New Jersey
Why are flags at half-staff in New Jersey? What to know
In a solemn tribute to the sacrifice and service of New Jersey State Police Trooper Marcellus E. Bethea, Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order directing all U.S. and New Jersey flags to fly at half-staff on Wednesday.
The gesture comes as the state mourns the loss of Bethea, who died during training on Sunday, May 5.
Why are flags at half-staff?
Murphy, reflecting on Bethea’s character and dedication, remarked, “Trooper Bethea embodied the core values of the New Jersey State Police: Honor, Duty, and Fidelity.” He continued, “We owe a debt of gratitude to our State Police troopers that bravely and selflessly serve the people of New Jersey each day.”
Bethea was undergoing training to become a member of the elite Technical Emergency and Mission Specialist Unit at the time of his death. He leaves behind his wife, Katarzyna, and their daughter, Bella.
“Trooper Bethea’s tragic passing serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by our law enforcement officers in the line of duty,” Murphy stated. “This loss has been keenly felt across the state, and Tammy and I send our deepest condolences to Trooper Bethea’s family, friends, and his fellow troopers.”
Why are flags lowered?
As New Jersey prepares to honor Bethea’s memory, the lowering of flags to half-staff stands as a somber yet poignant tribute to his dedicated service and ultimate sacrifice. It serves as a visible symbol of mourning and respect for the individual being honored.
In maritime tradition, lowering a flag to half-mast signifies distress. This tradition has carried over into other contexts, such as during national emergencies or tragedies, when lowering the flag can symbolize a nation or community in distress or mourning.
The half-staff position
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the flag should be briskly run up to the top of the staff before being lowered slowly to the half-staff position.
Although the flag does not have to be exactly in the middle of the staff or flagpole, it should, however, be lowered to at least the width of your flag.
When are flags flown at half-staff?
Flag etiquette dictates that flags should be flown at half-staff for specific periods following the passing of certain dignitaries and officials. Here’s a breakdown of the protocol, according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs:
- President or former president: Flags should fly at half-staff for 30 days at all federal buildings, grounds, and naval vessels in the United States and its territories.
- Vice president, chief justice, speaker of the house: Flags should be lowered for 10 days after their passing.
- Associate justice of the Supreme Court, cabinet member, former vice president, Senate president pro tempore, Senate majority/minority leaders, House majority/minority leaders: Flags should remain at half-staff from the day of death until interment.
- United States senator, representative, territorial delegate, or resident commissioner from Puerto Rico: Flags should fly at half-staff in the Washington, D.C., area and in the official’s respective state, congressional district, territory, or commonwealth for one day after the death.
- Governor of a state, territory, or possession: Flags should be lowered from the day of death until interment in the governor’s state, territory, or possession.
- Other officials, former officials, or foreign dignitaries: The president has the authority to order flags to be flown at half-staff to honor their passing. Additionally, the president may order flags at half-staff after other tragic events.
Holidays to fly your flag at half-staff
- Memorial Day (Last Monday in May)
- National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (Dec. 7)
- Peace Officers Memorial Day (May 15)
- Patriot Day (Sept. 11)
- First Sunday of Fire Prevention Week (usually first Sunday in October)
FIFA and New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill have become embroiled in a war of words this past week as the prospect of $150 train tickets to travel to World Cup games and plans to close parts of New York’s Penn Station have angered residents.
The recent uproar began after reports surfaced April 6 that parts of Penn Station would be closed to NJ Transit commuters not attending World Cup games for four hours before kickoff during the eight matches at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
Advertisement
Moreover, round-trip train tickets between Penn Station in Manhattan and MetLife Stadium, where the final of the FIFA World Cup is set to be played, were announced by NJ Transit to come in at $150 per person.
A return ride on the same line typically costs $12.90, according to NJ Transit.
The FIFA World Cup Trophy is displayed during the Los Angeles stop of The FIFA World Cup 26 Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola at LA Live in Los Angeles on March 24, 2026.
In a press release on April 17, Sherrill said the move to increase prices was caused by FIFA’s decision to eliminate parking at MetLife Stadium. The Democratic governor said price increases happened because FIFA did not agree to cover the costs of transporting fans.
