US House votes to launch process to provide billions for Trump mass deportations www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-h...

The Pentagon is asking Congress to codify the Department of War name. A Defense Dept. legislative proposal sent to Capitol Hill estimates the name change to date has cost about $50 million. But the CBO estimated the change could cost as much as $125 million: www.stripes.com/theaters/us/... #Flashes

NEW: A massive week awaits in Congress: Farm Bill, budget bill, vote on spying law and more. One New Jersey lawmaker remains missing and we do not know why. www.njspotlightnews.org/podcast/wher... @njspotlightnews.org @maddiference.bsky.social

NEWS: A New Jersey congressman has gone off the radar during a busy stretch on Capitol Hill. “They’re keeping this really tight-lipped," said one lawmaker. www.njspotlightnews.org/2026/04/radi... @njspotlightnews.org @genesisobando.bsky.social

This is what Sen. Kim is talking about: Republicans yesterday started a process that could lead to tens of billions more in funding for ICE & CBP. There is a lot that could change. But for starters, I wrote about it here at @njspotlightnews.org www.njspotlightnews.org/2026/04/immi... #ICE #CBP

NEWS: Members of Congress are worried about Tom Kean. He is not replying to texts or calls and has not voted in the House since early March. "We just haven’t heard a word." www.njspotlightnews.org/2026/04/radi... @njspotlightnews.org @genesisobando.bsky.social @maddiference.bsky.social

NEW: ICE and CBP have tens of billions of dollars in reserve. Republicans in Congress want to give them more money -- enough at least to "carry us through the Trump presidency." www.njspotlightnews.org/2026/04/immi... @njspotlightnews.org #ICE #CBP

NEW: Tom Kean has not voted in Congress since March 5. Why has he been out of Washington? His office has offered zero specifics. www.njspotlightnews.org/2026/04/kean... @njspotlightnews.org

Inflation is straining the personal finances of many government retirees living in New Jersey. Gov. Sherrill wants the state to make another full pension contribution in FY2027. But COLAs for retirees would stay frozen for at least another year. @njspotlightnews.org

we're back and allegedly better than ever: www.njspotlightnews.org/podcast/deco...

NEWS: This tax year is going to be more complicated than usual. The IRS is doing it with about 75% the staff it had before Trump. www.njspotlightnews.org/2026/04/mark... @njspotlightnews.org

The Supreme Court heard one of the biggest cases of the Trump era. It could rewrite what it means to be an American. www.njspotlightnews.org/2026/04/expl... @njspotlightnews.org

SCOTUS: “Colorado’s law banning conversion therapy, as applied to Ms. Chiles’s talk therapy, regulates speech based on viewpoint, and the lower courts erred by failing to apply sufficiently rigorous First Amendment scrutiny.” www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25p...

NEW: Most Democrats in the Senate would like to change or eliminate the filibuster. Now, it's the one thing blocking the Trump administration from "supercharged" deportations & more. www.njspotlightnews.org/2026/03/in-f... @njspotlightnews.org

NEWS: Federal prosecutors put a deal on the table to pay for clean up at a long-contaminated New Jersey site. The public has 60 days to weigh in on the agreement. www.njspotlightnews.org/2026/03/ford... @njspotlightnews.org

NEW: The North Atlantic Right Whale is near obliteration. Things may soon get worse for the species, if the Trump administration alters a key ocean safety rule. www.njspotlightnews.org/2026/03/noaa... @njspotlightnews.org

The Trump administration is building a national detention and deportation machine, including in New Jersey. My colleagues (like Colleen) and I at @njspotlightnews.org are all over this topic ---> #ICE #deportation

NEW: Two private prison firms are making a financial killing through their contracts with ICE. One is about to get an extended contract to run a detention site in New Jersey. www.njspotlightnews.org/2026/03/ice-... @njspotlightnews.org

First Venezuela. Then Iran. Next Cuba? Trump openly musing of toppling the Cuban government. “I do believe I will be having the honor of taking Cuba," Trump said today. GIFT LINK ---> www.nytimes.com/2026/03/16/w...

NEW: Democrats want congressional hearings on the Iran war. “The Trump administration must answer questions publicly under oath in front of the American people, not just behind closed doors," said New Jersey senator Cory Booker. @njspotlightnews.org @booker.senate.gov

NEWS: Congress is close to passing what could be a massive new bipartisan housing law with a lot of support. Obstacles? Trump and a hard-right faction of Republicans. www.njspotlightnews.org/2026/03/in-r... @njspotlightnews.org

NEW: After gutting Medicaid funding last summer, Republicans cut a private deal with rural senators to create a rural healthcare fund. In the first year of that fund, New Jersey will get the least $$$ of any state. www.njspotlightnews.org/2026/03/nj-t... @njspotlightnews.org

NEW: 'Prevent public contact': ICE's deportation network comes into sharper view www.njspotlightnews.org/2026/03/prev... @njspotlightnews.org

