>>> FUNDING FOR "NJ BUSINESS BEAT" IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY NJ SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, A GAME CHARGING FORCE OFFERING PROGRAMS LIKE FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGY WHERE BUSINESS ANALYTICS AND DATA SCIENCE.

WE'RE STEP AWAY TRT EXCHANGE PLACE PATH TRAIN IN JERSEY CITY AND MINUTES FROM WALL STREET.

LEARN MORE AT.

>> Reporter: JCU.EDU/GAMECHANGER.

>>> THIS WEEK ON "NJ BUSINESS BEAT," THE FED MAKES ITS MOST SIGNIFICANT MOVE IN DECADES.

HOW THE INTEREST RATE HIKES WILL IMPACT YOUR WALLET.

PLUS GOVERNOR MURPHY STRIKES ON THE TAX RELIEF PROGRAM, BUT WILL IT BRING AND TAX RELIEF TO SMALL BUSINESSES AND WE ALL HAVE THEM, SO WE'RE PUTTING IT IN FOCUS THIS WEEK.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DEBT, HIGHLIGHTING STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO CUT INTO YOUR PERSONAL DEBT WHETHER IT'S CREDIT CARDS, MEDICAL BILLS, STUDENT LOANS OR YOUR MORTGAGE.

THAT'S AHEAD ON "NJ BUSINESS BEAT."

♪ ♪ ♪ >>> THIS IS "NJ BUSINESS BEAT" WITH RHONDA SCHAFFLER.

>> HELLO, I'M RHONDA SCHAFFLER.

THANKS FOR JOINING US ON "NJ BUSINESS BEAT."

IF YOU'RE WATCHING ON YOUTUBE, MAKE SURE YOU SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NJ SPOTLIGHT NEWS YOUTUBE CHANNEL TO GET ALERTED WHEN WE POST NEW EPISODES AND CLIPS.

WITH ONE SINGLE DECISION MADE THIS WEEK, YOUR PERSONAL FINANCIAL WORLD HAS CHANGED PRETTY DRAMATICALLY.

THE FEDERAL RESERVE DECIDED TO AGGRESSIVELY RAISE INTEREST RATES BY 0.75% POINTS WHICH WAS THE BIGGEST INCREASE IN NEARLY 30 YEARS.

THE FED IS THE NATION'S OFFICIAL INFLATION FIGHTER.

THE FED HAS A MANDATE TO MAINTAIN PRICE STABILITY AND ALL WE'VE SEEN THIS YEAR IS A LOT OF INSTABILITY, SOARING COSTS FOR GASOLINE AND FOOD, AND ALL SORTS OF OTHER THINGS.

THE FED TRIES TO CONTROL INFLATION BY INCREASING INTEREST RATES ON LOANS THAT TYPICALLY COOLS DEMAND.

FOR INSTANCE, MORTGAGE RATES RISE AND DEMAND FOR HOUSES FALL, SO HOME PRICES COME DOWN.

THAT'S THE THEORY.

OF COURSE, THIS YEAR WE'VE HAD OTHER COMPLICATIONS LIKE SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTIONS WHICH HAVE ALSO RAISED PRICES, BUT THIS ATTEMPT TO BRING DOWN PRICES CAUSES OTHER PAIN.

INTEREST RATES RISE ON CREDIT CARD DEBT AND CAR LOANS AS WELL AS HOME EQUITY LOANS JUST TO NAME A FEW, AND SOMETIMES THE FED MISSES THE MARK.

BY COOLING DEMAND THE ECONOMY CAN SLIP INTO A RECESSION.

THAT'S WHAT WALL STREET IS SO WORRIED ABOUT, THE ONGOING SELL-OFF IN STOCKS PUSHED MARKET INTO BEAR MARKET TERRITORY THIS WEEK WHICH IS A 20% DECLINE FROM ITS HIGHS.

RECESSION WORRIES ARE ALSO ON THE MINDS OF ECONOMISTS LIKE JEFFREY OTTO, MANAGING BROKERAGE CHIEF ECONOMIST AT HUDSON ATLANTIC REALTY IN MADAWAN.

>> WHAT WE ARE GOING TO SEE HERE IN SHORT ORDER IS THE UNRAVELING OF THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF AN EXPANSIVE FED POLICY IN THE INITIAL STAGES OF THE PANDEMIC WHICH BENEFITED THE ECONOMY IN MANY WAYS AND WE'RE ABOUT TO SEE EVERYTHING GO IN THE NEGATIVE DIRECTION.

THAT'S VERY CONCERNING HERE IN NEW JERSEY BECAUSE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN NEW JERSEY, HOUSEHOLDS SPEND A LARGER PORTION PERCENTAGE OF THEIR INCOME ON HOUSING THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY, AND SO THE PAIN OF A RECESSION WILL BE MORE ACUTE HERE IN NEW JERSEY.

>> IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT WHILE THERE ARE RECESSION WORRIES THERE IS NO SIGN THAT NEW JERSEY'S ECONOMY IS SPUTTERING.

THIS WEEK THE STATE REPORTED NEW JERSEY'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FELL TO 3.9% IN MAY AND NEW JERSEY HAS SEEN 18 CONSECUTIVE MONTHS OF JOB GROWTH.

NEW JERSEY RES DENTSS WILL SOME RELIEF FROM RISING PROPERTY TAXES UNDER A DEAL REACHED BETWEEN GOVERNOR PHIL MURPHY AND THE STATE'S DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATIVE LEADERS.

LEADERS SAY THEY'VE AGREED TO ALLOCATE $2 BILLION FOR PROPERTY TAX RELIEF WITH FUNDS GOING TO 2 MILLION RESIDENTS AND HOMEOWNERS AND THE TAX REBATES WILL BE LARGER THAN ORIGINALLY PLANNED.

HOMEOWNERS WITH THE HOUSEHOLD INCOME OF UNDER $150,000 WILL RECEIVE A $1500 PROPERTY TAX CREDIT.

THOSE WITH INCOMES FROM $150 TO $250,000 WILL RECEIVE A $1,000 CREDIT AND RENTERS WITH INCOMES UP TO $150,000 WILL RECEIVE $450 TO OFFSET RENT INCREASES.

THE REBATES WILL BEGIN IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR STARTING JULY 1st.

AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT, BUSINESS GROUPS IN THE STATE SAID IT'S TIME FOR NEW JERSEY'S LEADERS TO ALSO FOCUS ON PROVIDING BUSINESSES WITH FINANCIAL RELIEF.

