(upbeat music) - From NJ PBS Studios, this is NJ Spotlight News with Brianna Vannozzi.

- Hello and thanks for joining us on this Thursday.

I'm Brianna Vannozzi.

Tonight, a few stories we'll get into later in the broadcast.

Final showdown.

Gubernatorial candidates Jack Ciattarelli and Mikey Sherrill clash in their last official debate before the election.

We recap what they said on the issues and the jabs at each other's records.

Then, how the verdict in the historic Del Barton sex abuse trial may change the course for similar cases.

We hear from a former student survivor.

And later, is the federal shutdown affecting your air travel?

We look at the impact the government impasse is having on air traffic control, safety and staffing.

But first, a few of today's top headlines.

New numbers are giving insight into the impact of President Trump's immigration agenda.

Since taking office through July, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has arrested more than 3,000 people in New Jersey.

That's the ninth highest total in the country, according to data from independent researchers analyzed by NJ Spotlight News.

Now, nationwide, ICE has made nearly 138,000 arrests since the administration's first full day in January.

That's been fueled by billions in new funding, with Homeland Security targeting a million deportations annually.

But critics say the majority of those arrested have no criminal convictions.

Recent analysis backs their claim, finding that non-criminal detainees now make up the largest group in ICE custody for the first time under the current administration.

Meanwhile, the federal government plans to use the Joint Base in Burlington County as a deportation hub.

Lawmakers here say they're still requesting more information about that plan from the White House.

Also tonight, in a rare bipartisan move, ten former U.S.

attorneys from both Democratic and Republican administrations are speaking out, warning through a legal filing that the Trump administration's actions to reinstall Alina Haba as New Jersey's acting U.S.

attorney after her interim term expired not only violates federal law, but threatens the checks and balances meant to prevent presidents from installing "unfit characters" into important roles by bypassing Senate confirmation.

Haba, a former personal attorney to President Trump, was first appointed to the interim role in March, but was never confirmed by the Senate.

Two other amicus briefs have also been filed in the case by a bipartisan group of former and current Congress members, including Democrat Frank Pallone, who helped pass a 2007 law about presidential appointments.

Meanwhile, Haba remains in office despite a federal judge's ruling that found it unlawful.

The Trump administration appealed that, and the case is playing out in the Third Circuit with oral arguments slated to start October 20th.

And a potential breakthrough.

Israel and Hamas have signed a deal to end the two-year war in Gaza.

The agreement brokered during indirect talks today in Egypt marks what President Trump is hailing as the first phase of a broader peace initiative and paves the way for the release of all remaining Israeli hostages.

Under the deal, Israel will begin a partial withdrawal from Gaza while Hamas releases hostages taken during the deadly October 7, 2023 attacks.

That's an exchange hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be freed.

Now as the news spread, celebrations erupted across Israel and Gaza, including Tel Aviv's Hostages Square.

The nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, CAIR, today in a statement welcomed the deal as a first step toward everlasting peace.

More than 67,000 Palestinians have died in the Gaza conflict.

The ceasefire is expected to take effect within 24 hours of ratification by Israel's government.

President Trump says hostages could be released as soon as Monday, but hurdles remain, including the unresolved questions about Gaza's future leadership.

And coming up, the last gubernatorial debate gets ugly, so what did the candidates spar over?

We'll give you all the hits and misses from the debate.

That's next.

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Well, it was fiery, personal and packed with sharp contrasts.

Democrat Mikey Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciatarelli faced off in their last debate in the race to be New Jersey's next governor.

And no topic was off limits.

Senior correspondent Joanna Gagis breaks down the key moments from last night and how they could shape the final weeks before Election Day.

It was the second and final debate of this gubernatorial campaign.

Democratic Congresswoman Mikey Sherrill and Republican former State Assemblyman Jack Cittarelli went toe-to-toe last night, both hammering home their message on affordability and other top priorities if elected governor.

I am laser focused on driving down your costs, making New Jersey more affordable.

I'm going to start by declaring a state of emergency on energy costs, making it safer and more affordable.

And I'm going to ensure that I am always fighting for all of you.

We have an overdevelopment crisis in our suburban communities.

We have an affordability crisis because of property taxes and electricity bills.

We have a public safety crisis because we don't let our police do their jobs any longer.

We have a public education crisis because we've watered down the public school curriculum.

that he's the Jersey guy in the race.

Mikey countering saying he might be from Jersey, but she's the only one fighting for New Jersey.

This election considered a referendum on President Trump.

They were asked to give him a grade.

I'd certainly give it to President A. I think he's right about everything that he's doing.

That tells us all we need to know about who Jack Ciattarelli's supporting.

I'd give him an F. Asked about the president freezing gateway tunnel funding because some of it was tied to a DEI initiative.

