New Jersey
New Jersey is 13th-most expensive state to raise a child. Just how much does it cost?
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Scott L. Hall, USA TODAY
We all know kids are expensive. But just how expensive?
The annual cost to raise a child in New Jersey is $26,870, according to a new SmartAsset study. That includes $13,674 for childcare, $4,054 in additional housing and $2,068 for food. The total cost also includes medical care, transportation and other necessities.
SmartAsset, a financial service, compiled costs assuming two working parents and one child for its study of the cost of raising children across the United States. It used the MIT Living Wage Calculator data to compare the costs of a household with two working adults and one child with a childless household with two working adults.
The company found the median cost was $22,850, but some states cost twice as much as others.
🏖️ Looking for family fun this summer at the Shore? Here are some ideas
The most expensive state was Massachusetts, with an annual cost of $35,841, while the least expensive was Mississippi, whose annual cost was $16,151.
New Jersey came in as the 13th-most expensive in America.
Top 10 Most Expensive States to Raise a Child
- Massachusetts: $35,841
- Hawaii: $35,049
- Connecticut: $32,803
- Colorado: $30,425
- New York: $30,247
- California: $29,468
- New Hampshire: $27,849
- Washington: $27,806
- Rhode Island: $27,630
- Minnesota: $27,406
New Jersey
Drones are not human? Viral video sparks UFO fears, reports of clock-tampering across New Jersey – Times of India
A viral video posted by a user named Jim Ferguson has ignited a storm of speculation on social media. Ferguson shared a clip from a Pentagon briefing, claiming that the mysterious drones spotted worldwide are “not human.” His dramatic caption—“PENTAGON CONFIRMS: THESE DRONES ARE NOT HUMAN”—has led to widespread panic and fascination online.
In his post, Ferguson asserted that the Pentagon confirmed these drones were neither foreign adversaries nor earthly creations. “They’ve been spotted over military bases, nuclear sites, and even bypass our defenses effortlessly. What are they?” he questioned, urging immediate investigation into the phenomenon.
However, Pentagon officials denied the claims. A spokeswoman clarified that the drones were neither identified as alien nor confirmed as US military assets. Ferguson’s claims were, in fact, his interpretation of the briefing, which did not reference extraterrestrial origins.
New Jersey drone frenzy: Are clocks being hacked?
Adding fuel to the fire, residents of New Jersey have reported strange drone sightings for over a month. These sightings have escalated from speculation to bizarre anecdotes, including reports of car clocks mysteriously changing time when drones hover overhead, reported the Mirror.
Rich Dunajewski, a software engineer specializing in radio communications, offered a plausible explanation as he was quoted as saying, “Many modern cars sync their clocks with GPS signals. If these drones are using GPS jamming or spoofing, they could disrupt the clock settings.”
One family, interviewed by Fox News, recounted following a drone in their car when their clock suddenly reset. “It changed when we were directly beneath the drone but returned to normal as we drove away,” they claimed. Such incidents have deepened public unease, with some fearing UFOs or advanced surveillance technologies.
Lawmakers and officials at odds over transparency
The government’s handling of the drone sightings has drawn criticism from lawmakers and citizens alike. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas acknowledged the sightings, confirming that while some were manned aircraft, others were indeed drones. This inconsistency has only fueled public skepticism.
National Security spokesman John Kirby sought to reassure citizens, saying, “These drones pose no threat to public safety or national security.” However, some officials fear the lack of transparency is stoking unnecessary fear.
Theories run wild as investigations continue
With dozens of sightings and growing concerns about their mysterious nature, theories range from government surveillance programs to extraterrestrial technology. While Ferguson’s claims remain unsubstantiated, they highlight public fascination with UFOs and unexplained aerial phenomena.
The Pentagon has reiterated its commitment to investigating aerial anomalies, promising that any credible threats will be addressed. Meanwhile, citizens are left with more questions than answers, and New Jersey’s drone mystery remains unresolved.
As speculation persists, experts and officials alike advise caution, emphasizing the importance of evidence before jumping to conclusions. For now, the drones—and their alleged ability to alter time — continue to be the talk of the town.
New Jersey
N.Y., N.J. drone mystery to be tackled by high-tech detection system. Here’s how ROBIN radar works.
NEW YORK — Federal lawmakers say they will push for new measures in Congress on Monday to track down the mysterious drones flying across the Tri-State Area and the country.
