New Jersey
Jury selection starts in Sen. Bob Menendez's corruption trial • New Jersey Monitor
Eight months after federal authorities indicted Sen. Bob Menendez in a wide-ranging corruption scheme, his trial got off to a slow start in Manhattan Monday, with the federal judge excusing almost a third of the 150 potential jurors called.
U.S. Judge Sidney Stein warned them the trial could last into the first week of July and briefly summarized the accusations in prosecutors’ 18-count indictment against New Jersey’s senior senator. Prosecutors say the senator accepted gold bars, cash, a luxury car, and more as bribes from three businessmen to disrupt several criminal probes and prosecutions, steer military arms and aid to Egypt, help one land a lucrative deal with a Qatari investor, help another gain a monopoly on meat imports to Egypt, and conspired to cover it all up as investigators closed in.
When the judge subsequently asked which potential jurors had substantial reasons they could not serve, dozens of hands shot up, and they were called one by one into a separate room for questioning by Stein and two members each of the prosecution and defense teams.
Some of those who sought an out cited scheduling conflicts, travel plans, and work or family obligations, while others told Stein they could not be fair. Some had very specific excuses. One juror told Stein he has an extreme fear of heights (Stein’s courtroom is on the 23rd floor, with windows overlooking the city).
Another said she has a trip scheduled to Europe later this month and plans to see Bruce Springsteen in Spain.
Stein noted that Springsteen recently announced new tour dates.
“You could catch him, probably in Giants Stadium,” he said.
Another potential juror told Stein she’s a housing attorney who gets “worked up” when she hears about public corruption and called the case “triggering.”
Another said she recently became a children’s librarian in Greenwich, Connecticut, and fretted about a lengthy trial’s impact on her job, as she hasn’t passed her probationary period there. That prompted Stein to rhapsodize about being a children’s librarian in another life.
“I’m telling you, that’s what I would do, children’s librarian,” he said.
Back in the courtroom, Menendez sat alone at a defense table and stared forward silently, his fingers steepled in front of him in the hushed courtroom. His co-defendants, businessman Wael Hana and real estate developer Fred Daibes, sat beside their attorneys at a separate table.
By mid-afternoon, Stein had excused 38 jurors from an initial pool of 100 and called another 50 people in for questioning. About a dozen are expected to be excused from that last batch when the initial round of questioning wraps up Tuesday.
It was an anticlimactic start for a trial that promises plenty of drama, given the more salacious parts of prosecutors’ indictment and the details that have emerged since — that the bribes typically went to and through the senator’s wife, Nadine; that he probably will blame her; that he used his powerful position as head of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations to act as a foreign agent; and that he may explain his hoarded riches as a trauma response to his father’s suicide and his family’s refugee experience.
The senator, his attorneys at his side, breezed past a mob of photographers and television journalists Monday morning on his way into the Daniel Patrick Moynihan federal courthouse, just two blocks from where former President Trump’s trial is unfolding.
He wore a navy suit with his Senate pin on the lapel and went through security like everyone else, doffing his belt before walking through the metal detector. In the courtroom, he smiled and chatted with his attorneys as they waited for proceedings to start.
Before calling in prospective jurors, Stein scolded attorneys who filed a flurry of briefs and motions over the weekend.
“There’s been too much gamesmanship here, and I want it to end now,” he barked. “Everybody has to operate in good faith here. I’m not sure I’ve seen it.”
The trial resumes Tuesday morning, with attorneys expected to pick a jury from the remaining 100 or so potential jurors by interrogating them further on everything from their understanding of halal food to their thoughts on keeping cash at home instead of in a bank account to their perceptions of New Jersey residents, politicians, wealthy people, immigrants, Coptic Christians, Egypt, and more.
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New survey data released May 13 suggests affordability pressures are increasingly shaping whether older New Jersey residents stay or leave the state.
More than one-third of residents age 45 and older – 35% – said they have considered leaving New Jersey in the past year, according to a new AARP New Jersey “Vital Voices” survey. Among those weighing a move, 67% said the high cost of living is a primary reason.
The findings come as state lawmakers continue discussions centered on property taxes, utility costs and policies aimed at helping residents age in place.
“New Jersey should be a place where people can afford to grow older, not a place they feel forced to leave,” Chris Widelo, state director of AARP New Jersey, said in a statement. “Right now, rising costs are pushing people out.”
NJ property taxes, utilities driving concern
Affordability pressures extend across multiple key household costs.
Property taxes remain a central concern, with 53% of respondents citing them as a factor in considering leaving the state. The survey also found strong support for the Stay NJ program, which provides eligible homeowners with up to $6,500 in annual property tax relief.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents (65%) said they support keeping the program intact, including maintaining the full benefit.
