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

- Hello and thanks for joining us on this Wednesday.

I'm Brianna Vannozzi.

Tonight, a few stories we'll get into later in the broadcast.

The gubernatorial candidates face off tonight in their final debate of the campaign, and each is promising to tackle the state's affordability problem.

We'll take a closer look at what their plans mean for you.

Then, a first-of-its-kind event where students from across New Jersey are removing the stigma around mental health challenges.

And later, we get the latest on the Del Barton sex abuse trial.

But first, a few of today's top headlines.

A Rutgers University history professor who's written multiple books about anarchism and Antifa says he's moving out of the country after receiving multiple death threats, including to his home.

Professor Mark Bray notified students this week that his courses will move online as he relocates to Europe with his family for safety.

The threats came after Bray publicly commented on President Trump's executive order in September designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization.

Several far-right activists targeted Bray online, publishing his home address and called for his firing.

While a Rutgers chapter of the conservative student group Turning Point USA launched a petition to oust him, citing risks to their safety, alleging that Bray's writings and lectures promote political violence.

Meanwhile, faculty unions are rallying behind Bray and his partner, also a Rutgers professor, calling the attacks a threat to academic freedom.

Officials at Rutgers University say they're investigating the situation.

Also tonight, the Jersey City community rallied today in an effort to keep the lights on and services running at Heights University Hospital.

Nurses unions, state and local leaders gathered outside the hospital on Palisade Ave calling for urgent action to keep its doors open.

The rally follows mounting financial trouble at the facility formerly known as Christ Hospital, which is operating at a $60 million loss this year alone.

Local lawmakers, including Senators Raj Mukerji and Angela McKnight are pushing for $25 million in state emergency aid to stabilize the health system.

Hudson Regional Health, which took over the hospital last year, says it's already poured nearly $300 million into upgrades across its network.

But operators don't see a way forward without help from the state.

HPA Nurses Union President Debbie White says Heights Hospital is a lifeline for people in Jersey City.

These are thriving services for a community that is underserved, underprivileged.

It's a safety net hospital and it is a necessary, absolutely necessary institution in the area.

The community would be at a disservice if they were to close or reduce services.

And with just weeks to go before the state's hotly contested governor's race, Latino leaders are stepping up to mobilize a key voting bloc that could decide the outcome.

National advocacy groups Unidos US Action PAC and Latina Civic Action Today launched a partnership, pledging hundreds of thousands of dollars to support Democrat Mikey Sherrill in her bid to beat Republican Jack Ciatarelli, who's drawn unexpected support from Latino voters.

At an event today in Newark, the group said they'll launch a major voter outreach push across the Garden State over the next month and gave Sherrill a coveted endorsement in the race.

Latinos, by the way, make up roughly 20% of the state's population.

Most independent polls show Sherrill with a slim lead, but Democrats today said they aren't taking anything for granted this time around, admitting they failed in their effort to get Democratic Latino voters to the polls in the last general election.

That's where President Trump, who's endorsed Chitorelli, made substantial inroads.

Janet Marigua, the president and CEO of UnidosUS Action PAC today, explained why they made their choice.

- Mikey Sherrill is who we at UnidosUS Action PAC endorse as the next governor of the state of New Jersey.

Because we know she will ensure that Latino communities are not an afterthought, but a cornerstone of her administration and a priority because of the role we play in this state.

Prioritizing quality education for our children, safe neighborhoods for our families, and pathways to prosperity for every hardworking New Jerseyan.

And we have breaking news tonight.

The jury has reached a verdict in the Del Barton sex abuse trial, siding with the plaintiff, a former student known only as TM, in his allegations that he was assaulted by a monk on campus 50 years ago.

The jury is awarding $5 million to him.

And according to reporters in the courtroom today, the trial for punitive damages involving the school will begin Tuesday.

We'll have more on the story tomorrow.

Coming up, are they going to raise or lower your taxes?

We'll get the latest on gubernatorial candidates Mikey Sherrill and Jack Ciatarelli's affordability plans next.

Major funding for NJ Spotlight News is provided in part by NJM Insurance Group, serving the insurance needs of residents and businesses for more than 100 years.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and by the PSCG Foundation.

The nominees for governor are squaring off tonight in their final debate of the election cycle, a high stakes moment in a race where affordability is top of mind for voters.

Both candidates, Democrat Mikey Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciatarelli, are promising to deliver tax relief.

But their plans, well, they take sharply different paths, from child tax credits to tax cuts for businesses.

