Category: MIDTOWN TRIBUNE NEW YORK

New York. Governor Hochul Announces New Alcoa Power Contract Supporting 500 Jobs and Long-Term Investment in the North Country 
Signed Contract with New York Power Authority for Low-Cost Hydropower includes Aluminum Manufacturer’s Commitment of $30 Million in Capital Investments. New York State Also Providing $6.2 Million in Incentives to Alcoa for Its Nearly $60M Rebuild and Modernization of a Portion of the Massena Plant.

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a new power supply contract between the New York Power Authority (NYPA) and Alcoa, a leading aluminum producer and one of the North Country’s largest employers. The contract includes a commitment of $30 million in capital investments and supports 500 jobs at Alcoa’s Massena Plant for the next 10 years.  In addition to the contract, Alcoa is investing nearly $60 million through 2028 to rebuild and modernize a portion of the plant. This investment is made possible by the new energy contract as well as a $5.2 million capital grant and $1 million in Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits from Empire State Development (ESD). This improvement will enable process stability and operational efficiency.

“By securing good paying jobs and fostering investment, this agreement ensures Alcoa will continue to be a major presence in Massena while supporting New York families and communities,” Governor Hochul said. “The aluminum manufacturing industry has played a significant role in the nation’s economic development, and New York’s Alcoa facility has been at the forefront, driving economic growth and opportunity in the North Country.”  

Today’s announcement of a signed contract by Alcoa and the Power Authority follows approval of the final contract terms by the Power Authority’s Board of Trustees and Governor Hochul. The contract includes a 240-megawatt (MW) allocation of low-cost power through its Preservation Power program to Alcoa for its Massena Plant in St. Lawrence County. This power allocation will support Alcoa’s operations through March 31, 2036, with options for two additional five-year extensions, contingent on maintaining a minimum of 500 full-time equivalent jobs and increased capital investments. Alcoa also has agreed to invest a minimum of $30 million in the plant’s operation over a period of ten years. If market conditions permit, Alcoa may extend the contract an additional ten years which would foster capital investments totaling $145 million over a 20-year period.

Key Details of the Alcoa Contract: 
- Power Allocation Quantity: 240 MW of low-cost NYPA hydropower to be provided through March 31, 2036. 
- Employment Commitment: Alcoa will maintain a minimum of 500 full-time equivalent jobs at its Massena West Plant, an increase from the previous commitment of 450 jobs. 
- Capital Investment: Under the agreement, Alcoa will invest at least $3 million annually at the facility, with a total minimum investment of $30 million over the initial 10-year term. Further, Alcoa will have the option to extend the contract by two additional five-year terms if it makes investments of $70 million by 2035 and an additional $60 million by 2040.
- Plant Modernization: In addition to the contract, Alcoa is investing nearly $60 million through 2028 to rebuild and modernize Massena Operations’ anode bake furnace, a key component of the aluminum smelting process.
New York Power Authority Chairman John R. Koelmel said, “The New York Power Authority’s renewal of our partnership with Alcoa is a testament to our commitment to driving economic development across New York. By providing low-cost hydropower, we are ensuring that Alcoa remains competitive so that it can continue its operations, invest in its facilities, and retain family-sustaining jobs in the North Country.” 

New York Power Authority President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll said, “Alcoa has been a vital part of the North Country economy for more than 120 years. With Governor Hochul’s support, this new contract with one of the Power Authority’s oldest customers secures essential jobs and significant capital investments in the region. We are proud to continue our partnership with Alcoa and to support their growth and investment in the community.”

Alcoa President and CEO William F. Oplinger said, “We are proud to make aluminum in New York and the United States. Long-term, competitively priced energy enables Alcoa to proceed with this important investment that will help us meet the demands of today while planning for tomorrow. We are extremely pleased to have worked with NYPA and ESD to achieve this outcome for our Massena Operations, which will bring economic benefits to the region and sustain American manufacturing.”

Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Hope Knight said, “With its 100-plus-year history in Massena, Alcoa and its employees in the North Country have developed technologies and processes that have shaped the modern world. Thanks to support from Governor Hochul and New York State, Alcoa will continue to produce high-quality aluminum for flagship industries, supporting regional economic growth and driving innovation.”

Village of Massena Mayor Greg Paquin said, “The approval of this new contract ensures continued growth, job creation, and investment at Alcoa’s Massena Operations. Governor Hochul’s approval underscores the lasting strength of St. Lawrence County’s partnership between Alcoa and NYPA.”

Town of Massena Supervisor Susan Bellor said, “The new Alcoa contract approved today by Governor Hochul is welcome news for St. Lawrence County and the North Country. Aluminum manufacturing has been the economic bedrock of this region for generations, and this new contract signals continued economic stability for many years to come.”

St. Lawrence County Legislature Chair David Forsythe said, “This agreement represents a vital partnership between Alcoa and the New York Power Authority. One that secures 500 good-paying jobs, drives continued investment in our region, and ensures that our communities benefit from the responsible use of our local hydroelectric resources.”

The contract provisions build on a seven-year agreement approved by NYPA in 2019. The 2019 agreement provided 240 MW of low-cost St. Lawrence-FDR hydropower in return for Alcoa’s commitment to retain 450 jobs at the aluminum company’s smelting plant in Massena. 

Companies like Alcoa have been pivotal in supplying materials essential for various industries, including automotive, aerospace, and construction. This sector’s contributions have been vital for national growth and innovation. Alcoa is one of the first customers to receive power from the Power Authority’s St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project when the plant began operating in 1958. The contract signing marks another significant milestone in Governor Hochul’s commitment to foster economic development and job retention in the North Country. NYPA’s Preservation Power program uses low-cost hydroelectric power from the St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project to support businesses in St. Lawrence, Franklin and Jefferson counties. Alcoa signed its original contract with NYPA in July 1955, more than three years before the St. Lawrence-FDR project—the Power Authority’s first generating plant—began producing electricity. 

NY State Governor’s Press Office

October 22, 2025

Albany, NY

Sources: Governor.ny.gov , Midtown Tribune News

Midtown Tribune Independent USA news from New York
October 22, 2025
New York. Governor Hochul Delivers Remarks at JPMorgan Chase Tower Ribbon Cutting Ceremony (Video)

At the JPMorgan Chase Tower ribbon cutting, Governor Kathy Hochul celebrated New York City’s comeback and the strength of its financial services sector, calling the new headquarters a bold investment that signals long-term confidence in the city’s economy. Praising JPMorgan Chase and CEO Jamie Dimon, Hochul highlighted Manhattan’s surging real estate market and a 28% rise in New York State FinTech jobs since 2021, crediting the project—designed by architect Norman Foster—and the 10,000 workers who built it as a symbol of resilience, ambition, and partnership. Framing the tower as a beacon of growth and energy, she urged, “Do not bet against New York City,” positioning the development as proof that the future of finance is being built here and now.

