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Briana: Tonight on "NJ Spotlight News" First Lady Tammy Murphy watches family connects NJ, new initiative to start a statewide program.

Plus, the deadliest day for Israel's military since the start of the war.

When you for IDF soldiers killed as the pressure for both sides to commit to a cease-fire deal continues.

>> Increasingly, families and Israel are saying it's time to prioritize the return of the hostages over victory over Hamas.

Briana: Cannabis consumption lounges will soon start popping up.

>> It's an opportunity for the industry to continue its growth and it's been on that trajectory and growing.

Briana: And, at capacity.

>> We do get a lot of returns from people who give out pets for Christmas.

Briana: Animal shelters are overwhelmed with post holiday pets being returned.

"NJ Spotlight News" begins right now.

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

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

I'm Briana Vannozzi.

The state's seventh annual maternal health awareness Day as the Murphy administration tries to chip away at disparities in maternal health outcomes that have overshadowed for years.

New Jersey still has one of the country's worst overall mortality rates.

Today first lady Tammy Murphy launched family connects NJ, a statewide universal home visit program that will connect parents with nurses for a home visit within the first two weeks after giving birth.

An initiative first proposed three years ago as part of the first lady's larger nurture NJ program.

As Senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan reports, the line is getting learned on the mission, now that she has announced a U.S. Senate run.

>> Postpartum care is just as important as prenatal care.

>> She lived the experience, joining advocates are welcome the official launch of family connects NJ, a program offering at least three in-home visits by a nurse to mothers and their newborns.

It is critical care in New Jersey, where black mothers are far more likely to die of pregnancy related complications than white moms.

>> Just being a black woman in the space, I remember times when -- times I came home after delivering a baby, feeling disconnected, feeling alone, not sure who to talk to, but then you are also embarrassed about how you may feel.

>> The program is designed to be universal, whether parents are insured or not, and open to everyone, immigration status notwithstanding.

Only Oregon offers something similar.

It's most Burke -- vocal proponent, first lady Tammy Murphy, supported program before announcing her run for U.S. Senate.

>> I believe those practical problems are the very same ones at the heart of our maternal health crisis and are the direct result of systemic racism.

>> Nurses with family connect you J -- NJ say it will offer guidance for breast-feeding, infant care development, and offer help for housing and economic assistance, says its legislative sponsor.

>> Just to check in and say, are you OK?

To take a look around.

Things you will notice, like is there food in the refrigerator, are they living in a safe space?

>> The goals are to reduce New Jersey's mortality -- internal mortality by half and eliminate racial disparities and outcomes.

>> We still have eight long way to go, but this I think is a game changer.

>> What differentiates this from a campaign function for Tammy Murphy, one of her opponents calls it an unfair advantage.

>> At this point, I am calling for the first lady to stop using her official role as first lady and going to places to campaign.

They claim no campaigning, but they are actually getting access because she is still keeping her title.

So the concern is real.

>> Is there a lot of cross-pollination that's happening?

>> Anything I'm doing in my life, I am completely consistent.

This is something I have been supporting and working with.

Nurture NJ is something I've been working on for years.

As first lady, I'm really thrilled to be here right now and helping to get the word out on this.

>> She says the program rose out first in five counties, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Middlesex, and Essex.

It will expand annually until the entire state is covered.

>> I've heard a lot of good feedback from the moms there.

Where was this program when I had my first child?

>> The program does need to hire 250 more nurses.

In Trenton, I'm Brenda Flanagan, "NJ Spotlight News".

Briana: This week, reproductive health is also front and center as elected leaders and state groups commemorate 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark abortion rights ruling that was overturned in June 2020 two.

Since then, 21 states have banned abortion outright or restricted procedures to earlier in pregnancy.

In other states, the fight over abortion access is still playing out in courtrooms.

Congressman Frank alone called on Congress to codify reproductive health rights, including abortion, into federal law, similar to action taken by New Jersey lawmakers two years ago.

He led the House passage of the women's health production -- protection act, but it never moved in the Senate.

The head of Planned Parenthood New Jersey warned the restriction to abortion access will affect other parts of reproductive health care that get overlooked.

>> In many instances, these are wanted pregnancies, these are folks who are trying to start families, who are dealing with oftentimes the worst moments of their entire life.

So I bring up miscarriage management often, because I think it is an easy scapegoat to talk about abortion in a framework that is not tied to miscarriage management, that is not tied to families who are, in many ways, dealing with a crisis that none of us would wish on our very worst enemy.

Briana: On Monday, the Israeli military saw the deadliest single incident for its forces since the war with Hamas began October 7.

Israeli officials confirmed 21 soldiers were killed near the Gaza border.

Another three Israeli soldiers died Monday during the combat in the southern part of the enclave.

The military is now focusing its efforts around causes second largest city which is considered a major dance in the war which has caused widespread death and instruction all displacing millions of Palestinians.

It is unclear whether the move will bring Israel closer to its goal of defeating Hamas or freeing the roughly 130 hostages still being held captive by the militant group.

