New Jersey
Arson investigation launched after fire at Bayer executive’s New Jersey home
Health insurance industry faces backlash after UnitedHealthcare CEO death
There’s a common theme in the wave of unsympathetic posts about UnitedHealth exec Brian Thompson’s death: rage against the health insurance industry.
PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Multiple federal and state agencies are investigating a possible arson attempt at the New Jersey home of an executive of global pharmaceutical giant Bayer, authorities said.
Earlier this week, the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office said a fire was reported around 7:30 a.m. on March 4 at an occupied residence in the borough of Madison. The suburban community is about 15 miles west of Newark, New Jersey.
The prosecutor’s office told the Morristown Daily Record, part of the USA TODAY Network, that Madison firefighters responded to the incident and that the fire was quickly extinguished. No significant property damage or injuries were reported.
The prosecutor’s office declined to identify the residents of the home, citing an “active and ongoing” arson investigation. Bayer spokesperson Nicole Hayes confirmed to the Daily Record that an incident occurred at the “private home of one of Bayer’s U.S. executives,” adding that the “family is safe and unharmed.”
“The safety and security of our employees are of utmost importance to Bayer,” Hayes said. “The incident is under active investigation. The company is cooperating fully with the investigation. We appreciate the quick response of local law enforcement.”
Several agencies, including the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Arson/Environmental Crimes Unit, Morris County Sheriff’s Office CSI Unit, New Jersey State Fire Marshals Office K-9 Unit, New Jersey Transit Police, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department, and the New York City Police Department are investigating the incident as a possible arson.
On Thursday, the prosecutor’s office told NBC News and CNN that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is also assisting in the investigation. The incident was first reported by Yahoo Finance last Friday.
What is Bayer?
Bayer, an international pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, was founded in Germany in 1863. The company initially focused on manufacturing and selling synthetic dyestuffs, according to the Bayer website.
It is now one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies and known for making prescription drugs and other consumer health products such as aspirin, Alka-Seltzer, Claritin, and Aleve.
Bayer consolidated its U.S. operations in 2013, opening a new $250 million headquarters in the Whippany section of Hanover Township, New Jersey. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who approved a $35.1 million business incentive grant to keep the company in the state, attended the grand opening.
In recent years, the company has been under intense scrutiny after it acquired Roundup under the $63 billion takeover of agrochemical company Monsanto in 2018. Roundup is a popular residential and commercial herbicide widely used by landscapers and agricultural workers.
Reuters reported last Friday that Bayer told U.S. lawmakers it may halt the sales of Roundup if it does not receive stronger legal protections against product liability litigation.
The company has faced thousands of lawsuits that claimed victims developed a form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma from exposure to glyphosate, which was the active ingredient in Roundup sold for home use until 2023, according to Reuters.
Bayer has paid about $10 billion to settle disputed claims. About 67,000 cases are pending, for which the group has set aside $5.9 billion in legal provisions.
Incident follows increased security measures for companies
Last week’s incident comes amid heightened security measures and social media vitriol aimed at the health insurance industry and corporate America. Authorities and companies feared potential attacks targeting industry executives after the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December.
Thompson, 50, was shot outside a New York City hotel while on his way to speak at an annual investor conference. Luigi Mangione, 26, was arrested following a massive manhunt and faces state charges of murder as an act of terrorism. He pleaded not guilty in December.
The shooting sparked an outpour of contempt toward health insurers with people on social media sharing their grievances over denied claims and complaints about perceived greed in the industry. In the immediate aftermath of the incident, videos posted online appeared to show “wanted” posters in New York with the names and faces of other corporate executives.
Thompson’s death prompted industry peers to remove biographies and photographs of top executives from their websites. Some companies also closed offices or canceled in-person events.
“It was an eye-opening experience for many CEOs. … Most of them think they’re anonymous. A great deal of them, they drive themselves to work or just jump in a cab,” Matthew Peters, vice president of protective services at security provider Guidepost Solutions, previously told USA TODAY.