I SPOKE WITH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PRESIDENT TOM BREAKEN, A MEMBER OF THE NJ PBS BOARD OF TRUSTEE.

>> THEY ALL TALK ABOUT THE NEED FOR NEW JERSEY TO HAVE LONG TERM, SUSTAINABLE, RELIABLE INCOME TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD ALL OF THE PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE WITH OUR INCREASING BUDGETS.

THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN HAVE THAT KIND OF INCOME IS WITH A ROBUST, GROWING ECONOMY.

THE ONLY WAY YOU GET TO THAT POINT IS IF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IS HEALTHY.

>> WHEN THE PANDEMIC LED TO MASSIVE LAYOFFS, NEW JERSEY'S UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE TRUST FUND WAS DRAINED OF MONEY, AND NOW THE STATE'S SMALL BUSINESSES NEED TO PAY HIGHER PAYROLL TAXES TO REPLENISH IT, BUT THIS WEEK, STATE LAWMAKERS ADVANCED LEGISLATION THAT WOULD SUPPORT TAX CREDITS TO BUSINESSES IN ORDER TO HELP OFFSET THAT TAX INCREASE.

THE BILL WAS SUPPORTED BY THE NJBIA'S CHRISTOPHER ANHOLTZ.

I SPOKE IT HIM EARLIER THIS WEEK.

>> THE PANDEMIC HIT A LOT OF PEOPLE HARD IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS ESPECIALLY LARGE BUSINESSES AND THIS BILL FOCUSING ON WHATEVER UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE, TAX INCREASE, SMALL BUSINESSES ARE FACING IT WILL BASICALLY WIPE AWAY TWO-THIRDS OF IT WITH THE TAX CREDIT THAT PASSED EARLIER TODAY.

THAT'S A BIG DEAL.

YOU WILL SEE HUNDREDS OF THERE ARES PER JOB ON A TAX INCREASE AND THE TAX INCREASE IS REALLY DUE TO TAXING THE GOVERNMENT'S OWN SHUTDOWN.

IT WASN'T IN THE BUSINESS'S BID AND IT'S NOT BASED ON HOW MUCH MONEY YOU MADE WITH YOUR ASSET ANDS PROFITS.

IT'S JUST TAXING JOBS AND THAT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO.

>> THE LATEST EFFORT TO TRY TO CLOSE THE WEALTH GAP BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE AMERICANS IS AN UNUSUAL COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND NINE HISTORICALLY BLACK FRATERNITIES AND SORORITIES SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS THE DIVINE NINE.

IN THE LEAD-UP TO JUNETEENTH, THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCED A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PRESIDENTS.

THE COLLABORATION WILL FOCUS ON INCREASING FINANCIAL LITERACY WITHIN UNDERSERVED DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES.

THE SBA WILL ALSO SUPPORT BLACK ENTREPRENEURS BY PROVIDING RESOURCES TO START AND EXPAND THEIR BUSINESSES INCLUDING ACCESS TO CAPITAL AND OPPORTUNITIES TO BID FOR GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS.

>> THIS WEEK'S ANNOUNCEMENT ON MORE PROPERTY TAX RELIEF IS ONE SPENDING PIECE IN NEW JERSEY'S PROPOSED STATE BUDGET WHICH MUST BE FINALIZED BY THE END OF THIS MONTH, BUT WHAT YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW IS THERE IS ALSO PLANNED SPENDING ON PET PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED BY STATE LAWMAKERS AND THAT LIST IS EXPECTED TO GROW BY THE END OF THE MONTH.

I SPOKE WITH NJSPOTLIGHT BUDGET AND WRITER JOHN WRIGHT, MAYER, ABOUT THESE LAST-MINUTE SPENDING EDITIONS.

>> NICE TO SEE YOU ONCE AGAIN ON NJ BUSINESS BEAT.

>> THANK YOU.

>> YOU'VE BEEN COVERING THE BUDGET SEASON FOR YEARS AND THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN SHOCKINGLY, WE START THINKING ABOUT CHRISTMAS.

WHAT I'M REFERRING TO, THINK, ARE THE PET PROJECTS THAT LAW MAKERS LOOK TO ADD TO THE STATE BUDGET WHICH YOU'VE WRITTEN ABOUT EXTENSIVELY.

TELL ME ABOUT THIS TRADITION AND THIS PRACTICE THAT GOES ON AND WHY IT RAISES SOME EYEBROWS.

>> YEAH.

THIS HAS GONE ON FOR WHITE A WHILE AND AS THE BUDGET HAS REVENUE, FRANKLY AND THIS YEAR WITH REVENUES REACHING UNPRECEDENTED LEVELS, IT LOOKS LIKE LAWMAKERS ARE PREPARING ONCE AGAIN TO INSERT A WHOLE BUNCH OF SPENDING ITEMS AT THE VERY LAST MINUTE AND THESE RANGE FROM LAST YEAR, FOR EXAMPLE, MORE MONEY WAS ADDED FOR THE PUBLIC WORKER PENSION CONTRIBUTION AND ALSO MONEY GETS ADDED FOR THINGS LIKE A PARK IN SOME SOMEONE'S LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT.

>> HOW MUCH TRANSPARENCY IS THERE AROUND THIS?

>> A SYSTEM WAS SET UP OVER A DECADE AGO THAT CALLED ON LAWMAKERS TO DISCLOSE IN WRITING IN PUBLIC ALL OF THEIR PROPOSED ADDED SPENDING.

SO WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE BEFORE ANY VOTES WERE HELD ON THE BUDGET WHO WAS REQUESTING WHAT.

NOW THEY DO SUBMIT WRITTEN REQUESTS, BUT FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS WE HAVEN'T SEEN THEM UNTIL AFTER THE BUDGET HAD VOTED ON AND IT'S TOO LATE FOR THE BUDGET TO PASS JUDGMENT.

>> WHAT DO CRITICS SAY ABOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS SAY ABOUT THIS AND WHETHER OR NOT IT SHOULD CONTINUE?

