NJ Spotlight News

Our team prides itself on Jersey-focused reporting. Not hype, but a hub for trusted information. We are NJ Spotlight News. https://lnkd.in/e7v6rD5b

One photo of the assassination attempt on former President Trump seems to have resonated more than most. Thomas E. Franklin, who took the image of firefighters raising the flag at Ground Zero on 9/11, examines photos that have become touchstones of history.

Building on recent initiatives to reduce period poverty, NJ is the only state known to use its monthly public assistance program to cover the cost of menstrual products, according to the National Diaper Bank Network/Alliance for Period Supplies.

Today I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Ted Goldberg with NJ Spotlight News about the Louisa Carman Medical Debt Relief Act and the positive impact it can have on the people of New Jersey. Below is a link to the article and video segment: https://lnkd.in/gcEspwNG Thank you again to Ted, Chris, Julia, and everyone at NJ Spotlight News for the great opportunity! And, of course, a MASSIVE thank you to Jennifer McGarry and Brianna Wilson and everyone at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Office of Public Policy for pushing me to share my story!

State regulators approved a natural gas power plant at a Newark sewage treatment plant that’s been the center of debate over its environmental impact. But the DEP's approval comes with conditions that significantly restrict how the plant would be used.

Decades after its start, the drug war continues to destroy lives & communities. It’s time to embrace harm reduction. “While the drug war may have been done under the guise of public safety or public health, in practice it was really about criminalizing particular communities, particularly communities of color, low-income communities and other people that were really [pushing] for much-needed social change,” Campaign Strategist Ami Kachalia told NJ Spotlight News. https://lnkd.in/eYp2rAC5

The latest data indicates a significant drop in FAFSA completion rates for NJ’s high school Class of 2024, falling about 10% or roughly 7,000 fewer students than the year before.  

In the last two weeks, Bob Bertollo, an EMS worker for St. Joseph's Health System, has handed out 4,000 water bottles through Operation Ice Water. He targets Paterson’s most vulnerable populations, who often don’t have shelter from the scorching sun. https://lnkd.in/eDD_2p-4

Thank you, NJ Spotlight News, for highlighting A908, sponsored by Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson and Assemblywoman Annette Quijano. The bill would require the NJ Attorney General to establish a sexual assault forensic evidence kit - commonly known as a rape kit - tracking system. https://lnkd.in/eTTtZ7Cr

The harm reduction model has gained momentum in the nation’s fight against the opioid epidemic. Services vary from person to person; they can range from help finding temporary housing to group therapy sessions to access to clean clothing. This article is part of The Change Project, a series by NJ Spotlight News examining NJ’s social and economic challenges and focusing on promising actions that have led to positive change. #ChangeProjectNJ