A 19-year-old man was arrested on arson charges for the massive fire that burned thousands of acres in New Jersey earlier this week, law enforcement announced Thursday.
The Ocean County Prosecutor&#8217;s Office charged Joseph Kling on Wednesday with aggravated arson with the purpose of destroying the forest and arson over the blaze that has burned around 15,000 acres in Ocean County. The fire prompted thousands of evacuations and led to a state of emergency being declared.
Kling was determined by law enforcement to be the &#8220;individual responsible for setting wooden pallets on fire &#8211; and then leaving the area without the fire being fully extinguished,&#8221; Ocean County prosecutors said. Kling, from Watertown, is currently behind bars at the Ocean County Jail. The county has <a href="https://coroms.co.ocean.nj.us:8087/IML" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> no information about when Kling will appear in court. 
Investigators determined that the fire was incendiary, likely from an improperly extinguished bonfire, and used GPS to determine its origin. 
The fire prompted around 5,000 people to evacuate from the area, though the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said Thursday that the evacuation orders for Lacey and Ocean Townships had been lifted. The forest service also announced that the blaze had been 50% contained. 
On Wednesday, Lacey Township Mayor Peter Curatolo <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/nj-wildfire-ocean-county-barnegat-lacey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the fire may &#8220;very well end up being the largest wildfire in New Jersey in 20 years.&#8221;
There have been no reported deaths or loss of homes from the fire, though at least one commercial building was destroyed alongside multiple vehicles and outbuildings.
The investigation involved Ocean County&#8217;s Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, the Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, and the New Jersey State Fire Marshal’s Office.
&#8220;Thanks to the incredible, heroic work of the good men and women of our New Jersey Forest Fire Service, folks&#8217; homes and lives have been saved, and we&#8217;ve truly averted a major disaster,&#8221; New Jersey Forest Fire Service Commissioner Shawn LaTourette<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/nj-wildfire-ocean-county-barnegat-lacey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> </a>said Wednesday. &#8220;This wildfire is not under full and complete control, we still have a lot of work to do to achieve complete containment of the wildfire. But there were 1,300 homes that were threatened during the course of fighting this fire.&#8221;

MixCollage-24-Apr-2025-12-11-PM-7379

Police Arrest 19-Year-Old Over Massive New Jersey Fire, Reveal Cause Of Blaze

Arson

Crime

Fire

New Jersey

U.S.

wildfire

Wildfires

New Jersey officials ordered thousands of residents to evacuate on Tuesday after a fire erupted and spread out of control in Ocean County.
The Jones Road Forest Fire had consumed 3,200 acres and was just 5% contained by 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday evening. The fire forced 3,000 nearby residents to evacuate. Roughly 23,000 JCP&amp;L customers have lost power, according to <a href="https://www.nj.com/news/2025/04/massive-nj-wildfire-rages-out-of-control-3000-residents-evacuated.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NJ.com</a>.
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WILDFIRE UPDATE: Jones Road Wildfire &#8211; Ocean &amp; Lacey Townships, Ocean County
New Jersey Forest Fire Service remains on scene of a wildfire burning in Ocean &amp; Lacey Townships, Ocean County.
SIZE &amp; CONTAINMENT 🔥 3,200 acres 🔥 5% contained <a href="https://t.co/nxdzQNQ5Ot">pic.twitter.com/nxdzQNQ5Ot</a>
&mdash; New Jersey Forest Fire Service (@njdepforestfire) <a href="https://twitter.com/njdepforestfire/status/1914834324563890401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The fire shut down multiple roads and has threatened over 1,300 structures. Local and state resources including “Forest Fire Service fire engines, bulldozers and ground crews” and “[n]umerous local fire, rescue, county and state cooperators” have been dispatched to fight the fire, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
“[An] average of 1,500 wildfires damage or destroy 7,000 acres of New Jersey&#8217;s forests each year,” the New Jersey Forest Fire Service <a href="https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/fire/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> says. Over half of New Jersey under a “high” fire risk, the site says.
Videos of the inferno have surfaced online, showing a massive blaze burning through New Jersey forest.
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A massive wildfire is burning in Ocean County, New Jersey, on Tuesday. Some homes in Barnegat Township have been ordered to evacuate. <a href="https://t.co/dNfmfAEpnp">https://t.co/dNfmfAEpnp</a> <a href="https://t.co/lHsnotMa7i">pic.twitter.com/lHsnotMa7i</a>
&mdash; CBS Philadelphia (@CBSPhiladelphia) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSPhiladelphia/status/1914809019035689048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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An eyewitness <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1882868009218571&amp;rdid=XkZbAC2sGE21nXvY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> posted to Facebook shows flames towering over and surrounding nearby buildings as emergency workers and others move. NJ.com identified the setting as an “industrial complex in Lacey Township.”
Swaths of New Jersey are under moderate and severe drought conditions, according to the <a href="https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?fips_34029" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Drought Monitor</a>. Ocean County is largely under dry conditions that swing toward a moderate drought at the southern end of the county.
Winds have gusted at up to 25 miles-per-hour, contributing to the spread of the blaze, according to NJ.com.

