Hey, NJ

Hey, NJ

By NJ Spotlight NewsNewsGovernmentPolitics
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Hey, NJ episodes

  • Trump's Medicaid bomb: Breaking down changes and impact in NJ | Hey, NJ
    Hey, NJ! This week, we're talking about Medicaid cuts.
     
    Seismic changes are coming to Medicaid after President Donald Trump signed legislation that he named the "Big Beautiful Bill." Hosts Maddi Ference and John P. McAlpin discuss what those changes mean in New Jersey, specifically for the thousands of legal immigrants who will lose coverage come fall 2026. They also discuss what work requirements actually do and the billions of dollars at stake.

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    Read more: "Thousands of legal immigrants in NJ could be thrown off Medicaid"

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    We want to hear from you! What stories should we be covering? What questions should we be asking? Let us know! Send an email to [email protected].  

    Hey, NJ is part of NJ Spotlight News’ “Under the Dome” project. This in-depth, ongoing reporting project focuses on NJ’s state government, its governor, its lawmakers and its extensive administrative operations.  

    “Under the Dome” is made possible [in part] by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.  

    This program is made possible by viewers like you. Please support NJ Spotlight News.   

    Sign up for our daily newsletter.

    22 min
  • What's behind Trump's massive ICE expansion in NJ? | Hey, NJ

    Hey, NJ! This week, we're talking about ICE's footprint in NJ. 

    Earlier this month, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told lawmakers that Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst would be used to hold immigrant detainees. Hosts Maddi Ference and John P. McAlpin, joined by Washington correspondent Benjamin J. Hulac, discuss the significant expansion of ICE's operations in New Jersey, and what implications the plan for the joint base could have for immigration enforcement in the region.

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    Read more: "NJ to get largest immigrant detention site on East Coast?"

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    We want to hear from you! What stories should we be covering? What questions should we be asking? Let us know! Send an email to [email protected].  

    Hey, NJ is part of NJ Spotlight News’ “Under the Dome” project. This in-depth, ongoing reporting project focuses on NJ’s state government, its governor, its lawmakers and its extensive administrative operations.  

    “Under the Dome” is made possible [in part] by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.  

    This program is made possible by viewers like you. Please support NJ Spotlight News.   

    Sign up for our daily newsletter.

    33 min
  • NJ’s fight to improve maternal health and childbirth | Hey, NJ

    Hey, NJ! This week, we're talking about maternal health.

    In NJ, women are dying after giving birth at alarming rates. Black women are seven times more likely to die while pregnant, giving birth or soon after compared to white mothers, according to a state analysis. Health care writer Lilo H. Stainton joins hosts Maddi Ference and John P. McAlpin to discuss how one program is saving lives and improving maternal health in the Garden State.

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    Read more: "NJ’s nurse home visiting program for new moms shows early impact"

    Read more: "Nurses acclaim Family Connects program, acknowledge challenges"

    Read more: "Rising NJ heat threatens pregnancies"

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    We want to hear from you! What stories should we be covering? What questions should we be asking? Let us know! Send an email to [email protected].  

    Hey, NJ is part of NJ Spotlight News’ “Under the Dome” project. This in-depth, ongoing reporting project focuses on NJ’s state government, its governor, its lawmakers and its extensive administrative operations.  

    “Under the Dome” is made possible [in part] by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.  

    This program is made possible by viewers like you. Please support NJ Spotlight News.   

    Sign up for our daily newsletter.

    30 min
  • President Trump's education cuts | Hey, NJ
    Hey, NJ! This week, we're talking about recent federal education cuts. 

     

    President Donald Trump’s administration froze $7 billion in already-approved funding for school districts. In NJ, that’s $143 million for public schools. Hosts Maddi Ference and John P. McAlpin discuss some potential impacts, including possible cuts to after-school programs, teacher training and much more. They also talk about cuts to the Head Start program and federal losses to school meal programs in a state where 1 in 7 kids suffer from food insecurity.

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    Read more: "NJ could lose $143M as Trump administration freezes $7B for schools"

    Read more: “Do federal cuts imperil summer meal programs for children?"

    Read more: "Cuts to SNAP may hit NJ beneficiaries hard"

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    We want to hear from you! What stories should we be covering? What questions should we be asking? Let us know! Send an email to [email protected].  

    Hey, NJ is part of NJ Spotlight News’ “Under the Dome” project. This in-depth, ongoing reporting project focuses on NJ’s state government, its governor, its lawmakers and its extensive administrative operations.  

    “Under the Dome” is made possible [in part] by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.  

    This program is made possible by viewers like you. Please support NJ Spotlight News.   

    Sign up for our daily newsletter.

    27 min
  • The Jersey Shore and boardwalks | Hey, NJ

    Hey, NJ! This week, we're talking safety at the Jersey Shore.

    Ever wonder if those boardwalk games are rigged? Has anyone actually won that giant prize? Correspondent Raven Santana joins hosts Maddi Ference and John P. McAlpin to talk about what state inspectors are doing to protect you from unfair games and incorrect scales at the fudge shop. We also talk curfews, backpack bans and what Shore towns are doing to keep people safe this summer. 

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    Watch: "Making sure NJ's boardwalk games play fair"

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    We want to hear from you! What stories should we be covering? What questions should we be asking? Let us know! Send an email to [email protected].  

    Hey, NJ is part of NJ Spotlight News’ “Under the Dome” project. This in-depth, ongoing reporting project focuses on NJ’s state government, its governor, its lawmakers and its extensive administrative operations.  