Construction is not stopping.

This shutdown would have to go on for two or three months before the gateway project would grind to a halt.

This is not tied to the shutdown.

This is simply the president saying he's freezing the gateway tunnel funds, which he should not be able to do.

And in my administration, I take him to court over it, because those are congressionally appropriated funds for the gateway tunnel.

It's a negotiation that's taking place with the Congress.

With the people of New Jersey and they're commuting it.

They addressed the controversy swirling through the media the last few weeks.

Cheryl being banned from walking in her Naval Academy graduation.

And Cittarelli's campaign releasing her private military records.

I didn't turn in some of my classmates so I didn't walk at graduation.

Because I come from an incredibly accountable place.

But I went on to graduate.

I was commissioned an officer in the United States Navy.

I held positions of trust throughout the Navy.

Held the highest levels of security clearance.

She says it's because she didn't turn in classmates.

That's the honor code at West Point.

That's not the honor code at the Naval Academy.

You don't get punished for that.

I think she was punished for something else.

And so I think she needs to come clean.

I'm certainly not going to open up my classmates' hundreds of records so he can rampage through them on a witch hunt.

Here's what I think really demands an answer, is why my opponent still won't take accountability for the release of those records.

It's under federal investigation that a member of his team, someone he vetted to be his lieutenant governor, actually got access to those records, said he was shocked and disgusted, and yet nevertheless shopped them out to reporters.

When he was asked about it, he acted as if he had no idea what his campaign was doing.

She's trying to create a giant smoke screen for something the National Archives has taken complete responsibility for and apologized for with regard to a Freedom of Information Act request that was perfectly legal.

But later in the debate, the gloves really came off when Mikey accused Jack of being responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of New Jerseyans tied to his medical publishing company.

How he made his millions by working with some of the worst offenders and saying that opioids were safe, putting out propaganda, publishing their propaganda while tens of thousands of New Jerseyans died.

First of all, shame on you.

Shame on you, sir.

Shame on you.

With regard to everything she just said about my professional career, which provided my family, it's a lie.

I'm proud of my career.

I'm happy to publish the information and hear the facts.

I work because I think our kids deserve better.

I think the people you got addicted and died deserve better than you.

And I'll tell you, yeah, tens of thousands here as you published misinformation, as you got more people addicted, as you did work to develop, got paid to develop an app so that more people could get more opioids and die.

But here's the fact, even during, even, I got the walk at my college.

And I'm so glad that you then went on to kill tens of thousands of people in New Jersey including children as they got, you just broke the law.

In fact your campaign right now is under federal investigation for how you illegally got access to my records.

So to say that right now and I think you're trying to divert from the fact that you killed tens of thousands of people by printing your misinformation, your propaganda.

So how much will the personal attacks resonate over their message of making the state better and more affordable?

That's a question the campaigns will have to ask in this final stretch of the race.

For NJ Spotlight News, I'm Joanna Gagas.

We continue our coverage tonight on the historic verdict in the Del Barton School sex abuse trial after a jury late Wednesday awarded $5 million to a Del Barton graduate known only as TM, who says he was sexually abused by a monk at the school 50 years ago.

It's the first time a civil sex abuse case against the Catholic Church has made it to trial in New Jersey and resulted in a win for the survivor.

The decision could open the door for dozens more cases tied to Del Barton and St.

Mary's Abbey.

Joining me now is former student Billy Crane, who along with his twin brother, successfully sued Del Barton more than a decade ago, also over allegations of sexual abuse by two priests.

It's good to see you.

Let me just ask you first your reaction after hearing the verdict.

Yes.

Del Barton has been hit with a very serious verdict for past abhorrent crimes of serious child abuse at Del Barton School.

So it was a day of justice and the jurors, hats off, made the right decision based on the overwhelming evidence that was presented into the court.

We should note your case was settled.

It did not go to trial.

Do you see this as a turning point for other survivors of abuse from within the Catholic institution?

Yes, this is a high watermark with what TM was able to do.

And for the first time in church history, a victim was able to face his abuser, face the institution, Del Barton, and take his guilt and shame and transfer that onto his abuser and onto Del Barton's school.

So it was a very victorious, rewarding day for TM.

And we're very proud of him.

Yeah, the jury, though, found that Del Barton negligently failed to supervise the monk in TM's case, but not that they acted with intent.

And I want to ask you about that and your view as to whether that's enough accountability in this case.

I think there's more documents to be revealed.

We have the punitive charges coming up and Tom's got a really strong team of lawyers and all the information is going to be aired out.

The school did respond.

In fact, you had sent it to me in the early morning hours.

I just want to read it to you and get more of your response to it.