Fire Engine

Massive Fire Rages In New Jersey; Thousands Evacuated

Natural Disaster

New Jersey on Thursday became the first state to sue gaming platform Discord, alleging the company failed to protect children from online predators despite marketing itself as a &#8220;fun and safe space for teens.&#8221;
The civil suit, <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25900134-2025-0417-discord-complaint/">filed</a> by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin, alleges that Discord violated the state&#8217;s Consumer Fraud Act by failing to protect minors, according to a report by NBC News.
Discord is a popular messaging platform used by millions to chat via text, voice, and video. It is especially popular among young gamers, who use the platform to converse while playing games like Roblox and Minecraft, both of which are heavily used by children.
The gaming chat platform officially <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/nj-attorney-general-sues-discord-messaging-app-child-predator-concerns-rcna201762">bans</a> users under 13 and claims a zero-tolerance policy toward those who exploit minors, per NBC News.
&#8220;They&#8217;ve waged a very extensive PR campaign to tell the public all the features that they put in place to protect kids on their app,&#8221; Platkin said. &#8220;They know that they&#8217;re not working, and they know that they&#8217;re not actually protecting kids the way they say they are.&#8221;
Discord defended its safety measures, saying the company is &#8220;proud&#8221; of its &#8220;continuous efforts and investments in features and tools that help make Discord safer.&#8221;
A spokesperson added that the platform disputes the claims in the lawsuit and looks &#8220;forward to defending the action in court.&#8221;
According to Platkin, children under 13 can create accounts by simply checking a box claiming they are older.
The platform&#8217;s &#8220;Sensitive Media&#8221; filter, designed to blur explicit material, often doesn&#8217;t work and is &#8220;very easy to evade.&#8221;
A 2023 NBC News investigation <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/discord-child-safety-social-platform-challenges-rcna89769">uncovered</a> 35 cases where adults were prosecuted for kidnapping, grooming, or sexual assault allegedly involving Discord communications, plus more than 100 additional cases of child sexual abuse material.
Following heavy public scrutiny, Discord made several policy updates, including banning teen dating and artificial intelligence-generated child sexual abuse material on the service.
The company&#8217;s CEO, Jason Citron, called reports of exploitation on the platform &#8220;horrifying&#8221; at the time.
In January, Citron was among several tech executives called to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee about child safety policies alongside leaders from Meta, Snapchat, TikTok, and X.
The New Jersey lawsuit is seeking civil penalties, restitution for affected users, and court-mandated changes to Discord&#8217;s policies and features to better protect minors on the platform.

