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Joanna: eDAN Alexander released after over 500 days in captivity P the last U.S. hostage being held by Hamas.

>> since October 7 we became a big family and miss him.

Thank God he is back.

Joanna: More flight delays and cancellations at Newark Airport.

The third ground stop due to technical issues in weeks as transportation officials say it could take months to update failing every structure.

Mayor Raz Baraka set to appear in court after being arrested outside in I.C.E.

facility for allegedly trespassing.

>> The Bill of Rights, the 14th amendment, everyone deserves due process.

That is the only thing we are asking for.

Joanna: And NJ decides 2025.

Our conversation with Democratic gubernatorial candidates hosted by radio host Michael Hill and our anchor Briana Vannozzi.

"NJ Spotlight News" begins right now.

FromNJPBS Studios this is "NJ Spotlight News" with Briana Vannozzi.

Joanna: Hello and welcome to "NJ Spotlight News."

I'm Joanna Gagis.

We begin with top headlines.

After 584 days in captivity Edan Alexander was released by Hamas today, the last U.S. resident held by Hamas.

This after direct talks between the Trump Administration and Hamas leadership.

Alexander said his release was unconditional and could lead to a cease-fire and broader end to the war.

Israeli media indicates he suffered severe torture while in captivity, was handcuffed and held in a cage.

Alexander's mom traveled from New Jersey to Israel to be there when he was released.

Alexander is now undergoing medical treatment to determine his condition and whether he is well enough to fly to Qatar to meet with President Trump and thank him for his efforts to free him.

Just immense joy and relief when they finally broke the news that he was free.

>> It is amazing.

I'm proud of this community.

It is so strong.

They really supported Alexander's family in the toughest days.

We are happy for them to bring him home finally.

Joanna: Also, more flight cancellations and delays at Newark Airport over the weekend.

The FAA reported tele-committee case and issues at a facility in Philadelphia that controls air traffic in and out of Newark airport which led to a 45 minute ground stop the FAA said was intended to slow the rate of planes flying in and out of Newark.

The delay was in effect this morning.

This trouble follows two separate blackouts that happened in the last two weeks when air traffic controllers lost radar and all communication with pilots for 90 seconds.

The U.S. Department treasury Duffy addressed plans to deal with blackouts and delays.

He expects ground delays to continue and plans to meet with airline leaders Wednesday to determine how many flights will be reduced.

Right now 34 flights a day have been canceled.

Duffy also looking to improve radar systems between Newark and Philly which he is working to have in place by the end of the summer.

Other system upgrades would take three to four years.

>> I know this is frustrating.

It is hard for the airlines operating out of Newark, the families that fly out of Newark.

It is problematic.

But our commitment is safety.

If you are going to fly, you will fly safely.

If we reduce the flights at Newark, we are not doing it to annoy people or delay travel.

We are guaranteeing safety.

Joanna: Lawyers for New York's MTA filed a motion in court to stop attempts from federal government to kill congestion pricing.

Those include of promise from the Department of transportation to cut federal highway funding in Manhattan if New York did not end the $9 toll on drivers entering the city from 60th Street.

Duffy fruit -- pulled approvals after they had already been granted under the Biden Administration.

The mta sued the federal government over approvals being rescinded in and have now filed a motion in court asking no action be taken by the federal government until the larger case is heard in court.

New data released by the mta shows congestion pricing is achieving intended results.

About 76 thousand fewer vehicles on the road in the congestion zone in April, 24% less than in the past, not a precise number because cameras were not set up to count the cars before congestion started but travel has increased slightly in areas around it according to a recent Google study.

On Friday afternoon the Newark Mayor and gubernatorial candidate Raz Baraka visited Delaney Hall with remembers of Congress attempting to gain access.

They entered the gates without authorization and as they exited, federal officials handcuffed Mayor Baraka, leading to a scene which can only be described as chaotic.

One said he was charged with trespassing and the mayor is set to appear in court this week.

It all comes in the final push of Baraka's gubernatorial campaign in a crowded race with five other candidates.

David Cruz looks at the political impact this moment could have.