Our budget and finance writer, John Reitmeyer, has been tracking the numbers and joins us now with a closer look at what each plan could mean for you.

>> Good morning, everyone.

Great to see you, as always.

Okay.

So each of them have these plans.

They both say that they're going to make New Jersey more affordability.

How different are these plans in terms of who benefits and how they pay for it?

>> Yeah, it's great to be here to talk about this topic.

We do have some written plans from the candidates, and they are very different in the sense that what are they trying to do to help individuals make New Jersey more affordable at the individual level?

So there's talk of a child tax credit.

That's something the Democrat, Mikey Sherrill, is promising to expand.

New Jersey already has a child tax credit.

She wants to make more parents eligible for it by increasing the age limit to become eligible.

And then you see the Republican Jack Chiarelli call for more broad tax cuts.

So that would mean cutting the personal income tax and cutting the corporation business tax.

And so where Sherrill appears to be a little bit more targeted.

She's also seeking to expand a current tax break that goes to New Jersey's lowest wage worker.

It's called the earned income tax credit.

And she's also seeking to restore what we used to have for a few years in New Jersey, which is a sales tax break for back to school shopping that used to happen at the end of the summer.

Whereas Jack Chiarelli is talking about some of these bigger tax cuts that would deliver bigger cuts in revenue typically unless people become so exuberant about their taxes being cut that they spend or businesses hire to agree that it brings in more revenue.

That doesn't always happen and we've seen that at the federal level where there have been some pretty hefty tax cuts and they have to do borrowing to make up for the difference if they want to keep spending or slashing programs.

No.

Has the Chiarelli campaign if we stay on that for a moment have they put out plans for how they would then make up the funding elsewhere for things like schools.

So that's a key question because what is a tax cut to one person is a program or service cut to another person.

And I did have some dialogue with the Chitarelli campaign and I was unable to get.

So they are calling for reductions in what they call pork spending which seems to be a reference to the add ons that lawmakers in this case it's been the majority Democrats in recent years have been tacking on to the governor's final draft of the state budget.

Hundreds of millions of dollars get spent each year in this in this way and it seems like Chitarelli is calling to take away that type of spending.

However when we talk about taxes like the income tax and the business tax there are constitutional dedication.

So the revenue from these taxes have to be used for specific purposes.

So if you're cutting the income tax that's constitutionally dedicated to funding things like K through 12 public schools or direct property tax relief.

I'm not sure there are many public schools in New Jersey that don't feel like they're getting-- or that feel like they're getting too much money from the state.

So one of the lingering questions is, if we do cut the income tax and that results in less revenue, that means the state might not have as much money to give K through 12 public schools, which are already clamoring for as much money as they can get.

And that bounces back to the property tax issue, because every dollar the state sends a K through 12 school district in New Jersey is a dollar that theoretically they don't have to raise from their local taxpayers through the property tax which is a primary source of revenue for K through 12 school districts.

And what about the Sherrill campaign, her plan for property taxes and addressing it in that way or a roundabout way?

It seems to be a lot of let's carry on some of the approaches that have been in place under incumbent Governor Phil Murphy.

And so shared services is one of the items on her affordability agenda.

And what that basically means is the state would do things to encourage municipal government school districts to work together or pool their costs to find savings.

This is not a new idea.

This is something that governors for as long as I've covered them have sought to encourage.

So property taxes are levied at the local level.

The state doesn't levy a property tax.

The governor doesn't have direct control over that.

But there are things the governor can do from a policy approach that can ease pressure like increasing state aid for K through 12 public schools or providing incentives for shared services.

The other thing that Congresswoman Cheryl seems to be in favor of is the current direct property tax relief programs that the state is administering.

Four billion is being spent annually to send basically rebates or reimbursements back to certain homeowners and now renters to offset their property tax bills.

And that would be through the programs like anchor or senior freeze.

And then there's a new one that's supposed to be coming on online in January called stay and J. That's specifically for senior homeowners.

Let me ask you about the sales tax because that became a flashpoint in recent weeks.

In a little bit of time we have left quickly.

Where do they stand.

Because there was some misinformation or perhaps different information out there about where the candidates want to go with that.

Yeah my advice would be when the when the ads come on to just turn the volume down or or change the channel or the Web site you're on because what is said is often misleading or outright misrepresentation and so there's been some accusations about the sales tax and none of the candidates are proposing to do anything with the sales tax except Mikey Sherrill who wants to bring back this temporary sales tax holiday for back to school shopping.

