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Briana: Tonight on "NJ Spotlight News" -- No Kings protests.

Tens of thousands of people gathered in New Jersey on Saturday and across the country to stand up against the Trump administration's policies.

Plus, security concerns are ramping up here in the state for public officials following the attacks on Minnesota lawmakers over the weekend.

>> We have to give them the assurances that we are doing all that we can and that that intelligence that we gather and that we process is in place to protect them and their families are as good as they've ever been.

Briana: Also, still at large.

Two Delaney Hall escapees are on the run following the unrest at the Newark ice detention facility as other detainees are transferred.

>> I think under this administration, there is a push to detain and deport as many immigrants as possible, especially in blue states like New Jersey and blue cities like Newark.

Briana: And NJ decides 2025.

Former Governor Christie Whitman endorses Democrat Mikey Cheryl and outlines the major hurdles she has to overcome debate Trump -- to beat Trump-backed Jack Ciattarelli.

>> This is not the presidential, this is not a national race.

This is about New Jersey and New Jerseyans want to hear, what are you going to do for me?

Briana: NJ Spotlight News begins right now.

♪ Announcer: From NJ PBS Studios, this is "NJ Spotlight news" with Briana Vannozzi.

Briana: Good evening and thanks for joining us on this Monday night.

I'm Briana Vannozzi.

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

First, few moments have so clearly depicted a nation divided as it was this weekend, when some 5 million people were estimated to have taken part in roughly 2,000 demonstrations planned across the country, including here in New Jersey.

Dubbed the "no kings" protests, to decry President Trump as a dictator and would be king, people draped themselves and ponchos and gear to march through local streets and lined major roads.

In Morris, one of the largest demonstrations in the state, Mikey Cheryl arrived up a crowd of thousands.

-- revved up a crowd of thousands.

The demonstrations played out peacefully at the same time as President Trump's military parade rolled down Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C.

It was a display of America's military might the president had been wanting for years with tanks, troops, and a 21 gun salute.

It recognized the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army and also fell on the president's 79th birthday.

During brief remarks at the end, President Trump said it is time America celebrates its victories like other countries do.

Also tonight, another settlement with big Pharma over the opioid crisis.

New Jersey will receive up to $125 million from Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler family, for their role and deceptive -- in deceptive marketing of a highly addictive painkiller that led to one of the largest drug crises in U.S. history.

55 Attorneys General, including New Jersey's Matt Platkin, agreed to sign the $7.4 billion settlement, which also ends the Sackler's ownership of Perdue and bars them from making, selling, or marketing opioids in the U.S.

The settlement announcement today resolves one of many lawsuits brought by states against opioid manufacturers in recent years.

So far, New Jersey has been awarded about $1.3 billion from those settlements, including this one, with the money slated to be used for addiction treatment and prevention.

The agreement comes as the state is finally starting to see a drop in overdose deaths.

Last year, the number of lives lost hit 1813.

That is a little over half of what it was at its peak in 2021 when the opened epidemic collided with social isolation of covid 19, resulting in more than 3100 that is according to state records.

And neighbors of Newark's Liberty International Airport will finally have better transportation access to get there.

The Port Authority Friday broke ground for a $160 million construction project that will cut travel time from 40 minutes to less than 10 minutes for people that live in Newark's South ward and Elizabeth.

The project extends an existing pedestrian bridge at the airport over platforms and train tracks and allows room for people walking or on bicycles but also creates a public space just off Newark where taxis and private cars and buses can do pickup and drop off.

Residents in the South-ward and Elizabeth who rely on public transportation previously had to deal with long and complicated travel routes to get to the airport either for their jobs or travel by taking multiple buses because there was no direct routes.

The project will also connect the community to the existing Amtrak and New Jersey transit rail station that did not have a stop there.

It as three New Jersey transit bus routes to serve the station and bumps up the air train to run every 45 minutes during peak hours according to the port authority.

Once the project is complete in 2026, an estimated 400,000 people a year will use it.

The Murphy administration has increased security for state lawmakers in New Jersey after a gunman shot to lawmakers and their spouses in Minnesota on Saturday, killing former Minnesota State House speaker Melissa H. and her husband and greatly entering Sen. John Hoffman and his wife.

The suspected gunman was captured and taken into custody today after a massive manhunt, but the fear and Post-traumatic Stress of the horrific incident left elected officials here in New Jersey and across the country on edge.