According to the Associated Press, a two month cease-fire proposal was on the table in which hostages would be freed in exchange for the release of Palestinians attained in Israel, and top Hamas leaders would be allowed to leave Gaza and relocate to other countries.

But is there enough pressure to cut a deal?

I'm joined by Michael Boyle, associate professor of political science.

Always good to talk to you.

Let me ask you first about where this offensive is headed.

We saw a very deadly day for the Israeli military, some 24 soldiers in total who were killed.

Now they are fighting in a densely populated area.

It seems as though it only gets worse from here.

>> It does.

The center of operations has shifted to the south to the stronghold of Hamas leaders as well as a densely populated area.

There will probably be much higher casualties.

It looks like a failed detonation around a building, which will apply more pressure to Benjamin Netanyahu to end this offensive earlier.

It's going to lead a lot of people to ask the question, can he sustain intense fighting in the south?

Briana: The public sentiment has taken a shift, not just from the U.S. and Europe, which we saw happen earlier on, but also in Israel, about the protracted nature of this war.

And the hostages in particular, how does that play into the chances for perhaps a cease-fire or an end to the war?

>> There is growing pressure within Israel in part because the estimate is there is least -- at least 100 hostages is things are still alive.

Increasingly, families and Israel are saying it's time to prioritize the return of the hostages over victory over Hamas.

You start to think about those two goals, if you absolutely just focus on the hostages, you might reduce greater humanitarian disaster.

Increasingly there is pressure, Netanyahu is running for reelection on the promise of an absolute into Hamas.

That is shaping the background context for a negotiated deal.

There is a negotiation going on about possibly releasing hostages and as much as they two-month cease-fire.

It would not meaning into the war, but it would relieve the pressure of the hostages but it would also entail some significant cost.

Moss is arguing for release of Palestinian prisoners.

Briana: Qatar in particular is playing a pivotal role, according to reports, in terms of these negotiations.

Have they taken a turn since Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu made comments about the potential of a two state solution?

And the fact that he doesn't see that being a possibility when it comes to the security of Israel.

>> The hostage negotiation deals , there have been at least two different proposals talking about different terms.

Israel's terms are essentially a two month break in the fighting, release of all hostages, Hamas says withdrawal of forces in Gaza for the nice release of the same hostages.

So it is unclear where we will get to and if a deal is struck.

The larger political context, how long will Qatar and Egypt continue to play a constructive mediating role, is it a foregone conclusion?

U.S. policy, European and Arab state policies are all prefaced on a two state solution.

It's not clear if they can negotiate deals on his behalf.

The cost may be essentially reversing it.

Briana: Thank you so much for your time, we appreciate your insight.

A new report finds New Jersey has some of the weakest policies in the country for effective reading instruction.

The research from a Washington DC based think tank was unveiled just after Governor Murphy announced a proposal during his State of the state speech earlier this month focus on getting back to the basics of literacy education.

Senior correspondent Joanna Gagis takes a deeper look at how it will affect your kids.

>> I hope to work with educators and legislators to improve literacy rates among our children, teach our kids the fundamentals of reading, like sounding out letters.

Joanna: Governor Murphy's commitment to phonics in our schools during the state of the State address was music to the ears of educators who have been calling for New Jersey to go back to the basics in teaching literacy.

>> Going back to where literacy needs to be focusing, which is on the basics, vocabulary, and phonics.

Joanna: Several years ago, a new approach to reading was introduced that moved away from phonics and instead had students using other use like looking at pictures to decode words.

>> You could look at a picture and it could be a rock, or it could be a pebble, or it could be a stone.

That is where we went wrong, he started to embrace approaches that were supposed to be progressive, that were really going to take us back.

Joanna: Data found students around the state were below grade level for proficiency, especially students of color.

>> There was an eclectic, sort of free-for-all approach to reading in the state of New Jersey.

Some people are doing x or y, or little bit of both.

That is not the way to get optimal results for New Jersey.

>> A coalition made up of several groups committed to teaching the science of reading have advocated for the governor to update the Department of Education's curriculum standards.

>> We know that approaches informed by the science of reading are the best way to get the largest swath of children reading effectively.

Joanna: The Legacy of literacy coalition sent a letter to the governor last Friday to come in his literacy agenda that they say should include some key items like signs of reading training for all teachers with the appropriate curriculum, appropriate screening to know exactly where students are, and better communication home to parents.

>> A lot has to do with data.

If you have the accurate data, you know the areas of weakness, and you should be addressing those, while at the same time, and tainting the other skills that have already been mastered.

That does require teachers to have a good understanding of how to teach reading.

So when you talk about signs of reading, it is really the methodology you're talking about.

Joanna: Tammy Murphy -- saving using the science of reading and obscene literacy scores improved to 40%.

>> What we are doing works.

We are helping children learn to read.

We are helping children reach proficiency.

>> Research shows that if they are not proficient in the area of literacy by grade three, we know that there is a higher percentage of our scholars who will not fare well in school.

They will become disaffected learners, and they most likely will drop out by the time they get to high school.

