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

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

I'm Briana Vannozzi.

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

We take a look at what's behind the rise of political violence in the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk's assassination.

Then, Hudson County's hospital system is getting a major rebrand.

We'll give you the latest on what it means for your care.

And later, many are feeling the pinch of property tax hikes.

We'll tell you what relief is on the way for homeowners and renters.

First though, a few of today's top headlines.

The assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk is continuing to ignite new political clashes.

Bergen County and the town of Madison are facing mounting criticism over a decision not to lower flags half staff in Kirk's honor.

The county responded to questions on social media saying it follows official state guidance on flag status which remained at full staff throughout the week, prompting thousands of mostly angry reactions online, including that from former Jet Star Nick Mengold, who lives in Madison.

President Trump last week issued a federal proclamation applying to all federal buildings, military posts and embassies as a mark of respect for the 31 year old co-founder of Turning Point USA who was shot and killed on September 10th while speaking to students at Utah Valley University.

But the order doesn't apply to states and there's no requirement to obey federal flag mandates.

Other counties though, like Passaic and Ocean did comply and many residents on both sides of the aisle are arguing the decisions are politically motivated.

Meanwhile, the debate is spilling beyond policy and into people's livelihoods.

Englewood Hospital confirms a surgeon at the health system resigned over accusations he celebrated Kirk's assassination.

Englewood was sued by a nurse who claims she was suspended for reporting the incident.

The hospital refutes that and says the nurse wasn't docked and is expected to continue working her shifts.

And a $25 million offer from a powerful political name could reshape Ocean City's iconic boardwalk.

Philip Norcross, the brother of longtime South Jersey power broker George Norcross and Congressman Donald Norcross made a formal bid to buy the site of the now shuttered Gillian's Wonderland Pier.

As first reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Norcross, who's also an attorney, wants to replace the amusement park with high-end townhomes and what he calls a commitment to Ocean City's future as a family destination.

But critics have been quick to wade into the debate, arguing the proposal's about more than just real estate, but another example of the Norcross family's far-reaching presence, both in politics and business in New Jersey.

The offer comes just weeks after the Ocean City Council rejected a hotel plan for the site, citing zoning laws that prioritize entertainment along the boardwalk.

Now, Virginia-based developer NVR also has a bid in the mix to build townhouses, even though city leaders have made clear they aren't considering residential buildings.

And coming up, a growing concern that political violence is not just escalating but accelerating.

We look at what's driving it.

Major funding for NJ Spotlight News is provided in part by NJM Insurance Group, serving the insurance needs of residents and businesses for more than 100 years.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and by the PSCG Foundation.

Well political leaders in both parties here in New Jersey and across the nation are confronting new fears around their safety and security following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Some are canceling public appearances while others beef up police presence to keep them safe, including Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mikey Sherrill this weekend while meeting with voters.

But Kirk's assassination follows numerous incidents of political violence, part of what many historians say is America's long, dark history.

And former officials warn that attempts to silence political speech in the name of unity may only inflame the divisions the country is already facing.

Our senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan is with us now to explain.

Bren, it's good to see you.

I know you did a deep dive on this.

What exactly did you find?

Well, Brianna, New Jersey mirrors a nation that's deeply polarized over the murder of Charlie Kirk.

As you pointed out, the argument over President Trump's order to lower American flags to half-staff in Kirk's honor.

Jersey didn't.

Neither did Bergen County.

But Ocean and Monmouth counties did.

And, in Keyport, fans left memorial candles at a street shrine to Kirk.

Online, the assassination supercharged an already savage culture war.

Social media sleuths doxed people who expressed little sympathy for Kirk's death and urged employers to fire them.

An Englewood Hospital nurse reportedly filed a lawsuit claiming she was suspended without pay for objecting to a surgeon who allegedly cheered Kirk's murder.

But former New Jersey Attorney General John Farmer believes political censorship only encourages extreme rhetoric.

I think it actually will accelerate the problem rather than address it.

And again, Charlie Kirk was a free speech person.

And I think it does dishonor to what he was trying to do, to try to actively, to use his tragic death as a pretext to stifle free speech would be an abomination of what he stood for.

So I think that's a totally wrong way to go and it's not going to work.

All it's going to do is make it worse.

You know, we're in a predicament here because our beliefs in free speech are colliding with political realities and with the way our marketplace of ideas is structured.

Now the U.S. State Department has vowed to undertake appropriate action against those deemed to be -- quote -- "praising, rationalizing, or making light of Kirk's death on social media."

As furious partisans on both sides pointed fingers and vowed vengeance, Utah Republican Governor Spencer Cox warned of dire consequences for failing to lower the political temperature.

