Briana: Major blowback after Orsted's bombshell announcement shutting down two New Jersey wind projects.

Questions remain on the future of wind development in the state.

>> It is a clear setback for New Jersey's goals, and for the industry.

That does not mean.

We can't meet our goals.

Briana: Also, a high-stakes election with the balance of power up for grabs, social issues are determining whether voters head to the polls are not.

>> They can't take these things for granted and they do have to go to the polls and show up" for those they feel like will protect their rights.

Briana: Dangerous waters.

An investigation reveals how much of the seafood that ends up on your dinner plate is being caught through China's rampant use of forced labor.

>> It is pretty tough work.

Malnutrition is a huge problem.

They eat pretty quickly, so you have a lot of people dying from severe malnutrition.

Briana: And unsafe living conditions.

>> We have to have accountability, and the Housing Authority board has to require more accountability.

Briana: Tenants crying foul alleging unhealthy conditions at an Atlantic city housing complex.

NJ Spotlight News begins right now.

>> Funding for NJ Spotlight News provided by the members of the New Jersey Education Association, making public schools great for every child.

RWJBarnabas health, let's be healthy together.

And Orsted, committed to the creation of a new long-term sustainable clean energy future for New Jersey.

♪ >> From NJ Spotlight News PBS, this is NJ Spotlight News with Briana Vannozzi.

Briana: Good evening Cathe think you for joining us.

I am Briana Vannozzi.

The blowback continues following the decision by Danish based Orsted to walk away from both of its massive offshore wind projects.

Slated to be built off New Jersey's coastline and providing clean energy within a couple of years.

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The wind farm cited rising costs and a tough economy as the main reasons for pulling the plug.

Republican lawmakers are calling for hearings into Orsted's decision and whether the governor's office was aiming to keep the news quiet until after election day.

A plane the Murphy administration denies.

While many insiders say the decision won't put a stop to New Jersey's emerging officer wind industry -- offshore wind industry, it is unclear what happens next.

Senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan reports.

>> Ultimately, it is a gut punch.

Brenda: Doug O'Malley says or said's sudden decision to deep six it's two wind projects off the South Jersey coast creates double trouble, economic and environmental.

Key players already knew the industry faced headwinds like spiraling steel costs, supply chain issues, and high interest rates.

Other states have renegotiated imperiled wind farm contracts.

>> I think there was an expectation for a pause, a delay, a restructuring, a reevaluation.

That being said, this was not the only project that was planned off the Jersey shore.

Brenda: But it would have been the first to fire up I-20 26 with enough juice to power one million homes.

Instead, Orsted pulled the plug and took a $5.6 billion loss.

What's next?

Industry analyst Chris all of insists offshore wind still has a strong future in New Jersey.

>> I think for me, the message has been, keep calm and carry on.

Brenda: Developer Atlantic Shores remains committed to its current project located 10 to 20 miles off the Jersey coastline.

In New Jersey's Board of Public utilities just received four more bids for additional projects, including a tentative -- including attentive energy.

And angst to strengthen and expand upon New Jersey's foundational offshore wind investments, while creating new pathways for a local workforce and supply chain.

>> New Jersey is moving swiftly forward with their solicitations.

Four projects are in consideration now.

And we would expect a decision on that next year.

>> I can't imagine we don't see higher prices in the short term.

Brenda: A watchdog raised red flags about how much offshore wind will cost ratepayers all along.

He warns Orsted's pullout blew a 2200 megawatt whole in New Jersey's energy master plan objective to develop 7500 megawatts by 2030.

>> Now we are catching up.

And the ketchup megawatts will be expensive.

I think right now, I am hopeful we are at the height of the market and prices will drop somewhat soon.

Brenda: To fight climate change, President Biden has targeted 30 by 30, 30 K go -- gigawatts by 2030.

Projects.

the East Coast, the largest off Virginia got federal approval.

And Jersey has got serious skin in the wind turbine gain with a new wind port and mono pile construction facility in South Jersey.

Orsted's decision just iced a couple hundred union jobs they, at least for now.

>> Again, it is South Jersey being sold as a bag of goods.

Brenda: Tonight assemblywoman definitely not a fan of wind farms.

She backed a moratorium.

But she welcomed the work opportunities to build and ship hundreds of steel mono piles.

Brenda: Jobs is a thing.

We need jobs.

I don't know, for them to -- it just makes me so angry.

Brenda: Now what?

Orsted could sell its two offshore leases and all the prep work, but it will not collect the billion dollars worth of tax incentives Governor Murphy approved.

The state also intends to wrangle back another $300 million in outstanding escrows and performance fees.

>>>> It is a clear setback for New Jersey's energy goals.

It is bad for the industry.

That does not mean we can't meet our goals.

Brenda: But expect some delays.