Gov. Kathy Hochul says federal partners are deploying a state-of-the-art detection system to New York state.
Here’s how the ROBIN radar detection system works
On Sunday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he’s requesting the Department of Homeland Security deploy a detection system like one known as ROBIN.
“Which use not a linear line of sight but 360-degree technology that has a much better chance of detecting these drones. We’re asking DHS to bring them to the New York-New Jersey area,” Schumer said.
“Would you consider banning sale of them from some of the companies that make the drones?” CBS News New York’s Lisa Rozner asked New York’s senior senator.
“There are hundreds of companies all over the globe that make drones. We don’t know which ones these are. This radar will help us find out which they are and then we can go talk to the companies,” Schumer said.
Rozner asked DHS if it would grant Schumer’s request for a new detection system. A rep responded by saying the agency only responds to congressional inquiries directly via “official channels.”
Hochul said Sunday the state needs Congress to pass the a bill which would give New York the authority to detect, track or even destroy unmanned aircraft systems. That legislation has been stuck in committees, but Schumer’s office said with him as co-sponsor now, it could pass by the end of the year.
“We need to take a hard look at our homeland defenses”
On CBS’ Face The Nation, Republican Congressman Mike Waltz of Florida said defense agencies are pointing the finger at each other and under President-elect Donald Trump.
“We need to take a hard look at our homeland defenses. President Trump has talked about an iron dome for America that needs to include drones as well, not just adversarial actions like hypersonic missiles. We need to have an all-of-the-above protection of U.S. airspace,” Waltz said.
The FBI says it has received approximately 5,000 tips on the aircraft sightings, and of those, less than 100 leads were deemed worthy of further investigation.
The DHS secretary said on ABC This Week that the agency knows of “no foreign involvement.”
The Department of Defense also said the military is “prohibited from conducting intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations in the U.S.”
“I believe it’s sabotage”
The South Bronx is now part of the multiple places in the Northeast where clusters of drones have been spotted.
“They’re huge, too, so I don’t know what’s going on,” resident Jeff Garcia said.
“I believe it’s sabotage because all of a sudden we getting all of these drones coming from somewhere,” resident Donna McCoy said.
“Is it like recording people? Or they just going around sitting there looking at you?” JJ Mines-Evans added.
New Jersey
Chris Christie says he saw drones above his home amid reports of strange lights in NJ, other states
‘Nobody knew anything’: Residents in the dark about mystery drones
Eyewitnesses in New Jersey and New York are seeing flying drones, some they say are the size of a school bus.
Add former Gov. Chris Christie to the list of New Jersey residents reporting mysterious “drone” sightings outside of their homes.
As reports of strange lights seen in the sky in New Jersey and other Northeast states have sparked questions and concerns across the country, Christie said during an interview Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” he believes he saw a drone outside his own home last week.
“That was a drone over my house, and I’ve never seen anything like that before and I’ve been living at that house for 30 years,” Christie said.
The sightings have raised concerns about potential public safety threats, with Christie and others saying more needs to be done to investigate. Christie said he wants the state police to have authority to “bring those drones down and find out why they’re doing what they’re doing.”
“You can see why people are concerned, and it’s a lack of communication from the government at the federal and state level that’s at fault here,” Christie said.
Federal authorities have tried to reassure Americans that the objects don’t appear to be operating nefariously. The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security have said such sightings mostly appear to be not drones at all.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Majorkas also said on ABC’s “This Week” that the federal government is helping the New Jersey State Police investigate the drone issue.
“I want to assure the American public we are on it. We are working in close coordination with state and local authorities,” Majorkas said.
Federal authorities have found no evidence of foreign involvement in the drone flights, Majorkas said.
While acknowledging concerns about the drones, Majorkas noted there are more than one million registered in the United States and thousands flying every day, implying such activity is normal and frequent. He also noted that the Federal Aviation Administration changed the rules in 2023 so drones can fly at night.
Majorkas said some of the sightings are actually manned aircraft but added “there’s no question that drones are being sighted.”
Christie noted that drones have become an important part of commerce, law enforcement and other areas, adding: “We need to be able to operate in a safe way and we’re not doing that.”
President-elect Donald Trump joined the drone conversation with a recent social media post, calling on the government needs to give more information.
“Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!” Trump wrote.
Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY
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