With roughly 5.24 million people who live, work or study in New Jersey having gotten the shot or shots, vaccine hesitancy has brought new rates of inoculation against the virus to a virtual standstill.

Under the pilot version of the Micro-Lender Support Grant, lenders can get up to $200,000 to expand their products for New Jersey businesses, including through technical support, added underwriting capacity and the addition of new staff.

The state’s support is a vital first step toward making it available for federal funding and creating the legal standing to hold property owners - like those that polluted the river - financially responsible for clean-up costs.

Every community water system throughout New Jersey would have six months to take stock of its lead service lines and replace them within 10 years--the same pipes found in communities like Newark, where hundreds of thousands of students were affected by high levels of the element found in drinking water at the city’s schools.

The aid includes $55 million to microbusinesses, $15 million to bars and restaurants, $10 million to child care facilities, $10 million to arts and culture groups, and $45 million to other small businesses and nonprofits. 

As of July 21, the state logged 655 new cases of the virus. Hospitalizations rose above 300 for the first time in a month and new cases hit peak levels not seen since May, according to data from the New Jersey Department of Health.

The Elizabeth Development Co., through the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, is granting access to training opportunities in the construction industry and will assist with job placement in North Jersey thanks to the new initiative.

As part of the Small Business Emergency Assistance Loan Program, run by the NJEDA, businesses and nonprofits hit by the pandemic can apply for loans of up to $100,000, which last 10 years with a 0% interest rate and deferred payments for the first two years.

There were 338 COVID-19 patients in New Jersey’s 71 hospitals as of July 18, of which 58 were in intensive care and 29 were on ventilators. But state health officials maintain that those  numbers are “lagging indicators,” meaning it could be days or weeks before they reflect the virus's current extent.

In 2019, the media giant received nearly $14.4 million for its season one production in East Rutherford of “The Enemy Within,” and an $11.2 million award for the Kearny production of “Little America.”

According to state officials, the money was awarded in August 2017 on two primary conditions: for major expansions at the global drugmaker's Bridgewater corporate campus, and that it would retain 2,099 job positions. But, the NJEDA contends, both circumstances have changed.

The president is asking the FTC to ban or limit non-compete clauses, which prevent millions of workers from going to work for their employers’ rivals. The move was hailed by labor rights groups who contend the provisions limit opportunities, especially for lower paid employees. But business groups say they are vital to protect company interests, stay competitive in the market and not unfairly lose out to direct industry competitors.