♪ ANNOUNCER: Funding for NJ Spotlight News is provided in part by -- The members of the New Jersey Education Association.

Making public schools great for every child.

And Orsted, committed to delivering clean, reliable, American-made energy.

Briana: Tonight, on day with a stroke of seven several pens, time to send a litany of executive orders mowing Assist change for the mission and for many in the Garden State.

SUE: this volume is large.

It reversed over 80 of Biden's executive orders just in the President alone, so the volume has definitely picked up here.

VIVIANA: Plus, an Arctic blast continues to slam New Jersey, bringing dangerously cold temperatures.

Also, NJ Decides 2025, Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla joins what is expected to be a contentious and costly contest in the distant 32 assembly race.

>> Being on the so-called party line, or with the party establishment, isn't necessarily a good thing.

Reporter: And, Governor Murphy pledges to bring free go-to Kindergarten to every district .

>> Understanding the investment in early education is critical to academic success.

Briana: "NJSpotlightNews" begins right now.

♪ ANNOUNCER: from NJPBS Studios, this is "NJSpotlightNews" with Briana Vannozzi.

Briana: Good evening and thanks for joining us, I am Briana Vannozzi.

We begin with the big headline of today, President Trump's agenda.

His first full day of his second term followed in place of executive orders aimed at fulfilling some of his boldest promises but I am doing many of the policies President Joe Biden put in place.

Among the most sweeping actions withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization, and the Paris claimant agreement, zeroing in on immigration reform with a widespread crackdown at the southern U.S. border and taking action to end birthright citizenship, prompting New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin to join dozens of others in a lawsuit against the administration today, alleging that executive order violates the 14th amendment of the constitution.

The president also issued pardons for some 1500 people charged in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, including those who work at the end of the attacking police, like New Jersey native Brian Sicknick, who along with dozens of other Capitol officers died in the days and weeks following the assault.

President Trump signaled he would remake American institutions with executive orders overhauling the federal government, changes to foreign aid and threatening tariffs against Mexico and Canada, set to begin next month.

Senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan takes a look at what it means for New Jersey residents and the President's America -first priorities.

Pres.

Trump: I was saved by God to make America great again.

Reporter: The 47th president wasted no time launching an unprecedented barrage of executive orders on day one, deployed with tactical precision, most notably on immigration.

New Jersey immigrant rights groups circled the wagons, as Donald Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border & indirect hit to end birthright citizenship, that is enshrined in the constitution's 14th amendment.

>> All the illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places that they came.

>> They are expanding the authority of the CBP and I.C.E., and the National Guard, in order to go out and racially profiled black and brown people and attempt to indefinitely detain them.

Reporter: New Jerseyans our Slug records to pass an arc that would help undocumented residents access support without fear of deportation.

They vowed resistance.

>> We know he will make every effort to harm our communities and supercharge all the hateful policies of his first trumpet.

Reporter: An estimated 700 thousand immigrants called New Jersey home.

A state directive bars law enforcement from collaborating with federal raids targeting people because they are undocumented.

>> breaking into somebody's home who is committing the crime, ripping their American-born children away from them so they can send those American kids back to a country they have never been to.

That is not what law enforcement signed up to do.

Reporter: Attorney General Matt Platkin and thus New Jersey is leading 17 other states in a lawsuit to block Trump's pledge to end birthright citizenship, arguing those stripped of citizenship will be grievously harmed, as one states that lose federal aid, noting New Jersey will still care for these children, but it will bear the full cost of doing so.

>> This is an extreme and unprecedented act and this executive order is an assault on the rule of law.

It attacks a right that is core to our nation's earliest days.

Reporter: The ACLU also challenged Trump order on birthright citizenship with a lawsuit filed in New Hampshire.

>> New Jersey and the people of the United States will not be intimidated by authoritarianism.

What we're seeing is a worldview from the Trump Administration that is premised on division, and sowing fear in the populace.

Reporter: From, however, does have the legal power to grant sweeping clemency to more than 1500 January 6 rioters violently attacked the U.S. Capitol.

Those pardons include the man of assaulting -- the man convicted of assaulting Saul in a Brian Sicknick.

Brian Sicknick's brother told NJ Advance Media "I feel that my brother died in vain.

As far as I'm concerned, the U.S. just installed its first dictator."

>> January 6 also involved a lot of violence, violence against enforcement officers, matters which I believe we have a tradition of taking very seriously.

Reporter: Records law professor Ron Cham says accepting the part of cements the participants' guilt.

>> They are all Supreme Court cases that say them sick they are acknowledging their guilt for the crime and just accepting forgiveness for the crime.

