Drones are still being spotted over New Jersey and parts of the East Coast, and there are still many more questions than answers.
Over the past several weeks, residents and local officials have reported drones flying over New Jersey, drawing intense speculation and scrutiny in the past week. Some federal lawmakers have called on the drones to be shot down or captured.
Federal officials in the past week have stressed that there is no evidence the drones pose a security or public safety threat to the United States while also asserting the drones are not being operated by a foreign adversary such as Iran or China.
But that’s about all the federal government has said publicly about the sightings, with little provided in the way of explanation.
And these sightings aren’t limited to New Jersey anymore—drones have also been spotted over nearby New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia.
In the Empire State, they’ve had an impact on air travel, with the federal government deploying some kind of “state-of-the-art drone detection system” to New York, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul.
But while Hochul said she’s “grateful” for the support, “we need more.”
“Congress must pass a law that will give us the power to deal directly with the drones,” Hochul said.
In Maryland, former Gov. Larry Hogan announced that he had personally seen the drones over his home in Davidsonville, Maryland, roughly 25 miles from Washington.
“Like many who have observed these drones, I do not know if this increasing activity over our skies is a threat to public safety or national security,” Hogan wrote in an X post.
“The government has the ability to track these from their point of origin but has mounted a negligent response. People are rightfully clamoring for answers but aren’t getting any.”
Federal officials have noted that some of the sightings are manned aircraft. Others are drones, officials say. They have not disclosed the source of the drones but have said the drones aren’t believed to pose a threat.
“I want to assure the American public that we are on it. We are working in close coordination with state and local authorities,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said.
As to the question of whether they can be shot down, federal officials poured cold water on the idea.
Mayorkas said during a Dec. 15 appearance on ABC’s “This Week” that the federal government is “limited in our authorities” in taking down a drone, noting that there are more than 8,000 drones being flown each day across the country.
“We have certain agencies within the Department of Homeland Security that can do that and outside our department,” he added, “but we need those authorities expanded as well.”
The Homeland Security secretary then stressed that U.S. officials have not seen evidence that the drones are being operated by a foreign adversary, echoing statements made by the White House and FBI. He also suggested that the drones have not been flown over any sensitive or restricted areas.
Otherwise, there are still more questions than answers about the strange, spreading sightings.
—Joseph Lord, Jack Phillips, Jacob Burg
HEALTH CHIEF NOMINEES: WHAT TO KNOW
Trust in the public health agencies has decreased since the pandemic.
Across the board, agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Center for Disease Control (CDC), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have seen dips in support.
In forming an alliance with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump has signaled a willingness to shake up the prevailing health establishment in Washington, selecting outsiders to lead the agencies they’ve clashed with in the past.
Here’s what to know about Trump’s picks for the three crucial health posts.
NIH
Trump has selected Jay Bhattacharya to lead the NIH.
An author of the Great Barrington Declaration, which expressed opposition to prevailing policies at the height of the pandemic, Bhattacharya was once dubbed “fringe” by leaders at the organization he’s now primed to lead.
He’d oversee dozens of subordinate organizations and would be responsible for dispensing around $50 billion for research.
Bhattacharya would be in part responsible for carrying out Kennedy’s sweeping vision, including investigations into America’s chronic health crisis, including vaccines and widespread processed food additives.
FDA
Dr. Marty Makary, a professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, is set to lead the FDA if confirmed.
He’s long been critical of the health establishment’s reliance on consensus and groupthink over scientific scrutiny.
He said that doctors are reluctant to adapt to new evidence, which can result in treatments that are ineffective or even harmful.
Makary has similarly criticized many COVID-19 public health strategies for the same reasons.
Makary welcomed vaccinations but has criticized the policymakers’ sole focus on driving up vaccination without considering herd immunity and also that children had significantly lower risks of dying from COVID-19 provided they did not have chronic health diseases.
On problems with food and chemicals, at a congressional roundtable discussion hosted by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc), Makary echoed beliefs Kennedy said during his campaign.
“We have poisoned our food supply, engineered highly addictive chemicals that we put into our food. We spray it with pesticides that kill pests,” Makary said
CDC
Dr. Dave Weldon, nominated to lead the CDC, aims to prioritize transparency and restore the agency’s focus on disease prevention.
A former Congressman, Weldon, has criticized vaccine safety practices and advocated for removing conflicts of interest within health agencies. He introduced legislation to ban mercury in vaccines and shift vaccine safety oversight to independent agencies, citing the CDC’s dual role in vaccine promotion and regulation as a conflict.
Weldon has also pushed for open access to vaccine safety data and greater reporting of adverse events.
Supporters believe his leadership could rebuild public trust in the CDC by fostering accountability and reforming its culture of groupthink.
Read more here.
—Marina Zhang, Joseph Lord
BOOKMARKS
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt said that autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) is coming—and that it could pose an existential threat to humanity. The Epoch Times’ Joseph Lord reported on the fears expressed by Schmidt, which center around AI capable of acting and learning independently.
President-elect Donald Trump has promised to ban from public schools critical race theory, stop boys who identify as transgender girls from playing in girls’ sports, and restore parental rights. But, The Epoch Times’ Brad Jones reported, expectations vary on what the new administration can and can’t deliver in the realm of curricula and parental rights as legal battles continue.
While court-appointed guardians are meant to care for people deemed by a court as incapacitated, The Epoch Times’ Michael Clements reported that these figures have exploited families in turmoil, isolated the incapacitated, and drained their assets, leaving little or nothing for their heirs.
Trump has appointed trusted former Trump administration official Richard Grenell to be the presidential envoy for special missions for his incoming administration, The Epoch Times’ Melanie Sun reported. Trump’s also appointing former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and Truth Social CEO Devin Nunes as chairman of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, which will include leaders from the private sector.
ABC News and its anchor George Stephanopoulos have reached a settlement with Trump in a defamation lawsuit, The Epoch Times’ Tom Ozimek reported. Stephanopoulos and ABC have agreed to pay a $15 million charitable contribution, pay $1 million to cover Trump’s attorney fees, and issue an apology for remarks Stephanopoulos made regarding allegations against Trump by writer E. Jean Carroll.
