>> Major Funding for "NJ Spotlight news" is provided by NJM insurance group, serving the insurance needs of businesses for more than 100 years, And by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, New Jersey realtors, the voice of real estate in New Jersey.

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Briana: Arrested at Rutgers-new work.

Tom Malinowski ways in on the impact of these nationwide protests are having.

>> You have a lot of students who care profoundly about saving lives in gaza, but their voices are drowned out by people who are basically calling for the end of the state of Israel.

Briana: Plus, book bans -- a school librarian is facing renewed attacks as parental rights advocates fight over a book on sexuality.

>> It encourages them to share their kinks and sexual fantasies.

I would we put minors in danger?

>> The book has been vetted and found to not be obscene.

Briana: Also, labor fight.

Union nurses hit that they get line on unfair contract negotiations.

And the saving mam -- Princeton high school students fight to preserve an indigenous language with an AI-powered robot.

>> AI is another tool we can use to in our case preserve indigenous languages.

Briana: "NJ Spotlight News" begins right now.

>> from NJ PBS Studios, this is "NJ Spotlight News" with Bianna Vannozzi.

Briana: Good evening, thanks for joining us this Wednesday night.

I am Briana Vannozzi.

A Rutgers University Law student has been arrested for disorderly conduct after the 31-year-old held pro-Israel signs as a form of counter protest near pro-Palestinian encampment on the records-Rick -- Rutgers-Newark campus last week.

He was taping posters to trees saying "stand with Israel, stand with U.S." and "Hamas are dirty savages."

He clashed with Rutgers University police and officers.

He said is actions were in response to the "offensive encampment on campus."

Rutgers is under investigation by Congress for anti-Semitism and its president has been called to testify before Congress later this month about how the school handled pro-Palestinian demonstrations at the New Brunswick campus.

He faced criticism from Governor Murphy and Republican lawmakers for agreeing to 8 out of the 10 demands made by pro-Palestinian students, with several GOP members calling for legislative hearings.

Over at Princeton University, the hunger strike continues with calls from the racial justice group People's organization for progress for the University to drop charges against student protesters who have been arrested.

A human rights expert and former Congressman Tom Malinowski has been observing the movements and weighed in on the political effect the protests are having.

He joins me now.

Thanks for coming on the show.

You had what was an interesting and nuanced thread on the social-media platform X recently with your observations on the campus protests.

What is your thought on out this is adding or detracting from the conversation around Israel and Gaza right now?

>> Thank you for saying that I was nuanced on social media.

That seems like a rare thing these days, and sometimes it feels lonely on social media if you try to be reasonable on an issue.

I think most Americans are when they look at this terrible situation.

I think most Americans are pro-Israel but they don't necessarily agree with the Netanyahu government and what it is doing in Gaza.

Most Americans are pro-Palestinian in the sense that they sympathize with the plight of innocent victims of this war, but they are anti-Hamas.

I think that is what's -- that middle ground which I think represents most of us has been lost in the controversy over these protests.

You have a lot of students who I think care profoundly about saving lives in Gaza, but their voices are drowned out by people who are basically calling for the end of the state of Israel.

On the other site, that produces an angry reaction that just says arrest all these kids and bring in the police, and anybody who criticizes Israel is somehow pro-Hamas.

Between those two extremes I think we lose the center which is where most Americans are and where the solution lies.

Briana: One piece of that thread if I can really quickly is "people obviously have a right to agitate for what they want, but the political effect of these protest has been to shift attention away from Gaza at the very moment after the World Central Kitchen workers who died , when opinion was shifting against the war."

What do you see has the role of these protests?

How would you guide students if you are in that position to find a middle ground, and historically speaking, is that the way that demands like the ones they are making are achieved, by going the middle route?

Tom: Yeah, I think there is a lot to be angry about when you are looking at a situation in Gaza.

I want young Americans to care about the plight of the innocent civilians who are caught in the middle of this conflict.

I want them to be supporting a cease-fire.