I have a feeling that very few of them reluctantly acknowledged that that is the spirit intended either by the pardon or by the acceptance of it.

Reporter: The stock of executive orders also included several aimed at reversing Biden Administration efforts to address climate change.

>> That is why today I will also declare a national energy emergency.

We will drill, baby, drill.

Reporter: Former President Biden band offshore drilling by executive order, but Trump rescinded those restrictions.

He also temporary barred the sale of new offshore wind leases.

But Jerzy already has three pending wind energy projects.

However, it puts Governor Murphy in an awkward spot as a clean energy champion who is also asking for Trump's help to fight bottom line, -- >> We have said unequivocally that if our values and individuals are attacked without cause, we will stand up and stand up strongly.

Reporter: He indicated, dealing with the new administration will be a balancing act that they have done before.

I'm Brenda Flanagan, NJ Spotlight News.

Briana: Executive orders are among the fastest and most powerful tools that a president's disposal to help them achieve their goals.

The directives are legally binding documents, that enable the president to wield power without approval from Congress.

Political historians say it is standard practice for an incoming president to sign a flurry of executive orders on day one in office, but there are limits to what they can achieve.

For more on that I am joined by Micah Rasmussen, from the Institute of New Jersey politics.

I feel like you are the perfect person to help break this down.

Let's start very basically.

What is an executive order?

Guest: it's a unilateral action that the president takes regarding what his executive branch is going to do, how it's going to do it and what it's not going to do.

When you think about it our federal government, you typically think about checks and balances, about Congress making a law and the president and the president enforcing it.

This is a unilateral action by the president and executive branch that doesn't have legislation behind it.

So increasingly I think it's harder to get Congress to agree to something.

So, we are aligned more and more on the orders because that can be done easily.

Briana: Yeah, it's sort of bypasses approval.

What can they encounter new?

I mean, there are limits on executive orders, no?

Guest: Absolutely.

Some of them, the president has clear, unquestioned authority.

If you can do it with immediate effect like For example, the pardons of January 6 defendants.

There will not be any second-guessing that.

He also has the power to impose tariffs, and ability the president has, not something that can be revoked.

The enforcement of federal immigration laws already on the books.

Deportations figured if he wants to produce a drone report For example, he can do that.

But there are some that will require congressional authority.

I'm that require budget resources will have to be approved by Congress that has to approve any spending.

The salt cap, he has made it clear he wants to see his party negotiate changes to it.

That is something that will have to go through Congress.

Then the third category, presidential actions that will be susceptible to strong legal challenges.

I put ending birthright citizenship firmly in this camp, that is a constitutional right outlined in the constitution.

Revoking offshore wind leases that have already been approved, that will be something that existing leassess will cry foul because they have been spending a lot of money on those.

Reversing congestion-pricing tolls, if that is something Trump is interested in doing.

I should have put that in brackets, clear and unquestionable authority.

We think he will get a lot of pushbackn and of course we have already seen lawsuits filed within the first few minutes after the inauguration.

So, ok, you mentioned Congress still controls the purse strings.

They can refuse to provide funding to help carry out some of these executive orders.

But I guess I am wondering, who has the power to overturn these?

Does anyone?

Guest: The federal courts have the authority to overturn some of them, For example, gave Trump does something unconstitutional.

If he were to revoke birthright citizenship, some would say it's a constitutional right.

The federal court at that point could have the ability to say you are right, you have that right and nobody can take it away from you.

But most of them at least where they involve unquestioned presidential authority, he will not get pushback on.

And frankly we should make a note that at least for these first two years, the GOP has the dissector of the federal government, it has control of the Senate, the house, the White House, and for that matter, an awful lot of federal judges for a position to review these appeals.

So I think a lot of them will be in good shape, at least until the fabric has a chance to evaluate and say we want to keep his party in power, or make adjustments at the midterms.

Briana: That's a good point.

It's fairly standard practice, right, for Presidents to get into office and issue executive orders on the first day.

How frequently do we see them, the sheer amount on day one, how does that compare?

Guest: It's a very good question.

The pendulum going from American -- Republican administration to a Democratic administration, there are some presidential orders we just expect, right, reversals on federal abortion policy is something that has swung back and forth for the last several administrations.

Where we might expect 100 or 150 over the course of an administration, and now we saw many times more that just in the first day.

The volume is large.

It reversed over 80 of Former President Biden's executive orders in the first day alone.

Briana: Briana: Which made good on his campaign promises.

As you told the American public he would.

Micah Rasmussen, but was good to talk to you.

Thanks so much.