Everything else has sort of been put out there as a proposal but it's not in their actual plans and any governor who wants to change the sales tax under the state constitution that has to originate in the state legislature and has to be approved by both houses and then sent to the governor.

So even if the governor was talking about that you would have to get buy in from the legislature and we've seen time and again that that's a tax that is hard to increase in the state of New Jersey.

Yeah, which is why there's frequently a lot of talk about it but not much that changes with it.

All right, you can read all of John's reporting on the budget, on the tax plans, and where the candidates stand on our website, njspotlightnews.org.

You did the homework for everyone, so voters should definitely check that out.

John Reitmeyer, thanks as always.

You're welcome.

Well, college life can be exciting, but it can also be overwhelming.

Between academic pressure, financial strains, and social expectations, many students are quietly struggling with their mental health.

At Kean University today, a unique statewide event brought together students, campus leaders, and educators for an honest conversation about these struggles and how to better support students across New Jersey.

Raven Santana reports from this student-centered, student-led event, speaking to some of those in attendance.

You see, mental health challenges are real and widespread.

All too often, they're unseen, unspoken, and misunderstood.

It was more than just a conference.

It was a call to action.

At Kean University, more than 200 educators, students, and mental health advocates came together for a first-of-its-kind statewide student mental health summit, an honest conversation about what it means to struggle, to seek help, and to heal.

Kean President Dr.

Lamont Rebolet says stress, economic pressure, and performance anxiety have become part of the college experience for too many students.

I think the whole idea of trauma and stress, you know, really this time, you know, economic conditions, you know, that draws out your stress levels even higher.

You know, the stress levels that you have to perform in college, you know, the pressure that society puts on you and the parents put on you.

So I think right now this spotlight is important for all of us because it allows us to really have that important conversations.

The event hosted in partnership with the New Jersey office of the Secretary of Higher Education featured peer-led panels, personal storytelling, yoga and interactive exhibits designed to break the stigma and spark connection.

and it's very STEM focused.

And so I see that a lot of students have anxiety or they have pressures when it comes to like their academics because it's really focused on at our school.

So I think a summit like this is important for people to realize like, hey, this is a problem that everyone has.

The Student Mental Health Ambassador Program, a group of 30 ambassadors representing 19 colleges and universities, organized the event as part of a statewide push for more peer-to-peer support.

It builds on New Jersey's growing investment in campus mental health resources funded under the Murphy administration.

We are definitely highlighting burnout and academic burnout for sure.

That's another reason why we wanted the presidents of these schools to come here to hear from student perspectives of mental burnout and how that's a real thing and it's a real issue.

Another thing that we wanted to highlight is the cultural diversity of New Jersey and how huge that impacts our academic abilities and our success.

As a person from South Asian descent, mental health is kind of seen as a privilege problem, as a problem that you can't afford to have if you're from the lower class, as a problem that not everybody goes through, a problem that you really, it's a right to have.

When in all reality, that's not true at all, that's very far from it.

We're discouraged to speak about it.

We're discouraged to make it seem normalized.

We're discouraged to be able to truly delve into actual pieces of dialogue within the whole sphere of mental health.

And it's a hurtful cycle to be very very real with you.

The program features a range of approaches to building resilience including firsthand stories from students who have navigated through their own mental health challenges.

So the title of my presentation is called Turning Pain into Purpose.

So I'll be speaking about my own mental health journey and the struggles that I face and how I overcame it.

And it's not something that you just do one day.

It's something that's currently like a process that you get over when it comes to mental health.

So it's something that you do each and every day.

The process looks different for everyone, including non-traditional students struggling work, school and family.

It's so important because I am the oldest ambassador here.

So I've always felt like I can connect with the younger students.

So my stresses are how many bills are going to get paid?

Is my financial aid going to go through?

My other stresses are I have two children since I'm a single mom.

So I have to make sure everything is in order.

The guilt of still going away, being on campus.

Organizers say that's exactly the goal, to remind students across New Jersey that mental health affects everyone and no one should have to face it in silence.

For NJ Spotlight News, I'm Raven Santana.

Well as Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close, it's a time to celebrate the culture, contributions and influence of Latino and Hispanic communities across New Jersey and nationwide.

But this year, the celebration comes amid renewed anxiety and political tension, as Trump administration policies stir concern among many Hispanic leaders and business owners.

From immigration enforcement to economic policy, the ripple effects are already being felt, even as communities say they're pushing forward.

I recently spoke with Carlos Medina, President and CEO of the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce about what it means for residents and business owners in New Jersey.

Carlos, so good to talk to you.

