By News12 Staff - With the world potentially days away from having a COVID-19 vaccine, research continues to help treat other life-threatening diseases like Lou Gehrig's disease. Forked River resident Josh Smith, 31, was an athlete and football coach who ran a construction business with his father. But his world was turned upside-down when he was diagnosed with ALS in March of 2019. “When I first got diagnosed, I mean honestly, I felt like I died on that day…You lose every dream that you had. It... Read more

By Carly Baldwin, Patch Staff Dec 9, 2020 2:36 pm ET Legislation authored by this area's Congressman, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), to help veterans heal through outdoor recreational therapy, has now been signed into law by President Trump. Smith's bipartisan Accelerating Veterans Recovery Outdoors Act, which was endorsed by more than 120 veteran service organizations, outdoor recreation groups and conservation organizations, will provide increased access to federal lands for the purposes of veteran... Read more

Given the state of global affairs, it is not a given that we -- a bipartisan group of elected officials from Israel, the US, Canada, Australia and the UK -- would find common ground in the midst of a global pandemic. However, the disconcerting proliferation of anti-Semitism through new technology demands that we take urgent action. We recently launched the Inter-Parliamentary Task Force to Combat Online Antisemitism in order to hold social media companies accountable for what takes place on the... Read more

By Jerry Carino, Asbury Park Press staff, USA TODAY NETWORK – Jim and Karen Raffone thought they had the perfect fundraiser for their charity, which sponsors major research on Duchenne muscular dystrophy: All American Ford in Old Bridge donated a 2020 Ford Mustang convertible for them to raffle off. “We thought we could raise $100,000,” Jim Raffone said. “We raised approximately $25,000 before we had to stop.” Then the office of New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal informed them they were ... Read more

By Julie Asher, Catholic News Service As the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 marked its 20th year Oct. 28, the Catholic congressman who wrote it -- and four other anti-trafficking laws in the intervening years – celebrated the historic legislation that holds every nation on the globe "to account on human trafficking matters." But in celebrating the law's anniversary, Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, and member of St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square, also expressed serious co... Read more

This week marks the 20th anniversary of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000—the comprehensive, historic law that I authored to aggressively combat sex and labor trafficking both within the United States and around the world. The TVPA created a new, well-funded whole-of-government domestic and international strategy and established numerous new programs to Protect victims, Prosecute traffickers and to the extent possible, Prevent human trafficking in the first place. Thousands o... Read more

WKXW 10/30/2020 8:11:59 AM: Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) was a live call-in guest on NJ101.5 today with host Bill Spadea. The following are excerpts of the show: Spadea: Please welcome my friend Congressman Chris Smith back to the show... and he has some good news to share... Actually this week marked the 20th anniversary of something that Congressman Smith championed, it is the victims of trafficking and violence protection act's 20th anniversary. This was designed to combat trafficking and ... Read more

Today — Oct. 28 — marks 20th anniversary of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000 — the comprehensive, historic law that I authored to aggressively combat sex and labor trafficking both within the United States and around the world. The TVPA created a new, well-funded whole-of-government domestic and international strategy and established numerous new programs to protect victims, prosecute traffickers and, to the extent possible, prevent human trafficking in the first place. Thou... Read more

By Amanda Oglesby, STAFF WRITER More wildfire protection is coming to the Roosevelt City section of Whiting, along the densely forested western side of Manchester, due to a $380,000 project by the U.S. Department of Defense. The project will build a five-mile long firebreak, or stretch of land cleared of vegetation, in the forest between the Roosevelt City neighborhood and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, said U.S. Rep. Chris Smith R-N.J., whose Fourth Congressional District includes Manchester... Read more

By Alex N. Gecan, Asbury Park Press If you run a small business in Middletown, the township may have $15,000 worth of good news for you. The township will begin awarding grants of up to $15,000 for businesses with up to 50 employees through the new Middletown Economic Relief Program, Mayor Tony Perry announced Thursday. The township has approximately $400,000 in grants, obtained through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to distribute to local businesses impacted by ... Read more