Raven: Tonight, representative Andy Kim calling for the expulsion of the senior Senator after getting slapped with a second indictment accusing Menendez of working as a foreign agent for Egypt.

>> I do not have confidence that he could continue to do that job that requires the public trust.

Raven: Fears rising as the Bloody war in Israel inserts a seventh day.

Synagogues and mosques in New Jersey adding extra security amid concerns of antisemitic and Islamophobia attacks.

>> There is no credible threat that would keep people from going about their daily lives.

We will provide resources folks need to feel safe.

Raven: Keeping cannabis safe.

The state's regulatory commission spreading awareness around cannabis consumption.

>> Our top priorities at the commission are safety, health and the wellness of New Jerseyans, whether they are cannabis consumers or not.

Raven: President Biden in Philly today, announcing billions for the creation of regional hydrogen hubs.

"NJ Spotlight News" begins right now.

>> Funding for "NJ Spotlight news" is funded by NJM Insurance group.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and Ivy PSEG foundation.

-- and by the PSEG foundation.

♪ From NJPBS, this is "NJ Spotlight News" with Rihanna Vannozzi.

Raven: Thanks for joining us, I am Raven Santana in for Briana Vannozzi.

Filed Thursday in Manhattan, the Southern District of New York charged Menendez with being an unregistered agent of the Egyptian government.

The indictment alleges Menendez provided sensitive U.S. government information and took other steps that secretly aided the government of Egypt.

An end as denied these new allegations but as Brenda Flanagan reports, the new charges describe how Menendez met with Egyptian officials regarding an American citizen injured in an airstrike to help smooth things out while Congress was attempting to blockade the country.

>> Federal prosecutors slapped another charge on Senator Bob Menendez, alleging he illegally acted as an unregistered foreign agent of the Egyptian government.

The superseding indictment adds serving new details to sweeping accusations that Menendez and his wife, Nadine, accepted cash, gold bars and a luxury car in return for his influence as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

>> It is plain law that public officials like Senator Menendez are not allowed to be registered on behalf of a foreign principal.

They can't conduct business in that fashion.

>> Former prosecutor Chris, she nation says this fleshes out the indictment and describes how Menendez met with Egyptian officials to discuss an American citizen widely identified as April Corley.

She was badly injured when her tourist group in Egypt got mistakenly hit by an airstrike.

American Apache helicopters flown by the Egyptian military.

11 people died and Congress retaliated by blocking millions in military aid to Egypt.

Former Congressman Tom now ski served on the Egypt human rights Caucus then.

>> We were successful in restricting some eight to try and force the Egyptians to pay her the compensation she deserved.

>> Egyptian officials reached out to Menendez the indictment says, texting New Jersey businessman -- if Menendez helped resolve the matter, he will sit comfortably to which Hana replied, consider it done.

Nadine Menendez forwarded the text to her husband and deleted the messages.

>> He was having those conversations while the rest of us were talking to April Coley, the American woman who was a victim of this, he was talking to the Egyptian government about how to protect them from the criticism.

That does not sit well with me.

>> He thinks the prosecutors will argue Menendez is actions go beyond the senator's regular job.

>> Look at the level of abuse of public trust to personally enrich themselves.

It no bounds.

It did not matter this was adverse to an American senator -- citizen.

>> Menendez has defied course of his recognition.

>> I hold accountable those countries such as Egypt the oppression of its society, seminary and more.

>> An attempt to where someone down and I will not succumb to this tactic.

Some former supporters, looking at the stash uncovered by FBI agent's, feel betrayed.

>> I saw money, I am sad.

>> Committed Mohammed fled persecution in Egypt and used to consider Menendez and Ally.

>> A hard thing, to take money and oppress people.

This is against American value.

This is against American principal.

>> A former State Department diplomat notes public servants must be held to a higher ethical standard.

>> It needs to be avoiding the appearance of impropriety.

And, certainly, all indications are that the senator is -- has not unfortunately met that standard.

>> With his Senate colleagues discussing whether Menendez should be expelled, the senior senator seems grimly determined to hang on.