Twitter Alternatives Photo Illustrations

New Jersey Sues Online Platform Discord Over Child Predator Concerns

Child Abuse

Courts

Social Media

Trump-appointed interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba launched an investigation into New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and state Attorney General Matt Platkin for obstructing federal immigration enforcement, warning other officials who refuse to assist federal agencies that they will face criminal charges.
&#8220;I want it to be a warning for everybody: that I have instructed my office today to open an investigation into Gov. Murphy, to open an investigation into Attorney General Platkin, who has also instructed the State Police not to assist any of our federal &#8230; agencies that are under my direction,&#8221; Habba announced on Fox News Thursday night.
“[U.S. Attorney General] Pam Bondi has made it clear, and so has our president, that we are to take all criminal[s] — violent criminals and criminals — out of this country and to completely enforce federal law,” Habba said. “And anybody who does get in that way, in the way of what we are doing, which is not political, it is simply against crime, will be charged in the state of New Jersey for obstruction, for concealment, and I will come after them hard.”
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<a href="https://t.co/IhmVeerRyM">pic.twitter.com/IhmVeerRyM</a>
&mdash; Alina Habba (@AlinaHabba) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlinaHabba/status/1910514829674131833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The investigation centers on a memo from State Police Superintendent Col. Patrick Callahan reminding New Jersey law enforcement of the state&#8217;s 2018 &#8220;Immigrant Trust Directive,&#8221; which limits cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
“These Administrative Warrant messages appear in NCIC in a method that ALL members are to note they are NOT to be broadcast as ‘NCIC Hits,'&#8221; the memo <a href="https://www.shorenewsnetwork.com/2025/04/08/phil-murphy-orders-state-police-not-to-cooperate-with-federal-immigration-sweep-of-violent-criminals/">states</a>. “NJDSP members are NOT permitted to contact ICE via the phone numbers provided.”
Under Murphy&#8217;s directive, state and local police are barred from detaining someone solely based on immigration status, and are prohibited from even communicating with federal immigration officials <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/11/alina-habba-new-jersey-immigration-enforcement-00286158">save for</a> “violent or serious offense[s]” and court orders.
Murphy previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/border-czar-homan-ill-prosecute-nj-governor-if-hes-concealing-an-illegal-alien">suggested</a> he would be inclined to harbor illegal immigrants at his home and dared federal authorities to &#8220;come get them&#8221; — remarks Trump&#8217;s border czar called &#8220;foolish,&#8221; and suggested could, in and of themselves, result in prosecution if Murphy did indeed harbor illegal aliens.
“If anybody wants to use politics or their position to go and violate any federal law or any executive order in this state, and that includes sanctuary cities, and I’m looking at you, Paterson, N.J.,” Habba warned. “I will be investigating you, and if you did commit a crime, if you ordered obstruction, if you are ordering concealment and harboring, you will be charged.”
When asked about Habba&#8217;s investigation during an unrelated press conference on Friday, New Jersey Attorney General Platkin defended the directive as &#8220;settled law&#8221; that has been &#8220;upheld by judges appointed by President Trump.&#8221;
The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the directive in 2021, ruling it was not preempted by federal law. Despite this legal backing, the policy remains controversial, particularly among those who believe it hampers national security efforts.
Platkin also took a swipe at Habba&#8217;s announcement method, stating, &#8220;I don&#8217;t typically launch investigations on cable news networks.&#8221;
Murphy has expanded immigrant protections beyond the directive during his tenure, implementing policies that provide driver&#8217;s licenses to illegal immigrants and offering pandemic-related cash assistance to those excluded from federal COVID-19 aid programs.
Jack Ciattarelli, seeking the Republican nomination for governor, obtained a copy of the state police memo earlier this week and publicized it in a press release, indicating the issue will likely be a major line of attack for the GOP in New Jersey’s 2026 governor’s race.

President Trump Swears-In Alina Habba As US Attorney For New Jersey

Trump’s U.S. Attorney Opens Criminal Probe Into NJ Gov For ‘Obstructing’ Immigration Enforcement