Contributing: Bailey Schulz, Ken Alltucker, Jeanine Santucci, and N’dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY; Reuters
New Jersey
Ex-NJ GOP aide accused of staging slashing attack shows off horrific scars — and mystery man — in new snap
The unhinged ex-GOP aide who claimed she had been viciously attacked and labeled “Trump whore” — but who authorities say staged the assault and hired a fetish artist to carve her up — showed off her jaw-dropping scars in a new photo, along with a heavily-tattooed mystery man.
Natalie Greene, the Ocean City, NJ woman accused of faking a gruesome politically-driven assault while working for Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew, shared a glimpse into her life for the first time since the scandal broke nearly a year ago.
The 26-year-old updated her Facebook profile picture on the Fourth of July to a smiling selfie of herself and the new pal.
She wore a knitted tank top – exposing multiple thick, pink scars across her shoulder, chest and neck.
Her dark hair was slicked back into a low ponytail, and her manicured hand covered her mouth as she laughed.
A man wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap with tattoos up his neck and arm smiled next to her.
Greene, a Masarati-driving ex-Rutgers Law student, was charged with conspiracy to falsely report a violent attack and giving false statements to law enforcement after claiming she was repeatedly slashed by three masked gunmen in a local park because she worked for Van Drew, a pol who had switched from Democrat to Republican in 2020.
Authorities found Greene on the ground with her hands and ankles zip-tied on a trail at a nature preserve in Egg Harbor Township on the night of July 23, 2025. She had dozens of bloody surgical-like slashes across her back, shoulder, chest and face. The words “Trump whore” were written across her stomach in black marker.
But the attack was nothing but a hoax, according to the Department of Justice, which said Greene hired a Pennsylvania-based “scarification” fetish artist to cut her up. Detectives even discovered a reference photo that Greene showed the artist – and her cuts matched the image exactly, investigators said.
Greene was granted supervised release in January as she awaits trial.
Childhood campmate Kristin Haughton James — who was previously busted for cocaine possession and riding an unlicensed vehicle in the streets, a Camden court heard in January — welcomed her into her Florida home and has been acting as her custodian.
Before moving in with Haughton James, Greene had already cycled through two other guardians – including her mother – and had been ordered to attend inpatient treatment.
But the arraignment quickly descended into a nightmare, Haughton James revealed.
“I have never met chaos incarnate until I met this person,” she told NJ.com. “Lives for the drama – wants everything to be about her.
“She just feeds off attention.”
She claimed Greene left her home a wreck, tried to get her evicted and falsely told cops that she was dealing drugs and threatened her with a gun.
Haughton James said she kicked her out in March. It is unclear where Greene is currently living.
Haughton James, Greene and Greene’s attorney did not return messages seeking comment.
New Jersey
Husband of slain New Jersey mom begs for help in newly released 911 call | Fox News Video
Former homicide detective Brian Foley joins ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ to provide analysis on Conor Hanlon’s 911 call after finding his wife, Brooke, stabbed to death.
Former homicide detective Brian Foley provides expert insights into the newly released 911 call from Conor Hanlon, whose wife, New Jersey therapist Brooke Hanlon, was found stabbed to death. Foley analyzes the husband’s emotional state and the police’s approach, noting the case’s ‘suspicious’ designation 13 minutes into the call.
A young firefighter died two weeks after being badly hurt in a crash while responding to a fire call, according to the Malaga Fire Company.
Robert (Bobby) Reider, 23, was driving north along Delsea Drive while trying to get to the scene of fire on Saturday, June 27 when his car went off the road, officials said.
When first responders got to the scene of the crash, they found Reider trapped in his car and worked to remove him.
Reider was then taken by helicopter to a nearby hospital where he was treated for severe and traumatic injuries.
Weeks later, on July 10 around 4:30 a.m., Reider died from his injuries while still in the hospital.
The Malaga Fire Company says that Reider joined their team in 2018 when he was just 16 as a junior firefighter.
He then went on to earn a certificate at Fire 1 at the Salem County Fire Academy in 2022.
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