“We are committed to ensuring costs are shared fairly. As I have said repeatedly, FIFA should cover the cost of transporting its fans. If it won’t, we will not be subsidizing World Cup ticket holders on the backs of New Jerseyans who rely on NJ TRANSIT every day,” Sherrill said.
Advertisement
More: Going to World Cup at MetLife Stadium? Expect $150 train tickets and no parking
FIFA, on the other hand, has said the price increase would have a “chilling effect” on fans attending games in New Jersey and said Sherrill’s demands asking FIFA to absorb transportation costs for fans were “unprecedented.”
“Elevated fares inevitably push fans toward alternative transportation options. This increases concerns of congestion, late arrivals, and creates broader ripple effects that ultimately diminish the economic benefit and lasting legacy the entire region stands to gain from hosting the World Cup,” Heimo Schirgi, COO for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, said in a statement to USA TODAY.
The NJ Transit logo is seen in the lobby of the New Jersey Transit headquarters ahead of a press briefing on the New York/New Jersey FIFA World Cup 2026 regional mobility plan in Newark, New Jersey on April 17, 2026.
What are other cities doing with World Cup transportation?
New Jersey has not been the only place where transportation costs have been the subject of discussion ahead of the World Cup. In Boston, round-trip train train tickets on the MBTA from Boston’s South Station to Gillette Stadium are being sold for $80.
Advertisement
Special event trains to Foxborough for New England Patriots NFL games and New England Revolution MLS matches are usually $20 for a round trip, according to local news station CBS Boston.
Other cities have not seen increases like the ones in New Jersey and Boston. In Atlanta, for example, train fares on the city’s MARTA will be $2.50 per ride, with children able to travel for free with a paying adult.
Kansas City is offering $15 round-trip shuttle rides for fans parking in four different park-and-ride locations, as well as those coming from FIFA’s Fan Festival in the city. Los Angeles, on the other hand, is offering fans a $3.50 round trip train ticket on its Metro Train.
SEPTA in Philadelphia is also keeping its prices low, with fans set to pay the base $2.90 fare for a ride on its Broad Street Line, which takes riders to Lincoln Financial Field, set to host six matches.
Advertisement
Katie Sobko from USA TODAY Network’s NorthJersey.com contributed to this report.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Cup fans going to MetLife Stadium to pay $150 for NJT ticket
Who’s footing the bill to get to the FIFA World Cup? That’s the question on everyone’s mind as New Jersey gears up to host eight games at MetLife Stadium this summer.
Governor Mikie Sherill says the skyrocketing transportation costs have a $50 million price tag — one that she’s not willing to pass on to commuters.
Ticket prices have been a hot topic, but we may have to wait a bit longer for an answer.
Transportation officials on Friday will be talking about how NJ Transit service is going to be impacted.
Four hours before those matches, NJ Transit service from New York Penn Station to New Jersey is expected to be suspended, exclusively going to MetLife Stadium only.
Friday’s press conference is happening to discuss what alternatives there are for commuters during those four hours when service could be restricted.
Four World Cup matches are during the week, so this service disruption will impact the afternoon commute for many people.
There have been rumors recently that a round-trip New Jersey Transit ticket to attend the FIFA World Cup could cost up to $150. The normal price is $12.90.
A set price has not been announced yet, so that’s a big question still, and it may be brought up at Friday’s press conference or we may have to wait a bit longer for an answer.
NJ Transit says it’s going to cost around $48 million to provide service during the World Cup, primarily because of extra security.
Gov. Sherrill says she doesn’t want to pass that cost onto every everyday commuters.
She released a video on social media saying FIFA should pay for the rides, but FIFA says that’s not part of the original deal.
“I won’t stick New Jersey’s commuters with that tab for years to come. That’s not fair. So here’s the bottom line, FIFA should pay for the rides, but if they don’t, I’m not going to let New Jersey commuters get taken for one,” Sherrill said.
Sherrill says her predecessor set up the deal.
The press conference is set to be held at 11:30 a.m.
There is parking available at the American Dream Mall. Those prices are set by FIFA and could run over $200 per space.