We will never be able to solve all the other problems, including the violence problems that people are worried about, if we can't have a clash of ideas safely and securely, even especially those ideas with which you disagree.

That's why this matters so much.

So, we're at a flash point, but it didn't happen in a vacuum, analysts say.

The rising wave of recent political violence includes several recent incidents.

The murder of Democratic lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband in Minnesota and two attempts on the president's life.

Donald Trump called for nonviolence after Kirk's assassination.

But he also ratcheted up political tension by casting blame.

The radicals on the left are the problem, and they're vicious and they're horrible and they're politically savvy.

We're really concerned about some of the narrative coming out that this is like specifically the entire left is to blame for the attack yesterday.

The data and research, not just from ourselves, but from folks across the board, just don't support that.

Now that's Princeton University researcher Shannon Hiller with the Bridging Divides initiative that studies spikes in political violence.

We spoke Friday.

Hiller says, from this past January through July, her team tracked some 300 threat and harassment incidents against local public officials in more than 40 states.

They found an almost 10 percent increase over 2024.

And victims told researchers the longer these threats of violence against themselves and their families persist, the less they want to stay in office.

Many of them say that it's worse than it's ever been.

People who have been serving for years or decades in office say they have never seen it like this.

And they tell us, in general, that they're getting threats and harassment both on really local issues, but sometimes even from their own party.

So, we have a pretty high level of confidence that this is affecting people at the local level, regardless of party.

And it's coming from a number of different sources.

So what's driving this?

American history is replete with assassinations and rebellions.

Our war for independence started with the proverbial shot heard around the world.

But Kirk's murder was the killing shot seen around the world.

And on social media, it's being exploited by both sides, including the president, Farmer says.

His first reaction to the shooting, I thought, was very good.

But then in a matter of hours, it changed and it became an attack on the left.

And, you know, as I said earlier, it's not like there aren't extremists on the left.

Of course there are.

But they and the extremists on the right are the product of our culture that has developed in the last 15 years that basically rewards extremism.

And until we address that, it's going to be very challenging, I think, for President Trump to sort of grow out of the mold that got him to the White House.

Now, Farmer has called social media the newest vehicle for some of the oldest hatreds.

Rutgers' Eagleton poll surveyed about 1,000 New Jersey residents a year ago, when six in 10 thought political violence was a major problem in the U.S.

But poll director Ashley Koning says that wasn't the most disturbing number.

Like I said, we did see 11 percent say that they feel they know someone who very well could do that.

And we did see a percentage of New Jerseyans, albeit small, who said that they saw it justified to break the law, if need be, because of something politically related.

And this kind of corresponds with national numbers we're seeing.

In fact, a national poll just came out, you know, close to, if not right after this tragedy, showing similar numbers that, you know, about one in 10 U.S. adults felt that it would be OK to commit a violent act in the name of politics.

And so I think it really speaks volumes about where we are in politics today.

Now, how do you rein back political violence?

One lawmaker wants to classify it as a hate crime under New Jersey law.

Republican State Senator Doug Steinhardt is drafting partisan legislation to establish enhanced penalties and mandatory minimum sentences for politically motivated criminal acts like assault, arson, terroristic threats, manslaughter and murder.

If the assault or the arson, or in this case, you know, the murder of Charlie Kirk was because of that person's political views, that's what made you react in the way that you did, then I am proposing that it be treated as what it was, which in my mind then is tantamount to a hate crime.

It's punching somebody in the face because they're of a different ethnic descent than you or a different gender than you.

Bipartisan legislation, by the way, co-sponsored by Brian Stack.

Now, as -- and the senator says, if violence is committed against government employees or elected officials, the bill may presume criminal intent.

But Steinhardt, he's also the former Republican state chairman, calls tamping down inflammatory political rhetoric, quote, "a complicated calculus."

Any way you look at it, the nation seems to be at a turning point, Brianna.

It sure does, and he's not wrong there.

Brenda Flanagan for us.

Brenda, thanks so much.

Thank you, Brie.

Just a year ago, three Hudson County hospitals were on the verge of collapse, buried under millions in debt without a lifeline to save them.

Well, today marked a dramatic turnaround with the ribbon cutting of a rebranded system that's now the fourth largest health network in New Jersey.

So how did it get there?

Senior correspondent Joanna Gagis reports.

Today we're here to celebrate the unveiling and the rebirth of the Old Bayonne Hospital as the new HRH Bayonne University Hospital.

Healthcare and elected leaders from across Hudson County gathered in Bayonne today to mark a new day for healthcare that some worried would never happen.

Three hospitals under one healthcare system known as CarePoint, on the brink of bankruptcy and closure, have now been reincorporated under a new healthcare system called Hudson Regional Health, or HRH.

"We were this close from all three of these hospitals closing.

