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Travis Hunter named AP player of the yearArticle content An Iranian mothership? Alien activity? Overly-dedicated hobbyists? Recommended Videos These are just a few of the theories being floated about the witness sightings of large, mysterious drones flying over New Jersey in recent weeks, spooking residents and prompting state lawmakers to demand answers from Washington about where the drones are coming from and if they pose any harm. The Newark office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, state police and New Jersey office of Homeland Security and Preparedness have said witnesses over the past several weeks have described seeing “a cluster of what look to be drones and a possible fixed wing aircraft.” Local authorities are calling on the public to report any information they might have. The drones have been spotted hovering above critical infrastructure such as water reservoirs, electric transmission lines, rail stations, police departments and military installations, Florham Park Chief of Police, Joseph Orlando, said in a Facebook post. Sightings have been occurring nightly, beginning just after sunset and lasting into the early hours of the morning, he added. “At this time we have no evidence that these activities are coming from a foreign entity or the work of a foreign adversary,” deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said during a Wednesday briefing. “These are not U.S. military drones.” On Thursday, the White House downplayed concerns, saying they appear to be legally operated aircrafts, and the FBI and U.S. Department of Homeland Security said they have not corroborated any of the reported visual sightings with electronic detection methods. Over the next few days, New Jersey will be receiving technology with drone specific radar from the federal government, according to state lawmakers. The sightings have sparked concern and conspiracies from both sides of the political aisle, similar to last year’s spy balloon incident from China that confounded civilians and legislators across the U.S. Outcry from Republicans and Democrats alike became so rampant at the time that officials had no choice but to postpone the first high-level visit to China in several years. U.S. Representative Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey suggested Iranian involvement in a Wednesday hearing and urged the federal government to bolster its security and aviation technology to avoid potential harm from the drones. The Pentagon has denied his assertion about Iran. State and local authorities have confirmed the sightings, prompting the FBI to open an investigation and the Federal Aviation Administration to impose flight restrictions over certain locations, including Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, according to U.S. Senator Cory Booker. He called on the FBI, Homeland Security and the FAA to brief local officials as soon as possible about what they know about the unexplained drone activity. National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby told reporters Thursday that there’s no evidence that the reported drone sightings pose a security risk or of any drones entering restricted airspace. “We have not been able to — and neither have state or local law enforcement agencies — corroborate any of the reported visual sightings,” Kirby said at a White House briefing. “It appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully.” Kirby said the ordeal highlights a gap in jurisdiction and urged Congress to pass legislation to expand “counter-drone authorities” to make it easier to spot and respond to issues. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat, has tried to soothe concerns by saying that authorities at all levels of government have not seen any threat to public safety or any evidence that there are lifeforms on the drones. Shoot Down “Let’s not fear monger. There are a lot of conspiracy theories,” Murphy said in a call-in radio interview earlier this week. But he’d like to see the federal government take a more “robust role” and he wouldn’t be opposed to the feds taking action including shooting one of the drones down, he added. Some residents are taking matters into their own hands to uncover the truth. A Facebook group called “New Jersey Mystery Drones” focused on solving the mystery behind the drones has amassed nearly 32,000 members, with people from across the state recounting their experience with the drones or expressing their fear about what their presence could possibly mean. The New Jersey Senate Republican Caucus sent a letter to Murphy Thursday morning demanding more immediate federal action. “You must insist that the Biden Administration immediately provide the necessary tools and resources to protect our state — including the authority to neutralize any drone that poses a threat,” wrote Republicans led by Senator Anthony Bucco in the letter. — With assistance from Akayla Gardner and Josh Wingrove.