Donald Trump

Executive

Illegal Immigration

Politics

Trump Administration

A Spanish couple killed when a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/split-in-half-six-people-killed-in-nyc-helicopter-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">helicopter crashed</a> in the Hudson River in New York City on Thursday was identified by authorities as the investigation into the tragedy continues.
Agustín Escobar, a senior executive at German technology firm Siemens, and his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, were both killed after a tourist helicopter appeared to break apart mid-air before falling into the water, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hudson-helicopter-crash-victims-named-rcna200801" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Three minors, who are reportedly the children of Escobar and Montal, were also killed but have not been identified. The name of the pilot who died in the crash has also not been released as of Friday morning.
Escobar brought his family to New York City after a business trip, and the family was celebrating Montal&#8217;s 40th birthday on Thursday when they went on the tourist helicopter flight, according to Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, who added that the children were all 11 years old and under. The Spanish newspaper El Diario <a href="https://www.eldiario.es/internacional/muere-familia-espanola-accidente-helicoptero-nueva-york_1_12212531.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the trip was to celebrate the birthday of one of the children.
A video posted on social media showed the Bell 206 helicopter falling from the sky after it appeared to lose its propellers. Witnesses described hearing a loud boom and then seeing the helicopter &#8220;split in half.&#8221; One witness told ABC News that she “heard five or six loud noises that sounded almost like gunshots in the sky and saw pieces fall off, then watched it fall into the river.”
Authorities quickly recovered all six bodies from the Hudson River Thursday evening. Four of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene, and two more were transported to a hospital, where they were later pronounced dead. Later that night, the helicopter was removed from the river.
Michael Roth, the CEO of New York Helicopter Tours, said the pilot called in before the crash to say that he needed fuel and was preparing to return, The Telegraph <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/04/10/helicopter-hudson-river-crash-live-latest/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Roth added, &#8220;It should have taken him about three minutes to arrive, but 20 minutes later, he didn’t arrive.&#8221;
&#8220;We’re all devastated,&#8221; he said.
Leaders in the United States and Spain mourned the deaths. Spain&#8217;s prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, called the crash &#8220;an unimaginable tragedy.&#8221; President Donald Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114316199673595819" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on Truth Social, &#8220;The footage of the accident is horrendous.&#8221;
&#8220;God bless the families and friends of the victims,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, and his talented staff are on it. Announcements as to exactly what took place, and how, will be made shortly!&#8221;

Helicopter crashes into Hudson River

Authorities Identify Husband, Wife Who Died In NYC Helicopter Crash

Air and Space

Death

New York

New York City

Spain

A New Jersey Republican mayor ripped Jon Bon Jovi, saying the singer turned his town into “ground zero for homelessness.”
Toms River Township Mayor Dan Rodrick said a restaurant run by Bon Jovi’s nonprofit JBJ Soul Foundation, is causing more trouble than good, especially after it added a temporary pop-up location at the Ocean County Library, per <a href="https://www.nj.com/ocean/2025/04/nj-mayor-blasts-bon-jovis-soul-kitchen-for-homeless-gathering-near-library.html">NJ.com</a>.
He said the restaurant opening has led to homeless individuals being bused into the area, a move which the mayor claims is causing problems for the local community.
Per the outlet, the temporary restaurant is not a traditional soup kitchen or pay-what-you-can establishment, but instead, they serve three-course meals and allow diners to pay it forward and cover a future meal for anyone who can’t afford it. Patrons who can’t pay are offered the opportunity to volunteer in the community kitchen in exchange for food. 
The pop-up restaurant at the library opened in February and is slated to be shut down in May after its permit was extended from the initial closure date of March 31. The other location is permanent. 
&#8220;We don&#8217;t want to be ground zero for homelessness. We don&#8217;t want to be a dumping ground for the homeless problem in the state of New Jersey. The state of New Jersey needs to step up and take care of this problem. They have the resources, and bussing people in from all over to Toms River is not a safe situation,&#8221; Rodrick told Fox News Digital in an <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/jon-bon-jovi-slammed-turning-nj-town-ground-zero-homeless">interview</a>.
The mayor also noted that many of the homeless people encountered are “from outside the town, outside the county and, in some cases, outside the state of New Jersey.”
Rodrick said he hasn’t spoken to Bon Jovi directly but is frustrated that the restaurant opened in the area, which already has been struggling with its homeless population. Per NJ.com, the municipality does not have a licensed shelter, and last year residents shot down a proposal to build a 17-bed facility on the property of a local church.
&#8220;[Bon Jovi’s] already operating … something in the Silverton section of town. But it was like a restaurant where people go, and they pay for their meal, and they feel good that the money&#8217;s going to be used for something. But this pop-up thing at the library was primarily geared toward making the library, the public library, ground zero for homelessness,&#8221; Rodrick told Fox News.
The mayor also said that the issue began when the Ocean County Board decided to open a warming center, which led to nonprofits &#8220;bussing people into town.&#8221;
&#8220;We wound up with dozens and dozens of people being dropped off downtown every single day at the library no less, where a mom should feel comfortable walking into the library with her daughter and get a book. You shouldn&#8217;t have to walk through gangs of two dozen intoxicated or mentally ill homeless individuals, and that&#8217;s the real issue here,&#8221; he said, noting that there have been several police and EMS calls from the library in recent weeks.
Rodrick also addressed a potential financial incentive for the nonprofits. “These people are being dropped by in our community by agencies pretending to be homeless advocates who get paid by the head to import homeless people into our town from all over the state and the East Coast,” he said, per <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/04/05/us-news/bon-jovi-feuds-with-jersey-shore-mayor-over-eatery-for-the-poor/">The New York Post</a>. “These agencies are making millions of dollars importing homeless. Their plan is not about compassion; it’s about people wanting to profit off the homeless issue.”
In a <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/04/05/us-news/bon-jovi-feuds-with-jersey-shore-mayor-over-eatery-for-the-poor/">statement</a> to the New York Post, Bon Jovi and his wife, Dorothea, who both run the nonprofit, said, &#8220;The JBJ Soul Foundation and JBJ Soul Kitchen are committed to ending homelessness through real solutions. We are not here to just move people around or force them into the shadows. Our Foundation has built nearly a thousand units of affordable and supportive housing.”
&#8220;Through our JBJ Soul Kitchen, we connect people to resources and services. Whether they need employment, mental health support, or housing, we try to remove the barriers that are keeping them from thriving, not just surviving,” it says.

