It doesn’t look like the Trump administration will begin holding undocumented immigrants at a South Jersey military base anytime soon.
Democratic elected officials said Wednesday that they received a letter from the administration saying there is currently no approved construction plan, nor a timeline, for confining people at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.
Estimates are that the base, which spans parts of Burlington and Ocean Counties, could hold 1,000 to 3,000 detainees. Specifics surrounding the when, where, and how of that undertaking remain unknown.
New Jersey U.S. Reps. Donald Norcross and Herb Conaway, Democratic members of the House Armed Services Committee, announced that they received a response earlier this week from the Department of Homeland Security after requesting more information about the administration’s plans.
“The Trump Administration’s ongoing disregard for due process and humane treatment of undocumented immigrants has required us to press repeatedly for answers and fulfill our congressional oversight responsibilities,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement. “While we acknowledge that the Department of Homeland Security has finally responded to our questions, we will continue to monitor for any further developments.”
Their priority, the lawmakers said, is to uphold standards of human rights to ensure that plans to detain immigrants do not interfere with military readiness.
The administration’s response said the government’s need for more detention space “reflects the Trump administration’s commitment to restoring the rule of law and ending the catch-and-release policies of prior years that jeopardized American communities.”
Trump administration officials earlier named the base as one of two sites in the country now certified to assist in the president’s plan to remove millions of immigrants. The other is Camp Atterbury in Indiana.
SNAP benefits are restored, and the program is funded through next year. But the Trump administration is now looking to “completely deconstruct the program,” its top USDA official said.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said that millions of low-income Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients will have to reapply for their benefits as part of an effort to crack down on “fraud.”
“It’s going to give us a platform and a trajectory to fundamentally rebuild this program, have everyone reapply for their benefit, make sure that everyone that’s taking a taxpayer-funded benefit through SNAP or food stamps, that they literally are vulnerable, and they can’t survive without it,” she told Newsmax last week.
On Tuesday, Rollins told Fox Business that her plan is for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to “completely deconstruct” SNAP.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins speaks to the media in the Oval Office of the White House in June. Rollins had various roles in the first Trump administration.
However, there is no official guidance from USDA on the plans Rollins spoke of and the rules have not changed, said Community Legal Services staff attorney Mackenzie Libbey.
“Most SNAP recipients in Pennsylvania are already required to reverify household and income information every six months. SNAP recipients should continue submitting their semiannual reports and annual renewals as the current rules require,” Libbey said.
In a statement, the USDA did not confirm the existence of new changes to SNAP. Instead, a spokesperson for the agency said the “standard recertification processes for households is a part of that work.”
Jeff Garis, Outreach and Patnership Director, Penn Policy chants during rally along side SNAP recipients, clergy members, and other advocates at a rally and news conference outside of Reading Terminal Market, to urge the Trump administration to restore full SNAP funding, Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
Are SNAP benefits changing?
There are a few changes to SNAP work requirements that were implemented on Sept. 1 and Nov. 1.
On Nov. 1, some older low-income Americans were forced back to work when Congress and Trump passed additional work requirements, raising the maximum working age cap from 54 to 64 years old.
Parents with dependents age 14 and over also must go back to work or lose benefits. Previously, SNAP recipients with dependents under 18 did not have to meet work requirements. Veterans and former foster youth ages 18 through 24 are no longer exempt from work requirements either, under new federal law.
Do you have to reapply for SNAP benefits?
SNAP recipients do not currently need to reapply to the program. SNAP recipients should continue filing their semiannual reports every six months to recertify their income and household.
Lisa Mellon, 59, of Bridesburg, Pa., is walking her groceries to her friends car, who was kind enough to driver her around 40 minutes to the Feast of Justice at St. John’s Lutheran Church and back home on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025.
Will snap benefits be issued in December?
Yes. The SNAP program is funded through Sept. 30, 2026, after Congress reached an agreement on a spending deal last week. Most other federal government agencies and programs are funded only through Jan. 30.
Congress will need to strike another spending deal before the January deadline; otherwise the federal government could be shut down again.
However, SNAP benefits have been guaranteed through next September regardless of another shutdown.
How do you qualify for SNAP benefits?
SNAP requirements are based on your work hours and income. Other factors, like whether a member of your household is disabled, elderly, or a veteran, can provide households with additional benefits.
SNAP recipients must be working, volunteering, or participating in an education or training program for at least 20 hours a week (or 80 hours a month). They also must report those work hours.
These rules apply to you if you:
Are ages 18 through 64.
Do not have a dependent child under 14 years old.
Are considered physically and mentally able to work.
Income requirements
Households cannot exceed these monthly income limits to be eligible for SNAP benefits.
Cherry Hill will be doing a needs assessment to determine what makes older residents want to stay.
One-third of Cherry Hill’s residents are 55 or older. As the township’s population continues to grow, local leaders want to understand what makes its older residents stick around.
“For those that have the means, it’s a conscious decision to stay,” said Mayor Dave Fleisher. “They want to stay close to their kids, close to their grandkids.”
Cherry Hill will be using a $70,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Human Services to do a needs assessment, including focus groups, listening sessions, and a survey. The goal of the grant, given to 17 communities in total, is to “make communities more welcoming and livable for people of all ages.”
