ZFJ founder. Oxford comma enthusiast. Unfortunately specializes in the government beat. Computer science and economics undergraduate student at the University of Maryland, College Park.
NEW YORK, Jan. 5 (ZFJ) — New York subway, local bus, and Access-a-Ride fares increased 10 cents from $2.90 to $3 ($1.45 to $1.50 reduced) on Sunday, Jan. 4.
Per the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the automatic rolling 7-day fare cap for unlimited rides is now permanent. After paying for 12 rides in a 7-day period, all additional rides are free, meaning no rider will pay more than $35 ($17.50 reduced) in a week.
METUCHEN, Jan. 7 (ZFJ) — Peter Fragoso, 29, of New Brunswick, N.J., has been charged with the attempted murder of a 23-year-old man from Long Branch, N.J., on Dec. 3, 2025.
On Dec. 3, at about 7:34 p.m., the Metuchen Police Department received a 911 call reporting an altercation between two men involving a knife at a residence on Durham Avenue.
Responding police officers found the victim with stab wounds. He was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where he was treated for his injuries.
EDISON, N.J., Jan. 7 (ZFJ) — Jordan D. Jackson-Small, 35, of Edison, N.J., has been charged with the murder of Imani Smith, 26, of Edison on Dec. 21, 2025.
On Dec. 21, at 9:18 a.m., the Edison Police Department received multiple 911 calls, including one by Jackson-Small, reporting a stabbing that occurred in the Robert E. Holmes Gardens public housing complex on Grove Avenue.
Responding police officers found Smith with a stab wound to her neck, Jackson-Small, and a three-year-old child.
COLLEGE PARK, Md., Jan. 2 (ZFJ) — Raising Cane’s opened a location in College Park on Dec. 9, 2025.
Cane’s is a fast food chain that was founded in Louisiana and specializes in chicken fingers. Its combo boxes also include fries, signature Cane’s sauce, Texas toast, and coleslaw.
Raising Cane’s in College Park midnight on opening day, Dec. 9, 2025. ZFJ/Alvin Wu
The store address is 7400 Baltimore Avenue. It is located on the corner of Baltimore Avenue and Knox Road, placing it across from city hall and adjacent to Terrapin’s Turf and the College Park Shopping Center.
NEW YORK, Jan. 1 (ZFJ) — The MetroCard is retiring in favor of the OMNY tap and ride fare system.
Per the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), customers can no longer buy or refill MetroCards as of Thursday, Jan 1. Customers with valid MetroCards can transfer the value to an OMNY Card at a customer service center or use up the value before it expires.
The OMNY system allows riders to use their contactless credit or debit cards or a physical OMNY Card to pay for subway and bus fares.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 (ZFJ) — The federal government has been unconstitutionally targeting pro-Palestinian foreign students for deportation for protected speech, ruled a district judge on Sept. 30, 2025.
U.S. District Judge William G. Young, a Ronald Reagan nominee, came to the conclusion that Secretaries Kristi Noem and Marco Rubio of the departments of Homeland Security and State “acted in concert to misuse the sweeping powers of their respective offices to target non-citizen pro-Palestinians for deportation primarily on account of their First Amendment protected political speech” after a nine day bench trial in Massachusetts.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 (ZFJ) — All Washington Metrorail lines returned to automatic train operation (ATO) this year for the first time since 2009.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) returned ATO to the Green and Yellow lines on May 23 and Blue, Orange, and Silver lines on June 15 after “rigorous internal training and testing and concurrence from the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission.” The Red line already returned to ATO in December 2024.
Dec. 27 (ZFJ) — GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke resigned on Aug. 11, with the platform’s leadership now more integrated into Microsoft’s CoreAI team.
In an internal memo sent to employees of the code repository service, Dohmke announced his decision to leave GitHub to become a startup founder again. He said that “GitHub and its leadership team will continue its mission as part of Microsoft’s CoreAI organization, with more details shared soon” and added that he’ll be staying through the end of 2025 to help with transitioning.
COLLEGE PARK, Md., Dec. 27 (ZFJ) — Baltimore County has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to cooperate on immigration enforcement.
On Oct. 31, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Baltimore County’s removal from the department’s list of “sanctuary jurisdictions.”
“Despite restrictions from state leadership, Baltimore County has shown a willingness to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement,” said U.S. Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward.
COLLEGE PARK, Md., Dec. 27 (ZFJ) — Human remains found in a park in College Park on Nov. 3 have prompted a homicide investigation.
The Prince George’s County Police Department was assisting the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and FBI Cross Border Task Force with a missing persons investigation when it searched Indian Creek Stream Valley Park and found human remains.
The remains were sent to the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which ruled the case a homicide.
