>> Major funding for NJ Spotlight News is provided in part by NJM Insurance group, serving the needs of residents and businesses for more than 100 years.

And by the PSEG foundation.

Briana: Tonight, winds of change.

Shell pulls out of New Jersey's first offshore wind farm, leaving the future of the industry at risk.

Plus, shut down for a month.

Path writers who travel to, from, or through Hoboken station need to find another way to commute.

>> The commute is usually an hour and a half, now pushing two hours.

Briana: Also, eviction prevention.

How one local organization is keeping vulnerable families in their homes and preventing homelessness.

And skipping school.

Legislators meet to discuss the troubling trend of kids missing class.

NJ Spotlight News begins now.

♪ >> from NJPBS Studios, this is NJ Spotlight News with Rihanna Vannozzi.

Briana: Good evening and thanks for joining us.

I'm Briana Vannozzi.

We begin with a few of today's top headlines.

First, the future of New Jersey's offshore wind industry could be at risk after shall announced Thursday it's causing its involvement in what would be the state's first offshore wind farm, known as Atlantic Shores, a project President Trump has been targeting and last week called the dead.

During an earnings call, shall announced plans to write off its billion-dollar investment to the project, but later said the company will maintain its 50% ownership, with a caveat that shell is only focused on the best value in key markets when it comes to the best value in wind.

Leaders of Atlantic Shores say they are committed to the project.

The wind farm is the only one with federal permits to move forward and is slated to have roughly 200 turbines built eight to 10 miles off New Jersey's coast.

As of December, construction was slated to begin this year, but it's unclear whether shell's move will change that timeline.

Also tonight, New Jersey's largest hospital system is dropping the state's largest health insurer.

Hackensack Meridian health terminated horizon who Blue Shield from its network, meaning millions of residents could be left scrambling for in network hospital coverage come spring.

According to horizon, the two sides have been working for over a year to reach a new agreement on prices for services and care.

Hackensack officials previously said horizon's proposals for reimbursement rates were inadequate, and demanded major changes to concrete -- contract terms they had already agreed on.

Both parties are hopeful they will reach a deal.

New York-based horizon ensures more than 3.8 million people across the state while Hackensack reached has 18 hospitals and more than 500 patient care locations.

If the contract is terminated, Hackensack's physician groups like primary care and specialty doctors would be exempt.

The decision also wouldn't affect members covered by brave and health, Medicaid, or Medicare.

Despite efforts by more than two dozen towns to delay, today is New Jersey's affordable housing deadline.

All 564 municipalities have to either accept the state's numbers for how many affordable units they are required to build over the next decade, or propose their own numbers.

If town that would force them to build the number of units calculated by the state.

The Murphy administration is looking to build about 85,000 new affordable homes and rehab another 65 units across New Jersey over the next decade.

More than 400 towns have already passed resolutions excepting those numbers.

Housing advocates believe that's a sign towns are willing to move on and avoid pricey lawsuits.

Meanwhile, hundreds of other towns are pushing back.

Suburban communities argue their infrastructure -- think schools and sewer systems -- can't handle the mandated units.

Dozens of towns are disputing the calculations, arguing they are based on flawed assessments of how much land in town is available for develop meant.

Town disputes will go before retired state judges for review next month.

Today begins at 25 day shutdown of the Hoboken path station, part of a $430 million restoration and repair project.

The plan includes critical track and switch upgrades to prevent the delays that have plagued the century rail line.

Crews will also be replacing the concrete platform and four stairwells inside the station.

While most writers today acknowledged the short term pain will help their commutes in the long run, it still a headache they would rather not have.

Ted Goldberg reports.

Ted: Travelers and commuters in Hoboken are adapting to 25 days of no path train service in their city.

Some riders are understanding and some are incredibly frustrated.

>> NJ transit, everything has to be fixed.

Europe has the best service for trains, really fast, right on time.

NJ transit sucks.

That's my opinion.

>> I think it's going to be worth it.

I have felt all these repairs were coming up because we are hosting the World Cup next year so maybe this is aligning with that.

Ted: The century-old station has never shut down this long for repairs.

If you are one of the 20,000 weekday commuters, your options are the following -- take a path shuttle to another path station, ride a ferry to New York, NJ transit bus to midtown Manhattan, or take light rail.

>> It's a robust plan to provide alternate transport for customers.

>> Usually my commute, it's pretty far.