The Cherry Hill Public Library is facing “disruptions” after one of the largest library book distributors in the country announced it’s shutting down operations. CHPL used Baker & Taylor almost exclusively as its vendor for books, audiobooks, and DVDs, and while some of those orders have been canceled, librarians said they are working with another provider to get new inventory.
Randy Fenoli of Say Yes to the Dress fame will be in town this weekend for the grand opening of bridal and formalwear shop Dress 2 Impress’ second location on Route 38. Started in Linwood, the shop is hosting an appointment-only trunk show featuring a selection of Fenoli’s “Keepsake Collection” gowns.
Still in search of a fresh turkey for Thanksgiving? We’ve rounded up where you can buy them locally, including Arnie’s Gourmet Butcher Shop & Culinaria. The Haddonfield-Berlin Road store sells farm-raised whole turkeys, turkey breast, and even turducken. For kosher options, Ravitz Family Markets’ ShopRites in Garden State Pavilions and on Evesham Road have birds that meet Glatt Kosher standards.
Morton also last week released a report on the first quarter of the school year. It outlined key actions, currents challenges, and next steps across five areas, including academic achievement, the school’s climate, and staffing.
Reminder to families: There will be an early dismissal next Wednesday to kick off Thanksgiving break. See the district’s full calendar here.
Inspire A Learner, a new Islamic youth education and daycare center, has received zoning approval to operate in a converted office building on Marlkress Road. (70 and 73)
🍽️ On our Plate
The owners of Cherry Hill’s Old World-style Italian restaurant Il Villaggio have an agreement to buy popular Haddon Township pub Keg & Kitchen. It will remain a pub, but undergo a few changes, including to its name, menu, and decor.
Bombay Express, an Indian restaurant that recently closed its Marlton location, is heading to Cherry Hill. The eatery, which offers chicken, lamb, and vegetable dishes, in addition to biryanis and tandoori, will open in the Centrum Shoppes on Haddonfield-Berlin Road, though an exact timeline has not yet been shared.
Umai Ramen is one of the 20 best ramen shops in the Garden State, according to BestofNJ.com. The food outlet noted the Brace Road restaurant “brings a taste of authentic Japanese street food to Cherry Hill,” suggesting diners try the classic miso, tonkotsu, or the black garlic ramen.
🎳 Things to Do
🎅🏻 Coca‑Cola Holiday Caravan: The bright red touring truck is making a stop in Cherry Hill tonight, where you can take photos with Santa, enjoy seasonal activities, and purchase Coca-Cola-themed gifts. ⏰ Wednesday, Nov. 19, 5:30-7:30 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Roy Rogers
🛍️ Eyez on U Pop-Up Market: Beat the Black Friday rush and shop local businesses at the mall’s Grand Court. ⏰ Friday, Nov. 21-Sunday, Nov. 23, times vary 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Cherry Hill Mall
🎄 Holiday House: See Barclay Farmstead decked out for the holidays. ⏰ Friday, Nov. 21-Sunday, Nov. 23, times vary 💵 $5.49 for adults, $3.49 for children 10 and under📍 Barclay Farmstead
🤖 Philcon 2025: Science fiction, fantasy, and horror buffs will gather to celebrate the genres in books, film, television, and more. This year’s principal speaker is writer Charles Gannon, who is known for his Caine Riordan series. ⏰ Friday, Nov. 21-Sunday, Nov. 23, times vary 💵 $35-$75 📍 DoubleTree by Hilton
🎧 R&B Night: Drinksgiving: Three DJs will play tunes during this R&B-themed event. ⏰ Friday, Nov. 21, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. 💵 $13.34 📍 Vera
💎 Holiday Gift Bazaar: Over 40 vendors will be selling everything from accessories and beauty products to home goods at this event. ⏰ Sunday, Nov. 23, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Congregation Kol Ami
🎁 Holiday Craft Fair: Browse an array of vendors selling items like jewelry, scrapbooking supplies, and pottery. ⏰ Sunday, Nov. 23, 1-4 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Cherry Hill Public Library
The four-bedroom home spans more than 5,100 square feet.
Built in 1999, this spacious brick-fronted Short Hills home has a variety of unique features. Its first floor features a two-story foyer; a living room; an office; a family room with a fireplace set into a stone accent wall and vaulted ceilings; a dining room with a quartz waterfall island in lieu of a table; and a kitchen with granite countertops and high-end appliances. It has four bedrooms, including a primary suite, with a massive walk-in closet, a fireplace, a spa-like bathroom, and a balcony. The finished basement has a full bathroom and a home gym. Outside, there’s a heated covered patio and a saltwater fiberglass pool with a rock waterfall.
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This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
While East Coast retirees have a reputation for decamping to places like Florida for warm weather and lower taxes, many of Cherry Hill’s older residents have stuck around.
One-third of Cherry Hill’s residents are 55 or older.
“Cherry Hill is a wonderful place to raise a family and to live, so people don’t want to leave,” Mayor Dave Fleisher said.
Cherry Hill prides itself on its work with older residents — from tax-preparation assistance to social events, Fleisher said. Yet as the township continues to grow, local officials want to zero in on what its older community needs and how they can best deliver it.
Using a $70,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Human Services, the township is embarking on a multipronged needs assessment to better understand and serve its older residents.
Why does Cherry Hill have such a large population of older residents?
Cherry Hill officials say varied housing options, tax-rebate programs like Stay NJ, and multigenerational ties have helped the township’s older population flourish.
