Headlines for September 16, 2026

Activists call for NJ data center ban after diesel spill into creek

Agent Orange maker polluted this N.J. river. A 17-mile stretch will finally get cleaned up.

NJ rents continue to rise. Mercer County saw the biggest jump over the past year.

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Research, Advocacy, and Social Action: A Conversation with Teen Think Tank Project's Jiya Varma
By Shaun Moran - September 4, 2026

Jiya Varma, a junior at Colts Neck High School, a Scout, and member of the Monmouth County Teen Think Tank Project’s Social Action Lab Fellowship, is no stranger to hard work. So when the Teen Think Tank took on dual advocacy roles, as Network member Affordable Housing Alliance hosted them at both the Network’s Legislative Day in Trenton and for an advocacy effort in Washington, D.C., she was ready to roll up her sleeves. 

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