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Briana: Tonight on "NJ Spotlight News."

The race to run the state heats up again as Josh Gottheimer launches his campaign to be New Jersey's next governor.

>> I am Josh Gottheimer and I am running to be of the lower taxes, lower cost governor of New Jersey.

[APPLAUSE] Briana: Plus, a streak of controversial cabinet picks raise questions about how far President-elect Trump will go to get them confirmed.

>> The framers of the Constitution did not look upon Congress as being a rubberstamp in any instance.

Briana: Birth-control emergency contraception and other medicines are in high demand as some fear that I stood minister and will restrict access.

>> Might be an entire ban throughout the United States for abortion, and attack on contraception which is why women are coming into my office, because they are fearful.

Briana: State lawmakers hear from those on the front lines of the childcare crisis.

>> The truth is I am overworked, underpaid, and burned out.

Briana: "NJ Spotlight News" Kiggans right now.

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

Briana: Good evening and thank you for joining us on this Friday night.

I am Briana Vannozzi.

We begin with a few of today's top headlines.

First, heavy smoke is hanging in the air throughout North Jersey as exhausted firefighters continue battling the massive Jennings Creek wildfire on the border of New Jersey and New York.

The state forest fire services the roughly 2300 acre blaze is now 90% contained, that is on the New Jersey side in Passaic County.

But you should expect smoke impacts over the next few weeks until we get significant rain or snow.

Most local roads are now open, but trails remain closed.

The steady progress on this side of the fire line allowed Garden State crews to lend a hand in New York's orange camping.

Fire crews from Colorado and Montana are also on the scene.

Officials say that has been a big help as 2400 acres burned their, and 65% is contained.

They expect to get the number up to 80% by the end of the day.

Chris frack is the incident commander for the New Jersey force fire service and says, both states are on high alert as we head into the weekend with dry conditions and more wind in the forecast.

>> There is general concern for the winds tomorrow.

It is all precautionary.

We will have engines through the weekend monitoring it.

We have a well-established control line.

In general, with the winds pushing in tomorrow, we are very concerned about those winds it could start causing issues to occur.

And hamper our efforts to contain any new starts in that state -- in our state.

Briana: Dockworkers up and down the East Coast are threatening to resume their strike in January if a deal cannot be reached between the union and port owners.

The international longshoremen's Association reportedly walked away from the negotiation table with the U.S. maritime alliance over concerns about automation.

That was a key sticking point in early October, when port workers walked off the job for three days, shuttering ports along the Gulf and East Coast.

The strike ended after both sides reached a tentative agreement on pay increases and they have been working toward a long-term contract since then with a January 15 deadline.

According to statements from the ILA, port employers are insisting language about modernization and send my automation are included in the deal.

The union is worried AI and other automation will put workers out of a job.

The U.S. maritime alliance has pledged that will not happen.

It is unclear when negotiations will resume.

Heads up, a new year will likely bring higher tolls and fairs for New Jersey commuters.

The Port Authority this week unveiled a $9.4 billion budget proposal, and it calls for a $.25 increase to path fairs.

That starts January 12.

Tickets would cost three dollars, marking the first fair hike for path in a decade.

The budget proposal also calls for a $.25 increase to tolls on port authority bridges and tunnels.

This would be on top of the annual increases based on inflation.

If you don't have easy pass, pay by manual tolls are going up by five dollars to about $22.

Agency says the goal is to incentivize more people to sign up for easy pass.

According to the Port Authority, the increased tolls will help offset $3 billion in losses during the Covid 19 pandemic while also helping to pay for investments in its bridges, tunnels, airports, steep ports and path system.

They need to go for approval.

It turns out the rumors were true.

Democratic Congressman Josh Gottheimer today officially launched his campaign to be the garden state's next governor.

Vowing to lower taxes and bring more jobs to the state, Gottheimer is a moderate who leads the problem solvers caucus in Washington, and just won his fifth reelection bid to the house.

He is also a prolific fundraiser and staunch supporter of Israel.

A Senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan reports the centrist roots may be key as Gottheimer looks to occupy a critical lane in the party.

>> I am Josh Gottheimer, and I am running to be the lower taxes, lower cost governor of New Jersey.

[APPLAUSE] Brenda: Chaired -- cheered by supporters, Josh Gottheimer tossed his hat into a crowded ring of Democrats eager to succeed Phil Murphy as New Jersey Governor.

Setting served as a visual metaphor for his campaign menu.

Kitchen table politics with a decidedly moderate flavor.

A chicken in every pot, but no progressive wings.