Jon Bon Jovi

NJ GOP Mayor Says Jon Bon Jovi Turned His Town Into ‘Ground Zero’ For Homeless

NJ Mayor Says Jon Bon Jovi Turned His Town Into 'Ground Zero' For Homeless

Celebrities

Homeless

Homelessness

United States

Former Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bob-menendez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bob Menendez</a> (D-NJ) was sentenced to more than a decade in federal prison this week after being convicted last year in a public corruption scandal where he took bribes to influence U.S. policy.
Menendez was sentenced to 11 years in prison and was forced to forfeit more than $920,000 after he was convicted over the summer on 16 felony counts, including conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, two counts of conspiracy to obstruct justice, two counts of bribery, three counts of honest services wire fraud, three counts of extortion under color of official right, conspiracy for a public official to act as a foreign agent, public official acting as foreign agent, and obstruction of justice.
Menendez accepted bribes from three businessmen in exchange for actions that he took as chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee. According to the Department of Justice, the alleged bribes were intended to protect the businessmen and to benefit Egypt.
Prosecutors later said in a revised indictment that Menendez also allegedly used his clout to help a friend secure a multi-million dollar investment deal from the Qatari government, in part by taking actions that benefited Qatar.
Two of the co-conspirators in the case who made the bribes, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, were sentenced to more than eight years and seven years in prison, respectively.
Menendez&#8217;s wife Nadine was also charged in the case, but her trial has been repeatedly delayed as she battles breast cancer.
U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon said: &#8220;The sentences imposed today result from an egregious abuse of power at the highest levels of the Legislative Branch of the federal government.&#8221;
&#8220;Robert Menendez was trusted to represent the United States and the State of New Jersey, but instead he used his position to help his co-conspirators and a foreign government, in exchange for bribes like cash, gold, and a luxury car,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;The sentences imposed today send a clear message that attempts at any level of government to corrupt the nation’s foreign policy and the rule of law will be met with just punishment.&#8221;

Jury Deliberations Begin In Corruption Trial Of NJ Sen. Menendez

Bob Menendez Sentenced To More Than A Decade In Prison In Corruption Scandal

Bob Menendez

Prison

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday that the drones flying over the East Coast that caused a stir several weeks ago were all operating legally.
Leavitt made the remarks during her first press briefing after receiving the information from President Donald Trump in the Oval Office prior to the briefing.
&#8220;After research and study, the drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized to be flown by the FAA for research and various other reasons,&#8221; Leavitt said. &#8220;Many of these drones were also hobbyists, recreational, and private individuals that enjoy flying drones.&#8221;
&#8220;In time, it got worse due to curiosity. This was not the enemy,&#8221; she concluded.
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="BREAKING: Karoline Leavitt Reveals What The Drones Were Flying Over New Jersey" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/36QaFRZ7rmY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
One incident that raised concerns last month involved multiple unidentified drones that entered the airspace over a U.S. Navy weapons station in New Jersey.
Numerous recent sightings of “car-sized” drones over New Jersey alarmed residents and lawmakers as the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI said they were investigating the phenomena. Naval Weapons Station Earle in Colts Neck, New Jersey, provided a <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/multiple-drones-entered-airspace-new-jersey-naval-station/story?id=116763570">statement</a> to ABC News in mid-December that seemed to reinforce the concerns about drones flying over the state.
“While no direct threats to the installation have been identified, we can confirm multiple instances of unidentified drones entering the airspace above Naval Weapons Station Earle,” Bill Addison, public affairs officer for the naval station, said in the statement. “The base remains prepared to respond to any potential risks, leveraging robust security measures and advanced detection capabilities.”
The statement did not specify when it witnessed drones flying over its airspace, and the naval base added that it “continues to closely coordinate with federal and state agencies to ensure the safety of our personnel and operations.”

