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Briana: Tonight, cracking down on a growing threat.

A new law allows the state to bring civil and criminal charges against people using AI to make or distribute deepfakes.

Plus New Jersey classrooms face another funding crisis after swift action from the Trump Administration.

20 New Jersey schools are respected to lose out on a combined $85 million in federal funding.

>> Any loss of funds you thought you had and now suddenly you might not have, that is a huge loss for schools.

Briana: The state's new federal prosecutor takes office and is already pushing a false narrative of rising crime.

>> What she said was uninformed and wrong and it is weaponization of a federal institution.

We do not have an MS 13 problem here.

For her to say MS 13, we don't have that issue in our city.

Briana: And our Washington correspondent was inside the chamber for Senator Cory Booker's record-breaking speech.

>> When Booker broke the mark, just an eruption of applause.

Briana: "NJ Spotlight News" starts right now.

>> From NJPBS Studios, this is "NJ Spotlight News" with Briana Vannozzi.

Briana: Thank you for joining us on this Wednesday night.

We begin with a few of today's top headlines.

First, starting today, anyone who uses AI to create deceptive deepfakes will face major legal consequences, including jail time and a fine up to $30,000.

Governor Murphy signed a bipartisan bill today that aims to govern what has become the wild West of artificial technology.

Deepfakes are unauthorized photos or videos that have been manipulated into misleading images, including pornographic content.

Bad actors have used the tool to manufacture another person's appearance and distribute fake illicit images.

That was the case for a Westfield high school student who joined the governor for the bill's signing.

She was targeted and victimized by peers two years ago when they created and shared an inappropriate AI generated image using her face.

Until now, victims have had little recourse for justice or ways to navigate the backlash and falsehoods manufactured ID makes.

>> Almost two years ago my name echoed over the loudspeaker at Westfield high school alongside others, labeled a confirmed victim of -- of AI deepfake forgery, also called deepfake pornography.

The boy responsible got a one-day suspension and still walks those halls with me today.

When I pressed the administration why not enforce your own code of conduct, they shrugged and said there are no AI laws so we can't.

My response, then I will bring you a law.

Well Westfield high school, this one is for you.

Briana: After months of court battles, dozens of towns will be allowed to build less affordable housing than they were initially required to over the next decade.

As first reported by cap the mist, at least 60 municipalities were able to reach a compromise during negotiations over those numbers.

The dispute is about the mandated affordable housing with development slated to begin this year with a goal of building about 85,000 more units by 2035.

Earlier this year, 169 towns requested their target numbers to be lowered arguing the state missed cackle he did the amount of available developable land.

The disputes with towns that couldn't reach an agreement world -- will likely drag owning courts alongside another lawsuit from the New Jersey builders Association challenging all of the towns who asked for their affordable unit numbers to be reduced.

The next big date to watch is June 30 when each municipality has to submit a plan on where they were old -- where they will build the new housing.

The oldest detention center is swinging back at Newark, blasting the city lawsuit blocking the opening of Delaney Hall which has been contracted by ice to house migrants awaiting deportation hearings.

Geo group called it a quote, politicized campaign by a sanctuary city to interfere with the Trump Administration's efforts to arrest, detain and deport dangerous criminal aliens.

The responses to a lawsuit filed by the Newark Mayor in Essex County Superior Court to halt all work at Delaney Hall, alleging Geo group failed to get construction permits or allow city officials inside -- to conduct inspections.

Delaney Hall is a former jailhouse with a contentious history and was used to house immigrant detainees between 2011 and 2017.

Ice announced a 15 year contract worth $1 billion to reopen the facility but has not given a specific date.

U.S.

Senator Cory Booker made history this week, delivering the longest Senate floor speech in history to protest the Trump Administration's policies and actions during his first mood -- first few months back in office.

Progressives it was the fire they've been waiting for from the party.

24 hours -- 25 hours and five minutes railing against Trump's agenda and the harm Democrats say it inflicted.

Did it strike a chord loud enough to make change?

Our Washington correspondent was inside the chamber for the speech and joins us to share what he heard.

Good to hear -- good to talk to you.

Obviously a long day and night for all the folks on the hill.

What was the since you got, being in the room about folks on both sides of the aisle who came in to see this pretty historic speech?

It takes a lot -- Ben: It takes a lot and a big moment in Congress for most to set up and pay attention and there was a sense of history as Senator Booker was approaching this historic market last night.