>> As the saying goes, it is the economy, stupid, and hard-working middle-class families, like you, deserve some relief.

Brenda: Gottheimer promised to reform tax codes to make it cheaper to move -- move to, Jersey and buy a home and expand the child tax credit.

He would appoint a clawback czar to return tax dollars that Jersey sends to the federal government.

He has now to restore the tax deductions for New Jersey homeowners, campaign message that resonates in a state with the nation's highest property taxes.

>> I'm not sure you've heard that from a Democrat in a long time.

I will cut your property and income taxes.

Brenda: He is business friendly and approach -- and still opposed to pricing.

It's recent no -- He is now promising reforms at NJ transit.

>> We also need better results for what we pay for.

We must have a first rate mass transit system without massive breakdowns and delays.

That has to end.

I will fix and significantly upgrade New Jersey transit.

Brenda: Gottheimer just one of fit -- just won a fifth term in the fifth Congressional District.

He is cochair of the problem solvers caucus in Congress and a fierce defender of Israel.

That will be a campaign issue.

>> Plenty attic, we bring the full force of the law against the anti-Semites who are harassing Jewish or any other communities all over the state.

>> Going to try to transcend what might be the usual Democratic Lane.

Pres.

Biden: he thinks -- Brenda: Thinks Gottheimer is a take away from the election in which it is time for Tate -- for change.

>> I see Gottheimer as the anti-progressive in the race.

He is going to be arguing that the party needs to take a more moderate path.

That the party needs to appeal to a wider swath of New Jersey voters.

We need to be sharper about this because we don't want to wind up like we did in the presidential election.

Brenda: Gottheimer is rounding up major endorsements among party leaders, including Union City Mayor and Senator Brian Stack, a get out the vote machine.

Oregon's -- Bergen says -- >> All the mayors and municipal chairs, mostly all of them.

Bergen delivers the largest raw vote for any Democratic candidate for the governor up and down the ballot.

As nearly a million people.

Brenda: Gottheimer will share that moderate Lane with a couple other Democrats for governor, former state Senate President Steve Shalini in South Jersey and Mikie Sherrill, another Congressional Democrat who is expected to announce her run for governor on Monday.

>> What has happened with the national election, the Democratic Party is looking at itself and saying, are we focused on the right issues?

He will go to a Democratic base that I think is primed for, we don't want to lose.

Brenda: Further to the left, Shawn Spiller, and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, the first Democrat to launch a gubernatorial campaign act in April 2023.

>> Is carving out a different Lane.

He can fight for those voters with Ras Baraka and Shawn Spiller.

There is not enough of them.

When they split that vote.

Brenda: As for campaign cash, Gottheimer has a reputation as a money raising machine.

Expect a lot of bucks to get dropped into this campaign.

I am Brenda Flanagan, NJ Spotlight News.

Briana: After a decisive victory last week, President elect Donald Trump has tapped loyal allies to serve in his next administration, and carry out the policies he pledged to deliver to American voters.

Some choices like Florida Senator Marco Rubio to serve as Secretary of State are seen by members of Congress as qualified and holding the experience needed.

While others like former Congressman Matt Gaetz for Attorney General, or Fox News host Pete had except to serve as Secretary of Defense, have cause even members of Trump's own party to admit shock, and could face a difficult confirmation process despite Republicans holding control in Congress.

That is unless the President-elect uses a clause in the Constitution allowing him to unilaterally appoint nominees if the Senate is not in session.

For more on this and how the process might play out, I am joined by Ross Baker, distinguished Professor emeritus of political science at Rutgers University.

It's great to see you.

I guess off the bat, I'm wondering, clearly these cabinet picks are the first early test for Congress in terms of getting them approved.

I'm wondering, how much room, if any, is therefore distant when it comes to the choices we have seen the President-elect make so far?

>> Depends on the nominee.

And of course, the Senate, that by a simple majority, has to either confirm or reject nominees.

Not nominees of newly elected presidents are generally -- there is this kind of presumption, that they are well suited for the job, that they come with resumes that fit the task at hand.

It's the responsibility of the Senate to do this.

The advice of the Senate is written into the Constitution.

It is very important and senators have in the past taken it very seriously.

Briana: I guess I'm curious, will the Senate get a chance to give that advice and consent?

There is a lot of talk about use of recess appointments.

What is that, and how likely is it that we will see Congress agree to go about it that way?

Ross: The Senate has gone a long way to insulate itself against being forced into recess.

When recess appointments can be made.

The framers of the Constitution understood that given the travel conditions in the 18th century, and the fact that members and senators are likely back in their states and districts, that it will take time to get to Washington.

