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>> Tonight, on the Eve of the New Jersey primary, Senator Bob Menendez finds himself embroiled in a federal corruption case, accused of soliciting favors from foreign entities.

While all the candidates looking to replace him are soliciting votes.

>> He does not want to be a lame-duck because in Washington, Chuck Schumer, Joe Biden should care about whether or not we hold onto the seat and whether or not he is a potential spoiler.

>> Plus uncommitted.

Some New Jerseyans looking to protest President Biden in the primary.

>> If he wants that support from these coalitions, he needs to pay attention to all of these groups and the majority of Americans.

>> Ready to walk?

After months of negotiations with Meridian health, nurses are ready to hit the picket lines.

>> Workers have the right to unionize so that we -- so that they have a voice in negotiating better working conditions.

>> New Jersey Spotlight News begins right now.

♪ >> From NJ PBS Studios, this is NJ Spotlight News.

Briana: Good evening and thank you for joining us.

Senator Bob Menendez's trial may have sidelined him from tomorrow's primary election but the indicted senior Democrat is planning to enter the race.

According to multiple reports, Menendez is expected to file a nomination petition with thousands of signatures before tomorrow's filing deadline.

To run as an independent if a jury exonerates him.

It means he can continue to raise money and use campaign funds to pay for legal expenses and potentially makes for a spoiler in the fight for the seat.

His formal entry into the race comes as he enters his fourth week of his federal bribery trial, accused of accepting mounds of cash and gold bars in exchange for political favors including acting as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government.

Prosecutors picked up where they left off on Friday with a trove of tax and phone records they believe will prove their case.

Our Senior correspondent has been inside the Manhattan court for us all day her cameras were not allowed, and she joins us now with the latest.

Good to see you.

Who did we hear from today?

Brenda: Today we still have the witness who was on the stand Friday.

He is a witness for the prosecution and defense spent this afternoon essentially trying to pick holes in his testimony.

It got contentious a couple of times.

The judge had to remind the defense attorneys not to be so argumentative.

The man on the stand was Ted McKinney, a former USDA official.

He claims Senator Menendez as we told you before, was trying to -- he was trying to pressure him and trying to protect a whole all beef export monopoly one of his constituents was running.

This beef monopoly had been granted by Egypt and it was something that Menendez allegedly took bribes to protect.

The dissents -- the defense presented Ted as someone who was pushing U.S. exports and saw this new company as an enterprise that could cause damage to the U.S. industry because essentially they didn't know what they were doing, they were new to the experience, they were too small.

They tried to intervene, they called Egyptian officials, the U.S. envoys try to argue, can't we recertify some of the U.S. companies that you decertified to create this monopoly?

That is why McKinney says he got the phone call from Senator Menendez who essentially said quote, stop interfering with my constituent, which was a very different kind of phone call.

Briana: And that begs the question, what is and what isn't appropriate actions taken from a U.S.

Senator on behalf of a constituent?

Did they get into that?

Brenda: What they got into was the fact that the USDA got phone calls all the time, from elected congresspeople and generally you would get a phone call from a Congressman in Iowa, who was saying we want you to try and promote exports of a certain product, corn out of Iowa for example.

The Menendez call was very different, they said because what you got was a very curt not polite, not win-win, not U.S. exports, let's help my state.

It was one they thought could potentially hurt the export industry for the U.S.. Briana: We are now in week four and have only seen a summation of one witness so far.

Presumably a lot more work to do in the jury has so much to sift through.

How is it in the court and how does the jury appear?

Brenda: I would be lying if I wouldn't report that we have seen some very drowsy jurors.

A couple of them have closed their eyes from time to time.

You have to understand, the prosecution's presenting emails, text messages, letters, phone recordings.

The kind of testimony -- there goes an ambulance.

The kind of testimony that we are hearing is a painstaking building of a case, with all of this evidence being presented in chronological order and the defense will come in and try and pick holes in it.

Briana: These cases are not easy for anyone on either side.

Brenda Flanagan, thank you.

Brenda: You are welcome.

Briana: As voters cast their ballots for the primary election tomorrow, they will be deciding a number of consequential races.