Raven: Despite calls from fellow Democrats to resign, Senator Mendez continues to denounce the charges and has said he will not step down.

Now, representative Andy Kim is taking it one step further and calling for the U.S. Senate to vote on Mendez'expulsion.

Kim is challenging Menendez for his Senate seat in the next election.

He joins me now.

You were one of the first to call on the senior senator to resign after the original indictment came down.

With these latest charges, you want the Senate to vote on expulsion.

What does that mean and how would it work?

>> Certainly, with the first set of indictments I felt it was enough for the senior Senator of our state to step down.

I felt, sure, he has the right for his day in court.

These jobs in government, especially at this level of the United States Senate, requires a higher threshold, something that is up there in terms of the public trust.

I think that trust has been eroded.

Most recently with these new indictments that are concerned about acting as a foreign agent.

That takes it to an even further level.

He was the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, arguably the most powerful person in foreign policy on Capitol Hill.

The idea that perhaps he was not acting in the United States's best interest, potentially putting his own personal benefits above our nation, that is worrisome, deeply worrisome.

He is still on that committee, no longer chairman.

Still has access to classified information.

I do not have confidence he can continue to do that job that requires the public trust.

Raven: You worked as national security as an official.

How severe is this charge?

>> Very.

I think my experience in national security is what is prompting me to have this level of concern.

I have worked as a career official at the State Department, the Pentagon, the National Security Council.

I was not a political person.

Through that lens, I have a trust that our elected officials will always act in the best interest of the country.

That was always a sacred trust, an oath that we swear to defend our Constitution.

If there is anything that brings that oath into question, that is very, very serious.

For these allegations to put forward, the senior senator needs to focus on his legal case and answer to that.

In the meantime, he does not have the bandwidth nor the confidence of the people to do his job.

Raven: Ousting Senator Menendez may be a tall order right now as the house struggles to find a speaker since Steve Scalise dropped out.

What happened?

Not only are we nearing a government shutdown, but with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and Israel?

>> You are right.

We do not know exactly what the Senate will do next.

They will be the ones to vote or decide what comes next in terms of Senator Menendez's fate.

On the House of Representatives side, you are right.

It is absolute chaos.

This is so worrisome, the idea the majority party is unable to coalesce.

It is bringing into question, is the majority actually able to govern at all or is it ungovernable?

Right now, I do not see anybody in that caucus being able to get the 217 votes needed to become the next speaker.

Raven: What are the Dems doing to secure a speaker?

>> We stand by ready to have conversations if they are willing to read in terms of, what would it take to get Democratic support?

Our leader, Hakeem Jeffries, has made it clear we want to find someone we can work with.

Make sure we can move forward when it comes to the budget so we do not have a government shutdown in about a month.

All of that effort has been pushed to the side.

The Republicans have shown no interest in having that conversation.

As a result, they are more interested in going further to the extreme rather than trying to come to a place where we can come to some type of agreement.

That is going to further isolate them.

I do not think the math is there for them to find someone in that direction.

It continues to put the country in limbo.

Raven: Thank you very much.

>> Thanks for having me.

Raven: In New Jersey, synagogues and mosques under high alert with worshipers in the state feeling fear after a call for a day of rage from a former Hamas leader.

The same security demands are in place in New York City with NYPD ordering all on-duty officers to report in uniform Friday.

Attorney General Matt Plotkin says since the terror attacks in Israel, his office has been in communication with the FBI.

>> There is no credible threat against any individual or place in New Jersey, particularly the Jewish amenity but also our Palestinian communities.

My job is to make sure they feel protected and we will do that.

Raven: On the ground in Gaza, there are fears of a Palestinian genocide after the Israeli government demanded more than one million Palestinians evacuate the area.

Despite there being no safe to go amid the bombing of the region.

The United Nations says that an evacuation would be impossible without devastating humanitarian consequences and they are calling for the Israeli government to rescind their evacuation order.

The cannabis regulatory commission launched its first-ever cannabis safety public information campaign to prioritize public safety about safe cannabis consumption.

