NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., April 22 (ZFJ) — Jacob Beacher, 24, of North Plainfield, has been charged with a federal hate crime for breaking into the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University (CILRU) on 122 College Avenue in New Brunswick, announced federal authorities on Monday, April 22. Beacher, not affiliated with Rutgers, was arrested this morning and federally charged with one count of intentional or attempted obstruction of religious practice and one count of making false statements to federal authorities.

April 14 (ZFJ) — YouTube is requiring creators to disclose when realistic-appearing content—anything that can easily be mistaken for a real person, place, scene, or event—has been generated or altered using artificial intelligence, announced the video platform on March 18. Examples provided by YouTube of content requiring disclosure include digitally replacing a person’s face, synthetically generating a person’s face, making it appear as if a real building caught fire, altering a real cityscape to appear differently, and realistically showing a fictional tornado moving toward a real town.

April 14 (ZFJ) — The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the toughest emissions standards yet for light and medium-duty vehicles of model years (MY) 2027-2032, announced the agency on March 20. The agency projects that the updated standards in Multi Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles will avoid 7.2 billion tons of carbon emissions between 2027-2055 and provide almost $100 billion of net benefits to society, including improved air quality and reduced annual fuel and maintenance costs for drivers.

April 14 (ZFJ) — The Food and Drug Administration cleared the Dexcom Stelo Glucose Biosensor System, the first continuous glucose monitor (CGM) approved for use without a prescription in America, for marketing on March 5. Stelo is an integrated CGM (iCGM) intended for anyone 18 years and older who doesn’t use insulin, such as diabetic individuals treating their condition with oral medications or people without diabetes who want to see how diet and exercise impact their blood sugar levels.

WOODBRIDGE, N.J., April 4 (ZFJ) — Woodbridge Center has been sold to new management, announced Woodbridge Mayor John E. McCormac in his State of the Township address on Feb. 23. “Woodbridge Center, like major malls across America, has struggled because of the internet and the ease of buying directly online,” he said. “It has done an admirable job of diversifying outside of basic retail by attracting new tenants, but it has just not been enough.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., April 14 (ZFJ) — The Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University (CILRU) was broken into and vandalized on Eid. The Center reported on Instagram that art pieces with Quranic verses, windows, TVs, printers, artwork, and the Palestinian flag were damaged. “This reprehensible act, occurring on our sacred day, is undoubtedly fueled by Islamophobia is clearly a hate crime targeting our Muslim population at Rutgers,” the Center wrote.

EDISON, N.J., April 4 (ZFJ) — Marcus Wright, 27, of Beaufort, South Carolina, was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder of an Edison Speedway gas station employee that occurred on Dec. 20, 2018, announced Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone. Wright was convicted on Sept. 12, 2023, of the murder of John Bertram, 38, of the Fords section of Woodbridge; armed robbery; conspiracy to commit armed robbery; and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

EDISON, N.J., April 5 (ZFJ) — A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck seven kilometers north of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, at 10:23 a.m. on Friday, April 5, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Wow! A M4.8 struck in New Jersey this morning around 10:30 am local time. Shaking was widely felt from Maine to Washington D.C. Did you feel this earthquake? Share your experience here: https://t.co/xdohQbzpcq https://t.co/ADcDLsTp8b pic.twitter.com/bAjEbSgvwc — USGS Earthquakes (@USGS_Quakes) April 5, 2024 ZFJ reporters and residents in Edison, about 25-35 miles out from the epicenter, reported feeling their houses shaking for about 10 seconds.

April 4 (ZFJ) — Wayne Bagley, 68, of South Brunswick was arrested following a five-month investigation, announced South Brunswick Police Chief Raymond Hayducka on Tuesday, March 5. According to Hayducka, the joint effort by the South Brunswick Police Department, ATF, and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office revealed that Bagley traveled to other states, purchased handguns at gun shows, and transported the firearms back to New Jersey for resale. Over the course of the investigation, he traveled to West Virginia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.

EDISON, N.J., April 4 (ZFJ) — Comcast has been approved to provide internet services to Edison, announced the company on March 20, 2024. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities granted its application for a system-wide franchise to operate in Edison, allowing it to offer its Xfinity and Comcast Business services to the township. Residents will have access to all of Xfinity’s internet products. According to the company’s website, costs range from a starting price of $20 a month for a 150 mbps connection to a starting price of $85 a month for a 1,200 mbps connection.