-- ANNOUNCER: major funding for NJ Spotlight News, provided by -- And by the PSEG foundation.

BRIANNA: Water levels continue to rise in the Passaic River basin, creating a pattern of flooding that is too much for many residents to bear.

>> This is crazy.

This is ridiculous.

They need to either build a higher wage or a higher wall so the water doesn't come this way because I have been told this has been going on for years.

BRIANNA: Also, what we learned about last summer's deadly new work part fire after we one of the federal hearing.

Ted Goldberg breaks it down.

Plus, 100 days since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

Students in New Jersey band together to educate their community about the history behind the conflict.

>> We need everyone to sign a contract.

You couldn't even start yelling from it you could have a passionate conversation, but yet was not allowed because it was a place to feel uncomfortable.

BRIANNA: And remembering Dr. Martin with the engineer on this holiday.

Local activists continue the push to make his former home in Camden a historical site.

>> Is critical, it's a part of history.

So the fact that it is a part of history that the validity no, whatever we can do to allow the awareness, that is where going to do.

BRIANNA: NJSpotlightNews begins right now.

♪ ANNOUNCER: from NJPBS Studios, this is "NJSpotlightNews" with Brianna Vannozzi.

BRIANNA: good evening and thanks for joining us.

This Monday night, I am Briana Vannozzi.

Another winter storm is hitting the state.

It is the first of two potential events this week alone.

Forecasters say it will be widespread bringing with it 2 to four inches of snow across most of New Jersey.

Up to five inches is possible in northwestern part of the state.

But the timing of the snowfall is expected to be the toughest part -- snow switching over to a wintry mix early tomorrow morning that could make for a messy commute and possibly delayed school openings.

The National Weather Service is also tracking the potential of more significant snow Thursday into Friday and issued winter weather advisories beginning tonight for every County except Cape May and the coastal section of Atlantic.

It is adding insult to injury for residents along the Passaic River, which is slowly receding in areas like Patterson and Little Falls after reaching major flood stage.

The towns were battered by the recent rain storms, and for the third time in a month, homeowners and residents are dealing with the aftermath, pumping out floodwater and desperately seeking the state's helps.

Senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan reports.

>> Horrible.

Very horrible.

This is not what I plan when I moved on the block.

[laughs] REPORTER: Celestino moved into her at her symptom apartments just three weeks ago on the street along the Passaic River.

Now, liquor neighbors and other flooded out folks, she's angry, demanding answers.

>> This is ridiculous.

They need to either build a higher bridge or build a higher wall so the water doesn't come this way, because I have just been going on for years.

>> We have six days without any hot water.

Everything is damaged downstairs.

REPORTER: Angel showed us his basement where five of water is with leading, leaving behind it damaged hot water heater and furnace.

In just a few days, the flood drowned cars and blocked access to businesses like this body shop.

How much do you think the business is using?

>> Weekly?

On my behalf, weekly or losing over $7,000 a week, if so.

That is a lot of money.

>> This is an ongoing problem for years.

You would think they would be able to fix it.

Reporter: Nathan is in a home that has been elevated a lot of blood -- aabove flood levels.

Last week Governor Murphy said New Jersey is offering $10 million in Aid to help homeowners Elevate homes in high-risk flood zones or buy them out entirely.

Derelict structures obviously damaged in Prior floods sit abandoned along many of these streets.

>> There has been talk that you want to dredge the river.

Anything that can help alleviate the pain here in Paterson, because too many people are in pain here in Paterson.

Reporter: Maia Andre Sayegh met us on Bergen Street, where floodwaters had started freezing.

Snow is expected tonight.

He is pushing for funds to build a floodwall.

>> We applied for a flood resiliency grant to build a wall on McBride Avenue.

Reporter: The Passaic River is cresting at about nine feet right now, but the river's historic record topped 17.5 feet back in 1903.

Not surprising, given about 40 rivers and Brooks empty into the Passaic basin from Colorado North Jersey.

The problem is draining that basin.

30 years ago, the Army Corps of Engineers studied the problem Ed recommended a 20 mile long tunnel to drain floodwater down to the Newark Bay plus build more than 70 miles of levees and six miles of flood walls.

Experts estimated that tunnel could cost 100 million dollars a mile to construct.

End of the idea went nowhere.

Now Congressman Bill Pascrell is asking the Army Corps to revive the concept.

The mayor agrees.

>> I went to explore options because these poor people need relief.

Reporter: He said the city's office of emergency management is still assessing damages and has joined with the United Way to raise funds for flood victims.

