
The surge of drone sightings in New Jersey and across the U.S. has prompted an array of conspiracy theories and false claims online.A joint statement on Dec. 17 from the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Defense said the sightings include legal commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones, as well as manned planes and helicopters. Two days later , New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said drones would be banned over certain "critical infrastructure" in the state. The FAA announced similar restrictions in New Jersey.While President Joe Biden said there doesn't appear to be anything "nefarious" about the sightings, social media users have continued to spread misinformation about the aircraft's origin and mission. Related : Debunking false, misleading claims about President-elect Trump | Fact check roundup Here's a roundup of checks about drone sightings from the USA TODAY Fact Check Team: Claim: Video shows drone crash in New Jersey Our rating: False The video does not show a drone crash. The footage is from a Dec. 12 plane crash near the border of New York and Connecticut, according to media reports. Full fact check: Video shows plane wreck near Connecticut, not New Jersey drone crash Claim: Drones deployed in New Jersey to search for missing radioactive material Our rating: False No drones were used in the search for the substance, according to a spokesperson for the New Jersey agency in charge of overseeing its recovery. The first drone sightings predate the misplacement of the substance by two weeks. Full fact check: Drones were not used to find radioactive material lost in New Jersey Claim: Pentagon ‘confirmed’ drones spotted in US skies are ‘not of earthly origin’ Our rating: False The Pentagon said nothing of the sort. While a spokesperson ruled out a foreign “adversary" or the U.S. military as operators of the crafts, she suggested other possible explanations for the sightings in the same news conference. Full fact check: Pentagon spokesperson did not 'confirm' drones were from space Claim: Image shows drone that crashed in Alabama in December 2024 Our rating: False The image has circulated online since at least February 2023 and shows a replica spacecraft from the "Star Wars" movies. Full fact check: No, that's not a crashed drone. It's a TIE fighter replica Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here . USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta .Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE:DRI) Shares Sold by Mutual of America Capital Management LLCRJ Johnson, Daylen Berry lift Charleston Southern to surprising 83-79 victory over Miami
Promotions to Further Sharpen Company's Strategic Focus, Drive Momentum NEW YORK, Dec. 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Magnite (NASDAQ: MGNI), the world's largest independent sell-side advertising platform, today announced the promotion of two key leaders, to further sharpen the company's strategic focus, drive innovation, and accelerate its momentum in the market. Sean Buckley has been promoted to President, Revenue and Katie Evans has been promoted to President, Operations. Mr. Buckley and Ms. Evans will continue to report to CEO, Michael Barrett. "Sean and Katie have had an enormously positive impact on Magnite's development,” said Michael Barrett, CEO of Magnite. "The Board and I have great confidence in their leadership, and these promotions will enhance their impact even further. As the company enters its fifth year, we have many exciting opportunities in front of us, including live sports, the continued adoption of programmatic in CTV, and a variety of innovations in DV+. With Sean and Katie in these new roles, Magnite will be able to execute better and faster than ever.” Sean Buckley , has served as the company's Chief Revenue Officer since 2022. Mr. Buckley joined Magnite following its acquisition of SpotX in May 2021, and has served as the company's Chief Revenue Officer since January 2022. He will continue to lead Magnite's global commercial organization, spearheading top-line growth and fostering new client opportunities. Before Magnite, Mr. Buckley spent eight years at SpotX in various capacities, including Chief Operating Officer and Chief Revenue Officer and led the company's strategic investment in SpringServe. He was instrumental in expanding the company's platform business, providing media owners with a solution to holistically manage their programmatic video strategies. Katie Evans , has served as the company's Chief Operating Officer since 2020. Ms. Evans joined Magnite following its acquisition of Telaria in April 2020, and has served as the company's Chief Operating Officer since September 2020. She will continue to oversee the company's client success, sales operations, technical operations, and business intelligence teams. Ms. Evans is responsible for scaling the company's global operations and works closely with the revenue, product, and engineering organizations to drive innovation and success for Magnite's clients. Before Magnite, she was Chief Operating Officer at Telaria, where she was critical in aligning the company's global strategy, roadmap, and processes. Visit Magnite's website to