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In an apparent effort to reduce the headaches caused by airport line cutting, American has rolled out boarding technology that alerts gate agents with an audible sound if a passenger tries to scan a ticket ahead of their assigned group. This new software won't accept a boarding pass before the group it's assigned to is called, so customers who get to the gate prematurely will be asked to go back and wait their turn. As of Wednesday, the airline announced, the technology is now being used in more than 100 U.S. airports that American flies out of. The official expansion arrives after successful tests in three of these locations — Albuquerque International Sunport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Tucson International Airport. The initial response from customers and American employees "has exceeded our expectations," Julie Rath, American’s senior vice president of airport operations, reservations and service recovery, said in a statement. She added that the airline is “thrilled" to have the technology up and running ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday . American got lots of attention when it unveiled its gate-control testing last month. Analysts say that isn't surprising. It's no secret that line cutting in airports hits a nerve. Whether intentional or not, just about every air traveler has witnessed it, noted Henry Harteveldt, an airline industry analyst with Atmosphere Research Group. It can add to frustrations in what can already be a tense environment, with particular anxiety around passengers wanting to sit together or rushing for some overhead bin space. Harteveldt doesn't see American's recent move as “shaming” customers who cut the line. “What it is intended to do is bring order out of chaos,” he said. "And I hope it will defuse any potential flare ups of anger (from) people who simply think they're entitled to board out of turn .... It’s just not fair." Harteveldt added that he thinks this change will enhance the experiences of both customers and gate agents. Others say more time will tell. Seth Miller, editor and founder of air travel experience analysis site PaxEx.aero , said he can see the benefits of more orderly and universal gate-control enforcement, particularly for airlines. But he said he isn't “100% convinced this is perfect for passengers" just yet. Families, for example, might be booked on several different reservations across more than one group, he said. Airlines typically have workarounds for that, and American noted Wednesday that customers traveling with a companion in an earlier group can simply have a gate agent “override the alert” to continue boarding. Still, Miller said, “you have to go through the extra hoops.” And a difficult customer still might choose to hold up the line and argue when they're not allowed to board, he added. Another question is whether customers who encounter a beep will walk away feeling embarrassed. But Harteveldt said he was happy to learn that American's alert is “not a bellowing sound that can be heard throughout the terminal,” or accompanied by your name read over a loudspeaker, noting that this is important to avoid feelings of shame. Expanding this technology just a week before peak Thanksgiving travel could be “both good and bad,” Harteveldt adds. On one hand, the tech could help significantly improve the boarding process during such a busy time, he said, but airport employees might also have appreciated more time to prepare. Both Miller and Harteveldt said they wouldn't be surprised if other carriers soon follow American's lead. Headaches over airport line cutting are far from new. While maybe not to the extent of American's new tech, Miller noted he's seen gate agents from other airlines ask people to leave a line and wait for their group. Harteveldt added that he's been to some airports in Asia and Europe with “sliding doors” that ensure passengers are in the right group before boarding a plane. The more than 100 airports that American is now using its gate-control technology in are all spoke, or non-hub, locations — including Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The airline says it expects to further expand to its hubs and other airports in the coming months.Wes Streeting admits fateful Labour choice ‘kept Assad in power’ in Question Time debate
WASHINGTON (AP) — For years, Pat Verhaeghe didn’t think highly of Donald Trump as a leader. Then Verhaeghe began seeing more of Trump’s campaign speeches online and his appearances at sporting events. There was even the former president’s pairing with Bryson DeChambeau as part of the pro golfer’s YouTube channel series to shoot an under-50 round of golf while engaging in chitchat with his partner. “I regret saying this, but a while ago I thought he was an idiot and that he wouldn’t be a good president,” said the 18-year-old first-time voter. “I think he’s a great guy now.” Verhaeghe isn't alone among his friends in suburban Detroit or young men across America. Although much of the electorate shifted right to varying degrees in 2024, young men were one of the groups that swung sharply toward Trump. More than half of men under 30 supported Trump, according to AP VoteCast , a survey of more than 120,000 voters, while Democrat Joe Biden had won a similar share of this group four years earlier. White men under 30 were solidly in Trump’s camp this year — about 6 in 10 voted for Trump — while young Latino men were split between the two candidates. Most Black men under 30 supported Democrat Kamala Harris, but about one-third were behind Trump. Young Latino men’s views of the Democratic Party were much more negative than in 2020, while young Black men’s views of the party didn’t really move. About 6 in 10 Latino men under 30 had a somewhat or very favorable view of the Democrats in 2020, which fell to about 4 in 10 this year. On the other hand, about two-thirds of young Black men had a favorable view of the Democrats this year, which was almost identical to how they saw the party four years ago. “Young Hispanic men, and really young men in general, they want to feel valued," said Rafael Struve, deputy communications director for Bienvenido, a conservative group that focused on reaching young Hispanic voters for Republicans this year. “They're looking for someone who fights for