New Jersey Transit operator killed, 23 passengers injured after train hits fallen tree

A train operator is dead and 23 passengers were injured after a New Jersey Transit train hit a tree early Monday. The New Jersey Transit train had departed the state capitol of Trenton before striking a tree that had fallen on the tracks in Burlington County, near Philadelphia on Monday morning.

NJ Transit said in a statement that forty-two passengers were on the River Line train traveling southbound from Trenton at about 6 a.m., EDT, approaching the Roebling Station in Mansfield Township when the incident occurred at 6:04 a.m. All of the injured passengers were said to have incurred mostly minor, non-life-threatening injuries. Local affiliate NBC New York captured helicopter footage showing a large chunk of a tree on the track and the front of the train completely smashed, with New Jersey Transit Police at the scene and investigating.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement on X: “I have been briefed on an accident on the [NJ Transit River Line] earlier today in which the light rail struck a tree on the tracks, leading to the death of the train operator and injuring passengers. An investigation is underway. Our prayers are with all affected by this tragic incident.”

River Line service was suspended in both directions between the Roebling and Bordentown stations the rest of Monday morning, with NJ Transit officials stating they would be continuing the investigation into the incident.

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Arrest made, hurricane relief efforts paused after reported threats to FEMA crews

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (‘FEMA’) has paused Hurricane Helene assistance operations in some North Carolina counties due to threats being made against responders in the area. Per CNN, FEMA officials had its workers in Rutherford County, N.C. leave that jurisdiction immediately on Saturday after a threat was issued by a militia, according to local National Guards troops.

CBS News confirmed on Monday that one person was arrested in connection to the threat, with a FEMA spokesperson telling the network: “FEMA continues to support communities impacted by Helene and help survivors apply for assistance. For the safety of our dedicated staff and the disaster survivors we are helping, FEMA has made some operational adjustments. Disaster Recovery Centers will continue to be open as scheduled, survivors continue to register for assistance, and we continue to help the people of North Carolina with their recovery.”

As first reported by The Washington Post, FEMA crews were forced to relocate due to a reported armed threat against workers, with a FEMA spokesperson telling CNN: “For the safety of our dedicated staff and the disaster survivors we are helping, FEMA has made some operational adjustments. Disaster Recovery Centers will continue to be open as scheduled, survivors continue to register for assistance, as we continue to help the people of North Carolina with their recovery.”

Authorities in Ashe County, NC also said that were threats against Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees responding to Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. Ashe County is located about three hours northeast of Asheville, NC, which was hard-hit by Helene.  Ashe County Sheriff Phil Howell posted on Facebook regarding the alleged threats against FEMA employees: “Recently in the mountain region, there have been threats made against them. This has not happened in Ashe County or the surrounding counties. Out of an abundance of caution, they have paused their process as they are assessing the threats.”

Jordan Monaghan, deputy communications director for North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, said the governor’s office was “aware of significant misinformation online and reports of threats to workers … The governor has directed the Department of Public Safety to identify with local law enforcement the specific threats and rumors and coordinate with FEMA and other partners to ensure safety and security as this recovery effort continues.”

In a statement to CBS News, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office said they received a call Saturday afternoon that said a man with an assault rifle had made a comment about possibly harming FEMA employees working on recovery efforts in the Lake Lure and Chimney Rock area. The man suspected of making the threat was identified as William Parsons, 44, of Bostic, North Carolina; he was armed with a handgun and a rifle when he was arrested and charged with going armed to the terror of the public before being released on a $10,000 bond.

Amazon Music Live returns with series premiere featuring Jelly Roll Oct 17

Amazon Music has announced its Amazon Music Live (AML) series is returning for a third season.

AML brings football and music fans together with performances from artists playing their latest hits after Thursday Night Football. The seven-episode season kicks off on October 17th with country music superstar Jelly Roll, performing new songs from his new album, Beautifully Broken. Jelly Roll shares: “I am kicking off the third season of Amazon Music Live after Thursday Night Football on October 17th! Can’t wait to take the stage and perform songs from the new album, Beautifully Broken, and some surprises as well. Thank you, everyone, for this massive opportunity. Let’s go!”

Each week’s performance will be broadcast live in front of an in-person audience in Los Angeles, and tickets will be available via live events company Dice, by invitation only. Select customers in the Los Angeles area will have access to purchase tickets for each week’s performance in person.

Season 3 of AML will stream live from Los Angeles and air exclusively on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch at 9 pm PDT on Thursdays.