A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:

What a spectacular day this is. I could not be prouder to be a New Yorker or Governor at this moment in history because I believe that future generations will look back at this time and say, “Yes, despite a global pandemic that brought other cities to its knees, we came roaring back, because guess what? That’s what New Yorkers do.” So congratulations to JP Morgan Chase and Jamie Dimon for having the fortitude to see a path forward when others were starting to shrink back. And to all of those who say, “I don’t know about New York. Another business may be leaving to go to some other, one of the 49 states.” I guess there’s 49 other states. That’s what I’m told.

But to have this investment at this moment in time sends an extraordinary signal of confidence, and I might even add a little bit of New York audacity and boldness and ambition and audacity, because that’s who we are to our core. So when others say, “Well, financial services, I’m not sure what’s the future.” This is the future, my friends, we are living the future in this moment and relish that, feel the energy.

If we’re going to go by here and say, what the hell…? What? I’m sorry. What happened here? Mother, forgive me,the job has done this to me — but now Manhattan is the hottest real estate market since 2006. And did anyone foresee this happening? The hottest real estate market? The place where people are coming back to the offices? Because we had someone who says, “Come back to the offices and if you come back to the offices, I’ll give you a place you’re never going to want to even go home. It’s so incredible here.”

So to all your family members, explain the long hours, explain the extra time needed in the gym or in eating in one of the incredible restaurants. Because this is a sense of place. Indeed, it is a city. And to reimagine the fact that FinTech jobs in our state have grown by 28 percent, just since 2021. Coincidentally, that’s when I became governor. I will not take credit for that. That’s 14 times the national average.

So I’m making this point loud and clear. Do not bet against New York. Do not bet against New York City. Do not bet against our financial services sector because we are strong. We’re as strong as the bronze pillars you see right here that surround us with that sense of strength and endurance, because that’s what this building reflects. And I think about what went into this process and our architect – what an incredible leader he is, Norman Foster.

And I was just wondering if you have time afterward, maybe we could take a walk down to Penn Station. Just saying – the President said he’ll pay for it. They can do a new ballroom in the White House. Why not make this magnificent? I digress a little bit. I’m sorry. But to JP Morgan, the institution, we’re so proud of the history over two centuries of helping us build the infrastructure of its time, but enduring into the future. And to have the inspiration of Deepak Chopra here today, reminds us that there are visionary corporate leaders who also think about beyond the economy and corporations and business. They think about the spiritual self and how to lift up all those who consider themselves part of the JP Morgan Chase family.

And that’s what’s so extraordinary, Rob Speyer. What you have done here is magnificent. This is a testament to your company and its willingness to create a mark, a symbol of the future here. And I thank you for that as well. And Janno Lieber, thank you for putting up with all the stress that occurs when we’re trying to reimagine how we can deal with projects like these.

So I’m going to say this, anytime you feel you need inspiration, you’re just turning on the news or watching your social media feeds and saying, when will it ever stop? These days are so dark and depressing, and what is happening from Washington to here. Take a breath. Read a good book, written by a famous author, calm down and know that the sheer grandeur of this building, the sheer grandeur of this space, should be enough to just calm you down and realize, wait a minute, we’re okay because we’re New Yorkers.

Nothing ever can keep us down because we always rise up. It is our way. So embrace that sense of being a New Yorker because everybody else is envious of what we have right here, right now. You reminded me there’s no place on earth – no place on earth that has the daring and the boldest to do what we just did here.

But you are part of this story and to Gary LaBarbera and to all the 10,000 men and women who came out here and rain and shine, we saw them working day in and day out. They can come by here with their children and grandchildren and say, “I help make this building,” and it’s going to be here long after any of us. And feel that sense of pride that comes from working with your hands like my dad and my grandpa does because they were steelworkers. So embrace that as well. And to our elected officials, we have Jerry Nadler from Congress here. Guess they’re not too busy down there right now these days, Jerry, I know you want to go back to work. I know.

And all to our leaders in the State Assembly and the Senate and our city council, it is this partnership, this willingness of New Yorkers despite our differences — and we have many — we always come together. At the right moment in time, and that’s what this building symbolizes. Congratulations to everybody.

October 21, 2025

Albany, NY

Sources: Governor.ny.gov , Big New York news BigNY.com
Midtown Tribune News

Midtown Tribune Independent USA news from New York

October 22, 2025
NYC, Chicago, and Seven Other Local Governments Sue DHS/FEMA to Protect $100M+ in Emergency & Disaster Grants

New York City has joined a nine-jurisdiction coalition led by Chicago to sue the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and FEMA, aiming to block new FY2025 “Standard Terms and Conditions” the cities call unlawful and dangerous to public safety. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, argues that federal officials exceeded their authority by conditioning counterterrorism and disaster-preparedness funds—over $100 million nationally—on certifications that recipients do not run “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA)” programs and that they comply with all of former President Donald Trump’s executive orders. NYC warns the cuts could hinder the NYPD’s radiological/nuclear detection efforts and transit system security, including active-shooter training and daily specialized deployments. The suit contends only Congress can change grant conditions and challenges a clause that could claw back triple the grant amounts, risking critical services. Joining NYC and Chicago are Denver, New Haven, Baltimore, Boston, Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and Ramsey County, MN.

City of New York Files Lawsuit to Protect Over $100 Million in Federal Emergency and Disaster Grants
to Local Governments Nationwide

– The City of New York — as part of a national coalition of nine local governments from across the country — has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), challenging the federal government’s effort to force cities and counties to agree to unlawful conditions to continue to receive over $100 million in federal funding for countering terrorism, disaster preparedness, and other public safety programs. In the lawsuit, the coalition argues that without this funding, the New York City Police Department’s (NYPD) ability to detect and defend against a radiological or nuclear attack could be compromised. Additionally, funding that supports the New York City transit system’s operational security capability and capacity, including active shooter training and deploying specialized teams within the transit system every day, could be affected.

“Public safety has always been our administration’s North Star, which is why we have always fought for every penny from our state and federal counterparts to keep us safe,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “We’ve hit historic lows in crime because we’ve always been willing to make the necessary investments, so now is not the time to go backwards. We are proud to join partners from across the nation, once again, in filing this lawsuit to keep New Yorkers, and Americans from across the nation, safe.”

“Losing funding that helps the NYPD prevent terror attacks on our subways, bridges, and tunnels would be contrary to law, the intent of Congress, and put millions of New Yorkers at risk,” said New York City Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant.

In each of the last three fiscal years, New York City has been awarded approximately $150 million in grant funding for critical emergency management programs at the NYPD, the New York City Department of Transportation, and other city agencies. However, in Fiscal Year 2025, as part of the “Standard Terms and Conditions,” DHS adopted unlawful new conditions requiring recipients to certify that they do not “operate any programs that advance or promote ‘Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility’,” and requiring compliance with all of President Donald Trump’s executive orders to be eligible to receive the funds. The DHS grants help local governments prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters such as acts of terrorism, mass shootings, cyber incidents, and other complex emergencies, putting critical services for numerous communities, including New York, at risk.

