At least two drones were spotted above another military base in New Jersey during the recent surge in unexplained sightings across the state, Navy officials said.

Naval Weapons Station Earle, a military base in Colts Neck in Monmouth County, has had two reports of drones in its airspace, facility spokesman William Addison said Thursday.

“While no direct threats to the installation have been identified, we can confirm at least two instances of an unidentified drone entering the airspace above Naval Weapons Station Earle,” he said. “The base remains prepared to respond to any potential risks, leveraging robust security measures and advanced detection capabilities.”

He encouraged members of the community to report any suspicious activity near the base to local law enforcement officials.

Naval Weapons Station Earle is at least the second New Jersey military base to report drone sightings after Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County said it had at least 11 confirmed drone sightings in recent weeks.

A spokesperson for the federal Department of Defense’s U.S. Northern Command confirmed drones were spotted above the New Jersey military facilities.

“We are aware and monitoring the reports of unauthorized drone flights in the vicinity of military installations in New Jersey to include Picatinny Arsenal and Naval Weapons Station Earle, and we refer you to those installations for information on any efforts they are may be conducting to ensure the safety and security of their personnel and operations,” the spokesperson said.

“Local law enforcement and the FBI are currently investigating,” the spokesperson said. “U.S. Northern Command conducted a deliberate analysis of the events, in consultation with other military organizations and interagency partners, and at this time we have not been requested to assist with these events.”

Drones have been reported hovering across New York and New Jersey’s night skies over the past few weeks.

The sightings, which began last…

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When a rare tornado swept through the north side of Minneapolis, Michelle Neal scrambled for cover at a fast-food restaurant. “It was unreal—we could have died,” she told Minnesota Public Radio. “McDonald’s saved me.”

It’s the kind of scenario that Julia Nerbonne, executive director of Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light, wants to make sure communities are better prepared for as climate change increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather. The faith-based nonprofit hopes to transform churches and other congregations into emergency shelters with solar power and battery storage to withstand power outages—especially in historically disadvantaged communities, like north Minneapolis, which have long been overburdened by pollution and underinvestment.

“We want to have a building,” she said, “in which they can have a cooling place, in which they can refrigerate their medication—a place where they can be with the community in the midst of a crisis.”

Around the country, nonprofits and other community organizations like Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light were hoping these sorts of projects would receive funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which has $3 billion to spend on environmental justice community grants through Sept. 30, 2026. But the Biden administration has only been able to award about half the money so far, and experts say the unspent 50 percent can most likely be clawed back by President-elect Donald Trump—a blow to communities of color and poor rural communities that had long waited for help like this.

Among the threatened initiatives is the EPA’s Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program, which dedicated $600 million in block grants for projects aimed at tackling…

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden touched down at John F. Kennedy International Airport Monday ahead of a “Friendsgiving” event with service members on Staten Island.

The first couple made a rare trip to New York City Monday, touching down in Queens aboard Air Force One at 5:05 p.m. before traveling to Staten Island for a Friendsgiving dinner with around 350 service members and their families at Coast Guard Sector New York in Fort Wadsworth.

Biden served Thanksgiving meals during the event, which kicked off at 6:15 p.m., donning a blue apron with the presidential seal and disposable gloves.

The president also delivered remarks during the event, paying tribute to members of the Coast Guard who rushed to the aid of local communities during Hurricanes Helene and Milton along the south-east coast, according to multiple outlets.

“Simply put, we owe you,” Biden told the service members gathered at the event. “We owe your families. With all due respect to those in uniform, we don’t thank your families enough.”

The visit was part of Jill Biden’s Joining Forces initiative to support military families.

The first lady addressed the service members and their families, stating that it has been the honor of her life to serve as first lady and meet with military families.

“You’ve trusted me with your stories and your challenges,” Jill Biden told service members at Monday’s event.

The president and first lady traveled to and from Staten Island via Marine One, touching down at Miller Field before reaching Fort Wadsworth via motorcade. They returned to JFK to depart New York at 8:15 p.m.

Staten Island’s Father Capodanno Boulevard remained closed from around 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. Monday as part of the visit, while Park N Rides along the boulevard remained closed from late Sunday until early Tuesday due to the visit.

Biden became the first sitting president in…

American taxpayers with dependents who have already been claimed on another taxpayer’s return should sign up for an identity protection program ahead of tax season to avoid refund delays with e-filing, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced this week.

Starting next year, the IRS will accept certain e-filed forms even if a dependent has already been claimed on a previously-filed return as long as the primary taxpayer on the second return includes Identity Protection Personal Identification Numbers (IP PINs), the agency said.

Forms 1040, 1040-NR and 1040-SS are the forms for which the IRS is asking IP PIN signup for taxpayers with dependents claimed on another taxpayer’s return.

In previous years, the second tax return had to be filed by paper, but the IP PIN update will allow for e-filing. The change will reduce the time for the agency to receive the tax return, and speed up tax refunds for those with duplicate dependent returns.

IP PINs provide a way for taxpayers to help protect themselves against identity theft. Under next year’s changes, the IP PIN will also help protect taxpayers when someone fraudulently claims a taxpayer’s dependent.

According to the IRS, taxpayers who plan to file early in 2025 should sign up for an IP PIN before Saturday. After that date, the IP PIN system will be offline for annual maintenance until early January 2025.

Taxpayers who do not have IP PINs will have their e-filed returns rejected if one of their dependents has already been claimed by another taxpayer, according to the IRS.