I am Brenda Flanagan, NJ Spotlight News.

Briana: As Democrats to do damage control over the Orsted decision and its impact on their environmental agenda, there is concern it could hurt them at the polls next week.

State GOP members are pounding the pavement ahead of the November 7 legislative election.

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In an effort to gain control of at least one of the chambers in Trenton.

But with local county and school board seats also up for grabs, there are plenty of other issues with the potential to sway voters.

For some, especially left-leaning residents, civil liberties are on the ballot.

As prominent national topics like reproductive and parental rights play out in clashes across the state, underscore the fact that all levels of government can determine those civil freedoms.

For more on that, I'm joined by social justice writer, Taylor Joan.

Thank you so much for joining me.

You reported that voters particularly on the left say they are making valid decisions based on civil liberties.

What in particular are these voters being galvanized by?

Taylor: I think they are seeing the direction of the Supreme Court over the last couple years.

Not just with Roe v. Wade, but with other decisions where they are more conservative leaning.

Now people feel like they're civil liberties are at risk, and that could be abortion-rights, could be LGBTQIA rights, a whole host of different things.

I think people are realizing that they can't take these things for granted, and that they do have to go to the polls and show up and vote for those they feel will protect their rights.

Briana: But if they are concerned about the federal level or Supreme Court, what does a local election, their mayor or school board, have to do with that?

Taylor: I think people naturally know more about federal elections, less so about the more local or state elections.

Sometimes, they feel or also it does actually happen where those themes carry out through the less federal and more state and local elections.

On the Republican side, and a lot of themes about parental rights, banning books and schools, things like that, are things that are also echoed and talking points at the lower level.

Briana: These are influential, not just issues, but also positions when you are casting that ballot.

These are folks who have control over your quality of life.

Taylor: Exactly.

I think that is what more and more people are realizing about the state and local level.

These are people that determine your day-to-day life and your rights.

And in New Jersey for example, there is the New Jersey voting rights act, which can also protect the federal voting rights act that people feel like might be at risk at this moment.

New Jersey is part -- has protected abortion-rights, same-sex marriages.

These are some ways that our leaders here in the state can also protect our civil liberties.

Briana: You spoke to a couple political analysts.

Are the parties jumping on this and using this to their advantage?

Taylor: You would think.

But they are not.

At least in the Democratic Party, from what I heard from analystss and strategists is they are not speaking to voters that could be young voters or older voters.

.

Older voters are more concerned about affordability, jobs the debility -- job stability.

Younger voters are carrying more about what is happening in Israel and Palestine, climate justice.

A little bit of job stability.

Humor are just not seeing Democratic candidates putting their neck on the line to talk about more controversial topics.

Because they don't want to rock their voter base, which tends to be more conservative, older voters that they just rely on to keep them in office.

Briana: Is there an anticipation that this could hurt them at the polls or backfire?

Taylor: Not now.

People are looking toward next year's election, federal election, with the president's race as a way that could potentially rock the Democratic Party.

Briana: Taylor Jung, thank you so much.

For more on which candidate is running in your district and where you can vote, head to our website and click on the NJ decides 2023 tab for all of your election needs.

Make sure you join us here next Tuesday, November 7, for our live election night coverage, beginning with David Cruise at 8:00 p.m..

I take over with a team of reporters and analysts starting at 9:00 p.m.. New Jersey Congress members Mikey Cheryl and Phil past grouse stop short of calling for a cease-fire in Gaza.

But they do support a humanitarian pause in the conflict.

To get more aid flowing into the besieged strip amid the Israeli bombing.

And to the civilians who need water, food, fuel, and medicine.

Cost for humanitarian pauses are escalating as Israeli airstrikes continue to devastate Gaza.

According to Gaza's health ministry, more than 9000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, including over 3600 Palestinian children since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel that killed over 1400 people.

New Jersey's chapter of the Council on American Islamic relations held a press conference this week, calling attention to the Garden State's ties to the war.

Franklin Township Board of Education member says nine of his family members were killed in their home in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Jersey City Councilman Youssef said his family member was killed in the West Bank.

While New Jerseyans are believed to be among the hostages taken by Hamas, and an Israeli American from the Garden State was killed in the Hamas attack.

You can add hundred and 10 County to the list of places the state is expanding the arrive together program.

The initiative launched in the county on Wednesday.

Pairing a plain clothed police officer with a mental health expert as they responded to calls involving a behavioral health emergency.

The goal is to shift how law enforcement deals with those crises, and prevent escalation.

A pilot version began in 2021 under the state attorney general office, and its success resulted in the legislature approving $10 million in the state budget to expand the program to all 21 counties in New Jersey.

Hundred and the 12 County to roll that out and will use the medical center alongside local to police departments for responses and follow-up calls.