them, who sees their potential and not just their struggles.” Struve cited the attempted assassination of Trump during a July rally in Pennsylvania as one of the catalyzing moments for Trump’s image among many young men. Trump, Struve said, was also able to reach young men more effectively by focusing on nontraditional platforms like podcasts and digital media outlets. “Getting to hear from Trump directly, I think, really made all the difference," Struve said of the former president's appearances on digital media platforms and media catering to Latino communities, like town halls and business roundtables Trump attended in Las Vegas and Miami. Not only did Trump spend three hours on Joe Rogan's chart-topping podcast, but he took up DeChambeau's “Break 50” challenge for the golfer's more than 1.6 million YouTube subscribers. Trump already had an edge among young white men four years ago, although he widened the gap this year. About half of white men under 30 supported Trump in 2020, and slightly less than half supported Biden. Trump's gains among young Latino and Black men were bigger. His support among both groups increased by about 20 percentage points, according to AP VoteCast — and their feelings toward Trump got warmer, too. It wasn’t just Trump. The share of young men who identified as Republicans in 2024 rose as well, mostly aligning with support for Trump across all three groups. “What is most alarming to me is that the election is clear that America has shifted right by a lot,” said William He, founder of Dream For America, a liberal group that works to turn out young voters and supported Harris’ presidential bid. With his bombastic demeanor and a policy agenda centered on a more macho understanding of culture , Trump framed much of his campaign as a pitch to men who felt scorned by the country’s economy, culture and political system. Young women also slightly swung toward the former president, though not to the degree of their male counterparts. It's unclear how many men simply did not vote this year. But there's no doubt the last four years brought changes in youth culture and how political campaigns set out to reach younger voters. Democrat Kamala Harris' campaign rolled out policy agendas tailored to Black and Latino men, and the campaign enlisted a range of leaders in Black and Hispanic communities to make the case for the vice president. Her campaign began with a flurry of enthusiasm from many young voters, epitomized in memes and the campaign's embrace of pop culture trends like the pop star Charli XCX's “brat” aesthetic . Democrats hoped to channel that energy into their youth voter mobilization efforts. “I think most young voters just didn’t hear the message,” said Santiago Mayer, executive director of Voters of Tomorrow, a liberal group that engages younger voters. Mayer said the Harris campaign’s pitch to the country was “largely convoluted” and centered on economic messaging that he said wasn’t easily conveyed to younger voters who were not already coming to political media. “And I think that the policies themselves were also very narrow and targeted when what we really needed was a simple, bold economic vision,” said Mayer. Trump also embraced pop culture by appearing at UFC fights, football games and appearing alongside comedians, music stars and social media influencers. His strategists believed that the former president’s ability to grab attention and make his remarks go viral did more for the campaign than paid advertisements or traditional media appearances. Trump's campaign also heavily cultivated networks of online conservative platforms and personalities supportive of him while also engaging a broader universe of podcasts, streaming sites, digital media channels and meme pages open to hearing him. “The right has been wildly successful in infiltrating youth political culture online and on campus in the last couple of years, thus radicalizing young people towards extremism,” said He, who cited conservative activist groups like Turning Point USA as having an outsize impact in online discourse. “And Democrats have been running campaigns in a very old fashioned way. The battleground these days is cultural and increasingly on the internet.” Republicans may lose their broad support if they don't deliver on improving Americans' lives, Struve cautioned. Young men, especially, may drift from the party in a post-Trump era if the party loses the president-elect's authenticity and bravado. Bienvenido, for one group, will double down in the coming years to solidify and accelerate the voting pattern shifts seen this year, Struve said. “We don’t want this to be a one and done thing,” he said. Associated Press writer Joey Cappelletti in Lansing, Michigan, and AP polling editor Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux contributed to this report.
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Search for Sentimental Wedding Ring Lost by "A Christmas Story" Museum Employee in ClevelandSocial Don't miss out on the headlines from Social. Followed categories will be added to My News. Within 24 hours of landing in Australia juggernaut streaming sensation IShowSpeed had to be rescued after a failed flip into Sydney Harbor, had his hat stolen by an overeager fan and then pulled off a theft of his own. So all in all just another day at the office for the 19-year-old American who has built a following of more than 33 million on YouTube with his wild stunts and access to some of the most famous people in the world. Known as Speed for short, the Ohio native born Darren Jason Watkins Jr has raced Paris Olympics 100m champion Noah Lyle in a 50m sprint, jumped over the top of a speeding Lamborghini, appeared on WWE and met the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama - all in the past few months. He began his tour of Australia and New Zealand in Sydney on Thursday and was immediately swarmed by young fans of his headline-grabbing approach to life. A young woman turns her back on Speed. Wearing a custom Socceroos jersey with his name on the back, Speed ventured to the Sydney Opera House, Taronga Zoo and then down to Bondi and drew a large crowd, with some parents travelling for hours on public transport with their kids to get a brush with fame. But not everyone was eager to meet him. Speed tried what the kids these days call his “rizz” on a young woman