>> Major funding for "NJ Spotlight News" funded in part by NJM insurance group, serving residents and businesses for more than 100 years.

And by the PSEG foundation.

Briana: A judicial crisis, a backlog of nominations for the first time in five months.

>> We want qualified individuals who can make the decision so people can move their lives forward.

Briana: Plus, fighting words, calling the former president a bully and a dictator, Chris Christie lashing out at GOP front runners Trump hoping his attacks finally resonate with voters.

>> I am in this race because the truth needs to be spoken.

He is unfit.

He said this past week he wants to use the DOJ to go after his enemies when he gets in.

He is unfit to be president and there is no bigger issue in this race than Donald Trump.

Briana: Learning loss continues.

State test scores show slight improvement, but wide gaps still exist for communities of color.

>> Any kind of effort to do educational recovery has to have the tech to put us on an upward trajectory.

Briana: Do not harm.

>> Responsible prescribing is the first and best opportunity to stem the tide of addiction.

Briana: An initiative in Gloucester, Cumberland and Salem counties, strategies to combat opioid crisis.

Jewish --"NJ Spotlight News" begins now.

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

Raven: I am Raven Santana in for Briana Vannozzi.

Lawmakers in Trenton met as the lame-duck session continues in the state House.

Activist groups rallied for the so-called people possibly agenda urging lawmakers to pass more than a dozen stalled bills that would address same-day voter registration to permanent extension of the corporate business tax surcharge.

Money they argue the state could use for a good cause like funding and NJ transit.

Senators considered new nominations to address the long-running vacancy crisis in the state system.

Senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan reports.

>> I stand before you as the proud daughter.

>> She told her story to Senators poised to vote on her nomination to New Jersey Superior Court, one of 11 new nominees approved by the Senate Judiciary committee.

She pointed out her 90-year-old mom in the audience.

>> I was raised by a single mother who taught me the value of education, hard work, perseverance and determination.

Thanks to her sacrifices, I am living proof the American dream is attainable.

>> Way to go, Mom.

[APPLAUSE] >> I am the fruit of her labor and would not be here today if she did not have the courage to come to this country to give me a better life.

Reporter: viejo is a matrimonial lawyer.

If confirmed, she would serve in the family division.

>> A lot of experience in a tough area of the law.

Lots of folks do not love that assignment.

I know she would embrace it if she gets it and would be an expert off the bat.

Reporter: 19 already seede -- seated judges up for renewal.

11 new ones would fill vacancies.

Four counties have put civil and matrimonial trials on hold.

It impacts custody and child support cases, says the President-elect of the Passaic bar.

>> Those who suffer are the children.

They are forced to live in situations in which there is dysfunction, abuse between parties, and we are going to suffer the repercussions.

>> We appreciate the Senate president putting this huge group on today, reappointments and appointments.

We think it will make a difference.

Reporter: It would still leave the bench 56 judges short, says the head of the New Jersey Bar Association.

He says more are in the immediate pipeline.

>> There are 10 or 12 who should be put on the committee agenda.

Hopefully sooner than later.

>> I can only confirm who is nominated.

>> the Senate Presidentscutari bristles over the narrative saying they also rely on recall judges to fill the gaps.

Sources confirm 70 recall judges work in the system, but are just part-time.

Vacancies remain at critical levels.

>> The work that went into today's meeting.

The prep work is where the work is.

When someone is nominated by the governor, it is not the end.

It is the beginning of our process.

Reporter: New Jersey's Chief Justice issued a dire warning to work faster and put politics aside as they work to bringing the bench up to speed.

>> It is a balance between rushing to fill judgeships and making sure the people are screened.

I understand the concern and we should go as quickly as we can.

I am not saying we cannot move faster, but it is a strenuous process.

It works well when it works.

Reporter: The nominees still need to be confirmed by the Senate.

The next scheduled session is Monday, December 11.

Renda Flanagan "NJ Spotlight News."

Briana: The field of GOP presidential nominees is shrinking and one who is still standing is Jersey's own Chris Christie, one of four contenders at the fourth presidential -- Republican presidential debate.

He used the opportunity to take shots at his opponents, portraying them as immature and annoying, and the only one taking aim at Former President Trump, who was once against -- again absent from the debate.

>> The truth needs to be spoken.

He is unfit.

He just said this past week he wants to do use the Department of justice to go after his enemies when he gets in.

He is unfit to be president and says there is no bigger issue in this race than Donald Trump.

Raven: On the heels of a new poll that found Chris Christie the least popular nominee among voters.

With polling numbers being low many are questioning his refusal to drop out of the presidential race.

Joining me now to break it down is political colonist -- colu mnist, Charlie.

All eyes on Christie after barely making it on the stage, last in most polls.

Did he make his case to the American people to stay in this race?

Charlie: He made the case for his candidacy, the rationale, as the one that will speak on unvarnished terms, take his positions with clarity.

I had my doubts whether it is enough for him to stay in the race beyond New Hampshire, where he has staked his entire campaign.

Raven: There were lots of calls this week for him to drop out and put his support behind Nikki Haley.