Senior political correspondent David Cruz reports.

Reporter: Like the Minnesota legislature, New Jersey's governing body has a good reputation for collegiality and mostly bipartisan respect.

That is not to say that things do not get ruckus around here sometimes.

>> See what is happening here!

[Shouting] >> My child, my choice.

Reporter: Most lawmakers we spoke to today said they felt fairly safe in the statehouse.

State police are a steady presence here.

Especially on days where demonstrations are expected or controversial items are up for consideration, or the governor is making a speech.

The state police superintendent Pat Callahan says even with security upgrades that came with the statehouse renovation, lawmakers still expressed concern about their safety after they leave transit.

-- they leave Trenton.

>> Very much so.

We all know with the advent of Google, you can Google anybody's address.

You can know where they live.

Reporter: Senator help easy who has reported concerns before says she is never really -- has never really had a concern about her safety while in Trenton.

>> At the statehouse, you have the state police presence and security measures, you have all of that sort of stuff.

It is your day-to-day life, being out and about.

It is somebody randomly shutting your name who you may not know who that person is or who the intentions -- what their intentions may be.

Reporter: Senator John B. propose legislation to encourage civility among lawmakers and to teach it in our schools.

He says the anonymity of social media has emboldened the most fringe among us to insult and threaten.

>> I've always said when you see this stuff, hundreds of people should react and say that is wrong, but today to be honest with you, it seems if you are not hateful, then you are the loser.

Reporter: State police have stepped up security in and around the statehouse stressing there are no credible threats.

>> We have to give them the assurances that we are doing all that we can and that that intelligence that we gather and that the process is in place to protect them and their families are as good as they've ever been.

Reporter: But some advocates say it is important to find a balance between protecting lawmakers and other public officials while maintaining the rights of individuals to demonstrate against and question their leaders.

>> Part of resolving that issue is recognizing that we can't turn away from democracy and constituents need and want to feel heard so their -- so this conversation needs to happen.

It's important for democracy that lawmakers are still accessible to their constituents.

Reporter: Democracy, we are told, is supposed to be messy.

But when state lawmakers are being assassinated by constituents and U.S. senators and mayors and members of Congress are being cuffed and physically subdued by law enforcement in public, it can be easy to wonder if this mess of a democracy can ever be cleaned up.

I'm David Cruz, NJ Spotlight News.

Briana: Authorities are still searching for two of the four detainees who escaped from Newark's Delaney Hall last week.

The other two are now in FBI custody, according to federal officials.

Today, the operators of the private immigrant detention facility essentially put the place on lockdown, barring visits from lawyers and family members, as they try to regain order following the uprising that led to the detainees' escape.

As Brenda Flanagan reports, as hundreds of other immigrants are being transferred to unknown locations.

Reporter: Protesters failed to block the vans that started moving detainees out of Delaney Hall on Friday.

All weekend, white vans from the private contractor Geo group which operates the facility removed hundreds of undocumented immigrants from Delaney.

The sudden evacuation followed last week's riot at the detention center's unit five where detainees tore a hole in the wall that allowed four men to escape.

>> People were able to escape because the wall was built so poorly.

They do not seem to me like they are able to run this facility safely for the people they are holding inside.

Reporter: Two of the detainees who escaped remain at large.

The FBI apprehended the others this weekend.

Advocates outside Delaney Hall have long protested conditions inside this facility, including security, as vendors for steel doors and others rolled into the -- other construction workers rolled into a Delaney today, so did the large white transport vans.

>> They were taking people out going to who knows where, after they had abused them for a month, driving them food and water and medical care.

>> It's also very scary and chaotic for the people inside because they are not sure where they are being shipped off to.

They are not getting any idea, any confirmation from Geo or ICE as to what is happening.

Reporter: I have barred visits -- They have barred visits from Attorneys and families.

>> Even if you are going to deport somebody, there is a humane way of going about it.

Reporter: William Weathers' brother is still at delaying it, he is due to be deported back to Jamaica, but the family fears he will get swept up in this mass movement.

>> He might end up in Louisiana somewhere or Texas somewhere and just be bounced around for months and months for no apparent reason.

Reporter: Geo group got a $1 billion federal contract to operate this facility for the next 15 years.

Capacity, 1000 beds.

But oversight has been problematic.