Karoline Leavitt Holds First White House Press Briefing

White House Reveals New Information About Drones Flying Over New Jersey

Drones

Karoline Leavitt

President-elect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> said Thursday that he would release a report on the recent mystery drone sightings reported in New Jersey and other states once he takes office. 
Trump made the comments as he met with Republican governors at Mar-a-Lago, prompting several to chime in with their own reports of drone sightings. Last month, the FBI, FAA, and Pentagon said they identified no threats among the 500 drone sightings they had investigated based on public tips.
&#8220;I&#8217;m going to give you a report on drones about one day into the administration because I think it&#8217;s ridiculous that they&#8217;re not telling you about what&#8217;s going on with the drones,” Trump said, noting that drones had been spotted over his property in Bedminster, New Jersey. “It’s not only with me, [Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin] was telling me today that in Virginia they have drones all over the place too and nobody is reporting it.” 
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PRESIDENT TRUMP: &#8220;I&#8217;m going to give you a report on drones about one day into the administration because I think it&#8217;s ridiculous that they&#8217;re not telling you about what&#8217;s going on with the drones.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/BnUBaAsBl6">pic.twitter.com/BnUBaAsBl6</a>
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1877521790920020281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Trump said he would issue a report on the drones “shortly” after his inauguration on January 20. 
“They don’t want to talk about it and nobody knows why,” Trump said. “That could be us sending drones, I hope that’s the case, us doing it and doing research and maybe they don’t want to talk about it from that standpoint. I hope it&#8217;s not an enemy, but we’re going to find out on the 21st.”
Referencing how much of the U.S. military and intelligence infrastructure is in Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin said that drones had been flying over secure air space for the last two years. 
“For two years running we have had drone incursion over secure air space and we still don’t know why. And I think that’s absolutely unacceptable,” Youngkin said. “And I think President Trump and the new leadership coming in will work diligently to understand who’s behind this and what we do in order to stop the digital surveillance of all our secure infrastructure.”
Louisiana Republican Governor Jeff Landry said that his state had recently seen drones flying over its nuclear reactors but that the FAA had done nothing after they brought it to their attention. 
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Wyoming Republican Governor Mark Gordon added that he had also struggled to deal with drones being flown over critical infrastructure. 
“We have drones in Wyoming flying over our infrastructure as well,” he said. “And it&#8217;s incredibly frustrating that we not only have no way of knowing what it is, but nobody knows how to deal with them.”