Rising utility costs are also a growing concern. About 89% of respondents said they are worried about increasing electricity bills, including a majority who said they are “very concerned.”
Support for caregiving relief, transparency
The survey highlights financial and logistical pressures facing caregivers, as more residents provide unpaid care for aging relatives.
More than half – 54% – of adults age 45 and older said they have served as unpaid caregivers. A majority said caregiving costs are a financial concern, and 86% expressed support for a caregiver tax credit.
Respondents also backed greater oversight of long-term care facilities. Strong majorities said they support requirements for nursing homes to disclose ownership, staffing levels and financial arrangements, along with greater transparency in how Medicaid funding is spent.
What it means for NJ budget talks
The findings underscore a broader policy debate in Trenton over how to address affordability challenges while maintaining services.
AARP New Jersey is urging state leaders to prioritize policies that reduce financial strain on older adults, including property tax relief, utility affordability and support for caregivers.
“This survey sends a clear message,” Widelo said. “If New Jersey wants to remain a place where people can age with dignity, we must focus on making it more affordable to stay.”
This story was created by reporter Joe Martino, jmartino@usatodayco.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more.
New Jersey
24-year-old elected mayor of NJ town as incumbent faced backlash in wake of massive warehouse fire
BELLEVILLE, New Jersey (WABC) — Frank Vélez, a 24-year-old town councilman, was elected as the new mayor of Belleville, New Jersey, on Tuesday.
Vélez may be young, but he has years of experience after he became involved in politics at 19 because his sister has special needs.
He has served on the school board in Belleville and the town council, and he was on the staff of former congressman Bill Pascrell.
Vélez said his win is a testament to hard work.
“We ran on getting back to the basics, the quality of life. Talking about responsible development and just talking about getting back to the priorities of working people,” Vélez said.
Incumbent Michael Melham faced backlash for his handling of a massive warehouse fire that shut down schools for more than a week.
There has been growing pessimism in town, highlighted by the massive 14-alarm warehouse fire this month that caused residents to evacuate and schools to shut down for days.
Parents and educators wrote a joint letter critical of Melham and school leadership for failing to communicate with parents during the emergency.
“In the hours and days following the fire, our community was left navigating uncertainty with little or no official instruction, resorting to group chats and scavenging social media for guidance or information, both of which should have been provided by the government that we entrust for such tasks,” the letter read in part.
Vélez said he’s ready to get to work.
“I feel grateful. I am humbled, and I’m just- just so ready to get to work as the next mayor of Belleville. And I’m so grateful to everyone for support. This was a resounding victory,” Vélez said.
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Round-trip bus fares for fans attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been cut by 75% as officials scrambled to secure backup transportation between the Big Apple and New Jersey, a new report said.
The New York/New Jersey host committee slashed fares from $80 to $20 for ticket holders traveling from three Manhattan locations to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ — and boosted capacity from 10,000 to 18,000 seats by adding yellow school buses for the eight World Cup games, The Athletic reported.
Buses will shuttle up to 18,000 people on non-school matchdays, and about 12,000 on school-day games between June 13 and July 19.
The steep price cut comes after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul pumped $6 million into hacking down fares – with the investment setting aside about 20% of bus tickets for state residents who have purchased match tickets, the outlet reported.
Sources familiar with ticket sales told the Athletic that about 25% to 30% of tri-state area residents have already scooped up admissions for games at MetLife Stadium.
Alongside the major investment, Highland Fleets, which manages electric school bus fleets, worked with the New York City School Bus Umbrella Services – after contacting Hochul, the committee, and NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani – to secure additional buses, with about 300 hitting the road on peak matchdays.
The transit rides will leave from the Port Authority Bus Terminal, a Midtown east location east of Grand Central Terminal, and a Midtown North location west of Central Park, the outlet reported.
Highland Fleets chief operating officer Ben Schutzman said the goal was to create “affordable and accessible” bus services during the World Cup, while a Mamdani spokesperson praised the mayor’s support for discounted rides for ticketholders.
“Mayor Mamdani supports any effort that makes transportation more affordable for New Yorkers – including reduced-cost buses for World Cup ticketholders,” the mayor’s rep told the outlet.
“We look forward to rolling out additional free and affordable events to ensure that all New Yorkers can enjoy the World Cup.”
The price-slashing effort comes days after New Jersey Transit trimmed its widely slammed World Cup fare hike by 30% after securing funding from “sponsors and other sources.”
The new price will be set at $105 for a round-trip ticket from Manhattan to MetLife after fares were bumped more than 1,000% from the standard $12.90 ticket to a whopping $150.
The eight games being played at the Garden State stadium are set for June 13, June 16, June 22, June 25, June 27, June 30, July 5, and July 19.
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