>> Funding for NJ spotlight is is provided by the New Jersey education Association, making public schools great for every child.

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>> From NJ PBS, this is NJ spotlight news with Breanna.

>> Good evening and thanks for joining.

I am Breanna.

This week, many families began dropping off kids at summer camp and waving goodbye to a tumultuous school year.

As they do, the state is preparing for September when school will be open for full time in person instruction and masks will not be required.

The Department of Education today released health and safety recommendations for the upcoming school year and says masking rules will be left up to individual districts, but the state reserves the right to change its mind if the spread of COVID takes a turn for the worst before then.

The state reached another milestone today as well, nearly 5 million fully vaccinated people, more than 4.7 million are fully vaccinated adults, a goal set months ago has 105 new cases and for more deaths reported statewide.

The school mask update comes as medical experts issued new warnings about transmission of the Delta COVID variant with increasing data pointing to unvaccinated children as most at risk to be infected by the new strain.

Correspondent Brenda has the story.

>> Reporter: It is a disappointing.

>> Doctor Rebecca reports five people tested positive for COVID at her urgent care clinics in North Jersey this past weekend.

It is not a big spike, but may be a canary in the COVID mind.

It comes as the highly infectious Delta variant spreads across the U.S. and after some almost covered three months at this clinic.

>> For the past three months, almost nothing.

I don't get it.

I was happy we were not getting any positives, so now when we see isolated patients, it creates concern that this is going to be spreading.

>> Another surprise, of the five positive tests, four were from the same family, two vaccinated adults and unvaccinated kids.

One possible scenario, it is possible that the kids really brought the infection and then it spread within the family because they were the unvaccinated in that group.

So again, it is one case.

I don't know if I can be certain exactly what happened.

>> Unfortunately, I am not surprised.

The virus is going to find people who are so set the bowl.

>> Stephanie pointed out no one who tested positive at the urgent care clinic got seriously ill, which serves COVID vaccines protect folks and that younger children tend to get milder cases, but it also shows where a COVID virus, Eric.

>> If children are the ones who are now contracting the virus at a higher rate, then they are more likely to be the ones who are transmitting it to other people, so if you have somebody in your life who is immunocompromised, that is going to be a concern for you in terms of how you interact as a family.

>> Even unvaccinated people, you will see some disease.

>> Doctor Adam says he has seen a handful of vaccinated people test positive, but none hospitalized.

He notes current vaccines are only slightly less effective against the Delta variant for fully vaccinated folks.

He is more concerned about where pockets of disease could develop.

>> That is my concern that the nonvaccinated population will serve as a pool of people who get ill with the Delta variant and then that becomes the jumping off point for potentially in passing on insignificant numbers to the vaccinated population.

>> The Delta string comprises 20% of new American cases, 7.3% in New Jersey.

The circulation rate tends to double every two weeks according to Doctor Fauci.

>> This virus is a more transmissible virus.

Therefore children will more likely get infected with this family would with the alpha variant.

>> We know we are passing it around.

The real question is will we run up against a variant that the vaccine does not protect against?

>> Duck tour Vargas has COVID cases in his hospital system recently dropped below 50 for the first time in months.

New Jersey has got more than 4.9 million vaccinated to its credit, but COVID remains a threat.

>> Most kids, if they get infected are asymptomatic or have minimal symptoms, so they don't even show up in an urgent care, because we have no inpatient right now on the pediatric side, but they will be a reservoir.

That is why everybody needs to get vaccinated.

>> Experts point of flareups across the globe and new lockdowns.

Governor Murphy is leaving masks up to individual school districts this fall, but that could change if the Delta stream explodes.

>> I see is all going back to masks, potentially by fall.

>> After roughly a decade of delays, construction on a new gateway tunnel could begin as early as next year.

Transportation secretary Pete today tore the old bunny with federal lawmakers writing the train from Newark to New York Penn Station and told the congressional members he and Biden are committed to getting the project done.

Funding for the $11.6 billion plan is expected to be included in a bipartisan infrastructure bill now that federal agencies have approved the tunnel's environmental impact study, a little less than 10 billion would go to the tunnel construction while the rest would rehab the 110-year-old existing tunnels.