Nominees for seats ranging from the president of the United States Senate and Congress, county Sheriff's and local council members.

Democratic voters are also encountering a change to their ballots for the first time in decades.

A revamped design that uses office blocks instead of the controversial party line which proponents say strips party leaders of their ability to hand select primary winners.

Early voting wrapped up yesterday, already well over 300,000 voters cast ballots either in person or through vote by mail.

For everything else you need to know about the election, we've got Michael in the studio, Director of New Jersey politics at -- Before I get into any of that, potential spoiler, we've learned that Senator Menendez will file his nomination petition.

What can you tell us?

Micah: I think he is looking to produce a big number.

I think he wants to surprise.

In the courtroom last week, someone asked him about 10,000 signatures.

He said where did you hear that?

He is trying to come up with a number that will surprise everyone.

We've talked about it before.

He's trying to keep himself politically relevant for another few months.

He doesn't want to be a lame-duck, because in Washington, Chuck Schumer, Joe Biden should care about whether or not we hold onto this seat and whether he is a potential spoiler.

All of his leverage at this point comes from being politically relevant for the next few months which he wouldn't otherwise be.

Briana: I should clarify this won't change things for the ballot tomorrow.

This would be for the November election which if Andy Kim, since he appears to have the support, clinches that nomination, there is where the spoiler would line.

What other races are you watching?

Micah: His son's race in Hudson County is a big one, for that congressional seat.

He is running against the Hoboken Mayor.

But is a very hotly contested one.

Rob Menendez got to Congress two years ago, really on the strength of his father's name and reputation, coattails.

Since that was a strength for him two years ago, it is a liability today.

We are whether -- we are wondering whether or not that could weaken his chances as well as the party organization and not having that powerful line to get him across the finish line.

Can a well-funded challenger make a strong play against him?

So far it is looking like that, and we will see what happens.

Briana: Interesting because they had an op-ed today, backing Menendez, Rob Menendez and a lot of folks from Hudson County, a lot of prominent voices have come out.

What about in District three?

That is the race for Andy Kim's now open seat.

Micah: A longtime legislator and Carol Murphy.

A lot of others in the race.

These two former running mates.

These two longtime district office mates that have been teaming up for a long time are now running against each other.

Herb Conaway has all the support of the organizations.

How much to these organizations miss a beat or how much do they keep up and figure out what they are going to do in place of the line to get their candidate across?

This is one of those tests we will see, how the organizations do on their own without that line.

Briana: I have to ask because we are talking so much about the line.

This is a first.

We will have a complete different ballot for Democrats.

Many folks have already voted.

How do you think that will play?

When you look at the two, because it is not new for Republicans.

It is pretty striking.

Micah: What the reformers would tell us is this is an early glimpse at life without the line.

When candidates filed to run, they didn't know the line was going to be gone.

We are going to get a better glimpse in the next year or two as we see who decides to run and take on the line based on how these organizations are doing without it.

This is going to be an early look.

If Herb Conaway finishes strong and Rob Menendez finishes strong, we know the organization still has some juice.

Briana: Which is likely.

Thanks so much.

Across the state, some to my credit voters say they are planning to deliver a protest vote in the primary.

Instead of casting a ballot for the incumbent, President Joe Biden, they are opting for the right in line which reads uncommitted with the slogan, justice for Palestine, permanent cease-fire.

The New Jersey branch of the Democrats socialist of America secured a spot after being inspired by an abandoned Biden movement in Michigan.

Supporters see it as a way to send a message to the White House about the war in Gaza while Democratic leaders worry it will siphon votes, creating an easier path to victory for Donald Trump.

Our senior political correspondent has more.

David: As if Joe Biden didn't have enough problems heading into reelection, is now facing a not insignificant protest vote that could spell trouble at the national convention, at least if not in the ballot box come November.

In state after state, Democratic primaries come a voters for alternate candidates and uncommitted have far surpassed the historic 7% average.

Minnesota, Oklahoma, almost 30%.

Michigan, where the movement began this year, and Colorado, almost 20%.

North Carolina, Texas, California, all more than doubling historic highs.

In New Jersey where there aren't many other candidates on the Democratic ballot, the uncommitted slate says they hope to make their voices heard.