>> WE HAVE A LEGISLATURE RIGHT NOW THAT IS CONTROLLED BY DEMOCRATs IN BOTH HOUSES, IT'S BEEN REPUBLICANS WHO HAVE RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROCESS ANDS WHERE WE WOULD SEE THESE TOPS THIS WERE VOTING, SINCE YOU HEARD THEM CALLING TO THE DEMOCRATIC COLLEAGUES TO BE MORE TRANSPARENT ABOUT THIS TYPE OF SPENDING AND TO DO SOME SORT OF -- TO WORK HARDER AT TRYING TO SUBSTANTIATE AGAIN, WHY SOME OF THESE PROJECTS DESERVE TO BE PUT TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE INSTEAD OF WAITING, SAY, FOR THESE COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAMS THAT THE STATE TYPICALLY OPERATES WHERE COMMUNITIES WOULD HAVE TO COMPETE AGAINST EACH OTHER.

>> JOHN, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

GOOD TO SEE YOU.

>> YOU'RE WELCOME.

>>> IF YOU'RE PAYING BILLS THIS WEEKEND, YOU MIGHT WANT TO THINK ABOUT STRATEGIES TO PAY THEM OFF SOONER NOW THAT INTEREST RATES ARE RISING, BUT OF COURSE, THAT'S EASIER SAID THAN DONE.

WE ARE DROWNING IN DEBT IMPEACH IN NEW JERSEY WE TAKE SECOND PLACE IN THE NATION FOR THE AMOUNT OF CREDIT CARD DEBT WE CARRY.

ON AVERAGE IT'S OVER $7,000 ACCORDING TO EXPERIAN.

DEBT IS A FINANCIAL FOUR-LETTER WORD AND WE'RE PUTTING IT IN FOCUS THIS WEEK.

WE'VE GONE DEEPER INTO DEBT SINCE THE PANDEMIC.

TOTAL HOUSEHOLD DEBT IN THE UNITED STATES NOW STANDS AT NEARLY $16 TRILLION.

THAT'S $1.7 TRILLION MORE THAN THE TOTAL DEBT LOAD AS OF THE END OF 2019.

THE OVERWHELMING AMOUNT OF THAT DEBT MORE THAN 11 TRILLION IS MORTGAGE DEBT.

CREDITORS CALL THAT GOOD DEBT BECAUSE PAYMENTS HELP BUILD EQUITY IN YOUR HOME.

AUTO LOANS AND CREDIT CARD DEBT ARE ALSO AMONG OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE FORMS OF DEBT.

I MENTIONED NEW JERSEY'S CREDIT CARD DEBT EARLIER AND EXPERIAN ALSO TRACKS STATEWIDE DEBT, AS WELL, IN TERMS OF TOTAL AMOUNTS.

LAST YEAR NEW JERSEY'S TOTAL DEBT INCREASED BY OVER 3% COMPARED TO THE PRIOR YEAR.

THE AVERAGE DEBT PER PERSON IS OVER $105,000.

THAT DOES INCLUDE MORTGAGE DEBT.

>> MEDICAL DEBT IS A GROWING PROBLEM IN THIS COUNTRY.

STANFORD UNIVERSITY FOUND THE CUMULATIVE DEBT WAS $190 MILLION AND YOU HAVE $250 UNPAID MEDICAL DEBT.

THERE IS SOME RELIEF IN SIGHT WHERE A FEW SHORT WEEKS FROM NOW NEARLY ALL MEDICAL DEBT WILL BE ERASED FROM CONSUMER CREDIT REPORTS.

I AM JOINED BY JOHN McNAMARA WITH THE CONSUMER PROTECTION BUREAU.

JOHN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING ME ON "NJ BUSINESS BEAT," AND I WANT TO START WITH A SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT FOR CONSUMERS THAT FACED MEDICAL DEBT ON THE CREDIT REPORT AND HAVE TO HAVE COLLECTIONS ISSUES REGARDING MEDICAL DEBT.

THERE ARE SOME CHANGES ON THE WAY THAT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

TELL ME ABOUT THAT.

>> MY TEAM IN THE CFPB ISSUED A REPORT THINKING BACK IN EARLY MARCH ON THE MEDICAL DEBT BURDEN FOR CONSUMERS AND I THINK SOME NUMBERS WERE JUST INCREDIBLY, LIKE, CONCERNING.

WE FOUND THAT MORE THAN 43 MILLION AMERICANS HAD DEBT COLLECTION BILLS ON THEIR CREDIT REPORTS.

IT -- FOR OVER $88 BILLION.

I MEAN, A LOT, AND WE ACTUALLY KNOW THAT MANY OF THESE HAD INACCURACIES.

AND SO ROUGHLY ABOUT THREE WEEKS AFTER WE RELEASED THAT REPORT, EQUIFAX, TRANS UNION AND EXPERIAN ANNOUNCED A PLAN TO BASICALLY CUT OUT AND REDUCE BY ABOUT 70% THE NUMBERS OF THESE DEBT COLLECTION TRADELINES.

STARTING IN JULY, ALL PAID DEBT COLLECTION TRADELINES WOULD BE TAKEN OFF.

THEY'LL NO LONGER BE ON CONSUMERS' CREDIT REPORTS AND ALSO STARTING IN JULY, THEY'RE GOING TO WAIT A FULL YEAR BEFORE THEY CAN BE PUNIFURNISHED.

THAT GIVES HOSPITALS THAT PROVIDE CHARITY CARE AND ALL THESE OTHER THINGS TO MAKE SURE THEY'VE WORKED THROUGH THE SYSTEM AND TAKEN THESE BILLS AND REDUCED THEM AND MAYBE EVEN ZEROED THEM OUT AND THEN STARTING SOME TIME IN 2023, ANY MEDICAL DEBT BILLS UNDER THEIR 500 WILL NO LONGER BE REPORT AT ALL.

>> WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT SOME OF THESE AGGRESSIVE COLLECTION ACTIONS THAT WE SEE AND HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN COLLECTIONS ARE UNLAWFUL AND THERE IS COERCION, IF YOU WILL, THAT'S REALLY DETRIMENTAL TO CONSUMERS?

>> SURE.

SO WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF VERY, VERY POWERFUL TOOLS TO PROTECT CONSUMERS.

WE'RE THE PRIMARY REGULATOR ENFORCING THE FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT WHICH IS DESIGNED TO PROTECT CONSUMERS FROM ABUSIVE DEBT COLLECTORS.

SO THE CFPB HAS A VERY EXTENSIVE SUPERVISORY GROUP AND WE SUPERVISE THE LARGEST DEBT COLLECTORS AND WE ALSO HAVE A VERY LARGE ENFORCEMENT GROUP WHERE WE WILL GO AFTER BAD ACTORS AND WHERE WE FIND THEY'RE FURNISHING INACCURATE INFORMATION NOT FOLLOWING THE FAIR COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT WHICH FOLLOWS THE FAIR CREDIT REPORTING ACT WHICH COVERS FURNISHING OF THE INFORMATION TO THE CREDIT REPORTING AGENCIES, WE WILL TAKE ACTION.

