Here's the stories you'll be talking about on the New Jersey 101.5 Morning Show on Thursday:

🔗 AI boom sparks backlash: NJ communities rush to ban data centers

⚡ Massive AI data centers have popped up across NJ, sparking backlash
⚡ High-profile projects in Vineland and Kenilworth fueling statewide debate
⚡ Multiple towns are banning projects over noise, power, water concerns

Public attention is still catching up to massive data centers being built in New Jersey, under deals made over the past several years.

In a rare, non-partisan wave, residents have criticized sprawling data centers already taking shape.

A 2.6 million-square-foot AI data center in Vineland grabbed attention statewide, once the humming of its generators went viral on social media.

The site is expected to reach 300 megawatts of power capacity.

In recent weeks, scrutiny has been turned to a massive project in Union County.

CoreWeave is transforming the former Merck property in Kenilworth, along Galloping Hill Road just off the Garden State Parkway, into a 400-square-foot data center.

The project has been on the books since 2024, just as then Gov. Phil Murphy signed the state’s Artificial Intelligence incentives legislation into law.

CoreWeave is an AI cloud-computing company based in Livingston.

🔗 Supreme Court opens door to lawsuit in explosive NJ abortion case

⚖️ Supreme Court rules for NJ pregnancy center in First Amendment dispute
🔥 Decision allows lawsuit against NJ investigation to move forward
💥 Case highlights ongoing abortion and free speech battle

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court delivered a setback to New Jersey officials Wednesday, siding with a faith-based pregnancy center in a high-profile clash over abortion and free speech.

The unanimous ruling gives First Choice Women’s Resource Centers a path to challenge a state investigation in federal court — a procedural win that could reshape how similar cases are fought nationwide.

The decision allows First Choice to sue over a subpoena issued by New Jersey’s attorney general as part of an investigation into whether the group misled women about abortion services.

While the ruling does not resolve the underlying case, it clears the way for the dispute to move forward in federal court.

The case highlights a broader national conflict between abortion rights and free speech protections.

New Jersey officials sought donor lists and other records to determine whether the center misrepresented its services. First Choice argued the demand violated its First Amendment rights and could discourage supporters.

Even the American Civil Liberties Union — which supports abortion rights — backed the group’s argument that donor information requests can chill free speech.

🔗 DOJ sues New Jersey over ICE mask ban as immigration fight escalates

⚖️ DOJ sues NJ, calling mask ban on ICE agents “unconstitutional” and dangerous to federal officers
😷 New law requires officers to show faces and ID during arrests, with limited exceptions
🔥 Legal clash escalates ongoing fight between NJ and Trump administration over immigration enforcement

The U.S. Department of Justice is suing New Jersey, Gov. Mikie Sherrill, and Attorney General Jennifer Davenport over a new state law that limits when law enforcement officers — including ICE agents — can wear masks.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Newark, argues the so-called “Law Enforcement Officer Protection Act” is an unconstitutional attempt by a state to regulate federal agents. The law requires officers to show their faces and provide identification during arrests and detentions, with exceptions for undercover or safety-related situations.

A preliminary statement from the Justice Department detailing the suit claims "New Jersey lacks the legal authority to regulate the Federal Government at all, much less through a law targeted at core governmental functions such as law enforcement."

Federal officials claim the policy puts agents at risk by exposing their identities, potentially leading to harassment, doxxing, or violence.

🔗 Fugitive child sex offender arrested in Lakewood, feds say

⚖️ Fugitive wanted in Israel on child sex crime charges was arrested in Lakewood.
⚖️ Federal officials say he faces extradition after appearing in court in Trenton.
️⚖️ Authorities say the arrest shows New Jersey won’t be a safe haven for criminals.

LAKEWOOD — A fugitive wanted in Israel has been arrested in Ocean County.

Yechiel Yehoshua Farkas, 43, is accused of attempted rape and other sex crimes against children, according to federal officials. His arrest was announced on Tuesday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Homeland Security Investigations office in Newark.

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting New Jersey by enhancing border security and ensuring the United States does not become a haven for criminal fugitives,” said HSI Newark Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy.

Investigators said that Farkas committed the heinous crimes in Israel between 2020 and 2025. On Dec. 10, a warrant for his arrest was issued in Tel Aviv, Israel. Months later, he was arrested in Lakewood on April 17.

It's expected that he will be extradited to Israel.

🔗 Supreme Court ruling will reshape American politics. The only question is when

The U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority on Wednesday handed Republicans their biggest victory yet in the perpetual battle to control the House of Representatives and statehouses across the country — but it may have come too late to have much of an effect on this year’s midterm elections.

The 6-3 ruling effectively gutted the Voting Rights Act’s requirement that districts be drawn to give minority voters a chance to elect representatives of their choosing. One practical effect of that requirement was the protection of reliably Democratic-voting majority-minority districts, even in solidly red states where lawmakers could otherwise favor the GOP.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill released a statement denouncing the ruling.

"Today's egregious decision by Donald Trump's Supreme Court is the effective end of this monumental civil rights law," Sherrill said, "It's reckless and wrong, and across the country, minority voters could lose much of their voice in our democracy and their representation in Congress. Now more than ever, engaged citizens must work together to ensure no one is left behind in the wake of malicious actions from Washington. In New Jersey, we will always stand for the ideals of equal protection under the law and ensure every voter in every community is heard."

Start your day with up-to-the-minute news, traffic and weather for the Garden State.

The New Jersey 101.5 Morning Show airs from 6 - 10 a.m. on New Jersey 101.5.

Join the conversation by calling 1-800-283-1015 or download the NJ101.5 app.

You can reach him at eric.scott@townsquaremedia.com

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.