This post will be updated as news about the coronavirus in New Jersey breaks. September 14  New Cases: 346 Total Cases: 196,698 New Deaths: 3 Total Confirmed Deaths: 14,245 Total Probable Deaths: 1,789 As of 10 p.m. September 13: 420 total hospitalizations 91 in critical or intensive care 41 ventilators in use For more information, visit covid19.nj.gov. September 13 New Cases: 306 Total Cases: 196,634 New Deaths: 4 Total Confirmed Deaths: 14,242 Total Probable Deaths: 1,789 State Officials also reported New Jersey’s transmission rate of 1.06 , slightly down from Saturday As of ..read more

https://player.pbs.org/widget/partnerplayer/3046549274/?endscreen=false It’s the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. The coronavirus is changing how we honor heroes from that day, but it hasn’t changed the deep sense of pride in the years following. Gov. Phil Murphy reported another 518 positive COVID-19 tests Friday. The statewide cumulative total is 195,888. Nine new deaths were confirmed for a total of 16,023 confirmed and probably fatalities. A North Bergen nursing home is getting slapped with a nearly $30,000 fine after the federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration, know ..read more

https://player.pbs.org/widget/partnerplayer/3046563361/?endscreen=false A senior center in Franklin Borough has been a general election polling center for years. Councilman Stephen Skellenger says he has a simple solution to keep it that way for the next election. “We have the facilities, and many towns do, to set up outdoor voting,” Skellenger said. “I actually got the idea when I was out at a restaurant a couple of weeks ago.” In August, Gov. Phil Murphy issued an executive order requiring vote-by-mail ballots be sent to all active registered voters to cut down on long voting lines during th ..read more

https://player.pbs.org/widget/partnerplayer/3046564714/?endscreen=false A number of districts including Little Silver, Chatham, and the Middlesex County Vocational Technical School have cancelled in-person classes. The Elizabeth Public School system and Summit are reporting positive tests in their schools. Colleges are facing the same battle. The Murphy administration says they’re closely monitoring the situation. According to the Department of Health, New Jersey’s population of 19 to 24 year olds now has the highest percent positivity in the state, with high school-age kids a close second. Is ..read more

https://player.pbs.org/widget/partnerplayer/3046572193/?endscreen=false An innovative idea to raise revenue for the state may not get past the idea stage. A bill has been proposed that would allow New Jersey to enact a tax on financial transactions, and Gov. Phil Murphy has said he’s willing to consider that. But if that happens, the New York Stock Exchange is planning to move its technology operations out of North Jersey, according to The Wall Street Journal. At the governor’s news conference Friday, the governor said he was hoping to have a “constructive dialog” with exchange operators on th ..read more

https://player.pbs.org/widget/partnerplayer/3046567677/?endscreen=false Currently only licensed doctors can perform surgical abortions in New Jersey. But rule changes under consideration by the state’s Board of Medical Examiners could provoke a backlash by letting other medical professionals — like nurse practitioners, physicians assistants and midwives — do simple, in-office surgical abortions using a suction device. It’s a procedure usually done during the first 13 weeks of pregnancy. “We insert a small vacuum inside the uterus and empty the contents to end the pregnancy. It really takes abo ..read more

https://player.pbs.org/widget/partnerplayer/3046550113/?endscreen=false Many public school buildings in New Jersey are close to a hundred years old with antiquated, or no, ventilation systems. Willingboro is one of the the nearly 250 districts that have opted for all-remote learning “Some of our current challenges are as follows: Number one, inadequate HV systems to properly ventilate rooms. This can serve as a major issue in regards to the high temperatures during the month of September. Many of our schools have only partial air conditioning, making the early months of the school year an addi ..read more

https://player.pbs.org/widget/partnerplayer/3046503109/?endscreen=false This week is said to be a test of the new normal living under the shadow of a pandemic as kids return to school and many head back to work for the first time since March. Already we’re seeing how quickly the coronavirus can disrupt plans. Several school districts across the state,  including Chatham High School and Middlesex County Vo-Tech, quickly shut down in-person learning after confirming students tested positive for COVID-19. Thursday the state Department of Health reported 507 new cases for a cumulative total o ..read more

https://player.pbs.org/widget/partnerplayer/3046531638/?endscreen=false In November, New Jersey voters will get to decide whether or not marijuana should be legal for recreational use. Axel Owen is the campaign manager for NJ CAN 2020, a coalition made up of advocacy groups and members of the cannabis industry who are campaigning for legalized marijuana for people 21 and over. “To basically give them the opportunity to buy it in a controlled facility that is regulated and safe from seed for sale. That we actually know what exactly you’re getting, the potency, that there’s no contamination,” Ow ..read more

https://player.pbs.org/widget/partnerplayer/3046526534/?endscreen=false A new Monmouth University poll on the national race shows Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden with a nine point lead over President Donald Trump. The poll shows 51% of registered voters nationwide prefer Biden while 42% favor Trump. Reports of the president’s remarks about the military are apparently having little impact on the race. But there appears to be evidence for potential voter distrust in the outcome. Monmouth University Polling Institute’s founding director Patrick Murray joins NJTV News Anchor Briana Vanno ..read more