“For those that have the means, it’s a conscious decision to stay,” Fleisher said. “They want to stay close to their kids, close to their grandkids.”
“It’s a very multigenerational community,” said Beth Segal, interim executive director of Cherry Hill’s Katz JCC, a watering hole for local older residents.
The JCC runs regular lunches, fitness classes (think pickleball and water aerobics), and programs on politics, literature, and art. Segal said she works with families who have been involved in the JCC for as many as four generations. Though Cherry Hill kids often leave the nest in search of big cities and new experiences, Segal said, many come back to raise their own kids alongside their parents and grandparents.
Fleisher said Cherry Hill’s relatively diverse housing stock has allowed residents to stay in the township without being forced to remain in the large — and, at times, expensive — single-family homes they raised their families in.
Around 20% of homes in Cherry Hill are multiunit. That’s higher than neighboring communities like Haddonfield (13%) and Moorestown (13%). Around 40% of homes in Voorhees are multifamily.
Fleisher also credits tax-relief programs. Stay NJ, a statewide property tax benefit for New Jerseyans 65 and older, allows eligible homeowners to be reimbursed for up to 50% of their property tax bill, up to $13,000.
In 2023, Cherry Hill’s property taxes were around $1,600 higher than the county average. That year, Cherry Hill residents paid an average of $8,851, compared with the countywide average of $7,222.
What will the assessment entail?
There will be two phases. The qualitative phase, which is ongoing, includes focus groups and listening sessions with facilitators (the township has contracted with market research firm 18 Stones). The first phase will wrap up in December.
The quantitative phase will involve a survey that residents will be able to complete via email or paper mail, online, or over the phone. The survey, which is currently being formulated, will be translated into Spanish and Simplified Chinese.
The assessment is funded by a $70,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Human Services. The department awarded grants to 17 municipal governments in March to “make communities more welcoming and livable for people of all ages” and to implement recommendations from the state’s 2024 Age‐Friendly Blueprint. Cherry Hill was the only municipality in Camden County to receive a grant. The assessment is to be finished by July 1, 2026.
The bodies of Sasikala Narra, 38, and her son, Anish, were found in their blood-spattered apartment by their husband and father, Hanumantha Rao Narra, in March 2017. They had been stabbed to death.
In the end, the mystery was unraveled by a single drop of blood, prosecutors said Tuesday as they announced who they believe was the killer.
Nazeer Hameed, 38, has been charged with murder and related crimes in the double stabbing. Authorities say Hameed fled to his native India after the killings, where he remains today.
Hameed worked at Cognizant, a North Jersey tech company with an office in Philadelphia, alongside Hanumantha Narra, and lived in the same apartment complex as the family.
Sasikala Narra, 38, and her son, Anish, 6, were stabbed to death inside their apartment in Maple Shade in 2017.
Patrick Thornton, the chief investigator for the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, said he could not reveal any information about Hameed’s potential motives. But he said Hameed had stalked the family for some time before the killings and used his background in tech to hide his movements after the fatal stabbings.
Thornton said Hameed waited until Narra had left the apartment before attacking his family with a series of violent stab and slice wounds to their head and hands. Anish was nearly decapitated in the attack.
“These innocent victims were defenseless during the horrific attack,” Thornton said. “Veteran officers said this was one of the most brutal crime scenes they’ve seen in their careers, and they are still affected by the memory of it.”
Hameed’s indictment, according to Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia Bradshaw, was the result of a yearslong investigation that involved local, state, and federal law enforcement.
And while she said Tuesday that she was pleased to share the news of the charges against Hameed, she stressed that the work for law enforcement was far from over. Hameed is still living in India, and prosecutors in Bradshaw’s office are awaiting assistance from federal authorities to extradite him to New Jersey.
Prosecutors say Nazeer Hameed stalked the Narra family for some time before killing Sasikala and Anish Narra.
“We urge the full cooperation of our two nations to send a message that those who commit crimes cannot escape accountability by crossing oceans,” Bradshaw said.
Hameed was initially considered a person of interest in the case, and later identified as a suspect in 2019, when investigators found a drop of blood at the crime scene that did not belong to the victims.
For the next five years, detectives attempted to compel Hameed to submit a DNA sample, but were unsuccessful. The Indian government agreed to assist in the collection of the specimen, but never acted on that agreement, officials said Tuesday.
A break in the case came in 2024, when Cognizant, the tech company Narra and Hameed worked for, sent local prosecutors the laptop Hameed used. A sample of his DNA was pulled from the device, and was ruled to be a match to the blood found at the crime scene.
Authorities continued to investigate in the months that followed and, on Tuesday, publicly announced his involvement in the crime.
Bradshaw vowed to work with federal authorities and the Indian government to bring Hameed to America to face criminal charges.
“The passage of time does not lessen our resolve,” she said. “No border can stand in the way of justice, and the people of Burlington County deserve closure.”
The mother and son were killed in their Fox Meadows Apartment complex in Maple Shade, N.J.
The Narras immigrated to America from the Prakasam district in Andhra Pradesh state, on India’s eastern coast.
After marrying, they moved to Maple Shade and later enrolled their son in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School. Teachers there called Anish “a beautiful child of God” in speaking to reporters after his slaying.
Hanumantha Rao Narra could not immediately be reached for comment.
Through a lawyer, Sasikala Narra’s family in India said Tuesday they were relieved to hear that the killer had been identified.
