New Jerseyans are following public health guidelines less vigilantly now than when the coronavirus pandemic began last spring though there was an uptick in adherence to public health advice during the winter surge, according to a study done by researchers at Rutgers University and other universities. Researchers said a more relaxed attitude toward behaviors that slow the spread of COVID-19 could come at a cost. Even though a growing number of people are getting vaccinated, new and more virulent strains of the virus have emerged and could lead to another spike in infections. “We’re still hoping ..read more

New Jersey reported another 2,201 positive PCR tests Monday as well as 421 new positive antigen tests, for a cumulative total since the start of the pandemic of 814,916 positive cases. The positivity rate for all PCR tests taken on Thursday was 7.13%. The statewide rate of transmission was 1.06. There were 1,786 coronavirus patients in New Jersey hospitals as of Sunday night, with 393 in critical care and 237 requiring a ventilator. Hospitals also discharged 179 live patients. Officials also reported another 20 deaths from complications of COVID-19. The state has now seen 21,193 lab-confirmed ..read more

New York City high school students are coming back to the classroom. After learning from home for months, Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter says in person instruction will resume for high schoolers March 22 nd . “With a point 57 positivity rate, our schools are the safest place to be and we are ready to reopen schools for our high schoolers. Approximately half of our high schools will be offering in person learning five days week.” Meanwhile, high risk sports for students will be coming back through a phased in approach in mid April. No audiences will be allowed there will be a push to get spor ..read more

On March 8, 2020, Trinitas Regional Medical Center treated its first Covid patient. On Monday, at Elizabeth High School, it vaccinated a thousand community residents with the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. Chief Nursing Officer Mary McTigue said they took the initiative here to make sure vulnerable populations would be vaccinated. “We reached out to senior housing, we reached out to houses of worship, and also to different social service agencies in our community,” she said, “in order to be able to help their people in particular access vaccination.” McTigue said they also focused on reaching co ..read more

Celebrate this International Women’s Day with a diverse spread of new music ..read more

Longtime WBGO collaborative, award-winning documentarian and U.S. Air Force veteran Eric V. Tait, Jr. expresses his thoughts on the raid on the U.S. Capitol building on January 6, 2021. Tait reminds us in his commentary that this wasn't the first time such an incident happened. Tait, a former Presdient of NYABJ, also produced "Then I'll Be Free To Travel Home" radio and television documentary series that aired on WBGO. That series documented the sacrifices Colonial black made to the fouding of the Colonies in the Northeast, to the establishment of the nation in our Revolutionary War forces, th ..read more

One year after the coronavirus pandemic shuttered classrooms around the country and the world, a new NPR/Ipsos poll find U.S. parents are guardedly optimistic about the academic and social development of their children. 62% of parents say their child's education has been disrupted. And, more than 4 out of 5 would like to see schools provide targeted extra services to help their kids catch up. This includes just over half of parents who support the idea of summer school. WBGO resident reporter and dad James Frazier has more on what parents and students having been facing during remote learning ..read more

Recreational marijuana is finally legal in the Garden State. After a failed bid to pass recreational marijuana in the state legislature, a statewide ballot question overwhelmingly approved by voters, and then disputes over how the new system would look, Gov. Phil Murphy signed three new laws last month effectively legalizing weed for personal use. But what does that mean? Many aspects of this new paradigm — from the legal marketplace to the implications for policing to the expungement of past convictions — remain hazy. Here’s what we know and don’t know yet about the state of legal cannabis in ..read more

The other major public health threat facing New Jersey — the opioid epidemic — did not abate during the state’s COVID-19 outbreak. In fact, it got a bit worse. The state recorded 3,046 suspected drug overdose deaths last year, a slight uptick from the 3,021 overdose fatalities reported in 2019, according to new state data. Gov. Phil Murphy said the increased feelings of isolation and anxiety caused by the coronavirus pandemic had officials worried the number would be even higher. “At one level, we could say it could’ve been a lot worse,” Murphy said during a Facebook Live stream Thursday after ..read more

There’s a big gap between the rents in Newark and what people can afford. A study by Rutgers University shows that Newark renters have a median income of about $30,000 a year, meaning an affordable rent would be about $760 a month. But the actual median rent is about $1100. Law professor David Troutt said the real estate industry can’t be left to its own devices here. “There was a time when the federal government was far more directly involved in building affordable housing,” he said, “and we really have to return to that because this report could be done for many, many, many cities in this co ..read more