Do you see that happening?

Charlie: I do see that happening.

The indicator or tell I would see from the debate is the way he came to her defense, it was very impassioned, responsible defense of her while Ramaswamy was going at her, almost with misogynistic rhetoric and tone.

He seemed to be signaling, opening the door to down the road possibly endorsing her or joining her team.

Raven: Definitely playing the game.

He is the only candidate taking on Trump.

Last night calling him a dictator, a bully, even an angry, bitter man.

Is that resonating on any level?

Charlie: It resonates with the never Trumpers.

And there is a growing but not substantial enough number of, we need somebody else Republicans, other than Trump.

Haley has a good portion of those.

She started to be the draw for that camp.

You do have Ron DeSantis, who has a portion of that camp.

Yeah.

I think that is where it resonates right now.

I do not think Christie is going to be able to galvanize enough of those voters.

Raven: What do you think his game plan is going forward?

Charlie: I think it is hoping to electrify that base, hoping there is enough growing discontent for Trump and that they will be looking for a genuine alternative and we hope that Ron DeSantis proves to be not worthy of the task.

The returns on that are showing that is the case.

That may be Nikki Haley is a flash in the pan and he stands to be this bold, unvarnished, truth teller who will be the responsible alternative to Donald Trump if Donald Trump crashes and burns on an indictment.

It is wishful thinking, a long shot.

Raven: We will have to wait and see.

Thank you for joining me.

Charlie: You are more than welcome.

Raven: David Cruz continues the Christie conversation tomorrow morning on "Reporters Roundtable."

Plus, all the weeks political headlines with a panel of local journalists.

That is tomorrow at noon on the "NJ Spotlight News" YouTube channel.

A vigil with over 20 community organizations including students for justice in Palestine Stockton University, and other universities held in New Brunswick, honored the more than 15,000 Palestinians killed by Israelis airstrikes.

They also demanded a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war, targeting a Congressman who last month attended a pro-war March for Israel in Washington, D.C. From London, I am joined by an Israel and Palestine director at human rights watch you investigates human rights abuses in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.

It is nearly two months since the deadly attack by Hamas on Israel.

There has been the retaliation that has resulted in over 15,000 Palestinian deaths.

Do you see this as genocide?

Is Israel committing apartheid?

>> It is clear they are committing war crimes.

Whenever you punish an entire civilian population, in the case of Gaza, more than 2.2 million people, half of whom are children, for the heinous act of fighters, that is a war crime, deliberately obstructing the entry of lifesaving aid is a war crime.

Starvation as a method or weapon is a war crime.

Human Rights Watch is documented is really authorities are committing crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution.

This is not unique to the recent two months.

We reported on this issue in 2021.

Years long, systematic oppression of Palestinians including those in Gaza, including a 16 year closure on Gaza, the generalized ban on travel.

A policy methodically to maintain domination by Jewish Israelis when it comes to access to land, resources, freedom of movement, legal status.

This happened October 6 and the years before.

We are seeing serious abuses.

We also documented war crimes of Palestinians including the horrendous October 7 attacks.

Raven: It has been difficult to talk.

Your discussion at Columbia was canceled many times, there were security approvals not raised before.

Do you believe free speech is being undermined on college campuses, especially around this issue?

Omar: When you see the climate in Europe and the U.S. around discussions of Israel and Palestine, it is concerning.

Human rights watch has documented how anti-boycott laws have been used to muzzle legitimate campaigns and Activision around human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory.

I was able to give the talk at Columbia, Harvard, Stanford, University of Chicago.

50 or 60 campuses in the U.S.

I am relatively privileged.

You look at students, faculty, we have alarming reports.

Student groups banned from doing events, the doxxing of student trucks, showing their personal information, job offers rescinded.

And legitimate concerns of anti-Arab, anti-Palestinian -- Raven: This is amid a larger environment of what some are calling censorship and people losing their jobs for speaking out in support of Palestinian rights, being called antisemitic.

What are your thoughts on the?

-- that?

Omar: We have talked about the Palestine exception to free expression.

There has been a years long tendency for students, faculty, others who speak out on Palestinian rights to be sanctioned for doing so.

Sometimes it is event cancellations or suspensions, people losing jobs.

It is a product of a climate in the U.S. where sometimes speech for Palestinian rights, people are punishing it because they disagree on the substance.

Raven: Thank you for joining me.

Omar: My pleasure.

Raven: New Jersey students rebounding from pre-Covid learning -- post-COVID learning loss, but gaps remain.

An assessment found Black and Hispanic students, those economically disadvantaged and with disabilities fall below the average proficiency level.

Melissa reports on how the latest scores have prompted concerns among education advocates.

Reporter: -- >> I have no shock or awe.

What we see as it relates to third reading, a deep concern is, it remains unchanged.

Reporter: Troubling concerns for the executive director of Jersey Can after learning the results of the latest learning assessments.

The report showing improvement of scores from 2022 to 2023, but data reveals students are still struggling with learning loss since the pandemic.