This close.

And it wasn't us crying wolf, it was a reality because there just wasn't enough money in the system."

The three hospitals that made up the system under CarePoint were Christ Hospital in Jersey City, Bayonne Medical Center and Hoboken University Medical Center.

Jan Mosche, chairman of the board of HRH, took over Meadowlands Hospital in Secaucus in 2018, turning it into Hudson Regional Hospital, the fourth hospital in the system.

But each of the health care providers faced a similar challenge, the number of charity care patients they serve.

We have disproportionately a much higher percentage of indigent patients, of patients unable to pay in our hospitals in our urban county than others.

Not only did the prior operators of this system file for bankruptcy, but more than one of the hospitals in this system were on the verge of closure.

And if any one of the hospitals in this system had closed, healthcare in Hudson County collapses.

The impetus for the change was Jan Moshe investing tens of millions of his own personal dollars into the system to revitalize it from the ground up, says President and CEO of HRH, Nizar Kafaya.

"Especially services that were closed to patients in communities like Bayonne here that are essential, such as the cardiac cath lab, neurointervention, stroke care and many other areas that were lacking supplies and therefore they were shut down.

So we started by reopening a lot of those services, making sure there's enough supplies for all the different services, stabilizing the working force.

And then we started investing in creating new service lines.

These hospitals are known for the amount of charity care that they have to take on.

Do you see that return on investment, especially if there are cuts to Medicaid that could end up increasing the amount of charity care patients you take on?

We all understand what area we serve.

This is Hudson County and unfortunately there is a large population of charity care patients, but it's not just charity care patients.

There are a lot of undocumented patients.

Our goal is to really invest in areas that are going to make up for the loss on the charity care and undocumented patient side because as acute care hospitals we have to keep our doors open.

Again we're choosing to invest in other areas that will make up for the loss on this side so we can continue to serve the community.

Now on top of the tens of millions he's already invested, Jan Moshe plans to invest an additional 75 million dollars into major renovations here at Bayonne, NC Caucus and Hoboken University Hospitals.

They expect those projects to be completed within the next year and a half.

Our goal is to make sure that it's a very efficient delivery health care system that delivers good quality care efficiently to the county, to its residents and a lot of patients come here from New York as well.

Will it be something that needs continuous personal funding to keep it going?

No, our goal is to make sure that it's self-sustainable within a year and a half.

But as someone who sits on the hospital board, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop offered a word of caution about the system's future.

The finances are not great.

Today is a celebration as we're taking a step in the right direction.

The reality of the situation is absent of help from the state and help from the county and continued help from the municipalities, in five years' time, the same hospital systems in Hudson County will not exist.

It's a stark reminder that serving the health care needs of the community remains a challenging and costly endeavor.

In Bayonne, I'm Joanna Gagis, NJ Spotlight News.

In our Spotlight on Business report, the state is rolling out the latest round of direct tax relief payments starting this week.

It's under the Murphy administration's $2 billion Anchor program that lawmakers renewed this year aimed at easing the burden of New Jersey's high cost of living.

Now, first in line to get their checks are seniors and residents with disabilities, while others will follow over the next few months.

But as our budget and finance writer, John Reitmeyer, explains, Anchor is just one piece of a larger puzzle.

And he joins us now for more on the tax relief and who it will help.

John, this is probably one of my favorite things that we talk about just because there are so many things that people need to know.

So let's just start with who's eligible for the benefit this year and what deadlines do people need to be aware of?

The big deadline is October 31st.

So these anchor checks or direct deposits, depending on how you choose to receive them, can total as much as $1,750 at the highest level.

So it's big money for a lot of people.

And the big deadline to keep in mind is October 31st, you have to get your application in by.

And this works for really renters and homeowners can receive anchor benefits.

And that's a change from the way the state used to do it.

It used to exclude renters.

And now there's a component for renters who make up to $150,000 annually.

For homeowners, the income ceiling is $250,000.

And so those really, if there are nearly 2 million New Jersey residents who would fall into either one of those buckets to be able to apply for this relief.

For a big group, the state submits your application on your behalf based on information that you've previously provided.

For seniors this year, that's $1,000.

And that's a huge amount of money.

And so, I think, you know, we're going to have to figure out how to do that.

>> And I think that's a big part of the problem.

I think that's a big part of the problem.

I think that's a big part of the problem.

I think that's a big part of the problem.

There's a new application called PAS1 that seniors have to fill out.

And the big message to convey today is if you're a senior or disabled resident who you qualify for ANCHOR and maybe in the past the state's filled out your application, that's not happening this year.

You have to go and fill out this application by October 31st to get your benefit.

And senior benefits are the biggest benefits both for renters and for homeowners.