The campaign comes after the CRC has recently announced they will be opening access to more edibles in New Jersey soon, including beverages and baked goods.

Experts I spoke with are urging people to keep their edibles out of the reach of children after reports of accidental ingestion's from children are also increasing.

>> our primary goal with the cannabis safe use campaign is to provide the public with the information and resources needed to make informed incisions about cannabis consumption.

Raven: as jerseys legalized cannabis marketplace begins opening access to more edibles and New Jersey soon including beverages and baked goods, the New Jersey cannabis regulatory commission wants to keep you and your family safe which is why they launched the safe use campaign.

>> Our top priorities at the commission are safety, health and the wellness of New Jerseyans, whether they are cannabis consumers were not.

The goals of this campaign are to prevent children from accessing cannabis products by requiring child resistant packaging and encouraging safe storage.

keep it away, keep it locked up.

Raven: With more people buying edibles, reports of accidental ingestion's from children are increasing.

According to the New Jersey poison control through September 6, more than 140 children ages one to 12 reported to have ingested marijuana this year.

The center urges people to keep their edibles out of the reach of children and in child resistant containers.

>> Unfortunately in young children, ingestion's, which are entirely edible products, can have more serious consequences.

The majority of these exposures are attributable to edibles that are either left out in the open, improperly stored, stored in easily accessible places, and many are illegal candy look-alikes.

Raven: It is not just children vulnerable to the negative effects of cannabis.

Experts say comes -- exposure to cannabis during pregnancy can also be dangerous.

>> There is evidence cannabis can negatively affect fetal and infant development.

There is no proof cannabis is effective in the treatment of morning sickness.

If you currently use marijuana and are pregnant and plan to become pregnant, you should stop using it.

Raven: It is one of many educational messages that will be featured in English and Spanish on billboards.

digital ads, social media and on ads and places of businesses like hair salons.

The NJ CRC says to Apple Fire the campaign's audience, they have partnered with a number of agencies including AAA.

>> If you use cannabis, do not drive.

If you are planning to drive, do not use cannabis.

The flyers really serve as a reminder to drivers that driving and cannabis is a dangerous combination.

Research shows that it can impact your attention, your reaction time, your coordination and balance.

These are all things that we need for safe driving on our roadways.

Raven: A common theme among experts when it comes to safety was making sure purchases were made from a licensed facility.

>> Unlike the illicit market, when adult consumers and patients make a purchase at a licensed facility, they know what they are getting.

They have confidence in their product because they can see what is on the label.

The launch of the safe use campaign is a pivotal moment for the cannabis industry in our state.

We can set a positive example for the nation as we navigate the evolving landscape of this industry.

>> If you think your child may have consumed a edible or drink containing THC, call the poison control hotline center now.

The doctor says it might take time for effects to show up.

>> Support for the medical report is provided by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

Raven: Tune in this weekend to NJ Biz beat.

I continue the cannabis conversation, looking at the labor side of New Jersey's cannabis market.

You can watch it on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. right here on NJPBS.

Our spotlight on business report tonight, President Biden was in Philadelphia today to announce a new $7 billion investment in so-called hydrogen hubs around the nation.

One of those, the mid-Atlantic hydrogen hub, will be based in the Philly region.

That project is set to get $750 million.

That money will go towards converting old fossil fuel infrastructure to hydrogen use.

The goal of the program is to launch a new hydrogen power industry and hopefully give the nation another option for reducing carbon free electricity.

Cutting carbon emissions is critical to preventing the worst-case scenarios of climate change.

The Biden administration has high hopes for hydrogen power, but some climate activists are skeptical, morning typically fossil fuels still have to be burned to create the otherwise clean energy.

Here is a look at how the markets closed for the week.

♪ Raven: The next episode in our 21 digital film series is now online.

The series examines a simple question of, does where you live in the state affect how you live?

21 profiles one person in each of our 21 counties and looks at the social determinants that affect that person's life.

The latest film introduces us to Anna Baldwin, the Glasser County native embrace her journey with Tourette's syndrome and has been educating others since her initial diagnosis in sixth grade.