I want them to be asking tough questions about the role of the United States in this conflict.

But if their goal is to stop the violence and to save lives literally today as we speak, the way to do that is not to go out there with manifestos and signs calling for the end of Zionism, calling for the end of Israel, calling for these think that I'm much more extreme and far more ambitious because you are going to turn off the vast majority of people who might be willing to join you in pressuring the Israeli government to stop this war.

In a doing that were basically betraying the people on the ground whose lives we are trying to save, because you're losing their political coalition needed to put pressure on governments to do that.

That's the point I'm making.

They probably don't welcome a former Congressman like me telling them what their message should be, and again, they've got a right to be out there demonstrating for whatever they want.

But if we want to be effective in stopping this violence today, we've got to unite people who are from every part of the political spectrum when it comes to Israel around a call for a cease-fire.

Briana: Former Congressman Tom Allen out ski, thanks for sharing your insight -- Tom Malinowski, thanks for sharing your insight.

The book-ban debate was back in the spotlight at one of the school district where the culture war first directed.

The Board of Education met last night to reconsider "Let's talk about it," a piece of literature in the crosshairs of parental rights advocates.

As Brenda Flanagan reports, those on both sides of the issue used the meeting as one last chance to take a stand.

Brenda: audience members cheered after the school board voted 7-4 to keep "let's Talk About It" on the shelf of its high school, defeating a challenge from opponents who wanted to ban the team guide to sex, calling it obscene for emotions ran high for and against.

>> Kinks and fantasies on page 164 encouraged minors to search on the Internet for those to share their fantasies with.

Why would we put our minors in danger?

>> I wish I had a book like this because the sex education I got was from discarded magazines and the comments my friends made on the bus or on the way home.

Brenda: right-to-read proponents turned out in force, claiming that the book offers solid, gender-inclusive advice to those whose smartphones could give them the wrong information for the >> Please see what this is can removing books from the public sphere because a small minority find them indecent is absolutely a book ban.

If you allow it to happen, it will be a smear on the reputation of this board and this district, and history won't treat it kindly.

>> I Ashley was surprised, because as I said, going into it we didn't think we would be able to prevent them from removing the bug.

-- removing the book.

I consider it a huge victory.

Brenda: the activity leading a counteroffensive over the organized political effort to ban books in districts across the nation.

>> We can show other boards in the state that this one didn't remove it so you need to think twice.

Brenda: the North Huntington Library and who had refused to pull "Let's Talk About It" endured blistering attacks and online bullying.

>> Those who are bullies and bully our librarians in Facebook, like you know they have been doing, those people are wrong.

>> It was a real nailbiter leading up to the vote.

Brenda: In the end, after the vote she felt vindicated, but also -- >> I feel exhausted in every way it is possible to be exhausted, physically, mentally, emotionally.

But simultaneously extremely gratified at the outcome and so, so thankful for the community that I have surrounded me.

Brenda: The border debated whether a ban could withstand legal challenges, and while most members felt the book would not be considered obscene, undercurrent U.S. Supreme Court lines, others disagree.

>> If you look at this and take the pictures from this book, this is clearly what it shows.

>> The book has been vetted.

It is found to not be obscene.

Ikt'-- it's been approved by national organizations to come to the district.

It has been reviewed by our administration and library and library to be part of the library.

I don't think we can make decisions when we are not the professionals.

>> The board does not have the right to remove a book from the library just because people have an opinion about that material.

Brenda: The district followed its own guidelines to reach a decision, but an amended right-to-read Bill will try to codify the protocol for New Jersey districts statewide, according to sponsor Andrew's record.

It will let librarians seek court protection from personal attacks.

>> And 8y community -- any community member has the right to challenge a book.

They have had that right in the past and they will continue to have that right after this bill becomes law.

But their treatment of librarians and library support personnel is unacceptable, and that has to stop.

Brenda: Zwicker expect the bill to come up for debate in mid-June.

I am Brenda Flanagan, "NJ Spotlight News."

