After a long two weeks stuck in a foreign country, Kirby Given is finally home. The 2013 Point Pleasant Beach High School graduate saw herself trapped just outside of Lima in Peru when that government declared a state of emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic and sealed the borders. International flights out of Peru were canceled and a mandatory 15-day quarantine was issued. Given, 24, was in the country for a spring break vacation with six of her teammates of the Salisbury University (Maryla... Read more

By Isaac Avilucea, Trentonian Staff - A township teenager stranded in Peru while visiting family during the global coronavirus pandemic is back home. Sixteen-year-old Noelia Manion was one of 17 New Jerseyans who Congressman Chris Smith helped get back to the Garden State, his office said in a statement. The congressman contacted the U.S. Ambassador to Peru, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the American Embassy in Lima, and top officials at the State Department in Washington to bring home stranded... Read more

By Erik Larsen, APP Staff Writer At the request of Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has agreed to release 41.3 million medical-grade gloves that were being held at ports in Maryland and California. The gloves will be distributed throughout the United States to medical professionals, including to doctors, nurses and first responders, the congressman’s office said in a prepared statement on Thursday. The gloves had been held by the federal agency since late Septem... Read more

By Dana Kennedy At least two more members of the tragic New Jersey family ravaged by coronavirus have tested positive for the disease that’s already killed four of their kin and sickened eight others. Elizabeth Fusco, the youngest of 11 children in a large, close-knit family, lost her mother and three siblings over the next few days, has herself tested positive. Even worse, her daughter, who has a preexisting health condition, has tested positive, too. Enlarge Image The Fusco familyFacebook Jus... Read more

Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ4) has asked The White House to approve treating suspected COVID-19 patients with approved “compassionate use” drug therapies prior to the COVID-19 test results being confirmed. Rep. Smith shared an email he sent to Ambassador Deborah Birx, MD, the Coordinator of The White House Coronavirus Task Force, exclusively with MMM: Dear Dr. Birx: I urgently write to ask whether new guidance can be issued to permit a physician to administer remdesivir without confirmation of... Read more

By TAPINTO HAMILTON/ROBBINSVILLE STAFF February 19, 2020 at 12:40 PM Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) introduced legislation on Friday, Valentine Day to recognize February as American Heart Month nationwide. Approximately 647,000 Americans who die from some form of cardiovascular disease (CVD) each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). “Heart disease is the leading killer of Americans, and more women die from heart disease than all cancers combined,” said Smith, who serves as c... Read more

By Allison Schuster An estimated 40 million people are trafficked around the world each year, says the leader of a group training health care providers to help identify and rescue victims. One research study of survivors in 2014 found that “88% of victims seek medical care and treatment while being trafficked,” said Deb O’Hara-Rusckowski, a critical care nurse who co-founded Global Strategic Operatives, an organization that combats human trafficking. PHOTO: With proper training, advocates for vi... Read more

By TAPINTO HAMILTON/ROBBINSVILLE STAFF Robbinsville Robotics students put their skills on display on Monday and their compassion for fellow students. Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-4) and Robbinsville Councilman Dan Schuberth met with First Lego League Robotics Team "Minds of Steel" -- one of five teams that competed in the recent FLL State Championship. The team shared their conceptual plan for an "all-inclusive" playground, specifically tailored to support children with autism. “With this project... Read more

By Jonathan D. Salant | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com NJ Transit is going to teach its conductors and other employees to look for signs of human trafficking on its trains and buses. The announcement came as the White House celebrated the 20-year anniversary of the landmark law designed to put the federal government behind efforts to fight sex and labor trafficking. “This landmark piece of legislation changes the landscape of the conversation around human trafficking and elevated the U.S. governme... Read more

Congressman Smith was a guest on Tuesday on New Jersey 101.5 with morning talk show host Bill Spadea who posted this article and sound clip on Feb. 4 from the interview, which focused on the White House marking the 20th anniversary of Smith's landmark trafficking bill: Congressman Chris Smith is on a mission. He's been fighting for the past twenty years to focus resources from our federal government to help the millions of victims of human trafficking. President Trump congratulated the NJ Congre... Read more