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Briana: Tonight, the federal corruption trial for senior center Bob Menendez enters its seventh day.

Today's testimony puts the money trail solely in the hand of his wife, Nadine.

>> I think you will see that throughout the trial, them laying on the concept that this was really an arrangement that Nadine had with the other codefendants.

Briana: Two weeks from the June 4 primary, a crowded field looking to fill Congressman Andy Kim's seat another district.

>> The district is more democratic, more lopsided than it was.

You would expect the Republicans to have a hard time under any circumstance.

Briana: Also for the first time, many ballots will not use a county line system.

What you need to know as you prepare to vote in this year's primary.

>> Can see the flexibility.

You can vote over the weekend, you can go to this voting center.

We are encouraging people to take advantage because we know there will be less crowds.

Briana: Finally, a bill to regulate hemp, Delta eight, and CBD products sold at local gas stations and convenience stores.

NJ Spotlight News begins right now.

♪ >> From NJPBS Studios, this is NJ Spotlight News, with Briana Vannozzi.

Briana: Good evening.

Thanks for joining us this Tuesday night.

I am Briana Vannozzi.

U.S.

Senator Bob Menendez's corruption trial appears to be in full political damage control mode, continuing to cast the blame at the feet of his spouse, Nadine Menendez, as witness testimony continues.

Detailing today how businessmen will Hannah rescued Nadine's home from Florida -- from foreclosure as the senator allegedly helped Hannah secure a lucrative business relationship with Egypt, exploring Halal eat that is according to a lawyer who wrapped his testimony for the bribery trial, saying he delivered the money, provided by Hannah, directly to Nadine Menendez's bank, helping her avoid a mortgage lawsuit.

Senator Menendez moved into that home after the couple married a year later, and has pleaded not guilty to a number of charges related to alleged bribes and payments.

Ted Goldberg was in the Manhattan courtroom today and joins me from outside with the latest.

Good to see you.

I know there was a witness on the stand.

Who did we hear from and it sure seems like Nadine's name just keeps popping up.

Ted: hey, Bree.

Earlier this morning, we heard from John Mould about, a lawyer who worked for will Hana's company at the center of this scandal.

According to his testimony, Nadine had a no-show job.

She was employed month-to-month for three months, making $10,000 a month as a consultant.

When asked what kind of work she produced, will Davon did not have an answer.

He said he never saw Nadine appearing at the office.

He was not familiar with her work, and was not familiar speaking about her work with any of the other employees.

The defense pointed out, you were there for three months, maybe she did other stuff.

But he stood firm and said, I was not familiar with work that she had done.

Perhaps that $30,000 went a long way toward helping Nadine.

Her finances were not in the greatest shape.

As Menendez's team has pointed out, maybe that's the reason why she was -- why the gifts of cash were a big help for her.

She was behind on her mortgage, she was in fear of having her house foreclosed upon.

Some of the folks involved, some of the defendants helped her out.

According to evidence there was a $20,000 plus cashiers check that was -- was it a loan, was it a gift?

It was mysterious.

Briana: Where was the senator and all of this?

How does he factor in, if at all?

Ted: This is what is going to play into Senator Menendez's strategy.

He did not appear in this testimony.

And they asked the lawyer, hey, did you ever speak to Senator Menendez?

Did you hear Senator Menendez's name from will Hana?

He answered no both times.

He said throughout the endeavor, he never spoke with Senator Menendez.

This is playing into the senator's strategy of laying all the blame at Nadine.

Briana: It seemed clear from the outset that Judge Sidney Stein, overseeing the trial, wants to keep things rolling.

Who did we hear from this afternoon?

Witnesses took the stand?

-- which witnesses took the stand?

Ted: Four witnesses tonight, including a lawyer this morning and there have been two witnesses who work -- who are employees at companies owned by two of the defendants.

There was testimony from Joshua Paul who works at the political and military affairs Bureau in D.C.

He gave a lot of general information about the -- about why the U.S. continues doing arms sales with Egypt, and gives Egypt a lot of money every year to purchase editions from American companies.

He said someone in Senator Menendez's's position as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has a lot of influence and sway into whether or not these arm to deals are approved or next.

I why he did not implicate Senator Menendez, he said someone in that position could wield their influence and stop these deals.

Should be interesting to see what happens with this trial next week.

It should be interesting to see if the senator's daughter continues making appearances in the court room she has today and yesterday.

Briana: Let me go back to that point you made.

They have to draw -- have to connect the line between the time the senator was in his perch on the Foreign Relations Committee, and when this contract happened.

Have we seen anything so far to indicate the timing and how the two may have been at the same time?

Ted: I don't believe so.

I think that will be happening next week when there are more witnesses coming through for the governor -- government and for the defense.

Briana: We know they have a litany.

I know you have quite a crowd behind you pair the hut -- the Trump hush money trial going on across the street.