Only 51.3% in grades three through nine met English language arts proficiency, down from 37.6%.

Math scores dropping from 44% for the pandemic.

>> When we talk about pre-pandemic levels we were not in a fantastic place.

Any kind of effort to do education recovery has to have the heft to put us on an upward trajectory and build momentum year-over-year.

The way to do that is revamp our literacy infrastructure in the state of New Jersey to have a level of fidelity around best practices as it relates to the science of reading.

Reporter: Alarming disparities when it comes to race.

>> 61% of white students and 51% of all students were proficient in English compared to just 37% of Hispanic, Latino students and 33% of Black students.

Those are big gaps.

Reporter: That is why a senator and chair of the committee is pushing legislation and programs to curb the gap.

>> High dosage tutoring, that just kicked off.

It took longer than it should have.

There is a lot we need to do around that.

There is a lot we can do in identifying students needs outside the classroom.

We know mental health challenges, things that could be happening in the household, food insecurity, play a vital role in what is going on in a child's life.

Reporter: Betsy Ginsberg says even though testing scores only slightly improved, the fact that they did not stay flat or go down as a positive sign.

>> Testing will continue to improve because we will be farther away from Covid, students will be more receptive to learning.

The tutoring initiatives the state has supported are a good way of enhancing student learning.

To the extent districts and the state can help with this, have the resources to continue the supports they use for students in years one and two out of Covid.

If we can continue, it is the best way of addressing a multitude of student issues.

Reporter: Child advocates say it is proof more educational resources need to be available so all students can reach their full learning proficiency.

Raven: In our spotlight on business report, a month-long strike by South Jersey electrical workers is over.

The union that represents about 400 line men and other workers at Atlantic City electric ratified a new contract with the utility Tuesday.

The union had been on strike since November 5.

They enjoy the support of local officials.

Atlantic City electric had been relying on contract workers as replacements during that time.

The union demanded stronger health benefits and pensions along with new protections related to subcontract work.

The details are unclear but it includes pay increases and more vacation time.

Turning to Wall Street, in anticipation of the monthly jobs report tomorrow, here is how the markets closed today.

>> Support for the business report provided by Newark alliance which curates the Newark holiday festival, at the arts in education district.

Or details at Newark holidayfestival.com.

Raven: On business beat I will highlight the state of the Asian American and Asian Indian business communities including supporting their growth and challenges most business owners face in starting and running companies.

Watch it on "NJ Spotlight News" YouTube channel Saturday at 10:00 a.m. Raven: Prosecutors in Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem County joining forces with the medical community to counter the opioid crisis in South Jersey.

Part of the plan to create a scholarship to encourage doctors, nurses and dentists to join the partnership of the do not harm medical education course.

It offers opioid prescribing education and trains doctors on best practices, and how to responsibly prescribe opioids for pain management, breaking the cycle of addiction.

Ted Goldberg has more.

>> It is impossible to quantify the incredible losses we have suffered.

I know all of us have been to so many events where we have collectively mourned.

>> Each of those numbers is a life lost and a family shattered.

We will fight with all -- we will continue this fight with our partners.

Reporter: An online course could help reduce overdoses.

>> It is unwavering.

Reporter: -- >> The addictive population is one of the most vulnerable we take care of in the emergency department.

Vulnerable first several reasons.

Every community is different, but it comes from not being able to predict who is going to succumb to the disease of addiction.

Reporter: He says the opioid epidemic has changed, so law enforcement and medical providers have to change with it.

>> Fentanyl has additives liketranc -- like tranc.

It requires collaboration, sharing data.

We do not have access to a lot of data points we need to take care of the patient population.

Reporter: The course is provided by partnership for a drug-free New Jersey.

Prescribers statewide have become more careful about prescribing opioids after taking this course.

>> In New Jersey over 95% of prescribers who participated in previous do no harm continuing medical education program reported they learned best practices prescribing and 90% said this information helped shape the way they provided prescribing in their own local practice.

>> It seems to be an area where there is overprescribing of opioids by our doctors.

Reporter: In Salem County prosecutor says half the population is prescribed opioids.

>> Responsible prescribing is the first and best opportunity to stem the tide of addiction.

Reporter: The course will be available to health care providers in Salem, Gloucester and Cumberland counties.

>> Joint efforts can insure those who need medications receive them in a safe, effective protective environment.

Reporter: This does not mean attention will shift away from arresting people who illegally sell opioids or smuggle them.

>> Today's threat is exacerbated by all the Fentanyl pills coming out of Mexico.

Arresting and prosecuting those organizations is an important part of harm reduction, but we cannot arrest our way out of it.

Reporter: The per capita prescription rate is less than half of its peak in 2018.

That number could go even lower things to free programs like this one.

Ted Goldberg "NJ Spotlight News ."

Raven: That will do it for us tonight.

Don't forget to download the "NJ Spotlight News" news podcast so you can listen anytime.

I'm Raven Santana.

Thanks for being with us.

Have a great evening and we will see you tomorrow.

>> New Jersey education Association, making public schools great for every child.

And RWJBarnabas Health, let's be healthy together.