>> Tonight on "NJ Spotlight News ."

>> This is New Jersey violating the Constitution and refusing to accept fundamental rights.

>> New Jersey gunowners fight back against strict rules for carrying guns.

trouble in the courtroom.

>> real people are getting harmed by the failure of the Senate and Governor's office to get qualified people nominated and appointed.

>> A county pressing paws on certain trials due to ongoing judicial vacancies.

Also, Jersey City landlords band together in a lawsuit challenging the city's right-to-counsel providing tenants with free legal assistance.

>> It would harm the program.

>> Experts say a summer Covid wave could be coming, but how will the numbers compared to prior years?

>> I think the cases are likely higher than we know.

>> "NJ Spotlight News" begins now.

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>> From nj PBS, this is "NJ Spotlight News" with Breonna Vannozzi.

Briana: thank you for joining us.

Gun rights advocates back in court over a newly published set of mandatory qualifications for getting a concealed carry permit in the state during many say the proposed requirements are too extreme for the average citizen because the standards mirror skills required of active police officers, posing a potential threat to Second Amendment rights.

As Brenda Flanagan reports, opponents see it as the Attorney General's thinly veiled way to prevent more people from getting guns.

Reporter: Peter squeezed off seven shots, three standing, four kneeling, and less than 25 seconds.

One of many requirements on the interim qualification list for New Jersey concealed carry permits.

The co-owner of a shooting range says it draws too heavily on state police firearm test standards like kneeling to shoot.

>> Kneeling is an important component.

Should it be something they have to qualify with like law enforcement?

Probably not.

Reporter: He served as a cop and U.S. Army sergeant and said most firing agents do not have breakaway barriers to allow shooters to Neil -- kneel and not everyone can.

>> We also have handicap issues, people in wheelchairs, and missing limbs that may not be able to do that.

Should it disqualify them from their Second Amendment right?

Probably not.

>> From a civilian perspective it pushes too hard.

Reporter: He agreed shops like RTSP compiled their own training curriculum and included some police training basics like drawing from holster, but deliberately omitted others on the Attorney General's list like hitting a target 25 yards away.

>> We took away the 25 yard qualification.

In New Jersey, if you're in a self-defense situation, it is not at 25 yards.

And we wanted something court defensible.

Reporter: Another, being able to switch the gun to your nondominant hand and hit a target at 15 yards.

>> How often has there been a shooting by a Civilian where he had to utilize his support hand because his primary hand no longer functioned?

Reporter: The owners out RTSP say there are ongoing discussions with the New Jersey State police that will result in tweaks to these requirements, to make them more Civilian oriented.

>> Now they are reworking and rethinking about it, certain things will come into play.

Offhand shooting, kneeling, things meant for law enforcement in a tactical situation is not a self-defense situation.

>> Yet the state is imposing a requirement you have to be trained like a police officer, clearly an attempt to suppress their rights and deter them from exercising their rights.

Reporter: The attorney adding objections to the Attorney General's interim training standards to the federal lawsuit already filed contesting other concealed carry restrictions in New Jersey.

State police had no comment on pending litigation.

Neither did the Attorney General.

>> I will not comment on their claims.

There is a statutory requirement we will defend in court.

Our track record defending firearm safety laws has been pretty good.

Reporter: At RTSP customers are signing up for concealed carry classes.

You may say the standards are a moving target.

Brenda Flanagan, "NJ Spotlight News."

Briana: Lieutenant governor Sheila Oliver has been hospitalized.

According to a statement from the communications director, Oliver is receiving care at a Medical Center in Livingston and is unable to carry out the duties of acting Governor at this time, arole she assumed while Governor Murphy is overseas with family.

That means Nick's Qatari is -- Nick scutari is now acting Governor.

A spokesperson for Governor Murphy said updates will be provided as they arise.

Another county fallen victim to the states extreme judicial vacancy.

Starting today, Passaic County will pause civil and matrimonial trials.

The Senate presidentscutari promised to move more judicial nominees to the bench, but there is still no schedule set.

As Joanna Gagis reports, those shortages having an impact on lives.

>> I am seeing children forced to live in dysfunctional relationships, people forced to live together long after the marriage has ended.

>> Real people are harmed by the failure of the Senate and the governor's office to get qualified people nominated and appointed to the judiciary.

Reporter: The shortage of judges in New Jersey has already caused the courts to close civil and matrimonial trials in six counties and three were able to resume, but as of today, the Chief Justice has paused similar trials in Passaic County.

>> As of September 1, we will be short 8 of 28 judges.

We had an unfortunate situation and one suffered a medical situation and is out.

That could make us short nine until he is able to return.

Reporter: That is just in Passaic County.

>> The Chief Justice pointed out at worst we should have 20 to 30 vacancies at any time.

Right now we have 55 with another 11 scheduled for 2023.

Reporter: Those 11 will be retiring at the end of the year.

The Passaic closure a few weeks after enough judges were confirmed into the Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties, allowing them to resume.