Larry Hamm is running for U.S. Senate and he said voters in Michigan are starting to waive.

>> I have my ballot right here.

Right under the column for President, you see the bottom one says uncommitted, and it says justice for Palestine, permanent cease-fire.

>> Liberal progressive voters, and especially voters of Middle Eastern and North African dissent are saying we are not just going to vote against Biden or not vote for him.

Instead we will have an alternative.

This alternative is voting for uncommitted delegates who are going to push for justice in Palestine as they call it.

This has some opportunity to have an impact on what happens.

They need to get to a certain threshold, about 15% in any district or 15% overall in the state.

If they can do that, they are going to get a delegate at the DNC.

David: That means potential impact on foreign policy, especially in the Middle East.

>> In 2020, people from summoning different backgrounds came together to work really hard to get President Biden elected.

That included young people, people of color, Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, who all very strongly want a Cease Fire.

If he wants that support from these coalitions again, he needs to pay attention to all of these groups and the majority of Americans.

David: Biden's primary victory is in no danger and it seems unlikely that New Jersey as a whole would choose Donald Trump in the fall.

Still, a weakened Biden does not get any stronger when it looks like his own party is searching for something else.

>> What is the president doing, that if he continues on this course, he's going to cause the whole party to suffered defeats at various levels come November.

David: Does that we can him in the eyes of the broader electorate, as if he needs even more?

>> He deserves that weakening.

Unfortunately I can't trust what President Biden has to say.

>> I've never seen an example in electoral history where abstaining from voting has actually changed the way an elected official behaves.

They respond to people voting for other people.

David: Thus far the threat has seemed to change the president's rhetoric.

He used the term Cease Fire again last week.

But the uncommitted say they will need real policy action before they are ready to rejoin the Biden coalition in full force.

Briana: And you will want to tune in right here tomorrow night to follow along with primary election results.

Polls close at 8:00 and we will have live up dates on the hour and then full live coverage with our reporters covering key races across the state and all the political analysis you need with experts in studio.

That's tomorrow, June 4 on NJPBS and on the NJ Spotlight News YouTube channel.

A universal preschool has been a focus of progressive groups in New Jersey.

The governor proposed $21 billion in the state budget to fund pre-k programs, about $1 billion more than the year prior.

Today, lawmakers met to hear about how the expansion is working through the use of a mixed delivery system which requires coordinating providers that operate in very different settings.

Think private eclairs, faith-based schools and Headstart agencies.

Raven Santana reports.

>> For every dollar you pour into an early childhood program, the returns are as high as $13.

Talk to any hedge fund investor, they will tell you there isn't one thing on the market that you put in one dollar and get $13.

Raven: Senator Rui's received testimony on preschool mixed delivery systems during a Senate education meeting.

>> You don't have an early childhood provider that is high-quality and a family feels the can drop their child off at, that person is staying home and not becoming part of the workforce.

Raven: Preschool mixed delivery systems using public and private programs to provide publicly funded preschool slots to kids in diverse communities that need -- that meet health, safety and performance standards.

The hearing was to hear the benefits of and barriers to mixed delivery systems.

>> Without a robust system, we are unlikely to achieve universal access to public preschool in New Jersey.

The district are required through New Jersey Supreme Court mandate to maintain a mixed delivery model like contracting with all willing and able private providers when space is not available in school districts.

The decision does not apply to other school districts in this state and as a result, we have documented a significant a Klein in the percentage of children in contracted centers.

Raven: Advocates who testified said providing families with multiple options allows them to choose a program that best meets their families needs.

>> According to a 2024 report on mixed delivery by the -- by the New Jersey Department of Education, of the districts participating in the preschool program, 90 or just under 32% are partnering with community-based providers.

I think we can do better.

Raven: The U.S. departments of education and health and human services urge leaders to work with local -- local education agencies and early childhood partners to serve more children in preschool through a mixed delivery approach.

Private childcare center staff say the recommendation is a lot easier said than done.

>> In the 26 years we've been apart of the mixed delivery program in Jersey City, there is one barrier that stands out among the rest.

