With the release of New Jersey’s preliminary State Development and Redevelopment Plan, researchers from CUPR and VTC updated the state’s long-required Infrastructure Needs Assessment. The assessment examines long-term infrastructure needs across sectors like water, transportation, flood protection, and more, drawing on federal, state, and local data. Its goal is to support smarter, coordinated, and long-term capital planning that protects public health, safety, and supports sustainable development statewide.
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New Jersey’s business outlook for 2026: What you need to know
“New Jersey has a tough road ahead of it,” Hughes said. “It took a long time for us to move into that negative business position, so I think the road out is going to be long as well.”
Montclair PILOT ‘Sharing’ Measure Won’t Fly – But Town Considering Other Options
The inequitable sharing, Pfeiffer said, has a long history that favors municipal governments. This is because when initially established by the legislature, PILOTs were only available to Urban Aid municipalities, which would typically correspond with the list of then Abbott districts, where the state covered greater portions of school costs.
EJB Talks: Fighting for Government Accountability in NJ
Stuart Shapiro asks Julia Rubin, why New Jersey has long been considered one of the most politically corrupt states. She explains how a consistent pattern of high-profile cases have contributed to this perception, citing the influence of the state’s longtime political machines and the now-abolished “county line” primary ballot that heavily favored party-backed candidates as primary examples. She also walks us through how years of research, lawsuits, and the more recent Menendez scandal have culminated in a major reform that replaced the county line with fairer office-block ballots, leading to more competitive races, higher voter turnout, and a growing number of reform-minded legislators.
NJ Job Losses Reach 16K For 2025; What Does 2026 Hold?
“We may start seeing signs of a recession, but that doesn’t mean we’re in a recession,” he told NJ101.5. “The economy is constantly flowing, changing. I don’t see us at the moment being in recession. But there clearly is potential for that.”
“Work Trends RU” Podcast with Beth Simone Noveck, Ph.D.
Listen to the latest episode of the Heldrich Center’s Work Trends RU podcast, featuring featuring Aaron Fichtner, Ph.D., President of the New Jersey Council of County Colleges. Dr. Fichtner discusses the role New Jersey’s 18 community colleges play in expanding access to higher education, developing a skilled workforce, and meeting the evolving needs of students, employers, and local communities.
Prof. Andrews Interviewed About New Jersey’s Propane Emergency
“[It] can lead to frozen pipes, can lead to sick kids, it could lead to a whole variety of problems,” Prof. Andrews said.
He said that the whole situation underscores how problematic the use of propane can be.
Why your mom’s weekly trip to Boscov’s may be saving N.J.’s struggling malls
For young people at the time, malls weren’t just retail spaces but social hubs. Baby boomers treated mall trips as scheduled weekend activities, using malls to discover new styles, browse new merchandise and hang out with friends, according to James W. Hughes, a Rutgers University economist and professor.
Charter schools proposed as solution to New Jersey’s segregation crisis
Expect “huge political pushback,” says Rutgers education policy expert Julia Sass Rubin, who co-founded a grassroots group that opposes the expansion of charter schools without approval from the local school board and voters. Former Republican Gov. Chris Christie expanded charters dramatically in Newark and Camden but was blocked from a similar push in the suburbs.
New work requirements for SNAP recipients take effect
“Many individuals would prefer to be working,” Hetling said in an interview with NJ Spotlight News. “Often they’re experiencing some type of challenge, whether that’s kind of a long-lived or a short-lived one, that prevents them from fully engaging in the labor market right now.”