David: The state possible environment was abuzz over images of Mayor Raz Baraka being led away from the Delaney Hall detention center in handcuffs.

Arrested for the kind for four .

Upon his release hours later, Baraka was greeted by a crowd that had grown into the hundreds.

>> The Bill of Rights, the fourth, fifth, 14th amendment.

Everyone deserves due process.

That is all we are asking for.

Not asking for anything incorrect.

I did not come down here to protest, I came to support my congresspeople.

It is OK.

It is part of what democracy is about.

Glad everyone is showing their support.

I love you all.

Please go home to your families and be safe this evening.

David: Homeland Security's version of events is that a group of protesters including members of the U.S. Congress stormed the gate and broke into the detention facility.

It is a story that has been repeated on conservative media, despite video that shows a different scenario, including a somewhat stunned Baraka getting swung around by federal agents.

The right was outraged, including Bill Spadea, former TV personality and one of the Republicans running for governor.

>> Ras Baraka is running to be your governor, yet he decided to pull a publicity stunt here at the Delaney center where illegal criminal aliens are being detained.

He thought that was unacceptable behavior of somebody asking for your vote for governor.

It is not acceptable.

It is anti-American.

David: It is a national story that exploded weeks ahead of the six person democratic primary for governor.

It is almost impossible to extricate the context from the events.

Could this be the kind of thing that blows up a primary?

Baraka's momentum has already been growing.

>> This has potential to impact the race in a big way.

The race has been bunched up to this point.

Anything that moves somebody in one direction or the other is a big deal.

You don't have to move the entire electorate, just enough to break out of the pack.

That is the potential for Baraka .

David: The U.S. suggested the members of Congress, Rob Menendez, mciver and Bonnie Watson Coleman had also broken the law and could themselves be subject to arrest.

For the 80-year-old Coleman whose life and public service goes back to the 1960's, what started as a fairly normal workday ended up bringing back memories of darker days.

>> I was stunned, hurt to my heart that this was happening in the United States of America.

But I will thank God for the moment I was in because I have first-hand experience of individuals were not federal officials, who do not have ID's and all that kind of stuff were not mayors, but are walking around trying to live their life every day, go to school, drop their kids off, go to work, and end up being taken off the streets and treated as if they have no dignity and no humanity.

David: Baraka has a court appearance scheduled for Thursday.

Activists are planning to use the momentum from these events to show Democrats what it means to walk the walk when it comes to fighting Trump.

I'm David Cruz, "NJ Spotlight News."

Joanna: We continue our profiles of each candidate running for governor of New Jersey.

Tonight we take a look at our last remaining candidate and only South Jersey guy in the race, former state Senate President Steve Sweeney.

He has run his campaign much like his office as Senate President.

As a moderate blue-collar ironworker and union leader not afraid to tell it like it is.

Brenda Flanagan has more on his political record and how it is resonating in his run for governor.

Brenda: His campaign ad gets right to the point.

>> Steve Sweeney, ironworker, union worker, Democrat.

Brenda: He draws heavily from blue-collar traits, heads the ironworkers union, can count on several union endorsement and is backed by most of the Democratic bosses in South Jersey.

He likes to point out -- >> I'm a candidate for governor of New Jersey, not just South Jersey.

Brenda: But Sweeney is the only contender from south of rouet -- route 105.

A former state Senate President who cut deals with Republican Chris Christie.

>> Everyone had this perception that this flaming blue state, it is not.

It is a blue-collar state where, unfortunately, the Democrats have stopped talking about issues that the public really cares about which is, it's the economy, stupid.

>> Sweeney is as close to a conservative Democrat as you get.

Remember in South Jersey, they were rubbing elbows with Chris Christie, and candid to reform the police department, more accurately to replace the release department, to take over this cool district in the city of Camden.

Brenda: Kenneth Burns says over a dozen years in Trenton, he brought home the bacon.

Despite his shocking upset loss to a Republican in 2021 -- >> Among the faithful, Steve Sweeney is there guy.

