Colleen O'Dea

2025 election guide: LD2 - NJ Spotlight News NJ Voters Guide: 2nd Legislative District New Jersey’s 2nd Legislative District covers part of the southeast coast of the state. It covers a

NJ LD2 covers most of AtlanticCo. Both Dems Maureen Rowan and Joanne Famularo answered our voter guide. njspotlightnews.org/special-repo... GOP incumbents Don Guardian & Claire Swift
did not. Stockton will host a debate Oct. 21 livestreamed so tune in stockton.edu/events/2025/...

2025 election guide: LD1 - NJ Spotlight News NJ Voters Guide: 1st Legislative District New Jersey’s 1st Legislative District is the southernmost in the state. It covers Cape May and parts of Atlantic

Starting to highlight NJ legi races. If you are in Cape May Co or parts of Atlantic or Cumberland, LD1 is your district. Both Dems responded to our guide. GOP incumbent McClellan & Simonsen didn't. www.njspotlightnews.org/special-repo... Ck all Assembly races in our @njspotlightnews.org voter guide

NJ Decides 2025 - NJ Spotlight News

Tomorrow is the last day to register to vote in NJ, so check that your registration or register today. You get the chance to choose the next gov & direction of the state for the next 4 years. You can use @njspotlightnews.org elections page. www.njspotlightnews.org/nj-decides-2...

One woman at NJ's Edna Mahan women's prison had a fractured eye socket and another had a concussion. Unless the state convinces the appellate division to allow it to fix errors and bring the case again, none of the 14 will have to stand trial.

The Brian Lehrer Show | WNYC | New York Public Radio, Podcasts, Live Streaming Radio, News Brian Lehrer leads the conversation about what matters most now in local and national politics, our own communities and our lives.

Listen to The Brian Lehrer Show on @wnyc.org TOMORROW, Oct. 2!

Our very own @johnreitmeyer.bsky.social will talk about taxation and the NJ governor's race as part of WNYC's "30 issues in 30 days" series.

More: www.wnyc.org/shows/bl/30-...

Announced today by NJ's Department of Labor and Workforce Development:
The minimum wage earned by many hourly workers in New Jersey will rise automatically to $15.92, starting on Jan. 1, under the latest cost-of-living adjustment required by the state Constitution.
@njspotlightnews.org

The headline says it all. www.amny.com/immigration/...

National security expert gives Trump's latest speech '10 out of 10' for 'most unsettling' A national security expert rated President Donald Trump's speech on Tuesday before the nation's military leaders a "10 out of 10" for being the president's "most unsettling" public speech. yet. Ben Rhodes, the deputy national security advisor in the Obama administration, discussed Trump's speech on ...

A national security expert rated President Donald Trump's speech on Tuesday before the nation's military leaders a "10 out of 10" for being the president's "most unsettling" public speech.

NJ Budget: Details revealed of last-minute add-ons | NJ Spotlight News Until late last week, the sponsors of the added spending had not been publicly disclosed by majority Democratic legislative leaders.

New NJ budget details quietly added to a dedicated page on the legislative website late Friday appeared to be keeping some key info hidden from public view.
This includes sponsorship of controversial budget language allocating $45M in opioid settlement funds to four hospitals.
@njspotlightnews.org

Check for ticks: NJ is seeing more tick-borne Lyme disease | Video | NJ Spotlight News The black-legged deer ticks that spread Lyme disease are flourishing in New Jersey, as are other ticks, too, according to entomologists.

So far this year, the state Department of Health has reported 3,842 positive Lyme cases across NJ’s 21 counties. Hunterdon County currently tops NJ’s Lyme hot spots, followed by Morris, Sussex, Monmouth and Ocean counties.

Revenue boom for private prisons amid Trump ICE actions | NJ Spotlight News GEO Group and CoreCivic, both of which operate facilities in New Jersey, saw revenues jump in the latest quarter.

In New Jersey and beyond, business is looking great for the private prison industry.

“I think it is an unprecedented opportunity for them," one attorney told me.

www.njspotlightnews.org/2025/08/priv...
@njspotlightnews.org @aclu-nj.org

NJ lawmaker looks to claw back opioid settlement funding | NJ Spotlight News Budget funding was taken away from grassroots addiction treatment, diverted to four hospitals as part of a last-minute backroom budget deal.