The lawsuit — led by the City of Chicago in Illinois and filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division — states that new funding conditions added by the heads of federal agencies are unconstitutional and an overreach by the executive branch, which does not have the authority to change conditions related to federal grants without the approval of Congress.

The lawsuit resists efforts by the federal administration to coerce local governments into accepting these unlawful grant conditions, including a condition that puts at risk three times the amount of the grants based on vague and undefined requirements — further endangering critical services for New Yorkers.

Joining New York City and Chicago in filing the lawsuit are the cities of Denver, Colorado; New Haven, Connecticut; Baltimore, Maryland; Boston, Massachusetts; Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Saint Paul Minnesota; as well as the county of Ramsey, Minnesota.

Office of the Mayor

October 21, 2025 NEW YORK

Sources: NYC.gov , Big New York news BigNY,com
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October 22, 2025
New York. Adams, Aviles-Ramos, Kaufman Kick Off 2026 ‘Battle of the Boroughs’ Esports; Students to Redesign Sunset Park’s Pier 6
Oct. 21, 2025—Mayor Eric Adams, Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos and MOME Commissioner Pat Swinney Kaufman launched the sixth annual “Battle of the Boroughs,” a Minecraft Education esports contest inviting K–12 students to reimagine Pier 6 at the MADE Bush Terminal Campus in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. The city will baseline $60,000 to support technology needs for participants and educators; team submissions are open now through Jan. 16, 2026, via the New York City Public Schools website. Top entries will advance to in-person borough qualifiers and a Mayor’s Cup Final at the 2026 New York City Video Game Festival. The program aligns with City Hall’s digital-games push as the local industry grows to roughly 380 studios, 7,900 jobs and an estimated $2.6 billion in economic impact.

Mayor Adams, Chancellor Aviles-Ramos, Commissioner Kaufman Kick Off 2026 “Battle of the Boroughs” E-Sports Competition

– New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos, and Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) Commissioner Pat Swinney Kaufman today launched the first round of the sixth annual New York City Minecraft Education Battle of the Boroughs Esports Competition (BOTB). Through BOTB, K-12 students compete to build a more inclusive, sustainable, future-ready New York City in Minecraft while developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Additionally, for the first time, the Adams administration will baseline $60,000 for the annual competition to support critical technology needs for participants and educators. Submissions for student teams are open now and close on January 16, 2026. Information on how to join the challenge, as well as entry-level training courses for educators to bring digital gaming into their classrooms, is available on the New York City Public Schools website.

“We’re not just making sure our students are prepared to join the digital gaming industry but training them to lead it — that is what this competition is all about,” said Mayor Adams. “By encouraging students to learn computer science, build critical thinking skills, and explore sustainable design, we are both engaging our young people today and laying the foundation for good-paying careers after they graduate. Congratulations to last year’s winners and good luck to this year’s teams!”

“The annual Battle of the Boroughs competition showcases the incredible potential of our students when they’re given the tools and the platform to thrive,” said Public Schools Chancellor Aviles-Ramos. “The new funding set aside by New York City Public Schools to support this initiative will help us to celebrate and lift the creativity and innovation of our young people even further. I’m proud of every student who participates, and I’m grateful to the educators and partners who continue to support them every step of the way.”

“The annual Minecraft Education Battle of the Boroughs competition is back, with the earliest entry date yet, so that even more students across the five boroughs get an opportunity to enter and take a meaningful step towards an education and career in the city’s burgeoning digital games industry,” said MOME Commissioner Kaufman. “The Adams administration and our office are committed to supporting digital game development through the Battle of the Boroughs competition leading to the Mayor’s Cup Final and the second annual New York City Video Game Festival in the spring of 2026.”

“The Battle of the Boroughs empowers the next generation of New Yorkers to use digital gaming technology to reimagine city spaces, inspiring NYCEDC and our continuous revitalization work,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President & CEO Andrew Kimball. “The competition is an outstanding opportunity to engage students across the five boroughs in city planning, digital innovation, and sustainability, and NYCEDC looks forward each year to seeing the visionary concepts from our city’s young minds.”

BOTB — which was developed in partnership with Minecraft Education and builds on Mayor Adams’ Digital Gaming Initiative, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and PlaNYC: Getting Sustainability Done (GSD) — is a scholastic digital gaming competition in which elementary, middle, and high school students compete to design future-ready city spaces. Through the competition, students explore the five boroughs, learn more about New York City’s sustainability plans, and develop valuable computer science and critical thinking skills.

Mayor Adams today also announced the prompt for the first round of this year’s competition: to reimagine Pier 6 at the MADE Bush Terminal Campus in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. In August 2025, the Adams administration broke ground on a transformation of the actual Pier 6, which will create an engaging new open space for community residents and tenants of the MADE Bush Terminal Campus. The campus offers modern facilities and gathering space to promote manufacturing and business activity along the Sunset Park waterfront. In the first round of the competition, students are encouraged to create alternative designs for the project. Top submissions will compete at an in-person qualifying round in each borough. The BOTB Mayor’s Cup Final will take place during the 2nd Annual New York City Video Game Festival in the spring of 2026, presented by MOME.

As part of today’s announcement, Mayor Adams also celebrated last year’s winning student teams:
- PS 889 in Brooklyn (Elementary School Winner)
- Nest+M in Manhattan (Middle School Winner)
- World Journalist Prep in Queens (High School Winner)
Since coming into office, the Adams administration has made historic investments to establish New York City as a leading hub for digital games, including investing over $2 million in CUNY’s first-ever Game Design Bachelor’s Degree; launching the NYC Summer of Games initiative to shine a light on all digital events in the city throughout the summer; creating the first-ever Game Development Industry Council to advise the city’s policies and programs in the games development sector; and supporting game and workforce development though the “Made in NY” Developer Grant, the “Made in NY” Animation Training Program, and the NYU Game Design Future Lab. Collectively, this work is helping to spur the digital games industry and create good-paying jobs for New Yorkers.

The city’s digital gaming industry has continued to grow under the Adams administration. Since 2019, the number of game development studios in New York City has increased by 90 percent, to 380 studios today; the number of industry jobs has increased by four percent, to 7,900 jobs; and the economic impact of the industry has increased by 30 percent, to $2.6 billion.

“Battle of the Boroughs has proven that, when you give students a platform like Minecraft to show their creativity and critical thinking skills, they come together in amazing ways to solve complex challenges,” said Allison Matthews, head, Minecraft Education at Mojang Studios. “In this new AI era, these skills have never been more important. We are thrilled to be part of this year’s kickoff with Microsoft and can’t wait to see what’s crafted during the competition.”