But the president of the state bar association says -- >> We cannot play whack a mole in New Jersey.

Reporter: It is something leaders have acknowledged.

>> We are working diligently to fill those.

We will most likely come back in July to consider additional nominations after we screened them.

Reporter: So far, no sessions have been held.

>> It is July 31.

Summer is winding down.

If they will have a special session, he needs to happen sooner than later.

Reporter: Representatives of the Bar Association Seymore should have been done sooner.

>> We are disappointed because this is a problem we saw coming.

We already were suffering as a result of the backlog created during the pandemic.

>> What about the families draining resources because they are waiting for their trial or event, but it never happens because trials are at a standstill?

Please, we are saying, we need you to expedite these appointments.

We need to fill these seats.

It is not a matter of may be, but crisis.

Reporter: In the meantime, the Passaic County Bar Association is working on alternate solutions.

>> We are creating settlement programs, mediation programs.

And we are dedicating and volunteering our time.

Reporter: With nearly 5000 divorce cases at a standstill, those efforts cannot fill the void missing at the bench.

For "NJ Spotlight News," I am Joanna Gagis.

Briana: The Murphy administration requesting a major disaster declaration for the state after recent storms devastated parts of Warren County.

The governor Friday sent a letter to the White House asking for federal aid.

New Jersey was hit by several dangerous weather events, but a July 15 storm battered Warren County causing flash flooding and landslides.

Route 46 finally reopened to drivers yesterday after being shut down from flooding and landslides.

There was also severe damage to roads, businesses and homes, thousands without power for days, and more than 100 people displaced.

If approved, a major disaster declaration would provide more money to continue cleanup and rebuild.

Jersey City landlords pushing back against a progressive new law giving renters facing eviction free legal help starting in the next two years.

Proponents touted the measure is a way to level the playing field for the roughly 70% of residents who rent homes in the city..

But a lawsuit from a powerful group of property owners could put a stop to it.

David Cruz has the story.

Reporter: When the Jersey City council passed its right-to-counsel last month it was heralded as a small step toward helping tenants at least know their rights when it comes to hearing.

Providing lawyers for tenants facing eviction and have developers pay a fee to help fund it.

A councilman is a sponsor of the bill and its most vocal proponent.

>> I think the biggest challenge folks have is being scared, not knowing their rights.

We have some tenants that leave before a formal eviction filing because they get a threatening letter, not knowing they do not have to leave.

Reporter: Of tenants who go to court, advocates say only 3%, with an attorney, either because of finances or they do not think they will need one.

According to the right-to-counsel campaign, landlords almost always have a lawyer and it makes a difference.

>> Some cases can be extremely quick and be negotiations that would happen between lawyers, but when you do not have representation for the tenant, judges just talking with plaintiff attorneys and coming up with a judgment on the spot.

There is a big correlation when it comes to finding, once tenants are represented, how overwhelmingly they stay in their homes.

It is 86% of the time.

The times they do leave they are given more time, more money.

As we know, this is a precarious time for tenants, so it matters a lot.

Reporter: Landlord say the ordinance is flawed and are suing to have it overturned.

They say it targets one class of taxpayers by charging only developers and landlords of fee to pay for tenants' services and it does little for landlords who a critical service with small margins.

>> Let's look at how courts work today.

If I bring an eviction case it is probably 90 days before it is heard.

During the pandemic, more like a year and a half.

Today the courts are weeding through these, encouraging deals to be made.

Maybe in 90 days you can be heard.

If the tenant says I need a continuance, they get it.

By the time the apartment can be returned to the owner, they are out four or five months of rent.

Reporter: That could wipe out a small landlord, which he says makes up the majority of his members.

He said the council forced the lawsuit by not tweaking the ordinance.

Councilman Solomon says it is as amended as it will get and is looking forward to the case being dismissed, and the program being fully implemented by 2026. , "NJ Spotlight News."

Briana: a wave of new hospitalizations and positive COVID-19 cases signaling the U.S. could be in for a late summer virus surge.

The CDC admits it will be nothing like past years with confirmed cases at near historic lows.

Data shows the amount of coronavirus detected in wastewater and emergency room visits are on the rise.

According to the CDC, hospitalizations are up 10%, the sharpest increase since December 2022.

Jersey is on better footing.

Just 28 cases reported statewide as of this morning along with 204 hospitalizations.

Does it mean a summer wave will escape us?

An epidemiologist joins me to explain.

It is good to see you.

Here we are talking about may be another surge.

Put this in context.

We do not want to alarm anyone.

The numbers are still very low.

Dr. Silvera: The good news is, even though people presenting at the hospitals are up, COVID deaths are still down and trending that way.

I think that is a testament to how well the vaccines are working and the fact a lot of us have different levels of immunity through vaccination, having been exposed, or some combination.

The cases are likely higher than any of us know, because we do not have testing at the levels we have had in previous years.