Joanna: Updates have already begun at the Department of education and new standards are expected to roll out in the fall of this year.

In Newark, I'm Joanna Gagis, "NJ Spotlight News".

Briana: In our spotlight on business report, the next chapter in New Jersey's recreational cannabis market is starting to unfold.

Now the rules for so-called consumption lounges have been approved by state regulators.

These are places you can smoke weed or consume edibles legally and safely.

Like the rest of the industry, these locations will come with a set of strict rules.

>> He still can't believe his eyes.

>> Rohan appear, we always try to look for the best places to hang out or just to be us.

>> Now he has a chance to create that space when he turns this Jersey City location into one of the first cannabis consumption lounges New Jersey.

>> For the city to allow us to have a place to educate one another, it changes the amount of product we been consuming for most of our lives, it's insane, it's crazy.

I need to be one of the pioneers coming into this space, especially if it's in our hometown.

We had to set the bar high and keep it there.

>> The cannabis regulatory commission approved rules for cannabis consumption areas last week.

>> It's an opportunity for the industry continue its growth and trajectory that it is on.

It's a place to going consume cannabis, both medical users and consumers.

It's a big part of opening up this marketing continuing to grow this market.

>> There are several rules to follow for those wanting to expand their space.

They include requiring any cannabis consumption area to be attached to a dispensary.

Customers must be at least 21 or older.

Medicinal users must be allowed to bring their own cannabis and food cannot be consumed on the location.

>> It is written like the law does not allow any kind of food or alcohol to be sold on the emesis or in or around the premises of a cannabis retailer.

We need to follow the law in enabling legislation that the -- that was given to us.

>> The CEO of the other side dispensary believes there is room for this to grow.

>> We need to set the landscape first and see what that looks like, and when it comes to legislators and policymakers, as long as they're willing to always come back to the table and listen to folks that are running these facilities and can give them best practice, do we have room to grow >>.

>>Despite facing challenges, many small businesses face getting enough funding.

>> This is such a different landscape.

It's really not intended for us come a few look at the cost to start one of these up, you're looking at a million and up.

Just to have access to folks to contribute to what you're doing, and for them to see your vision, I'm so excited, not only for my own freedom, with the freedom I can bring to the other people around me, my team, by leadership, and also my investors.

>> Although the lounges will not be able to have food for sale on the premises, patrons will be able to bring food or habit delivered.

Food trucks outside will be allowed.

Briana: On Wall Street, stocks hit pause on a record-setting rally.

Here is today's closing trading numbers.

♪ Briana: Gifting new puppy or kitten may have seemed like a good idea during the holidays, but animal shelter say owners are practically knocking down their doors with pet gift returns in the months since Christmas.

That's because the excitement and novelty wears off and the responsibility of caring for an animal kicks in.

Ted Goldberg has the story from a shelter in Bergen County, where dozens of pets have been surrendered and just the last few weeks.

>> At the Bergen County animal shelter, nacho isn't expected to stick around too long.

>> He seems to be OK with cats.

He is a great family dog, he's a lot of fun.

He is very good with kids.

>> But it has gotten a little more difficult to line up a home for this Jack Russell long-haired terrier mix.

The shelter manager says many of them were initially given as gifts.

>> We did get a lot of returns from people to give out pets for Christmas.

People don't realize what they are getting into sometimes with the work, or they don't do enough studying on the breeds and don't realize what certain breeds entail, or if their children are allergic or someone in the family is allergic.

>> People get pets and don't realize what the responsibility is to have a pet.

It's almost like having a child.

to feed them, you have to clean up after them.

>> The Bergen County commissioner said these surrenders have been an annual issue since he took office more than a decade ago.

>> This year we seem to really be inundated.

>> The shelter has 60 dogs.

He says they could take on more small dogs like nacho, but there's is not much room left for big dogs like bamboo, the husky.

>> They can be a little more difficult.

He would require somebody with husky experience.

He's a little mouthy, a little stubborn, full of energy.

He is a working dog, sheds a light, and Huskies are escape artists.

>> Bamboo is one of the longest tenured residents here, spending the last year and a half at the shelter.

He needs a lot of land to burn off that husky energy.

He is one of 30 dogs you can adopt from the shelter.

>> They are all up-to-date on adoptions in and they are all spayed or neutered before adoption.

We also deal with behavioral issues, we will address those as well.

They do their due diligence to make sure when the pet is adopted from here, you have all the tools need to be a successful pet owner.

They make sure to pair up pet owners with the proper pets.

>> If cats are more your thing, don't worry, there are plenty here.

>> Is great to see smiles on the children's face when they leave with a dog.

These stories really, really help.

>> They just ask that if you want to adopt a furry companion, do your research.

Know what family members have allergies and don't make pets a surprise gift.

Briana: That does it for us tonight.

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

I am Briana Vannozzi, for the entire team, thanks for being with us.

Have a great evening, we will see you right back here tomorrow.

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

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>> 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.

The chance to be known and to be an American.

I am proud to be an njea member.

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♪