>> HAVE WE SEEN THINGS GET BET OR THIS FRONT IN TERMS OF CREDITORS BACKING AWAY OR DO WE SEE A SITUATION WHERE THEY'RE STILL GOING AFTER CONSUMERS WITH NO FEAR.

UNDER DIRECTOR CHOPRA, THE CREDITORSES HAVE TAKEN NOTES IN THE STEPS THAT WE'VE TAKEN AND THE ACTION THAT WE'VE TAKEN.

HE STATED RIGHT OUT THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO AFTER FOLKS WHO ARE BAD ACTORS WHEN IT COMES TO FURNISHING ANY INACCURATE INFORMATION ON CONSUMER REPORTS AND HE SAID THAT WE, THE CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON WHETHER THEY BELONGS ON THE REPORT IN THE FIRST PLACE.

OVER TIME WE KNOW FROM THE LARGE CREDIT SCORING COMPANIES THAT THEIR STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE VALUES OF THESE MEDICAL BILLS IN TERMS OF CONCERNING THEY'RE GOOD OR NOT.

>> IT'S BEEN INTERESTING TALKING TO YOU AND HEARING YOUR WORK.

WE APPRECIATE IT.

>> SURE.

THANK YOU.

>> IF YOU APPLIED FOR A LOAN OR NEEDED TO CHECK YOUR CREDIT REPORT YOU ARE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH YOUR FICO SCORE WHICH IS A NUMBER THAT REPRESENTS YOUR CREDIT WORTHINESS, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THINGS LIKE WHETHER YOU PAY YOUR BILLS ON TIME.

LENDERS LIKE TO SEE HIGH CREDIT SCORES BEFORE OFFERING YOU A LOAN, BUT HOW DO YOU BUILD YOUR CREDIT AND RAISE YOUR CREDIT SCORE?

FOR THAT WE TURN TO ROD GRIFFIN, A SENIOR DIRECTOR AT EXPEERIAN, ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S MAJOR CREDIT BUREAUS.

>> ONE OF THE MAJOR ISSUES EVERY PERSON FACES IS TRYING TO ESTABLISH AND BUILD THEIR CREDIT.

WHAT ARE SOME COMMON-SENSE TIPS YOU CAN OFFER FOR THAT.

>> FIRST, CHECK YOUR CREDIT REPORT.

YOU KNOW WHAT'S IN IT.

YOU KNOW WHAT'S EASY TO DO.

YOU CAN GET A REPORT ONCE A WEEK FROM EACH OF THE BETTER REPORTING COMPANIES AT WWW.ANNUAL CREDIT REPORT.COM.

YOU CAN ENRELL INNY FROM MONITORING SERVICES AND YOU GET A FEW REPORT AND A FREE CREDIT SCORE, LOTS OF MONTH AND FIRST THEM, BEINGIBLE ABLE TO MAKE IT BETTER IF WE TAKE THOONG STHOFRNG STRONG IT THAT'S YOUR RIRP.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT BUILDING YOUR CREDIT FURTHDER AND HAVING YOUR CREDIT SCORE INCREASE.

>> THE FIRST STEP IS HAVING AN ACCOUNT THAT WILL RESULT IN CREATING A CREDIT REPORT.

ONCE YOU HAVE A CREDIT REPORT WHETHER YOU'RE AN AUTHORIZED USER AND JOINT ACCOUNT HOLDER AND A SMALL CREDIT CARD.

IF YOU HAVE A CREDIT CARD OR LOAN, MAKE SURE YOU PAY IT ON TIME EVERY SINGLE TIME.

WITH A CREDIT CARD, IF YOU MAKE A SMALL PURCHASE EACH MONTH PAY IT IN FULL.

THAT WILL HELP SHOW THAT YOU USE IT WELL AND HAVE THE ACTIVITY YOU NEED WITHOUT TAKING ON DEBT.

ALWAYS TRY TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT CREDIT AND DEBT AREN'T THE SAME THING.

CREDIT'S A FINANCIAL TOOL AND DEBT'S THE FINANCIAL PROBLEM AND WE WANT TO USE CREDIT WELL.

TODAY, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A CREDIT HISTORY, YOU CAN ACTUALLY CREATE ONE AND EXPERIAN CAN HELP YOU THROUGH EXPERIAN GO, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS DOWNLOAD IT ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE A CREDIT REPORT WITH EXPERIAN, WE'LL WALK YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS AND HELP YOU CREATE A REPORT.

>> AS WE KNOW, THINGS HAPPEN IN LIFE AND SOMETIMES YOU CAN GET INTO SOME FINANCIAL TROUBLE, PERHAPS YOU CAN'T PAY YOUR BILLS ON TIME.

PERHAPS YOU HAVE OTHER ISSUES THAT DING THE CREDIT REPORT.

WHAT'S KIND OF THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO TO IMPACT YOUR CREDIT REPORT AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT CLEANING UP A LESS THAN STELLAR CREDIT REPORT?

>> YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE PAYING YOUR BILLS ON TIME EVERY SINGLE TIME.

THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO.

A LATE PAYMENT IS GOING TO WRECK YOUR CREDIT SCORE VERY QUICKLY.

THE OTHER THING YOU NEED TO BE AWARE OF IS THAT YOU NEED TO KEEP YOUR UTILIZATION RATE AND THE BALANCE TO LIMIT RATIO ON CREDIT CARDS AS LOW AS POSSIBLE.

SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS, IT'S A GOOD IDEA SOMETIMES TO MAKE A SMALL CHARGE AND YOU WANT TO KEEP YOUR BALANCES ON YOUR CREDIT CARDS AS LOW AS POSSIBLE, NEVER MORE THAN 30% AND HIGHER BALANCES WILL BEGIN MORE, AND THAT'S REALLY ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW FROM A GOOD SCORE PERSPECTIVE.

THAT'S EASIER SAID THAN DONE IN MANY CASES.

IF YOU DO HAVE SOME PROBLEMS THERE ARE STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO MAKE THOSE SCORES BETTER BY IMPROVING YOUR CREDIT HISTORY.

ONE, REDUCE THOSE LATE PAYMENTS AND CATCH UP IF YOU CAN.

