Newark, NJ - Iranians living in New Jersey, who make up a reported 0.08% of the state’s population, continue to grapple with Iran’s most recent military encounter with Israel and the U.S. This particular skirmish began on June 13, when Israel launched attacks on nuclear and military facilities in Iran. Both countries engaged in direct conflict with each other until Israel and Iran reached a ceasefire on June 24. The Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that, as of June 23, Israel's missile strikes killed a confirmed 974 people in Iran and injured 3,458 others.

Trenton, NJ – New Jersey’s $58.8 billion FY2026 budget bill, the largest ever for the state, passed both the Senate and the Assembly on Monday, June 30, and was signed by Gov. Philip Murphy late in the evening, successfully avoiding a shutdown. The passage mostly followed party lines, with the Senate approval coming through at 26-13 with one senator not voting, and the Assembly voting 52-27 with a single abstention.

Newark, NJ - U.S. Representative LaMonica McIver appeared in court on June 25, adding another chapter in her legal battle against the Department of Justice. On June 10, McIver was indicted on three counts of “forcibly impeding and interfering with federal officers” as they tried to arrest Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka outside Delaney Hall on May 9. If convicted, McIver could face up to 17 years in prison.

Hackensack, NJ - On the surface, the Lower Hackensack River winds quietly through Bergen and Hudson counties. But beneath that calm lies centuries of industrial waste: PCBs, mercury, arsenic, and heavy metals settled deep in the riverbed — toxic remnants of over 200 years of manufacturing and pollution.

Trenton, NJ – The state legislature is rapidly approaching its summer recess, and in the wings are two key pieces of legislation surrounding local food purchasing for schools and expanding land access for urban agriculture. The time for action is now, and here is an overview of two critical food systems bills and how to contact policymakers to make your voice heard. 

Newark, NJ - The U.S. Department of Justice still has its sights set on U.S. Representative LaMonica McIver. Over a week after Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka was arrested for allegedly trespassing at Delaney Hall, the DOJ dropped their charges against Baraka, only to charge McIver for reportedly assaulting two federal agents as the Newark Mayor was arrested on May 9th.

Newark, NJ - On June 14, while tanks roll down the streets of D.C. celebrating the sitting President’s birthday, New Jersey residents from Montclair to Cape May will gather in parks, town squares, and overpasses to declare: this is not what democracy looks like. This is the message behind the nationwide “No Kings” Day of Defiance — and in New Jersey, that message hits especially hard.

Philadelphia, PA - When our circle of collaborators first began this work together, we didn’t know that we would be creating our own form of journalism. We had convened a cohort of brilliant, principled media workers to manifest these goals, and found ourselves lucky that more than 20 journalists, media ethicists, mutual aid organizers and other subject-matter experts joined us for the journey. Making space for Black and Brown storytellers in news, looking at new models for coverage on crime and public safety, planting seeds for the news projects we wanted to see— this was all on our to-do list. Co-creating what we now call safer journalism happened along the way. 

Newark, NJ - In Part 1 of our interview with Newark native and Howard University filmmaker Opoku “OpotheBoat” Boateng, we sat down with Set Designer Lillian “Phoenyx” Ojo, and Gaffer and Sound Mixer, Isaiah “Konté” Conte. Together, the trio discussed their goals and approach in developing their first 20-minute short film, "Apple Cider - A Parable of Black Love", a character-driven drama that explores ideas of Black love as three youths face their shared family trauma.

For Part 2 of our interview, Opoku stuck around with Phoenyx to reveal more about himself as an artist and upcoming work with their production company,Opo’s Canon. They also shared the challenges they faced making “Apple Cider,” the lessons they learned about themselves and each other during the production, and what film and storytelling mean to them as young artists living in New Jersey.