White House finally admits drone sightings — NJ Top News

Here are the top New Jersey news stories for Monday:

⬛ NJ bill could kill school districts' smartphone policies

Every school district in the Garden State would have the same smartphone and social media rules for students, under a proposed law advancing in the New Jersey Legislature.

Advocates for the measure say it doesn't make sense for the rules to be different from district to district or school to school — since no one's arguing that students should not be able to scroll social media or send text messages while instruction is taking place.

⬛ Look out, NJ: These dangerous driving behaviors are too common

Driving carefully doesn't guarantee you'll get somewhere in one piece. Because chances are, a lot of the folks driving around you don't feel like following rules or keeping their eyes solely on the road.

In an annual report from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, drivers appear well aware of which behaviors shouldn't be exhibited behind the wheel, but many admit say they engage in these behaviors themselves.

"We just see this 'Do as I say, not as I do' attitude," Shani Jarvis, outreach manager for AAA Northeast, told New Jersey 101.5.

⬛ Drone sightings reported above NJ nuclear power plants

LOWER ALLOWAYS CREEK — Two large drones have been spotted over two nuclear power plants in South Jersey responsible for generating half of New Jersey's electricity.

The drones were seen over the Salem and Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Stations on Thursday evening. Both plants are located on a single 740-acre site in Lower Alloways Creek.

PSEG Nuclear, which operates the plant, is working with "authorities" after the sighting, spokesperson Marijke Shugrue confirmed.

⬛ 'Gone too far' — Mystery NJ drone sightings spread

Mystery drone sightings are spreading beyond New Jersey as speculation rages about where they come from and what they're doing.

Large drones have been spotted hovering above Virginia, Massachusetts, and New York, the Associated Press reports.

Drone activity forced a shutdown at New York Stewart International Airport on Friday, located around 25 miles north of New Jersey. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the shutdown lasted for an hour.

"This has gone too far," Hochul said.

⬛ White House finally admits drone sightings

With more suspected drone sightings in New Jersey and along the East coast, the White House is finally admitting they are real.

Less than a week after President Joe Biden's administration said people were seeing things, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas confirmed on Sunday some of the sightings are real.

Mayorkas told ABC News they are sending more resources to New Jersey and New York to track the drones and determine their origin.

However, the administration continued to downplay any threat.

We know of no foreign involvement with respect to the sightings in the Northeast and we are vigilant in investigating this matter," Mayorkas said.

Start your day with up-to-the-minute news, traffic and weather for the Garden State.

New Jersey's First News with Eric Scott is the longest running news program in New Jersey. Eric Scott began hosting the program in 1991.

It airs live on New Jersey 101.5 each weekday morning from 5:30 - 6 a.m.

New Jersey's First News with Eric Scott is the winner of the prestigious National Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Newscast.

Eric Scott is the senior political director and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at eric.scott@townsquaremedia.com

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