Who sponsored resolution #1388, a controversial budget language change that sent $45M from NJ's opioid settlement funds to four hospitals?
It's still a mystery, reports @lilohstainton.bsky.social @njspotlightnews.org, and a key Democratic is now looking to claw it back.

Folks facing sky-high energy bills gather for an appointment with NJ BPU, providers and consumer advocates to sign up for rate relief programs. At St Paul AME Zion Church in Ewing. Story tonite. @njspotlightnews.org

#ProudBlue #Voices4Victory

The trump admin is trying to feed our kids propaganda that downplays slavery.

This is the far right slop that is expected to replace PBS!
Disgusting.

Cuts to NJPBS are impacting now

PBS Slashes Budget by 21% After Federal Funding Cuts

Support your local PBS stations...

Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/14/b...

Few prisoners let out under NJ’s compassionate release law | NJ Spotlight News Fewer than 10 inmates have been allowed out of prison to receive care or to die at home or near loved ones since the law took effect in 2021.

7 people released from NJ prisons due to a very serious or terminal illness in the FY 21-24 years. Hard to imagine that's what lawmakers envisioned when they passed - in a bipartisan manner - the compassionate release law and envisioned budget savings. www.njspotlightnews.org/2025/08/advo...

New Jersey at the bottom: New per-capita reporter research shows how few watchdogs our state has NJ’s geographic position and number of start-ups contribute to the low reporter count

ICYMI, an important post about the decline in local journalism. NJ is worst, or 2nd worst, meaning the fewest journalists per resident.
Democracy cannot survive without independent news and with an informed public consuming unbiased news from legitimate sources.
medium.com/centerforcoo...

Court ruling raises questions about takeover of police departments | Video | NJ Spotlight News NJ Supreme Court rules in case of Paterson, but signals need for legislative clarification

“This appeal raises significant questions about the claim…that the Attorney General ‘may supersede and take control of an entire law enforcement agency’ whenever he determines that step to be appropriate." NJ Supreme Court
www.njspotlightnews.org/video/court-...

Epic

Given the cuts to PBS, I could be following you. Making we could start a news for NJ women website ;-)

Congratulations!

Stacie, you are such a pro! May the next chapter be your best yet!
The loss of so many great journalists only makes the public even less informed, which hurts democracy. And fewer people consume unbiased news and there are more layoffs ... A vicious and dangerous cycle.

Stacie, you are such a pro. May the next chapter be the best yet!

2. Very very little goes to GOP districts because the party has no power right now. And they can't trade a vote for pork because the Dems don't need their votes.
3. Lack of transparency, done last minute, no 1 gets to comment intelligently, if at all. (Tho comments likely wouldn't matter anyway.)

I think there are a couple of issues.
1. There is no vetting process. if you can convince your legislator and he has some power, or is in a competitive district this year, you get $. There are no doubt many other worthy - perhaps more worthy - projects that don't meet those criteria so don't get $

NJ Dems add $400M to budget for pet projects | NJ Spotlight News The practice of adding hundreds of millions of dollars for lawmakers’ preferential projects continues with the new state budget.

What did the Democrats add to the ~$59B NJ budget on Friday night? Hundreds of millions of Christmas tree decorations - aka pork. Lots for projects in leaders' districts, tho we still don't know who actually asked for the $.
@njspotlightnews.org
Full list:
www.njspotlightnews.org/2025/07/new-...

Social media now main source of news in US, research suggests A report also finds right-leaning audiences on X have almost doubled in the UK since Elon Musk's takeover.

By not relying on experienced, ethical, trained professional journalists, many in US are misinformed. They either seek what they want to hear or may unknowingly get false narratives. I wish I could say this trend will reverse but I doubt it. And our democracy suffers.
www.bbc.com/news/article...

Views from one No Kungs rally outside the VA Hospital in Lyons and a special guest at one in Morristown
www.insidernj.com/former-gover...

The spreading of these lies and the gullible people who believe them is why this nation is in the state we are in