Through soccer and the top sports program, she found refuge, a space to connect with and inspire special needs children, encouraging them to embrace their uniqueness.

She emphasizes the importance of focusing on the person beyond their diagnosis.

Rihanna Vannozzi talked with her.

>> What a pleasure to talk to you.

Why do you think that such a young age you were able to not just embrace your diagnosis with to rats, but also make it -- Tourette's, but make it your mission to raise awareness among others?

>> I think I saw the need for it and I also knew that I had to look out for my little brother.

He had the same diagnosis and I had to pave the way for him.

Raven: You talked about having this part of your body and brain that were not under your control.

Briana: What do you think of the misconceptions for folks that do not know much about it?

>> A lot of people when they hear about Tourette's, they think that it is just cursing and it is for attention.

I want them to understand that, yes, sometimes there is the cursing element of it.

That is not all it is.

There is so much more to it.

Briana: You also work with a number of kids throughout the South Jersey area who are of a variety of abilities.

What kind of work you do with them?

What is the feedback like after a day spent on the soccer field?

>> That is top sports out of Hiers and Township.

That sets the tone for the week and I absolutely love it.

It is a sports program for kids with special needs.

We have athletes I believe from three years old up to 18.

Every week, we meet the kids exactly where they are at.

We have kids in wheelchairs, kids with autism, athletes who are blind.

We make sure that no matter what, they are still able to play that sport and be successful.

Briana: It comes to mind that just by educating your students and giving them knowledge about a subject that they may have never heard of before they walked into your classroom, it is going to open their mind to being more inclusive and to understanding empathy and not judging people by what they see.

What does that feel like for you when you see that come through in them?

>> It amazes me every time.

Kids are so open-minded.

They crave that education.

They crave having that knowledge.

While technically I am a math teacher, I do not think it should ever stop at just your subject area.

We teach math, but we also teach life skills.

We teach empathy, how to be kind, how to be decent people.

It is amazing to watch the kids respond to that and actually apply it to their lives.

Briana: Do you think growing up where you have and living -- you still live in your hometown and are teaching their, has really affected what you have chosen to do with your life's work?

>> Absolutely, absolutely.

I always talk about my sixth grade teacher.

She was Mrs. King.

She still teaches.

She is amazing.

She gave me all the resources and tools that I needed to be successful.

Because of that, I went into education because I wanted to give that back to my students.

Briana: I am sure there is a student in your classroom right now that feels the same way.

Anna Baldwin, thanks for sharing your story with us.

Raven: You can meet Anna and the other extraordinary Rizzi residence at my NJPBS.org/21.

, finally another exceptional teacher got some recognition today.

Lodi high school science teacher Virginia for Sue low received the prestigious Milken educator award for her innovation and excellence in teaching.

The Milken is considered the Oscars of the teaching profession and with it comes an unrestricted cash prize of $25,000.

She is the third New Jersey teacher to receive the award this week that honors educators across the country.

A member of the Milken foundation said her classroom is an exciting hub of discovery for Lodi high school's future medical professionals and thanked her for personifying the role of mentor and teacher to her students and colleagues every day.

That is going to do it for us tonight.

This weekend, tune in to Reporters Roundtable as David looks at the latest indictment for Senator Bob Menendez and whether his mounting legal troubles are the asked strong in the veteran senator's political career.

David talks with New Jersey Republican State committee chair Bob Fugate who ran against Menendez in 2018 Saturday at six clock p.m. and Sunday morning at 10:00.

On Chat Box, David celebrates Hispanic heritage month with two-time Olympian and New Jersey native Lori Hernandez.

I am Raven Santana for the entire NJ Spotlight News team.

Thanks for being with us.

Have a great weekend.

We will see you right back here on Monday.

♪ >> The members of the New Jersey education Association, making public schools great for every child.

RWJBarnabas health, let's be healthy together.

Orsted.

Committed to the creation of a new, long-term, sustainable clean energy future for New Jersey.

>> Our future relies on more than clean energy.

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