“They’re very appreciative of all the work by law enforcement,” Donald F. Browne Jr. said. “It took a very long time, but that’s how justice goes sometimes, and they’re very thankful that everyone kept fighting and kept trying to find the answer to this case.”
The owner of the beleaguered Bistro at Cherry Hill, a longtime mall fixture that closed this summer amid bankruptcy proceedings, has been indicted on charges of tax fraud.
The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office announced the indictment against Andrew Cosenza Jr. on Tuesday, saying an investigation found that he had failed to send the state more than $270,000 in sales tax paid by Bistro customers in 2021 and 2022.
The 57-year-old Cherry Hill resident was indicted Oct. 29 on several charges, including tax fraud.
“Everyone is required to pay their fair share of taxes,” New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said in the statement. “This form of tax fraud will not be tolerated.”
Cosenza did not return a request for comment on Tuesday. No defense attorney was listed on court documents as of Tuesday, and an attorney representing Cosenza in a new Chapter 11 bankruptcy case did not return requests for comment.
Cosenza had owned the Bistro at Cherry Hill for more than 25 years. The beloved restaurant operated out of a 12,000-square-foot kiosk in the middle of the Cherry Hill Mall. This summer, it closed abruptly, saddening loyal customers.
In July, Cosenza told The Inquirer that the sudden closure was the result of a communication “breakdown” regarding a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition that he filed in May. It was the restaurant’s second bankruptcy filing since 2017.
While Cosenza was incapacitated by medical issues over the summer, he said the Bistro’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition had been converted to a Chapter 7, which involves the liquidation of assets, without his consent. Cosenza said his brother showed up to open the Bistro on July 10 and found the doors locked.
The Cherry Hill Mall, where the Bistro at Cherry Hill operated for 27 years, is shown in January.
“This is not a case of mismanagement or inability to meet financial obligations,” Cosenza said in a July interview. He said that the bankruptcy was the result of lingering pandemic-related issues and that he had a plan for repaying his debts.
In early October, the Bistro’s bankruptcy case was dismissed. Cosenza told The Inquirer on Oct. 10, two weeks before the indictment, that he planned to keep fighting to reopen the Bistro. On Oct. 15, he filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as a small-business debtor.
The charges against Cosenza stem from a 2023 joint investigation by the New Jersey Division of Taxation’s Office of Criminal Investigation and the Division of Criminal Justice. Investigators said they found discrepancies between the gross sales tax amounts that Cosenza reported on his business tax returns and the amounts turned over to the state.
If found guilty of the charges, Cosenza could face five years or more in state prison and fines of more than $150,000, according to the prosecutor’s office.
For the Nowell family, the outlets are an annual tradition.
Every Veterans Day, a dozen relatives venture to Limerick Township in Montgomery County, where they kick off their holiday shopping at the Philadelphia Premium Outlets.
Even this year, as bitter winds whipped through the outdoor plaza, the family was undeterred.
After a morning of shopping, the multigenerational group, which included two veterans, warmed up with their yearly food-court lunch, courtesy of matriarch Geri Nowell, 77, of Telford. Then, the men returned to the cars and dropped off dozens of shopping bags, which they’d been carting around in a wagon. The women walked on, hunting for their next find among the more than 130 shops.
The Nowell family poses in front of a holiday backdrop during their annual outing to the Philadelphia Premium Outlets.
“It’s super fun,” said Ann Blaney, 47, of Drexel Hill.
“We get great deals,” added Kim Woodman, 55, of Hatboro.
The tradition is an experience they say can’t be replicated online. The fact that the complex is open-air and contained in a 550,000-square-foot plaza somehow adds to the fun, they said.
As Kathy Nelson, 48, of Broomall, browsed the outlets with her friends, she said she also shops at the nearly 3 million-square-foot King of Prussia Mall, less than 20 miles away. But otherwise, she said, “there aren’t many indoor malls left” with the variety of stores she prefers.
Outlets have always accounted for a fraction of the in-person retail market, which is partly why there have been few headlines about dying outlet malls. But some of the country’s roughly 200 outlet malls seem to be downright thriving, with full parking lots on weekends, few vacant stores, and relatively strong revenue.
Shoppers walk by the tree at the Philadelphia Premium Outlets on Nov. 11.
The Philadelphia region’s two major outlet malls — the Philadelphia Premium Outlets in Limerick Township and the Gloucester Premium Outlets, both owned by Simon Property Group — are more than 92% occupied, according to a count by The Inquirer during visits to each location this month. Both outlets have found success despite being less than 20 miles from thriving indoor malls in King of Prussia and Cherry Hill.
Tanger Outlets, which has locations in Atlantic City and Lancaster, recently reported more than 97% occupancy across its 39 open-air centers and an increase in average tenant sales per square foot.
“Outlets do good in good times and great in bad times,” said Lisa Wagner, a longtime consultant for outlets, repeating a common refrain in the industry.
The centers have evolved amid the broader push toward more experiential retail and most now have a mix of discount stores and full-price retailers. But they have done so while embracing their reputation as the go-to destination for snagging deals, said Wagner, a principal at the Outlet Resource Group.
“Honestly no one knew what was going to happen after COVID, but [the outlets] came out incredibly strong,” she said. More recently, the retail industry has been rattled by tariffs and economic uncertainty. The outlets have not been immune to those challenges, but they have held strong despite them.
