmacies, with most of the money being used to combat the crisis.

Breaking news.

Manhattan federal judge Sidney Stein has denied U.S.

Senator Bob Menendez's request to dismiss his guilty verdict and grant a new trial.

Menendez was found guilty on 16 counts of federal bribery and corruption charges over the summer.

The Former Senator and his two codefendants are scheduled to be sentenced on January 29.

Thousands of airport workers across New Jersey and New York will get the pay raise they have been fighting for.

The Port Authority approved a $9.4 billion budget.

Included are annual raises for the more than 10,000 airport workers at JFK, LaGuardia and Newark airports.

Increasing to $25 an hour by 2032.

Those workers currently make $19 an hour.

The union represented the worker called the increases a decisive victory that will help them keep up with the cost of living and help employers retain workers.

The union had fought for a $25 per hour benchmark for months.

Governor Murphy and Hogle signed on last month, proposing the increases while allowing concession operators in the airports to raise prices to offset the wage increase.

The companies will be able to charge 15% higher prices compared to off airport prices.

Workers will receive multiple pay bumps totaling $2.25 over the next 13 months, followed by annual increases tied to inflation.

There is still no concrete answers about the mysterious drone sightings in New Jersey.

The FBI and Homeland security are continuing to reassure the public any drone to spot a safety threat, though they have not said for sure where they are coming from.

Many experts believe most of what residents are seeing are actually airplanes and other manned aircraft.

At the same time lawmakers on the state, federal and local levels are calling for more transparency and involvement from the White House, pointing to recent alleged drone activity over critical infrastructure like military installations as calls for concern.

Governor Murphy reached out directly to President Biden, sending him a letter about his growing concern over the sightings and lack of answers.

As Ted Goldberg reports, some feta presidents and elected officials are starting to take matters into their own hands, determined to uncover the truth behind the mystery in the skies.

Ted: New Jersey's elected Democrats and Republicans have found common ground on the unknown drones up in the air.

The feds maintain the drones don't pose a threat but they have not said who is flying the drones, or where they come from.

>> That clearly is ludicrous will >> That statement is incongruent to sensibility.

>> When you don't know the origin, the operator and where they ended up you cannot say there is no threat.

>> If you don't know where they're coming from, how do you know they don't pose a threat?

Ted: The Senate President had a briefing and tells me he asked for an update this morning.

They have flown around New Jersey for a few weeks now, breaking the law by occasionally turning off their lights at night and not registering with the federal aviation administration.

>> It seems that the federal government should do something to identify those flying objects, whether it is capture, shooting it down over a safe area while they can't.

They have the technology that the state does not have.

>> I represent District 24, which is heavily condensed with hunters, gunowners, 2A advocates.

You can't tell me where there is not a point where someone will take matters into their own hands.

They could have tragic circumstances will Ted: Senator Andy Kim joint law enforcement spotting drones near round Valley reservoir in North Huntington high school.

>> It is alarming a lot of people.

I will certainly be having follow-up conversations with the FBI, Homeland security, the governor's office.

>> They do not know where they are coming from.

They should find out, because otherwise the public is going to continue to have anxiety and other narratives as to what their source is.

>> I understand weather is "conspiracy theories," but I don't like to call them that.

I like to say people are doing their own investigation.

Ted: As recently as yesterday Congress meant Jeff Van Drew says he had sources telling him Iran was flying the drones from a nearby ship despite repeated denials from the Pentagon.

>> I hope and I pray my sources are wrong.

They could be.

I hope there is no threat.

But hope alone is not a plan.

The fact is we cannot ignore and we cannot just look away.

Ted: He walked back his claim this morning, saying new satellite images show drone ships are currently stationed off the southern coast of Iran.

This new information only brings us closer to figuring out what is really going on.

It is unacceptable to hear the government contradict itself by saying they do not know who is operating the drones.

While at the same time telling us there is no reason to be concerned.

>> If a nationstate was flying drones, they will not have lights on and they will not fly at that altitude for people can hear.

We do it all the time overseas.

