NJ PBS board leaders step down amid looming 2026 shutdown
Longtime chair Scott Kobler and longtime vice chair Liz Thomas were among the the NJ PBS board members to resign Monday – the latest fallout at the network after WNET announced it would no longer support the network when its contract ends next June 30. The network is expected to go dark July 1, 2026. Kobler, a partner at McCarter & English, and Thomas, co-founder of Thomas/Boyd Communications, weren’t the only ones. N.J. Chamber of Commerce CEO Tom Bracken and Richard Pechter also announced their resignations. Additional board members are expected to follow suit. “WNET has served the state well,” Kobler said. "They assumed operations of New Jersey’s public media network in its time of need in 2011. I wish the state of New Jersey had responded in a more cooperative fashion when it came to a renewal. I’m stepping aside as chair to allow WNET to more directly manage the end of the NJ PBS term and look forward to doing my part to assist the next iteration of public media in New Jersey." (BINJE)
US job openings barely budged in August at 7.2 million
U.S. jobs openings were essentially unchanged last month amid economic uncertainty arising from trade policies and an impending government shutdown. The Labor Department reported Tuesday that job openings blipped up to 7.23 million from 7.21 million in July. Economists had forecast a drop to 7.1 million. The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey showed that layoffs fell. But so did the number of people quitting – a sign of confidence in their prospects of finding a better job. (The Associated Press)
With no updates and no deal, federal government shutdown gets closer
Food safety inspections would be halted, environmental reviews paused, immigration paperwork slowed, and U.S. government loans frozen if leaders cannot reach a deal Tuesday to keep the federal government open. By early Tuesday, any agreement between President Trump, the Republicans who control Congress and the Democrats was far off – setting up a shutdown at midnight. Both chambers of Congress must pass identical legislation, and President Trump must sign it to fund the government or to reopen the government after funding runs out. (NJ Spotlight News)
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US government faces brain drain as 154,000 federal workers exit
More than 150,000 federal employees will leave the U.S. government payroll this week after accepting buyouts – the largest single-year exodus of civil servants in nearly 80 years, triggering what unions and governance experts warn is a damaging loss of institutional expertise. The official resignations begin on Tuesday for workers who opted into a deferred exit program that kept them on the payroll through September. (Reuters)
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NJ ad campaign promotes state’s film boom, innovation, and FIFA 2026
A multimillion dollar ad campaign running this month promotes the Garden State. Choose New Jersey launched and paid for the campaign, called 'New NJ." Throughout September, the ads have appeared across television, print, online and digital billboards. It highlights the growth of the film industry, the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026; the state's innovation economy and more. (NJBIZ)
NJ Governor’s Race 2025
How to watch the only lieutenant governor’s debate
New Jersey’s Democratic and Republican candidates for lieutenant governor are set to meet Tuesday in their only debate. The hourlong debate between Democrat Dale Caldwell and Republican James Gannon at Kean University is set to begin at 7 p.m. It will be broadcast live on WPIX and WPHL. It will also be aired live on radio on New Jersey 101.5 FM. The debate will be livestreamed on PIX11.com, PHL17.com and NJ1015.com. (NJ Spotlight News)
NJ Labor Department offers grants to fund research fellowships at tech firms in New Jersey
The N.J. Labor Department announced $1.5 million in funding for grants to encourage Ph.D. graduates and doctoral candidates to continue research in collaboration with the state’s science and tech companies. Grants are awarded to employers to fund research fellowships up to two years, with funds intended to support the fellow's salary. (ROI-NJ)
US Postal Service is not raising stamp prices for January 2026
The U.S. Postal Service announced it won't be raising stamp prices in 2026, after increases in recent years. The Postal Service confirmed that a recommendation by Postmaster General David Steiner to not raise prices in January 2026 has been accepted by USPS governors. The price of a 1-ounce single-piece first-class letter is 78 cents. (ROI-NJ)
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