-- Mark last night.

House members trickled over in and out of votes as the day progressed, and really, Booker held the chamber in a rapt commanding performance for the last 45 minutes or so.

He is a pretty talented storyteller, he had people crying, laughing.

Tammy Baldwin was bawling at one point when Booker was describing the last words of John Lewis over the phone, John Lewis of course a civil rights icon.

When Booker broke the mark, just an eruption of applause, very loud which in the Senate, it is the state atmosphere, very old-school, very demure.

There is a rule against applause from the gallery and of course the gallery was full of House Democrats and staffers and that rule was immediately thrown out the window.

Rapturous applause and Booker kept going.

He was mobbed trying to leave the floor after this marathon effort last night.

Quite a big political stirring moment that a lot of people will remember.

Briana: I watch the last hour and a half of it, where it felt like the energy was really palpable.

Were there Republicans in the room?

A lot of what people want to know is what are the practical implications?

What did he want to achieve and is he on his way to achieving it?

Ben: There were some Republicans.

This really didn't delay or block anything, but the goal was to hold the nation's attention and to underscore what in Booker's eyes RA list of horrors the Trump Administration is committing daily.

He talked about generational change and calling on his colleagues and the public to meet this moment, a pivotal political shift in American history.

Briana: You can't disagree with that, everyone is still talking about it.

I wonder what is the sense today on the hill?

Where are Democrats going from here?

Booker has never been shy of the limelight but he's been a little more muted in these first couple of months of the Trump Administration.

Ben: I was talking with House Democrats as they were coming in and out of the chamber yesterday.

They walked over from their side of the capital, and I talked to maybe 10 or 12 members and they were all aching for more of this.

They wanted more fight, more inspiration.

They are the first folks to say we realize this isn't a check on the Trump Administration or Republicans in Congress, but they want to awaken some sort of spiritual pushback from within the party, and a lot of people had John Lewis on their mind.

They brought him up.

They brought up Strom Thurmond, who held the marathon speaking record since 1957.

It is a symbolic victory.

We will see how it pans out.

Mr. Booker ran for president in 2020 and that fizzled out.

I was asking members if they would back him for leader.

Plenty of comments said yes, he is my guy.

Same for a presidential bid.

Briana: We will see what pans out from that.

You can check out the full report on our website,nj spotlightnews.org.

One of the country's most-watched deportation cases will play out right here in New Jersey.

A federal judge ruled that Khali l's legal battle will move forward in the Garden State, not in Louisiana where he is currently being held.

Khalil is a pro-Palestinian activist and Columbia university student who has permanent legal status in the U.S.

He was arrested by ice in early March for what he and his lawyers argue was illegal action by the Trump Administration to deport him as retaliation for his role organizing campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war, an accusation the administration says is false.

Meanwhile, another immigrant arrest in New Jersey has also garnered national attention.

That of Egyptian native -- a long time business owner married to a U.S. citizen with a family here who went to a scheduled appointment with ice to pick up work authorization papers but was detained instead.

>> To see that it could happen to him, it really hit home and it could happen to anyone.

It was heartbreaking.

Reporter: Rachel is still in shock that her friend of nearly 20 years was taken into ice custody on March 12.

A Farmington resident who entered the United States on a tourist visa is currently considered and overstate yet he is married to a United States citizen United States citizen children.

He was detained at ice after an appointment to get work documents.

>> He was picking up documents for a work authorization card which he has held, and he was at the ice office in Newark and they said hey there's been a mistake, you need to go to ice.

He got to ice and was detained.

It's heartbreaking.

He was there, following the rules.

He wasn't working illegally, he wasn't doing anything.

He was following what had been asked of him.

Reporter: The detainment follows a difficult year for the family.

>> The wife has breast cancer, their son has ulcerative colitis.

They lost a parent, things like that.

It's been a lot.

Reporter: News of the arrest spread rapidly throughout Farmington with Facebook posts and a Gofundme page launched to help cover legal fees in support of the family.

>> I was not surprised the community came together for Karim.

I am surprised how quickly and to what extent.

I was talking to my partner before bed.

I said I have a feeling tonight it'll hit like 10, 15 and by the next day we were at almost $60,000.

It was incredible and it speaks to who Karim is.

>> The very first customer to walk through these doors.