    “Under the Dome” is made possible [in part] by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.  

    This program is made possible by viewers like you. Please support NJ Spotlight News.   

    Sign up for our daily newsletter.

    28 min
  • The NJ tax deal and the state budget

    Hey, NJ! This week, we're talking about the state budget.

     
    Want to know what NJ taxes are going up? Or where your tax dollars are going? Good luck.
     
    Hosts Maddi Ference and John P. McAlpin are joined by budget and finance writer John Reitmeyer. They discuss how, once again, New Jersey lawmakers have raced up against a budget deadline and conducted nearly all of the negotiations for major deals behind closed doors and in meetings where it isn’t always easy for the public to stay involved. 

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    We want to hear from you! What stories should we be covering? What questions should we be asking? Let us know! Send an email to [email protected].  

    Hey, NJ is part of NJ Spotlight News’ “Under the Dome” project. This in-depth, ongoing reporting project focuses on NJ’s state government, its governor, its lawmakers and its extensive administrative operations.  

    “Under the Dome” is made possible [in part] by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.  

    This program is made possible by viewers like you. Please support NJ Spotlight News.   

    Sign up for our daily newsletter.

    38 min
  • Why your NJ electric bill is so high
    Hey, NJ! This week, we're talking about rising electricity bills. 
     

    Why’s your bill so high? It’s complicated... really complicated. Hosts Maddi Ference and John P. McAlpin dive into why electricity bills are rising in New Jersey. They explain the state's complex power grid, transmission system and energy auctions. How are AI data centers playing a part in why you’re paying more? What are lawmakers doing to help cut costs? And don’t forget the politics and blame game.

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    Read more: “NJ scrambles to curb energy costs”  

    Watch: "NJ lawmakers target energy-hungry AI data centers"

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    We want to hear from you! What stories should we be covering? What questions should we be asking? Let us know! Send an email to [email protected].  

    Hey, NJ is part of NJ Spotlight News’ “Under the Dome” project. This in-depth, ongoing reporting project focuses on NJ’s state government, its governor, its lawmakers and its extensive administrative operations.  

    “Under the Dome” is made possible [in part] by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.  

    This program is made possible by viewers like you. Please support NJ Spotlight News.   

    Sign up for our daily newsletter.

    21 min
  • New addiction treatment app modernizes methadone protocol in NJ
    Hey, NJ! This week, we're talking about new technology in the fight against opioid-use disorder. 
     
    Hosts Maddi Ference and John P. McAlpin, joined by health care writer Lilo H. Stainton, discuss a new treatment option for residents using methadone for opioid use disorder. We'll dive into the small change in state regulations that allowed people in addiction treatment to use an app, developed by Sonara Health, designed to free patients from the time-consuming daily routine of getting their methadone treatment.
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    Read more:
    https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2025/06/methadone-online-treatment-innovation-game-changer-for-patients/
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    We want to hear from you! What stories should we be covering? What questions should we be asking? Let us know! Send an email to [email protected].  
     

    Hey, NJ is part of NJ Spotlight News’ “Under the Dome” project. This in-depth, ongoing reporting project focuses on NJ’s state government, its governor, its lawmakers and its extensive administrative operations.  

    “Under the Dome” is made possible [in part] by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.  

    This program is made possible by viewers like you. Please support NJ Spotlight News.   

    Sign up for our daily newsletter.

    26 min
  • NJ primary election 2025: What voters need to know
    Hey, NJ! This week, we're talking about the primary election. 
     
    Hosts Maddi Ference and John P. McAlpin break down everything NJ voters need to know ahead of June 10, including the differences between partisan and nonpartisan elections, voting eligibility and the various methods to cast a ballot. They also discuss NJ's historically low voter turnout for primaries and why NJ's closed primary may be a contributing factor. 
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    We want to hear from you! What stories should we be covering? What questions should we be asking? Let us know! Send an email to [email protected].  
     

    Hey, NJ is part of NJ Spotlight News’ “Under the Dome” project. This in-depth, ongoing reporting project focuses on NJ’s state government, its governor, its lawmakers and its extensive administrative operations.  

    “Under the Dome” is made possible [in part] by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.  

    This program is made possible by viewers like you. Please support NJ Spotlight News.   

    Sign up for our daily newsletter.

    14 min
  • Taxes, taxes, taxes!
    Hey, NJ! This week, we're talking about taxes. 
     
    Gov. Phil Murphy's budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 included more than $1 billion in tax hikes to bridge the gap between revenues and projected spending. Hosts John P. McAlpin and Maddi Ference discuss the complexities of New Jersey's tax system and the implications of Gov. Murphy's potential tax changes. With just a few weeks to enact a budget, are lawmakers likely to go with Murphy's tax plan, especially with all 80 seats in the Assembly up for grabs in November?

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    Read more: “Murphy wants a new tax on phone lines to fund 988 crisis hotline”  

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    We want to hear from you! What stories should we be covering? What questions should we be asking? Let us know! Send an email to [email protected].  

    Hey, NJ is part of NJ Spotlight News’ “Under the Dome” project. This in-depth, ongoing reporting project focuses on NJ’s state government, its governor, its lawmakers and its extensive administrative operations.  

    “Under the Dome” is made possible [in part] by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.  

    This program is made possible by viewers like you. Please support NJ Spotlight News.   

    Sign up for our daily newsletter.

    23 min

About Hey, NJ

From the publisher's feed

Hey, NJ is a podcast for New Jerseyans who want to know things. In this weekly podcast, we’ll focus on three keys: affordability, accessibility and accountability.