By OLIVIA DIAZ

To those who argue that the U.S. penny had no value: some coin collectors beg to differ.

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In fact, they doled out millions for the final pennies circulated in the U.S. before the government ended the cent’s production back in November.

The U.S. Mint sold 232 three-cent sets for a whopping sum of $16.76 million at an auction last Thursday hosted by Stack’s Bowers Galleries.

The 232nd set — containing the last three pennies ever made — sold for $800,000. That bidder also got the three dies that struck those Lincoln cents.

John Kraljevich, director of numismatic Americana at Stack’s Bowers, said it was the kind of auction where you don’t know the items’ market value until people make their bids.

“I’ve been going to coin auctions for 40 years, and I can tell you, I’ve never seen anything like this, because there’s never been anything like this,” Kraljevich said.

Stack’s Bowers President Brian Kendrella said: “They captured the public imagination like few rare coins we’ve ever handled.”

FILE – A die for a penny press is seen at the U.S. Mint, in Philadelphia, Nov. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

When it was introduced in 1793, a penny could buy a biscuit or a piece of candy. Now most of them are tucked away into jars or junk drawers.

They can also be relics of history for coin collectors.

Each set comprised 2025 pennies struck at the Philadelphia Mint, the Denver Mint and a 24-karat gold penny to cap off the end of an era. Each cent also bore a unique Omega symbol.

FILE – U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach holds one of the last pennies pressed at the U.S. Mint, in Philadelphia, Nov. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

There were 232 grouplets to reflect each year the coin had been embedded in American culture.

“American culture has incorporated the penny into our lexicon, into our pop culture, into all of this stuff,” Kraljevich said. “And I think for a lot of people, the ending of production of cents for circulation is an item of nostalgia.”

Olivia Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge said Tuesday he’s leaning toward denying a preservationist group’s request to temporarily halt President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project, saying the organization failed to show that “irreparable harm” would be caused if the project moves forward.

U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon said he expects to issue his decision within a day.

Trump demolished the East Wing of the White House to build a ballroom large enough to accommodate 999 people in its place at an estimated cost of $300 million in private funding.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation went to court last week seeking a temporary restraining order to halt the project until it goes through multiple independent reviews and wins approval from Congress.

A Justice Department attorney argued at Tuesday’s hearing that the Trust has no standing in the case to sue and that underground construction must continue for national security reasons that were not outlined in open court. The attorney also said Trump is not subject to federal laws the Trust said he has failed to comply with.

Leon said he would hold another hearing in January.

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“With MetroCards no longer being sold after Dec. 31st, 2025, thousands of older New Yorkers must now navigate a system they did not choose and have not been guided through.”

(Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit)

The MTA’s transition from MetroCards to OMNY marks a major technological shift for New York City transit. But as the system evolves toward automation and convenience, one question remains: Who gets left behind?

For many older adults, especially those facing language and digital barriers, the rollout has brought confusion, anxiety, and new obstacles to accessing the public transportation they rely on daily for medical appointments, groceries, community programs, and social connection. 

With MetroCards no longer being sold after Dec. 31st, 2025, thousands of older New Yorkers must now navigate a system they did not choose and have not been guided through.

Meanwhile, more changes are coming. In January 2026, fares will increase from $2.90 to $3, and from $1.45 to $1.50 for Reduced-Fare riders. At the same time, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has pledged to make city buses fare-free, though cost and feasibility remain unclear. If New York is serious about equity and accessibility, OMNY must address the issues experienced by riders who depend on it.

At Homecrest Community Services, which has centers across Brooklyn in Bensonhurst, Sheepshead Bay, Sunset Park, and Bay Parkway, staff repeatedly hear the same concerns. 

At a MetroCard Van event at Homecrest’s Bensonhurst Older Adult Center, staff heard firsthand from older adults about the challenges they face with OMNY. Some reported trying to swipe their new OMNY cards instead of tapping, while others were unsure if the beep and flashing light meant their fare went through. Without the MetroCard’s familiar balance display, many were left guessing whether they had enough value or had just paid twice. 

The MTA has stated that next year’s updates will enable OMNY readers to display more visual cues. Riders can also check their OMNY balances online through the MTA’s website, which is also language accessible. However, it requires creating an account with an email address—something many older adults don’t have or find difficult to use. For them, OMNY vending machines are a more practical option. These machines offer language settings, but many who are less comfortable with technology find this initial step challenging. 

“One client never uses her OMNY card,” said Rihan Wu, case manager at Homecrest’s Sunset Park Center. “Every time she rides, she asks someone else to borrow their card and pays them back in cash.” Her reason? She does not know how to use the machine.

