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,>> another blow to New Jersey's wind hopes at the Trump Administration pose permits.

Also working to make school bus is safer for disabled students.

>> everybody's heart is in the right place.

And I would just have to put that into policy and practice.

>> Plus, shining a spotlight on dark money in the race for governor.

>> these reporting requirements help to shield this information until the report comes due.

Briana: And five years after the start of the COVID outbreak, health care workers are still feeling the effects.

>> day-in and day-out, we saw doctors and nurses confronting sickness and death in proportions we had never seen before.

Briana: "NJSpotlightNews" begins right now.

♪ ANNOUNCER: from NJPBS Studios, this is NJ Spotlight News of Briana Vannozzi.

Briana: us this Monday night.

I'm Briana Vannozzi.

First, the Trump Administration has dealt another blow to New Jersey's offshore wind hopes.

The U.S. environmental protection industry last week withdrew a key air permit for the Atlantic Shores project citing a need to review its environmental impacts.

It means Atlantic Shores no longer has on the federal permits it needs to begin construction.

This isn't the first setback for the project though a local group opposed to building the offshore wind project recently sued to challenge federal approvals.

And in recent months, Atlantic Shores was effectively put on hold after the Murphy administration declined to award developers a new incentive package that was being sought to convert rising construction costs.

That came after the oil giant Shell withdrew its involvement from the project entirely.

The prospects for other offshore wind being built off the Jersey shore remain slim in the short-term, as the Trump Administration continues to block the industry from growing.

A spokesperson for Atlantic Shores said the company is, quote, disappointed by the EPA's decision and stands ready to deliver after a lot of time and money going to the approval process.

And the Tesla takedown protests are growing in New Jersey.

This weekend more than 300 people turned out for a rally outside a Tesla dealership on Route 22 in Springfield.

It was organized by a grassroots advocacy group.

Demonstrators say they are angry over President Trump's policies and influence bill in Elon Musk is building over the lighthouse.

Musk's Tesla dealerships and charging stations have become targets across the country for protests and even mentalism since he began his work with the Department Of Government Efficiency or DOGE, to slash federal spending.

People are being urged to divest from Tesla stock.

There were about 80 Tesla protests nationally this Saturday alone.

No one in Springfield drew about a hundred more people than the same one held a week prior, and targeted a GOP congressman's district due to his ties to Musk.

The group pointed out that Musk's Super PAC donated more than a million dollars to his election campaign.

Other protests were held in Cherry Hill, Paramus and Eden town.

President Trump vowed to label vandalism and attacks against the carmaker as domestic terrorism.

Families of children with special needs are speaking out and demanding more accountability and reforms to safety on school buses.

Particularly those tasked with transporting students with disabilities, making them uniquely vulnerable.

Advocates at a hearing in Trenton today criticized the slow pace lawmakers have taken to tackle the issue, urging them to pass legislation coming up for a vote, warning any more delays will cost lives.

Raven Santana reports of the hearing as of the tragedy that prompted it.

Reporter: Annabella painfully shared the last time she saw her son Matthew, to members of the Senate education committee.

Her testimony was part of a push to pass a bill to improve safety and school buses, after her son, a student with muscular dystrophy, died while being transported in a school bus.

She believes it was preventable.

>> We are here because we tragically lost our son, Matthew, on February 10, 2023 while he was being transported home on a school bus from his educational vocational program.

Unfortunately, there was a lot of failures to provide him the safety that he needed.

Emergency protocols.

Communication.

And he was a neglected and it cost him his life.

So we are here to make sure that never happens to any other family, again, that they never have to have for the tragedy that we have.

Reporter: she testified alongside her daughter and Matthew's sister, Victoria, who also has muscular dystrophy, and is committed to keeping her brother's memory alive.

>> people like my brother, they wanted to advocate for themselves and they are not able to if they are nonverbal and on the spectrum.

If they are verbal, they may have a more difficult time expressing themselves.

In no way that we can.

So if this bill is in passed, these risks will probably continue.

And I just think disabled students should have the same amount of opportunities and experiences that other disabled -- nondisabled students would have.

Reporter: Last year Senator Kristin Corrado sponsored passage of bill 347, to establish a special-education transportation task force which would study safe transportation practices and how to establish clear lines of accountability.

It passed the Senate education committee in September, but is a way to consideration by the full Senate people are listening to us.

