Like many New Jersey politicians who came before him, state Representative Josh Gottheimer (D), who announced he was running for governor last month, professes to be a huge fan of Garden State native Bruce Springsteen. Gottheimer says as much on his campaign website, noting how he grew up “catching a Springsteen show every chance he could get (and still does!).” At his campaign rally, the rep took to the stage to The Boss’s song, “Glory Days.” Springsteen is one of the most famous musicians to come out of New Jersey and frequently expresses pride in his roots. Most recently, Gottheimer shared a snapshot of his Spotify Wrapped top five songs he purportedly listened to this year. All five were from Springsteen: “Thunder Road,” “Because the Night,” “Glory Days,” “Badlands,” and “The Rising.” “No surprises here,” the gubernatorial candidate wrote in the X caption. “Fun fact: My first ever concert was at Meadowlands to see The Boss!” CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE Nothing seemed amiss until Monday when a writer for the New Jersey Monitor’s newsletter noted some discrepancies in the photo shared in Gottheimer’s post. These small details called the Spotify Wrapped recap into question, and many wondered if it was a fake. For example, the “g” in “Your top songs” looked different than the “g” Spotify uses. The numerals, spacing, and resolution also didn’t look quite right. ?Lol. h/t @terrencemcd pic.twitter.com/pRh61vRvsO — Matt Arco (@MatthewArco) December 9, 2024 Gottheimer was contacted on Monday about the allegations, which led him to admit that he had fabricated his top five. “This would be my Spotify Wrapped if I didn’t share my account with my 12 and 15-year-old kids,” Gottheimer said in a statement to NJ Advance Media. “While it’s Springsteen all day for me — don’t get me wrong, I still love listening to Taylor Swift!” Gottheimer’s plan to connect with residents seems to have backfired. The original X post is still up, and commenters are letting him have it. “Faking a Spotify wrapped list…embarrassing,” one person wrote in reply. “This points to a larger problem…if you lie about this what else do you also lie about? RESIGN!” another said. “Lying isn’t a choice for democrats. It’s a requirement,” a third person agreed. New Jersey politicians frequently mention their love of Springsteen. Last year, Democratic Governor Phil Murphy declared September 23, the musician’s birthday, “Bruce Springsteen Day” in the state.  Former Republican Governor Chris Christie is also a huge fan of Springsteen and, according to NJ.com, had the B Street Band, a tribute band to the singer, play at his inaugural gala in 2010.  Springsteen is popular among conservatives for writing music that resonates with blue-collar workers, but he is a staunch liberal. In 2024, he endorsed Kamala Harris for president and called Republican nominee Donald Trump the “most dangerous candidate for president in my lifetime.”

A notebook found on 26-year-old Luigi Mangione after his arrest earlier this week describes the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, law enforcement officials told The New York Times. The spiral notebook authorities say belongs to Mangione includes a passage where the writer mentions taking out “the CEO at the annual parasitic bean-counter convention.” Thompson was gunned down in Midtown Manhattan on December 4 while he was on his way to the UnitedHealth Group’s Investor’s Conference. “It’s targeted, precise, and doesn’t risk innocents,” Mangione allegedly wrote in the notebook. The suspect considered using a bomb but wrote in his notebook that it “could kill innocents,” CNN reported. According to authorities, Mangione was also in possession of a 262-page manifesto where he allegedly called out “United” and wrote, “To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn’t working with anyone.” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said on Wednesday that a water bottle and Kind snack bar wrapper recovered by police near the crime scene contained fingerprints that match those of Mangione. Tisch also noted that three shell casings recovered at the scene of the crime matched the homemade gun found on Mangione when he was arrested. The 9mm shell casings from the scene of Thompson’s assassination had the words “delay,” “deny,” and “depose” written on them, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny. It was initially reported that the words on the shell casings were “defend,” “deny,” and “depose” before police clarified. Mangione is being held on firearm and forgery charges in Pennsylvania and fighting his extradition to New York, where he is charged with second-degree murder. The 26-year-old Ivy League graduate had to be restrained by deputies on his way to his extradition hearing on Tuesday as he yelled at the reporters gathered outside the courthouse. Mangione’s lawyer, Thomas Dickey, told CNN on Wednesday that his client is “irritated” and “agitated about what’s happening to him and what he’s being accused of.” Dickey questioned the NYPD’s fingerprint and ballistic evidence, saying, “Those two sciences, in and of themselves, have come under some criticism in the past, relative to their credibility, their truthfulness, their accuracy, however you want to do it.” CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE The assassin waited near the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan before approaching Thompson from behind and shooting him multiple times, surveillance video shows. Police found a homemade gun and suppressor on Mangione when he was arrested at an Altoona, Pennsylvania, McDonald’s last week. Police connected the suspect, who was masked when he allegedly assassinated Thompson, to surveillance footage of a man seen smiling in a Manhattan hostel. The suspect reportedly showed a fake New Jersey ID at the hostel when he booked a room there in November. When Mangione was questioned by Altoona police last week, he allegedly showed them the same fake New Jersey ID.

The image originates from December 2016.

'Government coercion'

A viral post shared on X claims Luigi Mangione, the man who is accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, purportedly published a manifesto on Substack. This is allegedly Luigi’s manifesto pic.twitter.com/CbxKEgwkba — Dark Hegel™️ (@Dialectiks) December 10, 2024 Verdict: False The claim is false as the purported manifesto is fake. Mangione’s actual manifesto was […]

'thaw in relations'

Van Morrison, often regarded as one of the most influential and versatile musicians in rock and soul history, began his career in the 1960s and has since become a defining figure in modern music. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1945, Morrison first gained attention as the lead singer of the band Them, which was formed in 1964. Them’s hits, such as “Gloria” and “Here Comes the Night,” showcased his gritty vocals and songwriting talent. He embarked on a solo career in 1967, releasing his debut solo album, Blowin’ Your Mind!, which featured the iconic track “Brown Eyed Girl.” Over The post 10 Best Covers Of Van Morrison Songs appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

LEGO is celebrating 5 years of success for its flagship sustainability initiative Replay which allows consumers to ship used and unwanted LEGO bricks back to the company for redistribution to others. In a pair of lovely celebrations in Boston and Richmond, giant LEGO birthday cakes bearing the number ‘5’ were decorated by children who then got […] The post 400,000 Kids Now Have LEGOs to Play with Thanks to Parents Donating 1.2 Mil Pounds of Used Bricks So Far appeared first on Good News Network.