And that deadline is the same for those folks.

Wasn't there a September 15th deadline in order to be automatically entered in?

Yes.

Good on you for careful reading of these promotions that come out.

So for the group that maybe you received a letter from the state that said your application was submitted on your by the state on your behalf so you would automatically receive your benefit.

You have to check that letter, make sure that the address is right, make sure that your name on it is correct, and then if you want to change your banking information or maybe how you receive the benefit, the benefit comes your choice, direct deposit or check.

Say you've received a check now you want direct deposit.

If you want to make any change you have until the end of Monday to get that change to the state so they can move forward with the correct information.

Okay, that's important to know.

How much has the average property tax bill gone up recently?

I mean, how big of a dent could this potentially make?

And you mentioned the fact that renters are included, which has been a big part of what advocates have talked about because a lot of lower income folks who really need the benefit weren't included in programs in years past.

Renters are now part of this, but how much are these property taxes going up on average?

Yeah, and we should note that renters pay property taxes indirectly.

So their landlords baked in, typically what's baked into your monthly rent charge would be a portion of property taxes.

And so we know from looking at the most recent inflation reports that costs for housing in general, but especially for rent, are rising.

We know from the state data that the average New Jersey property tax bill went up by nearly $300 year over year coming out of 2023 into 2024.

We've read a lot of headlines recently about a lot of places where property taxes are going up even more to fund local schools.

So a big part of property taxes in New Jersey levied at the local level.

They fund schools.

The biggest part, actually.

Typically on a typical homeowner's property tax bill, the biggest portion goes to local schools, police departments, local road maintenance and snow removal.

So these are services a lot of us rely on.

They're also costly to provide.

The state funds big programs like Anchor to help offset that burden.

In this most recent iteration of Anchor, benefits have been held flat.

So no change year over year, even though we see those increases in the average property tax bill, we see the data on renting increases.

And so that's a tougher-- Not necessarily keeping up with inflation and other rising costs.

Right.

So when we talk about affordability in general, probably you're happy money's coming from the state to help cushion these big costs.

But as that money comes in, the ceiling on those costs is going up even more as the money stays flat.

So another crunch for people to manage, although pay attention because you'll be happy to receive this benefit, - Oh, for sure.

But let's just stay on that for a moment, how sustainable it is because it's costly.

And you also mentioned Senior Freeze, Stay and J, which is a new program, which of course we don't have time to get into all of that, but it costs a lot of money.

We have a election in November, a new administration will be coming in.

What's the longterm here as far as we know?

- So the state spends more than four billion annually now on these types of direct property tax relief programs, Anchor being the most expensive of the big ones.

The state is running at what they call a structural gap, so spending more than state government takes in annually from taxes.

At some point, it's going to give, because they've been spending down surplus in recent years to basically bridge the gap.

Will we get to a point where these programs, where they have to make hard decisions and things like these programs get looked at closer if revenues don't catch up to the spending ambitions of our state policymakers.

That's something that we've been looking at in revenue reports and the budget in general.

And we'll have to see how this year plays out to see how quickly those hard decisions, which right now are on the horizon, get into the forefront.

- All right, you can read John's full story on this as well as where people can go if they need help or have questions about filing, all of those links are in your piece on our website with all of your other great budget reporting.

NJSpotlightNews.org.

John, thanks as always.

- You're welcome.

- Support for The Business Report is provided by the Newark Alliance Presents the 2025 Halsey Fest, featuring the vibrancy of Newark's Arts and Education District and Halsey Street.

A neighborhood built on hustle and heart.

The 2025 Halsey Fest schedule is available at halseynwk.com.

- Finally tonight, after more than a decade, minor league hockey is making a comeback in New Jersey.

It's about time.

With a new professional team getting ready to once again call the Cure Arena in Trenton home.

And fans can help name it.

The team is part of the ECHL, that's the baseball equivalent of AA, and it's moving from Utah to start the season here in October 2026, featuring players hoping to eventually reach the NHL.

Now they're asking hockey fans to submit names online that reflect what makes Tretton and the surrounding town so unique.

For a refresher, the last team to play here was the Tretton Titans, they ended back in 2013.

One lucky person whose name is chosen will win a pair of season tickets to the team's inaugural season.

Mercer County officials say 36 home games are planned with the expectation that it'll draw hundreds of thousands of fans.

It's all part of a larger effort to continue revitalizing the downtown and entertainment district and of course ramp up a little hometown pride.

That's going to do it for us tonight but 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 and with election day just around the corner check out our annual voter guide to get up to speed on the candidates and races on the ballot this year.

Just head to the NJ Decides 2025 tab on our homepage.

I'm Briana Vannozzi.

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

Have a great night.

We'll see you right back here tomorrow.

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