By Staff Writer Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was the unofficial homecoming king Friday evening as he stepped foot inside his old high school for a special ceremony on a special night. “I am very much moved by this ceremony,” Alito said to an audience of dignitaries, school officials and former classmates in the newly renovated Steinert High School library, which now honors him for the ages. “I can’t think of a place where I would rather have my name associated ... Read more

(JTA) — The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that upgrades to ambassador level the position of special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism at the State Department. The Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Act was authored by Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., who helped write the 2004 law that created the monitor post. Lawmakers and Jewish communal organizations have chafed at the Trump administration’s failure to name someone to the anti-Semitism monitor post since Do... Read more

By Erik Larsen, APP Staff Writer - Coronato addressed the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, chaired by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., as part of a panel of experts on the Chinese connection to fentanyl. Coronato, who is expected to step down as early as next month after 5½-years as the county’s chief law enforcement executive, said that synthetic narcotics will become the predominate type of illegal... Read more

Congressman Chris Smith recently presented medals to Miguel Hernandez Colon, more than 66 years after the veteran enlisted in the U.S. Army and was deployed to Korea. Hernandez Colon, now 85, enlisted in the 65th Infantry Regiment on Feb. 27, 1952 and served through March 10, 1954. In front of many of the veteran’s children, grandchildren, friends and family, Smith presented Hernandez Colon with international, national and state medals for his service in the Korean War. WATCH SLIDE SHOW AT LEFT ... Read more

A Korean War Veteran is honored more than 60 years after the war. Congressman Chris Smith presented Miguel Hernandez Colon with five medals. He served in the 65th Infantry, a regiment of 4,000 Puerto Rican soldiers. He now lives in Hamilton. The 85 year-old's family joined him for this honor. WATCH SLIDE SHOW AT LEFT. "This is an amazing thing for us," said his granddaughter Malissa DeJesus. "He's already 85 years old. He should have gotten these a long time ago." Hernandez Colon was awarded th... Read more

By Michael Mancuso For NJ.com Miguel Hernandez, a native of Puerto Rico, has a life-long history of service, including 40 years as a teacher. Tuesday, however, he was honored for his military service from decades ago. U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-4th Dist., presented the Korean War veteran with five service medals during a surprise lunchtime visit to Active Day Adult Day Health Center, in Hamilton. Smith, along with other officials, praised and honored Hernandez, who served with the U.S. Army's 65t... Read more

Ocean Township’s Wanamassa Fire District 2 has received a $67,938 grant through the Department of Homeland Security to purchase a new set of hydraulic rescue tools to help extricate victims of serious car crashes, commonly called the “Jaws of Life.” “The grant will be used by the fire district to purchase what is among the most important tools that first responders bring to motor vehicle accidents and entrapments,” said Rep. Christopher Smith, who represents Ocean Township. “The grant covers rou... Read more

BY KEN SERRANO, APP STAFF WRITER - The defense bill signed by President Donald Trump Monday will send 15 new KC-46A refueling tankers to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. And that extends a lifeline to the joint base, effectively removing the possibility of it falling under the ax of base closings, officials said. The $716 billion National Defense Authorization Act earmarks $2.9 billion for the new tankers, also known as the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus. In all, 24 of the tankers are expected to start ... Read more

By Bradford Betz | Fox News Russian delegates at a bilateral meeting in Berlin denied that their country meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and gave no opinion on President Donald Trump, the lawmaker who led the 13-member U.S. delegation said Saturday. U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he brought up the meddling issue during the meeting, but the members of Russia's Duma who attended dismissed the claims as the work of “just a few Rus... Read more

By Jonathan D. Salant NJ Advance Media for NJ.com -- Rep. Chris Smith, going where President Donald Trump has refused to, pressed Russian officials Saturday on their interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Smith, who led the 13-member U.S. delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and other U.S. lawmakers met for close to two hours with Russian legislators in Berlin. The meeting lasted almost twice as long as originally sch... Read more