It is an about-face from the Trump administration stance, which lawmakers said was holding the project hostage, now they will need to work on securing funding.

>> We saw in the Hudson River tunnels the bridges and the other parts of what makes up the gateway, future Gateway project article infrastructure for the United States.

I do mean for the United States of America.

It is important to New York, it is important to New Jersey and important to the northeast quarter, but the impacts of this court or are so great that if there were a loss of service, if one of these tunnels were to go out of service, you would be feeling the economic impact all the way back in Indiana.

That is how important this is.

>> As the fiscal year comes to an end, lawmakers are awaiting Governor Murphy's signature on a number of key bills.

Not the least of which, more support for renters facing a massive action crisis.

Legislators last week agreed to finish the election moratorium early, but as Melissa Cooper reports, it will require hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to help tenants and landlords.

>> We felt it was a very pragmatic approach and it also established a way to ease us out of the pandemic.

>> Housing advocates praising state lawmakers decisions to pass the bill they say helps tenants and landlords who have been financially hurting for the past year and a half.

>> I thought the senator did a phenomenal job of bringing landlord advocates and tenant advocates together to forge a compromise and that compromise will end up helping hundreds of thousands of people.

>> The eviction moratorium will finish on August 31 for renters with an annual household income that is 80% above the average in their County.

But for those making under 80% of the median, the moratorium will be extended through December 31.

The bill also puts a pause on mortgage foreclosures through November 15.

>> When you couple that with the conversion of the debt to some of that, so any debt that was accrued between March 2020 and August 2021, it is converted to civil debt, so for the tenants, that means all that that cannot be the basis for an addiction.

Furthermore, the bill has a $750 million in both rental assistance and utility assistance and when you couple that with the $600 million we have already received from the federal government, that is $1.1 billion in rental assistance.

>> The CEO of the housing and community development network of New Jersey also applauding lawmakers and releasing a statement saying in part this bill protects the people most impacted by the pandemic and puts New Jersey on a path towards building a thriving post pandemic economy so that everyone can afford to call New Jersey home.

But not everyone feels that way.

>> It is difficult to imagine how several of my clients and the other housing providers who continue to reach out to the new civil liberties alliance are going to be able to make ends meet through January.

Are behind on their mortgages, behind on their property taxes, and they have tenants who have been behind on rent for 15 months now, and lots continue to not pay regardless of circumstances.

>> There are provisions to give landlords financial help, litigation counsel Maclean's has the process is still one- sided.

>> We have had potential clients even reach out within the last week to say I did not with the landlord relief lottery, and I'm going to have to sell my unit, and it is heartbreaking to see and it is also frustrating just because of the lack of means testing in any way.

It is not that difficult to crack a bill that is only going to provide relief to those who can demonstrate their need and not allow any bad actors to take advantage of the law and heard housing providers who are also struggling.

>> It is not like they don't owe the rent.

Nothing in this bill would change that.

But they just won't get put out into homelessness in a pandemic.

For little bit longer.

>> While advocates admit the bill is not perfect, they are hoping it will bring New Jersey another step closer to finding common ground for those in need and those providing housing.

The bill is awaiting a signature from Governor Murphy.

>> The most crucial item sitting on the governor's task is the historic 46.4 alien dollars state budget plan.

Murphy and Democrats controlling the legislature has been criticized for giving the green light to billions in borrowing without voter approval last year, pitched as a way to offset revenue losses that never happened.

Now they want to set aside money from the unexpected tax windfall to pay off debt.

John walks us through the numbers for tonight spotlight on business.

John, a lot of talk about this new state debt relief fund.

Run through for me how much exactly is being paid it down, and I think it is important to note which debt is being prioritized.

>> Yeah.

There is 3.7 billion set-aside for debt relief, and a big chunk of that, two and half billion will be used to retire debt that the state already has in the books.

New Jersey is one of the most indebted states in the country and the debt load is around the size of the annual budget, so there are plenty of candidates to pay down as the state looks over the portfolio.

One debt issue that will not be paid off early will be the bonds that were issued last year when the administration was projecting a big budget freefall Emperor would $4 million not to build anything like a school or bridge, but to prop up the budget.