Office of the Mayor

October 21, 2025 NEW YORK

Sources: NYC.gov , Big New York news BigNY.com
Midtown Tribune News

Midtown Tribune Independent USA news from New York
October 22, 2025
U.S. Department of Justice: Government Employee Arrested for Unlawful Retention of National Defense Information

Ashley Tellis, 64, a U.S. citizen residing in Vienna, Virginia, was arrested on Oct. 11 in connection with his alleged unlawful retention of classified national defense information. Tellis appeared today in the Eastern District of Virginia for a detention hearing.

“Safeguarding our country’s national defense information is a top priority,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Sue J. Bai of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “For those entrusted with our country’s most sensitive information, protecting it is a privilege and solemn responsibility. With the hard work and dedication of our prosecutors and agents, we will hold this defendant accountable for breaching that trust and exploiting his security clearance to unlawfully retain classified information detailing our military capabilities.”

“The FBI arrested Ashley Tellis, a senior advisor at the Department of State and a contractor within the Department of Defense, for allegedly removing over a thousand pages of classified national defense information from government facilities and storing them in his home,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “This arrest should serve as a stark warning to anyone thinking about undermining national security. The FBI and our partners will do everything within our power to find you and hold you accountable.”

“We are fully focused on protecting the American people from all threats, foreign and domestic. The charges as alleged in this case represent a grave risk to the safety and security of our citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Halligan for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The facts and the law in this case are clear, and we will continue following them to ensure that justice is served.”

“U.S. government security clearance holders are entrusted to keep our nation’s most sensitive secrets safe,” said Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the FBI Washington Field Office. “By allegedly removing classified documents from government facilities and storing them in his basement, Mr. Tellis betrayed that trust. The FBI and our federal partners acted quickly to execute a court-authorized search warrant and arrest Tellis to protect our national security and prevent highly classified defense information from falling into the wrong hands.”

According to court documents, Tellis held a Top Secret security clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access. He has worked for the U.S. Department of State since 2001 and currently serves in addition as a contractor for the Department of Defense’s Office of Net Assessment. He also serves as a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

As alleged, Tellis accessed classified documents on multiple occasions from secured facilities, including a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) at the Department of Defense and a secure computer system at the Department of State. In one instance, Tellis altered the filename of a classified document, printed portions of it under the altered title, and then deleted the re-named file. In another incident, he was observed placing classified materials into a notepad and concealing them within his personal briefcase before leaving a secured government facility.

During a court-authorized search of Tellis’s residence, investigators recovered over 1,000 pages of documents with classification markings, including materials labeled SECRET and/or TOP SECRET. These documents were found in locked filing cabinets, in a basement home office, and in trash bags stored in a basement utility area.

The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating the case, with valuable assistance from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Schlessinger for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Updated October 21, 2025

Sources: U.S. Department of Justice . Midtown Tribune News

Midtown Tribune Independent USA news from New York

October 22, 2025
New York. AG Letitia James Sues to Turn the Lights Back On

In a plot twist no solar installer asked for, New York Attorney General Letitia James and a multi-state crew filed twin lawsuits on October 16, 2025 to revive EPA’s now-canceled $7B “Solar for All” program—money meant to bring rooftop savings to nearly a million low-income households, including ~$250M for NYSERDA. They argue the EPA’s August shutdown (after funds were already obligated) flunks the Administrative Procedure Act, tramples Congress’s power of the purse, and breaches grant agreements—so they’re asking one court to restart the program and another to pay damages. Governors, AGs, and agencies from around the map joined in, essentially telling EPA: you can’t just unplug the sun and walk away.

Attorney General James Takes Action
to Protect Clean Energy for Vulnerable Communities

AG James Joins Coalition Suing to Protect Billions of Dollars Intended to Provide Affordable Home Solar Power to Communities Nationwide
EPA Illegally Revoked Nearly $250 Million for New York

– New York Attorney General Letitia James joined a coalition of plaintiffs in filing two lawsuits to protect billions of dollars in grant funding that would connect nearly one million households nationwide in low-income and vulnerable communities with affordable solar power. In August, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) illegally ended the Solar for All (SFA) program and rescinded billions of dollars already issued to states to fund programs that would bring low-cost home solar power to communities nationwide. Attorney General James and the coalition have filed lawsuits in the Court of Federal Claims and the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington seeking court orders ruling the administration’s termination of SFA unlawful and damages for the termination of individual grants worth billions of dollars.

“Providing more communities with affordable clean energy will help lower energy bills and tackle the climate crisis,” said Attorney General James. “The Solar for All program delivers critical resources to help install solar power on homes across the country. The EPA’s cancellation of Solar for All is illegal and unconstitutional, and I will keep fighting to ensure our communities have access to these funds.”

“The Trump administration’s continued assault on clean energy programs, including the attempt to cancel the Solar for All Program, is in direct contrast to the President’s claims of wanting U.S. energy independence,” said Governor Kathy Hochul. “The Statewide Solar for All program is part of a true all-of-the-above energy strategy in New York that is designed to generate significant benefits for our health, environment, economy, and for the thousands of New Yorkers who would benefit from lower electric bills.”

“At a time when affordability is top of mind for every New Yorker, especially for those with low to moderate incomes, the federal government should be partnering with states to advance an abundance of locally produced, clean energy that can help provide cost savings on monthly electric bills,” said Doreen M. Harris, President and CEO, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. “The Environmental Protection Agency’s unlawful termination of the federal Solar for All program is creating a crippling ripple effect on the clean energy industry while forcing hard-working Americans to choose between household essentials as they try to budget for the increasing costs of electricity, heat and groceries.”

As part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, Congress created and funded an EPA program that would provide states with funding to help low-income and vulnerable communities access clean energy technologies, including rooftop solar power. The EPA program, later named SFA, selected 60 grant recipients, including states, tribal governments, local governments, and nonprofit groups, to receive this funding. In August 2024, EPA announced that it had obligated $7 billion through SFA to deliver residential solar power to more than 900,000 low-income households nationwide. In New York, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) was awarded $249,800,000 in SFA funding. Leaders in states across the country began developing SFA programs, meeting with community members and utility companies, and negotiating agreements with contractors to help install new solar infrastructure.

In July 2025, the administration enacted legislation that rescinded any remaining funds that had not been obligated as part of SFA. However, in August 2025, EPA began illegally targeting SFA and its funding that had already been obligated to states – funding that should not have been impacted by the new legislation. On August 7, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced, “the Trump EPA is…ending Solar for All for good.” Shortly after, EPA shut down the SFA program and removed up to 90 percent of states’ SFA funds with no explanation.

In the District Court, Attorney General James and the coalition argue that EPA’s termination of the SFA program is illegal and unconstitutional. Stripping this program away entirely from states violates the Administrative Procedure Act and overrides Congress’s constitutional power of the purse. Attorney General James and the coalition also argue in the Court of Federal Claims that revoking the already obligated SFA grants is an illegal breach of contract and taking of property.

Attorney General James and the coalition are seeking a court order from the District Court ruling EPA’s elimination of SFA unlawful and ordering the resumption of the program. In addition, they are seeking damages from the Court of Federal Claims for the unlawful termination of individual grants, including the nearly $250 million grant to NYSERDA.

