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Raven: Tonight on NJ Spotlight News, after two months of testimony, did the prosecution proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Senator Menendez was the ringleader in a bribery and corruption scheme?

>> Jury has the obligation to go through each and every count, each and every element of those counts and assess whether the government has proven each element beyond a reasonable doubt.

Raven: Plus, a city on edge as I.C.E.

agents round of immigrants around Princeton, leaving city leaders furious.

Also, mixed messages surrounding the push to put electric vehicles on the road.

The state pulling the plug on a key incentive and enforcing a new fee.

>> I think we will regret it.

I think the policy is not sound.

Raven: And operation ice.

Workers in Patterson hand out water to help its most vulnerable populations to try and beat the heat.

>> If these folks become dehydrated, they pass out, they have medical problems, someone finds them laying on the sidewalk, they call 911, they end up in the emergency room.

Raven: NJ Spotlight News begins right now.

♪ Announcer: from NJPBS Studios, this is NJ Spotlight News, with Briana Vannozzi.

Raven: Hello and thanks for joining us tonight.

I am Raven Santana in for Briana Vannozzi.

Senator Bob Menendez could learn his fate soon with the jury expected to receive the case tomorrow.

Menendez faces more than a dozen felony counts including bribery and extortion.

The sitting senator is accused of accepting bribes, hundreds of thousands of dollars of cash and gold bars to help business associates and foreign entities.

Senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan has been in court all day and heard intense closing arguments and rebuttal.

Tell us about today's session.

Brenda: Raven, after nine weeks of trial, an historic moment.

This jury tomorrow will begin deliberations in the corruption trial of Jersey's senior senator.

We have seen multiple witnesses, we even had a COVID delay in this trial.

Jurors are now going to be considering 18 counts.

They will include bribery, extortion, and conspiracy.

They will involve Bob Menendez and two codefendants.

The FBI evidence in this case, 13 gold bars, hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, because the three term senator -- cost the three term senator the support of many fellow Democrats.

This final day of legal arguments, passionate, fiery, and sometimes angry.

This morning, the defense attorney told jurors his client, codefendant Fred Daibes, gifted Bob and Nadine Menendez gold and cash out of goodwill.

He said prosecutors lacked hard evidence and wanted jurors to rely on inference and speculation.

He said "you can't do that to a man's life."

Raven: You mention it got fiery in court.

Explain more about those fireworks.

Brenda: Assistant U.S. attorney Dan Brixon fall during rebuttal offered fierce pushback.

He is urging jurors to look at the evidence.

He said "even if every single dollar in this case went poof, the defendants would still be guilty on every single count."

And he challenged the accuracy of Menendez's defense attorney, Adam fee on his closing are -- arguments on several points.

Fee exploded.

He said angrily "he is calling me a liar, he is accusing the government of using summation tricks."

The judge had to raise his voice in exasperation.

He ruled in favor of the prosecution.

All day long, we have seen several lengthy sidebars, each side trying to hash out disagreements.

It is a very high-stakes trial.

This is the second corruption trial that Menendez has faced.

The first one ended in a hung jury.

Raven: High-stakes and also long .

this has been a lengthy trial.

Lots of evidence for the jury to taken.

-- take in.

How long is this going to take?

Brenda: We have to look at Judge Sidney Stein preparing two hours of instructions.

Then he is advising jurors how to apply the law, what to consider, what to ignore.

Here is the jury sheet.

you see all the boxes they have to check of 18 counts, three defendants.

It is a lot of boxes to check.

Can the jury deliver a verdict tomorrow in a single day?

That would be extraordinary.

Tomorrow will begin day one.

Raven: What a journey.

Thank you, Brenda.

Brenda: Thank you.

Raven: With the case nearing its close, all eyes will be on the jury, and the amount of evidence they must pour through to come to a decision.

More than two months of witness testimony and evidence, plus 100 pages of jury instruction will be a lot to taken for the jury.

Did the execution prove a quid -- did the prosecution prove a quid pro quo and how soon could we get a verdict?

For more insight on what we can expect, I'm joined by the former assistant U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, and former Monmouth County prosecutor.

Thank you for joining me.

Chris: Great to Seo again.

Raven: Closing arguments have been intense.

They have taken hours.

Menendez's team took five hours, saying -- telling the jury that prosecution's case is thin.

Is it normal for summations to go this long ended did the -- this long and did the defense do enough in its closing arguments to persuade the jury on the senator's innocence?

Chris: Not unusual to see closing arguments like this, especially considering how long the case took and its fairly complex charges.

As to what the jury will do, we will have to find out.

They will hear a rebuttal from the United States attorney's office.

