(upbeat music) - From NJ PBS studios, this is NJ Spotlight News with Briana Vannozzi.

- Good evening and thanks for joining us on this Wednesday night.

I'm Briana Vannozzi.

Tonight a few stories we're digging into later in the broadcast.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mikey Sherrill just snagged a key endorsement from her former challenger Raz Baraka.

But will the Newark mayor's move make a difference with black voters in the state?

Then back to school.

All this week we're looking at the top issues facing kids in the classroom.

Tonight school supply sticker shock.

How are families dealing with the extra costs from inflation and tariffs?

And later, confusion swirls over the FDA's recommendation about access to the COVID vaccine.

We'll break down who can get it and how.

But first, a few of today's top headlines.

Firefighters are continuing to battle a wildfire burning in Passaic County.

It's the first significant blaze in the state in several weeks.

According to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, the Buckebeare wildfire broke out in the area of Clinton Road in West Milford Tuesday evening.

As of this afternoon, it spread to 120 acres with crews on the scene able to get it 30 percent contained.

Now, no buildings are threatened and no one has been forced to evacuate.

Fire crews constructed containment lines and they're continuing back burning throughout today which local officials warn will cause more smoky conditions for people in and around the area.

A handful of local roads are also affected with closures until further notice.

West Milford Mayor Michelle Dale is warning residents to stay clear of active burn areas and follow road signs or directions from police.

State officials say the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Also tonight, a scathing new report is renewing urgent calls to demolish part of the country's oldest operating prison located here in New Jersey.

The state's independent corrections watchdog says the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton is inhumane and uses facilities that date back nearly two centuries.

The Ombudsperson's office is joining a chorus of lawmakers and other local leaders who want the prison's west compound to be leveled.

It was built in the 1800s and still houses over 600 inmates.

Many of the cells are so small, prisoners can touch all four walls just by extending their arms and have no hot water or privacy when using the bathroom or showering.

The building itself also has no recreation space or air conditioning.

But demolishing and replacing the West Compound is estimated to cost between $200 and $400 million.

It's pricey.

With the state budget deficit and federal cuts looming, it's unclear if lawmakers will act.

In response, the Department of Correction says it's committed to making the improvements, but senior writer Colleen O'Dea explains that hasn't gone very far in the past.

There have been calls since as early as 1917 to demolish and replace this facility because it is so old.

And back then it was considered to be too old to really be functional.

There were more calls in the 50s.

There was really.

It seemed like in the 80s, which is when they built two more compounds on that site.

It seemed like there was the this original West compound would be demolished.

That didn't happen.

And a chaotic scene in Secaucus over the weekend as more than 100 cars took over a busy intersection early Sunday morning in a dangerous and illegal stunt that quickly with police.

Authorities said people were driving recklessly, doing donuts while onlookers recorded it.

Now, responding officers said they were swarmed by more than 50 people when they arrived, with some climbing on marked vehicles, damaging them.

Others launched fireworks at and under the police vehicles.

It was all reminiscent of a deadly 2022 incident in Wildwood, where dangerous driving at an illegal car meetup killed two people.

No one was injured at the Secaucus incident, but police compared it to a riot.

A social media account that shared video of that Secaucus event also recently posted about a similar meetup in an industrial part of Newark.

You can see it there.

State lawmakers passed a bipartisan bill that would crack down on these sort of pop-up events through the assembly last year, but it stalled in the Senate.

Coming up, a major endorsement from a former political rival of Mikey Sherrill's, Newark Mayor Raz Baraka.

But can it move the needle in this tight race for governor?

We'll take a look.

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Well Democrat Mikey Sherrill today locked up what some say could be a critical endorsement in New Jersey's race for governor, earning the backing of her former political rival, Newark Mayor Raz Baraka, during a campaign event earlier today in Newark.

Which comes after Baraka came in second to Sheryl during the primary, signifying where the progressive vote may split if Sheryl doesn't coalesce the party.

Especially as some black community leaders have said they aren't impressed with her campaign or choice for Lieutenant Governor.

But what exactly does a Baraka endorsement mean for the race?

Here to break it down is our senior political correspondent, David Cruz.

David, good to see you.

Hey, Briana, you know, Mikie Sherrill and Ras Baraka have never been particularly close.

And looking at them together today, kind of confirm that.

During the primary, you remember that he had a big press conference where he challenged her and the party as a whole for ignoring and for being timid when it came to black and brown voters and their agenda.

Just this week, in fact, some comments Sherrill made before a police union meeting about youth incarceration and CCRBs, that's Civilian Complaint Review Boards, among other things, caused some concerns about today's event.

