(upbeat music) - From NJ PBS Studios, this is NJ Spotlight News with Brianna Vannozzi.

- Good evening and thanks for joining us on this Wednesday night.

I'm Brianna Vannozzi.

Tonight, a few stories we're digging into later in the broadcast.

How one North Jersey mayor is fighting back against the Trump administration's immigration policies.

Then, new evidence finds a site cleanup by the EPA is still toxic.

And later, we'll look at the surge of new support in New Jersey for the conservative campaign slain activist Charlie Kirk helped build.

First, though, a few of today's top headlines.

New Jersey's fight against the opioid epidemic is about to get a major boost.

Governor Murphy today said his administration is committing more than $130 million in new opioid settlement funding to build up resources available in communities.

Now, they'll do that by expanding harm reduction services and launching new supports for families who've been affected by substance use.

The bulk of the money, more than $118 million, will help grow the state's network of harm reduction centers over the next five years.

That's the largest investment to date in New Jersey, while the rest will support community groups offering counseling and grief services.

Applications for that grant money will be available in the coming months, according to Murphy's office.

But it comes after a controversy this summer when the governor was criticized for redirecting $45 million in settlement funds from harm reduction centers to hospitals instead.

The centers are considered controversial but effective.

Officials say the state now has 45 operating harm reduction centers.

That's up from just seven last year.

And New Jersey is expected to receive a billion dollars in settlement funds over the next two decades.

Also tonight, new insight on what was behind all the New Jersey transit train cancellations this summer.

An analysis by NJ Monitor finds it was driven largely by three factors, a spike in mechanical failures, equipment issues and staffing related disruptions.

Between June and August, more than 1600 trains were canceled at the rail agency, marking the third highest summer total under Governor Murphy, although that is down slightly from last year.

But the mechanical breakdowns hit a record high with 634 train sidelines.

That's the most under this administration.

Equipment related issues were also nearly six times higher than a year ago and crew related cancellations, which were once near zero, jumped to the hundreds this summer.

That was following the end of a contract standoff and a mid-May strike.

There is good news, though.

After years of delays, new train cars are coming.

Hundreds are on order and expected to roll out in 2026.

And all those infrastructure upgrades at Amtrak also appear to be paying off.

Amtrak went from being the leading source of New Jersey transit cancellations to among the least.

And coming up, Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bala is doubling down on his city's immigration policies despite threats and lawsuits from the federal government.

We'll talk to him about how he plans to keep Hoboken a sanctuary city.

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- Hoboken is taking a firm stance on immigration policy.

Mayor Ravi Bala is asking the city council to formally protect immigrant rights by codifying its longstanding, fair, and welcoming city policy into law.

It's called the Hoboken Trust Act.

Now, the move comes as Hoboken remains one of four New Jersey cities that's been targeted by the Trump administration for sanctuary policies and the case is currently in federal court.

Mayor Balla joins me now to explain why he's pushing the ordinance and what's at stake for Hoboken.

Mayor, good to see you again.

Thanks so much for coming on.

It seems like this has escalated since the last time we spoke.

Before we get into that can you just remind us what this act would and wouldn't allow local law enforcement to do.

Sure.

It's a priority for the city of Hoboken to make sure that our local tax resources our tax dollars are protected and used for the right purposes.

When we first signed an executive order in 2018 declaring Hoboken a fair and welcoming city.

One of the reasons why we did that was to make sure that local tax dollars are used to force local and state law that we're not using those resources to enforce federal civil immigration law.

That was very important then.

It's even more important now as we see very very aggressive and possibly unconstitutional raids by immigration authorities in various parts of the country including here in New Jersey.

We want to make sure that there are very clear delineations where we don't interfere or impede any operations of the federal government but we also don't participate in things that we think are contrary to our values as Hobokenites, New Jersey as Americans.

What's changed?

I mean for you to feel the need to codify this into law, are you seeing or hearing any actions on the ground in your city like we've seen elsewhere?

I'm thinking of course in Edison and Newark where there have been larger raids.

But what's changed to get you to the point that you feel the need to codify this?

Well, two things.

One, the federal government with respect to enforcement immigration law is reckless and completely out of control.

They are unhinged and there's absolutely no question about that.

The second thing is that these policies, these executive orders, these directives are not laws.

They can be repealed or overturned by the next mayor, by the next governor.

So it's very important, whether it's at the local level to take the executive order that was implemented by my office as a fair and welcoming city policy and codify that, make it a law through the Immigrant Trust Act.

Similarly, in 2018, there was a state directive, the Immigrant Trust Directive, that drew very clear lines statewide for police departments that needs to be codified in the lame duck session of the legislature through the Immigrant Trust Act, which is a pending piece of legislation in the New Jersey State Legislature.

So I would call on the state legislature in this lame duck session to make it a priority for the sake of immigrants, for the sake of our black and brown communities who are illegally being rounded up, jailed in inhumane conditions to take action now before we have a Republican governor who can, with a stroke of a pen, repeal our immigrant trust directive.