Briana: If you are vaccinated, the symptoms likely are less severe, so you are probably less likely to seek medical care if you are fortunate enough to have a mild case, so it is not getting reported.

Is it a new variant driving this increase?

Dr. Silvera: There is the variant XBB1.16.

It is about 14% of the cases.

There are multiple XBB variantS circulating.

And there will be new variantS.

They mutate to stay ahead of our immune system.

The good news is, typically as these mutate, they become more transmissible, but less Verlander.

Less likely to cause death -- less virulent.

Less likely to cause death.

Briana: We were talking about a handful of cases being reported now.

Give us some perspective.

Dr. Silvera: It is difficult to compare this year to last because people are not testing.

Hospitals may not be testing upon admission anymore.

Overall we are in a better position than last year, but everything is wide open.

People are traveling, fewer are wearing masks.

It is not unexpected to see an increase in cases.

As people travel and come back home.

Briana: Remind us, if you are exposed to the virus, what is the protocol these days?

Dr. Silvera: It remains, you should test if you think you have COVID.

You can do the at-home test.

If you test positive, you should stay-at-home and isolate for five days.

After five days, wear a mask for five days when you're back out in public.

Briana: Good point, because I think a lot of us have forgotten that.

Thank you, as always.

Meanwhile, memory loss and brain fog are among the most misunderstood symptoms of long-term COVID.

That does not bode well for the roughly 185,000 New Jersey residents who have Alzheimer's.

A new study finds New Jersey has the sixth highest rate of the disease among seniors nationwide with 12.3% of residents 65 and older estimated to have the devastating rain disorder that deteriorates memory, thought and speech.

Maryland ranked number one with 12 point 9% followed by New York.

The major contributor is the diversity of population, including large numbers of elderly residents.

As well as more women and Black or African-American individuals, those increase risk for the disease.

According to the CDC more than 5.8 million people were living with Alzheimer's in 2020.

Starting tomorrow, someone knew overseeing all public health issues for the state.

Governor Murphy tapped Dr. Caitlin Baston to replace the current one.

Baston is a doctor in Camden who specializes in addiction medicine.

Having founded the Center for healing and is an expert in child development.

Her nomination has largely been met with praise, but as our mental health writer notes, some say the post requires a broader range of skills.

Bobby, good to see you.

You did a deep dive on her background, what she -- why she was nominated.

What has reaction been like since Governor Murphy made the announcement?

Bobby: doctors and harm reduction advocates have welcomed this announcement by Governor Murphy.

Many I have spoken with pointed to the fact she takes a compassionate approach to folks who are often in the throes of addiction.

One expert that sat with Dr. Baston on committees throughout the state pointed to the fact she is often praised as being down to earth, open and honest.

She does not come across as somebody with an air about her.

Someone who can really relate to people on a level that is personal and compassionate.

That is what I have heard from most folks.

There have been critics of Dr. Baston's appointment saying her focus has been addiction medicine where she is dual certified in family medicine.

Many of the doctors have praised the effort by the Murphy administration.

Briana: How is her scope being narrowed in addiction and negative for New Jersey when we know it is a prominent issue here?

Why would that detract people from confirming her nomination?

Bobby: That was a point many advocates have said.

Instead of seeing it as a negative, they see it as a huge positive to zero in on a key issue New Jersey has been having as it relates to opioid overdoses.

Because of Dr. Baston's extensive experience in founding the Center for healing at Cooper University and her work with Rowan University's medical school, she has created a robust curriculum.

Briana: Any red flags from her background and how quickly might we see her confirmed?

Bobby: The only red flags critics of her appointment have pointed to is the fact she has a focus on addiction medicine.

They question whether or not she would be able to lead an office with a focus on both addiction and family medicine, not having experience running a hospital.

That is the only criticism I have heard.

In terms of her nomination process, I have spoken to folks in the governor's office who say it is most likely when the Senate gets a forum in November they can have the process.

Briana: She will be acting Commissioner until then.

Thank you.

>> Support for the medical report provided by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

Briana: In our spotlight on business report, one of the nations largest and oldest trucking companies is shutting down and laying off all 30,000 workers.

The 99-year-old yellow Corporation filed for bankruptcy today.

It is considered the largest bankruptcy filing for a trucking company in the history of the U.S. Yellow had a recent exodus of customers amid financial troubles and do battle with the Teamsters union, which presents 22,000 workers.

A week ago they threatened a canceled strike after they did not make payments to pension plans.

Yellow is known for cut rate prices and has thousands of trucks moving freight across the country for companies like Walmart and Home Depot.

The closure despite yellow taking a pandemic lona three years ago which leaves taxpayers on the hook.

It has been a winning week for Wall Street.

Here is how stocks closed.

That will do it for us tonight.

A reminder, you can download the "NJ Spotlight News" podcast to listen any time.

For the entire news team, thank you for being with us.

Have a great evening.

See you tomorrow.

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We are proud to be part of New Jersey.

NJM, we have New Jersey covered.

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I am looking forward to moving on with my life.

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