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Patricia Arquette to play Maggie Murdaugh in docuseries for Hulu

Patricia Arquette will star as Maggie Murdaugh in the limited series about the powerful Murdaugh family of South Carolina for Hulu. Per Variety, the show was first reported to be in development at Hulu in November 2022, but has now officially been ordered to series.

The official synopsis for the as-yet-untitled show reads that it “is based on Maggie (Arquette) and Alex Murdaugh’s stranger-than-fiction family drama, a riveting account drawing from countless hours of reporting by Mandy Matney – journalist and creator of the popular ‘Murdaugh Murders Podcast’ – as well as exclusive, insider knowledge from years spent following the case.”

The Murdaugh family were powerful players in the Lowcountry region of South Caroline, but were accused of involvement in a variety of crimes, ranging from fraud to murder. In addition to the “Murdaugh Murders” podcast, they have been the subject of multiple docuseries and news specials. Alex Murdaugh was convicted of the 2021 fatal shootings of Maggie and their son Paul, and is serving two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.

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Alfred Molina, Geena Davis to star in The Duffer Brothers ‘The Boroughs’ for Netflix

Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer have revealed the cast of their next Netflix project, titled The Boroughs.  

Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, Denis O’Hare, Clarke Peters and Bill Pullman will star in the eight-episode drama, with details on their roles are being kept under wraps for now.

The Boroughs comes from writers and showrunners Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, with the show’s logline reading: “In a seemingly picturesque retirement community, a group of unlikely heroes must band together to stop an otherworldly threat from stealing the one thing they don’t have — time.”

In addition to The Duffer Brothers, “The Boroughs” is executive produced by creators and showrunners Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (“The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance”), Upside Down Pictures’ Hilary Leavitt and Ben Taylor, who will direct multiple episodes including the pilot.

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2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony performers, presenters announced

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced additional performers and presenters for the 2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony set to take place on October 19th at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. The 2024 Inductees set to performing include Mary J. Blige, Cher, Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Kool & the Gang, and Dionne Warwick.

The new round of talent to appear at the cermeony include: Andrew Watt, Billy Idol, Chad Smith, Jack Black, Jennifer Hudson, Kelly Clarkson, Maynard James Keenan, Robert Trujillo, Steve Stevens, Tom Morello, Wolfgang Van Halen, and Zakk Wylde

The above-noted performers and presenters join previously-announced artists including Busta Rhymes, Dr. Dre, Demi Lovato, Dua Lipa, Ella Mai, James Taylor, Jelly Roll, Julia Roberts, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Lucky Daye, Mac McAnally, Method Man, Roger Daltrey, Sammy Hagar, Slash, and The Roots.

Mary J Blige, Cher, Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Kool & The Gang, Ozzy Osbourne, and A Tribe Called West will be inducted into this year’s Hall of Fame 2024 class.

Alexis Korner, John Mayall, and Big Mama Thornton will receive the Musical Influence Award. Jimmy Buffett, MC5, Dionne Warwick, and Norman Whitfield will be honored with the Musical Excellence Award with Suzanne de Passe given the Ahmet Ertegun Award.

The 2024 ceremony will stream live on Disney+ with a special airing on ABC on January 1st at 8 pm ET/PT and become available to stream on Hulu the next day.

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President Biden tours hurricane-stricken Florida, announces $600M in storm relief

On Sunday, President Joe Biden toured areas of Florida ravaged by the back-to-back hurricanes and announced $600+ million in aid for areas affected by Hurricanes Milton and Helene. Florida officials have confirmed 17 deaths in Milton’s aftermath following landfall near Tampa last week. Over a million residents are still without power because of the storm, which came on the heels of Hurricane Helene late last month.

As he toured Florida’s St. Pete Beach region (a barrier island city off of St. Petersburg) that was severely damaged by Hurricane Milton, Mr. Biden said: “This is all a team effort, folks. it made a big difference. And it saved lives. But there’s much more to do, and we’re going to do everything we can to get power back in your homes, not only helping you recover, but to help you build back stronger.”

Biden spoke alongside St. Pete Beach Mayor Adrian Petrila and Pinellas County Chair Kathleen Peters, noting that “they stepped up not only [to] look out for themselves, but to help other families, help their neighbors. You know, that’s the resilience of the people of west Florida.” Biden also thanked local officials, first responders and healthcare workers for their help: “we’ve been in frequent contact, and it’s in moments like this, we come together to take care of each other — not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans. Americans, who need help, and Americans who help you, if you were in the same situation. We are one, United States.”

