New Jersey
Drones banned in parts of New Jersey for one month unless issued permission
The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a one-month ban on drone operations in certain areas of New Jersey, unless operators receive special permission from the government due to “special security reasons”.
This comes as dozens of night-time drone sightings have been reported across New Jersey and other states along the eastern coast of the US over the last several weeks.
The sightings have occurred in residential areas as well as near a military research and manufacturing facility, causing panic among local residents and sparking various conspiracy theories about their origins.
The FBI, Department of Homeland security, and other government agencies and officials have repeatedly said that there is no evidence of a threat to public safety.
On Wednesday, the FAA implemented temporary flight restrictions prohibiting drones that have not been authorized by the government in parts of New Jersey. The ban will remain in effect until 17 January and is in effect for areas including Bridgewater, Cedar Grove, North Brunswick, Metuchen, Evesham, Elizabeth, Jersey City and more.
The restrictions state that no unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are allowed to operate within one nautical mile of the specified airspace, including from the ground up to 400ft above ground level.
Pilots who do not comply with these restrictions may be intercepted, detained, and questioned by law enforcement or security personnel, according to the Notice to Air Mission statement.
The government may also use “deadly force” against the drones if they pose an “imminent security threat” it adds.
Since reports of drones started coming in, the FBI set up a hotline to address the drone sightings, and have said that they are looking into and investigating the reports.
Federal agencies also deployed advanced detection technology to the regions where the drones are being spotted as well as trained visual observers.
Of the over 5,000 reported sightings so far, about 100 required further investigation, the federal bureau said. A Department of Homeland Security official echoed previous statements from federal agencies, stating again this week that there is no evidence of a threat to public safety.
On Tuesday, the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, and Federal Aviation Administration issued a joint statement, stating that after examining “the technical data and tips from concerned citizens” they “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 agencies noted there are over one million drones registered with the FAA in the US, and that thousands of commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones fly in the sky lawfully on any given day.
“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,” the statement reads.
The agencies also addressed concerns about drone sightings over military facilities, including restricted airspace, which have sparked local worries and stirred up conspiracy theories online.
“Such sightings near or over DoD installations are not new” the agencies said. “DoD 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,” they stated.
The agencies acknowledged community concerns about drone sightings and pledged to continue to support state and local authorities “with advanced detection technology and support of law enforcement”.
They also urged Congress to enact counter-drone legislation that would “extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities to identify and mitigate any threat that may emerge”.
On Wednesday, the US Senate reportedly rejected a proposal to fast-track a bill, supported by Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senate majority leader, and others, that Schumer says would expand government authority to conduct drone detection among other things.
Republican Senator Rand Paul blocked the measure, Reuters reported, arguing it would give the government excessive surveillance power and that Congress should not rush into legislation.
This week, Joe Biden addressed public concerns regarding the increase in reports of sightings of drones and other aerial objects in the skies, stating that there was nothing alarming about the increased reports.
“Nothing nefarious apparently, but they’re checking it all out,” the president told reporters. “We’re following this closely, but so far, no sense of danger.”
John Kirby, the White House national security communications adviser, has also said that the drones are not a national security or public safety risk.
New Jersey
Jersey Shore beach roped off to protect nesting birds just in time for Memorial Day weekend
They took them under their wing.
A large stretch of a Jersey Shore beach is roped off to protect a bird’s nest just in time for Memorial Day weekend.
A pair of American Oystercatchers made their home on the sand in Belmar — and New Jersey Fish and Wildlife is prohibiting beachgoers from trespassing in the area to protect them and their eggs, according to NJ Advance Media.
The agency erected signs at 7th Avenue Beach — one of the most popular spots in Belmar — that say “Do Not Enter,” and explain that the area is a nesting area for the shorebirds, which are protected under federal law.
The placards also warn that “harassing these birds, their eggs or their young” can incur a $50,000 fine or jail time.
The birds are not listed as endangered or threatened species in New Jersey, according to Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey.
However, their status has been to changed to one of “special concern.”
Many on social media agreed with the agency’s efforts to protect the creatures, which are known for their black and white body and long orange-red bill.