Brenda: He kept his friendship with George Norcross, a controversial powerbroker, who saw criminal corruption charges against him dismissed, and that frees up Norcross to get more involved in Sweeney's campaign says writer Micah Rasmussen.

>> He has traditionally helped candidates in South Jersey so they don't have to raise money or focus on money the way other candidates do.

But the price of that is, when George wants something, George get something.

Brenda: Sweeney made powerful enemies including the NJEA after he backed raising their pension and health benefit contributions but also supports raising the minimum wage.

His daughter inspired Sweeney to champion rights for people with disabilities.

On pocketbook issues he would eliminate retirement income taxes for seniors earning less than $250,000.

But on social issues like the Trump Administration's battle to detain and deport immigrants, Sweeney has carved a singular path.

He condemned Newark Mayor Raz Baraka's arrest by I.C.E.

His advice on Chat Box for dealing with Trump -- >> We have to grow a spine, stop sitting back and waiting for Trump.

Brenda: On the other hand, he is only Democrat who would appeal the Attorney General's immigrant trust.

His path to victory veers to the right.

>> He will not be part of the aggressive rise within the party.

To him the progressive candidates can split up their vote and he can bring up the moderate vote and that can be his Lane.

Brenda: A crowded lane Sweeney shares with Mikie Sherrill and Josh Gottheimer.

Brenda Flanagan "NJ Spotlight News."

Joanna: Last week we brought your conversation with the Republican primary candidates for governor of New Jersey.

Tonight it is the Democrats turn.

This conversation will be moderated by our anchor Briana Vannozzi and a morning edition host Michael Hill.

Both are with me now to give us a sense of what we can expect.

Great to sit down with both of you.

Tonight we have five of the six Democratic candidates running for governor.

Tell us who will be here on the stage and who won't be.

Briana: These are folks who qualified through the state election law enforcement commission.

They had to raise a certain amount of money to meet the threshold to qualify.

They are two sitting Congress members, Democrat Josh Gottheimer and Democrat Mikie Sherrill.

Two sitting mayors of the state's two largest cities.

Newark's Ras Baraka and Jersey Mayor Steve Fulop.

And former Senate President Steve Sweeney.

This race started two years ago when Steve Fulop was the first to throw his hat in.

He launched this epic campaign video, was jumping into the Hudson River.

This is not his first foray.

He previously attempted to run for governor.

But all these folks have experience.

Who will not be here tonight is Sean Spiller, the president of the NJEA.

He did not qualify for public matching funds, so he could not participate.

But we do have five of the six leading candidates, all assume I would say have a Lane -- all of whom I would say have a Lane.

Joanna: There is no shortage of issues plaguing New Jersey right now.

Talk to me about issues you will be pressing the candidates on tonight.

Michael: Number one is affordability.

You start talking about energy costs, housing, taxes in New Jersey.

Right now there is an imminent Quest to build affordable housing in New Jersey, which is the reason there is a mandate in some cities and towns which are fighting at left and right.

Even asking for a 90 day delay.

Asking for the mandate to go into effect in the fall, perhaps after the election.

Affordability is the number one issue right now.

Costs are expected to go up $28 per month per household which is a lot when you add up 12 months of the year.

There will be questions.

How do we afford energy in this country and state?

On top of that, how do we do things in New Jersey to bring those rates down to make it more affordable to live here?

Affordable housing is number one.

Briana: They all campaigned that affordability is their top issue.

I would say the Trump Administration also.

Every single one would say they would stand up to the president.

They each issued their own campaign ads, posing them as the candidate to do it, the person to take on the Trump Administration.

So we are going to go there as well.

Joanna: Hard to think of New Jersey without its transportation woes.

Briana: As we sit here tonight we have a pending, looming strike with New Jersey transit's locomotive engineers.

One of their main unions.

We have a lot of issues with ground stops at Newark Airport, part of a larger infrastructure problem with the FAA, with systems and outdated technology.

New Jersey making headlines for all the wrong reasons when it comes to that.

Newark Airport is one of the busiest in the country.

We have some of the busiest airspace.

All of that under the purview of the governor.

Don't forget we have one of the most powerful governors in the country because of the power of the veto pen.