at the beach but was brutally denied as she turned her back and showed no interest in having a chat. And that wasn’t his only mishap. Speed blows up at a young fan who stole his hat. Picture: X One overeager fan snatched a hat Speed was gifted and attempted to escape with it, but the streamer noticed immediately and chased him down and berated him. “What the f*** wrong with you bro, this a gift! Don’t steal my hat,” he said. Speed grabs a young fan and steals his Portugal jersey. Picture: X Speed live streams a backflip into Sydney Harbor. Picture: X Speed, a huge Ronaldo fan, had a very different approach after noticing a young fan wearing a Portugal jersey. The Aussie kid offered to swap, but after he removed the top, Speed snatched it and took off. “Give me your f***ing shirt,” he said as he walked off. “Give me your f***ing shirt, bro.” He was able to escape the crowds and find a secluded spot on Sydney Harbor for his next stunt - a backflip into the water near Watson’s Bay. But his attempt went awry as he over-rotated and landed flat on his back, emerging from the water calling for help. “Help! Help! Ah, that s*** hurt,” he said, as another swimmer moved towards him to help him out of the water. He later revealed he’d lost an earring in the dive and offered a $1000 reward for anyone who could find it for him. Streamers and video content creators like Speed, Logan Paul, KSI and MrBeast have amassed huge following in recent years. More Coverage ‘Absolute zoo’: Country set to be ‘overrun’ Jason Murphy Porn star’s ‘disturbing’ sex act horrifies Rebekah Scanlan Originally published as Global YouTube star IShowSpeed brutally denied by Bondi baddie Join the conversation Add your comment to this story To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout More related stories Social ‘Control’: Musk’s chilling warning to Aussies The billionaire owner of X Elon Musk has called out the Albanese government’s new social media to stop young teenagers accessing social media. Read more Social List of apps to be banned for teens A full list of apps that teens will be banned from under new laws has been released. Read more
Tapestry Inc. stock rises Tuesday, still underperforms marketLAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. (AP) — Cavan Reilly's 18 points helped Delaware defeat Rider 72-66 on Saturday. Reilly went 6 of 12 from the field (4 for 10 from 3-point range) for the Fightin' Blue Hens (4-3). Izaiah Pasha added 15 points while finishing 7 of 10 from the floor and also had six rebounds. Erik Timko shot 5 for 9, including 3 for 7 from beyond the arc to finish with 15 points. Jay Alvarez led the Broncs (4-4) in scoring, finishing with 17 points and six rebounds. TJ Weeks Jr. added 15 points, eight rebounds and two steals for Rider. Tariq Ingraham also put up 12 points and 11 rebounds. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .More than two dozen FBI informants were in Washington DC ahead of the riot at the US Capitol on 6 January 2021, but no full-time undercover agents were present or took part in the riot itself, according to a new justice department report. The report said none of the agency's informants were authorised to enter the Capitol or join the riot, but four did enter the building. The report also found that the FBI failed in the "basic step" of adequately using its field offices across the US to gather intelligence that could have predicted the riot. Some on the right, including House Republicans, have for years promoted a fringe conspiracy theory that the FBI helped to orchestrate the riot. On the day of the riot, thousands of people attempted to storm the Capitol as the 2020 presidential election was being certified. Hundreds have since been arrested and criminally charged for their participation. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to pardon "most" of the convicted 6 January rioters as soon as he returns to the White House in January. The report, from the justice department's Office of the Inspector General, found that 26 "confidential human sources" - or paid informants - were in Washington on the day of the riot. Three of them had been tasked with gathering information for domestic terrorism cases who might have been going to the rallies on 6 January, one of whom entered the Capitol building. The remaining 23 had not been directed to be in the area and did so on their own initiative. At the time, some were in contact or travelling with members of far-right groups including the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. Of the 26 in total, four confidential sources entered the Capitol during the riot. Another 13 entered the restricted area around the Capitol - a security perimeter established in preparation for election certification on 6 January. None of the confidential sources who entered the Capitol or its environs were among those criminally charged with trespassing. Confidential sources are different from full-time, trained undercover agents. The justice department defines these sources as those "believed to be providing useful and credible information to the FBI" who warrant confidential handling. In the wake of the riot, the FBI came under scrutiny from lawmakers who questioned the use of informants and whether more could have been done to gather intelligence and prevent the riot from taking place. While the report compiled by justice department inspector Michael Horowitz determined that the FBI had identified a potential for violence that day and took "appropriate" steps, it missed a "basic step" by not canvassing its field officers for potential intelligence. This step, in turn, "could have helped the FBI and its law enforcement partners with their preparations" ahead of the riot. Approximately 1,572 people have been charged criminally in federal court for their participation in the riot. The figure includes nearly 600 charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement agents, and 171 charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon. Trump - who has referred to the rioters as "patriots" and "political prisoners" - said in a recent interview that he is "going to be acting very quickly" to pardon "most" of the people involved in the riot. Despite the president-elect's promise, the justice department has continued to arrest and charge alleged participants in the riot in recent weeks.