The way those bonds were structured, they can't be paid off early, so this money will be set aside in part to pay down debt that New Jersey has already issued, and then there is a little over 1 billion earmarked to fund projects going forward to prevent the state from having to take on new debt, so that is where you add up to that for billion dollar figure.

>> It is not all created equally, so the new debt that the state took on last year in the borrowing you mentioned, does that carry higher interest, and I guess my question is then does it still put us in a hole, even though the legislature and governor are taking steps to pay this down?

>> Yeah, the debt issue last year that propped up the budget got a very low true interest cost of about 2%, so the debt probably has interest rates higher than that, so even though the state will not be paying down the debt that was issued last year, that has raised a lot of questions this year because tax revenues have really made it not needed.

The interest rates are going to be much higher on with the state already has on the books, so it is likely that even though the state is not going to be able to pay the bonds of early, it might save money by paying off other debt earlier, at least refinancing it and as long as you don't add to the turnover, it works out well for the taxpayers.

>> What then does this satisfy for Republicans?

I am thinking back to the hearings you covered with the treasurer who faced bruising questions about taking on this debt to begin with.

>> At the end of the day, I think Republicans would say the best debt is the debt that you did not have to issue, even though New Jersey could refinance some debt or save some money on paying off other bond issues, we are still going to owe the interest on the bonds that were issued last year for the budget, so I think Republicans would say at the end of the day, that debt now should never have been issued and the cost should have been saved while you also do something like the Democrats are doing now, which is paying down a bit chunk of additional debt.

>> Thanks for talking.

Thank you.

What started as a temporary shift to working at home during the pandemic could be permanent for some.

According to a new University poll, roughly a Cordy of New Jersey workers and say they don't think they will ever go back to their workplace and even though most adults in the state are now vaccinated against COVID, only 27% of those working from home have gone back full-time.

28% of those say they have a hybrid schedule, so a mix of working from home and the workplace.

The ripple effects of this shift could be big, according to Dan casino, director of the FTU poll, meaning the state may have to rethink funding for things like mass transit, tax agreements across state lines, and demands on the power grid.

>> Turning to the market, a look at the closing numbers on Wall Street.

>> Local leaders have been hammering away at their own upcoming budget plans.

Figuring out how to spend their towns portion of the $390 billion being sent to municipalities across the country as part of the rural governments American rescue plan.

Trenton's mayor has a bold proposal, get a share of the money directly to residents.

Michigan reports.

>> Cities across New Jersey are looking for ways to boost their economy and figure out what to do with federal dollars received through the American rescue plan.

>> $72 million.

We immediately formed a committee with many stakeholders in the community as well as people experiencing public policy.

>> Uris's as part of his plan will be to give the 28,000 households in the city of $500 stimulus check.

>> I think this will go a long way in helping people catch up it is not everything, but a lot of people who were out of work lost the ability to pay their rent or their mortgage.

They are also behind on taxes and other utility bills.

This will at least help defray some of those efforts while we try to reopen the state.

>> Some have questioned whether $500 is enough to put into people's pockets to stimulate anything.

>> We recognize that.

Keep in mind the feds have been giving out stimulus.

The state will be giving out stimulus.

>> The state will be sending out $500 rebate checks to married couples making under $150,000 with at least one dependent child, or single parents making less than 75,000 with at least one dependent child.

>> That pebble, what it does is in has a ripple effect to the economy.

>> Chief economist Bill Rogers says people paying for groceries with the extra cash will in turn help pay for internal salaries and they then have cash to spend.

Does he believe $500 is enough to stimulate the economy?

>> Yeah.

The estimates, those are sizable.

The good news is that the money would go to the households.

It is only 4% of the dollars that would be coming to the city.

>> The additional funds should go to boost worker productivity, which is a key ingredient of economic growth.

Meeting invest in what workers need.

Transportation, healthcare, broadband, childcare, and with a focus on mental health after increases in anxiety and depression as a result of the pandemic.

>> Raise worker productivity with what we call human priority investment.

Human capital investments in education, investments in childcare.