A new investigation is revealing the crimes behind the seafood you eat, and how much of the fish that ends up on your dinner plate got there by way of what are essentially floating slave ships.

The investigation by the Outlaw ocean project exposes China's rampant use of forced labor within the global seafood industry, and deeply rooted human rights violations.

As China remains the leading supplier of seafood to the U.S. and Europe, including places in New Jersey.

Many of their fishing vessels are dependent on workers who are forced into a debt bondage they can't escape.

Journalist Ian Irby in a has covered this issue for years.

He and his team reported from both land and sea for this investigation to offer a first-hand account of the conditions on these ships, and what is propelling slavery on fishing boats.

He joins me now.

First of all, thank you for sharing this reporting with us.

You write extensively about what you say are human rights abuses that are rampant aboard these vessels.

Just how big of an issue is this in the maritime industry?

Ian: Those are the fishing vessels on the high seas, they stay at sea for a long time.

Whether they are Chinese or South Korean or Thai winnings, these vessels have a big problem with human slavery and violence on crew.

It is a fairly global problem.

Briana: And a lot of this, most of this, is ending up on the dinner plates of Americans.

How many -- we know there are at least 10 importers in New Jersey, that through your investigations, linked to some of these ships that have these human rights concerns.

How vast throughout the United States, just how many consumers are getting these products on their dinner table that, as you write, are caught by slaves?

Ian: If you think of seafood on the water, on the fishing vessels, also in the processing plants.

We looked at China in particular.

There are two rounds in which forced labor is happening.

Most of the world's seafood goes through from Chinese vessels or through China's -- through Chinese processing plants.

In the factories and on the ships, and a lot of forced labor is used.

We are dealing with several dozen major brands in grocery stores and restaurants that have seafood that has been processed by forced labor.

Briana: Talk more about life aboard one of these ships, if you are one of these really indentured workers.

Ian: We looked at Chinese squid ships, which are especially brutal.

They are 40 men on a ship, five officer, they stay at sea for two years.

They traverse the entire globe.

Workdays tend to run 15 hours a day, six days a week.

Often working in the freezer for 10 hours straight.

If they are up on deck, they are dealing with brutal cold, and water coming aboard.

Heavy equipment.

It is pretty tough work.

Non-attrition is a huge problem.

They run out of fresh vegetables and eat pretty quickly.

You have a lot of guys dying from severe malnutrition.

Briana: Do they ever attempt to leave, to get off of these ships?

Are they able to?

Ian: They do.

There is this case recently a month and a half ago where a bottle washed up on shore.

In the bottle, there was a message that said, SOS, and being held against my will.

It was a Chinese squid ship.

.

There have been unions and strikes on these ships.

They turned violent, they often turn deadly.

Sometimes the ships are run aground, so that the guys can get off.

Violence happens and escapes to happen.

Briana: What is driving all of this?

As you wrote and after your investigation, there is a whole economy.

There are essentially bounty hunters let go and look for these folks.

If they do try to escape.

They get paid.

There are other people who help with their transportation and searching for any of these escapees.

They also get paid.

There is a whole ecosystem of people involved.

I wonder, what is driving the need for all of this far sees fishing?

Ian: Seafood is the last form of wild protein left on the planet.

It is a multibillion dollar industry.

The most expensive component in doing fishing, distant water fishing, is your labor.

There is the incentive to cut corners on that cost.

Fuel, ship, labor are the big costs.

If you can find a way to get cheap workers and keep them onboard longer, work them harder, than that is more for your profit.

Briana: What has happened since?

We know New Jersey Congressman Chris Smith held a hearing.

You testified as part of that.

It seems as though there are efforts to rein in these practices and also put sanctions on them.

Are they working?

Ian: Not yet.

They are not working at.

But there has been a lot of movement in the last month since we have published.

There was a congressional White House hearing.

There were Parliament hearings, some litigation in the pipeline.

It has gotten a lot of attention, partially because the purchases are by the U.S. government, and a lot of the purchases are in the public space with big companies.

Those companies realize they can't look away from the problem.

Briana: All of this reporting can be found online.

Ian Urbinia is the founder and director of the Outlaw ocean project.

Thank you so much.

Ian: Thanks for having me.

Briana: In our spotlight on business report, the list of New Jersey homes that will be powered by solar is expanding.

Leaders from Woodbridge and Congressman Frank Pallone this week launched another community solar project.

New Jersey-based renewable energy company solar landscape will give eligible households access to the renewable energy source.

The company estimates it will save homeowners about $160 million a year on their utility bills.

The new program makes the state home to the largest number of community solar projects for low and moderate income families in the country.

He says the project was made possible by a solar investment tax credit, available through the inflation reduction act.

And it will create jobs by working with the Edison job corps to grow training and education programs in the industry.

