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Fraud engulfs Minnesota as another blue state kicks off New Year with ID for trains — not votes
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While Minnesota grapples with a burgeoning fraud crisis, one blue state that still does not require photo ID to vote will require residents seeking to pay a reduced fare on state-owned transit present one in order to qualify.
Reduced-fare on NJTransit, and mass transit in other states, is often offered to senior citizens, military personnel or the infirm. Meanwhile, officials in Minnesota are grappling with a multifaceted fraud scandal involving subsidies paid to largely Somali-led outfits and interests that are allegedly illegitimate and often appear unverified as well.
However, New Jersey is one of 14 states that does not require the same stringent photo identification to be shown at the polls on election day.
The discrepancy spurred an uproar online as the local outlet Shore News Network drew attention to it in its reporting of the new reduced-fare ID requirement.
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New Jersey Transit bus 159R drives through Lincoln Harbor in Hoboken. (Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)
«Starting January 1, photo ID required for NJ Transit reduced fares but not for voting,» a headline from the Rutherford-based outlet read.
«This change is only for customers who have been using an NJ Transit issued non-photo ID as proof of reduced fare eligibility,» NJ Transit spokesman John Chartier told NJAdvanceMedia.
Current non-photo reduced-fare ID cards will no longer be accepted as of Thursday, according to the agency, which announced that Jerseyans must apply for a new photo ID either in-person or by mail – while providing NJTransit proof of age and/or disability and a recent photo.
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NJ Transit said all non-photo Reduced Fare IDs will become invalid after the new year. Riders must apply for the new, free photo ID card online, by mail, or in person, providing proof of age or disability along with a recent photo, according to Shore News Network.
By contrast, on election day, voters must include their state driver’s license number on their registration form.
Failing to include that number on a registration form would then require identification be presented onsite for first-time voters; which could include a license or a utility bill, bank statement, paycheck or government document – not all of which have a photographic component.
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«This is how ridiculous Democrat-run states are,» one X user said. «Beginning January 1st, a photo ID will be required for the Reduced Fair Program, but it is still not required to vote. This is how they keep states blue by cheating.»
The volunteer good-governance organization New Jersey Project also slammed state policies:
«Photo ID needed for NJ Transit discounts but not for voting. Starting January,» the group said.
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«Priorities, Trenton?»
The blog New Jersey News wrote that state officials often claim voter ID «disenfranchises minorities» who cannot get such identification.
«Guess they won’t be riding the train either,» the outlet said.
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The group «Wake Up NJ» also fired back at the new policy, citing the same disparity between arguments against voter-ID and the state’s actions toward reduced-fare straphangers.
«New Jersey expects you to get that reduced fare for New Jersey Transit, but it’s OK [if you don’t] for voting,» they said.
The photo ID rule in-practice will allow a rider who goes a short distance on a state bus – considered a «Zone 1» fare – to pay 85 cents instead of the full $1.85. Commuters going to «Zone 3» – immediate suburbs of New York City – pay $5.30, but would be able to pay $2.40 under the reduced-fare ID policy.
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Longer trips see larger savings as NJTransit’s special limited-stop service on the Garden State Parkway from New York to Toms River and Atlantic City currently costs $57.40 to hit the casinos. Showing a reduced-fare ID card would allow the rider to pay $25.80.
Fox News Digital reached out to the New Jersey Secretary of State’s office, which oversees elections, for comment.
voter fraud concerns,minnesota fraud exposed,voting,travel,new jersey,business regulation
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Zohran Mamdani will be first mayor to be sworn in on Quran during New York City inauguration
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New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s campaign confirmed on Wednesday he will make a historical move on New Year’s Day, using the Quran during his swearing-in ceremony.
Mamdani, a 34-year-old Ugandan-born socialist, will be the first Muslim mayor of New York City and the first mayor to be sworn in using the Quran, the central religious text of Islam.
New York Attorney General Letitia James will host a private midnight ceremony at Old City Hall Station, a historical decommissioned subway station, before he is sworn in during a public inauguration on the steps of City Hall by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Thursday afternoon.
He will use two family Qurans, as well as one that belonged to writer and Puerto Rican activist Arturo Schomburg, who built the foundation for Harlem’s Schomburg Center for research in Black culture.
New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani celebrates as he takes the stage at his election night watch party at the Brooklyn Paramount on November 4, 2025 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Mamdani defeated Independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa in the closely watched election for New York City mayor. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty)
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Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is expected to deliver opening remarks at the latter event, which will be free and open to the public.