“People want value right now,” Wagner said. “They need it.”
The Philadelphia Premium Outlets has more than 130 stores in its 500,000-square-foot complex.
Outlet malls become one-stop shops
On a rainy, early November Sunday, hundreds of people descended on the Gloucester Premium Outlets.
Shoppers pulled up hoods and huddled under umbrellas as they made their way from store to store. Many balanced several large bags bearing brand names like Columbia and Kate Spade, Rally House and Hey Dude shoes. Some munched on Auntie Anne’s pretzels or sipped Starbucks from holiday cups. An acoustic version of Jingle Bells played over the speakers.
For some, the dreary, drizzly weather was even more reason to spend their afternoon at the 86-store complex in Blackwood, Camden County, about 15 miles outside Philadelphia.
With two young children in tow, Jessica Bonsu, 30, of Sicklerville, was on a mission.
“We came out to go to the indoor playground,” called Stay & Play, Bonsu said, pointing to her rambunctious kids. “Just to get some energy out.”
“And then we can also get some shopping done,” added her cousin, Taneisha Laume, 30, who was visiting from D.C. She needed a gift for her uncle. “Kill two birds with one stone.”
Shoppers peruse the stores at the Gloucester Premium Outlets in this 2019 file photo.
These kind of multipurpose visits are buoying outlet malls, which are increasingly becoming mixed-use destinations for dining, drinking, entertainment, and shopping.
“You’re coming for a little bit of everything,” said Gerilyn Davis, director of marketing and business development at Philadelphia Premium Outlets.
The Limerick Township complex recently welcomed a slate of new tenants, including Marc Jacobs’ first Pennsylvania outlet store, a BOSS outlet, an Ulta Beauty, and an outpost of central Pennsylvania’s Nissley Vineyards, which has an outdoor seating area.
Shoppers walk by the Nissley Vineyards store at the Philadelphia Premium Outlets.
New Balance, whose shoes are trendy again, is also opening stores in both the Philadelphia and Gloucester outlets.
Justin Stein, Tanger’s executive vice president of leasing, said the North-Carolina-based company is focused on adding more food, beverage, and entertainment options.
While overall occupancy at its Atlantic City center is lower than others, the complex has a Dave & Buster’s and a Ruth’s Chris steakhouse. The Simpson, a Caribbean restaurant and bar, is also set to open there in early 2026.
In Lancaster, Tanger is looking to add food and beverage options, Stein said. But that center is still performing well, with a 97% occupancy rate, according to an online map, and only two vacancies.
When there are places to eat and drink at the outlets, “people stay longer,” Stein said, “and when they stay longer, they spend more.”
Philadelphia Premium Outlets had a steady crowd on a bitter cold Veterans Day.
From ‘no frills’ to outlets of the future
Today’s outlet malls look vastly different from what Wagner calls the “no frills” complexes of the 1990s.
At the time, an outlet mall served as “a release valve for excess goods,” Wagner said. “There were some stores that had really broken merchandise.”
To comply with branding rules and avoid competition with department stores, outlet malls were often located along highways between two major metro areas, she said.
“What became clear is that customers loved it,” Wagner said. Soon, brands started overproducing to supply these outlet stores with products in an array of a sizes and colors.
This effort to bulk up outlet offerings was “a roaring success,” she said, with companies finding that more than a third of outlet customers went on to buy their products at full price at other locations.
Philadelphia Premium Outlets, which opened in 2007, has very few vacant storefronts.
As their popularity rose, more outlet malls were built across the country.
As the centers look to the future, their executives are continuing to hone their identity as “not just a discount-and-clearance center,” said Deanna Pascucci, director of marketing and business development at Gloucester Premium Outlets.
Center leaders are bringing in food trucks, leaning into rewards programs, and promoting community events, such as Gloucester’s holiday tree lighting,which took place Saturday. Starting Black Friday, the Philadelphia Premium Outlets will offer Santa photos after a successful pilot program last year.
And the complexes are finding new ways to attract and retain shoppers, online and in real life.
Tanger recently announced an advertising partnership with Unrivaled Sports, which operates youth sports complexes, including the Ripken Baseball Experience in Aberdeen, Md., an hour drive from its Lancaster outlets. Stein said the company hopes to attract families looking to pass the time between tournament games.
Tanger is also using AI and data analytics to email specific deals to customers based on where they’ve previously shopped, Stein said.
“We want you to start your experience online and end it in the store,” Stein said.
Shoppers walk by a new Ulta store at the Philadelphia Premium Outlets.
At Simon outlets, customers can search a store’s inventory online before they make the trip, Davis said.
“Online shopping at this point, it’s a complement,” Davis said. “It’s not viewed as competition.”
Wagner, the outlet consultant, said she thinks even more centers will be built in the coming years, with a focus on urban and close-in suburban locations that are accessible by public transit.
As for existing centers, she sees them thriving for the foreseeable future.
“As long as outlets continue to emphasize a value message and use their loyalty programs to reward customers,” Wagner said, “I think they will hold their own.”
The results of the tight race could be a barometer, nationally, for which party has an edge, and signal the type of messaging and candidate that can win over New Jersey voters in an increasingly purple state.
The race has attracted national attention and resources from both parties — especially Democrats who see the seat as a critical opportunity to build momentum and safeguard the state from the policies of President Donald Trump.