Turning to Wall Street, stocks rose following the Federal Reserve's indication that it is done raising interest rates.

Feet -- here is where the markets closed.

>> Support for the business report provided by the New Jersey tourism industry Association.

NJ TIA will host the New Jersey conference on tourism November 30th through December 1, at resorts Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City.

NJ TIA.org for event information.

Briana: Tuna and this weekend to NJ Beat with Raven Santana.

She looks at New Jersey's role in the global economy, exploring the new partnerships created from the Governors East Asian economic trip.

And how our state universities work with international schools on medical and technological research.

Watch it on the NJ Spotlight news Saturday at 10:00 a.m. One year after tenants filed a lawsuit against the Atlantic City Housing Authority, many say that unsafe living conditions persist.

From no heat or hot water, to reports of gas leaks and pest infestations.

Renters were back in court recently urging a judge to take more forceful action against the city, in order to protect residents health and well-being as we head into what is expected to be bitterly cold winter months.

Ted Goldberg has the latest.

>>>> A mile away from some of AC's casinos, residents in Stanley homes village say they play a game of chance every time they turn on their heat or hot water.

>> It is not 50-50, it is 30.

Reporter: Yvonne Brown has lived here for almost 30 years.

>> The first we had, maybe 10 maintenance men.

We have maybe five.

Some of them need to go back to school.

Reporter: she says it takes months to get basic repairs done, like fixing a leaky sink.

Stanley's was built around 85 years ago.

New Jersey's oldest public housing complex right be showing its age.

Heating and hot water worked when I stopped by, but Brown says that is not always the case.

And she frequently smells gas around the complex.

>> Come to find out that they connect the gas to a pipe where they did not connect it right.

It had a hole in it also.

All those pipes right there need to be redone.

I try not to stress.

Reporter: David Johnson has lived here for about 15 years.

Aside from that pesky screen door, he enjoys his apartment.

>> I love where I live.

I really do.

I've got a nice relationship with a lot of neighbors.

Reporter: he admits the hot water and heat are not always there when he needs them.

>> We have days where we don't have heat, sometimes both heat and hot water.

That happens from time to time.

Conditions could be better.

I think they will get better.

Reporter: not everyone is so optimistic.

>> We are anticipating a really difficult winter.

>> Last year, around 100 residents signed on to a lawsuit against the AC Housing Authority, asking them to come up with a plan to make sure residents have heat and hot water.

Olga Paul mar's lead counsel for the residents.

>> Temperatures were dropping into below freezing, in the units at Stanley homes village did not have heat and hot water.

Reporter: the case has produce some results.

A judge has demanded that aging gas lines be replaced by the end of February.

And at that aging Housing Authority show the first steps in a new heating system in place by next winter.

>> They talked about installing a new replacement decentralized heating system because they knew their current system was so unreliable.

They really did not move forward on it.

It was not until September when we brought a motion to enforce our prior orders that we discovered that the Housing Authority had not done much of anything to prepare for this year's heating season.

>> The judges -- the judge is considering how much rent credit should be given to residents who are not getting heat or hot water consistently.

Time, residents have become frustrated with the Housing Authority, which did not make anyone available for comment on the story.

>> The Housing Authority never provided us with any reasonable intelligent plan.

>> The board members, you know what they do?

They go for the lower bidders.

>> Care all local people.

We have to have accountability.

And the Housing Authority board has to require more accountability.

Reporter: residents have received rental credits in the past for similar issues with heat and hot water.

City Councilman Colleen Shabazz hopes residents continue getting credits until problems are fixed.

>> Consistent heat and hot water is not a luxury.

It is a necessity.

Reporter: a necessity that residents have had to fight for over the past 13 months.

In Atlantic City, I am Ted Goldberg, NJ Spotlight News.

Briana: That is going to do it for us tonight.

Make sure you catch Reporters Roundtable with David Cruz tomorrow.

David caps off the show with Mike, Director of the rep of edge Institute for New Jersey politics at Rider University, with a look at whether Orsted's stunning decision to scrap its offshore wind projects in the state could hurt Democrats at the polls next week.

Then a panel of local reporters break down this week's political headlines.

Watch roundtable tomorrow at noon on the NJ Spotlight News YouTube channel.

A reminder to download the NJ Spotlight News podcast so you can listen anytime.

I am Briana Vannozzi.

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

Have a great evening.

We will see you here tomorrow.

♪ >> NJM insurance group, serving the insurance needs of residents and businesses for more than 100 years.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

And by the PSEG foundation.

>> Orsted will provide renewable offshore wind energy.

Supply chain and economic opportunities for the garden state.

Orsted, committed to the creation of a new, long-term, sustainable, clean energy future for New Jersey.

Online at U.S..orsted.com.

♪