If we do that across the state and the nation, we can come out of this and have reimagined prosperity that benefits all.

>> The city plan is to allocate 8 million and hazard pay for city workers who were active throughout the pandemic.

2 million to expand mental health services, nearly 22 million for city infrastructure, and nearly 17 million to improve job training and business support programs.

He says that is why the committee landed on $500 stimulus checks.

>> We would like to double it, but that would double the price tag of 15 million and then that would be 30 million and that would be roughly half of the recovery plan funding that comes to the city.

>> Council has approved hazard pay for city workers, but the $500 checks and the rest of the funds are still awaiting a vote.

>> Last year New Jersey became the first state in the nation requiring LGBTQ inclusive teachings in all subject areas public schools.

And idea advocates say is rooted in highlighting the history and contributions of more minority groups.

But in most districts, the new curriculum was put on the back burner when the pandemic hit.

Now those lessons are expected to roll out in September, but it will not be without pushback.

>> There should be mirrors for children to see themselves in the world because kids know who they are at a young age.

Number two, they should have windows to look through and see people who are not like them, and there should be sliding glass doors to invite them through.

>> That is the entire premise of the states inclusive curriculum that was signed into law one year ago and required for all school districts to adopt.

>> Schools were supposed to in September be adopting measures and instructional materials.

Okay so policies should have been in place and instructional materials should have been improved statewide.

>> The pandemic forced schools to find creative ways to deliver even the most is the core curriculum leaving little time for adapting new material into their lessons.

>> All things considered, we are seeing the rollout all throughout the state and it is exciting to know that there are young people participating in lessons where they see themselves reflected.

We know when LGBTQ people see themselves reflected in the lessons, bullying will decrease.

>> It is not just good for those students.

>> We also know that it impacts non-tran10 students as well because they see people that are different from them reflected in the lessons and that way they are not going to pick on someone because they are different.

They are going to know that maybe there favor computer scientist or their favorite author is LGBTQ and that is a cool thing.

>> How do you respond to people who say I don't want my kids being taught about gender identity.

It is confusing for a kindergartner and they should not have to take on that kind of subject at that age?

>> That is an adult already creating a taboo or creating some authoring a mechanism to talk about these things.

We are asking questions about how identity has impacted Americans, how identity has impacted people throughout history with the way their contributions have been perceived and what sort of fallout has occurred because they have been others in these ways.

>> The term other meaning to treat a person or group of people as intrinsically different from oneself.

Oaks and acknowledges that not all districts are open to this curriculum and the law gives us some flexibility.

>> There is a subjective language that says where appropriate, so when we are talking about high school levels, every district is going to respond differently based on their home community, based on past events in the district, based on their teaching staff.

>> Sean is leading an effort to get families the choice to opt out of this curriculum.

>> It would give parents a voucher to go to the school of their choice if the public school refuses to accommodate the request to opt out of lessons and materials that violate beliefs regarding sexuality and gender identity.

>> His group has the support of people from many different backgrounds.

>> We want every student to be respected.

It is for teachers to tell the students to respect one another.

It seems as though one belief system is stigmatized.

Only one is elevated as acceptable.

>> The bill does not have a hearing.

As for the desired curriculum, advocates expect a much stronger rollout across the state as a schools resume fully in person in September.

>> Finally tonight from Jersey to Tokyo, you will want to remember this name, Sydney McGlocklin is cementing her legacy as a New Jersey track and field star to shattering the world record in the women's 400 meter hurdles at the Olympic trials this weekend, a stunning 51.9 seconds, the title as the first woman to break the 52 second barrier, it is now hers.

The magnitude of her victory written all over her face covering her mouth with both hands as she crossed the finish line and looking up into the sky, earning her a spot in the Tokyo Olympics and as one of the greats.

McGlocklin is a 21-year-old graduate of Union Catholic high school where she made a name for herself qualifying for team USA in 2016, becoming the youngest U.S. track and field athlete to compete in the Olympics since 1976.

We will be watching and rooting for her in Tokyo.

>> That is it for us, but head over to spotlight news or any of our social channels to continue following our reporting.

For the entire news team, thanks for watching.

We will see you tomorrow.