They will directly challenge a lot of the claims and arguments the east defense counsel made and then it will go to the jury from there.

Raven: What do you think will be the key pieces of evidence and testimony that the jury will be focused on during deliberations?

Chris: I think before they deliberate, they will be read a series of jury instructions, the law and what has to be proven by the government.

Explanations and Definitions of certain terminology and language in the charges.

They will be focused -- the most impactful evidence in this case, as we have always said from day one, is the wealth of valuable things.

Gold bars, cash, the payments, things of value that the Menendez family allegedly received.

There is going to be a big focus on that.

The question is once the jury receives the instructions, whether the government has been able to make a connection to prove that it was the product of this quid pro quo, this illegal bribes scheme or arrangement or conspiracy that in return for Senator Menendez and his wife getting things of value, that he would exercise his influence to benefit these co-conspirators.

Raven: As a former prosecutor, do you think the government approved -- proved a quid pro quo occurred or has the defense effectively argued it was merely the senator acting as a senator?

Chris: I have been a trial lawyer long enough and done enough of these cases where it is not prudent for me to guess what a jury may or may not do.

Juries are completely unpredictable.

Whether people tell you they can or can't anticipate what they will do, I would tell them there is a bridge to sell them in Arizona.

Here is what I do think.

I think it is telling that the defense counsel for the most part seems to argue the government has not met its burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt.

There was no specific discussion on granular elements that were not satisfied.

There was not a lot of discussion about trying to establish legitimate reasons on why these actions were taken or why this cash and gold was found in the home.

There were statements to that regard, and the device does not -- the defense does not have that burden.

But I think it is telling they just attacked the legal standard.

I think you'll see the government come back and reassert all of the evidence and how it ties into this close nexus, to show a pro quote.

-- a quid pro quo.

Raven: It has been a lengthy trial.

Nine weeks.

37 witnesses.

With the massive amounts of testimony, evidence, in front of the jury, in your experience, how long do you think deliberations in a case like this will take?

Chris: I don't even think they will begin to deliberate until at least tomorrow.

If not the next Monday.

There will be probably a half day of jury instructions that are read.

I see it going into late next week, perhaps even longer.

Raven: Not a quick process at all.

thank you, Chris.

I appreciate the insight.

Chris: Any time.

Talk to you soon.

Have a good one.

Raven: An operation by immigration and customs enforcement in Princeton is drawing ire.

They told news outlet that ice -- that I.C.E.

agents rounded up and interrogated Hispanic and Latino residents seemingly at random yesterday without identifying themselves as federal immigration agents.

Advocates say agents knocked on doors and stopped people on bicycles and left immigrant communities on edge.

The I.C.E.

Newark office confirmed it targeted three noncitizens for arrest in Princeton yesterday.

One was taken into custody but another arrest was blocked by "public interference" with officers in pursuit of the individual.

Which the agency warned is a crime.

Princeton's mayor and council said in a joint statement they are deeply troubled by I.C.E.

's actions and they "starkly contradict our core values of respect and dignity for all."

Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, who represents Princeton, says she was horrified by the news adding any actions of intimidation are unacceptable and despicable and we will get to the bottom of it.

I.C.E.

maintains they do not indiscriminately target noncitizens.

While most political observers and lawmakers are focused on the future of President Biden's campaign, here in New Jersey, there is a congressional race that could shift the balance of power on Capitol Hill.

Progressive Democratic candidate Sue Altman released her first campaign add in district seven, seeking to tie her opponent, Congressman Tom Kane Junior, to corrupt lawmakers and political influencers in the Garden State.

This race is considered a tossup by the nonpartisan Cook political report.

You can expect money to pour in from both sides of the aisle to secure a seat, and the majority in the house.

Senior political correspondent David Cruz takes a look at where the race stands right now.

>> Yep, that's me.

That guy is getting ripped off a billion dollars in corporate giveaways.

David: For Democrat Sue Altman, the indictment could not have come at a better time.

Getting dragged out of that legislative committee hearing almost five years ago is at the center of a new Altman TV at as -- TV ad as she tries to keep the pressure on Republican incumbent Tom Kane Junior.

>> I think it speaks volumes that he does not meet with reporters, doesn't answer press questions.

Have you been able to have them -- and him on the show?

Probably not.

It is disrespectful to people in this district.

I will continue to hammer him on his cowardice.

David: it's true, Tom Kane Junior generally ignores the state press.

In a district that turned more red before the last election cycle, the strategy has worked for him so far.

Even his embrace of Trump has become less of an issue, mostly because -- Mr. Trump: I really don't know what he said at the end of that sentence.

I don't think he knows what he said either.

David: Joe Biden's precipitous decline has changed the political landscape dramatically.