TWO, FIND WAYS TO SAVE MONEY OR REDUCE YOUR SPENDING, PUT THOSE REDUCED COSTS TO REDUCING YOUR CREDIT CARD BILL SO PAY DOWN YOUR CREDIT CARD BILLS AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.

USE TOOLS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO HELP FOR A LACK OF A BETTER BOOST TO YOUR CREDIT SCORE.

THE OTHER PIECE OF ADVICE I HAVE IS ASK FOR HELP AND DON'T BE AFRAID TO GO TO NFCC FOR CREDIT COUNSELING AND NFCC.ORG HAS GREAT CREDIT COUNSELORS AND GET THE PAGES IN ON TIME AND GET HELP FROM THE LENDERS IF YOU NEED IT.

DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP BECAUSE WE'VE ALL BEEN THERE.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THOSE TIPS AND GREAT ADVICE.

I ENJOYED TALKING TO YOU.

THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

WE'VE REPORTED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR ON RISING STUDENT LOAN DEBT LEVELS AND THE POLITICAL PUSH FOR DEBT RELIEF.

THERE ARE $1.6 TRILLION WORTH OF OUTSTANDING STUDENT LOANS.

IN NEW JERSEY THE AVERAGE AMOUNT OF STUDENT DEBT IS OVER $35,000, THAT'S THE SIXTH HIGHEST TOTAL IN THE COUNTRY.

RIGHT NOW, FEDERAL STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENTS FROZEN DURING THE PANDEMIC ARE ON HOLD THROUGH THE END OF AUGUST.

RECENTLY, A BIDEN ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL INDICATED THE LATEST MORATORIUM COULD BE EXTENDED FURTHER.

THAT WOULD PROVIDE ANOTHER TEMPORARY RETRIEVE, BUT THEN WHAT?

THE KEY IS ADDRESSING COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY ACCORDING TO MICHELLE STREETER, A POLICY EXPERT WITH THE INSTITUTE FOR COLLEGE ACCESS AND SUCCESS.

>> MICHELLE, THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON "NJ BUSINESS BEAT" TO TALK ABOUT THIS VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE OF STUDENT DEBT.

WE HEAR, IT SEEMS CONSTANTLY, ABOUT SOME DEBT BEING ELIMINATED.

WE HAVE SEEN SOME DEBT AT PRIVATE COLLEGES ELIMINATED AND THERE'S A BROADER, FORT UNDER WAY TO FORGIVE MORE DEBT.

LET'S START WITH THE PROBLEM.

HOW SEVERE IS THE STUDENT DEBT ISSUE IN NEW JERSEY?

>> SURE.

SO THE MOIST RECENT DATA WE HAVE ON NEW JERSEY COLLEGE GRADUATES FROM PUBLIC AND NON-PROFIT COLLEGES IS 63% OF THOSE GRADUATES HOLD SOME TYPE OF STUDENT LOAN DEBTS.

THE AVERAGE DEBT LOAD FOR THOSE STUDENTS IS OVER $35,000.

>> HOW DOES THAT FARE GENERALLY IN TERMS OF THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.

>> NEW JERSEY IS ACTUALLY THE SIXTH HIGHEST RATE FOR STUDENT DEBT LOAD AND THESE NUMBERS ARE FOR PUBLIC AND NON-PROFIT COLLEGES AND THIS DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR OTHER INSTITUTIONS WHICH ARE FOR-PROFIT COLLEGES AND THE NUMBERS ARE QUITE A BIT HIGHER IF YOU ACCOUNT FOR THOSE, BUT THE DATA IS VERY DIFFER CULT TO GET A HOLD OF.

>> LET'S NOW GET UP TO SPEED ON THIS DEBATE ABOUT FORGIVING STUDENT LOAN DEBT.

IS IT SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENSE TO YOUR ORGANIZATION?

IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD SPEND LESS TIME DEBATING AND MORE TIME DOING?

>> I THINK THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WAYS THAT POLICYMAKERS CAN ADDRESS THIS.

I THINK THERE'S A PIECE FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO TAKE ON AND WE SEE THAT THE DEBATE IS IN CONGRESS WITH THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION.

I ALSO THINK THERE'S A ROLE FOR STATES TO TAKE THIS ISSUE ON, AS WELL.

SO I THINK THIS ORGANIZATION IS VERY IN FAVOR OF PROVIDING SIGNIFICANT RELIEF TO STUDENTS AND WHETHER IT'S THROUGH MORE TARGETED RELIEF PROGRAMS OR THROUGH SOME BROAD-BASED CANCELLATION.

THE QUESTION IS IF AND WHEN WE DO FORGIVE STUDENT LOAN DEBT, WHAT DO WE DO THE DAY AFTER THAT AND WHAT DO WE DO FOR STUDENTS GOING FORWARD?

WHAT DO WE DO FOR CURRENT STUDENTS AND WE FOCUS MAKING STUDENT LOAN DEBT MORE AFFORDABLE FOR BORROWERS WHO ARE CURRENTLY HOLDING DEBT BURDENS AND WHETHER WE CANCEL THAT DEBT OR NOT, WE PROBABLY WON'T SEE ALL OF THE BALANCES ENTIRELY WIPED OUT FOR EVERY SINGLE STUDENT AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT GOING FORWARD, EVEN IF SOME CANCELLATION HAPPENS, THOSE REPAYMENT SYSTEMS ARE A LOT MORE AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE FOR STUDENTS FOR GENERATIONS TO COME AND WE ALSO TO AGAIN ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES OF WHY STUDENTS ARE TAKING ON SO MUCH DEBT AND THAT INVOLVES MAKING COLLEGE MORE AFFORDABLE TO WHERE STUDENTS DON'T HAVE TO BORROW AT ALL TO OBTAIN A COLLEGE DEGREE.

>> A COUPLE OF GREAT POINTS YOU MADE THERE AND I WANT TO ZERO IN ON AFFORDABILITY.

WHY IS IT THAT GOING TO COLLEGE BECAME SO EXPENSIVE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT IT IS OUT OF REACH FOR MANY PEOPLE UNLESS THEY TAKE LOANS?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

IT CERTAINLY IS MORE THAN 60% OF ALL UNDERGRADUATES HAVE TO TAKE ON SOME KIND OF DEBT TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD SCHOOL.

SIMPLY PUT, MOST FAMILIES JUST CANNOT AFFORD TO GET A COLLEGE DEGREE AND EVEN A MORE AFFORDABLE DEGREE FOR A PUBLIC AND LOCAL INSTITUTION WITHOUT TAKING ON SOME KIND OF DEBT.