They said in part, quote, The alleged incident in question in this trial occurred 50 years ago when modern safeguards did not exist at secular or religious schools or other youth serving institutions.

>> Bill Barton's claim that for abuse of any kind, but it is a truth that must be reflected in the verdict.

What's your take on that, Billy?

>> Bill Barton still remains in denial of what's taken place here, and they refuse to reckon simply with their past, like other institutions like penn state.

They were able to clean house, air out everything to their community to their donors.

Del Barton still remains entrenched and in denial.

And it was a very disturbing message that.

Father Tid and Abbott McCarty sent to the community.

And it's more or less they communicated like they're the victims.

And here we have 40 more cases to come forward.

The last time we spoke you said among your hopes for this case in particular was for the school to admit liability.

That did not happen.

What does that say for the justice process.

What was proved what wasn't approved.

I think the culture was exposed and I think without a shadow of a doubt it's a culture that's harbored serial child rapists at Dalbarton.

And it's it's it's a monumental day.

And with 39 more cases coming forward all that's all that's going to be exposed.

And the truth is with the victims.

There's obviously a lot of talk about what coming forward like this can do to a person emotionally, mentally.

Part of the defense's case was that TM went on to live a robust life, was married for 18 years, did well professionally.

How did that lay with you as someone who has lived this and who has told me previously on this newscast that it disrupted your life and in some parts you said ruined your life.

It does and as survivors were able to put different mask on and hide the reality of what took place to us and we all cope in different ways.

I'm an avid cyclist and other people get involved in work and we try to suppress the abuse that had taken place to us.

And what Del Barton did in their cross-examination, all they tried to do was re-traumatize Tom and re-victimize him in the court.

And shame on them for doing that.

They pointed out, though, that TM met with Father Lot after graduation, had several visits with him, had made no mention of it.

Can you speak to that a little bit in terms of why that might happen, why a relationship may continue in that way?

Yes, I can speak from my own experience as well as other survivors.

And I was in touch with my abusers for quite a few years after joining the Navy.

And they're like a father figure to us.

So there's a bond there.

And we live in denial that they abused their power and perpetrated crimes against us.

So I'm not surprised at all with victims being in touch with their abusers because we really haven't felt the full extent of the abuse until later on in life where it's ugly head reveres in relationships and it's very tough.

Have you spoken with TM?

What do you think he's feeling today?

I think that once again, it's a double-edged sword.

I think he's relieved that it's over.

And like I said, all that shame and guilt that he's been carrying around for 40 years has now been transferred on to Richard Lott and Del Barton School.

And so he's walking a little bit taller.

I think he's going to be a much stronger person through all this, and he's going to be in a situation to advocate for other victims moving forward through the judicial system.

Yeah, of which there are more cases to come.

And as you noted, the trial for the punitive damages, that begins next week.

Billy Crane, thank you so much again for your insight and for your time.

Brianna, thank you.

Appreciate it.

The federal government shutdown is now in its ninth day and hitting people where it hurts.

The skies.

Thousands of flights have been delayed this week, including many at Newark Airport due to a shortage of air traffic controllers.

Now, it's unclear exactly how much of that issue can be blamed just on the shutdown.

But security and traffic controllers are two crucial airport functions managed by the federal government.

And right now, people in those jobs are working overtime without pay, with pressure building.

Our senior correspondent, Brenda Flanagan, has more on the growing crisis in the control towers and what it could mean for your next flight.

Bren.

Hey, Breanna.

So, the government shutdown is causing a lot of political turbulence, and it's rippling across American airspace.

Travelers at airports across the nation, including Newark, Liberty, Teterboro and LaGuardia, encountered some 10,000 flight delays on Monday and Tuesday alone, sometimes caused by weather, but often due to staffing shortages amongst air traffic controllers.

They're still on the job during the shutdown.

The FAA says it's got almost 11,000 ATCs, but it needs about 3,000 more.

Many are working 10-hour shifts, six days a week, and they're not getting paid.

Former FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt predicts more controllers are calling out sick.

There is normal sick leave, but as this accelerates, if someone takes sick leave, well, guess what?

That means somebody else has to work overtime.

Well, they're all working overtime now.

And how much overtime can you work?

Can you work 60 hours a week?

That leads to more sickness, which calls for more overtime.

It's a self-accelerating problem.

And I think we're seeing -- we're right in the midst of that right now.

We're tracking sick calls sick leave.

And have we had a slight tick up in sick calls.

Yes.

And then you'll see delays that come from that.

Right.

Because again our priority again I want to see your flight not be delayed.

I don't want you I don't want you canceled.

But our priorities are safety.

And so if we have additional sick calls we will reduce the flow consistent with a rate that's safe for the American people.

And they did.