These are big decisions they will be faced with.

Joanna: We have seen Mikie Sherrill, Congresswoman, as the assumed front runner throughout this race though polling has her in single digit, close margins to almost any of the candidates.

Steve Fulop and Rez Baraka right behind her.

Mayor Baraka made headlines this weekend.

Friday he was arrested outside of an I.C.E.

detention center in Newark, Delaney Hall.

What do you expect to hear from candidates as they try to differentiate themselves and take the wind out of each other's sales?

Briana: Mikie Sherrill has been seen as the front runner because she has the party backing, the organ aged -- organization support.

We don't know how much that will matter in our first full election without the county line on the primary ballot.

As far as convention goes, she has that read a lot of these other candidates have had no problem raising money and have all struggled with name recognition.

Ras Baraka, certainly folks in North Jersey know him because he is the mayor of Newark.

He is an ultraleft progressive and makes no mistake about that.

He is also a practiced tester.

This was not out of the norm for the stances he has taken, but it made national headlines.

We will be getting into that, but in a more policy focused discussion.

Not debating the merits of what did and did not happen.

Joanna: Michael last weekend you sat down with three candidates in the Republican primary.

That was quite fiery.

We have not seen the same fervor and rhetoric among Democrats fighting each other as we have seen in the Republican primary.

I'm curious your thoughts.

Do you expect any of that tonight?

Or is the calm tone among Democrats helped them or hurt them?

Michael: In this atmosphere with politicians screaming and shouting, I think polite politicians might be something the public would welcome to an extent.

It gives you an opportunity to hear what people are saying, what their issues are.

In this case there may be contentious moments but I don't think anything as raucous as we have seen on the Republican side.

I just don't think these candidates want to be seen in that way so I expect them to be fiery, but don't expect them to be what comes across as rude, when you are over someone and shouting, and moderators are saying, hey.

I would be surprised if they do that.

Joanna: As a moderator you know it is hard to get to the important topics when you have that type of discussion.

So you don't expect that tonight?

Michael: I don't, but if it happens, we know how to deal with them.

Briana: I'm not worried about that, either.

We encourage, because it is a conversation, we encourage crosstalk and for candidates to push each other.

That is part of what this is about.

I do expect them to take aim at youngest woman Mikie Sherrill because of that poll you referenced.

We are all about civility tonight and that is our goal.

Joanna: This is a conversation, not a debate.

We are not offering equal time.

A few seconds left.

Do you expect in the next few weeks of push to get voter turnout?

These primary elections, turnout is extremely low.

This is an off year, not a presidential election.

Briana: Anything can happen.

We saw that on Friday, that could move the needle.

If the president decides to endorse a candidate on the Republican side, that could also galvanize some of the progressive base to get out and vote.

A lot of these candidates have good ground game.

Joanna: Anything to at?

Michael: No, I think she hit the nail on the head.

Joanna: We look forward to a great conversation tonight.

Tonight you can join NJEA --Briana Vannozzi And Michael Hill for conversation with Democratic candidates for governor, five of the six candidates vying for nomination starting live at 7:00 p.m. here and also streaming live.

Before we leave you tonight, former state senator and five term Newark Mayor Sharpe James has died.

A controversial character, an energetic councilman fighting for his beleaguered city, opposing corruption and championing new development for Newark, including its crown jewel NJPAC.

At the end of his term as mayor, he became the very type of politician he spent his career opposing.

He was charged by then state attorney Chris Christie for purchasing lavish items with the work credit card.

He was convicted on 33 counts of federal corruption and served 27 months in prison.

He eventually gave up his mayoral seat after fiery race against Cory Booker that led to a documentary called Street fight.

James died at the age of 89.

That will do it for us tonight.

Download our podcast wherever you listen and watch us any time by subscribing to the "NJ Spotlight News" YouTube channel plus follow us on Instagram and blue sky to stay up-to-date on all the state's big headlines.

I'm Joanna Gagis.

For "NJ Spotlight News," thanks for being with us.

Have a great night.

See you back here tomorrow.

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