Ciattarelli spent his final campaign week rallying with Puerto Rican voters in Passaic County and taking his “It’s Time” bus tour around the state. He held meet-and-greets, rallies, and diner stops over the weekend in Monmouth, Ocean, Union, and Bergen Counties.
Sherrill, who would be only the second woman elected governor in the state should she prevail on Tuesday, rallied with former President Barack Obama on Saturday in Newark and with Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim on Sunday in Camden and Mount Laurel Township. The events followed a week that included a “Driving Down Costs” bus tour and appearances with former Transportation Secretary and presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg and Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker.
Along with her promise to take on landlords “colluding to raise rents” and to tackle pharmaceutical prices, Sherrill reiterated her campaign promise to freeze utility rate hikes on her first day in office at the rally with Obama on Saturday.
“New Jersey, I’m not playing,” she told the audience. “I’m not writing a strongly worded letter and I’m not starting up a working group. I am not doing a 10-year study. I’m declaring a state of emergency.”
For decades, New Jerseyans had voted blue at the national level while electing Republicans to the governor’s mansion. Democrats have a voter registration advantage of about 850,000 voters in New Jersey, but 2.2 million voters are registered unaffiliated. And GOP registrations have outpaced Democratic ones since the 2024 presidential election, when Trump swung the state significantly redder, losing by only 6 points.
Ashley Koning, the director of the Rutgers Center for Public Interest Polling, said either candidate has a “very plausible path to victory.”
Democratic candidate for governor U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill poses with members of the Princeton College Democrats as she appears at a Mercer County Democrats GOTV Rally at the Mercer Oaks Golf Course in West Windsor Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. From left are: Julian Danoff; Michelle Miao; and Paul Wang. (The group’s motto: “Bringing blue values to the Orange Bubble.”)
Dueling headwinds
There are dueling headwinds at play in the contest for New Jersey governor, too. Both Trump and Murphy are unpopular with about half of New Jersey voters. New Jersey hasn’t elected the same party to a third term for the governorship since 1961, but Republicans have also not won the office while their party has held the White House since 1985.
Once the votes are tallied in Tuesday’s election, New Jersey political history will be made either way.
Ken Martin, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, said he expects the race to be a close win for Democrats, noting “a win is a win.”
He resisted the critiques from some fellow Democrats that Sherrill played her campaign too safe, “in an era of brash bravado, machismo, and Donald Trump, and these candidates basically saying whatever the hell they want.”
“I think what she’s been doing is putting out a pretty compelling message to New Jerseyans and campaigning everywhere to make sure that they understand what she’s focused on,” he said.
The party’s vice chair, Pa. State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D., Philadelphia) predicted a good night for Democrats in New Jersey. “There’s that famous saying that ‘Trenton makes, the world takes,’ and I think Trenton is going to make a lot of momentum that we are going to take into 2026 and beyond.”
“I feel it, you know, I feel it on the ground,” said Sen. Andy Kim (D., N.J.) who campaigned with Sherrill in between fielding questions from fellow Democrats in Washington about what the race looks like back home.
“Everyone I talked to knows what’s at stake,” Kim said.
Chris Russell, Ciattarelli’s political strategist, argued that Ciattarelli has garnered support from voters who have traditionally supported Democrats by delivering them a clearer message on affordability.
“We put a significant amount of time and resources, driven and led by Jack, to be present in minority communities like the Hispanic community and the Black community, and we believe that effort is going to pay off,” he said.
Republican candidate for governor Jack Ciattarelli poses with members of the Pascucci family as he greets supporters at Palermo’s Pizza in Bordentown Monday, Oct.13, 2025 while campaigning in South Jersey.
‘A totally different vibe’
As the candidates made their final burst of media appearances in the countdown to Election Day, Ciattarelli, in a town hall with Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Thursday night, said the Republican campaign energy “is electric.” Ciattarelli said he was encouraged by early-vote and vote-by-mail numbers, which, while trailing Democrats, had surpassed 2021 GOP turnout numbers.
“We go after those one out of four Republicans … who typically only vote in presidential years,” Ciattarelli said on Hannity’s program. “We’ve done a magnificent job, our local Republican organizations have, in getting those people to vote by mail or vote early.”
State Sen. Latham Tiver, a South Jersey Republican, said Ciattarelli’s campaign stops are a “totally different vibe” than his last run in 2021. He recalls Ciattarelli introducing himself table to table, but now, Tiver said when the candidate enters the room, people flock to him.
“Jack’s doing everything he can. … He’s pounding the pavement, he’s meeting more and more people, and we’re all out there doing the same thing for him,” Tiver said.
As the candidates make their final push to lead New Jersey, the outcome will likely depend on who shows up at the polls Tuesday.
Both campaigns have motivated bases, but the election could come down to the less engaged and whether they decide to vote. Despite a record amount of spending in the state, only about 2% of voters remained undecided in polls.
“I don’t think people give enough credit — pollsters, political wonks — to just how burnt out the average American is,” said Jackie Cornell, who previously ran field operations for Obama’s campaign in New Jersey.
“They just don’t want to hear anything about any of this any more, and I worry that will be the deterrent more so than anything else.”
New Jersey’s beaches, still recovering from major sand losses from an offshore hurricane and a nor’easter, evidently are in for another assault this week as October is about to make a dramatic exit.
