El Corredor 27 de Febrero en Santo Domingo experimentó un crecimiento sin precedentes al cuadruplicar su cantidad de pasajeros diarios en menos de una semana, superando los 16,000 usuarios por día y consolidándose como un eje fundamental en el transporte público de la República Dominicana, según informó la Operadora Metropolitana de Servicios de Autobuses (OMSA). Este salto se atribuye, en parte, a la reducción sostenida de las frecuencias, que, por primera vez, mantienen un intervalo de solo cinco minutos entre cada autobús durante toda la jornada, lo que elimina las esperas prolongadas en las paradas y responde directamente a una demanda histórica de los usuarios.

De acuerdo con el vicepresidente ejecutivo de la OMSA, Onéximo González, este aumento, registrado tras el relanzamiento del corredor a finales de abril de 2026, está acompañado de decisiones orientadas al beneficio social. Uno de los datos diferenciales destacados en el último tercio de la información, y que constituye un hito singular respecto de otros corredores, es que los adultos mayores de 65 años —sector que representa el 2,5% de todos los pasajeros— podrán viajar en el corredor de forma completamente gratuita, gracias a un subsidio específico destinado a los envejecientes, anunció González este viernes según detalla el medio OMSA.

La importancia de las medidas adoptadas se refleja tanto en la magnitud de la transformación operativa como en su alcance inmediato: el corredor trasladó de 4,000 a más de 16, 000 pasajeros diarios durante su primera semana de funcionamiento bajo el nuevo esquema, según cifras oficiales de la entidad.

El vicepresidente ejecutivo de la OMSA subrayó el giro de la gestión institucional ante las demandas ciudadanas. González expresó: “El pueblo nos habló. Nos pidió un servicio digno, rápido y constante. Escuchamos, corregimos la operación y hoy avanzamos con resultados”.

La OMSA ha implementado un sistema diario de desinfección mediante ozono en todos los autobuses del corredor, con el objetivo de transformar los conductos de aire y el ambiente interno de las unidades en espacios libres de bacterias, virus, hongos y malos olores, sin dejar residuos tóxicos. Para ejecutar este proceso, la institución dispone de una estación propia equipada con tecnología Turbo Fast de inyección de ozono ultravioleta, que purifica el aire en solo 10 minutos y alcanza un 99,9% de desinfección en el interior de los vehículos, garantizando un entorno saludable de manera sistemática desde el inicio de operaciones modernizadas.

En términos operativos, la ruta del corredor recorre un amplio tramo de la Avenida 27 de Febrero, conectando de forma estratégica todo el Gran Santo Domingo desde la zona de Induveca hasta las proximidades del Hipódromo V Centenario, cubriendo cerca de 65 paradas en su trayecto y operando de 6:00 a.m. a 22:00. Entre las novedades anunciadas, González confirmó que “el Corredor 27 de Febrero se emparejará con la ruta hacia la Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD)”, lo que facilitará el acceso de miles de estudiantes a esa casa de estudios.

La tarifa estándar para el recorrido es de RD$15.00, mientras que, como fue anunciado, el beneficio de gratuidad ya está disponible para los adultos mayores de 65 años, quienes integran una minoría significativa dentro del flujo total de pasajeros.

Respuesta táctica a una demanda histórica: intervalos de cinco minutos y modernización de flota

Con la incorporación de unidades renovadas y modernas, la OMSA garantiza una operación sostenida de autobuses cada cinco minutos, eliminando esperas prolongadas y elevando la puntualidad y comodidad, lo que representa un giro esencial respecto a modelos de operación previos. Esta frecuencia, inédita en la historia del servicio, ha marcado la pauta para futuras intervenciones en otras rutas del transporte público dominicano.

González concluyó que “estamos devolviendo el respeto al usuario. Autobuses limpios, puntuales y sin abusos. La OMSA nueva escucha, corrige y avanza con la gente”.