On Wednesday Newark Liberty turned up on a list of airports with so-called staffing triggers and expected flight delays.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had already reduced the number of flights allowed in and out of Newark Liberty after the FAA's antiquated flight radar system glitched out twice back in April and May.

Planes just disappeared from radar screens for 90 seconds.

That was traumatizing for air traffic controllers.

About 22 are currently assigned to handle flights for airports in Newark, Teterboro, Morristown, Caldwell and Linden.

With additional shutdown pressures, the potential for burnout is very real, says Rutgers psychologist Stephanie Marcello.

So people may be having headaches, feeling irritable, trouble sleeping, really being kind of cynical, not wanting to really be at work.

Those are all signs of kind of burnout.

Some could be, you know, how are they managing at home when they're going home to their loved ones if they're in such a high stress, like pressured position that is increasingly getting more stressful.

And you know, you can see in these when people are starting to feel burnout, is that they do have reduced performance.

And the first thing we want to do is really recognize these signs.

Some of them may say, I've had enough of this.

This isn't the first time I've been in this game.

I quit.

I'm going to go over here and make more money doing something else.

And I'm sure you're going to see some of that.

And we're not getting any help from the top of the administration who in order and I appreciate pushes and bargaining but to threaten that well you know I'm just going to start firing people we can't get this resolved.

That's that's nice for the people you're bargaining with.

It's not very nice for the people who are about to be fired if we don't get a deal.

Now the Air Traffic Controllers Union President, Nick Daniels, made it very clear to members that any organized job actions are illegal.

He stood by Duffy at the Newark Liberty Airport news conference and released social media posts.

During the shutdown, all eyes are on us and we must avoid any actions that can reflect poorly on you, our union and our professions.

We know our members will rise to the occasion and provide the same exemplary public service they do every day.

They're going to do the work.

They're not going to get the check.

And again, they have bills they have to pay.

So now they're thinking about that at the same time that they're controlling the airspace, which I don't like that.

That is that is not we want them to leave their personal problems at the door when they go into a tower.

Now, Congress remains apparently deadlocked over the budget bill.

Both sides have posted angry memes and partisan attacks.

And yet this air traffic controller crisis might impact the political impasse.

It certainly did during the first Trump administration's government shutdown that lasted 35 days.

The president had demanded $5.7 billion to build a wall along the Mexican border.

Congress refused.

The standoff finally ended after 10 air traffic controllers called in sick, kicking off a cascade of flight delays and cancellations.

That's when the White House decided to reopen the federal government.

Now, while planes don't fly without air traffic controllers, travelers still need to get checked in by the TSA.

Some 50,000 officers are deemed essential workers and are required to report for duty during the shutdown.

But sick-out calls are increasing, according to union officials.

Published reports state that, on Monday and Tuesday, about 50 of 250 TSA officers scheduled to work across seven mid-Atlantic states called out.

Brianna?

That's, um, wow.

I mean, those numbers are pretty staggering.

I wonder, though, Bren, do we know how the public feels about this?

I mean, are they sympathetic to the fact that these are folks who, as stated over and over again, are working without pay and under duress in a lot of situations?

Absolutely.

Well, first, let's see how it's impacting them now.

As we tape this, the delays across the United States are almost 3,000 flights.

At Newark, 132 flights.

At LaGuardia, 315 flights.

And we know that that's going to keep on climbing.

Now, a very unscientific observation on social media.

It looks like the air traffic controllers do have a lot of support.

People expressed concern.

Somebody posted on a Reddit site and asked if flying was still safe, and they were reassured, yes, it is.

Folks keep asking how they can help by having pizza and donuts delivered.

In fact, that's what Secretary Duffy brought the controllers in Newark's tower.

And Newark's air traffic controllers also went through a difficult transition earlier this year.

Yeah, they did.

Can you tell us a little bit about that?

I mean, you touched on it briefly, but they've been through it.

They're overworked and understaffed.

Absolutely.

Although, some controllers handle local runway traffic from Newark Liberty's control tower, most of them that direct flight traffic into Newark were relocated from a Long Island facility to the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control Tower, or TRACON.

Now, back in May, that group at Philly TRACON actually had just 16 controllers and 5 supervisors.

Six, though, were on medical leave.

That meant that with 21 in training, they only had 16 people there.

It can take years to train a controller, so they are under a lot of stress, Brie.

Yeah, and of course, Newark's airspace is among the most congested in the nation.

Brenda Flanagan for us.

Great reporting as always.

Thanks, Bren.

Thank you, Brie.

That's going to do it for us, but a reminder, you can download our podcast wherever you listen and watch us anytime by subscribing to the NJ Spotlight News YouTube channel.

I'm Brianna Vannozzi.

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

We'll see you right back here tomorrow.

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