>> We pay these private prison companies like Geo and core civic billions of dollars to incarcerate and detain our people, and they have no response ability to give us any information -- responsibility to give us any information.

Reporter: They would not answer any questions about activity here.

They said last week contrary to current reporting, there has been a widespread unrest at the facility.

We remain dedicated to providing high-quality services to those in our care.

A spokesman for the mayor says the city has arranged for an inspection by its engineering department, Homeland Security had no comment.

>> Under this administration, there is a push to detain and deport as many immigrants as possible.

Especially in blue states like New Jersey and blue cities like New York.

Reporter: Republicans charge Democrats are using Delaney to grandstand.

The push to verify conditions inside the facility continues.

He claims it was not obstacle before it even opened.

Congresswoman McIver faces assault charges after a shoving match with ice officers delayed a May 9 juror.

She plead not guilty.

Senator Senator Andy Kim toured Delaney on Friday.

His take -- >> It is an insecure facility.

They are doing a security review.

They are moving almost if not all of the detainees out as they do a review of the process.

Reporter: No one is quite sure where the detainees will end up or what happens next.

Brenda Flanagan, NJ Spotlight News.

Briana: Former New Jersey Governor Christie Whitman, a lifelong Republican who has previously supported candidates across party lines, is now backing Democrat Mikey Cheryl in the upcoming gubernatorial race.

She is the state's first female governor and served two terms.

Tonight, she joins us to discuss what led to her support of Mikey Cheryl and why she is not backing GOP candidate Jack Ciattarelli.

Governor Whitman, good to talk to you.

Thank you for coming on the show.

What led you to decide so very quickly to endorse Mikey Cheryl in her gubernatorial bid?

>> Actually, I have been supportive -- I met Mikey a while ago.

A couple of years ago when she was just coming to office.

I said to her then, you ought to think about running for governor.

She has all the qualities you want to see in a governor.

She's got leadership experience.

She has shown that she can work and will work with anyone to solve problems.

She is not a grandstander but she is tough, she knows what she wants to get done and gets it done.

Those are qualities we want in a governor.

She's been very focused on the state of New Jersey.

She has not been a grandstander in Congress, she is been focused -- has been somebody focused on getting it done, getting bills through and helping our constituents.

Briana: I wonder about the challenges that face gubernatorial leadership now.

From the federal level, from just intra party differences and how you think Mikie Cheryl might be best to navigate through that.

What is there about her time as a congresswoman and your time getting to know her that leads you to that decision?

>> Again it is that willingness to work with everyone.

She does not demonize people.

Unfortunately, Jack Ciattarelli is not who I knew way back when.

Because I have known him for years.

He has just changed.

He is full on MAGA, and I do not believe the state of New Jersey is MAGA.

From the sense of, we are a nation -- particularly New Jersey is a state of immigrants that made us strong, one of my models for New Jersey when I was governor was many faces, one family, that is what gives us our texture and our strength and economic viability.

Mikie Cheryl understands that, she is appreciative of people from all walks of life and she will as I said before work with anyone.

She's focused on solving problems.

Not driving separations or trying to keep people apart so you can keep your power and win.

It makes for the kind of candidate that it is going to be tough, let me put it that way.

Clearly with Jack's win -- the size of his win in the primary tells us the MAGA are hard in for him --people all hard in for him.

He has proven to be a proud trumper.

Her win was certainly still a strong showing that there was a strong inclination among those who would vote democratic to support her.

Focus now is on the independence.

Briana: Is that where you also see in -- an endorsement like yours reaching voters across party endorsements?

You have talked about the forward party being for the politically homeless and folks who are still moderate, who are still centrist.

Do you see a rule -- role there to coalesce among those voters?

>> I certainly hope so.

The forward party represents exactly what people want.

Our candidates, we will support them if they will send the pledge which says they will uphold the rule of law and respect the Constitution, work with anyone to solve problems, create a safe space to discuss controversial issues and work to ensure anyone that has the legal right to vote gets to vote, based on the principles of decency, diversity and democracy.

In my mind, she takes all those boxes.

Briana: You were out this weekend with Sherrill in Morris town at the no kings rally.

There were folks all over.

What this you need to do to get these votes?

She's got to run a statewide race.

It's not easy.

You've got experience doing that.

Two thirds of Democratic votes went to progressive candidates.

Though she had a good showing.

What does she need to do now?

>> She needs to do what she has been doing which is focus on New Jersey issues.

