Joanna Gagis

United States

Senior Correspondent at NJ PBS

Senior Correspondent/ NJ Spotlight News / NJ PBS

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Articles

Murphy announces $430M in relief for rising electricity rates

3 weeks ago | njspotlightnews.org | Joanna Gagis

Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday unveiled a $430 million relief plan aimed at cushioning the blow for New Jersey households facing a 20% increase in electricity rates this summer. Starting in July and running through December, the new program will provide a minimum of $100 in direct savings for every household, roughly enough to offset the expected $25 monthly increase. Lower and moderate-income households will see larger rebates of at least $250, officials said.
Police spending tied to Black residents' deaths, study says

3 weeks ago | njspotlightnews.org | Joanna Gagis

A new study published by Rutgers School of Public Health challenges the idea that investing in policing helps keep communities safer. The study cited recent research that showed a correlation between a community’s spending on police and the suicide rates among that community’s Black residents, as well as police killings of Black residents.
Newark mayor sues federal officials over arrest

3 weeks ago | njspotlightnews.org | Joanna Gagis

Upping the stakes in the now-famous confrontation, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka announced Tuesday that he is filing a lawsuit against interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba over his arrest last month outside the Delaney Hall immigration detention center. Also named in the lawsuit is Ricky Patel, the special agent in charge at the federal Department of Homeland Security.
Funding cuts slam violence intervention programs

3 weeks ago | njspotlightnews.org | Joanna Gagis

Violence intervention programs in some of New Jersey’s biggest cities are among the latest New Jersey programs to be hit by federal funding cuts, with the the U.S. Department of Justice cutting $3.5 million for programs in cities like Newark, Camden and Trenton. NJ Spotlight News spoke with Aqueela Sherrills, who leads the Community-Based Public Safety Collective, a nationwide organization that helps mediate conflicts and build relationships in high-risk neighborhoods.
How lawmakers are targeting energy rate increases

4 weeks ago | newjerseyhills.com | Joanna Gagis

This article is part of the NJ Spotlight News “Under the Dome” series that takes a deep dive into state government and how its actions and policies affect the people who live and work in New Jersey. In just about a week, New Jersey residents will feel the pain of energy prices spiking by about 20%. On Thursday, lawmakers in Trenton moved forward several bills aimed at addressing the increases.
Democratic candidates on attack in final days of primary

4 weeks ago | njspotlightnews.org | Joanna Gagis

Turn on any TV or device right now and you’re likely to see an attack ad from one of the six Democratic candidates for governor. And with just over a week to go until primary Election Day, many have turned their sights — and those advertisements — towards U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-11th), who’s leading the pack in the latest polls. Democratic strategist Dan Bryan said he’s surprised there haven’t seen more attack ads and sooner in this primary race.
FDA limits coming on COVID vaccines?

1 month ago | njspotlightnews.org | Joanna Gagis

New guidance from the Food and Drug Administration could change who has access to COVID-19 vaccines, as federal officials indicate they could require additional clinical trials before allowing the shots to the general populations. NJ Spotlight News spoke with Stephanie Silvera, an epidemiologist at Montclair State University, about the prospects of new limits and how they would compare with previous vaccine approvals.
House holds marathon hearing over Medicaid changes

1 month ago | njspotlightnews.org | Joanna Gagis

In a marathon hearing of the House of Representatives that started Tuesday at 2 p.m. and continued through the night and into Wednesday. members of the Energy and Commerce Committee — including three from New Jersey — debated and marked up portions of a bill that would make significant changes to Medicaid.
Newark Airport again faces air traffic control issue, raising safety concerns

1 month ago | njspotlightnews.org | Joanna Gagis

Air traffic controllers once again lost radar and communication with planes coming in and out of Newark Liberty International Airport. The outage happened around 3:55 a.m. Friday and lasted about 90 seconds, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. This is the second time that communication went dark for 90 seconds between pilots and air traffic controllers. The first was on April 28, prompting several controllers taking trauma leave, only worsening staffing shortages in the agency.
NJ primary election 2025: Mikie Sherrill

1 month ago | njspotlightnews.org | Joanna Gagis

U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-11th), the former Navy helicopter pilot, prosecutor and mom of four, was one of the later candidates to jump into the Democratic primary race for New Jersey governor. But she quickly became the frontrunner after winning several county conventions, including Essex, Middlesex, Mercer and Ocean Counties. “Organization still matters. You go into a county, a big Democratic county. Somebody’s gonna have a list of volunteers. That’s a huge advantage for you.