While the country's sense of economic dread and maybe even corruption are issues, the top issue is the state of the top of the ticket.

With some Republican polls suggesting that jersey may actually be in play come November.

That has got some Democrats like Mikie Sherrill calling for the president to step aside.

Altman is trying to thread a political needle, saying the decision on Biden should be left to Biden.

>> If Trump wins, we need to float the house.

If the Democrat wins, we need to flip the house.

Reporter: I couldn't help but notice he said if Trump wins , a, and if the Democrat wins, b.

That begs the question with me, do you have the right person at the top of this ticket?

>> as I said yesterday, Joe Biden has served a lifetime of public service.

I respect and admire him for that.

And I'm sure that as the dust begins to settle he will make the right decision for this country.

I'm rooting for him to do so.

>> It may be smart as far as Democratic voters are concerned, not to risk alienating anybody.

But hopefully she is reaching beyond her base at this point, and if you reach beyond the core Democratic base, this should not be such a controversial call.

David: prominent Democrats distancing themselves from the top of their ticket, whether it is direct like Sherrill or indirect like Altman, it's just what the doctor ordered for Republicans in CD seven and beyond, says state GOP Chairman bob hugin.

>> There is a lot of turmoil.

If I was running, I would be highly optimistic, I would be using this momentum to raise money.

Get enthusiasm.

Voter enthusiasm on the Republican side could not be higher right now.

David: Altman has come a long way from these days, looking much more like a politician than an activist.

But she insists she is the same person at her core.

As for her Republican opponent, mostly still crickets.

But, by the way the past couple of weeks have been going for Democrats, it really doesn't need to say much to make his point.

I'm David Cruz.

NJ Spotlight News.

Raven: In our spotlight on business report, a popular electric vehicle incentive is getting a boost.

The charge a program that offers cash on the hood will be bumped up by an extra $20 million this year to $50 million.

Buyers can get $2000 upfront for certain zero emission vehicles, in the state will launch an income-based program this fall that will give another $2000 to buyers who qualify.

As the state aims to reach an ambitious clean-air goal, it is also ending sales tax, breaks for EV's, while adding a new registration fee, actions some say could turn off would be buyers.

Ted Goldberg reports.

Ted: Electric vehicles have come a long way and have a decade.

According to the co-owner Rick do Silva.

>> Five years ago, an EV was not a viable form of transportation.

They were big go carts -- golf carts.

Ted: they are a little more stylish now and there is more variety.

De Soto owns three dealerships statewide and has gone from selling two EV models to 10.

>> People don't like change.

Especially when that change becomes more expensive.

The dollars and cents in the -- and the incentives are so important.

Ted: to entice people to buy EV's, a state program called charge up has offered $4000 rebates, which help the visa go -- helped EV's from a small niche to 12% of new car sales last year.

>> The incentives we had until recently started to move the needle.

That is where it is really frustrating.

Ted: what frustrates him are the new fees and reduced fees that EV buyers are looking at.

The state will phase out a 20-year-old sales tax exemption for EV's starting in October, while tacking on registration fees and shrinking the rebate from charge up from $4000 to $2000.

>> To have the $3000 in sales tax exemption that goes away.

The $2000 in the state incentive that went away.

Then you add on the new fee of $1000.

There is a $6,000 swing.

Ted: Those registration fees go toward the state's transportation trust fund which gets money from taxes on gasoline.

In response to this story, the governor's office is "the transportation trust fund will maintain our entire transportation system, create thousands of good paying jobs in the years to come, and ease the burden of property taxes by offsetting these costs for local governments.

The governor believes that while we must support New Jersey's infrastructure, we can still further an ambitious and nation leading clean energy agenda."

That agenda includes a mandate that new car sales statewide must be 100% electric by 2035.

How feasible is that?

>> It's not.

Reporter: New Jersey's approach has created strange bedfellows between the automotive industry and environmentalists.

>> On the one hand giveth and one hand taketh away.

>> The states electric vehicle policies are incoherent.

>> The policy is not sound.

Reporter: Senator Bob Smith leads the Senate environment committee.

Despite his ambivalence toward New Jersey's EV policy, he still things it is possible to phase out sales of new gas powered cars by 2035.

>> But it will be harder.

Our point is we have to popularize it, they get the next thing you want to do on your auto is to get an EV.

Reporter: Silva says cold hard cash is the best way to do that, since EV's are a good fit for most commuters.

>> If you can plug it in at home, you will start off with 300 miles of range.

You will only drive 30 or 40 miles.

For daily use, if you can plug in at home, that makes sense.

>> EV's can help reduce smog and ozone and climate pollutants.

