--Trump's approval rating on the economy dropped to 30% in April from 38% in a March AP-NORC poll.--

Immigration agencies have funding for years; GOP seeks more | NJ Spotlight News Infusion of $140 billion in budget outline would be enough to 'carry us through the Trump presidency,' Graham says

NEW: ICE and CBP have tens of billions of dollars in reserve.

Republicans in Congress want to give them more money -- enough at least to "carry us through the Trump presidency."

www.njspotlightnews.org/2026/04/immi...
@njspotlightnews.org
#ICE #CBP

11th Congressional District Special Election Results | NJ Spotlight News Live results of the election to fill the seat vacated by Gov. Mikie Sherrill until Jan. 3.

Crowd at @analiliafornj.bsky.social HQ hearing from Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, longtime union leader Hetty Rosenstein and others as they wait for the main attraction after a very early call by AP. Results: www.njspotlightnews.org/2026/04/11th...

World Cup 2026: With less than 100 days, is New Jersey ready? - NJ Spotlight News NorthJersey.com reporters Katie Sobko and Colleen Wilson map out what we know and what's to come

NJ Transit . . . World Cup crowds . . .summer temperatures
What could go wrong?
Another great @njspotlightnews.org Hey, NJ podcast episode👇👇👇

As NJ reduces bonded debt, other long-term costs riseNJ Spotlight News Pension, benefits obligations soar $10 billion in one year, and a Treasury report warns of significant increases for health insurance

NJ's bonded debt has dropped below $39B.
This reduction, measured at the end of FY2025, comes after lawmakers and former Gov. Murphy created a dedicated reserve for debt defeasance and prevention.
However, the state’s latest ACFR shows OPEB obligations remain on the rise.
@njspotlightnews.org

U.S. wholesale prices surged 4% last month during the Iran war The surge in prices complicates the work of the inflation fighters at the Federal Reserve, who have faced intense pressure from President Donald Trump to lower their benchmark interest rate. But some ...

U.S. wholesale prices surged last month as the Iran war drove up the cost of energy. https://to.pbs.org/4cxvZSG

More Americans are becoming interested in tax resistance The act of withholding taxes dates back to the Founding Fathers.

Some Americans say they would rather illegally withhold their taxes than unwillingly fund immigrant detention centers or military aid. The objections are modern, but this form of protest dates back to the country’s founding.

Hey, NJ! This week, we’re talking about the war in Iran.

Over a month into an expansive war in the Middle East, where is Congress? @bhulac.bsky.social discusses secret briefings, upcoming budget hearings, war power votes and more.

Listen: www.njspotlightnews.org/podcast/what...

Sherrill wants full pension funding, with retiree COLAs still on hold | NJ Spotlight News Treasurer cites $6 billion 'penalty' -- roughly one-tenth of the proposed state budget -- for past skimping on retirement payments

Inflation is straining the personal finances of many government retirees living in New Jersey.
Gov. Sherrill wants the state to make another full pension contribution in FY2027.
But COLAs for retirees would stay frozen for at least another year.
@njspotlightnews.org

Gov. Sherrill's proposed budget includes $2B in cuts.
But NJ Transit is getting a $215M increase.
NJT's CEO told lawmakers: “The governor intuitively understands that in order for us to have a successful economy, you have to have a mass transit system that actually functions."
@njspotlightnews.org

"The gas price shock stemming from the Iran war has shifted inflation's trajectory, from a slow, gradual decline to a sharp increase further away from the Fed's 2% target."

NJ senators want to take the drudgery out of doing your state taxes | NJ Spotlight News ReadyReturn would streamline preparation and connect low-income residents with services like nutrition, child care and heating aid

What if the state could use tax information it already collects from employers to fill out your NJ tax return?
The idea behind a legislative ReadyReturn proposal is to simplify state taxes, especially for low income taxpayers with limited access to technology and tax pros.
@njspotlightnews.org

Uncertainty looms as NJ revenue forecasters ready for fiscal year | NJ Spotlight News Job losses, artificial intelligence, Middle East war make for a hazy picture as treasurer and legislative experts testify on Sherrill's budget

The potential for a prolonged military conflict overseas is triggering a rise in gas prices across NJ.
But also increased economic uncertainty, posing a new challenge for revenue forecasters in Trenton who have started looking ahead to the new fiscal year that begins July 1.
@njspotlightnews.org

‘Markedly different’: IRS tax landscape fits Trump deregulation jag | NJ Spotlight News Enforcement, including audits, a lesser priority as shrunken staff turns to mastering code changes ushered by Republicans in Congress

NEWS: This tax year is going to be more complicated than usual.