That barrier is that when the collaborating entity, the Jersey City Board of Education, cannot fulfill their part of the contract, we asked childcare centers feel the brunt of their lack of being able to fulfill their contract.

Raven: Other concerns directly bleated to offering services include the ability to staff programs as well as the curriculum used.

Several of our childcare facilities do not have P3 certified staff members and many successful staff members with significant years of excipients have difficulty in obtaining certification.

Raven: Advocates also cited other barriers including the lack of supportive services, transportation and school partnerships.

The hope is that these suggestions will be used to create policy and laws to support the expansion of mixed delivery systems.

Briana: In our spotlight on business report tonight, another nurse strike at a major New Jersey hospital appears imminent.

HPA E and health care workers walked away from the negotiation table Saturday after the leadership failed to come to a contract agreement with their employer, Hackensack Meridian health, by the deadline on Friday.

Hundreds of nurses at the Palisades Medical Center are now discussing strike plans with the union.

As Ted Goldberg reports, the possible walk outcomes as the union was able to secure tentative deals with two other hospitals.

Ted: The largest nursing union in New Jersey was ready to go on strike at three hospitals.

That number is down to one after last-minute deals made on Friday.

>> I'm really thrilled that we were able to reach and tip agreements.

They understand reached tentative agreements.

They under -- reach tentative agreements.

They understand that this will not suffice.

That we need to negotiate enforceable safe staffing ratios.

Ted: Debbie White leads the union that represents 15,000 health care workers in New Jersey.

She says there biggest ask in new contracts is enforceable safe staffing ratios between workers and their patients.

>> It is always safe staffing.

We are focusing on bargaining safe staffing into our contract as well as passing a statewide law with enforceable staffing ratios to every patient has the benefit of safe staffing in their hospitals.

>> Lots of research shows safe staffing ratios work.

They save lives.

Ted: Tara rojo leads the union representing workers at Palisades Medical Center worthy 750 workers are now working without a contract.

She spoke about safe staffing during a zoom last week when the other two hospitals were approaching their deadline to make a deal.

>> Safe staffing ratios would allow me and my colleagues to provide care that will help our patients have a better outcome.

No longer will we accept employers resistance.

Ted: Palisades is owned by Hackensack Meridian health and white says negotiations are slow going.

>> Hackensack Meridian is a difficult employer.

Hackensack Meridian was willing to spend a lot on antiunion efforts, so they don't have any more organizing within their facilities.

Ted: White was in Trenton to testify at a hearing hosted by the Senate labor committee.

She says Hackensack Meridian has been a thorn in the side of the union.

>> Captive audience meetings are part of a well orchestra did effort to undermine workers.

Intimidation should never be used to dissuade workers.

There is already an imbalance of power in the workplace.

Workers have the right to unionize so they may have a voice in negotiating better working conditions.

Ted: In response to the story, Hackensack Meridian sent this statement.

With each passing day, our dedicated team members are missing out on the competitive compensation we are providing across the H and H network.

We have provided HP AE a comprehensive offer that include significant increases to shift differentials and on-call pay, weekend differentials and base pay increases in each year of the contracts.

We remain committed to bargaining in good faith with HP AE local 5030.

We want to settle negotiations without further delay or disruption.

The nurses at Palisades say they have taken inspiration from nurses at Johnson University Medical Center who made headlines for their strike last summer.

>> They were not going to settle for language unless it included safe staffing ratios and they were willing to walk the pavement for four months, over four months.

I believe it was closer to five.

Until they got that language in their contract.

Ted: White tells me the union will take the week and look over the latest offer from Hackensack Meridian.

If the offer is no good and the nurses want to go on strike, they have to give 10 days advance notice so if a strike does happen, I won't be a total surprise for the hospital.

Briana: On Wall Street, stocks were mixed to start the first day of the trading week after some of the major markets had to pause earlier because of a technical glitch.

Here is where the stocks landed.

>> Support for the business report is provided by experience the vibrancy of Newark's arts and education district, and Halsey.

Visit halseyn-wk.org for the schedule.

Briana: That does it for us tonight but make sure you download the's cat -- the podcast version of tonight's broadcast wherever you listen.

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

Have a great evening.

We will see you here tomorrow night.

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