THEY JUST DON'T HAVE THE MONEY IN THE BUDGET TO COVER THE COSTS.

ESPECIALLY AMONG PUBLIC COLLEGES WHICH I'LL FOCUS BECAUSE THEY SERVAL MOST 75% OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS.

THOSE COLLEGES HAVE SEEN A SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN THE STATES.

THIS IS LESS THE CASE IN NEW JERSEY, BUT IT STILL DOES AFFECT NEW JERSEY STUDENTS.

ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WE'VE SEEN OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DECADES A SIGNIFICANT DISINVESTMENT FROM STATES IN THEIR HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEMS AND WHEN YOU COMBINE THAT WITH THE DEGREE IN FEDERAL AID PROGRAM AND ONE PIECE OF THIS AS WELL IS THE FEDERAL PELL GRANT PROGRAM, WHICH IS A GRANT PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS FROM LOW-INCOME BACKGROUNDS.

IBLE INIALLY IT WAS COVERING MORE THAN THREE-QUARTERS OF THE COST, AND NOW IT COVERS ALMOST A QUARTER OF THE COST.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH ON THIS VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC THESE DAYS.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>> THAT'S OUR SHOW FOR THIS WEEK.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR "NJ BUSINESS BEAT "WOET.

NEXT WEEK, WE'LL CONTRIBUTE AS WE COUNT DOWN FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.

I'M RHONDA SCHEFFLER.

THANK FOR WATCHING AND ENJOY THE REST YOUR WEEKEND.

>>> FUNDING FOR BUSINESS BEAT IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY NJCU SCHOOL OF BUSINESS OFFERING PROGRAMS LIKE FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGY OR BUSINESS ANALYTICS AND DATA SCIENCE.

WE'RE STEPS AWAY FROM THE EXCHANGE PLACE PATH TRAIN IN JERSEY CITY AND MINUTES FROM WALL STREET.

LEARN MORE AT NJCU.EDU/GAMECHANGER.

♪ ♪ This program was made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Additional funding was provided by the following...

The Charles and Lucille King Foundation, the New York City Council, the Alice Lawrence Foundation, the Pine Tree Foundation of New York, The Peter G. Peterson and the Joan Ganz Cooney Fund.

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[ Groans ] Okay.

Oh, that's it.

Truth is, I'm not actually feeling all that sunny right now.

I didn't sleep well last night.

Someone ate the last bowl of my favorite cereal this morning.

The bus to camp was late, which then made me late.

Oh, and I just saw this post.

My friends Michael, Jamal and Sarah went to the park without me.

I mean, no one thought to invite me?

I wonder if they're mad at me?

I'm just feeling kind of off, grumpy, a bit sad, a bit mad and definitely frustrated.

That's just how I'm feeling right now.

You know what?

That's okay.

Everyone has bad days.

Me included.

So, I'm just going to close my eyes, put my hands on my belly, and take a deep breath and be here in this moment with you.

[ Inhales deeply ] That feels a little better.

It also helps sharing my feelings and being around people I enjoy.

Thanks for listening.

Let's take care of ourselves and each other today and every day.

Welcome to Self-care Day on "Camp TV."

Enjoy your first few activities.

You took the words right out of my mouth.

Write On.

It looks like we're about to play the game Dome of Compliments where Andrew and I will complement each other using flattering remarks and synonyms to the extreme!

You are so nice, that you are nice and so nice and you're nice.

And that's how you give a compliment, baby!

[ Buzzer ] Oh, Lindsey, I'm terrible at this game.

I know we're supposed to be competitors, but I kind of want to give you a second chance and also maybe a little bit of advice.

Thank you.

You are so nice.

Oh, there's that word again.

Okay.

Well, obviously, the first thing you need to do is think about the person that you're giving a compliment to and just say something that's true about them.

You can go a long way just by speaking from the heart.

Now, the next trick is that you can make your compliment sound better just by using a fancier word that means the same thing.

Now, a word that means the same thing as another word is called a synonym.

Synonym.

So that even sounds fancier.

Okay, so instead of saying it's nice, I can say, um... Oh, why don't we bring out the Synonym Wheel!

There's kind, friendly, amiable, generous, caring, and helpful.

All of these words mean the same thing as nice, but they sound way better.

Spin the wheel and you're on your way to a fancy compliment.

Spin that will!

[ Beeping ] [ Gasps ] Generous.

Yes, what a beautiful word.

You are incredibly generous to devote more time to helping me use synonyms.

Ha-hoo!

That's a compliment, baby.

Wow, Andrew.

I mean, I think I know who the winner is.

The winner is... both of us, because everyone wins with compliments.

Zach: A little birdie told me it's time to go wild.

Everything on our bodies has a function, including our opposable thumbs, our bendy elbows, even our pearly whites and our ears.

But what about our eyelashes?

What function do they serve and why do we have them?

And are we the only mammals who have luscious lashes?

No, we're definitely not the only mammals to enjoy the benefits of long eyelashes.

Mammals like elephants, camels and even giraffes have long eyelashes to help protect their eyeballs from particles like dust and sand.

Lashes also act as mini sunrises to help shield the bright light from our eyes.

So by the sounds of it, they're pretty handy little hairs to have around.

And that brings us to today's Wild Wonder.

♪♪ This one comes from Sarah from the M.D.

Anderson Children's Hospital in Houston.

And Sarah would like to know...

The short answer, Sarah, is, yes, they do.

But they are a little different to the eyelashes that you and I have.

Take a look behind me.

This is an Abyssinian ground hornbill.

Take a close look at those gorgeous eyelashes.

These aren't made of hair.

They're actually modified feathers, but they serve the same purpose as wild Abyssinian ground hornbill wander the African savannah.

They can come into contact with strong, dry winds, blowing dust and sand directly into their faces.

Their long lashes act as a layer of defense and help to protect their vision.

And it's not just hornbill.

Some other species of bird have also evolved this physical adaptation, including ostriches and secretary birds.

Well, that was certainly an eye-opening question, Sarah.

See if you can find any other animals with eyelashes.

Zach: Music, dance and more.

Step right up to Center Stage.