I want to say it was two minutes before we actually opened the doors and he was in here and say congratulations, I've got to run over to work but I just wanted to give you this dollar pound bill from Egypt, where he's from.

He's like a local celebrity basically and he took time out of his day to come here and I was so happy and I taped it up on the wall and I'm never going to forget this.

Reporter: Karim and his wife worked together at this well-known restaurant in Flemington and now family and friends say they will not stop until he has returned back to his family.

>> He was already a well-known quantity to an outsider like me who was just moving to Flemington.

People asked if I sat in his section when I went to bluefish grill.

I went back and immediately found out who he was.

Reporter: David Norton expresses difficulty in comprehending why his friend was detained.

>> Ice has had Karim for two and a half weeks.

I didn't have words at the time.

It took me a while to find them but I was extremely sad.

I was also shocked that someone like Karim, who I know crosses his i's and dots his t's in regards to being here would be snatched up like this.

Reporter: A public affairs officer for ice gave a statement.

Karim Salem, a native and citizen of Egypt was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on March 12 for violating U.S. immigration laws.

He is currently detained at the Elizabeth contract attention facility in New Jersey and is pending removal from the United States.

U.S. immigration laws allow aliens to pursue relief from removal and Mr. Daoud has exhausted all due process and appeals and is now subject to a final order of removal from an immigration judge.

Ice must carry out removal orders.

In the meantime, there has been a small victory with the help of lawmakers including Senator Andy Kim.

>> He was set to go on a bus to California.

He was in line and they pulled him out, because to our knowledge, Senator Andy Kim not involved.

He's been in contact with Karim 's wife.

Reporter: Senator Kim declined to comment on the case but they plan to organize a rally in support of Daoud in the coming days and will continue to urge local lawmakers to advocate for his relief.

-- for his release.

Briana: Nearly two dozen school districts across the state say they were blindsided by the Trump Administration's decision to abruptly cut off millions in federal pandemic funding.

According to Governor Murphy's office, 20 districts in all expect to lose a combined $85 million that was supposed to be spent on critical infrastructure projects.

These are things to improve student health and safety.

The U.S. education Department changed the deadline for when that money needed to be spent but did not notify state officials until after it had passed.

For more on the story I am joined by our education and child welfare writer, Hannah Gross.

Why did the Trump Administration decide it would clawback this money?

Where did that decision come from?

Hannah: The education secretary said the pandemic is over so districts no longer to be spending National longer need to be spending pandemic funds and that they have been misused in the past which is why they wanted to pull them back.

Briana: Did they have examples?

Hannah: They said there was a $20 million custom window project and some H-back upgrades happening in -- HVAC upgrades happening in New Jersey that they cited as misuse although those things are allowed under the law.

Briana: All of these projects had been preapproved by the federal government but under the Biden administration, so why hadn't the money been spent to their point?

Hannah: The Biden administration granted asked -- granted extensions the district had to apply for and these 20 did apply for extensions to spend the money.

There were delays because of COVID supply chain issues and contractor backlogs that meant they weren't able to spend the money in time, so they were able to get until early 2026.

Briana: So they said the pandemic caused us to need these projects but also to not be able to get them done within the timeframe that was originally set out.

What do we know about the districts who stand to lose this money and what it means for whatever projects they were planning?

Hannah: A lot of the districts I was able to get in touch with had just heard about this for the first time on Friday afternoon -- Monday afternoon, about the time Governor Murphy put out this statement.

They were scrambling to figure out exactly what it means for them.

Some of the districts have already spent the money that they were given an extension for, but they haven't been reimbursed for it yet, so that means they need to figure out where they are going to fill that hole.

Briana: Could they potentially just be out that money?

Hannah: It is possible.

There could be legal challenges as there have been in other cases where the new administration has pulled back on spending that was already approved by Congress.

There is also going to be an appeals process where district can apply on a project by project basis to the federal government to get that extension reinstated.

Briana: Did they have contingency plans?

Walk us through the timeline of when the federal government made this decision and when folks found out.

Hannah: I don't know exactly when the federal government made the decision.

I know they notified states on Friday afternoon, shortly after 5:00 EM that the deadline was 5:00.

After that, the governor's office reached out to school districts on Monday letting them know they were impacted.

Briana: So they are scrambling.

Which districts do we have -- which districts?

Do we have a list of those affected and are these districts that could absorb some of this cost if it comes to that?