Mamdani defeated former Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican gubernatorial candidate Curtis Sliwa in November, after campaigning on affordability and socialist policies including rent freezes, city-run grocery stores, and free buses and childcare.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., refused to endorse Mamdani during his campaign, though it is unclear if the choice was tied to Mamdani’s 2023 arrest while protesting the war in Gaza outside Schumer’s Brooklyn home.
Democratic New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani holds hands with his wife Rama Duwaji after they voted at a polling location at Frank Sinatra School of Arts in the Queens borough of New York City on Nov. 4, 2025. (LEONARDO MUNOZ/AFP via Getty Images)
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Mamdani has openly voiced his belief that Israel’s military campaign in Gaza is «genocide,» denying Israel is a Jewish state and failing to condemn the violent slogan «globalize the intifada.»
During his time at Bowdoin College, he founded the Students for Justice in Palestine chapter.
Though he promised to protect Jewish New Yorkers, he announced on Tuesday the city’s next top attorney would be Ramzi Kassem, who defended convicted al Qaeda terrorist Ahmed al-Darbi and Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil, who is accused of leading antisemitic demonstrations on campus.
Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani supporters gather outside 30 Rock in New York City on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. (Fox News Digital/Deirdre Heavey)
Al-Darbi was convicted of conspiracy in connection with the fatal 2017 al Qaeda terrorist bombing of a French oil tanker off the coast of Yemen, and was transferred in 2018 by the Trump administration into Saudi Arabian custody. Khalil was released, but his case remains ongoing.
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During a news conference announcing Kassem’s appointment, Mamdani said, «I will turn to Ramzi for his remarkable experience and his commitment to defending those too often abandoned by our legal system.»
Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller, Deirdre Heavey and Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.
zohran mamdani,new york city,islam
INTERNACIONAL
Finlandia sospecha que un barco extranjero provocó una nueva rotura de cable submarino en el mar Báltico
La Policía finlandesa investiga a un buque como sospechoso de la rotura de un cable submarino de telecomunicaciones que conecta Finlandia y Estonia a través del mar Báltico, en lo que podría ser un nuevo episodio de sabotaje de infraestructuras críticas en la zona.
En colaboración con otras autoridades, la policía inició la investigación después de que la teleoperadora finlandesa Elisa notificara este miércoles que había detectado una avería en uno de sus cables submarinos dentro de la zona económica exclusiva de Estonia.
La Guardia de Fronteras identificó al buque sospechoso de provocar la avería y más tarde envió a la zona una lancha patrullera y un helicóptero, que lo retuvieron tras constatar que navegaba con una de sus anclas sumergidas en el mar.
Según un comunicado de la Policía, la guardia fronteriza ordenó al buque que izara el ancla y se trasladara a un fondeadero en aguas territoriales finlandesas.
«Las autoridades finlandesas han tomado el control del barco como parte de una operación conjunta», informó la policía, negándose a nombrar el barco o su nacionalidad, o dar más detalles sobre el barco y su tripulación.
Discussed with @PetteriOrpo the damage to the communications cable between Estonia and Finland.
We remain in close contact. Our authorities are working together, and Finland is investigating a vessel linked to the incident.
Thank you to everyone who is dedicated to this work…
— Kristen Michal (@KristenMichalPM) December 31, 2025
La Fiscalía General ya presentó una acusación formal contra el buque, al que considera sospechoso de un delito grave de sabotaje y otro de interferencia agravada en las comunicaciones.
Además de la Policía y la Guardia de Fronteras, también participan en las labores de investigación las Fuerzas Armadas finlandesas, la agencia de Aduanas, la Agencia de Transporte y Comunicaciones (Traficom) y el operador de la red eléctrica finlandesa, Fingrid.
Asimismo, las autoridades finlandesas están colaborando con las de otros países, sobre todo con Estonia, para intercambiar información.
«Las autoridades finlandesas han investigado a un barco sospechoso de causar daños en un cable en el Golfo de Finlandia», indicó el presidente de Finlandia, Alexander Stubb en un mensaje en su cuenta de X.
«Finlandia está preparada para desafíos de seguridad de varios tipos, y respondemos ante ellos del modo necesario», agregó el jefe de Estado finlandés, que citó en su mensaje a la Policía, la Guardia Fronteriza y otras autoridades vinculadas a la investigación del caso, a las que el presidente agradeció su labor.
«Seguimos la situación en cooperación con el Gobierno», señaló Stubb, al tiempo que el primer ministro finlandés, Petteri Orpo, escribió en X que mantuvo una conversación con su homólogo estonio, Kristen Michal. «Nuestras autoridades están trabajando con buena cooperación», indicó Orpo.
Finnish authorities have inspected a vessel suspected of causing cable damage in the Gulf of Finland.