Gale-force gusts off the ocean could develop as early as Tuesday afternoon at the Shore, said Eric Hoeflich, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly, with brisk onshore winds persisting “maybe into Friday.”
A potent storm is forecast to affect the entire region Wednesday night into Thursday, with heavy rains in the immediate Philadelphia area, where drought conditions have been intensifying.
Also on Thursday, what is likely to become catastrophic Hurricane Melissa will be passing offshore, churning up the waves crashing on East Coast beaches.
“The coast once again is going to take a pretty good battering,” said Dave Dombek, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc.
On the plus side, Hoeflich said, for the Shore, this week’s storm “doesn’t look as bad” as the beach-erasing nor’easter earlier this month. The path should be more inland, and the lunar influence on the tides would be less. Only minor flooding is expected, he said, subject to change.
However, not only would the track mean region-wide heavy rain, but it would also increase the potential for severe thunderstorms Thursday. A front is due to chase the rains Friday, but it may generate gusts to 50 mph, the weather service says. Power outages are possible both days.
The timetable for the winds and the storm in the Philly region
The National Weather Service has posted a gale warning for Tuesday into Wednesday morning for the waters along the immediate coast for winds from the east that could gust past 50 mph.
That would be more the result of high pressure to the north of the region. Winds circulate clockwise around centers of highs; thus, areas to the south of the center experience winds from the east.
The breezes will be getting a second wind as a storm develops in the Southeast and tracks north. Meanwhile, a weakened Hurricane Melissa will be churning the ocean as it passes well off the U.S. coast on Thursday.
A strong storm system will move across the region later this week. Here is a summary of expected impacts. pic.twitter.com/OvhoVAaS11
Rain for the last 30 days has been about a third of normal in the city and the neighboring Pennsylvania counties.
South Jersey has fared only slightly better, but precipitation is well less than half of normal.
What is the forecast for the trick-or-treaters?
It is all but certain that Friday will be a dry day, with temperatures in the low and mid-50s. Wind gusts are forecast to die down sometime after 5 p.m., but hold onto those brooms, just in case.
C.B. can’t even comprehend her transgender daughter being required to use the boys’ bathroomat her South Jersey school.
“If you went into her classroom and someone said, ‘Pick out the trans kid out of these 25 kids,’ you would not be able to,” C.B. said. “You might very well get it wrong.”
C.B., who asked to be identified by her initials to protect the privacy of her child, said she loves the Garden State. She has a “very Jersey family.”
But, like other parents of trans children, she’s considering packing her family’s bags depending on the results of the Nov. 4 election, and whether the next governor maintains the state’s LGBTQ+ friendly policies.
“I can’t think of anyone who’s not at least thinking of a contingency plan. I think we all have our limits of when we’ve got to go,” C.B. said. “We just have to protect our kids.”
The stakes of the election are stark for C.B. and other parents. Jack Ciattarelli, the Republican nominee for New Jersey governor, opposes state policies implemented under Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy meant to protect transgender children. Ciattarelli says he would require schools to tell parents about their children’s gender identity and stop transgender girls from participating in girls’ sports. He also opposes gender-affirming care for minors and believes parents should be able to opt their kids out of LGBTQ+ related topics in school.
U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic nominee, has largely voted in support of transgender rights throughout her nearly seven-year legislative career. She was endorsed by LGBTQ+ advocacy groups as well as her friend U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride (D., Del.), the first openly transgender member of Congress. But Sherrill has not publicly defended trans rights when criticized by Ciattarelli and has declined to answer reporters’ questions on the matter.
L.B., another South Jersey parent facing the same dilemma in the lead-up to Election Day,said her 10-year-old transgender daughter isn’t stealing any thunder from other girls on her coed sports team — she is the smallest in her class. And it’s hard for her to imagine anyone seeing her child as a threat to anyone in the bathroom.
“People move from all over the country to New Jersey because it’s known as a safe haven for LGBTQ rights,” said L.B., who is using her initials to protect her child’s privacy. “And now, if Jack Ciattarelli wins, it could become a state that people have to flee from.”
Republican nominee for New Jersey governor Jack Ciattarelli speaks at a rally at the Corner House Tavern in Columbus.
During the 2024 election, President Donald Trump frequently attacked Vice President Kamala Harris for supporting transgender people.Ciattarelli has followedthat playbook, framing Sherrill on the campaign trail, in ads, and on the debate stage as being too supportive of transgender identities.
Sherrill has not just ignored the attacks. She has avoided talking aboutthe issue altogether.
“I don’t necessarily blame her for that, although more vocal support, outspoken support, would be amazing. It would make a lot of us feel much safer,” C.B. said.
Othertransgender rights advocates interviewed by The Inquirer also said they wish Sherrill would speak up more. But they understand why she doesn’t.
“Mikie Sherrill is not saying much of anything about the transgender population — which, you know, frankly, is what unfortunately might be her best strategy to be elected,” said Melissa Firstenberg, a transgender woman who founded Marlton Pride. “Unfortunately, for somebody like me, she is the only option.”
Melissa Firstenberg marching in a July 4 parade with Marlton Pride.
A page out of Trump’s playbook
Trump campaigned for president on the promise of stopping transgender athletes from competing in women’s and girls’ sports.
Ciattarelli has also made the popular GOP talking point a centerpiece of his campaign. In his stump speeches, he attacks Sherrill for voting “to allow biological boys to play in girls’ sports” despite being “a mother of two daughters,” in reference to her vote against the “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act‚” which would prohibit transgender girls from participating in girls’ sports and had support from only two House Democrats.