Joining Attorney General James in filing the lawsuit in the District Court are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia. Also joining the lawsuit are the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania, as well as the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.

Joining Attorney General James in filing the lawsuit in the Court of Federal Claims are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia. Also joining the lawsuit are the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania, as well as the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.

Letitia James

New York State Attorney General

October 16, 2025

NEW YORK

#CleanEnergy #SolarForAll #LetitiaJames #EPA #NYSERDA #LowIncomeCommunities #Climate #Renewables #NewYork #Lawsuit

Sources: AG.ny.gov , Big New York news BigNY.com
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October 19, 2025
U.S. Department of Justice. Man Arrested for Alleged Involvement in October 7, 2023 Terrorist Attacks

Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub Al-Muhtadi, 33, a Gazan native currently residing in Lafayette, Louisiana, was arrested yesterday for his alleged involvement in the Hamas-led terrorist attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

“After hiding out in the United States, this monster has been found and charged with participating in the atrocities of October 7 — the single deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “While nothing can fully heal the scars left by Hamas’s brutal attack, this Department’s Joint Task Force October 7 is dedicated to finding and prosecuting those responsible for that horrific day, including the murder of dozens of American citizens. We will continue to stand by Jewish Americans and Jewish people around the world against anti-Semitism and terrorism in all its forms.”

“As set forth in documents filed yesterday, on October 7, when Al-Muhtadi learned of the unfolding barbaric attack on Israel and civilians from multiple nations, including the United States, he sprang into action. He armed himself, recruited additional marauders, and then entered Israel, where there is evidence placing him near one of the worst-hit Israeli communities,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Subsequently, Al-Muhtadi fraudulently obtained a visa to enter the United States where he hoped to remain undetected. This arrest is the first public step in bringing to justice those responsible for harming Americans on that day.”

“October 7 is a day that lives in infamy for so many, Gentile and Jew alike, because of the terrorist attack on Israel that began a wave of antisemitic violence,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana. “Let this arrest serve as a reminder both that those who perpetrate acts of terrorism cannot evade justice by hiding in our communities and that state, local, and federal law enforcement — here, the FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, Louisiana State Police, Lafayette Police Department, and Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office — are working tirelessly to bring these people to justice.”

According to court documents, Al-Muhtadi is an operative for the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s (DFLP) military wing, the National Resistance Brigades (NRB, also known as the Martyr Umar al-Qasim Forces), a Gaza-based paramilitary group that participated in the Hamas-led terrorist attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

As alleged, on the morning of Oct. 7, 2023, Al-Muhtadi learned about the Hamas invasion, armed himself, gathered others, and crossed into Israel with the intention of assisting in Hamas’s terrorist attack. According to the complaint, Al-Muhtadi’s phone utilized a cell tower located near Kibbutz Kfar Aza in Israel – the location of a horrifying massacre by Hamas and its supporters resulting in the deaths of many civilians, including at least four American citizens.

In addition, Al-Muhtadi allegedly provided false information in his U.S. visa application relating to his involvement with a paramilitary organization, connection to Hamas, participation in a terrorist attack, and military training. Al-Muhtadi swore to the accuracy of numerous materially false statements in his visa application with respect to at least his affiliation with DFLP, the NRB, and Hamas, his training, and his involvement in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. According to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection records, Al-Muhtadi entered the United States on Sept. 12, 2024.

Joint Task Force October 7 (JTF 10-7) and the FBI New Orleans Field Office are investigating the case, with valuable assistance from Israeli authorities, including the State Attorney’s Office of Israel, the Israeli Security Agency, Lahav 433 and the Intelligence and Investigation Department of the Israel National Police, the Israel Defense Forces, and the Israeli National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing, as well as the FBI Law Enforcement Attache Office in Israel. The Louisiana State Police, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Lafayette Police Department and the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office also provided significant assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Nickel for the Western District of Louisiana; Trial Attorneys A.J. Dixon, Andrew Sigler and JTF 10-7 Lead Attorney Alicia Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Bedell for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case. Valuable assistance was also provided by Trial Attorney Mark Aziz with the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.

Al-Muhtadi’s presence in the U.S. was discovered by JTF 10-7. Established in February 2025 by Attorney General Pamela Bondi, JTF 10-7 was created to spearhead the Justice Department’s ongoing investigations into the perpetrators of the heinous October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel, in which approximately 1,200 people were murdered by Hamas, including 49 U.S. citizens, and approximately 250 additional people were abducted by Hamas, including 8 U.S. citizens. The task force reinforces the Department’s commitment to degrading and dismantling Hamas, holding Hamas supporters accountable, achieving justice for victims, and fighting terrorist-led antisemitism.

Updated October 17, 2025

Source: https://www.justice.gov

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October 17, 2025
Manhattan. City of New York Files Lawsuit Against U.S. Department of Education Seeking to Protect $47 Million in Federal Education Grants for New York City Public Schools
What you should know
- State and Local Law Mandates Public Schools Give Access to Bathrooms
  for Public School Students Based on Their Gender Identity
- Federal Government is Unlawfully Reneging on Its Obligation to Disperse Funds
- New York City Will Continue to Follow All Federal, State, and City Laws
The City of New York today announced a new lawsuit filed against the U.S. Department of Education (U.S. DOE), U.S. DOE Secretary Linda McMahon, and two other members of the U.S. DOE to protect grant funding that New York City Public Schools is owed by the federal agency after it, last month, sought to block the nation’s largest school system from obtaining $47 million in funds already awarded to the local system. Under a federal program called the Magnet Schools Assistance Program, the city has received five 5-year grants to support 19 New York City magnet schools. In September, U.S. DOE directed New York City Public Schools to violate both state and local law by overhauling its position on bathroom and locker room policies for transgender students in response to an apparent reinterpretation of Title IX under the Trump administration. In the lawsuit, the city argues that U.S. DOE’s decision to discontinue the funding is not only unlawful because they failed to follow the mandatory process required before taking action based on an alleged Title IX violation, but that they are wrong on what Title IX requires, as New York City policy continues to follow local, state, and federal laws, despite U.S. DOE’s attempts to say otherwise.

“The effort by the U.S. Department of Education to strip our school system of this grant funding violates statutorily-required process and conflicts with longstanding legal precedent regarding the interpretation of Title IX,” said New York City Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant. “By trying to unlawfully coerce New York City Public Schools into changing its policies and violating local laws, the federal government is showing that it does not have the best interest of students and New Yorkers at heart.”

“With this lawsuit, New York City Public Schools is fighting back against the U.S. Department of Education’s attack on our magnet program and transgender and gender expansive students,” said New York City Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos. “U.S. DOE’s threat to cut off tens of millions of dollars in magnet funding unless we cancelled our protections for transgender and gender expansive students is contrary to federal, state, and local law, and, just as importantly, our values as New York City Public Schools. My deepest commitment is to provide our magnet students, our transgender and gender expansive students, and every single student at New York City Public Schools with the ability to thrive academically and socially; to achieve that, my team and I work tirelessly to ensure every student feels seen, supported, and safe. We use every possible tool to do that, as today’s legal action demonstrates.”