In his remarks, though, Baraka seemed to be saying, "It's not personal, it's just business."

-I'd rather argue with the Congresswoman about CCRBs than debate her about whether the National Guard should be on and off the streets.

I'd rather have a discourse, a discontent, a discourse about very specific issues that I think are important to me than thinking that the police should have the ability to do whatever they want, whenever they want, to whomever they want.

That the military should be patrolling our streets.

That we should end habeas corpus and allow individuals to be arrested one-timely and arbitrarily.

We should throw the Constitution in the garbage.

And democracy should be wasted and we should pull the floor away from under the people of our community.

We agree that those things should not happen.

I think if you go with the other guy who got the endorsement from the other guy, that those are things that we may have to be looking forward to in the state of New Jersey.

I grew up in a household that struggled with each other all the time.

I grew up watching my mother and father struggle around political issues and ideological issues all my life.

That's what unity and struggle mean.

Baraka is not the first Newark mayor to withhold an endorsement in order to exact some concessions on policy and more, but today Sherrill said she really believes that he's going to be a genuine partner.

And so you just heard from Mayor Baraka.

And I've been traveling up and down the state with the mayor for many, many months now.

And here's the thing I know, that we both care deeply about our communities.

communities.

That we want to make sure that we're addressing issues of how people have opportunity and get ahead in this state.

So whether it's making sure that people can develop generational wealth through owning a home, or whether it's making sure that we address the segregation in our school system, or whether it's that we take on the fight to improve black maternal health.

Again and again and again, we have an agenda to serve the people.

And Jack Cittarelli has an agenda to serve Donald Trump.

So when I hear the mayor say that's not how we get ahead, that's not how we get ahead.

Yeah.

Yeah.

That's not how any of us get ahead.

It's not how our kids get ahead.

It's not how our families get ahead.

It's not how anybody in this room gets ahead.

And I would say it's not how anybody whose last name is not Trump gets ahead in this country.

The fact is, Barranca holds more political capital than any mayor in the state today, certainly more than any mayor since either Sharpe James or Ken Gibson.

So we talked to people like Charles Boyer of Salvation and Social Justice.

He said today's endorsement does not come lightly or cheaply.

He has been very clear that any support of the Democratic nominee would come as a result of that nominee making some real commitments towards real policies that impact Black people specifically and working people at large.

He wanted a framework coming straight from the community in order to take to the Democratic nominee and ultimately whoever is governor, even if the Democratic nominee is not governor.

This is something that goes forward regardless of political party.

Just so we collectively as black leaders hear from black people, we've heard from well over a thousand people across the state in terms of housing, in terms of black maternal health, in terms of education, in terms of issues impacting black veterans, pretty much anything you can think of across the specter and how it impacts black people has been heard, has been registered, and is being looked at in terms of policy impact.

But Republican Jack Cittarelli has been making some inroads among prominent black names like former Newark Councilman Oscar James, who recently authored a stinging op-ed about Mikie Sherrill's failings.

Today, he dismissed Baraka's endorsement.

God help him.

You know, he's the mayor that has to work within the Democratic Party.

I think he was very clear throughout his campaign what he truly feels about the Democratic Party.

But, again, being a part of a party and being a major mayor of a major city that affects the state in so many different ways, he has to do what...

I'm not saying fall in line with the party, but he has to work with the party.

He has to come up with a way where he shows them that he's a team member.

He hasn't come and asked those people for their support.

She's going to go through these surrogates.

There's going to be a whole list of surrogates that we see, right?

And then you see the black agenda coming out right now.

So now you have more elected officials, a senior clergy who've been involved in the state for years now saying they're going to craft a black agenda?

Ultimately, the majority of black and brown voters are going to be Democrats.

Chittarelli wants to keep their numbers down.

Brianna?

All right, David Cruz for us.

David, thanks so much.

Thank you.

In our spotlight on business report tonight, tariffs are giving parents back to school sticker shock.

We continue our deep dive on education issues affecting students in and out of the classroom as they head back to school this week.

Economists say both tariffs and inflation are driving up costs and there are fewer deals to be found.

In fact, national estimates find parents will spend upwards of $800 on everything from clothing and electronics to just standard supplies.

Raven Santana spoke with families and school districts about what they're doing to manage the rising prices.

Everything costs.

So if they can get a book bag, a pen, a pencil, something for them, yes, it helps for many families back to school season doesn't just mean the return of routines.

It also means the return of receipts longer than ever before.

We should see it at minimum $20 and even more.

So if it was initially 15, the 30% increase goes to 2025 depending on the backpack that you're buying.