The IRS is doing it with about 75% the staff it had before Trump.

www.njspotlightnews.org/2026/04/mark...
@njspotlightnews.org

Sherrill wants record spending, plus cuts to bridge inherited gap | NJ Spotlight News Lawmakers, too, face a tricky choice: Champion pet projects, or get behind spending for other priorities that have greater statewide impact

Total spending can go up, even when there are cuts.
And NJ lawmakers just got an earful during public hearings on Gov. Sherrill's budget plan from the many groups that use state dollars to provide services throughout NJ that are now facing cuts.
Follow @njspotlightnews.org for more NJ budget news

"Public media exists to serve the public interest — that of Americans — not that of any political agenda or elected official."

Regulate data centers to prevent higher power rates, report urges | NJ Spotlight News 'Hidden costs' run from few permanent jobs to more pollution, policy group says, and New Jersey in a position to shape regional standards

A new report says the significant electricity rate hikes that hit consumers hard in NJ last year were mostly due to increased data center power usage and a lack of new energy sources.
Reporting by @colleenodea.bsky.social @njspotlightnews.org.

Gov. Sherrill’s budget plan would maintain more than $4 billion in annual spending on direct property tax relief programs. But a proposal to redirect some funding from Stay NJ to Anchor is now a subject of debate.

@johnreitmeyer.bsky.social breaks it down: www.njspotlightnews.org/2026/03/sher...

Sherrill’s ‘fairer’ plan for Anchor, Stay NJ tax relief up for debate | NJ Spotlight News The dilemma: continue popular programs that combat high property taxes and also close a multibillion-dollar budget gap

"That’s a fairer, more efficient use of taxpayer money.”

This is how Gov. Mikie Sherrill has described her plan to preserve full Anchor benefits for senior tenants, while lowering the income cap and max benefit provided to senior homeowners via Stay NJ.

Will lawmakers agree?

@njspotlightnews.org

Sherrill looking long-term as she formulates first state budget | NJ Spotlight News Sherrill talked truthfully about NJ’s fiscal challenges, but stopped short of offering specific remedies

What remains to be seen is whether a February news conference can lead to a sea change in fiscal policymaking in late June, when Democratic legislative leaders like to insert hundreds of millions in new spending into the state budget, without offsetting cuts or revenue raisers.
@njspotlightnews.org

In an interview with @njspotlightnews.org, U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez says NJ's pension fund should divest its stake in a technology firm doing business with ICE that I wrote about last month.

Sherrill to get extra time to deliver first budget | NJ Spotlight News First-year governors have customarily been granted an extension under a decades-long bipartisan tradition

The legislation moving this year's gubernatorial budget message to March 10 has now been approved by both full houses of the NJ Legislature.
@njspotlightnews.org

Most Americans say country worse off than a year ago, new poll shows As President Trump prepares to deliver the first State of the Union address of his second term, six in ten Americans say the country is in a worse place than a year ago. That’s according to a new PBS ...

As President Trump prepares to deliver the first State of the Union address of his second term, six in ten Americans say the country is in a worse place than a year ago. https://to.pbs.org/3OYgo69

‘People don’t know s—. A bunch of idiots out there’: Quinn Hughes defends brother jack after Olympic golden goal Jack Hughes scored the game-winning goal in Milan on Sunday.

‘People don’t know s—. A bunch of idiots out there’: Quinn Hughes defends brother jack after Olympic golden goal

Donald Trump stands at a podium with the presidential seal, holding a large board titled "Reciprocal Tariffs" listing percentages for various countries. The PBS News logo is in the corner of the graphic. The headline reads, "Supreme Court strikes down Trump's sweeping tariffs."

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday struck down President Donald Trump's global tariffs, a key part of his economic agenda during his second term.

Read more: https://to.pbs.org/4kIlmjo

House votes to end tariffs against Canada, New Jersey’s biggest export partner | NJ Spotlight News Senate likely to maintain charges on nation that paid $8.4 billion for Garden State goods

Six Republicans voted to terminate President Trump's Canada tariffs.
NJ Reps. Jeff Van Drew (R-2nd), Chris Smith (R-4th) and Tom Kean Jr. (R-7th) were not among them.
They each voted to maintain the tariffs.
@bhulac.bsky.social @njspotlightnews.org

Gateway project approved after Trump delay, lawsuits | NJ Spotlight News Construction is expected to resume next week, according to the Gateway Development Commission

Work on the tunnel project is expected to resume next week, according to the Gateway Development Commission. The commission said it now has more than $205 million in hand, reports @bhulac.bsky.social @njspotlightnews.org

Gateway court order frees funding, though crews stay on hold Hudson River tunnels project overseer counting on $205 million to get roughly 1,000 workers back to construction sites

The Gateway Development Commission, the project’s overseer, reported “an initial disbursement of $30 million” and expected to receive $205 million in total, according to a statement it issued late Friday afternoon.
@njspotlightnews.org

The Trump administration fails in its attempt to block last week's order freeing up federal funding for the Gateway tunnel project.
@njspotlightnews.org