Ted: Rob D'Amico used to lead the FBI counter drone unit and spoke with NJ Spotlight News yesterday.

While he agrees the drones over concern, he thinks most of the sightings are not anything out of the ordinary.

>> I truly think 90% of the sightings are manned aircraft.

When you look at them and the landing lights and the navigation lights and how they fly, they are manned aircraft.

>> There are a number of false reports.

At the end of the day there is definitely something that is concerning and concerning our resident.

Ted: Sean Golden is the sheriff of Monmouth County were drones have been seen flying over Naval weapons Station Earl.

Golden hopes Governor Phil Murphy will declare a temporary declaration of emergency to stop drones from flying at night.

>> The declaration would draw attention to the state and the fact the governor does need federal resources to help.

That would assist him in activating the air National Guard to they can do patrol and observation.

Ted: The governor wrote to the White House asking for answers.

While drones have been spotted in Delaware, bringing the mystery across state lines.

For NJ Spotlight News, I am Ted Goldberg.

Brianna: We are learning details about the scathing report on what the state comptroller calls one of the worst nursing homes in New Jersey.

The operators of the South Jersey extended care are accused of running a massive and long-running Medicaid scam.

An investigation revealed two operators were running the show from behind the scenes even after being barred from operating nursing homes and other states.

Questions remain about the future of South Jersey extended care and a second home Lyons and Nabel shade, including whether they will shut down for good, leaving 200 residents without a place to find care and support.

Senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan spoke to the state ombudsman and advocates about what happens next.

>> They profited off people who want to better care but no way to get it.

Brenda: New Jersey's watchdog described appalling neglect at the worst rated nursing home, South Jersey's tender care in Bridgeton.

It is documented in a scathing report alleging operators conspired to swindle $45 million in taxpayer dollars out of the system over five years with a misleading corporate setup.

>> That was the set up for their scam.

Straw owner.

Falsely pretending they were not in control.

Keep it close in the family.

Inflate costs while extracting profits and provide poor quality care.

They exploited the poor, the sick, the elderly.

Brenda: Acting comptroller Kevin Wells said Stephen Krausman and Michael Koenig actually controlled everything.

He explained they cap the facility shortstaffed and patient care compromised.

>> It was a sleight-of-hand.

Look over here, so regulators would not know what they were up to.

>> It means they were bad outcomes.

Use of antipsychotic medications.

The people have suffered and they have made a lot of money.

Brenda: The ombudsman applauds the comptroller's deep dive.

Wallace will suspend them from Jersey's Medicaid program here and at its one star sister facility within 60 days.

Krausman and Koenig operated a network of 10 facilities among New Jersey's worst but it takes forensic auditing to uncover.

>> If you are finding it here, how do you know it doesn't exist anyplace else?

You don't.

You just don't know.

I think it is long past time we looked deeply into the finances of these types of nursing homes and try to figure out where the money is going.

>> 75% of New Jersey homes are for-profit corporations.

They have a complex pride initial arrangement -- financial arrangement.

They are taxpayer dollars.

There is absolutely very little oversight on how those dollars are spent and how much goes to patient care and how much is just going to line the pockets of the owners.

Brenda: Advocates back a bill sponsored by Joe Vitelli that would require complete transparency around nursing home finances and ownership.

Turns out Koenig was banned by Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Industry lobbyists call disclosures and unfunded mandate.

>> No one objects to the state auditing financial statements that are submitted to the state.

No one objects to the state assuring the accuracy of the records.

Bully object to is the state trying to pass off the cost of that auditing program onto providers without increasing payment rates of anyway -- in any way.

Brenda: Koenig's nursing homes are not part of his association.

Others save Medicare and Medicaid facilities should be transparent.

>> These are companies that are paying, using taxpayer dollars to pay themselves money for services we can't guarantee they are providing.

That is the point here.

We are not asking random companies out there to provide information.

Brenda: An attorney calls a defamatory and wholly unsupportable.

Meanwhile Jersey's Department of health issued a plan of action to South Jersey extended care requiring it to higher an administrator and produce financial records.