El Corredor 27 de Febrero se posiciona actualmente como una de las rutas con mayor afluencia y modernización en el sistema de transporte de la República Dominicana, integrando innovaciones tecnológicas, subsidios sociales y una gestión operativa orientada a la demanda real de los pasajeros, de acuerdo con los datos difundidos por la OMSA.

Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue is suing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, accusing the Republican of using his office for «retaliation» to punish the group for its political work and asking a federal judge to block his investigations and litigation against the organization.

«ActBlue is trying to take me down,» Paxton, who is running for Senate in Texas, wrote on X. «I sued the fundraising platform for deceiving Americans by lying about its donation processes that allow fraudulent and foreign donations.

«I will hold those who break the law accountable.»

The ActBlue lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court in Boston, seeks to counter the case Paxton brought last month in Texas state court accusing ActBlue of misleading Congress and the public about its donation practices. ActBlue said Paxton’s actions are part of an unlawful retaliation campaign targeting the nation’s leading small-dollar Democratic fundraising platform.

TEXAS AG PAXTON SUES DEM FUNDRAISING PLATFORM ACTBLUE, ALLEGING ‘FRAUDULENT AND FOREIGN DONATIONS’

«Ken Paxton has spent more than two years using the power of his office to investigate, harass, and sue ActBlue,» Lawrence Oliver, ActBlue’s chief legal officer, said in a statement.

«The timing of Paxton fighting for his political life in his run for U.S. Senate and his use of the Attorney General’s  office to attack ActBlue, should not be lost on anyone. He is wasting taxpayer dollars to benefit his political ambitions.

«That is not law enforcement. It is retaliation against constitutionally protected speech and association, and it is exactly what the First Amendment forbids.»

DEM FUNDRAISING GIANT ACTBLUE ROCKED BY ALLEGATIONS IT MISLED CONGRESS ABOUT FOREIGN DONATIONS

ActBlue alleges Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, is investigating its Democrat fundraising platform to target his potential November election opponent James Talarico. (Julio Cortez/AP Photo)

ActBlue also argues selective prosecution, noting Paxton has never investigated WinRed — the Republican fundraising counterpart to ActBlue — alleging in the lawsuit that «Paxton has a history of targeting Democratic-aligned entities.»

«During his tenure as Texas Attorney General, Paxton has signaled an emphasis on enforcement against entities enabling voting and political speech that he perceives as aligned with the Democratic Party,» the lawsuit reads. «He has consistently sought to suppress speech with which he disagrees and hobble his political opponents by abusing the powers of his Office.»

ActBlue cited a New York Times report that Talarico «had posted strong fundraising numbers for the first quarter of 2026,» in potentially being the nexus for Paxton’s opening his investigation.

‘OPEN BORDERS TRUMP-HATING RADICAL’: GOP UNLEASHES EARLY BLITZ ON TEXAS DEMOCRAT TALARICO

The timing of his investigation shows a political motive, ActBlue’s lawsuit argues. The group says Paxton’s investigators began conducting undercover transactions on ActBlue’s platform Feb. 18, one day after Talarico announced he had raised $2.5 million in 24 hours, including more than $2.2 million through ActBlue.

The lawsuit said Paxton filed his Texas case five days after national reporting described Talarico as a major fundraising threat who had raised more than $36 million through the platform.

The lawsuit marks an escalation in a broader Republican-backed campaign targeting ActBlue and other online fundraising platforms. President Donald Trump last year directed his Department of Justice to investigate the groups, and Paxton has pursued ActBlue through a series of inquiries dating back to December 2023.

‘TIPPING THE SCALES’: HOUSE GOP LEADERS RIP ACTBLUE AFTER DEM FUNDRAISING GIANT HIT WITH SUBPOENA

The issue comes as the Democratic National Committee reportedly carried more than $17.5 million in debt this winter, according to the FEC.

The House Administration, Judiciary and Oversight committees have been investigating ActBlue for more than a year and issued a 2025 report titled «Fraud on ActBlue.»