Some of the other headlands we are following tonight, of the state is in the midst of dangerously cold weather, especially as so far this winter, with temperatures that will stay well below freezing until Friday.

The National Weather Service has issued a cold weather advisory for 16 of New Jersey's 21 counties go to a couple dozen school districts from Burlington all the way up to Essex had delayed openings due to both the frigid temperatures go to clean up from Sunday's storm which dumped up to seven inches in northern part of the state.

That made for a great snow day.

But when combined with the freeze, slick, icy conditions formed.

According to the state climatologist NJ Advance Media, multiple towns had temperatures below zero this morning.

Among the lowest, negative -7 degrees.

-14 in Sussex County.

And folks, it's only January.

And the Addison Township Council is walking back a controversial policy that gained national attention.

Members unanimously agreed to repeal the rule banning residents from holding props while speaking at meetings.

Council in November passed an ordinance that they said was intended to prevent, quote, chronic and chaotic disturbances that were finding their way into meetings like For example, a man who showed up dressed in a bong costume, or other residents who wore masks in protest.

The ordinance caused an uproar on social media and outraged it residents and lawmakers, after a speaker waving an American flag was escorted out by police, prompting accusations that the Addison Council was included in the U.S. flag and constitution in their list of forbidden props.

Now the Council President apologist for the confusion and argued that American flags were never banned.

Either way, the policy has been reversed and both residents and costs members say they are ready to move on.

The next election in New Jersey is still several months away, but legislative races are already heating up.

In District 32, the battle for the assembly seat just got more crowded.

Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla has officially launched a bid for the nomination, joining former Murphy administration official Katie Brennan.

Who is running as an independent.

And incumbent Assemblywoman Jessica Ramirez, a senior political correspondent David Cruise reports, all the competition means this will be a race to watch.

Reporter: The 32nd legislative district, 2020 version, is the product of a political accommodation made possible by the Democratic party machine, which swiftly filled the seats with its chosen candidates.

Come June, though, the Hudson County Democratic Organization could find itself on the outside looking in.

Because in a post-party line in New Jersey, none of the declared candidates will likely have party backing.

>> being on the so-called party line four the party establishment, isn't necessarily a good thing.

Reporter: In an unsuccessful primary race for Congress last year, Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla actually won the 32nd legislative district portion of the district over the party backed incumbent, which he believes says a lot about the upcoming June primary.

>> At least in Hoboken, as mayor, I can tell you that no one really know who's the hcdo.

Sand in Jersey City, I think it's actually a liability to run at the party, and that the results of last year's election relief proof and concept of that.

Reporter: Bhalla will not be alone on the ballot.

Joining him will be Katie Brennan.

You may remember her from the earliest days of the Murphy administration, when her sexual assault charges against a fellow campaign staffer rock the state house.

Brandon, though, has a long history of advocacy in affordable housing and affordability in general.

Still, the biggest issue facing the district, she says.

>> I want people to be able to pay their rent or maybe even dream of being able to pay the mortgage.

I want the dang trains to run on time and the buses.

I want people to have good-paying jobs and feel like they will have a better life for their kids and their family.

I want the government to work for us.

I want it to be clear and transparent and held to account.

Reporter: There is an and, in this race -- first-year lawmaker Jessica Ramirez was a party-VAX choice last year.

But as the running mate of Jersey City Mayor and gubernatorial hopeful Steve Fulop, she isn't likely to be a party favorite this year.

In a district that is more than 50% Latino, immigration will be right up there with affordability on voters' minds, she says.

Ramirez hosts a radio program targeted at immigrant audiences.

>> And I am doing that every Saturday morning where we are on the airways letting people know their rights.

Because it is really scary.

Even though I am Puerto Rican and we don't have -- we are citizens by birth, I came here with my parents and we had to learn English.

I was in ESL classes.

I remember how it was.

When I started learning English, I was a translator for everybody.

My mom would lend me out to her friends to be a translator.

I know how scary that is.

>> She's not going to be relying on the Hudson County.

She's going to be relying on the campaign in Hudson County to carry her over go that that is an interesting assessment on her part, that she thinks that is the winning formula for her.

Reporter: the free-for-all Seal of this race and others around the state will probably be the first real evidence of what the impact will be of New Jersey's changed political landscape.

I am David Cruz, NJ Spotlight News.

Briana: During his State of the State address last week, Governor Murphy pledged to make free full day kindergarten a mandate in New Jersey, along with expanding universal pre-k. Today, the administration hit the road visiting kindergarten classes in West Windsor to get critical buy-in from educators and parents while the legislature decides whether to approve state aid to help get the proposal off the ground.