Without government funding the facility and Sterling face possible closure.

I am Brenda Flanagan, NJ Spotlight News.

Brianna: Lawmakers are respected to push back New Jersey's June primary by a week to avoid coinciding with the Jewish holiday.

Yesterday the state's top three Democrats said they support moving the primary to June 10 since the currently scheduled date of June 3 coincides with the celebration.

Jewish leaders are requesting the date change because many observant Jews do not travel, dry or use electronics or write during the holiday.

The governor, next to Terry and Speaker Craig Coghlan said that support the shift to ensure full access to in-person voting on election day, and a bill cosponsored by Scoteri will be considered by lawmakers on Monday.

Another big change is coming for next year's June primary.

Yesterday lawmakers held a hearing on a bill to redesign the states primary ballots and it is getting mixed reviews.

The legislation will replace Jersey's unique partyline ballot with an office block design similar to what is used in virtually every other state.

The devil, as they say, is in the details.

Project Senator Colleen O'Dea joins me now with the latest.

We had months of debate over this, public hearings and a bill was just introduced.

What type of ballot can voters expect to see in June?

>> For Democrats it should look about the same as it did this year.

Republicans did not have the office block ballot because of a judge's ruling.

It is essentially going to look cleaner is the word everyone uses so you have the name of the office and the names of the candidates underneath.

No more of these long lines and open spaces before you find out the candidates.

It is essentially what almost every other state in the nation uses.

Brianna: This all stems from research and lawsuits about the party line favoring those who were backed by County parties.

It looks as though, at least in the iteration of the ballot design that has been proposed now in this legislation that could still continue but in another form.

Can you explain that?

Colleen: There was a lot of discussion of slogans.

The slogan is that the thing that goes under your name that says you are a Democrat or a -- whoever you are.

That is usually where in addition to having the party line we had on the ballot we would have essentially the trademark name of the committee.

The County Democratic committee or Bergen County Democratic committee.

Whatever name they have come up with.

Those slogans will still be on the ballot, at least in this bill's iteration.

One of the interesting things is that this bill currently says unless you get permission from one of these County parties you would not be able to use the name Democrat or Republican.

In other words, to try to confuse people who might think you got the party endorsement when you didn't.

Just about everyone -- it was everyone yesterday at the hearing cried foul over this.

The vast majority want no slogans and certainly they think preventing somebody from using their own slogan as long as it is not a county party name is ridiculous.

Brianna: The whole point was that you should not be able to differentiate which candidates have organizational backing in which don't.

Could we expect to see that change before the vote on Monday?

Are you anticipating amendments to be made?

Colleen: There was talk there might be some language amendments.

I'm not sure the idea of the loss of a slogan is going to be one of those.

This is still a first step.

The special committee is going to hear and presumably release the bill on Monday.

Then it will have to go at least to the full assembly.

It might have to go to the budget committee, because there may be some cost involved.

We are not sure yet.

It also has to go to the Senate and we have heard nothing from the Senate about what they feel about this.

Brianna: The lawsuits filed eventually deemed this first type of ballot unconstitutional, the partyline ballot.

The mentis of any legal challenges to this new proposal?

Colleen: I think it will depend on what the ultimate final resolution is and what it looks like.

I can tell you I have spoken to the lawyers who were involved in the case that was originally brought.

There were two cases about this.

They said they certainly reserved the right if they think this bill continues to try to maintain some sort of, you know, gives preferential treatment to certain candidates over others.

They are ready to go back to court.

Brianna: We will cover this on Monday.

Colleen O'Dea, thank you so much.

Concerns over the future of gender affirming care for trans youth in the U.S. are growing after the House of Representatives passed a last-minute addition to a military policy bill that would bar the transgender children of service members from gender affirming medical care.

The added language sparked opposition from some Democrats who usually vote in favor of what is typically a bipartisan bill.

Just two New Jersey Democrats joined House Republicans in voting in favor of the bill, Mikey Cheryl and Josh Gottheimer, who are both candidates in the governor's race.

Cheryl said she was disgusted by the anti-transgender language in the bill.