The discontinued Magnet School Assistance Program grants were funding 19 different magnet schools in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, which have historically served isolated, and overwhelmingly low-income Hispanic and Black students, providing curricula in topics such as cutting-edge science, technology, engineering, architecture, and math; multimedia and the arts; performing arts; engineering; journalism; civic activism; and leadership.

In the complaint — filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York — the city argues that the U.S. DOE’s purported discontinuation of the grants is being carried out unlawfully, without observing procedures required by Title IX and the federal regulations governing the operation of the grants. These laws and regulations collectively require the U.S. DOE to provide notice, an opportunity for a hearing, express findings on the record, and an opportunity to request reconsideration, among other procedural safeguards — none of which were afforded here. Instead, as outlined in the complaint, the U.S. DOE demanded policy changes within three days to comport with “a novel interpretation of Title IX that is not supported by any law, is contrary to the determinations of multiple federal circuit courts, and is contrary to the New York state Constitution and statute.” The city seeks to restore the schools to the status that they held a month ago by requesting that the grant discontinuation be vacated and set aside as arbitrary and capricious, contrary to law, an abuse of discretion, and as having been undertaken without observance of procedures required by law.

Today’s lawsuit follows a series of letters between the U.S. DOE and New York City Public Schools.
- In the first letter, on September 16, 2025, U.S. DOE listed six steps the federal government expected New York City Public Schools to take in order to comply with its new and inaccurate interpretation of Title IX and therefore be eligible to maintain its Magnet School Assistance Program grant funding. The letter gave New York City Public Schools three business days to comply with the requests or lose funding.
- New York City Public Schools responded on September 19, 2025, requesting additional time to consider how to respond to the demand.
- In an email dated September 20, 2025, the U.S. DOE rejected that request and reiterated its demand that New York City Public Schools revoke its guidelines to support transgender and gender expansive students. DOE extended the deadline to comply with the requested demands to Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at 5:00 PM, without any willingness to recognize the directives contradict both local regulations and state law. New York City Public Schools has continued to stand by the legality of its guidelines.
- Then, as outlined in the complaint, on September 26, 2025, U.S. DOE “compounded their chaotic and unlawful actions by resetting the end of the grants’ performance periods to the next day. The U.S. DOE took all of these actions without warning, well after school budgets had been set, and two weeks after the 2025-2026 school year had already begun.”
New York City is fully compliant with Title IX, which prevents discrimination on the basis of sex. Additionally, New York State Education Law § 12, New York Executive Law § 296, and New York City Human Rights Law § 8-107 all prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender, which is defined to include gender identity or gender expression. Both the Office of the New York Attorney General and the New York State Board of Regents have made clear that state laws require that “transgender and gender expansive students have the right to use facilities, including restrooms and locker rooms, or participate on school athletic teams consistent with their gender identity.”

Today’s lawsuit is accompanied by a motion seeking an immediate preliminary injunction against the federal government to prevent it from cutting off this crucial funding to New York City Public Schools pending the resolution of the lawsuit.

October 16, 2025

Sources: NYC.gov , Big New York news BigNY.com
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October 16, 2025

New York Governor Kathy Hochul Awards Nearly $80M to Speed Up Zero-Emission Transit

NY News Funding Fuels Transition to Zero-Emission Fleets for Non-MTA Transit Providers and Supports Reduction of Greenhouse Gases

New York State is investing nearly $80 million to help seven non-MTA transit systems switch to cleaner buses and build the charging and hydrogen infrastructure they need. Through the Zero-Emission Transit Transition (ZETT) Program—first launched with $100 million in December 2024 and boosted by $20 million in the FY26 budget—funding goes to CDTA, Centro, NFTA, RTS, Suffolk County Transit, Broome County Transit, and Ulster County Area Transit. Projects include new maintenance and training facilities, utility and safety upgrades, two hydrogen-electric buses for CDTA, up to 18 battery-electric buses for NFTA, 10 hydrogen-electric buses for RTS, 12 battery-electric buses for Suffolk County, three for Broome County, and planning for UCAT’s new EV-ready depot. The goal is simple: cut greenhouse gases, improve air quality, and modernize transit across New York.

Governor Kathy Hochul announced that nearly $80 million in state funding has been awarded to help seven transit providers expand their use of zero-emission vehicles under the state’s Zero-Emission Transit Transition Program (ZETT). The program supports the Governor’s nation-leading agenda to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve New York’s energy goals.

“New York’s push to transition public transit agencies to zero-emission fleets is a crucial step in achieving our clean energy goals,” Governor Hochul said. “Increasing the number of zero-emission transit vehicles in every corner of our state will deliver cleaner air and healthier communities across New York.”

New York State State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York continues to make targeted, smart investments in zero emission transit to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and NYSDOT’s ZETT program is focused on providing clean transportation alternatives for areas across the Empire State. The Zero-Emission Transit Transition (ZETT) program offers local New York transit agencies a unique opportunity to invest in climate-friendly vehicles for their respective fleets, which will help improve the health of local communities while reducing the state’s carbon footprint.”

Non-MTA transit authorities were encouraged to apply for funding to support the acquisition of zero-emission transit vehicles, construction of facilities and utility infrastructure for charging and fueling, and necessary planning and design phases for zero-emission capital projects.

Award recipients and their projects:

Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) – $17.5 million: This project will involve the planning, design, and construction of a new training and maintenance facility to support a zero-emission fleet that will cover service in Schenectady and Montgomery Counties, and parts of Saratoga County. The project also includes the purchase of two hydrogen-electric/fuel-cell buses.
Central New York Regional Transportation Authority (Centro) – $17.5 million: This project will consolidate facilities and operations in Oneida County to support the transition to a zero-emission fleet, allowing for potential expansion to Madison and Herkimer Counties. The project also includes the purchase of battery-electric and/or hydrogen-electric/fuel-cell vehicles.
Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) – $17.5 million: This project will install two lanes of charging infrastructure at the Cold Spring Bus Garage and fund the purchase of 18 battery-electric buses. Additionally, a feasibility study will be conducted to determine the infrastructure requirements and costs of expanding the zero-emission fleet to the Frontier and Babcock Bus Garages.
Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RTS) – $17.5 million: This facility infrastructure project will update the operations building with utility and safety improvements to accommodate hydrogen-electric/fuel-cell buses. It will also fund the purchase of 10 hydrogen-electric/fuel-cell buses.
Suffolk County Transit – $5 million: This project provides funding for the purchase of 12 battery-electric buses.
Broome County Transit – $3.34 million: This project provides funding for the purchase of three battery-electric buses.
Ulster County Area Transit (UCAT) – $1.35 million: This project will fund a site selection and design of a new bus facility equipped with electric vehicle charging capabilities.