Retail experts say rising inflation combined with President Trump's tariffs on imported goods are driving up prices, hitting families hardest on must-haves like backpacks, lunch boxes and clothing.

People might feel, oh it's only five dollar increase, but when you talk about the wages not keeping up, wages are not keeping up with inflation.

$5 in a backpack, $4 in eggs, $3 in some other goods.

So that adds up and over a month that really impacts people finances.

According to the National Retail Federation, families with children in elementary through high school are expected to spend an average of $858 this year on everything from notebooks and sneakers to laptops and headphones.

So inflation for food at home almost doubled and that's going to impact significantly lower income people because if we think a little bit more, the lower in income you are, the most of your income is going to go to food and buying necessities.

And then when you see the price of these things going up, you're going to feel the pain of higher prices.

For clothes and shoes, the prices have gone up 30 to 40 percent, which is a significant increase in comparison to what we paid last year.

And as families face these rising costs, school districts like Trenton have been stepping in with extra support.

This year we were able to have parent volunteers, student volunteers come and stuff backpacks and we collected more than 6,000 backpacks that were distributed today.

Colgate Truck was here to do dental screenings.

Henry J. Austin was doing health screenings.

I mean, we had over 65 community partners and what's beautiful about this event is that every single school principal is here in attendance and we have 25 schools.

The city recently held its 10th annual Back to School Extravaganza, offering kids and families free school supplies, plus health services and other resources.

I feel great.

I feel like the point of the event is to come together as one unified community so that they feel prepared for the first day of school.

And that looks a little different for everyone.

As families face tough choices at the checkout line, events like this provide a little relief and a lot of hope at the start of the new school year.

My gosh, I mean, they're saving at least $100 because not only were we giving out school supplies, they were giving out food.

They had arm and arm here, and they had their food truck here, and they were giving out fresh produce and non-perishable goods.

So they were definitely able to save at least $100.

So although the school had, you know, given out the backpacks, other community organizations also had school supplies on their table.

So they were able to get a lot of extra.

So I would give an estimate of at least $100.

In total I have one, two, three, six, seven book bags.

And tell me about why you love this event.

Well, it's very convenient for one and it brings the community together.

You know, you get to get more information here than searching the web or calling around or asking other people.

You actually get, I got some great help here from these five tables.

I got some book bags and crayons and a sharpener.

And my favorite one, my favorite book bag is this one.

- For families facing rising costs, a backpack filled with supplies can mean more than just savings.

It's peace of mind, dignity, and a fresh start.

For NJ Spotlight News, I'm Raven Santana.

- Support for The Business Report is provided by Riverview Jazz.

Presenting the Jersey City Latin Jazz Festival, September 5th through 6th.

Event details, including performance schedules and location are online at jerseycitylatinjazzfestival.com.

- In a stunning move today, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis proposed making his state the first to end all vaccine mandates for schools.

A push that comes on the heels of new federal vaccine policy announcements regarding COVID-19 boosters, limiting access to only people with health conditions, putting them at higher risk for severe illness from the virus.

That's led to confusion and complications around who can get the shots and how.

Pharmacies have been the go-to for the majority of people who get vaccinated against COVID-19, at least last year, and it didn't require a prescription or insurance to get one, but that could change.

Our senior correspondent, Brenda Flanagan, is here to explain what's next.

Hey, Bren.

Hey, Brie.

So the question is, can you get the new COVID-19 vaccination at a pharmacy in New Jersey?

And the answer is yes and no.

It depends on where you go.

At the moment, CVS is already making appointments, but some other pharmacies are hesitating to give the vaccine.

Walgreens website says once the new vaccines are approved, appointments will be available again.

Check back soon.

The president of Jersey's Pharmacists Association, Brian Pinto, says many members want the CDC, specifically its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, to sign off on these shots.

So, right now, I think where we stand with it is, we do have product.

We just don't currently have the authorization to administer it.

So, we are -- we are leaning on our colleagues down in Trenton, especially with the commissioner at the Department of Health, to try to clarify what pharmacists, technicians are able to administer when it comes to the COVID vaccine, because right now there is still there's still a gray area.

You have an approved product, but you don't have approved recommendations.

And that's sort of putting pharmacists in sort of in the firing line.

Now, Pinto owns Tiffany Pharmacy in Westfield and says he wants to give COVID shots, but the rules have changed.

Even though the FDA approved these updated vaccines, they're designed to target the latest COVID strain.

The agency imposed tight new restrictions on who's eligible to get them.

They're no longer available to anyone six months of age or older.

Under the FDA's new eligibility rules, you have to be 65 or older or have at least one underlying health risk, and that from an approved CDC list.

So that limits who can get the shot.

For Pinto, it raises liability issues.