Covering the Menendez trial, thank you so much.

As Ted mentioned, the jury goes on a week hiatus for the Memorial Day holiday, giving them plenty of time to mold over the facts and evidence presented so far in a sprawling Wever -- web of charges.

Chris Camus Gianni joins me once again to walk us through what we learned in the latest round of questioning.

Good to see you.

This trial is getting into the nitty-gritty of the case.

The defense is leaning on this Nadine Menendez through-line.

How far can they take that?

Given what we know so far, the evidence that has been presented.

Chris: I think you will see that throughout the trial.

Then leaning on the concept that this was really an arrangement that Nadine had with the other co-defense.

Senator Menendez was largely kept in the dark on that.

When it comes to the co-defendants, their defense is going to -- these were just gifts between friends, or loans.

It had nothing to do with any actions taken by Senator Menendez.

Briana: I go back to a line that was in the opening arguments when they said, you might not like it, but it is not a crime.

It does not necessarily equate to an official act.

They have got a lot of dots to connect.

A lot of minutia for the jury to go through.

How difficult is that for them, given the sheer amount and layers to this case, to get the jury to wrap their head around?

Around it?

Chris: They opened the big with all of the things of value.

The cars, the cash, the gold bars.

Now this burden on the government is to show this was part of this quid pro quo exchange, this private scheme.

To do that, they will rely heavily on a few things, I suspect.

One of the biggest ones is contemporaneous notes.

Was it the timing of the mortgage payment directed by Hana to his attorney?

What was the timing of what Hana would -- of what benefit Hana would have gotten, which would have been with his Halal certification.

You will see the government focus on contemporaneous nests -- contemporaneousness.

Also to overcome the arguments that the senator was taking official action for the ordinary benefit of constituents, you will see them highlight how it would actually be adverse to U.S. interest.

One of the ways they started to do that was through the testimony of the USDA official who testified that they intended to have a number of Halal certified companies that would export to Egypt.

But it was news to him that it appeared to be monopolistic, while Hana's company.

Briana: When you talk about constituent services, it was another New Jersey business that went out of business after will Hana's company got the sole contract.

If you are talking about constituent surfaces, I would think that is a tough argument to make.

Switch gears.

The jury is going to go on an extended break through the rest of the week for the Memorial Day holiday.

How does that factor in here, the fact that they have several days to sit on the witness testimony that they have heard so far?

Chris: It is probably hard to stop and start like that.

It is frustrating being a federal prosecutor as a defense attorney.

That said, we don't work on holidays and weekends.

I don't think any jurors wish to do that.

Briana: Do they lose momentum?

That sounds like what you are saying.

It loses momentum for both sides.

Chris: It does.

Especially when you are in the midst of the case being presented.

The government wants to get momentum going.

But when it is piecemeal, one of the challenges you have at closing arguments is trying to refresh the jury's recollection of everything that was discussed.

They get to take back evidence, but they don't necessarily get copies of transcripts of testimony.

They have to recall that or ask for read backs.

The longer a child -- a trial goes where there are more breaks, the harder it is for them to collectively recall everything that was submitted into evidence.

Briana: Chris Gramiccioni, always good to have you on, thank you so much.

Chris: Likewise have a good one.

Briana: Candidates are gearing up for the statewide primary election two weeks away, and held on Tuesday, June 4.

Among the key races topping the ticket, the battle for Congressman Andy Kim's seat in the third District which is open as the third term Democrat vice to replace Senator Menendez.

Senior political correspondent David Cruise has a look at who was on the ballot, and how the contest is shaping up.

David: Herb Conway was presumed to be on a clear track to victory in this primary, having gotten most of the party support in this newly blue or third District.

Which lost some Ocean County and gained some Monmouth and Mercer counties.

It is a little ironic that the guy who helped tear down the line, Andy Kim, has made the race a lot closer than anyone expected, to the benefit, perhaps, of Conway's assembly made and now opponent Carol Murphy.

>> It is giving me the opportunity to show people that I'm ready to take on D.C. without automatically shutting me out.

For whatever reason that he got all of the lines.

David: Murphy and Conway have known each other for 30 years and served in the assembly together.

But she says she has come to realize a big difference between Conway and herself is that she is a hustler, and he has grown content and lethargic.

>> If my constituents don't know who I am, that is my phone, not their father.

I have not been lazy P I have been accessible.

David: Conway, a lawyer and doctor in addition to being a legislator, shakes his.

Head at that assertion.

.

Rather than rest on his laurels, he says, he has earned the support, institutional and otherwise that he has gotten.

>> I think quite frankly, some of this is a pejorative.

If I were not a person of color, I don't think I would be said appeared I have worked very hard.

I have had more than one job for the last one to five years and excelled at both of those things.

I continue to practice medicine.