♪ Oh, whoa-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh ♪ ♪ Oh, whoa-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh♪ ♪ I lived ♪ ♪ Oh, whoa-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh ♪ ♪ I swear I lived ♪ ♪ Oh, whoa-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh ♪ ♪ I lived ♪ ♪ Hope when you take that jump ♪ ♪ You don't fear the fall ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Hope when the water rises ♪ ♪ You built a wall ♪ ♪ Ah, ah ♪ ♪ Hope when the crowd screams out ♪ ♪ It's screaming your name ♪ ♪ Ah ♪ ♪ Hope if everybody runs ♪ ♪ You choose to stay ♪ ♪ Oh, whoa-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh ♪ ♪ I swear I lived ♪ ♪ Oh, whoa-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh ♪ ♪ I lived ♪ ♪ Hope that you fall in love ♪ ♪ And it hurts so bad ♪ ♪ Hurt so bad ♪ ♪ The only way you can know ♪ ♪ Is give it all you have ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ And I hope that you don't suffer ♪ ♪ But take the pain ♪ ♪ But take the pain ♪ ♪ Hope when the moment comes, you say ♪ ♪ I, I did it all ♪ ♪ I, I did it all ♪ ♪ I owned every second that this world could give ♪ ♪ I saw so many places ♪ ♪ The things that I did ♪ ♪ Yeah, with every broken bone ♪ ♪ I swear I lived ♪ ♪ ♪ Oh, whoa-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh ♪ ♪ ♪ I swear I lived ♪ ♪ Oh, whoa-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh ♪ ♪ Oh, whoa-oh-oh, oh, whoa-oh-oh ♪ Hi, and welcome back to Self-care Day on "Camp TV."

While you were gone, I took a little break, went for a run around the camp lake, listened to some of my favorite music, and I'm feeling much better.

Thank you.

But one other trick I have up my sleeve.

Freddy.

Freddy is a worry doll, also called troubled dolls, or muñecas quitapenas in Spanish.

Originally made in Guatemala, ancient Mayan tribes believed that if you told your worries to these tiny handmade dolls and place them under your pillow at night, the dolls would take care of all your worries by morning.

I'm not exactly sure if it's Freddy or talking with my grandmother or a combination of the two, but either way, I often feel better when I share my concerns with someone else.

So today I thought I'd show you how I made Freddy in case you want to make one, too.

You will need pipe cleaners, some colorful yarn, a marker, some glue, some scissors, and your imagination.

First, fold the pipe cleaner in half twisted around your finger to form the head.

Then you're going to twist to make the arms.

Fold one part up, twist, then pull the other side up and twist for the other arm.

Then twist the main part for the body.

And now you have the legs.

Next, time on some hair through the head.

Use as much or as little as you like.

Any color will do.

♪♪ Okay.

♪♪ Great.

Next, take a new piece of string, wrap it around the neck and face.

This is great.

This is great.

♪♪ Wrap the end piece around the body so it stays in place.

Great.

Now, it's time to choose your clothes.

Pull with one finger and wrap it with the other to make a top.

♪♪ Now wrap to make a bottom.

Okay.

And, oh.

Look at that.

Glue any loose ends to the doll.

And finally, use some markers to make the face.

Nailed it.

And there you have it.

Sweet dreams.

Jump, dance, play.

It is time to get active.

Let's Move.

Hi, everyone.

My name is Calia, and I am a teaching artist with National Dance Institute.

And I am here joined by Todd.

Hello, friends.

How you doing?

So we are going to do a dance today about the four elements.

Our first element is fire.

Let's imagine, like, a flame... [ Chord strikes ] is going off to the side.

Try up in the sky.

[ Chord strikes ] Try down to the floor.

[ Chord strikes ] And pick another level.

[ Chord strikes ] Great, let's put it together, four different flames.

Five, six, here we go.

One.

Two.

Five, six, seven, eight.

Yes.

Our next element is water.

We're going to save to one side and the other side, and sway to the first side and back.

Look I'm really bending my knees to reach from side to side.

Alright, let's put the fire plus the water together.

Five, six, here we go.

Flame one, two, three, four.

Five, six, seven.

Now sway.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

Fantastic.

The air is our next element.

Pick up one leg, turn in circle, and then land with your knees bent so you don't fall over.

Try it again.

[ Chord plays Yeah.

That is our air step.

Four counts for each spin.

Let's try it.

Five, six, here we go.

Spin, one, two, and three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

Fantastic.

Our last one is Earth.

Sprinkle some seeds on the ground, let's tap them down.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.

I'm gonna add some arms back, right?

♪ And five, six, here we go ♪ And one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

Oh, I like the strings of that sound.

When people talk about a fifth element, and it's called ether or space some call it.

So we're gonna float through the sky Right turn in a circle.

Feel your arms, your legs, your whole body.

And we're going to take that 16 count and freeze at the end.

Let's try that.

Six, seven, eight.

So one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16.

Okay, It is time to put our whole dance together.

It starts with fire.

Then water, then air and earth.

We're going to do it two times in a row, and we'll end with 16 counts of ether floating and freezing at the end.

Alright, everybody take a deep breath in... [ Inhales deeply ] and a breath out.

[ Exhales deeply ] Stand tall, here we go.

Five, six.

Five, six, fire, go.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.

Now water, sway, two, three, four, five.

Air, spin.

♪♪ And earth.

♪♪ The thing again, fire.

♪♪ Water.

♪♪ Air.

♪♪ And earth.

♪♪ Time to float in space.

♪♪ Five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15.

Freeze.

♪♪ Beautifully done, campers.

Great job.

Thank you, Todd, for the amazing music.

Have a wonderful day, everybody.

Zach: A little birdie told me it's time to go wild.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Birds chirping ] Arts and crafts?

Yes, please.

Let's get artsy.

As always, I'm really excited to see you.

What am I doing?

Well, I have all these drawings that may helper pencil made.

She's been drawing all of these squiggles and lines and designs on paper, and I've been trying to turn them into pictures.

I have to turn them in different directions, look at them and figure out what I can turn them into.

Well, it's a fun game to play, and I love that art can sometimes just be about playing a game.

I asked my helper pencil to draw lots of zigzags and curves and lines on paper, and I'm trying to turn them into pictures.

Like this became a surfer.

And these zigzags and lines became a castle and a king and an elephant.

Where do you start when you do this?

How do you turn lines into a design?

Sometimes it helps to look at the drawing from far away.

Hmm, maybe I should look at the drawing really closely.

Hmm?

Or what if I look at the drawing upside down?

Maybe that will help.

Oh, let me try.

Alright, this is interesting.

I think I see something.

I don't know what, but I see something.

[ Laughs ] Okay, maybe standing on my head is a little bit extreme, but I do want to look at these drawings from all different angles.

