The number of unemployed workers in New Jersey continues to grow and as each day passes, thousands are closer to losing some of their benefits. The state labor department received over 17,000 new applications for unemployment during the week after Thanksgiving, a 26% increase over the prior week.

Meantime, 500,000 residents will lose their federal pandemic unemployment benefits as of Dec. 26. Those benefits came as part of the CARES Act, but now that’s set to expire. Additional unemployment aid is one of the items being discussed in Congress, where work continues on an emergency financial relief bill. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-5) says progress is being made.

New Jersey and dozens of other states have sued Facebook for violating antitrust laws. The lawsuit claims Facebook maintained a monopoly in social networking platforms and stifled competition, enabling it to earn hefty profits. The lawsuit seeks to break apart the company, forcing Facebook to divest some of its assets including Instagram and WhatsApp.

Atlantic City Electric is proposing a rate increase, but it wouldn’t happen right away. The utility is asking the Board of Public Utilities for a $67 million increase. For the average residential customer, monthly bills would go up by $9.23. If approved, the increase would occur in January 2022.