Usually it stops here in Hoboken but now it stops in North Broad Street and I have to get off and catch the path from North Penn Station.

>> The traffic, the people waiting, you don't know how long you are going to wait.

You have to be at the office at a certain time.

It's difficult.

You have to be prepared, come in early so you can get to work early.

Ted: The ferry is usually $10, now discounted to three dollars.

Some say it is still not worth it.

>> The schedule is not very good, especially when you are going to the east side of Manhattan.

Ted: Commuters understood the need for repairs but were not happy about how much time they are losing.

>> Going back, I probably have to walk across town to the west side.

From 180 maiden Lane, almost 20 minute walk.

>> The commute is usually an hour and a half, now pushing two hours.

>> Losing one hour a day.

>> There will be short-term pain , but it's for major improvements in the long term.

Ted: The Hoboken Mayor and assembly candidate Robbie Bala says these repairs are a long time coming, especially with so much lasting damage from Superstorm Sandy 12 years ago.

>> We are looking forward to a more efficient, reliable, and safe service.

The upgrades we have needed in terms of infrastructure from the path that will pay dividends long-term.

>> What ends up happening with the damage, you start to get unreliability with your track system.

We have a switching area, a place where there is interlocking, and its ability to switch become challenging because of the salt damage.

Ted: This is the path director and general manager.

She says closing the station for 25 consecutive days allows for more extensive repairs.

>> We could have done it on weekends but it would have meant closing Hoboken station for up to a year, maybe more, every weekend.

You can imagine the frustration of our customers.

Ted: As for starting on a Friday -- >> Fridays are usually our lowest numbers, so that's why.

It gives us the opportunity to pace ourselves and see, our alternate service, where do we need tweaks.

Ted: The mayor says additional tweaks could include more widespread communication about travel option and changes in schedules for fairies and buses.

There is also the question of whether path will stick to its timeline.

How optimistic are you that 25 days is going to be 25 days?

>> Very optimistic.

Ted: Are you optimistic it will get done in time?

>> No, no I'm not optimistic it's going to get done in time.

Considering history, government projects tend to run a little longer.

Or any project.

Ted: If everything proceeds as scheduled, the Hoboken path station will reopen February 25.

I'm Ted Goldberg, NJ Spotlight News.

Briana: This week Democrats in the Senate challenged President Trump's nominee for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, pressing Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on his shifting positions when it comes to vaccines, abortion rights, and food regulations.

If confirmed, Kennedy would be in charge of overseeing a massive drill agency that manages the health care of over 170 million Americans, along with regulating access to drugs and tracking urgent outbreaks of diseases and foodborne illnesses.

Exactly what powers would Kennedy have to carry out his agenda if the Senate confirms him?

I am joined by health care writer Lilo.

Good to talk to you.

First question, what are the major programs that fall under HHS?

What is the department?

What does the secretary do?

>> It is huge, one of the biggest departments in the federal government.

It includes Medicaid, Medicare, and agencies to build around those.

It includes disaster response, it includes Headstart.

It includes Indian health services.

It includes programs to help disabled folks living in the community.

And on and on.

Disease, medication monitoring, food and drug safety.

There are a lot of different elements to a trade dress a big agency.

Medicaid alone, Medicaid and Medicare alone in New Jersey is close to 3 million people.

Briana: Right, safe to say it touches everyone's life in some way.

A lot of talk has been about this make America healthy again agenda that RFK has promoted.

What power, if any, does he have to carry out the nuts and bolts of that agenda?

>> That is a great question.

One of the things people have raised is, it's not clear that Kennedy has a firm grasp on what is in this department.

He seems confused at times, multiple times, about the difference between Medicare and Medicaid elements.

It doesn't always seem clear that he understands what he does have control over permit his make America healthy pledge, which sounds great -- who cannot get behind that -- is based a lot on addressing counter -- addressing chronic disease.

He talks about it being based on pesticides and food additives.

Pesticides are not something he would have purview to control.

There are some questions about what he could achieve.

A really smart doctor told me this morning, even if he could move the needle, it would be really hard to do it in four years and the data would be lacking for years more.

Saying he will fix this is an overstatement at best.

Briana: What a lot of folks have gotten behind is the fact he has pledged to be committed to science and backing these ideas in science.

What do we know about how much science actually would be implement it and if it is?

>> That's a great question too, and that's another thing that sounds really good.

Republicans have turned to Democrats and said, how can you not get behind science?

The question is, it's selective science.

Someone told me this morning all science is not created equal.