The river is not expected to completely subside until later this week.

In Paterson, I am Brenda Flanagan, NJ Spotlight News.

BRIANNA: The product book -- the public is getting its first look at what happened in that Grande Costa D'Avorio cargo ship when a deadly fire broke out last summer killing two Newark firefighters.

The U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board began a public hearing last week to examine the cause of the fire on the massive cargo ship carrying more than 1200 vehicles, and to probe deeper into the response.

Ted Goldberg covered the first three days of the hearing and joins with the latest.

Ted, it is so good to have you.

What did we learn specifically about how this fire started, that we didn't already know from last July?

Ted: what did Mr. get's have been able to rule out is every theory except for that the pusher Jeep, a modified Jeep used to push cards onto the ship, that is where the fire started.

When you look at it, the Lasher, the worker that was driving it, testified that there were no prior issues with this car before the fire had started.

Then all of a sudden, he drives the car onto the ship and he is hearing from his coworkers about some of the dangers going on.

Take a listen, this is from day one of the hearing.

>> All the other Lashers are there to secure the vehicle to the deck.

They started screaming at me to get out of the car because the car was on fire.

BRIANNA: That, of course, is Gaven Puchinsky, he is the worker you mentioned who was using the Jeep that caught fire.

So what do we know about the inside of the inside of any protocol to take care of this?

Because it seems like so far, there was no real structure in place to act if a fire like this broke out.

TED: There was a bit of confusion with the Jeep itself, because as one worker testified, the Jeep was put off to the side.

As that worker said, it was, knowledge that if the Jeep was to the side, that means it is broken.

The mechanic needs to clear it before it could start working again.

But how that car came back into service was a bit unclear.

Another employee side, off to the side, that doesn't mean anything -- -- that was the general manager of ports America.

So there was confusion over the car should be back in service.

When the Jeep got back into the ship, and once the fire began to spread.

One of the first people to respond was the second in command of the Grande Costa D'Avorio.

He testified tearfully, it was a very hunting experience you could tell for him, and this is what he had to say about dealing with the fire and the flames and the horrific aftermath.

>> [tearfully] Two brave firefighters lost their life on board.

On the Grande Costa D'Avorio.

We offer our deep condolences to their family and friends.

BRIANNA: BRIANNA: So emotional there, and I think we have also been given the opportunity through the exhibits in this hearing to see some of the images, just of these charred vehicles on board.

So you can only imagine what they were up against.

What do we expect then, for this next part of the hearing that he will be covering this week>>?

TED: The next few days will focus on the response from the New York fire department and the other fire companies that responded.

Obviously it started with Newark and expanded from that permit we heard a bit about the initial response, and some of the opposition, the captain of the ship said he had some differences with how the Newark fire Department responded.

We would hear from fire officials within the Newark fire department later this week.

We should also note that the end of the hearing later this week does not conclude the investigation, it is merely a part of it.

When the investigation is over, that is when a report will, from the NTSB and the Coast Guard.

There is no timetable for that unfortunately, we will be waiting sometime for recommendations to come forward.

BRIANNA: And potentially more answers.

Ted Goldberg, thank you so much.

TED: Thank you.

BRIANNA: The war in Gaza has passed the 100 day mark.

The Israeli prime minister Last night vowed to continue fighting until Hamas is destroyed, all in response to the surprise attack on October 7 when the government said 1200 Israelis were killed.

Protests erupted around the world over the weekend colorful a ceasefire as the famine and devastation mounts in Gaza.

More than 24,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes since the start of the war, tens of thousands more injured, according to the health ministry in Gaza.

.

Hundreds and thousands of others are missing and presumed dead.

Than 100-date milestone was widely commemorated across Israel and here in New Jersey among Palestinian supporters of the families and supporters of the remaining hostages.

Israeli officials estimate 25 have died will being held by the militant group, and 132 are still in captivity.

Among them, to Native Edan Alexander, whose family pleaded with the government this weekend to help bring him home.

Governor Murphy catching heat on socially after posting on X about the immediate return of this hostages, but not mentioning the Palestinian-American residents in New Jersey who have lost family members in the war.

We have reached out to Governor Murphy's office for comment, but did not receive a response in time for this broadcast.

Meanwhile, the U.S. and New Jersey continue to see a staggering rise of anti-Semitic and is normal since the war broke out.

