New Jersey

New Jersey sues popular chat app Discord over child safety concerns

Published

12 months ago

April 17, 2025

New Jersey sues popular chat app Discord over child safety concerns

New Jersey is the first state in America to sue Discord, a messaging app popular among gamers.

“I’m horrified by Discord as a company’s dishonesty,” said Attorney General Matt Platkin. “It tells parents that their app is designed to protect children from harm, knowing full well that simply is not the case.”

Two hundred million users are on Discord to chat over video, audio or text. The state argues that its youngest users aren’t protected.

Discord requires its users to be at least 13 years old. But there isn’t any age verification to sign up in the United States – anyone can say they are any age. In the United Kingdom and Australia, Discord is “experimenting” with requiring users to scan their face or an ID to access sensitive content or change settings.

This week, a Toms River man was charged for traveling to Norway in 2023 to have sex with a 14-year-old girl. According to the complaint, 28-year-old Jacob Bauer chatted with the girl on Discord.

By default, Discord users can receive friend requests from anyone. But two users can chat even without being friends if they’re in the same server. The largest have millions of users.

“It’s another tool that bad actors online can use,” said Rowan University academic Esports coordinator Dr. Kacey Doran. “I don’t think that it’s inherently more unsafe than other online tools that children are going to use.”

The Rowan University Esports club has its own Discord server, but users need a university email to join. Doran says effective moderators can make the difference.

“It makes me sad and scared and disappointed,” Doran said. “I have nephews, and I play video games with them. I can picture and understand people’s concerns about this. And so, that would be my recommendation – not to set up community servers without having dedicated, responsible people who are moderating it.”

The state is asking for an injunction to stop Discord from violating the Consumer Fraud Act, as well as returning profits.

Discord spokesperson Jillian Susi replied with this statement:

“Discord is proud of our continuous efforts and investments in features and tools that help make Discord safer. Given our engagement with the Attorney General’s office, we are surprised by the announcement that New Jersey has filed an action against Discord today. We dispute the claims in the lawsuit and look forward to defending the action in court.”

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New Jersey

Bruins 4, Devils 0 | HIGHLIGHTS | New Jersey Devils

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1 hour ago

April 14, 2026

Press Room

Bruins 4, Devils 0 | HIGHLIGHTS | New Jersey Devils

NewJerseyDevils.com is the official web site of the New Jersey Devils, a member team of the National Hockey League (“NHL”). NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup and NHL Conference logos are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks as well as all other proprietary materials depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective NHL teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. Copyright © 1999-2025 New Jersey Devils and the National Hockey League. All Rights Reserved.

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New Jersey

Husband dies after killing wife, shooting self at NJ nursing home, police say

Published

13 hours ago

April 14, 2026

Press Room

Husband dies after killing wife, shooting self at NJ nursing home, police say

A man has died of self-inflicted injures, officials said, a day after he shot and killed his estranged wife at a New Jersey nursing home on Monday.

According to police, on Tuesday morning, Brandon Alexander, 35, of Minotola, New Jersey, succumbed to self-inflicted injuries at a New Jersey hospital after he shot and killed his wife, Victoria, 38, also of Minotola, NJ, at Excelcare Rehabilitation Facility in Egg Harbor Township.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.

That shooting, officials said, happened at about 6 a.m. at the nursing home, located along the 6800 block of Delilah Road in Egg Harbor Township.

Follow up investigation determined that the shooting happened after Alexander waited in the parking lot of the nursing home for his estranged wife to show up at work, where she was employed as a nurse, on Monday morning, officials said.

Once she arrived, officials said, Alexander maneuvered his vehicle to block in her car and he then entered her vehicle, before leaving a pair of suicide notes on the dashboard.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.

However, as this happened, a food truck driver pulled up and asked Alexander to move his vehicle, police said.

At that time, police said, Alexander exited his wife’s car and followed her into the nursing home building where he shot her several times before turning the gun on himself.

Victoria Alexander was pronounced at the scene and, officials said, her estranged husband was taken to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to self-inflicted injuries on Tuesday morning.

An investigation into this incident, officials said, remains ongoing.

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New Jersey

Did anyone win Powerball? Winning numbers for April 13, 2026

Published

1 day ago

April 13, 2026

Press Room

APP.com Digital Desk
| Asbury Park Press

Powerball winning numbers are in for the Monday, April 13 drawing with a jackpot that reached an estimated $45 million ($20.5 million cash option).

The winning numbers in Monday’s drawing are 38, 43, 59, 63, and 64, with Powerball number 15. The Power Play number is 3.

Did anyone win the Powerball jackpot?

No one won the Powerball jackpot.

When is the next drawing of the Powerball?

The next Powerball drawing is Wednesday. Drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

How late can you buy a Powerball ticket?

In New Jersey, in-store and online ticket sales are available until 9:59 p.m. on the night of the draw.

What does it cost to play Powerball?

Powerball costs $2 to play. For an additional $1 per play, the Power Play feature can multiply nonjackpot prizes by two, three, four, five or 10 times.

Are you a Powerball winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All New Jersey Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.99. For prizes over $599.99, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at New Jersey Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket and a copy of a government-issued ID to New Jersey Lottery, Attn: Validations, PO Box 041, Trenton, NJ 08625-0041.

Winners can drop off their claim form and winning ticket in person at the New Jersey Lottery office where a secure drop box is available. Claim forms are also available at the office. Hours are Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Lawrence Park Complex, 1333 Brunswick Avenue Circle, Trenton, NJ 08648.

To find a lottery retalier, you can search the NJ lotto website.

What is the Powerball payout?

The complete guide to winnings is:

Match 5 White Balls + Powerball: Jackpot
Match 5 White Balls: $1 million
Match 4 White Balls + Powerball: $50,000
Match 4 White Balls: $100
Match 3 White Balls + Powerball: $100
Match 3 White Balls: $7
Match 2 White Balls + Powerball: $7
Match 1 White Ball + Powerball: $4
Match Powerball: $4
Match 5 White Balls with Power Play: $2 million
Match 4 White Balls + Powerball with Power Play: $200,000
Match 4 White Balls with Power Play: $400
Match 3 White Balls + Powerball with Power Play: $400
Match 3 White Balls with Power Play: $28
Match 2 White Balls + Powerball with Power Play: $28
Match 1 White Ball + Powerball with Power Play: $16
Match Powerball with Power Play: $16

What are the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot?

The overall odds of winning the Powerball are 1 in 292.2 million.

How do I find the Powerball winning numbers?

Powerball drawings are broadcast live every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee. Drawings are also lived streamed on Powerball.com. The winning numbers are posted to the Powerball and New Jersey Lottery websites.

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