Paterson, New Jersey

Paterson's Board of Education election features three seats and seven candidates following a contentious year marked by the elimination of four choice elementary schools, an 8% tax hike paired with layoffs and job cuts, a plan to split the district's top-ranked gifted and talented program across two buildings, and a last-minute vote to extend Superintendent Laurie Newell's contract scheduled for the night before the election.

Incumbents Joel Ramirez and Mohammed Rashid, backed by Mayor Andre Sayegh and other local officials, have supported the superintendent's decisions, while incumbent Kenneth Simmons and challengers Chris Small and Banita Herndon have opposed them, citing a lack of transparency and academic concerns. Other candidates include Madelen Lemoine and Sumaidah Ramadan.

Gov. Kathy Hochul and Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman met in their only televised debate ahead of New York's gubernatorial election, hosted by NY1. Polling shows Hochul leading by a wide margin, putting pressure on Blakeman to produce a breakout moment while Hochul aims to project gubernatorial competence, particularly on affordability issues like utility bills and cost of living. Blakeman's campaign has leaned into an alliance with President Trump, including a recent joint rally in Syracuse, while Hochul has worked to tie her opponent to the unpopular president. Trump's standing in deep-blue New York remains a central dynamic of the race, amplified by fallout from a recent ICE shooting in Manhattan that has strained relations between the administration and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The debate followed a separate state attorney general matchup last week between Democratic incumbent Letitia James and GOP challenger Saritha Komatireddy, whose strong performance generated viral attention. Both races are being closely watched as bellwethers heading into the broader midterm cycle.

Essence Festival's multiyear contract with New Orleans expired Friday, leaving its future in the city unresolved. Essence leaders met this week with a steering committee formed by Mayor Helena Moreno to discuss next steps. Organizers want a new "sustainable" multiyear deal with "shared investment," proposing not just the festival but a year-round initiative called Essence 365. Parent company Sundial Media & Technology Group has floated an annual investment of $10 million to $12 million, mostly for the 365 program, though it says that sum was meant to be shared among the state, tourism groups, and regional businesses rather than funded solely by the city.

The city currently contributes $750,000 annually and, amid a fiscal crisis involving furloughs and higher sanitation rates, has called the larger ask unfeasible. Officials also cited concerns over late vendor payments and delayed Superdome performances, and are weighing a competitive bidding process for future festivals. Baltimore's mayor has publicly courted Essence as an alternative host. Both sides describe talks as ongoing with no resolution yet.

Passaic dedicated its first New Jersey Black Heritage Trail marker on Saturday, Aug. 29, honoring the Rev. James H. Penn, who became the city and county's first Black lawyer in 1909. Penn arrived in Passaic from Petersburg, Virginia, in 1900, worked as a letter carrier, and studied law before opening his own practice in 1914. He practiced for more than six decades, retiring in 1975 at age 95, and was active in civil rights and local Republican politics. He also helped establish Mt. Zion Baptist Church, where the marker now stands.

City officials, church members and community leaders attended the unveiling, led by Mayor Hector Lora. It is the second Black Heritage Trail marker in Passaic County, following one placed at Paterson's Hinchliffe Stadium in 2025. Created by state law in 2022, the trail now includes 77 approved sites and 19 installed markers, with organizers describing it as a continually growing "living trail."