The U.S. Department of Education confirmed on Friday it opened a federal civil right investigation into Teaneck public schools for what it calls discrimination involving shared ancestry, adding the districts to a list of other educational institutions being investigated since October 7 including Newark public schools, and records University Newark.

The Teaneck announcement comes after high-school students staged a walkout in November in support of Palestinians.

Despite those tensions 02 Teaneck high-school students, one Jewish, one Muslim, are helping to bring their communities together but helping to better understand the conflict.

Our senior correspondent reports as part of our theories and antisemitism commit racism and extremism.

>> I posted, who would be willing to help me with an educational event.

She was really passionate about it.

>> I had a lot of peers who were posting things on social media who had never heard of Israel and Palestine before.

So I wanted to let them learn in a space that wasn't just social media so they could ask questions without getting into heated conversations.

Reporter: So when she messaged the other student on histogram, the two created a plan to hold an educational discussion for their peers at Teaneck high school called "through deeper lens."

They held it at the center in Bergen County.

>> I was scared this would end really badly.

But how we started it was we had a records professor gave a piece that looks at things in the deep history of it, the deep, of what is going on.

We looked into the naqba, and then we look into the Holocaust.

We give everyone basic information that they need to know.

Reporter: It made it ripe for a conversation like this, but they needed a framework to make it safe.

They drew on the program they attended this summer where they engaged with people who have extreme views on the number of issues from guns to abortion.

>> We made everyone sign a contract saying that you couldn't even start yelling.

You could have a passionate conversation, but yelling was allowed.

Because it was a safe space to feel uncomfortable.

It's not legally binding, but meant that in the back of their heads they were remanded to be uncomfortable, to listen to the other person and not to yell when you feel angry or upset.

Reporter: The event was such a success that they held a second one a month later called "a lens for all," specifically for adults in the community who they believe often steer the opinions of the children.

>> It's important to recognize that the way you feel your opinions, others feel for there's.

Reporter: Are you willing to change your opinion?

>> I would be willing to change my opinion, but I am willing to understand others and sympathize with others, which is really important.

You are not being asked to change the way you feel towards yours, but you have to be able to have respect for the others as well.

>> The goal of the conversation was not to change people's opinions.

I think it was to change how we view others opinions.

Reporter: Did you find that you were able to facilitate conversations through other people's discomfort?

What did that look like?

>> There were a couple of tables at both of our events were there was a strong difference of opinions.

I had people come to us after and they were, like, I felt uncomfortable.

But I feel like the minute you start feeling uncomfortable, is the minute he start learning something new about the other.

>> There were conversations will not change what is happening in Israel and Palestine, but we want to change the situation around here so that in the future and for the long-term, people have the ability to have these conversations online as well, but with everyone.

Reporter: The events are not part of the Teaneck School District that this staff member says the district support their efforts.

>> I haven't met many students who have the passion or who have the incentive to try to bring about the change that they totally believe in.

Which makes me so proud of them.

I get emotional thinking about it.

And I hope that they are able to be the example to all the other youth in not just the school, but the nation.

Reporter: The students are now starting a nonprofit called "the deeper lens," where they will take the program to have developed an offer it to other school districts and community organizations that want to have similar uncomfortable conversations within their own communities.

In Teaneck, I am Joanna Gagis, NJ Spotlight News.

BRIANNA: Governor Murphy got to work signing bills into law on Friday that were passed during the final days of the legislature's lame-duck session.

Taking his pen into a package of bills aimed at improving immigrants'right in the Garden state, creating the first ever domestic workers' Bill of Rights, which will give more protection to some 50,000 workers in jobs like caretaking and house-keeping, many of whom are black or Latino.

Another requires the states to transmit government records into multiple negligence.

The third change is how Asian residents can identify in demographic data collection.

The trio of new laws comes as New Jersey finds itself in the mood of controversy, with border states sending tens of thousands of migrant New York City -- migrant to New York City.

And other law on the books is the crisis was once act, named after a Paterson and Jersey City man who were shot by police.

It gives money to support a pilot program that will help towns create community crisis response teams.

The state's Reparations Council is continuing its public outreach sessions to explore the history and impact of slavery in New Jersey.

The face and black resistance committee recently held a third installment of the hearings and focus on the really discussed role of organized religion supporting New Jersey's slave trade.

Senior political correspondent David Cruz reports.

REPORTER: It's worth noting that New Jersey was the southernmost of the northern states, and as such, was geographically well-positioned to take advantage of the economic value of enslaved people.

It was also the last northern state to abolish slavery.

It was in that context that faith and black resistance, a community within the New Jersey Reparations Council, held its third public session recently.