Briana: A unanimous ruling this week from the state Supreme Court expanded the rights of whistleblowers and victims of workplace discrimination by clarifying a 2019 law inspired by the #MeToo movement barring employers facing discrimination lawsuits from enforcing gag order's on the employee.

Joanna Gagis explains.

>> Hers and other voices like hers will be heard in the state of New Jersey.

There will be no censorship of the victims of this termination.

Joanna: That is because the Supreme Court in New Jersey ruled that non-disparagement agreement have no authority in New Jersey.

It came when Christine Savage said this after settling a lawsuit with her former employer.

>> It is not change, not for a minute.

It is not going to change.

It is the Google voice system.

Joanna: The department said she violated a non-disparagement clause even though the state cast a non-disparagement ban.

>> If you are the layperson you don't know the difference between a nondisclosure agreement and a non-disparagement can which allows you to talk about your feelings about the fact and provide some perspective about them.

Joanna: The lower court sided with the Neptune police department, saying the law didn't include non-disparagement agreements.

The state Supreme Court unanimously decided yesterday that the legislature's intent was to ban all such disclosure agreements that bar victims of harassment or discrimination from speaking out.

>> For the Supreme Court did yesterday was close the loophole and effectively say that if something bad happened to you what work, if you are discriminated against or harassed, you are able to speak freely about those facts and about your feelings about the fact and not worry about it and not parse weather facts or feelings come into it.

>> Any ambiguity has been settled, and free speech won the day.

Joanna: This decision with the second from the high court protecting victims of harassment.

Victoria won her case over a directive she was bound by after she survive sexual harassment.

The Supreme Court ruled that the directives are a violation of free speech.

>> Substantial victory for employees rights and their constitutional and legal rights to speak freely and openly about their allegations or witnessing incidents of sexual harassment or discriminate in.

>> These decisions that came down the last few days show that no matter if it is a Republican appointee or Democratic appointee, this court is monumentally on the side of survivors and free speech, on the side of allowing people to tell their stories and tell their truths and hopefully by doing that prevent toxic workplace activity from fostering, which it usually does when people can't talk about it.

Joanna: A former state 2 Senator wrote the 2019 law.

>> You cannot be guaranteed secrecy, and those days are over.

Joanna: As we have seen, court decisions can be overturned.

Is there a role for the legislature to take this a step further and to add to this language very specifically into statute?

>> Yes, Joanna, you are absolutely right.

A court ruling, we've seen it recently with Roe v. Wade, even settled cases can be overturned.

Hopefully the legislature will put the words "non-disparagement agreements" into the NDA law to clarify.

That was the legislative intent all along.

Joanna: A bill was previously introduced by Republican Senator and Democratic Senator, but never moved.

These court decisions send a clear message that victims in New Jersey will no longer be silenced.

I'm Joanna Gagis, "NJ Spotlight News."

Briana: in our "Spotlight on Business" report tonight, labor disputes are flaring up at Claremont Hospital in Belleville.

Hundreds of union nurseries picketed outside the medical center in protest of their employer, RWJ Barnabas, also an underwriter of "NJ Spotlight News."

Criticizing what they called bad-faith bargaining and disparate treatment by the hospital system.

Unionized nurses say the hospital's management have not engaged in collective bargaining since the workers voted to organize with 1199 SEIU two years ago, filing an unfair labor practice charge against the hospital, claiming RWJ agreed to different contracts at its hospitals in more affluent communities, with guidelines outlining higher staffing levels and guaranteed paid time off for nurses there.

In a statement today, a spokesperson for Clara Maass disputed the games and set the hospital has put forward proposals, blaming the union for delaying progress and causing members to miss out on thousands of dollars in pay.

>> management is trying to get their way without properly negotiating with us, my way or the highway.

We want to be properly staffed.

They did give us a little bit of compensation.

We did get a raise, the only thing we have gone so far from them.

We want to be properly staffed.

We want our nurses to stop being canceled and everybody in the ICU.

It is not safe.