Thanks for coming on the show.

How is the chamber viewing and celebrating for this Hispanic Heritage Month?

It's been an interesting year.

So we're celebrating, we're trying to put facts out there so that we aren't portrayed as somehow a drag on the economy when Hispanic business is really booming.

And recently an organization called the Latino Donor Collaborative did a study and they do study New Jersey.

The gross domestic product of Hispanics in New Jersey exceeds $100 billion annually, and nationally that number is $4 trillion.

So they're showing that Latinos in this country, if we were our own sovereign entity, we'd be the fifth largest economy in the world with that $4 trillion economy.

So we're just celebrating that under the backdrop of still trying to it's almost like the new administration in a way is like when COVID hits.

So we have new hurdles that we have to clear.

And one of the hurdles is with ICE is cracking down on so many residents even if they are here legally undocumented and they just look and speak Hispanic which the Supreme Court has said is OK.

It's disrupting their business.

So they're seeing a lot less a lot less traffic.

Yeah.

What are you hearing from members about both traffic I suppose and also just whether their workforce feels safe and comfortable coming to the job.

I mean amid this ramped up immigration enforcement.

Yeah they're having trouble with all companies.

I want to say Hispanic companies because if you look at any restaurant most kitchens are 80 90 percent Hispanic and migrant workers.

But they're struggling.

They're struggling to keep employees and they're struggling for the foot traffic.

And it's not only undocumented.

If you're Hispanic and you just don't want to be harassed and possibly imprisoned for how you look, you're not going to go to the street and go shopping as often as you do.

You're going to use more online retailers.

So, online retailers are big box, big stores.

So, they're competing and hurting our small Main Street businesses, not only Hispanic.

All Main Street businesses are suffering.

I would say this is really hurting small business generally.

I wonder about misinformation to Carlos for example you know misinformation online about a raid at a specific place of business even if it hasn't happened.

How that is affecting members and whether that fake information is harming just turnout and public trust generally.

It is.

I mean people are weaponizing those type of calls unfortunately and people also feel emboldened.

We had a Mexican restaurant in which some customers I can't even repeat the things they said to this owner.

You know go home.

Many negative expletives so actually the chamber's attorney is working on that.

We might be filing an action.

But it's it's a real complicated time to navigate you know public sentiment and federal policy all while we're doing what the president wants.

We're contributing to the economy.

So I want to be applauded for what we're doing not not singled out and harassed for what we're doing and actually have a negative impact on what we're doing.

So don't stop us from saving the economy.

Let us let us help you as people say.

What other types of hurdles are now ahead for your members.

And I'm thinking about inflation and tariffs and regulatory policies that are now in place.

Yeah tariffs are super complicated.

We have folks that import products from Mexico.

So when do you get hit.

Is it when you put you know when the shipping container comes to Newark.

Is that when you're charged.

There's so many different nuances that they don't know when to be accurate with their pricing.

So it's dangerous waters to navigate because if you don't increase your prices and a trailer comes in and you're paying another 20 percent you're wiping out your entire profit and possibly having a loss.

So it's very complicated.

We just want stability in the marketplace.

If the tariff is whatever it is whether we agree with it or not.

We want to know that it's in place.

It's going to be in place for a certain amount of time so that we could adjust our business schedule our supplies.

Maybe we order more of a product knowing that the tariffs about to go up.

But right now we're we're navigating blind which is a very tough way to run a business for folks who have yet to connect with the chamber or maybe even those who have what type of programs or initiatives are you running and even advocating for that will help to grow Hispanic businesses in New Jersey.

We we do various training programs.

We have free programs for bonding.

We have a 15-week entrepreneurship training program.

I want to mention it's not just for Hispanics.

We have African-American, Asian, veterans.

It's a rainbow of people that come to our training classes and we welcome them as long as they're willing to put in the work and help all small businesses across New Jersey.

But the training programs are really our foundation.

We have a lot of programs.

We're constantly looking for funding to expand those programs.

People from New York City take them because most of them are remote with only two days that they have to dedicate to in person.

So we've been getting more people from the region because there's a need for these classes.

So with more money and training, we'd be able to have companies growing, paying more taxes and contributing to the New Jersey economy.

Carlos Medina, always good to talk to you.

We really appreciate your time.

Take good care and thanks so much.

Thank you.

Pleasure to be here.

That's going to do it for us.

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

Plus, you can always follow us on Instagram and Blue Sky to stay up to date on all the state's big headlines.

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

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.

We'll see you right back here tomorrow.

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