Unlike the old photo Reduced-Fare Metrocards, the new OMNY cards have no identifying marker. “If I lose my card, how will anyone know it’s mine?” Yin Mui Pun, a 72-year-old community member, asked us. After losing her OMNY card once and facing a long, complicated process in an attempt to recover funds, Ms. Pun now adds no more than $10 at a time. “As a retiree, every dollar matters,” she said.

Starting in December 2024, OMNY Reduced-Fare cards were automatically mailed to eligible riders to replace the Reduced Fare MetroCard. However, in recent months, the mailing has stopped. While riders can still apply by mail, this process is often slow and unreliable. Now, older adults must visit a customer service center or a mobile sales vehicle to obtain a new or replacement card—a step that can be challenging for those with mobility or language difficulties.

Stephanie Kuang, deputy director of the social services division, shared how her 83-year-old client traveled to the 24/7 Customer Service Center at Coney Island to replace a lost MetroCard. Because the client does not speak English, Kuang provided a note explaining the situation and the service the client required.

Access-A-Ride users are also confused. Lisa Zhen, Homecrest’s director of social services division, reports complaints from clients that the notice sent to recipients with their new OMNY card does not explain that users must call Access-A-Ride to activate it. This means that many learn only at the turnstile that their card does not work. 

When these issues surfaced repeatedly, Homecrest created a one-minute video in Cantonese and Mandarin showing how to use OMNY and check balances. While filming at the busy Bay Parkway N Train, multiple older adults approached us, asking for help reloading their cards. Community organizations should not have to fill the accessibility gaps left by a public transit system.

Given these issues, many older adults continue to rely on MetroCards as long as possible. As community advocates, we urge the MTA to address these gaps. The shift to OMNY could be a meaningful step forward, but only if it includes equity, multilingual support, and clear guidance for riders who depend on it most.

Wai Yee Chan is president and CEO at Homecrest Community Services. Alice Mo is the policy and advocacy manager at Homecrest Community Services.

The post Opinion: As MTA Moves From MetroCard to OMNY, Accessibility Must Come First appeared first on City Limits.

A 64-year-old Mora, Minn., man has been put on probation for sending threatening emails to a White Bear Lake church music director after getting angry with political banter between members of a Beatles cover band during a September church concert.

John Allan Sandeen Jr. (Courtesy of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)

John Allan Sandeen Jr. was sentenced Friday in Ramsey County District Court after pleading guilty to felony threats. As part of a plea agreement, he was given 87 days in jail, which he already had served, and three years of probation. A stalking charge was dismissed.

Sandeen still faces four counts of felony threats in Hennepin County for emails he allegedly sent to a Maple Grove church music director who was one of the band members. Sandeen was jailed in that case Monday on a warrant and was being held on $200,000 bail before an initial court hearing Tuesday afternoon.

According to the charges, Sandeen attended the Sept. 7 concert at White Bear Lake Methodist Church by the Beatles Ensemble, which played songs by the Beatles, John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

At some point during the concert, two band members engaged in “stage banter” between songs:

“When ‘The Fool on the Hill’ was released, we all thought the song was a reference to President Nixon, but it turns out to have been a reference to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, whom the Beatles had met in 1967,” one said.

The other replied, “Interesting. I did not know that. But also, President Nixon was working with the FBI in an attempt to have John Lennon deported.”

“I’m sure glad they don’t do that anymore,” the first band member said.

The other then said, “Let’s hear it for ICE!”

‘Your people killed my friend’

Five days later, on Sept. 12, Sandeen sent an email to the White Bear Lake church music director, writing, “We don’t need (the band member’s) opinions.”

He also wrote, “Charlie Kirk was a friend of mine” and told him he “better have (expletive) eyeballs on his back.”

Sandeen emailed the band member the same day and referenced his comment about ICE, saying, “you think that ICE is evil” and that his “cohorts have killed” Kirk.

Other emails Sandeen sent that same day and the next — 16 writings in all — included that the music director “better (expletive) hide” and that he was going to “break your (expletive) fingers,” and also do physical harm to the band member, according to the complaint.

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Sandeen further mentioned the Sept. 10 killing of Kirk, the 31-year-old conservative activist that federal prosecutors allege was intentionally targeted by 22-year-old Tyler Robinson at Utah Valley University.

“Your people killed my friend in front of his wife and children,” Sandeen wrote to the music director, adding that he was “going to cut your (expletive) throat.”

In an interview with investigators, Sandeen initially said he didn’t know anything about threatening emails. He then told them he was probably drunk and said some “crazy (expletive),” the complaint continued.

He said musicians are supposed to play music and not give political opinions, then complained that had he known the concert was going to be a political rally he would not have attended.