By Karishma Ayaldasani Published August 27, 2026, 14:22:12 IST A bipartisan group of 11 US lawmakers have urged Islamabad to safeguard the fundamental rights of a Pakistani Christian woman who was allegedly kidnapped and converted to Islam. Neha Faqir, an 18-year-old Pakistani Christian woman was allegedly abducted in March and subsequently converted to Islam. Congressman Chris Smith, the co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, asked the Pakistan government to protect the safety and ... Read more

By J. Mayhew Published August 27, 2026 at 3:38 PM EDT Manchester Township Council brought forth an ordinance Monday night. It bans AI data centers in the municipality. The measure, Ordinance No. 26-48, came before a packed crowd who carried signs and chanted "No Data Centers. No Means No." The ordinance repeals a measure approved in August 2025 that designated a property owned by Stavola Corporation off South Hope Chapel Road for redevelopment. That earlier legislation included a provision listi... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), the Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (TLHRC), today called upon the government of Pakistan to protect the safety and fundamental rights of Neha Faqir, an 18-year-old Pakistani Christian woman, who was allegedly abducted in March and subsequently converted to Islam. A Pakistani court has rejected a petition brought by her family seeking her return. “The circumstances surrounding Neha Faqir’s disappearance and subsequent conversion raise profoundly troub... Read more

By Karen Wall, Patch Staff Published Wed., August 26, 2026 at 5:34 am ET MANCHESTER, NJ — The Manchester Township Council took the first step to banning artificial intelligence data centers in the township on Monday night with the introduction of an ordinance to do just that. The ordinance, No. 26-48, was introduced before another overflow crowd that carried dozens of signs and chanted its message: "No Data Centers. No Means No." The council had been faced with an overflow crowd at the Aug. 10 c... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ-04) is leading state and municipal officials representing Jackson Township, New Jersey in a new push to address and resolve the ongoing postal service crisis at the Jackson Post Office. In a joint letter to U.S. Postmaster General David Steiner, Smith and his fellow elected officials—NJ-LD-12 Senator Owen Henry, NJ-LD-12 Assemblymen Alex Sauickie and Robert Clifton, and Jackson Township Mayor Jennifer Kuhn—call attention to the “overwhelming concerns voiced by… the reside... Read more

By Lakewood Alerts Published August 25, 2026 Rep. Chris Smith is joining Ocean County and Manchester Township officials in opposing the development of AI data centers in the area, citing concerns over their potential impact on local resources, the environment and residents. Smith met Thursday, August 20, with Manchester Township Mayor Joseph Hankins, Public Works Director Al Yodakis and Ocean County Commissioner Rob Arace to discuss their shared opposition to data center development in Mancheste... Read more

From left to right: Ocean County Commissioner Rob Arace, Manchester Twp. Director of Public Works Al Yodakis, Manchester Twp. Mayor Joseph Hankins, and U.S. Rep. Chris Smith. On Thursday, August 20th, Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester) met with Manchester Twp. Mayor Joseph Hankins, Director of Public Works Al Yodakis, and Ocean County Commissioner Rob Arace to discuss their mutual opposition to the development of AI data centers in the Township—and Ocean County overall. “AI data centers pose criti... Read more

By Jasmyn Jordan Published August 24, 2026 New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) responded to a group of House Republicans seeking answers over approximately 6,600 noncitizens who were registered to vote through the state’s motor-vehicle system, but her three-page reply did not directly identify which elections were affected, explain how people who identified themselves as noncitizens were validated as eligible voters, or say who would be held accountable. Nineteen House Republicans, led by Republi... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, today condemned two deadly attacks in Nigeria that reportedly killed more than 30 people on Sunday and at least 23-25 people on Tuesday. As reports of the attacks and casualty figures continue to emerge, Smith called upon the Nigerian government to take immediate action to protect vulnerable Christian communities and bring the perpetrators to justice. “Despite denials by Nigerian government actors, Christians... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), today condemned an alarming report that Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials allegedly pressured the U.S.-China Catholic Association to remove a Purdue University professor and prominent religious freedom scholar from its conference because of his criticism of the CCP’s persecution of Christians. “If these reports are accurate, this is yet another outrageous example of the Chinese Communist Party ... Read more