June 11, 2019-Whistleblower says NJ violated civil rights of psychiatric patients with disabilities
A whistleblower lawsuit claims New Jerseyans with intellectual or developmental disabilities were inappropriately diagnosed with mental illnesses, given psychotropic drugs and forced to stay in state psychiatric hospitals long after they were deemed stable enough to return to the community…. Read more
June 7, 2019-Human rights in the US are worse than you think
A new report examining human rights in the United States and around the world has just been released, and its findings are disturbing: The US is doing abysmally in several key categories, including the right to freedom from extrajudicial killing, the right to participate in government, and the right to be safe from the state. Read more
June 6, 2019-School apologizes after boy with autism given ‘most annoying’ award
GARY, Ind. – An Indiana father says he was “blindsided” after a teacher gave his 11-year-old son, who has autism, an award for “most annoying male.” “We just weren’t expecting it,” dad Rick Castejon told the The Times of Northwest Indiana. “As a principal or teacher, you should never let this happen to any student.” Castejon said a special education teacher at Bailly Preparatory Academy
June 6, 2019-After viral outbreak that killed 11 kids, state vows to make big changes
In a long-awaited report obtained by NJ Advance Media, state health officials are calling for a dramatic overhaul of how nursing homes respond to an emergency in the wake of the deadly viral outbreak at a New Jersey pediatric care facility that led to the deaths of 11 children last fall. Read more
June 6, 2019-Hillsborough student and parents call school district response ‘weak’ after early prom dismissal
HILLSBOROUGH — The school district has offered its “sincerest apology” for an “unfortunate mistake with heartbreaking ramifications” for an incident at the senior prom when 11 students, nine of whom are special needs, were forced to leave early. In the statement, which can be found on the Hillsborough Township Public Schools website, the district wrote that after an “immediate” investigation following the incident, the school district concluded
June 5, 2019-AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN NEW JERSEY: WHAT’S NEXT?
After decades of political wrangling and practical stalemate, are things beginning to shift for affordable housing in New Jersey? An NJ Spotlight roundtable More than 250 New Jersey municipalities have finalized with the courts and housing advocates plans that detail how many affordable homes they are allotting within their borders and where these units could be built. Not all the proposed developments will happen.
June 4, 2019-Republicans threaten revolt, may block Trump’s Mexico tariffs
Republicans are warning that President Donald Trump could face a shocking rebellion against him on the Senate floor if the president slaps Mexico with wide-ranging tariffs. At a closed-door lunch Tuesday, two Trump administration officials laid out the president’s view: There is a crisis at the border and Mexico needs to stem the surge of migrants to avoid the new levies. Read more
June 3, 2019-Can Medicaid handle another recession?
Medicaid is still feeling the pain of the Great Recession. The next recession could put a lot of pressure on the program State spending on Medicaid is still stubbornly high, with no sign of ebbing, even though we are in the midst of the longest period of economic recovery in recent memory. That was one of the remarkable findings in a forthcoming analysis from
May 31, 2019-Groups come to rescue of Hillsborough students with special needs ejected from prom
After hearing that several Hillsborough High School students with special needs had been ejected from their senior prom, two North Jersey groups have come to the rescue. The Lyndhurst Special Angels and Kearny Elks club have invited the nine ejected seniors to “Extreme Prom,” an event for students with disabilities to be held at The Bethwood in Totowa in July. Read more
May 31, 2019-NJ Medicaid decision forcing disabled student to drop out of Georgetown
Lacey resident and former Freehold Township valedictorian Anna Landre is having her Medicaid reduced despite a judge ruling in her favor. Through two years at Georgetown University, Anna Landre has posted a 3.9 grade point average, completed a prestigious internship and become a columnist for the student newspaper. The Lacey resident and former Freehold Township High School valedictorian has done all this with spinal