Those who park at the mall will have access to mall festivities and celebrations.
Copyright © 2026 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Democrat Analilia Mejia won a New Jersey special election for the US House on Thursday, defeating Republican Joe Hathaway on a message of standing up to Donald Trump.
Mejia, a former head of the Working Families Alliance who had support from the senator Bernie Sanders, will fill the seat previously held by the Democratic governor Mikie Sherrill and serve until January.
Her victory is a win for progressives and means Democrats hold on to the 11th district seat in the House, where Republicans hold a thin majority. It also adds to a string of victories for Democrats heading into this year’s midterm elections.
The Associated Press called the race for Mejia minutes after the polls closed.
Mejia emerged from a crowded primary in February and cast the race as a test of Trump’s leadership. She criticized his pardons of people convicted of January 6-related crimes and faulted him for freezing funds authorized by Congress.
“The people here are ready to do something about it,” she said recently. “We’re not here to write strongly worded letters. Congress has real power.”
She campaigned on populist economic policies and pushing to abolish US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She has criticized the Israeli government and said she stands with Palestinian communities in their “pursuit of peace and dignity”.
Hathaway tried to use Mejia’s progressive credentials to his advantage, as national Republicans cast her as a socialist.
“I’m running to bring common-sense leadership to D.C + deliver results for our families, not push a far-left agenda,” Hathaway said in a recent social media post.
They could go head to head again in November’s election for a full two-year term.
The 11th district, which covers parts of Essex, Morris and Passaic counties in northern New Jersey’s wealthy suburbs, was long a Republican stronghold but has become increasingly Democratic since Trump’s first term.
Sherrill first won the seat in 2018’s midterm elections, when Democrats flipped dozens of seats to take control of Congress. In 2024, she won re-election by about 15 points, while Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, carried the district by nearly nine points.
Saran Cunningham, an 86-year-old retired special educator, said she was initially reluctant to support Mejia, worried that her views were too far to the left. She backed another candidate in the primary. But recently, outside the Morristown early polling location, she said she would now vote for Mejia.
“I think we’ve been tilting a little bit more to the right lately, which worries me,” Cunningham said. “I think that we need people in Congress who will fight for things that will help people as opposed to hurting them.”
Over the years, Mejia has been a regular presence in the state capitol, advocating for progressive causes, and was Sanders’s political director during his 2020 presidential run. During the Biden administration, she was deputy director of the labor department’s women’s bureau. In addition to winning Sanders’s endorsement, she was backed by the US representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the senator Elizabeth Warren.
U.S. Women’s National Team Closes Three-Game Series Against Japan With Emphatic 3-0 Victory in Colorado
Griner happy to be in Connecticut with the Sun
DDA inducts three Delaware Century Farms – 47abc
Bodycam captures life-saving rescue of choking baby by Florida deputies
New York Giants Draft Prospect Profile: WR Ted Hurst, Georgia State
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Grieving mothers scorch Dem lawmaker after he pivots during hearing to attack ‘MAGA Republicans’
Pressure mounts on Peru’s election authorities amid presidential race delay
Tornadoes touch down in Rochester area
Minnesota Republicans reveal which far-left candidate they want to challenge in open Senate race
Swedish rights groups slam ‘honest living’ criteria for migrants
-
Ohio4 days ago‘Little Rascals’ star Bug Hall arrested in Ohio
-
Arkansas1 week agoArkansas TV meteorologist Melinda Mayo retires after nearly four decades on air
-
Politics3 days agoDem fundraising giant in the hot seat as GOP lawmakers demand answers over dodged subpoena
-
Science3 days ago‘Dr. Pimple Popper’ Sandra Lee had a stroke last fall. Here’s how the TV doc is bouncing back
-
Politics6 days agoTrump blasts Spanberger ahead of Virginia meetings, says state faces tax base exodus like New York, California
-
Health1 week agoWoman discovers missing nose ring traveled to her lungs, causing month-long cough
-
Detroit, MI1 week agoByron Allen’s “Comics Unleashed” replacing Colbert’s “Late Show”
-
San Francisco, CA5 days agoPresident Trump terminates Presidio Trust