Ciattarelli has championed a so-called parental rights movement and frequently touts his opposition to New Jersey School Policy 5756, an advisory policy calling for schools to support students’ gender identity and allow transgender students to compete on sports teams and use the restrooms where they feel comfortable. The guidance states that parental consent is not needed to accept a student’s asserted gender identity.
In the first general election debate last month, Ciattarelli tried to veer the conversation to transgender youth in schools multiple times, and said he was concerned about “the welfare of our children.”
“I don’t think school districts should be keeping secrets from parents. I don’t think that biological boys should be playing in girls’ sports,” he said.
“She opposes me on both of those issues,” Ciattarelli added, referring to Sherrill’s 2023 voteagainst the “Parents Bill of Rights Act” that would require parental notification of children’s gender identity, among other measures. No House Democrats voted for the bill.
Sherrill did not address her past votes, correct Ciattarelli, or respond to the specifics of his argument,beyond mentioning that “parents know their kids best, and they need to be able to determine if there’s something they want to opt out of.” That stance echoes Ciattarelli’s arguments, though it was unclear what exactly Sherrill was referring to.
When asked after the debate about participation of transgender athletes, Sherrill deferred to “New Jersey sports groups” and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. She also cited her support for the Kids Online Safety Act, mentioning an uptick in bullying of LGBTQ+ youth.
Sherrill has garnered endorsements and donations fromLGBTQ+ advocacygroups like the Human Rights Campaign and GLAAD for her voting record — though she did take heat for a December 2024 vote for the National Defense Authorization Act, which included a provision that removed transgender healthcare for military dependents. Despite her vote,Sherrill criticized that measure as singling “out a small handful of innocent children to be used as political pawns.”
But Sherrill declined through a campaign spokesperson to share her stance on the state’s school guidance or protections for gender-affirming care for this story, or to be interviewed about trans rights.
U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D., N.J.) speaks during a gubernatorial debate with Republican Jack Ciattarelli Sept. 21, 2025 at Rider University.
Instead, in a statement, Sherrill said she “will govern in a way that keeps New Jersey kids, my own and others, safe and with parents in the driver’s seat regarding their kids’ education.” The 200-word statement did not mention “trans,” “gender,” or “LGBTQ.”
She also said that “schools are a place to learn, not to advance political agendas,” and that she would ensure they teach “the full history of our nation” and continue to give parents the choiceto opt out of “certain sex-education conversations.”
Meanwhile, Chris Russell, a Ciattarelli campaign spokesperson, said in a text message that Ciattarelli “opposes so-called gender-affirming care for minors” when asked about Murphy’s executive order that makes the state a “safe haven” for gender-affirming healthcare.
“As Governor Jack will review all of Governor Murphy’s EO’s and related policies to ensure that they are consistent with his positions regarding parental notification for minors, protecting women’s & girl’s sports & offering an age appropriate curriculum,” he added.
Sherrill is not the only Democrat across the country who has trod lightly on trans rights since Republicans upped the attacks last year, but Diane Rugala, a Collingswood-based parent whose transgender son is a Rutgers University graduate student, thinks Sherrill should “just own it” when it comes to defending transgender kids.
“You have to play the game, I get it,” said Rugala, who is also an activist with PFLAG, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group.
“But I also think that a really authentic statement would be good,” she added. “I don’t think people are asking for her to become this big advocate for the trans community … just a simple statement.”
Attack ads mirroring the presidential election
Ciattarelli’s campaign recently started running an adthat highlights Sherrill saying that she “would push an LGBTQ education into our schools,” and that “parents have a right to opt out of a lot of things” but “this is not an area where they should be opting out.”
The clip was from a Democratic primary debate earlier this year when she was responding to the question of whether parents should be able to opt their students out of “LGBTQ-related content” in the same way they can be taken out of sex-ed and health classes.
The ad calls it her “education plan” and tells viewers that it’s “your choice, not hers.”
She explained in that debate that students should understand “the background of people throughout our nation” and condemned the “erasure of history.” As of 2020, New Jersey schools are required to teach about societal contributions from LGBTQ+ people, along with other groups, in middle and high school social studies.
Jo Miller speaks at a rally for trans youth organized by Garden State Equality in Asbury Park in June.
Another ad echoes the attack that was lodged against Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign.
The American Principles Project (APP), a Virginia-based conservative group that identifies itself as “pro-family,” paid for an ad that vilifies trans people and accuses Sherrill of wanting to “protect they/them instead of your children,” referencing nonbinary pronouns. The group’s New Jersey PAC reported $126,000 in expenditures in the race as of Oct. 3, with $429,000 more cash on hand.
Trump’s campaign aired ads last year arguing that Harris is for “they/them,” while Trump is for “you.”
Jo Miller, 29, a transgender woman who serves on the Woodbury City Council, said she “would like to see a more forceful response” from Sherrill because not addressing the attacks can leave more people thinking that Republicans’ “demonization” of trans people — a small segment of the population — is true.
“I would love to see Mikie Sherrill take some stronger stances, and I think we will see that eventually as governor, but I think the truth is, it’s not her main focus,” Miller said. “And it’s kind of strange that it’s Jack Ciattarelli’s main focus, and it’s Donald Trump’s main focus.”