First announced in December 2024, the ZETT Program provides $100 million in funding to transit providers across New York State to support the transition of transit fleets to zero-emission propulsion (battery-electric and hydrogen-electric). The FY26 Enacted Budget added $20 million to the fund. Eligible applicants included transit authorities, counties, municipalities, and other entities receiving or eligible to receive New York Statewide Mass Transportation Operating Assistance (STOA). The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and intercity bus operators were not eligible.

State Senator Jeremy Cooney said, “I’ve always believed that our state’s ambitious climate goals go hand-in-hand with our transportation and infrastructure goals. Thanks to Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York is establishing itself at the forefront of clean transportation options that will create a greener future for our state while meeting the transit needs of New Yorkers.”

Assembly Transportation Committee Chair William Magnarelli said, “It is encouraging to see funding going out to transit authorities to support the transition to zero-emission vehicles. The proper infrastructure is needed for this transition and these awards will help in this effort, especially Central New York.”

About the State Department of Transportation
It is the mission of the New York State Department of Transportation to provide a safe, reliable, equitable and resilient transportation system that connects communities, enhances quality of life, protects the environment and supports the economic well-being of New York State.

Lives are on the line; slow down and move over for highway workers! For more information, find us on Facebook, follow us on X or Instagram, or visit the DOT website. For up-to-date travel information, call 511, visit www.511NY.org or download the free 511NY mobile app.

October 14, 2025

Albany, NY

Data Table for US Climate Spending and Fossil Fuel Production in China, India, and Russia (2000–2024, Every 3 Years)

This table presents data points for 2000 and every 3 years thereafter (2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2021, 2024). Metrics follow prior definitions:

US Climate Spending: Approximate federal annual outlays ($ billions, nominal USD) on mitigation, adaptation, research, and clean energy programs (sources: OMB, GAO, CBO, RMI analyses).
Production: Coal in million metric tons (Mt); oil in thousand barrels per day (kb/d) (sources: BP Statistical Review, EIA, CEIC, national stats).
Trends: US spending surged post-2009 (ARRA) and post-2021 (IRA/IIJA); target countries’ production grew due to domestic energy demands, not US policy.

Year	US Climate Spending ($B)	China Coal (Mt)	China Oil (kb/d)	India Coal (Mt)	India Oil (kb/d)	Russia Coal (Mt)	Russia Oil (kb/d)
2000	2.0	1,300	3,400	310	700	270	6,200
2003	2.3	1,800	3,500	340	730	285	9,000
2006	2.6	2,300	3,800	460	730	325	9,800
2009	28.9	3,100	4,000	510	760	320	9,900
2012	3.7	3,600	4,100	550	770	340	10,300
2015	4.0	3,800	4,100	700	750	390	11,000
2018	13.3	3,700	4,000	740	720	440	11,200
2021	20.0	4,000	4,000	750	690	430	10,000
2024	50.0	4,800	4,300	1,050	590	430	9,200

Key Observations from These Intervals

US Spending Growth: From ~$2B (2000) to $50B (2024), a ~2,400% increase, driven by legislative spikes (e.g., 2009 stimulus to $28.9B; 2021+ laws averaging $50B/year).
Production Growth:
- China: Coal +269% (industrial boom); oil +26% (peaking mid-2010s).
- India: Coal +238% (energy security); oil -16% (declining domestic fields).
- Russia: Coal +59%; oil +48% (export focus, with post-2022 sanctions dip).

Year	New York State Spending on Climate ($ billion)	New York City Spending on Climate ($ billion)	Total Spending ($ billion)	Total Coal Production (Mt) China+India+Russia	Total Oil Production (kb/d) China+multiple+Russia	State Governor (Party)	NYC Mayor (Party)
2000	0.05	0.10	0.15	1880	10300	George Pataki (R)	Rudy Giuliani (R)
2002	0.06	0.12	0.18	2153	11765	George Pataki (R)	Michael Bloomberg (R)
2004	0.07	0.15	0.22	2755	13780	George Pataki (R)	Michael Bloomberg (R)
2026	0.08	0.20	0.28	3085	14330	George Pataki (R)	Michael Bloomberg (R)
2008	0.09	0.25	0.34	3508	14995	David Paterson (D)	Michael Bloomberg (R)
2010	0.10	0.30	0.40	4210	15415	David Paterson (D)	Michael Bloomberg (R)
2012	0.15	0.40	0.55	4490	15170	Andrew Cuomo (D)	Michael Bloomberg (R)
2014	0.18	0.50	0.68	4690	15510	Andrew Cuomo (D)	Bill de Blasio (D)
2016	0.20	0.60	0.80	4885	15985	Andrew Cuomo (D)	Bill de Blasio (D)
2018	0.30	0.80	1.10	4880	16120	Andrew Cuomo (D)	Bill de Blasio (D)
2020	0.40	1.00	1.40	5030	15405	Andrew Cuomo (D)	Bill de Blasio (D)
2022	0.50	1.50	2.00	5547	14490	Kathy Hochul (D)	Eric Adams (D)
2024	1.50	1.80	3.30	6280	14090	Kathy Hochul (D)	Eric Adams (D)

Sources: Governor.ny.gov , Big New York news BigNY.com
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October 15, 2025

New York. AG James Secures $14.2M From Auto Insurers After Data Breaches
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on October 14, 2025 that eight car insurance companies will pay $14.2 million and strengthen their cybersecurity after hackers exploited “pre-fill” quote tools and exposed driver’s license numbers and other data for more than 825,000 New Yorkers—information later used in some fraudulent unemployment claims. The settlements—with American Family/Midvale, Farmers, Hagerty, The Hartford, Infinity, Liberty Mutual, Metromile, and State Auto—require better authentication, monitoring, logging, data inventories, and incident response; affected New Yorkers were offered one year of free credit monitoring. Combined with earlier actions against four other insurers, AG James has now secured $20.79 million from 10 auto insurance companies for data security failures.

– New York Attorney General Letitia James today secured $14.2 million from eight car insurance companies for failing to protect the private information of more than 825,000 New Yorkers. The data breaches were part of a hacking campaign that targeted car insurance companies’ quoting tools and stole people’s personal information, including driver’s license numbers and dates of birth. The hackers later used some of the stolen driver’s license information to file fraudulent unemployment claims at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) concluded that the car insurance companies did not implement reasonable data security controls to protect consumers’ private information. Today’s settlements require all eight companies to pay penalties and significantly improve their data security. Affected New Yorkers were offered free credit report monitoring for one year. Attorney General James previously secured $6.5 million from four other car insurance companies for also failing to protect New Yorkers’ data. To date, Attorney General James has secured a total of $20.79 million from 10 auto insurance companies. Attorney General James encourages companies to follow guidance provided by her office to protect consumers’ personal data.