Per the White House, the $612 million in funding entails aid for six Department of Energy projects in the Southeast , adding that nearly $100 million of the money would go toward improvements to Florida’s power system. Biden noted: “thankfully the storm’s impact was not as cataclysmic as we predicted. But for some individuals, it was cataclysmic. All those folks who not only lost their homes, but more importantly, those folks who lost their lives, lost family members. This funding will not only restore power, but will make the region’s power system stronger and more capable and reduce the frequency and duration of power outages while extreme weather events become more frequent.”

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One killed, 12 injured at Halloween party shooting in Oklahoma City

Officials state that at least one person was killed and 12 others were injured during a shooting at a Halloween party in Oklahoma City early Saturday morning.

The shootout occurred at 12:30 a.m. CDT while outside of Patty’s Event Center in southern Oklahoma City after two groups of attendees began arguing; several people began shooting, while the argument spilled outdoors. Oklahoma City Police Capt. Valerie Littlejohn told reporters that a “disturbance” at the events center where the party was being held led to multiple shots being fired inside and outside the building, but it is unclear what the disturbance was that led to the shooting.

Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt confirmed that the incident included at least 13 total victims and is being investigated by local police detectives, and two adults have been arrested in connection with the mass shooting. Mayor Holt said in a post on Facebook: “Recent shootings in our city fit a familiar pattern — young men (boys, really) making terrible decisions with grave consequences. Boys whose brains are literally still forming don’t always respond rationally to the things that would deter you and I.”

Per ABC News, the names and ages of those involved in the incident have not yet been released. Police officials said they will release a statement regarding the mass shooting on Monday.

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Willie Nelson shares cover of The Flaming Lips ‘Do You Realize??’

Willie Nelson has released the second track from his upcoming studio album Last Leaf on the Tree — Nelson’s rendition of The Flaming Lips “Do You Realize??”

Nelson’s album Last Leaf on the Tree will be available digitally, on CD and amber swirl double LP vinyl on November 1st. In addition, Nelson’s website will have an exclusive version which includes a limited-edition lithograph created by album producer, Willie’s son Micah Nelson.

Last Leaf on the Tree is Nelson’s 76th solo studio album and his 153rd album overall. In addition to producing, Micah Nelson played many of the instruments, designed the album cover, and helped create animation for the video of the album’s first single, a cover of Tom Waits’ “Last Leaf” alongside his wife, Alexandra Dascalu Nelson.

Lips lead singer Wayne Coyne said of Nelson’s cover of Do You Realize?? – “one of The Flaming Lips’ most enduring songs is an existentialist masterpiece well-suited to the tao of Willie. From their perspective, the Lips loved I .. He’s just such a unique singer. You hear one second of his voice, and you go, that’s him.”  Fellow bandmember and song co-writer Steven Drozd adds: “I wish he [Drozd’s late father] was still alive to see this happening, that Willie Nelson is doing a Flaming Lips song I had a part in co-writing. He’d be very proud.”

In an accompanying video,  Coyne and Drozd react to Nelson’s version, deeming it “one of those dreams come true that you didn’t have a dream for.”  Coyne adds: “It’s absolutely beautiful. Maybe we’re not allowed to say that so much because it’s our song, but it’s absolutely beautiful … Willie’s version of our song is just an utter joy..  “[Willie] probably brings more meaning to it than we do.”

Stream Nelson’s “Do You Realize??” cover now via digital outlets.

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Jelly Roll drops extended version of his new album ‘Beautifully Broken’

Jelly Roll dropped a surprise, extended version of his new album, Beautifully Broken, the follow-up album to his country debut, Whitsitt Chapel, was released in 22-song and 27-song editions via BMG/BBR Music Group.

The standard edition features the hit songs “I Am Not Okay,” “Liar,” and “Get By,” and includes collaborations with Ilsey, Wiz Khalifa, and Machine Gun Kelly. The extended version, dubbed Beautifully Broken (Pickin’ Up The Pieces), features the original 22 tracks and six additional songs, including collabs with Keith Urban (“Don’t Want To”), ERNEST (“Devil Down”), as well as Halsey, Russ, and Skylar Grey.

“I Am Not Okay”, co-written by Jelly Roll, Taylor Phillips, Ashley Gorley, and Casey Brown, became Jelly Roll’s fourth consecutive No. 1 at country radio and fifth career No. 1, including his Grammy-nominated “Save Me.”

Jelly is also currently on the road with his 2024 Beautifully Broken Tour, with stops scheduled for Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Center and New York City’s Madison Square Garden before wrapping on November 23rd in Jacksonville, Florida.  For tickets, head to jellyroll615.com.

Stream Beautifully Broken (Pickin’ Up The Pieces) – HERE.

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