NJ drone mystery: officials none the wiser after weeks of appearances

NJ drone mystery: officials none the wiser after weeks of appearances.

President Biden issues 1500 commutations and 39 pardons.

In recent weeks, residents in northern and central New Jersey have reported hundreds of sightings of large drones between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. Some witnesses have recorded videos of the large, colorful drones crisscrossing the night sky over homes, sites of civilian infrastructure, as well as military installations and even president-elect Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf course. Officials say there have been between 4 and 180 sightings daily.

Many of these drones appear to be much larger than commercially available hobby drones, some appear to be about 6 ft in width, while others have been reported to be the size of small planes. At times, they fly with no lights making them more difficult to see, with only the whine of their engines giving away their presence. While most of the sightings have been in New Jersey, some have also been reported in Pennsylvania, in the Philadelphia area, well others have been reported as far north as Connecticut.

Local officials, including mayors in the affected towns, have demanded answers and have received few from the federal government or any security agency. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has been briefed by some federal security agencies, but had few details to report. Both Murphy and the Pentagon have said that they do not believe the drones pose any threat to the public. However, in at least one instance, they prevented a medevac helicopter from landing to rescue a victim of a car accident.

Federal officials have rejected claims by some lawmakers that the drones are of Iranian origin. However a foreign origin has not been ruled out. The FBI is investigating.

Some residents and officials have called for the drones to be shot down, both to discourage the violation of sensitive airspace and, perhaps, get some answers as to who is responsible. It doesn’t appear anyone with the authority to shoot them down is seriously considering this option.

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President Biden issues 1500 commutations and 39 pardons

President Biden has announced a record day for presidential pardons and commutations with over 1,500 commutations and 39 pardons for individuals convicted of non-violent offenses. The individuals receiving pardons have not yet been named on the Department of Justice website.

Since pardoning his son Hunter in a controversial move last week, fellow Democrats have been clamoring for Biden to issue clemency and pardons non-violent drug offenders with federal convictions, as the Biden administration has repeatedly promised. Biden has also previously promised to commute all federal death sentences to life sentences, which he has yet to do.

Several Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), have called on Biden to issue an unconditional pardon to environmental attorney Steven Donzinger, known for a long-running legal battle with Chevron. Donzinger sued Chevron on behalf of Ecuadorian plaintiffs for environmental violations. After Donziger won his case, with a $9.5 billion judgment against Chevron, Chevron filed a racketeering suit against him. This led to a contempt of court charge when Donzinger refused to hand over electronic devices to a forensic expert employed by Chevron. This resulted in a 6-month prison sentence and a lengthy house arrest for Donzinger. UN rights bodies and various legal experts have accused Chevron of judicially harassing Donzinger.

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NJ drone mystery: officials none the wiser after weeks of appearances – National & International News – THU 12Dec2024