“New Yorkers pay hundreds of dollars in car insurance each month. When they go searching for a cheaper option, they should not have to worry that their private information could be stolen,” said Attorney General James. “These eight car insurance companies had poor cybersecurity that allowed hackers to easily steal New Yorkers’ personal information and use some of the information for fraud. I thank the Department of Financial Services and the Department of Labor for their partnership and continued work to hold companies accountable when they fail to protect consumers.”

The car insurance companies involved in today’s settlements are: American Family Mutual Insurance Company/Midvale Indemnity Company, Farmers Insurance, Hagerty Insurance Agency, The Hartford Insurance Group, Infinity Insurance Company, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Metromile, and State Auto Mutual Insurance Company.

These companies allowed people to obtain a car insurance price quote using an online tool. Some of the companies also provided password protected tools to insurance agents to generate quotes for customers.

The OAG’s investigation found that data thieves were able to exploit a “pre-fill” function in the companies’ online quoting tools. After limited private information about an individual was entered through an online quoting tool, the company would “pre-fill” the form with private information purchased from data brokers. The purpose of “pre-fill” was to insert information the user might not have on hand and make filling out the form easier. For example, by entering limited information into the tool, such as a person’s full name and date of birth, the other fields on the tool were pre-populated, such as an individual’s driver’s license numbers and similar information about other drivers in their household. The OAG found that the car insurance companies did not take reasonable steps to protect pre-fill private information. The attacks on these eight companies exposed the private information of over 825,000 New Yorkers. Some of the exposed data was later used to file unemployment claims during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The OAG’s investigation revealed that several companies suffered more than one attack, did not have common security tools in place to prevent and detect attacks, and/or did not use multifactor authentication to protect agent account credentials. Key findings from the investigations include:
- Farmers Insurance experienced three different attacks, exposing the private information of approximately 45,000 New Yorkers. After the first attack, Farmers did not identify similar vulnerabilities in additional tools that were also exploited.
- American Family Mutual Insurance Company / Midvale Indemnity Company each exposed the private information of approximately 100,000 New Yorkers. The companies mistakenly exposed the majority of these records after a transition between two security systems. The companies did not create a comprehensive protected data inventory before that transition and did not reasonably test the attacked tools after that transition.
- State Auto Mutual Insurance Company exposed the private information of over 100,000 New Yorkers. State Auto’s quote tools were not protected by common security tools that monitor and detect suspicious patterns, such as excessive requests from the same user or multiple requests by the same user from different IP addresses.
- Metromile exposed the private information of approximately 90,000 New Yorkers in a single attack that was not detected for two months. Metromile did not use common security tools to prevent and detect attacks.
- Liberty Mutual Insurance experienced attacks on three different consumer quote tools, exposing the data of approximately 50,000 New Yorkers. The attacked tools had not been subject to a privacy assessment and they were not protected by common security tools.
- The Hartford Insurance Group experienced two attacks that impacted approximately 30,000 New York consumers. While The Hartford maintained information security policies to protect consumer data, these policies were not implemented effectively.
- The Hagerty Insurance Agency experienced two attacks that exposed the private information of approximately 66,000 New Yorkers. While Hagerty detected unusual activity on its consumer quote tool website, Hagerty did not immediately identify it as an attack on exposed private information.
- The Infinity Insurance Company experienced three attacks. Data thieves accessed approximately 65,000 New Yorkers’ private information through a consumer quote tool and the information of approximately 180,000 New Yorkers through two password protected agent quoting tools. Infinity did not use multifactor authentication to protect its agent tool credentials at the time of the attacks.
Today’s settlements require these companies to significantly enhance their data security and pay penalties, in the following amounts:
- American Family Mutual Insurance Company/Midvale Indemnity Company will pay $2.8 million;
- Farmers Insurance will pay $1.3 million;
- Hagerty Insurance Agency will pay $1.3 million;
- Infinity Insurance Company will pay $2 million;
- The Hartford Insurance Group will pay $815,000;
- Liberty Mutual Insurance will pay $2 million;
- Metromile will pay $2 million; and
- State Auto Insurance will pay $2 million.
In addition to the penalties, the companies are required to adopt a series of measures to strengthen their cybersecurity practices, including:
- Maintaining a comprehensive information security program designed to protect the security, confidentiality, and integrity of private information;
- Developing and maintaining a data inventory of private information and ensuring the information is protected;
- Maintaining reasonable authentication procedures for access to private information;
- Maintaining a logging and monitoring system as well as reasonable policies and procedures designed to properly configure systems to alert on suspicious activity; and
- Enhancing their threat response procedures.
Today’s settlements are the latest effort by Attorney General James to hold companies accountable for having poor cybersecurity. In March 2025, Attorney General James sued Allstate Insurance for failing to protect New Yorkers’ information, causing more than 165,000 New Yorkers’ information to be exposed. In November 2024, Attorney General James and Department of Financial Services Superintendent Adrienne Harris secured $11.3 million from GEICO and Travelers for having poor data security. In October 2024, Attorney General James secured $2.25 million from a Capital Region health care provider for failing to protect the private information and medical data of New Yorkers. In July 2024, Attorney General James launched two privacy guides, a Business Guide to Website Privacy Controls and a Consumer Guide to Tracking on the Web to help businesses with and consumers protect their data online.

This matter was led by Assistant Attorneys General Gena Feist and Laura Mumm, and former Assistant Attorneys General Hanna Baek and Ezra Sternstein, Data Security Analyst Nishaant Goswamy, and former Internet and Technology Analyst Joe Graham, under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Clark Russell and Bureau Chief Kim Berger of the Bureau of Internet and Technology. Data analysis was provided by Data Analyst Casey Marescot and Data Scientist Blythe Davis, under the supervision of Deputy Director Gautam Sisodia, Director Victoria Khan, former Deputy Director Megan Thorsfeldt, and former Director Jonathan Werberg of the Research and Analytics Department. The Bureau of Internet and Technology is a part of the Division for Economic Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Chris D’Angelo and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.

Letitia James

New York State Attorney General

October 14, 2025

NEW YORK

Sources: AG.ny.gov/ , Big New York news BigNY.com
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October 15, 2025

Category: MIDTOWN TRIBUNE NEW YORK

Mayor Adams, Chancellor Aviles-Ramos, Commissioner Kaufman Kick Off 2026 “Battle of the Boroughs” E-Sports Competition

AG James Joins Coalition Suing to Protect Billions of Dollars Intended to Provide Affordable Home Solar Power to Communities NationwideEPA Illegally Revoked Nearly $250 Million for New York

Letitia James

New York State Attorney General

October 16, 2025

What you should know

Data Table for US Climate Spending and Fossil Fuel Production in China, India, and Russia (2000–2024, Every 3 Years)

Key Observations from These Intervals

Letitia James

New York State Attorney General

October 14, 2025

AG James Joins Coalition Suing to Protect Billions of Dollars Intended to Provide Affordable Home Solar Power to Communities Nationwide
EPA Illegally Revoked Nearly $250 Million for New York