Joanna Gagis reports.

>> As a district, we have much to be proud of.

But the move to a full day kindergarten is that of the brightest spots and one of the brightest accomplishments in recent years.

Reporter: West Windsor Plainsboro School District made the move to full day kindergarten last year, leaving New Jersey with only about a dozen districts out of nearly 600 that don't already offer full day K. But that's about to change.

>> I can think of no better place for us to come together today in reaffirming our shared commitment to making free, full-day pre-k as well as full-day kindergarten in reality in every community.

Many full-day kindergarten is one that will be required for all districts if the bill presses that was drafted by Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz and backed by Governor Murphy.

The pre-k expansion, you can call that more of a goal.

More on that in a moment.

Kindergarten is critical in -- >> Supporting our working families' structures and understanding that investment in early education is critical to academic success.

Reporter: So how much will that investment cost the state?

>> The amount of incremental money to get to full day K everywhere -- I don't have at the top of my head, but this is not a big lift.

We have just got to get it done.

Reporter: whatever the price tag Ruiz says it's worth it.

,>> The numbers are clear.

For every dollar that you put in in an early childhood setting, the investment back is anywhere from nine dollars to $13.

The Devon I worked on Wall Street.

He knows and I don't think there is one stock you can put a dollar in today that will guarantee you $13 on the return on its investment.

And it is making investment in human capital, which, is what government is intended to do.

Reporter: Dave is a dad in the Plainsboro District who sees the impact of full day K in his family.

>> Of her daughter attended a half-day program and our younger, the full day.

The clear and positive impact of full-day kindergarten is easy to see.

Additional time in the classroom allows for more practice with learning concepts, one-on-one time with teachers and the chance to experience special classes in unstructured play.

In many district administrators said they saw a difference as well.

>> In just one year, all the professionals have already noticed improved literacy rates among the district's youngest students and have observed a significant reduction in the achievement gap, as measured as to how the students performance when they get to first grade after having been in full-day Kindergarten.

Reporter: Typically school funding is a look at it through the broader budgeting, process but this bill isolates kindergarten and pre-k expansion funding, all part of phase two of the state's strategic plan for preschool expansion.

In order to help the state reach those goals Ruiz is calling for , a major structural change.

>> If you haven't seen my op-ed, I am calling for a department of early childhood for cost suck if we put all these pieces together, we pay more significant attention to it, have greater interconnected responsibility for all the departments that oversee early childhood.

Reporter: From the Department of Health, of children and families, human services, education, the list goes on.

>> If we did it in a methodical and responsible way, we have seen other states like Illinois and I want to say, Maryland, it creates a greater focus on those early ages.

0-3rd grade.

You can streamline anything.

Play provider, its a one-stop-shop and for a parent, it becomes a one-stop-shop.

>> She makes a great point.

There is a lot of stuff in different neighborhoods.

She made a compelling argument that if you brought them under one roof, you might get a 1 + 1 = 3.

So, color me open minded.

Reporter: These priorities will have to be laid out in a budget which will be presented in about a month.

But this is just one more step in this Murphy administration's focus on education and expanding access and equity for our youngest learners.

I'm Joanna Gagis, NJ Spotlight News.

Briana: Finally tonight, the Arctic blast was no match for Paterson city officials today, determined to hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the new field.

It is a nearly $3 million renovation project that will honor the legendary baseball icon from Silk city, and give the recreational field a much-needed makeover.

With the new synthetic turf field replacing the natural grass and dirt set up, so that youth and high school teams can play year-round.

And portable mounds so that players of all ages and levels can use the field.

But the project, which, is part of a larger effort to improve public spaces in Paterson, will also pay tribute to a hometown hero.

He made history in 1947 as the first African-American to play in the American league with the Cleveland Indians.

The iconic number 14 will be emblazoned in center and his name displayed among the silence.

Renovations are expected to be finished by May.

City officials today said they were proud doby's legacy will live on for future generations.

That's will do it tonight.

Before you go, a reminder that you can download the NJ Spotlight News podcast, so you can listen to us any.

I'm Briana Vannozzi.

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

Have a great night.

Stay warm.

We will see you back here tomorrow.

ANNOUNCER: NJM Insurance group, serving the insurance needs of residents and businesses for more than 100 years.

And by the PSEG foundation.

>> look at these kids.

What do you see?

I see myself.

I became an ESL teacher to give my students what I wanted when I came to this country.

♪ The opportunity to learn, to dream, to achieve.

A chance to belong, and to be an American.

My name is Julia Torriani Crampton, and I am proud to be an NJEA member.

♪ ♪