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

New Jersey made some very bad decisions when it comes to energy, and the policies of former Gov. Phil Murphy have largely resulted in a massive spike in utility rates.

That is essentially the message from Democratic congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5).

Gottheimer is the latest Democrat to break with the green energy agenda being promoted by many in his party.

Mikie Sherrill was elected governor last November, in part, on an agenda to lower your utility rates.  However, in her current budget proposal there remains significant funding for 'green energy.'

Gottheimer blunted told reporters such zero-emission goals are admirable but not realistic.

It was a refreshing take from a Democrat who realizes we need more power and we need it now, and how it is generated is less important in the short term when New Jersey residents are faced with skyrocketing utility rates.

Keep scrolling to read how Gottheimer proposes we address the issue.

🔗 NJ nurse practitioner accused of assaulting teen inside shelter

🔴 NJ nurse practitioner charged with assaulting a teen in Middlesex County.
🔴 Prosecutors say there was “inappropriate physical and verbal contact."
🔴 Profile shows he was an ambitious student with lots of New Jersey experience.

NORTH BRUNSWICK — A nurse practitioner is accused of assaulting a teenager in a medical unit at a Middlesex County facility, according to authorities.

Izee Dizon, 34, of Bridgewater, is charged with aggravated assault and child endangerment, both third-degree crimes. Dizon was arrested on March 8, two days after an incident at the Middlesex County Youth Shelter, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Linda Estremera.

A 16-year-old male juvenile reported that he was assaulted by the nurse practitioner while inside a medical unit at the youth shelter, according to prosecutors.

Investigators with the county Special Victims Unit said that Dizon had "inappropriate physical and verbal contact" with the teenager. However, it's unclear exactly what happened.

🔗 NJ energy bills soar 45%, sparks fight over green agenda

⚡NJ energy costs have surged 45% in two years
⚡Congressman pushes 'all of the above' strategy to boost supply
⚡AI demand, plant closures blamed for increasing energy prices

With energy costs up 45% over the past two years, a New Jersey congressman believes an "all of the above" energy strategy is a more realistic approach to cutting energy costs than the policies of the more progressive wing of his party.

U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J. 5th District, said that energy demand has gone up but supply has not kept up. Producing all types of energy in New Jersey, including natural gas, nuclear, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, and battery storage, is a better strategy to bring down prices. He said zero-emission goals are admirable but not realistic.

He said that plans to use more alternative energy sources did not account for the increased demand from AI data centers. Plus, cutting off traditional supplies, freezing capacity and decreasing capacity with the closing of the Oyster Creek nuclear plant and the Essex Generating Plant, and retiring natural gas plants without replacements, were not wise decisions.

"I’d love to get us off of fossil fuels today or next week and speed up our transition to alternative energies like solar. But, we didn’t leave much room for reality. We thought that our energy demand would continue to stay flat as it has for decades – or that our transition to more electric devices wouldn’t suck up that much supply," Gottheimer said Monday during a media briefing.

🔗 New Jersey schools install AI cameras as privacy concerns grow

🔴 AI-powered cameras now monitor tens of thousands of New Jersey students.
🔴 New tech can detect guns in seconds, but raises fears about student tracking.
🔴 Lawmakers push new rules as AI surveillance rapidly expands in schools.

Super advanced cameras powered by artificial intelligence have students at New Jersey schools under constant surveillance.

Several school districts are already using AI cameras, including the state's largest district. Newark schools signed a $12 million contract to install 7,700 cameras to watch its 44,000 students. The AI cameras were up and running at the start of this school year.

In South Jersey, the Glassboro Public School District is the first to partner with a company that uses AI to find firearms in schools. ZeroEyes boasts that it's the "first AI-based gun detection video analytics platform" with federal recognition.

The ZeroEyes cameras will monitor nearly 2,000 students, Pre-K through 12th grade, and 350 staff throughout four Glassboro schools. If a gun is detected, mass alerts can be sent within seconds to students' phones and digital signage throughout the buildings.

“The safety of our students and staff is our top priority, and this integration adds a critical new layer of protection," said Craig Stephenson, GPSD assistant superintendent.

While schools can use AI cameras to detect firearms, districts can also choose to flag behaviors like vaping. State lawmakers worry this could get out of control if left unchecked.

🔗 Iran lashes out with attacks on Israel and Gulf neighbors as Israel hits Beirut

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran lashed out following the killing of one of its top leaders in an airstrike with attacks on its Persian Gulf neighbors and Israel on Wednesday, using some of its latest missiles to evade air defenses and killing two near Tel Aviv as the war in the Middle East showed no signs of slowing.

Israel kept up intense pressure on Lebanon with strikes it said targeted Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, hitting multiple apartment buildings in Beirut and killing at least six people.

In Iran, the Bushehr nuclear power plant complex was hit by a projectile but there were no injuries and the plant suffered no damage, the International Atomic Energy Agency said after receiving a report from Tehran. The IAEA’s leader, Rafael Grossi, reiterated his call “for maximum restraint during the conflict to prevent risk of a nuclear accident.”

The price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, remained stubbornly over $100 per barrel in early trading on Wednesday, up more than 40% from the start of the war.

Since the United States and Israel attacked Iran to start the war on Feb. 28, Iran has been targeting the energy infrastructure of its Gulf Arab neighbors, as well as military bases, as part of a strategy to drive up oil prices and put pressure on Washington to back down.

🔗 'No Kings' NJ protests March 28 locations and details

☑️'No Kings' protests against Donald Trump return March 28
☑️Over 50 events are planned across New Jersey
☑️Movement previously drew millions nationwide

Detractors of President Donald Trump are planning another day of "No Kings" protests this month.

The "No Kings" protests first began on June 14, 2025, as a "Day of Action" with 50 protests in 50 states. It was Trump's 79th birthday and the day of the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary parade in Washington, an unprecedented show of the country's military hardware and soldiers.

There were actually eight separate protests around New Jersey demonstrating against the actions and policies of the Trump administration.

On Oct. 18, another 40 protests took place in 18 of the state's 21 counties under the "No Kings" banner, which drew an estimated 7 million protesters around the country.

In the shadow of Trump's military action with Israel against Iran, another "No Kings" protest is scheduled for March 28. A map on the No Kings Coalition website shows 54 protests planned in New Jersey.

"As President Trump escalates his attempts to control us, it is on us, the people, to show that we will fight to protect one another and our country," the coalition says on its website. "If he believes we will roll over and allow him to take our freedoms, he is mistaken. We are coming together again on March 28 because we know we can overcome this repression when we unite."

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.

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

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