They set up a system for recess appointments.

These recess appointments were to take place only when the Senate was formally adjourned.

Congress decided this was during the Obama administration that too many of these appointments were recess appointments because they were running into trouble with the committees that they were being interviewed by.

The Obama administration is essentially tried to sneak these people through during recess and the senators came up with something called a performer recess, which is that one senator could be present in the Senate would technically be in session.

This has worked very effectively.

There has to be an agreement between the House and Senate that they agreed to go out of session, strictly for the purpose of allowing the president to make appointments.

That has never been done in the history of the United States.

Briana: Let me ask you one more question quickly.

Clearly on one hand, you have Republicans who say, we have been given a mandate, we have a trifecta in Washington.

The President-elect won the electoral and popular vote, the first time for the Republican Party in decades.

When you have many Democrats who are saying there will be a rubberstamp, Congress will be a rubberstamp.

When you say this is how our framers saw things, as being a coequal branch of government?

How difficult is that going to be?

Ross: Certainly the framers of the Constitution did not look upon Congress as being a rubberstamp in any instance.

Really, they saw the things like the confirmation process for presidential nominees in which the Senate must vote by a majority as an obstacle to tyranny.

That they wanted a process whereby there was a thorough vetting, publicly, of presidential nominees, based upon their qualifications.

It was not designed somehow to hamper the president.

Briana: Ross Baker is a distinguished professor emeritus of political science at Rikers University.

Thanks so much.

Ross: Pleasure being with you.

Briana: Health care providers say requests for birth control and the abortion pill have skyrocketed since last week's election.

Some women are stockpiling the medications.

Others are donating them or seeking out long-term contraception.

President-elect has said he will veto a nationwide abortion ban if it lands on his desk, but that has not eased many women's fears the new administration will restrict access.

Senior correspondent Joanna Gagis takes a look.

>> We have had patients within the last week coming in asking about how long are there contraception's going to last for.

Joanna: With all three branches of the federal government about to be controlled by conservatives, questions abound over what types of medications and medical treatments could no longer be available when the Trump Administration starts in January.

>> There might be an entire ban throughout the United States for abortion, and attack on contraception, which is why women are coming into my office.

They are fearful.

Joanna: She is chief of complex family-planning.

She is seeing the same trends in her office that are playing out across the state and nation, women stockpiling birth control pills and emergency contraception.

One telehealth service reported a 600 percent increase in abortion pill sales in the 24 hours after election day, and a 460% increase in emergency contraception and birth-control sales over the next week.

Matthews is also seeing requests for contraception updates like IUD's.

>> If someone has an IUD that is close to being expired or will be in the next four years, we find people are asking for us to change it anyways, because I don't want this to be an issue once the new administration comes in.

>> What are their concerns -- one of the concerns of women stockpiling medication and using it on their own without Dr. consent?

>> The risk becomes, is this the right person to be using this medication?

Plan B does not work if it is not taken in the right portion of the menstrual cycle, if they are stockpiling estrogen containing hormones and contraception because there is always the risk factor of clotting disorder, especially if someone is a smoker or have a history of migraines, high blood pressure.

Having your physician involved in managing your birth-control is also a very important part.

Joanna: There is no indication that contraception will not be available or covered by insurance.

There have been repeated attempts to restrict access to the abortion drug.

The U.S. Supreme Court blocked one of the efforts in June.

Medical providers who work with the LGBTQ+ community are also seeing patients expressed concerns, especially about gender affirming care.

>> There is a lot of concern and anxiety right now.

Trump targeted trans people in a explicit way in his campaign.

We are preparing for the worst.

Potentially not being able to access life-saving treatments.

Things like hormone replacement therapy that allows transgender people to feel more comfortable in our bodies.

Having federal level protections stripped away for sexuality and gender identity.

>> Anyone that practices gender affirming care and any medicine, to be honest, the first thing we think about is due no horn -- do no harm.

We know that gender affirming care is medically necessary, life-saving treatment.

Joanna: What is your message to patients who are feeling anxious, who are not sure what the future holds for them or the country?

>> There is no reason for panic.

We will ensure, and I think that the majority of the country, and certainly all of the major medical organizations, fully believe this is important care, and we are not going to abandon them.

Joanna: There are questions about what policy changes could mean for medical providers, practices, and whether they could be covered under Medicaid or other insurance.

Dr. Kristin Brandy is a complex family family -- family-planning provider who remains resolute.

>> And though we are potentially scared of what it might look like, we are going to be here.

There will be people in your community that will be providing care as much as we can legally, whatever that looks like.