President-Elect Trump Meets With Republican Governors At Mar-A-Lago

Trump Promises To Release Report On Mystery Drones After Taking Office

Glenn Youngkin

Jeff Landry

Louisiana

Mar-a-Lago

National Security

Virginia

Wyoming

Two Congressional New Jersey Democrats who are vying to succeed Democrat Governor Phil Murphy <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/laken-riley-act-roils-nj-governors-race-2-dems-skip-roll-the-more-someone-campaigns-less-vote?intcmp=tw_fnc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">did not vote</a> on the Laken Riley Act that passed this week in the House.
Reps. Mikie Sherrill of Essex and Josh Gottheimer of Bergen County were recorded as &#8220;not voting&#8221; on the bill, which would require illegal immigrants convicted of theft to be detained by municipal and state authorities.
“We’ve been very focused on border security; the Laken Riley Act makes it clear, if you’re committing crimes in America against people, it’s not going to be tolerated,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) stated.
Every Republican voted for the bill; only 438 Democrats did the same.
“This is Cowardly &#8211; @MikieSherrill + @Josh4Jersey are the same again. If you don’t have the courage to vote for a bill then what does that say about your courage to lead as Governor. What does it say about your willingness to stand up to political bosses and charge NJ? If you can’t vote what does it say about your willingness to demonstrate any core convictions… it’s cowardly,” Jersey City mayor Steven Fulop, another Democrat running for governor, charged.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is Cowardly &#8211; <a href="https://twitter.com/MikieSherrill?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MikieSherrill</a> + <a href="https://twitter.com/Josh4Jersey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Josh4Jersey</a> are the same again. If you don’t have the courage to vote for a bill then what does that say about your courage to lead as Governor. What does it say about your willingness to stand up to political bosses and charge NJ? If you… <a href="https://t.co/T7JRbUveMt">https://t.co/T7JRbUveMt</a>
&mdash; Steven Fulop (@StevenFulop) <a href="https://twitter.com/StevenFulop/status/1876987633282252852?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“We lose elections when we don’t have any core convictions… when we can’t explain why we have a view and why we believe in it. Hiding is not an answer that wins elections,” he added.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
We lose elections when we don’t have any core convictions… when we can’t explain why we have a view and why we believe in it. Hiding is not an answer that wins elections <a href="https://t.co/q1ft9KRorH">pic.twitter.com/q1ft9KRorH</a>
&mdash; Steven Fulop (@StevenFulop) <a href="https://twitter.com/StevenFulop/status/1876987644502048919?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Former Republican Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, who narrowly lost a gubernatorial election to Murphy in 2021, chimed in, &#8220;Shame on [Josh and Mikie] for gutlessly ducking a vote on the Laken Riley Act today.”
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Shame on <a href="https://twitter.com/Josh4Jersey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Josh4Jersey</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/MikieSherrill?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MikieSherrill</a> for gutlessly ducking a vote on the Laken Riley Act today. This brave young woman fought till her last breath against a murderous illegal immigrant, but Josh/Mikie didn&#39;t have the courage to stand up to their extreme far left base.
&mdash; Jack Ciattarelli (@Jack4NJ) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jack4NJ/status/1876740037150158902?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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GOP State Senator Jon Brannick, who has announced his gubernatorial campaign, echoed, &#8220;I think you have to have campaign activities come secondary to your responsibility. &#8230; The key question is &#8212; if you’re going to run &#8212; campaign activities must be secondary to your voting.”
On February 24, 2024, Georgia nursing student Laken Riley was murdered while she was jogging near the University of Georgia. Her murderer, José Antonio Ibarra, 26, “was arrested in 2022 after entering the US illegally and was ‘paroled and released for further processing,’ according to a statement from ICE,” CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/25/us/uga-augusta-university-student-killing-monday/index.html/%5d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on February 26, 2024. “He was also arrested last September by New York City police and charged with ‘acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and a motor vehicle license violation,’ but police released him ‘before a detainer could be issued,’ ICE said.”

US-VOTE-POLITICS-TRUMP

‘It’s Cowardly’: 2 Dem NJ Gubernatorial Candidates Ripped For Not Voting On Laken Riley Act