This is not the presidential.

This is not a national race.

This is about New Jersey and New Jerseyans want to hear, what are you going to do for me, to help us with taxes and help stay in the state?

If she sticks to that the way she did if you notice in the primary, her ads and her focus -- -- she took shots at Jack of course because of the differences, would it would be like if we had a mega governor -- maga governor.

But she needs to do that.

I think she will be successful.

Briana: Always good to talk to you.

Thank you again for your time.

And finally, a legal battle with the Trump Administration could shape the future of the electric car market in the U.S.. New Jersey is one of a dozen states that have signed onto a lawsuit blocking a move from the White House that will make it harder to get more electric vehicles on the road.

That is a goal of the Murphy administration and environmental advocates around the country to reduce emissions and help curb climate change.

But will the effort survive?

Ted Goldberg reports.

Reporter: New Jersey's plans for all electric new car sales in the next decade have stalled significantly.

President Donald Trump signed a congressional resolution blocking California's plan to ban the sale of new gas powered cars by 2035.

A rule adopted by New Jersey.

Rick da Silva owns three car dealerships statewide and sells plenty of EV's.

But he says the rule, if it survives a court battle, would limit his business.

>> We want to be able to offer you whatever works for you.

We don't want to be pigeonholed into only battery electric which is what the California rules would've done.

Reporter: I asked him last summer how feasible it would be to sell all EV's by 2035.

How feasible is that?

>> It's not.

Reporter: When I asked today -- >> Not going to happen.

Reporter: He noted the California rules would not have counted hybrid cars as part of the all electric goal.

TV sales have picked up significantly over the last few years and now account for one in eight new car sales statewide.

He says his EV sales have not grown much over the last year.

>> There were some significant incentives driving that growth and that part of the market that are going away in the state of New Jersey.

On the one hand, we've got Trenton saying, EV is the way to go, we are fully on board with what California is doing, and on the other hand, they have added an average of four to five $1000 -- $4000 to $5,000 to the transaction price.

Reporter: Matt Platkin joint and other states in suing over the resolution saying revoking state vehicle emissions standards is illegal, and it is yet another way that Trump Administration is violating the law to target states it disfavors.

We will see them in court.

>> Of goal really is to turn over the fleet.

So if you keep on driving your gas powered car, you are not going to get the environmental benefit of the more efficient vehicles.

So to have that choice and that uptake, you will have a much quicker turnover of the fleet.

>> There is no question electric vehicles are here to stay.

As more of a matter of making sure that they grow based on demand from the consumers so that it is not hoisted up on the consumers but actually it is a choice.

Reporter: Laura leaves the New Jersey coalition of automotive retailers or NJ car.

>> We would have seen job losses and lack of choice.

Reporter: She says New Jersey which has about 4500 public chargers statewide has a ways to go in terms of providing and maintaining the infrastructure needed for EV's.

>> You can put the chargers in at malls and various parking lots but they are not being maintained like at a fueling station.

So that means you do not have the safety of the human to call 911 and there's a problem.

>> The best way to think about the protections right now is a big fat question mark.

Reporter: Environmentalists say states should have the right to set their own standards for new car sales and market forces are favoring more EV's on our roads.

>> We cannot stick our head in the sand and that goes for any state policymaker that is trying to grapple with the impacts of climate change and air pollution.

>> Until that certainty is sorted out, it is going to be a pretty disruptive time in not just EV's but the auto industry more generally.

Reporter: Nick N. is the founder of Atlas public policy.

He says America's uncertainty toward EV's could provide a window for other countries to take the lead in the industry.

>> Technology has advanced so much now that another parts of -- in other parts of the world, particularly China, the EV's are that choice for the everyday driver.

And unless we continue on the trajectory we are on today, we might lose out to China and that's going to mean a loss of potentially lots and lots of jobs.

Reporter: According to state data, New Jersey has around 218,000 EV's on its roads.

Whether or not we will stop seeing new gas powered car sales in the decade could depend on the outcome of this court case.

Ted Goldberg, NJ Spotlight News.

Briana: That's going to do it for us tonight, but a reminder, you can download our podcast wherever you listen and watch as any time by subscribing to the NJ Spotlight News YouTube channel.

You can follow us on Instagram and blue skied to stay up-to-date on all the state's big headlines.

I'm Briana Vannozzi.

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

We will see you right back here tomorrow.

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