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Environmentalists threaten to sue N.J., Del. if they don’t take action to protect Atlantic sturgeon from bycatch

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Environmentalists threaten to sue N.J., Del. if they don’t take action to protect Atlantic sturgeon from bycatch


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Atlantic sturgeon have been around for 70 million years — predating the dinosaurs. These monumental fish with shark-like fins even survived the Chicxulub asteroid, which caused the great extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous Period.

But the species that once thrived in the Philadelphia region’s waterways has become endangered, threatened by habitat loss, dams, poor water quality and vessel strikes. In the Delaware River, only about 250 estimated sturgeon remain, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Sturgeon are also caught in fishing nets and injured by boats during the commercial fishing of other types of fish such as striped bass and summer flounder.

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The Delaware Riverkeeper Network argues the region isn’t doing enough to protect the Atlantic sturgeon. The nonprofit is threatening to sue Delaware, New Jersey and New York under the Endangered Species Act for allegedly allowing the commercial fishing industry to kill the Atlantic sturgeon as bycatch.

“The accidental trapping and harm to the Atlantic Sturgeon could be taking place at numbers so significant that it is, in fact, placing in jeopardy the continuation of the Atlantic sturgeon population of the Delaware River,” said the organization’s Maya Van Rossum, “and may be a reason, or the reason, why ultimately the Atlantic sturgeon go extinct and are lost forever from the Earth, and for both present and future generations.”



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Garden State Equality director resigns amid child endangerment, assault charges

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Garden State Equality director resigns amid child endangerment, assault charges


Christian Fuscarino resigned Tuesday as executive director of Garden State Equality amid charges of child endangerment and assault after an incident last month with a child in his Neptune City home.

“I resigned from Garden State Equality to ensure that the organization’s work is not impacted by a private family matter,” Fuscarino, a nationally recognized advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, said in a statement on social media.

“While my loved ones and I have been working through this moment together with care and love, the press has turned a deeply personal situation into a public headline,” Fuscarino said.

“Everyone involved is safe and navigating this situation responsibly,” he added.

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Fuscarino asked that the matter “be seen for what it is: a private family moment, not a public spectacle.”

Fuscarino, 35, is charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child by a caretaker and two counts of simple assault, according to court documents.

An affidavit of probable cause alleges Fuscarino pulled the child from bed about 8 p.m. on Nov. 9 and struck the victim multiple times in the face with an open hand, pushing the child into a wall during the encounter.

The incident was captured on a home security video system, according to the affidavit.

The child was later taken to the Monmouth County Child Advocacy Center in Freehold for a forensic interview. The child made no disclosure of physical abuse, the affidavit states.

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However, another person living in the home told investigators they witnessed Fuscarino strike the child and intervened.

The state Division of Child Protection and Permanency obtained the video and notified the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office on Nov. 20.

A Neptune City police detective arrested Fuscarino on Nov. 21. The case has since been referred to the prosecutor’s office, court records show.

In a statement Tuesday, Garden State Equality said they had placed Fuscarino on leave after learning of the charges.

By Wednesday, Fuscarino’s bio on the Garden State Equality website had been removed.

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“Garden State Equality takes allegations against our staff seriously and we oppose violence of any kind,” the agency said. “We respect the courts and will allow that process to be handled by them.”

Fuscarino had served since 2016 as the executive director of Garden State Equality, the largest LGBTQ+ organization in New Jersey, which is based in Asbury Park.

With 20 years of experience in LGBTQ+ advocacy, Fuscarino had been at the forefront of efforts to protect transgender rights, combat hate violence, and implement groundbreaking healthcare and education policies.

In a July 2018 story posted to NJ.com, Fuscarino said he wanted to dedicate his life to helping New Jersey’s LGBTQ+ community so that others would not have to suffer the indignities that he endured in adolescence.



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10 hospitalized, including some students, after crash involving school bus in New Jersey

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10 hospitalized, including some students, after crash involving school bus in New Jersey


MOORESTOWN, N.J. (WPVI) — Ten people, including several students, were hospitalized Tuesday after a school bus crash in Burlington County, New Jersey.

The collision happened around 3 p.m. at Borton Landing and Hartford roads in Moorestown.

Township officials said in a Facebook post that a car and school bus collided at the intersection, injuring six students, the bus driver and three occupants of the passenger vehicle. All injuries appear to be minor, officials said.

“We have been made aware of a bus accident on one of our routes. There are no significant injuries for our students,” Moorestown Township Public Schools said in a statement.

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The remaining students on the bus were taken to a nearby school, where they were picked up by family members.

School counselors will be available this week to provide additional support to students.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Copyright © 2025 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.



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Wrong-way driver charged in I-80 crash that injured N.J. State Police trooper

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Wrong-way driver charged in I-80 crash that injured N.J. State Police trooper


An alleged drunk, wrong-way driver was arrested following a crash on Interstate 80 in Warren County, officials said.

Robert Felegi was driving a pickup truck west in the eastbound lanes in Knowlton when he crashed head-on into a New Jersey State Trooper’s vehicle near milepost 1.4 around midnight Tuesday, State Police said.

The trooper had emergency lights and sirens activated while trying to alert motorists of a hazard ahead, authorities said.

The trooper suffered minor injuries, while Felegi was not hurt.

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Felegi, 67, of Middleport, Pennsylvania, was charged with assault by auto and driving under the influence.

He was brought to the Warren County jail ahead of a detention hearing. An attorney for Felegi is not listed in court records.

investigation, and no additional information is available.



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