«ActBlue has engaged in good faith at every turn,» the group wrote in a statement after sending a letter to the committees last week before filing the Paxton lawsuit.

TOP HOUSE COMMITTEES ACCUSE DEM FUNDRAISING GIANT OF FACILITATING ‘BAD ACTORS’ IN BOMBSHELL DOJ LETTER

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan are leading investigations into ActBlue. (AP)

«We are asking the Committees to do the same: engage with us directly before sending accusatory public correspondence, and answer unresolved questions about the relationship between their oversight work and a DOJ investigation ordered by a President who has made no secret of his hostility towards ActBlue.

«We see what this is,» the statement added. «And we’re going to keep showing up, keep correcting the record — because that’s what transparency actually looks like. Not as a talking point. As a practice.»

Paxton’s Texas lawsuit, filed April 20, seeks financial penalties and asks a state court to stop ActBlue from allowing donations through gift cards and prepaid debit cards. Paxton alleged those payment methods could obscure a donor’s identity and enable illegal contributions, including from foreign nationals. His suit also claimed ActBlue continued to process gift card donations after saying in 2024 that it would stop doing so.

DEMOCRAT PLATFORM ACTBLUE SUBPOENAED BY HOUSE COMMITTEE AMID CONCERNS FOREIGN DONORS EXPLOITED SECURITY FLAWS

ActBlue denied the allegations.

«This is a thinly veiled attempt to distract from Ken Paxton’s numerous legal and ethical issues ahead of next month’s runoff,» ActBlue spokeswoman De’Andra Roberts-LaBoo told Fox News in an April 20 statement via email. «If he and his Republican allies actually cared about donor fraud, they would work to strengthen security standards across the board, including within their own operations, rather than targeting ActBlue.

«Our platform has done more than any other, regardless of party, to prevent improper donations and protect donors. Full stop.»

SCOOP: DEM FUNDRAISING GIANT ACTBLUE HIT WITH SUBPOENA BY TOP HOUSE COMMITTEES

Investigators from Paxton’s office attempted three times to use an American Express gift card on ActBlue’s platform, and all three attempts were rejected by the platform’s automated fraud-prevention tools, according to the complaint.

ActBlue said Paxton nevertheless filed a lawsuit accusing the group of having «secretly resumed» accepting gift cards and failed to disclose the failed test transactions to the Texas court, calling the allegations «false and inflammatory.»

«Paxton’s decision to use his government office to target ActBlue with legal sanctions as retribution for its protected speech and political association is an affront to the Constitution and must not be tolerated,» ActBlue’s lawyers wrote in the federal lawsuit.

Since its founding in 2004, ActBlue said it has helped raise $19 billion for Democratic campaigns and progressive organizations, including more than $568 million in the first quarter of 2026, acting as a conduit for individual donors.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The lawsuit asks a federal judge to declare Paxton’s investigation and Texas civil case unconstitutional violations of ActBlue’s First and 14th Amendment rights and to bar him from continuing to pursue them.

Reuters contributed to this report.

This is part one of a series examining the challenges confronting the NATO alliance.

As President Donald Trump ramps up pressure on NATO allies to increase defense spending — and orders the withdrawal of 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany over the next six to 12 months — a deeper issue is coming into focus: even as allied budgets rise, NATO still depends heavily on American military power to function.

NATO’s imbalance is not theoretical — and it is not new, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg told Fox News Digital, «I told the president… maybe you ought to talk about a tiered relationship with NATO,» Kellogg described conversations with Donald Trump in his first term about the alliance’s future. «…we need to develop a new, for lack of a better term, a new NATO a new defensive alignment with Europe.»

Kellogg, who served as a senior national security official during Trump’s first term, said the alliance has expanded politically but not militarily — creating what he sees as a growing gap between commitments and real capability.