Joanna: They are encouraging patients to make appointments now while uncertainty remains about access to that care.

Briana: In our spotlight on business report, lawmakers got a first-hand account this week of the pressure and difficulties faced by childcare providers.

Liaison Millie held a joint committee hearing digging into challenges within the industry and got testimony from those on the front lines who say they are struggling with low pay, short staffing, and growing demand.

Raven Santana reports.

>> The truth is, I'm overworked, underpaid and burnt out.

Raven: 25-year-old Jordan Shields was one of more than a dozen educators that testified at a hearing on New Jersey's childcare system.

Shields, who has worked in childcare since she was 16, juggles being a night nanny to a three-month-old baby, as well as working as a pre-k teacher at the YMCA.

While she lost her job, she says she fears with her current wage, she may not be able to stay in the field longer.

>> I am drowning in expenses.

If that is how I feel as a 25-year-old who lives at home with her parents, I think you can imagine the challenges my colleagues face.

I have seen a lot of turnover in terms of the teachers in organizations, and it comes down to the pay.

Raven: Her concerns were echoed by other childcare advocates at a joint hearing by the assembly aging and human services committee, and the assembly children families and food insecurity committee.

The purpose was to hear testimony by educators, providers and parents about how to improve the state's childcare industry, which many.

Have warned is in crisis.

>> In, my area it is known as a childcare Desir.

Especially for infants.

That means for every three families who need childcare, there is one available slot.

So my charge is to provide.

Better than Baseline care if providers like me do not continue to do better, the childcare desert will grow.

>> Childcare impacts everyone.

It literally is everyone's business.

Without some type of public sustainable investment, the industry will collapse.

Raven: Winifred Smith Jenkins is the director of early learning policy and advocacy at advocates for children of New Jersey.

Smith Jenkins says accessible childcare impacts more than just parents and staff.

>> Part of it is just a low-wage industry.

Which leads people to think it is not a complex industry.

It is.

You, have these amazing women who are generally working in early care and education, generally minority women, who are doing the really hard work to care for our children without getting the professional support through pay and benefits that they deserve.

When we think about it, if we are trying to move our economy forward, if we really want to have a diverse workforce, we know a lot of times, care and education of children will fall on women.

If we do not do something sustainable, that can last, then we will end up seeing more women leaving the workforce because they will not be able to find care -- care and education for their children.

Raven: The director of policy at the New Jersey Association for the education of young children says ultimately, it is going to take money to fix most of the same challenges expressed by so many who spoke.

>> That is why we are here today.

To start making people recognize that keeping a segregated is hurting the whole.

That is why it is hard.

It's expensive, it's a long-term, and we are thinking about it in one investment approaches rather than a sustainable, long-term investment, in which we will see the return on the backend of a child's life.

This is not money poorly spent.

Raven: Advocates hope the legislature will work on funding jerseys childcare industry so they can hire, retain, and paid staff what they deserve.

Almost everyone who spoke stressed if the childcare industry here continues to unravel, so will jerseys economy.

For NJ Spotlight News, I am Raven Santana.

Briana: Finally tonight, Ocean City's beloved wonderland.

Is to get a new life.

Not everyone is happy about it.

The city's longtime amusement park closed for good last month.

According to reports that the -- that the developer wants to transform the land into a seven-story hotel.

It is slated to open sometime in 2026. .

Or 2027.

The proposal includes plans to keep wonderland's iconic fares wheel as well as its carousel, and boat rides would remain operable so families could continue to ride them.

The hotel could cost up to $155 million to build.

The developer argues Ocean City is in dire need of hotels to maintain tourism as a primary source of revenue.

Residents are worried about the size of the resort and how much influx of people and traffic will affect their neighborhoods.

While others want to see it used as another family friendly attraction.

Plans have not been made public yet.

There has been strong reaction all across and even a rally.

A public meeting is slated for November 26 with turnout expected to be high.

But will do it for us this week.

Tune into Reporters Roundtable with a Cruz this weekend.

David talks to Sal and Dean on bar of the -- about the sweeping changes coming nationally after Donald Trump's victory.

A panel of local journalists talking all the week's political headlines data Saturday at 6:00 p.m. and Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. On Chat Box, David takes a break from politics and turns to music, talking to actor Hank as area about his new Bruce Springsteen tribute band as well as Christian McBride.

Watched Chat Box Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m.

I am Briana Vannozzi.

For the entire team, thanks for being with us.

Have a great weekend.

We will see you back here on Monday.

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The health and safety of our families and neighbors.

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Investing in parts, helping Towns go Green, supporting civic centers, scholarships, and workforce development that strengthen our community.

♪