He is picking and choosing and mixing and matching data points.

He will take incidence of autism and conflate that with vaccine incidents.

Those are two very different things.

He also has conceded autism is not caused by vaccines.

We don't know that.

Plenty of people want to believe that.

We don't know enough about what does cause autism.

He is using data in a way -- one of the senators who is a swing vote said it is not the preponderance of evidence, it is select evidence.

It is picking and choosing things that support your argument.

As we know from watching folks in the legislature, data can be used for support a lot of different arguments creatively, but it doesn't mean the data is sacrosanct where that argument is always right.

You need to put it in context, look at the big picture, and it's not clear that is something he is willing to.

Briana: That's a fair point.

You can read Lilo's full report on the confirmation hearing for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on our website, njspotlightnews.org good to talk to you.

More than 12,000 people across New Jersey were homeless last year, a crisis that surged by an unprecedented 24%, showing more people than ever recorded in state history are without a permanent home.

One of the leading causes, eviction.

Housing advocates are switching focus to more programs that don't just offer the typical resources and supports, but prevent people from losing their homes in the first place.

Raven Santana has a look at how one Mercer County organization is doubling down on their effort to keep people housed.

>> We have over 400 families a month calling the hotline because they are facing eviction , about to experience homelessness.

They are one step away from crisis.

Raven: A crisis that Sarah Stewart says is being caused by eviction, one of the leading causes of homelessness.

>> We are serving more people each year with that kind of assistance than live in our shelter.

To me that is a victory.

I can't shelter our way out of this challenge, I can't solve problems fast enough in the shelter.

We have to do more with inflow to the system.

Raven: Steward is the CEO of a nonprofit agency dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty and supporting families in Mercer County.

She says they are looking to stop homelessness through the eviction prevention program.

Raven: We started a program this year, homelessness to fortune.

What can we do to make the experience of homelessness nonexistent or brief?

The moment they come, we are focused on how we get families independently and stably housed again.

There is some assistance we or our partners can provide for the first months rent.

What is the barrier for your family having stable, independent, permanent housing?

We are going to work to break those barriers.

Raven: She says on average families need a little more than $2000 to remain stably housed, whether that is remaining in their homes for securing new housing.

In turn, not forcing families to decide between putting food on the table or paying rent.

>> When you think the average length of stay in our shelter is 60 to 90 days, that's many more thousands of dollars to support a family for three months and get access to benefits and do all these other things.

While $2000 might sound like a lot for a family, it is a modest investment.

It is supporting those children being successful long-term.

It is upholding the stability in that family.

The cost of housing is far outpaced, increases in wages and general inflation.

As the cost of housing has gotten further and further out of reach, when they come to us, their need is greater.

>> They saved my life.

I would be nowhere without them.

Raven: Stacy Downing held back tears reflecting on the moment she was able to break out of the cycle of poverty with the help of homefront.

>> I went to the shelter in September but had been homeless since April.

I stayed in my car for a couple days.

I went to this really sleazy, really bad hotel, and some guys broke in there.

Then I was couch surfing.

I would have to put something around me or on my covers so people wouldn't bother me.

I did all that before I called the shelter to see if they would take me.

Raven: The 57-year-old mom of three from Trenton is now stably housed with a full-time job.

She explained how the program gave her the tools to overcome homelessness.

>> I got out the shelter February 2023, and I moved in here March 1, 2023.

They gave me a microwave, dishes.

I had a car but I couldn't put gas in it.

They gave me money for gas.

I couldn't make my car payment because I wasn't working at the time.

While I was living in the shelter, they paid my car payment and insurance for two months.

Raven: To identify and enroll potential clients, steward said homefront partnered with several organizations with Mercer County.

She said the key is to reach people needing help to prevent infections in the first place rather than helping people once they have already become on housed.

>> It's a more inexpensive solution.

If I can help that family with a couple hundred dollars to avoid eviction as opposed to allowing the family to become homeless, they are going to sign up for public benefits, stay in our shelter for a couple of months.

We are happy and proud to do that work.

From a cost perspective, not only is it more humane, but cheaper.

Briana: School districts across the state are still battling a lingering problem that came out of the pandemic, chronic absenteeism.

That is when a kid misses 10% or more of the school year.

Statewide data show more students are missing class now that before the pandemic.

This as national report card scores show progress is stagnant for New Jersey's kids.

Senior correspondent Joanna Gagis reports on how lawmakers hope to address it.