The topic of discussion -- >> It was the historical role organized religion included in supporting of the slave trade.

Reporter: Charles Boyer is the director of salvation and social justice, and the committee codirector.

>> Whether that is the Presbyterian Church, the Episcopal Church, the Lutheran Church, the Catholic Church, many religious educational institutions like seminaries, many others all benefited from enslaved labor in some way.

And whether it was members of clergy or the churches themselves owning enslaved black people, or the church is receiving taxes and ties from congregants in the form of buying enslaved people or money order by slaveholders, the wealth of these churches which they still benefit from today, these denominations commit these beautiful cathedrals and these endowments in place which keep many of them alive, is inextricably intertwined with the slave trade.

>> This is a range of culpable behaviors.

A range of supporting behaviors.

And there will be folks who are thinking, "I never thought about church ties on the backs of enslaved people as being the church supporting slavery."

Now is the time for us to think about that and to talk about that.

Reporter: It was in response to that, that the AME, African Methodist Episcopal Church was founded in New Jersey and other states, noted Charles Boyer.

The Council is the creation of the New Jersey Institute of social justice, formed in response to the smooth piece and reluctance on the part of state government to take on the discussion of reparations, including the who and the how of it.

Ryan Haygood is the president and CEO.

>> New Jersey Reparations Council is finally confronting and working to repair the enduring harm from New Jersey's deep and often overlooked institutional slavery and fits the enduring impact on the contemporary life on Black people in our state.

Reporter: With partners that include the Robert Wood Johnson and records law school, the Council will release a report on Juneteenth of 2025 with recommendations which they hope lawmakers will use to deliberate on how a system of reparations could be implemented in New Jersey.

I am David Cruz, NJ Spotlight News.

BRIANNA: And finally, as we celebrate the life and impact of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. today, activists in New Jersey are pushing to secure his legacy within the state.

They say the civil rights icon lived in Camden for short time as he was forming historic nonviolent civil rights form.

The home is already recognized by the city, that has so far, been denied historic status from the state because of conflicting research.

Melissa Rose Cooper spoke to the group trying to turn the dilapidated building into a historic museum.

>> The house is in deplorable conditions.

We had a fire here back earlier last year.

Reporter: Yet he says this house at 753 Walnut Street in Camden is part of the city's history that needs to be told .

>> This is the house where Dr. King stayed during the summers and weekends from 1948-1951 where he was a student at Crozier theological seminary in Chester, PA. During that time, obviously his will was mostly white.

's best friend was staying here as well.

But the most important thing was that on that special day on June 11, 1950, when Dr. King stood on those steps and was warned when he was getting ready to go down to the local café,?

in Maple Shade, New Jersey.

REPORTER: They went to the café at where they were threatened and refused service.

The incident is what is believed to have sparked Dr King's nonviolent approach in the fight for civil rights after charges were filed against the white café owner.

He and other local advocates are working to turn this house into a museum.

>> People can lock in and walk on the steps of Dr. King and see the chair he sat in and actually prepared his messages.

Reporter: The city's historic site registry in 2016, and lawmakers passed a resolution requesting the statement of similar designation.

But was denied based on a 2017 Stockton research paper questioning Dr King's residence here.

Researcher and civil-rights activist Patrick the, who discovered the home in 2014, said he promised to the previous order that he would get it memorialized.

>> It has been really difficult because they have not recognized it.

A lot of people think that they are wrong in not recognizing it, including John Lewis, who came to this house, inside this house must be saved for future generations unborn.

The New Jersey NAACP which drafted a letter to the state of the New Jersey historical preservation office asking for this to be placed in the registry.

>> It's critical and the part of history, a part of history everyone needs to know.

Whatever we can do to allow the awareness, that is what we want to do.

Reporter: Roughly $100,000 in funding from the state historic trust is now being used for additional research into Camden's connections to the civil rights movement and Dr King's connection to the area .

>> Just knowing that, having an understanding that that energy was there and that presence was there, that is great for our city and our community to know that a person of that caliber who has meant so much to millions and millions of people was in the city of Camden.

Reporter: Once the state is complete and validated, the next steps will be to designate the sites on both the states and National Historical registers .

For NJ Spotlight News, I am Melissa Rose Cooper.

♪ BRIANNA: That will do it for us tonight.

But don't forget to download the NJ Spotlight News podcast so you can listen anytime.

I I am Brianna Vannozzi.

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

Have a great evening.

We will see you right back here tomorrow.

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