Thank you for efficient work and communication @rajavartijat, @SuomenPoliisi, @Puolustusvoimat, @TraficomFinland, @SuomenTulli, @Tukesinfo and @fingrid_oyj. We are monitoring…
— Alexander Stubb (@alexstubb) December 31, 2025
Ocho países de la OTAN bordean el mar Báltico, que también limita con Rusia. Estos países han estado en alerta máxima tras una serie de cortes en los cables eléctricos, las conexiones de telecomunicaciones y los gasoductos que recorren el lecho marino relativamente poco profundo desde que Rusia invadió Ucrania en 2022.
Finlandia ha sido víctima en los últimos años de varios incidentes en los que resultaron dañadas en extrañas circunstancias infraestructuas submarinas críticas, entre ellas el gasoducto Balticconnector y varios cables de telecomunicaciones y de alta tensión.
La mayoría de estas averías se produjeron después del inicio de la invasión rusa de Ucrania, por lo que las autoridades finlandesas sospechan que se trata de sabotajes orquestados por el Kremlin.
En diciembre de 2024, Finlandia abordó el petrolero Eagle S, vinculado a Rusia, que, según los investigadores, dañó un cable eléctrico y varias conexiones de telecomunicaciones en el mar Báltico al arrastrar su ancla.
En octubre, un tribunal finlandés desestimó la causa penal contra el capitán del Eagle S y otros tripulantes, dictaminando que la fiscalía no logró demostrar la intencionalidad y que cualquier presunta negligencia debía ser investigada por el estado de abanderamiento del buque o los países de origen de la tripulación.
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Trump says ‘Triumphal Arch’ monument construction to begin within 2 months in DC: report
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President Donald Trump revealed Wednesday how soon an Arc de Triomphe-style monument will be constructed in the nation’s capital to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary in 2026.
Trump on Wednesday said the construction of the monument, nicknamed the «Arc de Trump,» will begin «sometime in the next two months,» according to a report from Politico.
«It hasn’t started yet. It starts sometime in the next two months. It’ll be great. Everyone loves it,» Trump reportedly told the outlet during a phone call from Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla. «They love the ballroom too. But they love the Triumphal Arch.»
The newest monument, which resembles Paris’ historic Arc de Triomphe, will be bankrolled privately, with funds left over from the new White House ballroom project, Fox News Digital previously reported.
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President Donald Trump holds a model of an arch during a ballroom fundraising dinner in the East Room of the White House on Oct. 15, 2025. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The exact location of the new landmark has not yet been confirmed, though the report notes it may be situated near the Lincoln Monument.
Details about the amount of time it will take to build, the cost of construction, the funding amount and who is heading the project have not yet been released by the White House.
Trump signed Public Law 116-217 in December 2020 authorizing the Women’s Suffrage National Monument to be built on federal land in Washington, D.C., leading to the subsequent signing of the Women’s Suffrage National Monument Location Act during former President Joe Biden’s final week in office.
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A model of President Donald Trump’s proposed triumphal arch to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary is seen on the Resolute Desk on Oct. 15, 2025. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation (WSNMF) announced Dec. 4 it received final and unanimous approval from the National Capital Planning Commission for a permanent two and a half acre site on the National Mall in Constitution Gardens, according to the foundation’s website.
Foundation leaders noted the women’s suffrage monument went through a «multi-step, rigorous review process,» including gaining approval from the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts.
The foundation also completed a public comment period with the National Park Service as part of the public scoping process, according to its website.
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It is unclear if Trump’s newest proposed monument received similar approval.
The Women’s Suffrage National Monument will be located at the intersection of 19th St. and Constitution Avenue NW, and the next project phase will focus on creative development and design.
The new monument is rumored to be built on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. (Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency)
«The enthusiasm behind this project has been inspiring,» WSNMF President and CEO Anna Laymon wrote in a Dec. 4 statement announcing final approval. «We are so grateful for the dedicated support from so many who made this possible, including President Trump; President Biden; our honorary chairs Mrs. Melania Trump, Dr. Jill Biden, Mrs. Michelle Obama, Mrs. Laura Bush, and Secretary Hillary Clinton; our bipartisan and bicameral Congressional sponsors, Senator Blackburn, Senator Baldwin, Congresswoman Lesko, Congressman Neguse and their dedicated staffs; our incredible Board of Directors; and all our partners and supporters.»
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The most recent major monument built on the National Mall was the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, which was completed in 2011.
The granite memorial was inspired by a line from King’s «I Have a Dream» speech, delivered nearby on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the «March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom» in 1963.
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The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Amanda Macias contributed to this report.
donald trump,washington dc
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