What are they hiding? Murphy's baffling UFO drone update

Here are the top New Jersey news stories for Tuesday:

⬛ Is it illegal to fix your car with duct tape in NJ?

Canva/Townsquare Media illustration

Is there anything a roll of duct tape can’t fix?

Duct tape is legendary for its strength and durability. It has been used to mend everything from eyeglasses to steel. It has even been used to make a waterproof boat.

However, if you’re using it to hold parts of your car or truck together, you risk being pulled over and getting a hefty fine.

⬛ Head of NJ Transit resigns after frustrating year for commuters

Kevin Corbett (NJ Transit/Annette Petriccione)

The president and CEO of NJ Transit has resigned after nearly seven years of leading the state's mass transit system.

Kevin Corbett sent a letter to Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday. He will leave the position effective Jan. 15, 2025.

"I love the guy," Murphy said when asked about his resignation at an unrelated event in Princeton on Monday. "He's done a hell of a job under extremely tough circumstances."

⬛ ‘Freedom to read’ now law — what it means for parents

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy at the Princeton Public Library on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, signs legislation aimed at barring public libraries and schools from banning books. AP photo/Mike Catalini Get Outlook for iOS

It's you, not other kids' parents, who should choose which books your children can be reading.

So says a new law in the Garden State.

The Freedom to Read Act, signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday, goes after so-called book ban attempts at libraries across New Jersey.

⬛ CDC sees drug 100 times more powerful than fentanyl in NJ

AP Photo/Ron Harris, File

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sounding the alarm on carfentanil's presence and boom in the nation's illegal drug market, including in New Jersey.

Carfentanil isn't necessary new, but the agency put out an alert this month sharing it has "reemerged in the U.S. drug supply." Though somewhat comparable to fentanyl, they describe it as being 100 times more powerful.

⬛ 'We need more' — Murphy wants answers on drones too

AP/Monmouth County Sheriff/Townsquare Media illustration

Gov. Phil Murphy is talking drones again.

On Monday, the governor reiterated that drones flying over New Jersey in recent weeks do not pose a threat to public safety and expressed his own frustration at the lack of a clear answer about their origin from the federal government.

Talking to reporters after a bill signing at the Princeton Public Library, the governor said there were 49 reported sightings Sunday night, including 20 over Hunterdon County. One turned out to be a small Piper Cub plane, he said. He described the drones as being "sophisticated" that go dark quickly after being spotted.

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