To get an IP PIN, taxpayers should go to IRS.gov and follow the steps for identity verification.

For those unable to create an Online Account, alternative methods are available, such as in-person authentication at a Taxpayer Assistance Center. More information is available on how to sign up at Get an identity protection PIN (IP PIN).

As the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge approaches its 60th anniversary on Nov. 21, the monumental feat of engineering remains an integral piece of New York City’s infrastructure.

Once the longest suspension bridge in the world, and now the 13th-longest globally, the bridge handles over 200,000 vehicles every day and plays a crucial role in connecting Brooklyn and Staten Island.

To better understand the iconic structure, Brooklyn Paper spoke with experts from WSP, the firm behind the bridge’s original design and ongoing maintenance and preservation.

“This bridge is not merely a crossing; it’s a major lifeline that holds up 1.4 million tons of concrete and 143,000 miles of cable wire,” said Jonathan Morey, senior bridge engineer at WSP. “It truly represents the ingenuity of its time and the continuous advancements in engineering that keep it operational today.”

The bridge was initially proposed to connect Staten Island with the rest of the boroughs.

According to Stuart Rankin, a professional engineer and senior vice president of the National Bridges and Structures Practice at WSP, Staten Island was effectively cut off from the rest of the city before the bridge’s opening in 1964. 

“You can’t even imagine the inconvenience it caused,” Rankin said. “The only way to traverse to Manhattan was by ferry, which limited both mobility and economic growth for Staten Island.”

The connection was first proposed as a tunnel with a rail connection to the other boroughs. However, shortly after construction began, the then government prohibited rail travel through the tunnel. This cut off any potential funding from the freight rails, effectively cutting the tunnel construction budget.

Now preparing to build a bridge, the engineers realized they were addressing more than just a transportation hurdle, but also…

Last February, Rick Pitino suggested he wanted his son Richard to succeed him one day as the head coach at St. John’s.

“I personally want him to stay at New Mexico. I want him to stay at New Mexico until I leave St. John’s and he can take my place then,” the elder Pitino, 72, told reporters after a game.

With Richard and his New Mexico Lobos (3-0) set to face Rick and No. 22 St. John’s (3-0) on Sunday at Madison Square Garden, the son was asked what he thought about his father’s comments.

“I thought, oh there’s my dad saying another insane thing, hopefully nobody’s listening to him,” Richard, who is 1-2 coaching against his father, said Friday on a Zoom call with reporters. “I think he was probably messing around. I’m not sure where that came from. That’s never, ever been a conversation that we’ve had.”

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Richard doesn’t think his father, a Naismith Hall of Fame coach who led Kentucky and Louisville to NCAA championships, is going anywhere anytime soon and that coaching “keeps him young.”

“Yeah, I have no idea how long he’s going to coach,” Richard said. “What I will say is he’s 72 years old, and I think the way that he lives his life and the way that he coaches, it’s inspiring….You have a lot of complainers out there, and for a 72-year-old man, he’s never complaining.

“I think he knows that coaching keeps him young, keeps him busy, and I think that he wants to do that as long as he’s healthy and he is healthy, so I know he’s really enjoying it, and I don’t see him slowing down anytime soon.”

Asked if being in the Big East and competing against coaches like Dan Hurley, who has won the last two NCAA championships, motivates his dad, Richard said his father is more motivated by trying to get St. John’s back to the upper echelons of college basketball.

“I don’t know if Danny Hurley motivates him, or any other coaches motivate him,”…

The Atlantic Group Tide advanced to the Senior division semifinals last weekend as the Staten Island Boys Football League’s playoffs got underway in two divisions.

The Mannix Family ShopRite Gators, Gotham Auto Ducks and Bella Mama Rosa Steelers all moved on in the Junior division.

Dylan Tronolone hooked up with Anthony Largo and Lorenzo Scotto for touchdown passes in the Tide’s 27-13 triumph over the Leaps and Bounds Rebels. Scott (three PATs) and Vinny Fahim also added rushing scores.

More than $300,000 has been raised to support former U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm’s recovery after he was recently paralyzed in a horseback riding accident, according to an online fundraiser.

Since launching the GoFundMe campaign on Sunday, organizers have received more than 3,000 individual donations to help cover Grimm’s ongoing medical expenses. The funds will contribute to his long-term recovery efforts, which organizers estimate will cost millions of dollars.

“Our friend, former Marine, FBI Agent, and U.S. Congressman Michael Grimm was paralyzed following a devastating accident when thrown from a horse in September 2024,” organizers with the Michael Grimm Supplemental Needs Trust wrote on the fundraiser page. “He has been in the most devastating of situations, and through the grace of God and the amazing medical teams who have helped him, Mr. Grimm has miraculously thread the needle to survive.”

Former New York City Council Member Vincent Ignizio told CBS News that Grimm, an avid equestrian, had been taking part in a polo tournament two months ago when he was thrown from his horse, paralyzing him from the waist down.

Grimm, 54, a former Marine, FBI agent, and lawyer, served as the U.S. representative for Staten Island and parts of southern Brooklyn from 2010 to 2015. He was first elected in 2010 and was re-elected in 2012 and 2014, despite facing legal challenges, including a 20-count indictment for tax fraud during his 2014 campaign.

In April 2013, federal authorities indicted Grimm on charges of tax, insurance, and immigration fraud related to a Manhattan restaurant he co-owned before entering Congress. He pleaded guilty to one count of tax fraud in December…