Pencil made all of these designs, and I'm going to turn them into pictures and I have to turn the paper around or look at it from different sides and angles.

And then I find a place to start because I really love to draw faces and characters and animals.

I tend to look for shapes that will help me start, you know, an eye or nose or mouth, and then I build it from there.

So, for example, in this drawing with the curves and lines that were on the paper, I begin to notice a shape that maybe looks like a nose or an open mouth, and I'm turning it into a character.

Then this other curve down here becomes a dog, and I'm not sure what's happening.

Maybe this dog is really happy to meet this person.

Maybe they're going to be new friends and they're looking at each other with a little bit of love.

So I'll add a couple of hearts here.

It's a sweet drawing that came out of this, some random curves and lines on the paper.

Sometimes art and drawing can be a lot of fun.

Let's look at some artists in the Guggenheim collection who had fun with their art.

This is an enormous sculpture of a puppy made out of plants and flowers at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.

And I love how the shape of the puppy emerges from the plants and the flowers, yet the flowers still continue to grow.

If you recognize this object, it's an old fashioned payphone, but sculpted out of soft vinyl.

So it looks like it's almost drooping or dripping.

I love that the artist found something playful in an object that people used to walk by every single day.

My challenge for you this week is for you to do the same thing, turn some squiggles or designs into pictures.

You can play a game with a friend or family member.

You can make some designs on a paper and pass it to them, to see if they can turn it into a picture.

They can do the same thing.

In the meantime, well, I'm off to make more pictures.

I can't stop playing this game, it's so much fun.

Keep sketching, and I'll see you soon.

Bye.

Zach: Curiosity and wonder.

Let's discover together.

It's Science Wow!

♪♪ ♪ Get up, get out and get outside ♪ ♪ Get up, get out and get outside ♪ ♪ Outside my door there's a world of adventure ♪ So many times you want just to see and feel ♪ Rocks to skip, trees to climb, clean air and sunshine ♪ ♪ The power of nature is real ♪ ♪ We're going outside ♪ ♪ Out is there the blooms and the bugs ♪ ♪ And the smells and the sound of the this world that we love ♪ ♪ Out there where it's cozy and green ♪ ♪ The magic is calling is ♪ ♪ Get up, get out and get outside ♪ ♪ Get up, get out and get outside ♪ ♪ I know that I can be one with nature ♪ ♪ I can help make the flowers grow ♪ ♪ The things I do now pave the way for the future ♪ ♪ With tall trees and animals safe in their homes ♪ ♪ We're going outside ♪ ♪ Out there with blooms and the bugs ♪ ♪ And the smells and the sound of the squirrels that we love ♪ Out there where it's cozy and green ♪ The magic is calling me ♪ ♪ Get up, get out and get outside ♪ ♪ Get up, get out and get outside ♪ ♪ If I don't get outside ♪ ♪ The magic will pass me by ♪ ♪ There's an infinite number things to discover ♪ ♪ So I'm gonna give nature some more of my time ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ ♪ Out there with the blooms and the bugs ♪ ♪ And the smells and the sounds of this world that we love ♪ ♪ Out there where it's cozy and green ♪ ♪ The magic is calling me ♪ [ Animal howling ] ♪ Way out there where it's cozy and green ♪ ♪ The magic is calling me ♪ ♪♪ Zach: Take a breath, Take a moment.

It's time for mindful me.

[ Exhales deeply ] Hi, friends.

It's Ms. B.

Today we're going to do our toe touches.

I'm so excited to move with you.

First thing first, let's turn our bodies around and send our legs out in front of us Just like this.

You got it?

Okay.

From here, Remember we like to breathe.

So we'll breathe in, send our fingertips up towards sun.

And then bring our way fingertips to our toes, to our ankle, to our shins, or maybe even our knees.

You get to choose, because remember, we're going to do what feels good in our bodies.

Okay?

So let's try that together.

We'll do three all in one.

Inhale, send those fingertips up towards the sun, and we breath all the air out, extend those fingertips.

Bring them down to our toes, our ankles, our shins or the knee.

One more time.

Inhale all your air, send those fingertips up towards the sun for the second time, and let's bring them down to our toes, our ankles, our shins or our knees.

You ready for the last one?

Inhale, fingertips all the way up towards the sun, and then bring them down one more time, to our toes, our ankles, our shins or our knee.

You get to feel good.

Well, guess what?

We're all done.

I'm going to turn around so you can see me.

I'm so excited for our next time together.

Until then, I'll see you later, friends.

Bye.

Zach: Daytime or nighttime.

It's always time for story time.

Ready for just the right book Read by just the right camper?

Without further ado, take it away.

Thanks, Zach.

Hi, I'm Robbie.

And today I'll be reading "I Am Love: " Book of Compassion by Susan Verde, Art by Peter H. Reynolds.

♪♪ When I see she's someone going through a storm.

♪♪ I see there's fear.

I ask myself, "What can I do to help let the light back in."

♪♪ I am love.

I can listen and not say a word.

I can be there.

Love is being present.

♪♪ I can hug and say "everything will be all right.

Love is comfort.

♪♪ I can speak softly and choose my words and actions carefully.

Love is gentle.

♪♪ I can give thanks for all I have and able to share.

Love is gratitude.

♪♪ I can keep my mind and body safe and healthy.

Love is taking care of me.

♪♪ I can express what's important to me.

Love is creative.

♪♪ I can know that no one is perfect.

Love is understanding.

♪♪ I can do my best to make things better when something is wrong.

Love is effort.

♪♪ I can celebrate those I've loved before.

Love is remembering.

♪♪ I can find goodness in a kind word, a helping hand or shared smile.

Love is tiny gestures.

I can breathe in the air that the whole world shares and know that all creatures are made from the very same stardust.

Love is connection.

♪♪ When the clouds roll in for others and for me, I know there is something I can do.

I can let my heart lead the way.

I am love.

♪♪ You are love.

We are love.

And with love, you will weather the storm and light up the sky... together.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Camp TV ♪ ♪ It's time for us to part ♪ ♪ From furry animal encounters ♪ ♪ To some reading and the arts ♪ ♪ No matter what the weather ♪ ♪ We'll explore it all together ♪ ♪ It's a place for you and me ♪ ♪ It's "Camp TV" ♪ This program was made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Additional funding was provided by the following...

The Charles and Lucille King Foundation, the New York City Council, the Alice Lawrence Foundation, the Pine Tree Foundation of New York, The Peter G. Peterson and the Joan Ganz Cooney Fund.

Content provided by the following.

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