Laken Riley

Phil Murphy

From November heading into December of 2024, mysterious &#8220;car-sized&#8221; drone sightings became a major news story.
While there had been suspected drones at night in places across the United States, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-jersey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Jersey</a> in particular became a focal point due to a high concentration of reported sightings in the state.
Here are six things to know about the situation:
What is going on?
Sightings of suspected drones have been reported in the night skies near military sites, critical infrastructure, President-elect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a>&#8216;s <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/news/new-jersey/drones-new-jersey-trump-bedminster-golf-course-fbi-20241206.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">golf club</a> in Bedminster, New Jersey, and elsewhere.
Videos of suspected drones posted all over social media and a lack of convincing answers fueled concerns.
Stranger things
Following a briefing on the situation at New Jersey State Police HQ, New Jersey Republican Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia <a href="https://x.com/DawnFantasia_NJ/status/1866896860578717994" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a> a few stunning details.
The &#8220;large&#8221; drones were said to be 6 feet in diameter, operated in a coordinated manner, and appeared to avoid &#8220;traditional methods&#8221; of detection by helicopters and radio frequencies, Fantasias said.
Shoot them down?
Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-congressman-sources-claim-mystery-drones-over-new-jersey-come-from-mothership-sent-by-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> “qualified sources” told him drones were coming from an Iranian “mothership” off the coast, suggested one should be shot down and studied.
Trump also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/let-the-public-know-and-now-trump-speaks-out-on-mystery-drone-sightings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">floated</a> the idea of blasting one of the suspected drones out of the air if the government did not open up about what it knows to the American public.
Feds investigate
The FBI <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2024/12/14/background-press-call-on-the-ongoing-response-to-reported-drone-sightings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> it has received thousands of tips, though most were not deemed worthy of further investigation, and officials stressed how there are roughly 1 million drones <a href="https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/national/military-news/department-of-defense-says-drones-flying-near-restricted-air-spaces-are-not-theirs/291-65fa9eb3-57ab-4cae-a1ea-d86ccf63538d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">registered</a> in the United States.
Federal authorities have insisted they have no evidence to suggest the sightings pose a threat or have a &#8220;foreign nexus.&#8221; They also said many of the sightings are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dhs-fbi-release-statement-about-drone-sightings-in-new-jersey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">believed</a> to be manned aircraft operating lawfully.
Advanced tech deployed
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sent New Jersey State Police a &#8220;drone-specific radar that also cues a highly capable EO/IR, or electro-optical infrared camera system,&#8221; a DHS official <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2024/12/14/background-press-call-on-the-ongoing-response-to-reported-drone-sightings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> reporters.
&#8220;If the radar detects a drone, the camera will be able to identify and track it,&#8221; the official said, adding, &#8220;This is extremely helpful for drones without a standard radio frequency signal.&#8221;
Flight restrictions
One week before Christmas, the Federal Aviation Administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/faa-imposes-restrictions-on-drones-over-parts-of-new-jersey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">implemented</a> a new round of temporary restrictions on drone activity over &#8220;critical&#8221; infrastructure in parts of New Jersey.
According to DHS, the decision was made &#8220;out of an abundance of caution.&#8221;

Drone

Six Things To Know About The New Jersey Drone Mystery

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/federal-aviation-administration-faa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Federal Aviation Administration</a> (FAA) announced on Thursday that it was instituting new restrictions on drone activity over parts of New Jersey.
The announcement comes as the federal government has botched responding to news reports about public sightings of late-night drones that have spooked some local residents and caused a wide range of theories to be floated online about what was happening.
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement, “In coordination with the FAA and our critical infrastructure partners who requested temporary flight restrictions over their facilities, out of an abundance of caution, the FAA has issued temporary flight restrictions over some critical infrastructure facilities in New Jersey.”
The agency published 22 Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) prohibiting drone flights over critical New Jersey infrastructure.
The restrictions were imposed on drones operating from ground-level up to 400 feet above ground — the maximum height that civilians are supposed to fly their drones.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE</a>
The restrictions ban drones from being flown over power stations and other infrastructure, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/19/us/faa-restricts-drones-power-locations-new-jersey?Date=20241219&amp;Profile=CNN&amp;utm_content=1734633335&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The power stations include the Cedar Grove Switching Station, Athenia Switching Station, Hudson Switching Station, PSE&amp;G Kearny Switching Station, and Bayonne Switching Station.
The ban only applies to drones and no other types of aircraft.
Drone flight restrictions were implemented late last month over Trump&#8217;s golf course in Bedminster and Picatinny Arsenal — a U.S. military research facility.
Federal law enforcement officials and the U.S. military released a detailed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-u-s-military-release-statement-assessing-what-people-are-seeing-with-drone-sightings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on Monday night saying that after an extensive investigation, the mysterious drone sightings that people have seen on the East Coast do not amount to anything nefarious, nor is there any threat to the public.
“Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones,” the statement said. “We have not identified anything anomalous and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast.”
They said that the FBI alone has received more than 5,000 tips over the last few weeks, which has generated approximately 100 leads that authorities have investigated.
“We continue to support state and local authorities with advanced detection technology and support of law enforcement,” the statement said. “We urge Congress to enact counter-UAS legislation when it reconvenes that would extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities to identify and mitigate any threat that may emerge.”
They added that drone sightings near U.S. military facilities, while concerning, are not a new phenomenon and that the Department of Defense “takes unauthorized access over its airspace seriously and coordinates closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities, as appropriate.”
“Local commanders are actively engaged to ensure there are appropriate detection and mitigation measures in place,” the statement added.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/drone-fears-cause-new-problem-people-shining-lasers-at-manned-aircraft">Drone Fears Cause New Problem: People Shining Lasers At Manned Aircraft</a>

Hylio Drones

FAA Imposes Restrictions On Drones Over Parts Of New Jersey

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

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