“Love love love this!!!! Beautiful birds! One of my favorite!” one gushed.
“Leave that cute birdie alone people,” another added.
Others thought even more safety precautions were needed.
“We should send a biologist or conservation police to guard the area,” one wrote.
DEP officials told the outlet that the length of time the area would be closed will be determined by whether the chicks opt to remain there after hatching.
If the baby birds decide to relocate to another spot on the beach, that new area will be closed off instead, the agency added.
It’s been nearly a decade and a half since the Brooklyn Nets moved out of New Jersey.
The organization has completely revamped its vibe since switching states, ditching the red, white and blue look for a very basic black and white colorway.
The Nets have also intermittently changed the colors of the banners hanging up in the Barclays Center from red, white and blue to black and white, much to the chagrin of traditional Nets fans.
Despite the Nets now playing in a bigger market and being far removed from their days in the Garden State, some fans seem to hope for the Nets to make their return across the river. New Jersey governor Mikie Sherrill was asked about the matter.
“I mean, would I support it? I ask about it all the time,” Sherrill said. “I love the idea. So, I have been pressing for that. I haven’t made a lot of headway yet; you know, maybe in my second 100 days.
“But I do think there is some work being done for some — I don’t know if I’m allowed to say too much about it — but some people are working on some different sports coming into the Rock.”
As time went on, the Nets eventually started to embrace more of their New Jersey roots, which started when they rocked a clean tie-dye jersey from the 90s during the 2020-21 season.
The next season, the Nets followed it up with uniforms commemorating their run in the 2000s, when the team got to the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003 and endlessly broke the ESPN top 10 with each crazy Jason Kidd assist and Vince Carter dunk.
It’s fitting that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the latter of whom grew up in New Jersey as a Nets fan, got to rock these uniforms, helping boost the popularity of the New Jersey brand to a wide array of fans.
True Nets fans embraced the Continental Airlines Arena/Izod Center and the swamps of East Rutherford, getting to witness a winning basketball team for a fraction of the cost of the team mired in dysfunction that happened to play their home games at “The World’s Most Famous Arena.”
Not many marquee free agents would have signed up to play in New Jersey, but real fans remember the good times in the swamps, especially with Sly the Fox as the team’s mascot. Those times deserve to be remembered properly.
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ATLANTIC COUNTY, N.J. (WPVI) — Drivers heading to the shore on Friday afternoon saw slow-moving traffic for several miles coming off the Walt Whitman bridge, but many travelers said the start of the holiday weekend was smoother than they anticipated.
Aldara Madden, who was traveling with her friend Elana Maser, said the trip moved faster than she expected.
“I was expecting it to take a lot longer,” she said.
Maser added that they left school early to avoid delays.
“My mom and I do that every year and then we always stop here as our little pre-down the shore,” she said.
Others shared similar experiences.
“I’m coming from Bucks County, so I was worried there was gonna be some traffic but it really wasn’t bad at all,” said Erin McFadden of Churchville, who was headed to Ocean City.
AAA reported that while slightly more people are traveling by car this year compared to last, 2026 is projected to have the lowest year-over-year travel growth rate in more than a decade, excluding the steep drop seen in 2020 during the pandemic.
The organization attributes the slowdown largely to concerns over rising prices.
“Gas is ridiculously expensive and I think all the time before going anywhere these days,” said Debbie Maser of Philadelphia. “But this is our happy place and nothing can keep us away.”
A dreary weekend forecast may also be influencing travel patterns.
“I was thinking that, I wonder if there’ll be less congestion on the roads because of the weather,” said Kyra Wolin of Massachusetts. “It’s not looking to be too good this weekend with the rain.”
Still, many shore-bound travelers said tradition outweighs any concerns about rain or crowds.
“No not at all. You go down. You get it done,” said George Miller of Lansdale.
Eric Wolin of Massachusetts agreed: “Never, never. Margate’s a special place for us.”
As the unofficial start of summer begins, travelers said they remain committed to kicking off the season in their favorite spots, not letting rain, traffic, or high prices keep them away.
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