I don't know where she gets this idea that I am lazy.

It might be a preconceived motion -- notion she has.

David: These two and the other Democrat in the field are generally on the same page policy wise.

But the end of the party line has made primaries tougher for former front runners like Conway, says analyst Mike Arrest mucin.

>>>> How powerful are they without the line?

If they are powerful and figure out how to adapt and move on and how to replace the shortcut they had before, then Herb Conway should be in good shape.

But if they don't mean as much as they did before, if the endorsements on their own don't mean they are fired up, then Carol Murphy has an even shot.

David: The Democrat, Scherer some good, and Republicans in this race, it has been catch up from day one.

The end of the party line is helped, but they remain longshots.

>> You have to have a lot of patience.

When I have realized is you have to do a lot of listening.

That should be a no-brainer.

But you can't go in knowing at all.

David: Despite the reconfigured district that favors Democrats, GOP candidates here they say they will get a bum from being aligned with Trump.

>> I think so.

I think so.

I have knocked on -- I have knocked on a thousand doors personally myself.

People know things are off the rails.

>> They asked, are you Trump or not Trump?

They ask me.

I am the one who reverses the question and say, are you Trump or are you not Trump?

And they say immediately, surely.

David: Andy Kim, who is expected to be the state's next Democratic senator, likes to tell voters he won in a district that favored Trump in the last two elections.

It is considered a safe seat for Democrats.

The question is, which Democrat?

I am David Cruz, NJ Spotlight News.

Briana: Already, the state division of elections reports more than 185,000 people have cast a ballot, voting early by mail.

Is one of a few options available to you ahead of primary election day in which voters will select the nominees for a number of important races, including the presidential, one Senate, and 12 congressional seats in New Jersey.

Not to mention county and local positions.

Mercer County Clerk policy Lamy Cabela joins me to explain what you need to know before the big day.

To see you.

Thank you for coming on the show.

Help me walk through voters need to know in these final two weeks.

First and foremost, what are their options for voting?

Paula: There are three options for voters in New Jersey.

You can vote by mail.

In most about by mail ballots have been mailed out.

You still can apply it to vote by mail until May 28, by filling out an application.

Your County Clerk will send it to you.

You can also vote early which we think is a wonderful option in New Jersey.

Early voting can be done at any of your counties voting centers, you don't have to go to your polling location.

It is open from May 29 until June 2.

Which means it gives you the flexibility, you can vote over the weekend, you can vote in the evenings.

You can go to this voting center.

We really are encouraging people to take advantage of that.

We know there will be less crowds and less lines.

The third way to vote is to vote in person at your polls on election day.

Briana: Talk to me about what is different this year, both within the system, the redistricting, and also with ballots, particularly if you plan to vote as a Democrat?

Paula: Yes, OK, well, the Democratic ballots have changed.

The format is different than it has been in the past.

In the past, both the Democratic and Republican ballots were in a line, which meant at the top of the ticket, you would have the president in a presidential year, the senator if there was a senatorial candidate.

And you have your county and local candidates all in a row.

He would have the benefit of coattails when you would vote down the line.

There was a lawsuit brought by a congressman this year to federal court.

The federal court decided that the Democratic ballot, that it was not fair and equitable, and it needed to be in a blocked style because he granted him an injunction.

That means you will now be voting by office.

It will see president, you have all candidates for president.

Senator, all the candidates for Senator.

Everything will be in a block style, not in a line.

The Republicans will have the line format because they did not bring this lawsuit.

This is only for a temporary injunction, not a permanent decision.

Republicans will still have the line.

And they will be under President Trump for most counties because he is the endorsed candidate.

Briana: What can you tell us, I will switch gears quickly, about when you are seeing with early mail-in ballots?

Primaries, we know it is typically low turnout.

All of these options were intended to get more people to exercise their right to vote.

Are you seeing numbers that are consistent with what we typically see for a primary election, or where are they at?

Paula: We have a strong turnout of returns on our vote by mail ballots.

I believe both by mail does make it convenient to people get them to their homes so they fill them out and we return them.

We are straight -- we are seeing a strong turnout, despite the fact that the presidential election, while contested, is not hotly contested.

Most people have endorsed the two primary candidates that are running nationally.

We are seeing a Senate race as well.

We are seeing a higher turnout than expected for this year.

Briana: Paula Sollami Covello is the Mercer can to clerk.

Thank you for coming on to get us up to speed.

Paula: Thank you so much for having knee.

Briana: Hundreds of school-aged children in Trenton are in the process of being tested for lead exposure, after lead contamination was discovered on the grounds of the Ulysses S Grant intermediate school this year.

According to officials, it was likely caused the old Trenton pottery factories the capital city was once known for.

The mayor held a press conference letting families know the local health department has started conducting house calls, going door-to-door to door to encourage more parents to have their kids get the free testing because they may have been exposed elsewhere in the East Trenton neighborhood.

