About 200 Christians were slaughtered in Nigeria last month, according to the Catholic News Agency. The attackers destroyed the Northern farming village of Yelwata and shouted “Allahu Akbar,” according to CBN news. U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican, called on President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Africa for the persecution of Christians living in the Northern part of Nigeria. In March, Smith said over 52,000 Christians in Nigeria have reportedly been targeted and killed by I... Read more

By Chris Lundy - News Editor TOMS RIVER – A bill to name the Toms River Veterans Administration clinic after Lt. Leonard G. “Bud” Lomell has passed the House of Representatives. It now has to pass the Senate. Lomell, who had been drafted into the United States Army in 1942, served as an Army Ranger during World War II. Tom Brokaw dedicated a chapter to Lomell in his book “The Greatest Generation.” Steven M. Gillon wrote an entire book about his life before and after the war, called “Len Lomell:... Read more

By James T. Areddy and Lindsay Wise Lawmakers in both houses of Congress introduced legislation targeting China on Thursday, a reminder of Capitol Hill’s deep-seated desire to punish Beijing over human rights even as President Trump gives priority to a trade deal. The bipartisan bills touch on issues that have long vexed American policymakers, namely signs that Beijing tries to stifle Chinese dissent in the U.S. and that, at home, it has abused ethnic minorities including Uyghurs. China remains... Read more

By the Ocean County Leader July 30, 2025 The Veterans Administration clinic on Hooper Avenue in Toms River may soon bear the name of Leonard G. "Bud" Lomell, a decorated World War II veteran recognized for his actions during the D-Day invasion. On July 21, the U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation to rename the facility after Lomell, whose leadership helped disable German artillery at Pointe du Hoc and aided Allied landings on Utah and Omaha beaches. Historian Stephen Ambrose credi... Read more

By Jim Lonergan Published July 27, 2025 at 3:15 PM JERSEY SHORE — Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) has secured a $1 million federal earmark to help restore Silver Lake in Belmar, one of several critical coastal lakes and waterways stretching from Belmar through Brielle—including Spring Lake, Lake Como, and Wreck Pond—that are vital to local ecosystems and flood management. The funding, included in the Interior and Environment Appropriations bill, is set for a final House vote in September. If appr... Read more

By Jean Mikle Asbury Park Press staff TOMS RIVER -- The Veterans Administration clinic here is one step closer to being named for a hometown hero. The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill July 21 to name the Hooper Avenue clinic after the late Leonard G. "Bud" Lomell, an Army veteran who was one of the most highly decorated combat soldiers of World War II. Lomell, then a staff sergeant, is best known for leading a group of Army Rangers up the steep cliffs of Pointe du Hoc on D... Read more

A House bill would honor Leonard G. "Bud" Lomell, the highly decorated hero during the D-Day invasion at Normandy, by putting his name on the VA Clinic in Toms River. (Karen Wall/Patch) By Karen Wall Patch Staff WASHINGTON, DC — When ground was broken for the new Veterans Affairs health clinic in Toms River in May 2022, former Toms River Mayor Maurice Hill made a plea, asking the congressional delegation to name the clinic for the town's World War II hero, Leonard G. "Bud" Lomell. On Monday, th... Read more

Jacob Adams During his first term, President Donald Trump hosted then-Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in the Oval Office on July 22, 2019. Khan is now a political prisoner in Pakistan. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images) Congress’ Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission heard testimony Tuesday condemning the government of Pakistan over its treatment of Christians and other religious minorities. In his opening remarks, Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., a co-chairman of the bipartisan commission, noted what the U.... Read more

By Dan Radel - Asbury Park Press staff The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will install new fencing around the entire perimeter of the Point Pleasant Canal at a cost of $3 million, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith announced. The fencing there now is inadequate and falling into disrepair, Smith, R-N.J., said. “I alerted the Army Corps to the deteriorating conditions of the fence after hearing from residents and elected officials in Point Pleasant,” Smith said. “Safety is everyone’s number one concern, so I rea... Read more

By Ross O'Keefe Hours after Republican lawmakers sent a letter to National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya asking him to end dog and cat testing, two top officials at the agency said they are “phasing out” testing on the animals. Bhattacharya and NIH Deputy Director Nicole Kleinstreuer spoke with each other on an NIH video, in which the former asked the latter what they should do about dog and cat testing. “I don’t think we should do research on dogs or cats,” she said. “Absolutel... Read more