learn more about Sean Buckley, Katie Evans and the company's executive team. About Magnite We're Magnite (NASDAQ: MGNI), the world's largest independent sell-side advertising platform. Publishers use our technology to monetize their content across all screens and formats including CTV, online video, display, and audio. The world's leading agencies and brands trust our platform to access brand-safe, high-quality ad inventory and execute billions of advertising transactions each month. Anchored in bustling New York City, sunny Los Angeles, mile high Denver, historic London, and down under in Sydney, Magnite has offices across North America, EMEA, LATAM, and APAC. Media Contact Charlstie Veith [email protected] 516-300-3569 Investor Relations Contact Nick Kormeluk [email protected]Evans started 15 games last season, but he had been relegated to a special teams role this year after the Vikings added veteran cornerbacks Stephon Gilmore and Shaquill Griffin. Evans was a fourth-round pick out of Missouri, one of three defensive backs among Minnesota's first five selections in 2022. Lewis Cine (first round) was waived and Andrew Booth (second round) was traded earlier this year. One of their second-round picks, guard Ed Ingram, lost his starting spot last week. Evans was let go to clear a roster spot for tight end Nick Muse, who was activated from injured reserve to play on Sunday at Chicago. The Vikings ruled tight end Josh Oliver out of the game with a sprained ankle. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLTennis great Martina Navratilova slams New York Times for referring to women as ‘non-transgender women’
Christmas tree lots: Who are the folks who keep the season bright?GB News blew £100,000 converting their studio's gender neutral toilets into separate male and female facilities, the Mirror understands. The culture-wars obsessed TV channel announced cost-cutting plans earlier this year, axing 40 jobs after posting an operating loss of £42.4 million. It was revealed in March that GB News' rented Paddington studio features unisex facilities - prompting then-Chipping Barnet MP Theresa Villiers declared to tweet: "This doesn't seem entirely consistent with their apparent enthusiasm for fighting culture wars." But a source told this newspaper senior GB News figures were so infuriated by the "woke" bathrooms that they spent eye-watering sums to "fix" them. They have now been separated into strictly segregated conveniences for Men and Women. "They're taking the p**s," a source close to the channel said. "They've got bogged down in gender issues. Spending a penny is not worth spending a hundred grand. Maybe they were feeling flush." GB News declined to comment. In March, the company said that its audience figures had grown, particularly online where page views increased more than five times. But GB News revealed that its pre-tax loss had risen from £30.7 million in the year to the end of May 2022, to £42.4 million a year later. Despite almost doubling, the company's revenue was still significantly lower than its losses, reaching £6.7 million. The funding came from the company's owner, All Perspectives Limited, backed by hedge fund millionaire Sir Paul Marshall among others. Last year, GB News received £41.0 million from the parent company, bringing the total it now owes to £83.8 million. "The company has strong support from its investors and the directors have no reason to believe that the level of these contributions might vary to a significant degree or be recalled before the group has the resources to repay the investment," GB News said in accounts filed to Companies House. The business reported an average of 295 monthly employees during the year, with wage, social security and pension costs reaching £21.2 million, or around £72,000 per head. The business, which is committed to "promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace," had employed an average of 175 people a year earlier. And it reported it had an average of 2.7 million viewers per month in the year ending May 2023, a rise of 17.8% from the previous year. Its share of regular TV viewing was 0.45%, up from 0.30% a year earlier, according to Barb Audiences. On its digital platform, page views increased by 431% to 51.9 million, GB News revealed. The company earned £5.4 million of its revenue from the UK, while £1.3 million came from other parts of the world . Ad revenue jumped 41.4% to £4.2 million, and digital revenue increased about four times to £2.2 million. Be the first with news from Mirror Politics US ELECTION WHATSAPP: Join our US Election WhatsApp group here to be first to get all the biggest news and results as America heads to the polls. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . POLITICS WHATSAPP: Be first to get the biggest bombshells and breaking news by joining our Politics WhatsApp group here . We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . NEWSLETTER: Or sign up here to the Mirror's Politics newsletter for all the best exclusives and opinions straight to your inbox. PODCAST: And listen to our exciting new political podcast The Division Bell , hosted by Mirror interim political editor Lizzy Buchan and Express political editor Sam Lister, every Thursday.