We need to make it the law so that our communities are protected in the future.

Well, we should mention you are running for assembly in your your 32nd district there.

If you're elected is that something that you plan to make a top legislative priority.

I hope I don't need to because I hope the the legislature in accent to law the Immigrant Trust Act as soon as possible.

They need to do what they need to do that and it's going to be a huge problem if we have a Republican governor who says now we're going to cooperate with ICE.

Now we're going to dedicate the Hoboken Police Department.

We're going to dedicate and require the sheriff's offices to partake in these unconstitutional roundups of immigrant populations.

That's not what Hoboken's about.

We were built on the, as a city of immigrants, we rely on our immigrant community to protect our children, to take them to school, to provide basic services.

Immigrants are on the front lines of our lives as New Jersey's and the Hobokenites.

But are you worried at all though, Mayor, that the city will be put at greater risk because of codifying this ordinance?

I mean, Attorney General Pam Bondi sent you directly, your city, that letter, stating that you were thwarting federal immigration enforcement to the detriment of the interests of the United States.

Those are pretty serious words.

Yeah, they're words, but they're factually incorrect.

And in Hoboken, we stand up to bullies.

We will not be bullied by the Trump administration or any administration that infringes upon the constitutional rights of every person who enters the city of Hoboken.

This is a fundamental issue of what our country is about.

Is our country a city of immigrants?

Is our city of Hoboken a city of immigrants?

Do we stand up and protect people who are law-abiding citizens?

In Hoboken, immigrants make our community stronger.

- Mayor, I want to ask you quickly, with the time that we have left, about the case against Tobolken and the other cities, as I mentioned, our former Attorney General, Gerbier Gray, while the architect of New Jersey's directive, immigrant trust directive, is representing the city.

He has said that it has no merit.

Can you just tell us what's next, where the case stands?

- Yeah, the case is being litigated in the courts in the normal course.

There will be a decision of the lower court.

It may or may not be appealed.

But the four cities stand strong together.

You know, we are united in defending against what we view as politically driven and frivolous litigation.

And we look forward to a positive outcome in the courts.

It's a shame that we need to defend against actions that protect our communities and protect the rights of people who live and thrive in our communities.

But we will do that.

We will stand up to the Trump administration and the DOJ any time they try to challenge policies and actions that we feel make our communities stronger.

Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bala, thanks as always for your time.

Good to talk to you.

Thank you.

You too.

Well, tonight, a new health study is reigniting alarm over toxic contamination at the Ringwood Mines Superfund site in Hassek County, contradicting the Environmental Protection Agency's official stance that the area is safe.

Researchers from NYU Langone say dangerous pollutants remain on the site, including hazardous levels of lead, arsenic, and cadmium.

Residents, especially members of the Ramapollinape Indian Nation who live on or near the area, say they're still suffering serious health effects tied to the pollution.

Now with fresh evidence in hand, they're calling on the EPA to act.

Senior correspondent Joanna Gaggis has the story.

It's not clean.

It's not clean enough to protect the health and well-being of the people.

For researchers and members of the Ramapollinape Turtle Clan living near this Ringwood Superfund site, it feels like deja vu all over again.

They're once again being told by the EPA that the site of extreme contamination in Ringwood is all clear, even though recent testing conducted by researchers at NYU Langone Health shows that it's not.

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We would Um And in response we hav an emergency cleanup devi is a spill, we would be a from here and clean it be would ever reach the res will be enough to protect tribe members who live he I'm Joanna Gagas and J Sp for the medical report is Blue Cross Blue Shield of licensee of the Blue Cros In our spotlight on busin Reserve just made its fir first rate cut of the year, paving the way for relief from some of the high borrowing costs that have been weighing on consumers.

In a highly anticipated move today, the Fed approved a quarter point interest rate cut and signaled that two more are on the way before the end of 2025 amid concerns over the labor market showing signs of weakness.

The decision puts the interest rate at a range between four to four and a quarter percent.

So for credit card holders, that means the prime rate on your card lowers too, and the interest rate on any debt you're carrying is likely to follow.

Economists say mortgage rates won't shift much since those are largely tied to treasury yields and the economy.

Plus, most people have fixed rate mortgages, so the rate doesn't change unless you're refinancing or selling to buy another property.

Potential car buyers, though, could benefit if borrowing costs come down on their new loans.

Support for The Business Report is provided by the Newark Alliance presents the 2025 Halsey Fest, featuring the vibrancy of Newark's Arts and Education District and Halsey Street.

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The 2025 Halsey Fest schedule is available at halseynwk.com.

- Well, the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk stunned supporters and critics alike, and now it's fueling a surge of interest in the movement he helped build.

Turning point, USA says tens of thousands of people have reached out in the days since his death asking how to get involved or start a chapter at their high school or college.