Hannah: It is a mix.

Newark is one of them, also Elizabeth, Patterson, Clifton, Hamilton.

There are 20.

A bunch.

Briana: Some of those you just named our in high poverty areas.

What are they saying about what it will mean for the students and for the school budgets?

Hannah: Any loss of funds you thought you had and now suddenly might not have, that is a huge loss for schools, especially in a tight state budget year.

There are concerns about other federal cuts as the Trump Administration tries to dismantle the Education Department.

Any cut is going to hurt the education that students can have and a lot of this money was for critical infrastructure in school buildings, so health and safety.

Briana: You can find Hannah's full report on our website, njspotlightnews.org, as well as continuing reporting on this topic.

Thanks so much for coming in.

President Trump has named his former personal lawyer as interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey and she has vowed to use the position as a top federal prosecutor to shake things up even more than his billionaire advisor Elon Musk.

But she has no prosecutorial experience and critics say it is another example of the president's tight grip over the Justice Department during his second term.

Shortly after being sworn into the post, she wasted no time aching false claims about rampant crime in the state, leading to more questions about whether she is fit for the office.

Our senior political correspondent reports.

Reporter: You may 1 have heard of her from her work as personal attorney to President Trump during his civil trials for assault and corruption.

All of the advocacy for Trump has had its benefits as she goes from a modest civil law practice to U.S. attorney for the district of New Jersey in the space of a year, and she's is already making waves in a very Trump way, tossing insults at New Jersey cities, their leaders and immigrant communities, and she's only been on the job since Friday.

>> You look at what happened with crime and what is going on in Newark and Camden, this has been a neglected state, one of the most populated states for its size and it needs to stop.

Reporter: It wasn't exactly clear or what kind of crime Venus was referring to but in general, Republicans have been pushing the narrative of crime-ridden big cities to some electoral success.

>> Under the last administration, violent crime in New Jersey rose more than 60%, and under the last administration, violent crime throughout the country rose at levels higher than that and unacceptable.

Reporter: Despite most evidence to the contrary.

Professor Daniel is the research director of the gun violence research Center at Rutgers.

>> The reality is that in places like Newark, certainly cities like Camden, crime is actually down by quite a bit.

At the beginning of this year, Camden had one of the lowest crime rates it has had in decades, almost five decades and at the beginning of this year compared to the beginning of last year, violent crime in Newark was down by about 46%.

Reporter: The mayor of Newark, one of the cities called out by name dismissed the Venus comments as textbook MAGA, the president trying to influence events including next year's governors race.

>> I think she is just doing what she thinks Trump wants her to do, come over here and do the MAGA to step, play politics.

What she said was uninformed, wrong and it is weaponization of a federal institution.

We did not have an MS 13 problem in Newark.

For her to say we have that, we don't have that issue in our city.

She's got bad Intel.

Reporter: While most presidents defer to the senior senator of the state when it comes to naming U.S. attorneys, they can also name an interim to serve before a confirmation is required.

Venus was still sounding very much like a partisan when she was interviewed for a conservative podcast before her official Swearingen.

>> I hope so.

We could turn New Jersey red.

I believe that.

There is momentum right now.

President Trump's agenda is working.

The American people voted for it and I think New Jersey is absolutely close.

Reporter: Senator Mike Testa whose name was briefly floated for this job as well says he thinks Venus is a good choice and that she should be judged by her work going forward.

>> Certainly that is partisan and I think that was probably a little bit of a vestige of what was left from her being President Trump's personal attorney.

She is no longer his personal attorney, she is the United States of America -- she is the attorney representing the U.S. of a in the state of New Jersey at the highest level and hopefully that's just a vestige of what was left over from her being President Trump's personal attorney.

Reporter: The president has not said if he will subject Venus to Senate scrutiny.

Venus avoided the question when asked about it this week but 120 days is plenty of time to shake up a status quo and sprinkle some chaos into state politics.

A job Alina Venus seem -- a job Alina VeHabba eager to do.

Briana: Make sure you tune -- tune into Chat Box with David.

He considers his series talking to candidates for New Jersey governor.

This week he goes one-on-one with Republican former radio host Bill Stadia.

Check it out Thursday streaming on the NJ Spotlight News YouTube channel.

That's going to do it for us tonight.

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

Have a great evening and we will see you back here tomorrow.

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