They have been a couple of horrific incidents that happened.

And people are listening.

Reporter: Today Senator Corrado sponsored a bill which includes provisions for mandatory 911 calls and emergencies, the isolation of safety features like video cameras and GPS systems on buses, and comprehensive training for staff.

It establishes penalties for noncompliance with safety protocols.

>> Everybody's heart is at the right place.

Now we just have to put that into policy and practice.

I think you will see movement.

Once you hear the story, it's hard for you not to be touched by that and almost impossible not to want to help.

Reporter: Paul Arrington is a ombudsman for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities and their families.

He says improving safety goes beyond protective equipment.

>> it's looking at this issue of accountability.

And training is another huge component.

Accountability is key because what we have found in our office the more we have worked with different families, is that no one really is accountable at the end of the date.

You think you would quote to your local district, but they are talking about.

Maybe it is the Department of Education, but they are not accountable.

Often times parents are told to call the bus company themselves.

We don't treat any other contracted service within a school that same way.

It should be on the School District.

Reporter: That Bill is now headed to another hearing in hopes of getting to the budget stage.

Senator Corrado hopes it will receive the necessary votes and funding to continue their efforts to prevent tragic deaths like Matthew's.

Briana: Elsewhere at the Statehouse, former assembly member turned Congresswoman, Bonnie Watson Coleman, was there calling attention to another pressing issue -- the rise of anti-Muslim hate and no policies from the White House aimed at limiting travel from a number of majority-Muslim countries.

Watson Coleman joined forces with the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and others to commemorate this international day to combat Islamophobia, and make a call to action.

Senior correspondent Joanna Gagis reports.

>> Islamophobia kills.

It is the primary driver of persecution and genocide against Muslim minorities worldwide.

Its effects are devastating.

Reporter: a triple advocates gathered outside the annex of the Statehouse in Trenton today to commemorate the international day to combat Islamophobia.

It's official date was Saturday, March 15, as set by the U.N. in 2022, and Ed Buck Governor Murphy through a proclamation signed earlier this month.

>> We are right here in front of the New Jersey state house, where we will be: Our elected officials to combat the issue of raising anti-Muslim hate across our nation.

Reporter: The rise in Islamophobic incidents is at its highest since 1986, even topping the anti-Islam climate following 9/11 according to a report recently released by the Council on American Islamic relations.

Its executive director give some examples.

>> Rutgers New Brunswick Muslim prayer hall was vandalized and trashed on eid day.

There was an unprovoked assault of a Muslim protester which landed him in the hospital and he had to receive stitches.

A café owner was harassed and threatened for a public expression and support of the Palestinian cause.

There was physical assault of a Muslim woman wearing a hijab in Jersey City, leaving the Newport mall.

Reporter: These are some of the 8658 complaints national in 2024, and the 290 reported here in New Jersey in the same year.

They are calling for 4 specific actions to reduce these incidents.

>> Public officials use this opportunity to speak up and condemned the harm against the American Muslim community.

Enter also, when speaking about further issues, use a balanced narrative.

A second recommendation is for the Trump Administration to suspend the FBI's use and determination of the watchlist which the Biden Administration failed to do.

It is almost entirely a list of Arabic and Muslim names.

Reporter: Several speakers urged the legislature not to pass a bill that will adopt the international Holocaust remembrance alliance's definition of anti-Semitism.

>> Do not let Bill go to a vote.

It is a direct attack on our First Amendment right then we will not stand for it.

>> The definition offers a very vague definition of anti-Semitism, but the document also includes 11 examples of anti-Semitism.

Seven of which are about Israel and Zionism, and not at all about Jews.

The definition of anti-Semitism is a tool to silence criticism of Israel, not protect Jews.

Everyone in the U.S. has a First Amendment right to free speech, including criticizing the policies of any state, also the U.S. Reporter: The Senate version of that bill moved out of committee although the assembly version hasn't had a hearing you.

A coalition of Muslim and Jewish scholars have put together an alternative definition.

>> Our document recognizes the fight against Muslim phobia is intertwined with the fight against anti-Semitism.

>> The most pervasive form of Islamophobia occurs on American college campuses where Muslim, Arab, Palestinian and South Asian students are denied the evil right to exercise their free speech rights.