NATO CHIEF SIGNALS ALLIES MAY ACT ON HORMUZ, WARNS OF ‘UNHEALTHY CODEPENDENCE’ ON US

«You started with 12, and you went to 32, and in the process, I think you diluted the impact,» he argued, calling today’s NATO «a very bloated architecture.»

«They haven’t put the money into defense. Their defense industry and defense forces have atrophied. When you look at the Brits right now, they could barely deploy forces: they have two aircraft carriers, both under maintenance. Their brigades are like one out of six that work. And you just look at the capability, it’s just not there. So I think we need to realize that and say, well, we need something different,» Kellogg, who is the co-chair of the Center for American Security at the America First Foreign Policy Institute, told Fox News Digital.

But not everyone agrees the alliance is losing relevance.

«It has never been more relevant,» said John R. Deni, a research professor at the U.S. Army War College, who says NATO remains central to U.S. national security.

«The reason for that is twofold,» he said. «One, it’s our comparative advantage versus the Chinese and the Russians… they don’t have anything like this.»

«And the second reason… NATO underwrites the security and stability of our most important trade and investment relationship,» he added, referring to economic ties between North America and Europe.

NATO ALLIES CLASH AFTER RUSSIAN JETS BREACH AIRSPACE, TESTING ALLIANCE RESOLVE

NATO Chiefs of Defense hold a hybrid meeting in Brussels on Aug. 20, 2025, with screens displaying allied leaders joining remotely to discuss Ukraine. (Fox News)

Dependence: Design or Weakness?

By around 2010, the United States accounted for roughly 65% to 70% of NATO defense spending, according to analysis provided by Barak Seener from the Henry Jackson Society, a London-based think tank.

«They’ve always been dependent on the U.S.,» Kellogg said of the European allies.

«The allies overall rely upon one another for deterrence and defense by design,» Deni said, explaining that alliances exist to «pool their resources» and «aggregate their individual strengths.»

Deni pointed to ground forces as a clear example of what the U.S. gains from the alliance, noting that «there are far more allied mechanized infantry forces on the ground than there are Americans.»

Still, he acknowledged that reliance has at times gone too far.

«In the past… it was fair to say that the European allies were overly reliant upon the Americans for conventional defense,» he said, pointing to the 2000s.

That, he said, was partly driven by U.S. priorities — as Washington pushed European allies to focus on wars in Afghanistan and Iraq rather than territorial defense.

A Polish Army soldier sits in a tank as a NATO flag flies behind during the NATO Noble Jump VJTF exercises on June 18, 2015, in Zagan, Poland. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Seener describes NATO as «formally collective, but functionally asymmetric,» with the U.S. providing a disproportionate share of «high-end capabilities.»

That asymmetry is most visible in nuclear deterrence.

Seener said the U.S. provides the overwhelming majority of NATO’s nuclear arsenal — including intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched systems and strategic bombers — meaning deterrence ultimately relies on the assumption of U.S. retaliation.

A NATO official told Fox News Digital that, «The U.S. nuclear deterrent cannot be replaced, but it is clear that Europe needs to step up. There’s no question. There needs to be a better balance when it comes to our defense and security. Both because we see the vital role the U.S. plays around the world and the resources that it demands, and also because it is only fair.»

«The good news,» the official added, «is that the Allies are doing exactly that. They are stepping up, working together — and with the U.S. — to ensure we collectively have what we need to deter and defend one billion people living across the Euro-Atlantic area.»

NATO LAUNCHES ARCTIC SECURITY PUSH AS TRUMP EYES GREENLAND TAKEOVER

Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters of the U.S. Army 12th Combat Aviation Brigade fly over a Lithuanian Vilkas infantry fighting vehicle during the Allied Spirit 25 military exercise near Hohenfels, Germany, on March 12, 2025.

The Systems NATO Cannot Replace

Beyond nuclear weapons, the dependence runs through the alliance’s operational backbone.

Seener pointed to U.S.-provided intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance — as well as logistics and command systems — as essential to NATO operations.

