These States Have Highest Flu Rates As Christmas Arrives: See Map
Flu season is ramping up across the country, with several states now experiencing severe or rising levels of illness, and a fast-spreading “super flu” variant is driving the surge.
The CDC’s latest FluView report for the week ending Saturday, Dec. 13, shows widespread influenza activity in nearly every region, with the Northeast and Mountain West hit especially hard.
As of Monday, Dec. 16, the CDC estimated that flu cases are growing or likely growing in 47 states. According to the agency, “very high” flu activity has been detected in New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Col…
Scotch Plains Dad Dies In Crash, $150K Raised For Widow, Children
Brian Benson, of Scotch Plains, died in a car crash on Wednesday, Sept. 17, according to his obituary from Memorial Funeral Home. He was 46 years old.
Born in New York and raised in Mountain Lakes, Brian was a Rutgers graduate who built a two-decade career in medical device sales with Bausch and Lomb, Johnson & Johnson, and most recently RxSight, his obituary says.
“Brian was a valued member of the RxSight team, bringing nearly 20 years of experience in medical device sales and a deep commitment to his work,” a GoFundMe created by colleague Heather Spiri reads.
Brian was de…
Bloomberg, Koch Top List Of Wealthiest New Yorkers On Forbes 400
It’s great to be Michael Bloomberg.
The billionaire businessman and former New York City mayor once again ranks as the wealthiest New Yorker on the Forbes 400 list of America's richest people.
Bloomberg, 83, is listed at No. 13 overall with a net worth of $109 billion. The Bloomberg LP founder also scored high for philanthropy, earning a 4 out of 5 on Forbes’ giving scale.
Julia Koch and family, tied to Koch Industries, follow close behind at No. 16 with $81.2 billion. Koch, 63, received a philanthropy score of 2.
Collectively, the nation’s wealthiest are worth a record $6.6 trillion, up…
MIT Gets No. 1 Spot In 2026 Rankings, Nine Other MA Colleges Make Top 100: See Which Ones
Universities across the Northeast dominated a new list of the best colleges in the US, with more than 30 institutions ranked among the nation's top 100.
Niche released its 2026 Best Colleges in America list on Monday, Aug. 25. The annual rankings cover more than 4,000 US colleges and universities, comparing them based on academics, value, student life, and athletics.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was ranked No. 1 overall. Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, followed in second place, while fellow Cambridge school Harvard University finished fo…
They Set Stolen Car On Fire In Rochelle Park, And One Was Caught At JFK Airport: Prosecutor
Two New York men have been charged in connection with a stolen vehicle fire that lit up a Rochelle Park parking lot last winter, authorities said.
Ethan Olivo, 19, and Starlin Siri, 21, both of the Bronx, were charged in the Dec. 3, 2024, blaze that consumed a 2020 Honda Accord on Rochelle Avenue just after 7 a.m., Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said in a Thursday, Aug. 7 release.
The car was found fully engulfed in flames by Rochelle Park firefighters, who extinguished the fire and contacted police, Musella said. Officers from Rochelle Park and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office …
NJ Hospital Named Among Top 20 In America: Brand-New Rankings Released
U.S. News & World Report has released its brand-new hospital rankings for 2025-26, and several East Coast facilities have earned spots on the prestigious list of the Top 20 in the nation.
The 2025-26 Best Hospitals “Honor Roll,” published Tuesday, July 29, features just 20 hospitals nationwide, selected from more than 4,500 reviewed across the country.
Hospitals earn their spot based on top performance across 15 adult specialties and 22 procedures and conditions, with scores drawn from survival rates, patient outcomes, nurse staffing, patient experience, and reputation among specialists…
Disney Descendants Tour 2025 Brings Wicked Fun And Villain Kids To Life On Stage
Did you know Disney villains like Maleficent, Jafar, and the Evil Queen had kids—and those kids went on to sing, dance, and take over Auradon Prep? That’s the world of "Descendants," the hit Disney Channel movie series where the children of classic villains clash with the children of heroes in a story filled with music, mischief, and second chances.
In "Zombies," it’s cheerleaders, zombies, and werewolves learning to coexist (with plenty of dance battles along the way) in the colorful town of Seabrook. Now, both Disney franchises are leaping off the screen and onto the stage—and you're invit…
Dua Lipa Drops Into North America: Radical Optimism Tour Sparks Ticket Frenzy
Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism Tour is hitting North America this fall, and fans are already buzzing louder than a "Levitating" remix. Seats are flying faster than you can say "Dance the Night," so lock in your spot for one of pop’s most electrifying shows.
Dua Lipa 2025 tour dates include:
Sept. 9 – TD Garden, Boston, MA
Sept. 10 – TD Garden, Boston, MA
Sept. 17 – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Sept. 18 – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Sept. 20 – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Sept. 21 – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Dua’s shows aren’t just concerts—th…
“Beautiful Things” Are Coming: Benson Boone Is On Tour
Benson Boone went from viral favorite to global chart-topper in under a year, with a voice that’s as unstoppable as the momentum behind it. By March 2024, his single "Beautiful Things" was the most-streamed song on the planet. Now, the 23-year-old pop star is bringing that energy to his first-ever arena tour, and tickets have moved fast.
Dates include:
Sept. 2, 2025 – TD Garden, Boston, MA
Sept. 3, 2025 – Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Sept. 5, 2025 – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Sept. 6, 2025 – CFG Bank Arena, Baltimore, MD
The American Heart Tour supports his sophomore album…
Rebel Yell Meets Bad Reputation: Billy Idol & Joan Jett Team Up For 2025 Tour
Two icons. One tour. For the first time ever, Billy Idol and Joan Jett are teaming up for a cross-country tour that promises to be nothing short of legendary. Fans are already buzzing about the chance to snag tickets so don’t wait to grab yours.
Check out the upcoming dates:
August 16 – TD Pavilion at The Mann, Philadelphia, PA
August 17 – Broadview Stage at SPAC, Saratoga Springs, NY
August 20 – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
August 22 – Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
August 23 – Xfinity Center, Mansfield, MA
This 2025 run isn’t just another concert series; it’s a powerhous…
'I Shot Him In The Head': Erie Council President Says NJ Mafia Got Him Off
Erie City Council President Mel Witherspoon stunned residents during a heated public meeting on Wednesday, July 16, by recounting how he once shot a man in the head—and walked free thanks to alleged ties to the New Jersey mafia.
“I said, ‘Nick, you know I can blow your head off.’ He said, ‘Go ahead.’ And I did. I shot him in the head, point-blank. This close,” Witherspoon told the crowd, holding his hand near his temple.
Witherspoon, now 80, shared the story as he explained why he had not attended rallies or the funeral for 43-year-old Marchello Woodard, who was shot and killed by a Pennsyl…