>> chronic absenteeism has surged since the pandemic.

>> If the students are not in school, they are not learning.

Joanna: A student is considered chronically absent if they missed 10% or more of the school year, 18, 180.

It's a challenge many are facing, so they held a hearing yesterday to better understand how to address it.

>> Common reasons for absences are unaddressed health issues, including mental health such as anxiety and depression.

Fear of bullying or violence in school.

The inability to get to school because of transportation issues.

And loss of interest, due in part to unaddressed academic problems or when the student trip yes social, emotional, or behavioral issues are addressed ineffectively.

>> Family struggles such as feeding, food, housing and security, employment issues.

Joanna: In 2018 Governor Murphy signed a law requiring districts to punish -- to publish their chronic absenteeism in school support cards and for those with 10% or more, develop a corrective action plan.

Six years later, it remains a problem, especially in poor or urban communities.

>> New Jersey's current chronic absenteeism rate is better than most states, but that equates to a lot of missed time for young people.

>> Students who are chronically absent miss key learnings, making them less likely to read on grade level or experience deficiencies in other core academic areas.

Chronically absent students are less likely to graduate and can experience social disengagement.

Joanna: Meeting the social and emotional needs of students falls outside the capacity of many school districts.

One answer cap coming up during many hearings, community schools.

>> Community school is actually a framework of supporting certain pillars.

That includes student integrated supports, that includes community engagement.

Joanna: Leaders at Mercer Street friends that operates community schools in Trenton outlined what that looks like for students.

>> Social emotional learning groups, afterschool and summer enrichment tutoring programs.

Counseling.

Reading intervention.

Choice food pantries in each of our schools.

And family support services.

>> The younger students don't choose to not come to school.

We work from preschool through the elementary schools with the parents directly, seek their engagement in a positive way.

Joanna: Mercer Street friends CEO Bernie Flynn pointed out New Jersey only has a handful of districts with community schools while states like Pennsylvania and Maryland have put a major emphasis on them with great success.

Two such bills have been introduced in the legislature but have not moved forward.

>> Senate Bill 2240 three, which would establish a five year community school pilot, and Senate Bill 2528, which would create the office of community schools, would create similar opportunities for families of lower socioeconomic statuses.

Joanna: There is a resounding support for this model on both sides of the aisle.

>> Any district experiencing chronic absenteeism should be required to have a program like this in place.

Joanna: How you find it is the question.

School funding couldn't be more uncertain than it is now and these programs are not cheap.

For districts without this model, focusing on school climate is critical.

>> Students are more likely to attend school when they feel supported, valued, and connected.

We have worked to strengthen these relationships through initiatives such as teacher check-in's, before and after school clubs, family engagement events, and professional development for staff to identify and address attendance concerns early on.

Joanna: They say don't underestimate the value of rewards for students who show up to class.

Joanna Gagis, NJ Spotlight News.

Briana: Before we leave you, it is the final farewell for one of the state's oldest news publications.

The Jersey Journal, which has covered Hudson County politics and news for 157 years, will print its final edition Saturday.

The newspaper said it couldn't afford to remain in business following a decision by the Star-Ledger to close its production facility in Montebello, which prints the journal and several other papers.

The inner and publisher said online only news wouldn't be enough to sustain the operation, so it's shutting down for good.

Those printed versions of the ledger.

.

End on Sunday after that the news reporting will be web only, on your phone, tablet, or computer.

The rising costs of printing a newspaper, which at its peak in the late 1880's and early 1990's, printed 40,000 copies daily, couldn't keep up with the decline in leadership.

Morning coffee won't be the same.

That's going to do it for us tonight, but check out Reporters Roundtable this weekend with David Cruz.

He goes one-on-one with Attorney General Matt Plotkin.

Plus a panel of local journalists talk about all the political headlines.

Watch Saturday at 6:00 p.m. and Sunday at 10:00.

And on Chat Box, David talks to former Governor Tom Kean about how the Trump administration executive orders and policy changes are impacting the state.

Catch it Saturday and Sunday right here on NJPBS.

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

Have a great weekend.

We will see you right back here on Monday.

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

RWJBarnabas health.

Let's be healthy together.

And Ørsted, committed to the delivery of clean, reliable, American-made energy.

>> Public service is what we do.

At the PSEG foundation, volunteer hours, partnerships, and other contributions, we are committed to empowering committees.

We work with 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.

Uplifting committees.

That's what drives us.

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