We should be accelerating their adoption, not rolling back the incentives for electric vehicles.

Ted: Since New Jersey follows the California clean car rules, hybrid cars would not count as EV's, even though they have become more popular for people not quite ready to take the plunge into fully electric vehicles.

>> Consumers who come in interested in buying an EV, drive away with a plug-in hybrid or hybrid vehicle, because the delta between the cost of a typical internal combustion engine vehicle and an electric vehicle is anywhere from $8,000 to $10,000.

Ted: Their issues include a lack of charging infrastructure and range anxiety, things that might require significant state investment if lawmakers want to reach those ambitious goals.

I'm Ted Goldberg, NJ Spotlight News.

Raven: New Jersey's clean energy goals may have just received a boost as the state gets three applications for projects during its fourth round of solicitation.

First step, Atlantic Shores offshore wind which submitted a bid for its Atlantic Shores South project.

The proposal already has major momentum after getting federal approval last week.

Up next, attentive energy which supplied for the second part of this project.

Finally, community offshore wind resubmitted its bid after failing to gain state approval during the third round of solicitations.

For three applications combine seek to bring more than four gigawatts of offshore wind power to New Jersey.

Governor Murphy wants the state to have a 11 gigawatts online by 2040.

State regulators will now review the bids and make selections in December.

These applications come after New Jersey joined a memorandum of understanding this week with 10 states from Maine to Maryland to work together to create a regional energy infrastructure.

Estates would share data, planning, research and more "to advance more cost-effective projects."

Turning to Wall Street, stocks dropped slightly after yesterday's record high.

Here's is how the markets closed today.

♪ We have been dealing with excessive heat around the state for the last week.

And now, new research by climate Central shows these high temps are creating urban heat islands in 65 major metropolitan areas.

The research shows no work has an urban heat island index of nine degrees, estimating how much hotter the city is due to its layout and environment.

Throughout New Jersey cities, volunteers are working to help the most vulnerable populations during this heat wave.

In Patterson, one hospital is putting boots on the ground, supporting the elderly, homeless and others.

Joanna Gagis introduces us to operation ice water.

>> What happens if you don't hydrate people?

They become dehydrated.

Look online for the symptoms are they get big and a big hurry.

Joanna: That is why Bob is out here delivering cold water to people in need around the city of Patterson.

He is an EMS worker, and he specifically is targeting the most vulnerable, like seniors, the homeless, and day workers who don't have shelter from this week's scorching sun.

But he will hand the water to anyone who asks.

So far in the last two weeks, he has handed out 4000 bottles of water.

The program called operation ice water, started last year.

His goal, to prevent a hospital visit.

>> Hospitals and 911 services become the catchall for everything.

If these folks become dehydrated, they pass out, have medical problems, somebody finds them laying on the sidewalk, they call 911.

Joanna: That puts strain on the city's already stretched thin emergency response system.

>> When a call comes into 911 dispatch centers, it comes in as a person unconscious.

That is a critical care.

You will get police, fire, EMS, paramedics.

They will roll in advanced life support unit.

Joanna: To compare the cost of the 4000 water bottles handed out this summer is about $600.

That is less than 1/5 of an emergency room visit which in New Jersey, averages $3400.

>> Last year during the heat wave when we started doing the water distribution, I was here almost every day.

This was lined with people.

Joanna: This is the exterior of the senior home that was a major concern last year.

At their education and prevention efforts seem to be working.

>> It has been empty for the last two weeks.

This is wonderful.

That means they are inside where they are sheltered or someplace else where they have cooling capabilities.

Joanna: He did find a few seniors who made their way out for a bit, but were grateful for the water.

>> Get a little bit of fresh air and then go back upstairs.

Joanna: Can't stay out too long.

>> Not cute.

>> They take care of us well.

I see them writing by.

Joanna: Residence in city -- cities around New Jersey are dealing with higher temperatures than the rest of the state.

>> There are no trees by my house.

They cut down the trees.

We have no trees for the wind to blow up the sun is beaming on our heads.

We have nothing to stay cool from.

Joanna: What Sarah is describing is called an urban heat zone.

>> Urban areas with less vegetation and more human built structures absorb more solar radiation on sunny days.

The rooftops, the sides of the buildings, the asphalt, parking lots and roads.

With that, you create a local environment with excessive heat levels.

Joanna: Making this vulnerable population that much more at risk.

This handout, a potential lifesaver during this intense heat wave.

In Patterson, I am Joanna Gagis, NJ Spotlight News.

Raven: That does it for us tonight.

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

I am Raven Santana.

For the entire team here at NJ Spotlight News, thank you for being with us.

Have a great night.

We will see you back here tomorrow.

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♪