They are punished for partaking in a proud American tradition, one that distinguishes our democracy from authoritarian states, the right to nonviolent protest, to dissent against government policies.

Reporter: They are also calling for the legislature to hold hearings on the rise of Islamic phobia on college campuses in the state.

In Trenton, is an Joanna Gagis, NJ Spotlight News.

Briana: The race for governor continues to heat up with Democrats jockeying for endorsement from the company parties.

Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill who leads the field in a recent poll, won, two county conventions, Passaic and Morris.

Congressman Josh Gottheimer recently won in Bergen and Warren Counties.

Primary data is three months away and the crowded fields on both sides have candidates working with their name recognition.

That work back can come with a steep price tag, and millions are set to flow into this campaign.

State law sets strict rules for how candidates can raise and spend the cash, but the rules leave plenty of room for so-called dark many groups to influence.

Senior political correspondent David Cruz takes a look.

Reporter: Since the citizens United case of 2010, campaign financing has evolved, an political actual communities, or independent expenditure committees, helping to stoke the system in so much cash, most of it undisclosed, that even the technically legal contributions can seem pretty shady.

Take Sean Spiller, a Democrat running in the gubernatorial primary.

>> Sean Spiller's mom was a teacher, and his dad worked at the port authority.

Reporter: Spiller, who in addition to serving on the NJ PBS community advisory board, is president of the New Jersey Education Association and former mayor of Montclair, has been one of the most visible candidates in the primary.

It's like this one are flooding the airwaves, paid for by a pact "working New Jersey."

They promised to spend $35 million to elect him.

Campaign law says they can coordinate with the campaign, but with no traditional campaign staff, and close ties between the pac and the candidate, many have been left to wonder how they're managing to not coordinate.

>> So far, we know that the retired executive director of the NJEA is the chairperson of this pac.

We know that the former NJEA spokesperson is listed on the pac.

We know the former president of the Montclair education Association is the treasurer of the pac.

So it leaves nothing to the imagination.

Reporter: But Spiller, who says he actually has.

Campaign staff, has pushed back against critics who say they're working New Jersey PAC is running his campaign.

Do you have a campaign staff.

>> Yeah, I have a couple of guys working on our campaign, networking and helping organize our volunteers and put them together, running our day-to-day operations.

So yes but we have two folks doing that.

Reporter: To be fair, a lot of pacs are made up of former staff and supporters, even spouses.

Not illegal, but it begs the question on coordination.

Taylor, though, says his campaign has been financed by hundreds of individuals, small donors.

In contrast, he notes, or some of the contributions to his opponents like representatives Mikie Sherrill and Josh Gottheimer, who have taken away from billionaire and Democratic party boogeyman Elon Musk, whose SpaceX company contributed to both of them.

>> it is a hard sell, I think to say, I know we are taking money from that singular mask, but we are going to do things differently.

Reporter: meanwhile, Mikie Sherrill has her own beef with Gottheimer, who's $20 million in congressional campaign funds is believed to be helping fund the affordable New Jersey pact.

Again, not illegal, so long as he doesn't coordinate with them.

So long as he doesn't exceed the federal commission's limit of 25% of the group's funds.

But in no surrender pact is also believed to be giving money to Gottheimer's congressional campaign.

An effort, so Mikie Sherrill, to circumvent the FEC ruling.

The Sherrill campaign issued a statement -- our campaign believes the 2006 guidance still stands, it says, and would certainly expect that other candidates in New Jersey will comply with the guidance, which outlines the low limit on contributions.

No one is being accused of breaking any laws right now.

If anything, this story shows just how much the law itself is broken.

The Election Law Enforcement Commission, which matches fans on a 2:1 basis for candidates who raise their own money, is also the arbiter of rubrics the rules.

>> Yes, obviously when there's numerous candidates and this year, a tremendous number of candidates that either have already qualified for public funds or who will likely qualify before the deadline of March 25, just the sheer number does make things more difficult, yes and unless someone makes a complaint that they investigate, you will be expected to take at face value that so-called independent expenditure committees, staffed has almost all of them are by Krudys of candidates, are not coordinating with those campaigns.

Repeat, not coordinating.

I'm David Cruz, NJ Spotlight News.

Briana: They came to grief, share stories, and remember the lives of lost loved ones.

Hundreds gathered at a vigil held Saturday, marking the fifth anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Jersey, joining together at a community farm for the ceremony.