In typical bravado, Trump at the White House brags about war campaign against Iran. "We're doing very well on the war front, to put it mildly, I would say. Somebody said, on a scale of 10, where would you rate it? I said, about a 15." @njspotlightnews.org

NEWS: The Trump administration paid $130 million (more than double the value) for an ICE detention warehouse in New Jersey. Sellers of the site (Dalfen Industrial and Goldman Sachs) refused to say what they pocketed with the sale. www.njspotlightnews.org/2026/02/resi... @njspotlightnews.org

Breaking: A blind Burmese refugee named Nurul Shah Alam has been missing since Thurs. after Border Patrol agents dropped him off at a Tim Hortons, leaving him to find his own way home. His family & lawyers weren't notified. They're seeking help to find him. www.investigativepost.org/2026/02/24/b...

President Trump spoke for 1 hour and 47 minutes, setting a record for the lengthiest State of the Union address.

Rep. Norcross voted against the voter ID bill Trump wants Congress to pass. New Jersey lawmakers split on it -- Republicans for, Democrats against. The bill could make it harder for tens of millions of Americans to vote by requiring more documents/restricting mail-in ballots.

Senator Kim is in the chamber tonight for the speech. Senator Cory Booker is not. Massive boycott by House Democrats.

Hey, Internet, I cover Congress and the U.S. government for NJ Spotlight News, a non-profit newsroom. Tonight I'm in the House of Representatives, watching Pres. Trump give his State of the Union remarks. After a big wind-up, he is finally talking policy...🧵 @njspotlightnews.org

🧵I'm in the House chamber ahead of President Trump's State of the Union address. The Republican side is pretty full at the moment and while there are several dozen Dems in attendance, their side does look a bit emptier. I have not yet seen the hockey team.

A publisher who lays off a reporter whose pen is freezing because she's covering a frigid war zone while dodging missiles is not an editor you want to work for, in a more perfect world

ICE Withholds Congressionally Mandated Detention Data In the midst of heated budget negotiations over immigration enforcement, ICE flouts Congress's prior mandate to publish timely detention data. austinkocher.substack.com/p/ice-withho...

Protestors want Congress to "defund" ICE. But is that even possible? www.njspotlightnews.org/2026/01/defu... @njspotlightnews.org

Exclusive: US preparing to seize more tankers off Venezuela's coast after first ship taken, sources say reut.rs/4oS4Kq2

Prince Charles leaving Cirencester Hospital after shaking too many hands (1990)

The average daily population for Delaney Hall reached 807 last month, a sharp uptick from September, when the site held 234 people, according to data from TRAC, a nonpartisan research group.

<Pours whiskey in his cornflakes>

As the roster of NJ locations certified as “film ready” has grown, many small businesses are cashing in amid record overall spending on in-state film productions. Still, not everyone is convinced offering tax breaks to incentivize these film productions is smart policy. @njspotlightnews.org

Friday news dump coming out of New Jersey and New York... Both states approved a new fossil gas pipeline. The company behind it (Williams) just confirmed ---> investor.williams.com/news-release... @njspotlightnews.org

Thanks, John. The quick overview is that Sherrill has obligations in both D.C. and New Jersey, and the timing on when she resigns is REALLY important. @njspotlightnews.org

NEW: Tens days ago, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the Trump administration was "not trying to shut down" the Gateway project, a huge deal for New Jersey. Now, the administration is doing just that. www.njspotlightnews.org/2025/10/trum... @njspotlightnews.org

Trump said his administration was terminating the Gateway Program, a $16-billion public works project to add two new tunnels beneath the Hudson River between New Jersey and Manhattan. “It’s thousands of people, and it’s billions of dollars,” Trump said. @bhulac.bsky.social @njspotlightnews.org

From the Oval Office, Trump says he is considering order military strikes against Venezuela. “We are certainly looking at land now because we’ve got the sea under control," Trump said. @njspotlightnews.org

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory laid off 11% of its staff today, including many people working on an active Mars rover mission. “There’s no whitewashing the ‘doomsday-eve’ feeling that's looming over all our heads,” wrote one JPL’er. eos.org/research-and...

Senate adopted by voice vote: Kaine amendment #3337 to repeal the authorizations for use of military force against Iraq.

Trump administration banning drone photography in Chicago airspace. Photographers = not happy. “When the government imposes such a broad and prolonged ban on newsgathering, it risks turning ‘security’ into a pretext for suppressing press freedom.” www.nppa.org/news/814

Thanks, Bobby. The shutdown is about how much the government spends. But is also part of a broader fight about health policy. @njspotlightnews.org

Every federal shutdown is a bit different. Here are five things to know about this one... www.njspotlightnews.org/2025/10/gove... @njspotlightnews.org

NEW: It's day two of the federal shutdown. The shutdown is expected to cost an estimated $400 million every day. www.njspotlightnews.org/2025/10/fede... @njspotlightnews.org