That momentum is happening throughout New Jersey, too, where organizing efforts are well underway.

Senior Correspondent Brenda Flanagan is with me now for a closer look at what's happening on the ground.

Brenda.

Well, Brianna, the assassination of Charlie Kirk didn't just spark a political partisan firestorm.

It also galvanized sympathizers to reach out to his organization, Turning Point USA.

On the Sunday after Kirk's assassination, a national spokesman reported some 32,000 people had contacted the group, many asking how they could start a college chapter or high school club.

Here in New Jersey, some organizers shifted into hyperdrive following an emotional appeal from Kirk's widow, Erica, on social media.

If you're in high school or if you're in college, go find your local Turning Point USA chapter.

Join it.

Stay involved.

He wants you to make a difference.

And you can.

You can.

The movement's not going anywhere and it will only grow stronger when you join it.

It would be incredible to start up chapters anywhere we can just to spread the good word and to spread the importance of freedom of speech and our constitutional values.

Now that speaker is Anthony Romano and he's also the regional leader for Turning Point's college chapters in most of the group's New Jersey territory.

Now, there are six at the moment, including at Rutgers, the College of New Jersey and Montclair.

But Romano's on a mission to help volunteers organize new chapters here, even though he warned they'd probably get pushback on some Jersey campuses.

It's important to go talk, schedule meetings and stay on top of campus activities people because from my experience they still for the most part are very far to the left so they will do everything in their power to stop us but you have to stay consistent, have the grit to just keep going forward no matter how much they want to try to limit us or not have Turning Point on campus.

Now Romano declined an interview with NJ Spotlight News, but he spoke Monday night when some New Jersey parents and students got the chance to join a special Zoom meeting organized by Alexandra Bauer of Park Ridge.

She's a conservative activist, the head of Bergen County's Moms for Liberty chapter, an organization aligned with Turning Point's agenda that's deeply critical of LGBTQ rights and the separation of church and state, among other issues.

Bauer set up that Zoom meeting to make connections, especially for high school students.

And this is something I want to bring to my school.

And I think a lot of kids need that support because there's a lot of groups in the high school that is for, you know, maybe some other types of, you know, activities, let's say.

And there's not enough conservative groups.

So, here's some perspective.

TPUSA's got 900 college chapters across the nation and 1,200 high school groups called Club America.

There are currently five clubs in New Jersey, including Livingston High School, Hunterdon Central and Cherry Hill East, plus five so-called centers of activism, hubs for homeschooled students.

Clubs focus on civic engagement, according to New Jersey's Club America group leader Zachary Vasilli.

We intentionally rebranded in an effort to not get away from the TPUSA brand, but understand that with TPUSA comes a certain tone.

We don't want that.

In the high school, we are nonpartisan.

We welcome people from all political backgrounds, and we're just trying to encourage an open discussion.

We're not trying to, for example, have some high-level political commentator at the school.

We're just a simple club showing the power of a community.

We asked Bauer to comment on her Zoom meeting, and she called it a testament to the way Charlie Kirk touched the entire world.

Bright, well-spoken discussions were had about being able to differ in views, but how we can respect each other and converse in a respectful, intelligent manner.

Many chapters were started and will continue to start, and we're happy to facilitate the relationship between families and TPUSA to support them on their mission to bring faith and conservative values to their schools.

But that's not how some critics see it, especially those who research and document LGBTQ issues.

While first stating that political violence like Kirk's murder has no place in the U.S., advocate Mike Gotsman also condemned what he called using religion to recruit students.

I think it's a means of, it's going to be a means of getting religion in the school and breaking down the barriers between church and state.

Because admittedly, based upon what happened in this recruiting meeting, they are a religious organization.

It's a stepping stone, it's a way to get entree into public schools.

And as I said, it's not for every child or every student, but for those students who have a stronger religious connection, it's a way for them to get religion into the school campus and into the public school.

Now that Zoom meeting started and ended with a prayer.

Gotsman said it's difficult to untangle the religious from the political aspects here, but many Republicans embrace the connection.

Expect to hear a lot more from this group ahead.

Brianna.

Brenda, really thoughtful reporting.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

That's going to do it for us tonight.

But a reminder, you can download our podcast wherever you listen and you could watch us anytime by subscribing to the NJ Spotlight News YouTube channel.

And with Election Day just around the corner, be sure to check out our annual voter guide to get up to speed on the candidates and races on the ballot this year.

Just head to the NJ Decides 2025 tab on our homepage.

I'm Brianna Vannozzi.

For the entire team at NJ Spotlight News, thanks for being with us.

Have a great night.

We'll see you right back here tomorrow.

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Look at these kids.

What do you see?

I see myself.

I became an ESL teacher to give my students what I wanted when I came to this country.

The opportunity to learn, to dream, to achieve, a chance to belong and to be an American.

My name is Giulia Torriani-Crompton and I'm proud to be an NJEA member.

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