It is home to the first permanent COVID Memorial in the U.S., where thousands of smooth home sized rocks.

The names of those who died from COVID are arranged in heart-shaped displays.

Five years later, we are still adapting to the significant changes ushered in by the pandemic.

Nowhere is that more true than perhaps our local hospitals and nursing homes, where health-care workers were on the front lines, witnessing, day after day.

Our mental health writer Bobby Breyer looked into what new supports have emerged for those workers since then, and the help that's still needed.

He joins me now.

Bobby, what a look back at you did at this.

Let's just remind folks what these workers were up against, what were they seeing and what were they being challenged with?

Guest: absolutely.

Day-in and day-out from north-central and South Jersey, we saw doctors and nurses confronting sickness and death in proportion to had ever seen before.

Right now if we were to look five years back, we were close to 40,000 people who have passed away due to the pandemic.

Doctors and nurses saw a majority of that.

It is something they were already facing when it came to burn out even before the pandemic.

When they saw this happily it added to the strength they were already facing.

In light of that, a lot of hospitals and programs now are offering wellness packages to these doctors and nurses so they can confront some of that lingering tremor that they have experienced.

Briana: Burnout was an issue, staffing shortages were filed prior to the pandemic, that it led to an exodus.

Does it seem like these hospital executives have sort of heard the call from their workers and will done what they need to to meet them where they are at?

Guest: The have certainly since the pandemic.

There have been support staff in place -- wellness directors, they are called -- to offer kind of peer-to-peer support.

That would look like a doctor or a nurse being trained to walk through a series of questions.

In order to help another nurse or doctor within their hospital to go through mental health support if they need it.

They are also doing things like stress first-aid training.

Personal individual supports that somebody could learn how to cope with stress or distress that they've been experiencing day in and day out.

They are also offering in some cases, free mental health support to doctors and nurses and their families.

They are definitely approaching this issue with a lot more energy and vigor, experts have said.

The reason for that, really is because they know they need a workforce that can take care of themselves while also taking care of other people.

So there have been steps made, but there is still a long way to go.

Briana: What do we know about the uptake, whether or not employees are using the services and, in turn, were that they are working?

Guest: It varies case-by-case and hospitals and hospital.

Certainly, people are more aware of their mental health needs, but other health care professionals I have spoken to have said, while in some cases working with these doctors and nurses in the head of the pandemic was a bonding experience, there is still a lot of stigma when it comes to seeking mental health support.

Among doctors and nurses, some of that is a fear that they don't want employers or licensing boards to know that they may have thought out mental health help in the past.

They thought it might be a detriment to getting a job or to keeping their job currently.

Briana: So they are worried that if they go-ahead and say, hey, I need some mental health support, that could cause them to lose their job?

Guest: In some cases.

I think even the fear of that happening, maybe it is not happening day by day, but just the fear of they may be seen as a weakness if they put this on the resume or that they have sought this in the past.

There are still issues when it comes to that.

But experts have said that in order to really take care of people, you need to take care of your own mental health.

So they are encouraging doctors, nurses and hospital staff to continue to take care of their mental health regardless of that.

Briana: Yeah, you're certainly told that in our own day today.

Are there health systems you looked at where it seemed like they have really taken the bull by the horns, with vigor to do this, and other health care systems that are maybe a bit behind?

What did you find?

Guest: Virtua health in South Jersey has really done a lot towards employee mental health.

They have peer support programs.

They offer a program that essentially allows for six free mental health sessions, what they call per occurrence.

That is essentially a summary go through a divorce, has work-related mental health, stress or is grieving the health of a loved one.

So there are those supports in place.

Meanwhile, there are other programs statewide which offers those.

Virtua, it seems, from my reporting, has really gone above and beyond in many situations to address some of those mental health needs by hiring a wellness director in 2022.

It still remains to be seen how effective they are statewide for doctors and nurses here, so.

Briana: Which is obviously a key measure.

Bobby Brier's for reporting on this will be on our website tomorrow Njspotlightnews.org , with a full look back on what supports are in place.

Thanks so much for coming in.

Does she will do it for us tonight.

But before we go, 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 follow us on Instagram and Blue Sky to stay up to date on all the state's big headlines.

I'm Briana Vannozzi.

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

Have a great evening.

We will see you right back here tomorrow.

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