«Without U.S. intelligence and surveillance, NATO loses situational awareness and early warning capabilities,» Seener said, adding, «So that means that Russia, for example, can attack Europe. And theoretically, if there’s no NATO and the U.S. is not involved, Europe would not be aware, or it would take it too long to be able to defend itself.»

Kellogg also says that much of Europe’s military capability falls short of top-tier systems.

«For the most part, their equipment, if you had to grade it A, B, C, D, E, F, they’re kind of like B players or C players,» he said. «It’s not the first line of work.»

He pointed to air and missile defense as a key gap, noting that while European countries rely on U.S.-made systems such as Patriot and THAAD, «they don’t have a system that’s comparable.»

Kellogg attributed that to years of underinvestment, saying European defense industries «have atrophied,» adding that the United States is also now «relearning that as well.»

TRUMP AFFIRMS US ‘WILL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR NATO,’ WHILE EXPRESSING DOUBTS ABOUT ALLIANCE

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg looks on as President Donald Trump and Poland’s President Andrzej Duda talk during a working lunch at the NATO leaders summit in Watford, Britain, on Dec. 4, 2019. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Deni said the picture today is more mixed.

«Alliance defense spending has been up… and has spiked far more after 2022,» he said, pointing to Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014 as a turning point.

But he cautioned that capability gains take time, noting that many improvements are still years away from full deployment.

Deni pointed to recent European purchases of U.S. systems as evidence of growing capability, noting that countries including Poland, Romania, Norway and Denmark are acquiring the F-35 fighter jet from the U.S.

«You can’t build an F-35 overnight,» he said, adding that many of these improvements will take years to fully materialize.

A NATO official told Fox News Digital the alliance «needs to move further and faster» to meet growing threats, pointing to new capability targets agreed by defense ministers in June 2025.

Keith Kellogg speaks during the Warsaw Security Forum 2025 on Sept. 30, 2025, in Warsaw, Poland. (Marek Antoni Iwanczuk/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The official said priorities include air and missile defense, long-range weapons, logistics and large land forces, noting that while details remain classified, plans call for a fivefold increase in air and missile defense, «thousands more» armored vehicles and tanks, and «millions more» artillery shells. NATO also aims to double key enabling capabilities such as logistics, transportation and medical support.

The official added that allies are increasing investments in warships, aircraft, drones, long-range missiles, as well as space and cyber capabilities, while boosting readiness and modernizing command and control.

«These targets are now included in national plans,» the official said, adding that allies must demonstrate how they will meet them through sustained defense spending and capability development.

The NATO official also noted that European allies lead multinational forces across Central and Eastern Europe, while the U.S. and Canada serve as framework nations in Poland and Latvia, alongside ongoing air policing missions and NATO’s KFOR operation in Kosovo.

One of three Swedish Air Force JAS 39 Gripen fighter aircraft takes off from the Blekinge Wing F17, based in Kallinge southern Sweden for a base in Sardinia to join the Nato-led operation in Libya, on Saturday, April 2, 2011. As Sweden joins NATO, it bids a final farewell to more than two centuries of neutrality. (AP Photo/Scanpix/Patric Soderstrom, File)

What happens if the U.S. is stretched?

Kellogg’s warning is direct: NATO’s deterrence depends on U.S. presence.

«The one you always have to worry about… is Russia,» Kellogg, who was Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia in 2025, said.

If U.S. forces are tied down elsewhere, NATO could face serious strain — particularly in areas like intelligence and logistics.

For Kellogg, the danger is delay. «We won’t know until it happens,» he said. «And then you won’t be able to respond to it.»

Deni, however, said the alliance remains a strategic asset — not a liability.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

A NATO military force stands guard outside the World Forum in The Hague ahead of the two-day NATO summit on June 22, 2025. (Remko de Waal/ANP/AFP)

The question, he suggests, is not whether NATO still works. It is whether allies can adapt fast enough to keep it working.