The vote comes just a week after the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments over whether to uphold a Tennessee law that bans minors from accessing gender affirming care.

In New Jersey, access to treatments are currently protected but has not stopped fears growing from the trans community that those rights could be taken away.

Joanna Gagis has the story.

>> Our patients are alarmed to put it mildly but in a state of panic realistically.

Joanna: Dr. Jonathan Keith works with transgender individuals and those questioning their gender identity.

He says they are watching nervously as the U.S. Supreme Court considers whether to uphold a ban in the state of Tennessee on puberty blockers and other hormone therapy for transgender teens.

>> Parents of young people across the country are really scared, because this care is in jeopardy.

It is already not able to be accessed in so many states.

Joanna: 24 states, including Tennessee have passed such bans.

Jamie has a daughter who did have access to those treatments here in New Jersey.

>> I am not sure what life would look like if Rebecca did not have access to the medical care that is evidence-based and medically necessary.

When she was able to step into her identity as who she is, she thrived.

She has a light in her that exploded everywhere.

Prior to her transition she really struggled with depression and anxiety and navigating the world.

Joanna: Something Samuel Hollenbeck says he experienced when he was going through puberty before transitioning.

>> If I could go back in time I would have wanted to go on purity blockers.

That would have given me more time.

I would not have felt the resentment and the fear and the pain of my body growing and changing into something that I did not recognize.

That I was not comfortable with anymore.

>> When you have a young patient and a family that is coming to grips with the new diagnosis of gender dysphoria but they are looking down the barrel of puberty and having to live in the body with the secondary sexual characteristics that don't match their gender identity, that is all most a death sentence for a lot of these young people.

Suicide ideation and completion is very high in the patient population.

Upwards of 70% over the course of a lifetime with the diagnosis of gender dysphoria if untreated.

Joanna: Dr. Keith says it is similar to those given to young boys with growth challenges.

The Tennessee law very specifically only limits hormone therapy for transgender youth, leading the plaintiffs to call it discrimination based on sex.

Based on oral argument, the justices seemed poised to leave it to the states and well transgender people in New Jersey have access to hormone therapy, many are concerned national bans could be put in place under a Trump administration and the laws guaranteeing their care in New Jersey could end with the Murphy administration.

>> There are some statutes that specifically protect health care access for transgender people and more generally prohibit discrimination against transgender people in New Jersey.

It is true the strongest protections that also protect folks coming from out of state, the ability to provide care in-state, those are codified in an executive order.

Joanna: Medical providers and others are seeing folks in the transgender community trying to get ahead of those changes.

>> We have patients calling every day to see if they could move their surgery date up as early as possible.

Everybody wanted to have their surgery before the change in the administration in January.

That is not possible.

Our surgical schedule is booked until January of 2026.

We have already set what would to.

We are trying to adjust and move people as much as possible.

>> The most important thing is that medical care decisions should be made between medical care providers and families.

That legislators don't belong in that.

If this is upheld, it is a really scary prospect for all kinds of individuals and the medical care.

-- there medical care.

If we decide legislators and the court can determine who has access to what care, that is a really big devastating impact to medical autonomy.

Joanna: The court is inspected to decide the case in June.

For now uncertainty abounds for this small but shaken community.

I'm Joanna Gagis, NJ Spotlight News.

Brianna: That will do it for us tonight.

Make sure you catch Reporters Roundtable with David Cruz this weekend.

David talks to Micah Rasmussen about the stories and newsmakers of 2024.

A panel of local journalist talk all the week's political headlines.

That is Saturday at 6:00 p.m. and Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m., both here on NJPBS.

A little holiday fun with Jersey's own Everett Bradley and actor John McGinley talking the state's contribution to music and the arts.

That is Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday morning at 10:30 .

I am Brianna Vannozzi.

From the entire team at NJ Spotlight News have a wonderful weekend and see you back here on Monday.

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We are committed to empowering communities.

We work hand-in-hand with you, our neighbors to educate young people, support research, environmental sustainability and equitable opportunities, provide training and other services all over New Jersey and Long Island.

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