I also have to look at it from from the aspect of pharmacist liability.

One of my pharmacists administers it or and and there is a reaction.

The fact that there are that that there's still a very There's a lot of unknowns with the the standing orders and and liability potentially that that could put you know some of my staff.

In a position that they may not feel comfortable with.

So and I and I feel that that's a similar situation with a lot of my colleagues throughout the state that until there is some clear guidance and I think it may have to come out of Trenton more than Washington D.C. or Atlanta at this point.

Now, the question of liability was raised by U.S. health secretary and vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

He slammed groups like the AAP, the American Academy of Pediatrics, for recommending kids get the new covid shot.

And he warned in a social media post, recommendations that diverge from the CDC's official list are not shielded from liability under the 1986 Vaccine Injury Act.

Montclair epidemiologist Stephanie Silvera worries this creates public health hurdles.

Available and accessible are two very different things.

And I think that and we we've known this for a very long time.

The message matters.

And so by saying that it's available, but really emphasizing for people who are over 65 and only certain people under 65 and not really being clear on what that means, it creates a lot of confusion.

And when people are confused, they tend to not even try to get the vaccine.

Silvera says COVID cases have been rising in New Jersey, and with kids already heading back to school, a lot of people do want to get vaccinated.

CVS told us it will abide by the FDA's new rules, explaining patients are asked to attest to their eligibility during the appointment scheduling process or at the pharmacy or minute clinic when the patient's completing the health screening form.

Adding, our understanding is that the COVID-19 vaccines covered by most insurance plans at no cost for eligible patients.

Patients should check with their insurer.

Well, that cost question creates another whole level of uncertainty.

Silvera says the minute you take away coverage, people are less likely to access it, especially in the economic times that we are living in, when people are making difficult choices on where to spend their money.

Now, Pinto says he also wants to be certain insurance will cover these COVID shots, although state and local health departments do have some assistance programs.

CVS says if you pay them out of pocket, it's going to cost you $225, Brianna.

Wow, yeah, that's a hefty price tag.

So what is the state health department saying about this, if anything?

What the committee, first of all, we're going to talk about the CDC committee meeting.

They are scheduled to meet September 18th and there is no guarantee that they will do that meeting.

It's all new members hired by Kennedy.

He fired the former panel.

Now we did get in touch with the Department of Health.

They issued a statement this morning and it says vaccines when available are the best and safest line of defense against disease.

The administration's working diligently to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 and other vaccines for those who live, work or are sick.

educated in New Jersey, especially as we approach respiratory virus season.

We will continue to close the gap.

monitor federal recommendations and adjust local guidance as needed to protect the health of our people.

of Defense Against Disease.

The administration's working diligently to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 and other vaccines for those who live, work or are educated in New Jersey, especially as we approach respiratory virus season.

We will continue to closely monitor federal recommendations and adjust local guidance as needed to protect the health of our communities.

Brianna.

So what's the bottom line here, Brenda?

Well I think a lot of this depends on what is permitted by state laws.

And CVS says it's going to make new COVID shots available with just a patient sign-off in 33 states, and that includes Jersey.

But CVS wants patients in 13 other states and D.C. to bring a doctor's prescription.

That includes New York and Pennsylvania.

Of course you can ask your own doctor for the shot, but 90% of folks, Bri, who get these vaccinations, do it at pharmacies.

All right.

Brenda Flanagan, for us.

Brenda, great reporting.

Thanks as always.

Thank you.

Support for The Medical Report is provided by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

Finally tonight, a little love is in the air on Capitol Hill.

U.S.

Senator Cory Booker announced he's engaged, popping the question to his girlfriend of over a year, Alexis Lewis, during a recent getaway to Hawaii.

The big reveal came via Instagram, where Booker called Lewis his "greatest unearned blessing" and said he's "savoring the soul-affirming wonder of everyday life with her."

Apparently the two met up on a blind date set up by a mutual friend.

The 56-year-old has never been married, but his love life was in the spotlight a few years ago while dating actress Rosario Dawson and making a run for president.

This latest news, of course, sparking talk that Booker is once again eyeing another future national campaign.

No word on that.

Either way, a big congrats to New Jersey's senior senator.

That's going to do it for us tonight.

A reminder though, you can download our podcast wherever you listen and watch us anytime by subscribing to the NJ Spotlight News YouTube channel.

Plus, you can always follow us on Instagram and Blue Sky to stay up to date on all the state's big headlines.

And if you want to help support the programming public media brings you and keep stations like this one thriving, head to njspotlightnews.org/donate.

I'm Briana Vannozzi.

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

We'll see you right back here tomorrow.

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