The city has set up a testing site opened Wendy through Friday at the Department of Health and Human Services.

The intermediate school serves students in the fourth through six grades.

It's soil was tested for lead as part of a survey on a hundred homes in the city.

The EPA is helping to coordinate the cleanup along with health officials.

In our spotlight on business report tonight, who is keeping an ion those hand in CBD gummy's being sold at convenience stores?

Turns out, no one.

The state legislature is pitching to put the sale of what they call intoxicating hemp products under the regulation of New Jersey's cannabis regulatory commission to keep them out of the hands of kids.

A Senior correspondent reports that opponents argue the new rules go too far.

>> These products are being sold at local convenience stores, Wykle St -- liquor stores, and making it more utterly available to market that should not have their hands on it.

Joanna: You have probably seen them.

Hemp products on the shelf, easily accessible to teens and young adults.

Bill moving through the legislature would require all hemp products to be regulated by the cannabis regulatory commission.

>> Because the federal government has not regulated Delta eight specifically, there is a loophole in the hemp law policy that allows for these products to be sold.

Joanna: The confusion comes from the 2018 Farm Bill, a federal law that legalized the sale of hemp products in the U.S. Dr. Lewis Nelson sees countless underage patients in the emergency department due to THC overdose.

He says the dosage requirements in that law were unclear.

>>>> It takes 10 milligrams of THC to get high.

Let's use that as a number.

If you are .3% THC in the product, you could consume a lot of product to get to 10 milligrams.

>> In illegal cannabis store, the maximum amount you can have in a package is 100 milligrams.

You can walk into a convenience store as a 15-year-old and by a 1000 milligram product.

Joanna: This bill creates actual dosage limits and prohibits the sale of synthetic THC.

Nelson says it does not go far enough in the language to address all forms.

>> Does say, something to the effect of, THC and similar products.

But that is not super clear.

It would be better if it said THC and all cannabinoids.

Joanna: They support the move to regulate hemp under the CRC because consumers are buying products without knowing the real ingredients or how much THC is in the.

They recently tested several hemp cartridges.

>> We took it to a licensed cannabis lab to see what was on the inside.

The ingredients did not match the ingredients in the cartridge.

The other thing that we discovered is everyone of those products had exceedingly high levels of THC.

Joanna: While no one seems to argue that the products need regulation, the alcohol and beverage industry showed up to last -- to the last Senate hearing asking for a carveout for them to sell hemp beverages.

Eric Orlando Wednesday Minnesota as an example.

>> They have had a system in place that allows alcohol manufacturers to make these products with a lot of and state oversight.

And that those products are currently being sold in New Jersey.

I want to afford the same rights and privileges to New Jersey breweries.

Joanna: At an -- not an idea that the majority leader is on board with.

>> It was unfortunate the liquor industry and liquor in -- liquor adjacent agencies came out in full force, expressing deep concern to their bottom line profit.

ABC law allows industry to sell tobacco and alcohol.

This is a product that does not fall in any one of those buckets.

Give it to a commission that understands better about this product and can do a deeper dive, so that they can go back out and say, these are the steps forward.

>> We also care about safety, particular keeping these products out of the hands of children.

I think we are also reacting to consumer demand.

Joanna: As the bill is written, until the product is fully regulated, it would only be sold in animist dispensaries to people 21 and older.

I am Joanna Gagis, NJ Spotlight News.

Briana: Turning to Wall Street, stocks held steady after markets reached a record high to start the week.

Here is where the trading numbers closed.

>> Support for the business report is provided by Riverview Jazz, presenting the 11th annual Jersey City Jazz Festival.

May play ninth to June 2.

Event details, including performance schedules and location are online at JerseycityjazzFestival.com.

♪ Briana: That does it for us tonight.

Don't forget to download the NJ Spotlight News podcast you can listen anytime I am Briana Vannozzi.

For the entire NJ Spotlight News team, thank you for being with a spirit have a great evening.

We will see you back here tomorrow night.

>> New Jersey education Association, making public schools great for every child.

RWJBarnabas Health, let's be healthy together.

And New Jersey realtors, the voice of real estate in New Jersey.

More information is online at NJrealtor.com.

>> Our future relies on more than clean energy.

Our future relies on and powered communities, the health and safety of our families and neighbors, of our schools and streets.

The PSEG foundation is committed to sustainability, equity, and economic empowerment.

Investing in parks, helping towns go green, supporting civic centers, scholarships, and workforce development that strengthen our community.

>> Cap some water.

>> Look at these kids.

What do you see?

I see myself.

I became an ESL teacher to give students was I wanted and I came to this country.

The opportunity to learn, to dream, to achieve.

A chance to be known and to be an American.

My name is Julia, and I am proud to be an NJEA member.

♪