They put dollars in their pockets while outpatients -- our patients are not getting the proper attention they deserve.

Briana: A major supplier from frozen trim that is facing allegations of worker abuses and fraud is facing tighter scrutiny from federal regulators.

The FDA last month refused 89 seafood imports including 15 found to have banned antibiotics in shrimp shipments.

According to reports from the Food and Drug Administration, three of those lines originated from Joyce Canning company -- choice Canning company in India, which "NJ Spotlight News" reported in investigations uncovering alleged forced labor practices at both choice canning and within the seafood industry, along with allegations the company knowingly shipped shrimp to the U.S. contaminated with antibiotics.

In a statement, a spokesperson denied the allegations, claiming the tainted shrimp was from another company that has taken over the plant, although the Outlaw ocean project disputes that setting with emails and evidence that Choice Canning was using the plant long after they insisted they stopped.

On Wall Street, the stock rally lost with markets tipping lower today.

Here is where the markets closed.

>> Support for the business report is provided by Riverview Jazz can present in the 11th annual Jersey City Jazz Festival May 29 to June 2.

Details including performance schedules and locations are online at JerseycityjazzFestival.com.

Briana: And finally tonight, Princeton high school has done it again.

For the second time in three years, a group of research students were named national winners in a tech accommodation, bringing home more than $100,000 to their school from Samsung's "solve for tomorrow" contest.

Their invention, an AI-powered robot designed to help people learn in ancient language in danger of disappearing.

Ted Goldberg has their story.

Ted: meet Chu.

A raccoon-looking robot helping to keep the language alive.

>> it is really fantastic" because it is going to help to preserve my language.

Ted: It is a robot that communicates in Mam, a language spoken by half a million people indigenous to Guatemala and thousands of people in America.

It was developed by Princeton high school students along with Mam-speaking students and other schools nationwide.

>> I called my grandma and she is happy I'm able to share my culture with a lot of people.

Ted: These students develop the two models can one that uses pushbutton to repeat the phrases and an AI version that can respond to speech with those phrases.

Both of them were part of a national research competition in Washington, D.C. >> A lot of people in my family and it was teaching people might -- my culture, my people, my country, my language is part of my identity.

>> this was incredibly ambitious.

Are we going to be able to pull it off, but then it together in the end.

Ted: One of three winners among high school is bringing $100,000 in prize money to Princeton high scohool.

The science teacher said these were going to be used as therapy aids for children before being used for linguist six NAI.

--linguist asked NAI.

>> It is a tool to preserve language s. Ted: To help the robot build its vocabulary, students have reached out to people they know in Guatemala to speak in Mam, purposely pursuing people with different voice pitches.

>> It eliminates the possibility of the model doesn't recognize this work because it is at a different pitch.

>> We have been in contact with several villages who can give us recordings of just a simple greetings or sentences that can train our acoustic model in the intelligence landscape.

Ted: The code took a few months to write.

Like any AI project, it is still learning.

And the students are proud of what they have learned and accomplished.

>> I think getting the robotics working in the short time we had and also the AI version of it, we use some complicated stuff with the AI.

>> I want to teach other people that it is important to state with that language because it is part of your identity and it shows who you are.

>> we might to make it sustainable.

Part of it is using recycled materials.

Our ideas we would use recycled materials and they could send it over to us.

Ted: A town in Guatemala is supplying the furry exteriors.

Student hope his family face can make Mam -- his furry face can make Mam more widespread.

>> some people think that speaking Mam is something you should be Marist about -- you should be embarrassed about, which I don't know why you feel that way.

This is going to change their mind.

Ted: Princeton students are in the process of getting a patent and a push-button version could be available for sale as soon as this summer.

In Princeton, I'm Ted Goldberg, "NJ Spotlight News."

Briana: And that is going to do it for us tonight, but don't forget to download the "NJ Spotlight News" podcast so you can listen anytime.

I am Briana Vannozzi.

For the entire "NJ Spotlight News" team, thanks for being with us, have a great evening.

We will see you with us tomorrow night.

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