Former Defense Contractor Sentenced to Over 10 Years in Prison for Attempted Espionage

 

John Murray Rowe Jr., 67, of Lead, South Dakota, was sentenced today to 126 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and a $25,000 fine for attempted espionage. 

The defendant was charged by indictment in December 2021 and pleaded guilty in April of last year to one count of attempted delivery of national defense information to a foreign government, and three counts of willful communication of national defense information. 

“The defendant spent decades working on sensitive U.S. defense programs and was entrusted with safeguarding protected and classified information about military technology. Instead of honoring that trust and his legal responsibilities as a clearance holder, he chose to violate both – repeatedly and willfully attempting to disclose classified information to someone he believed was a foreign agent,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The Justice Department will hold accountable those who disregard country and conscience at the expense of our Nation’s security, including, as here, out of spite.” 

“Despite his knowledge, training, experience, and decades of work as a military contractor, Rowe chose to betray the trust placed in him by his country,” said U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “His repeated, willful efforts to harm the U.S. by divulging sensitive defense information to an adversary are inexcusable. My office and our partners will continue to hold fully accountable anyone seeking to compromise the national security of the United States.”

“By attempting to disclose classified information on U.S. Air Force systems to the Russian government, John Rowe endangered American lives and compromised U.S. national security,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “This sentencing demonstrates the FBI and our partners will use every tool available to safeguard the homeland from internal and external threats. Anyone tempted to violate their oath to safeguard classified information should understand the severe consequences — and remember the FBI will never stop until we bring you to justice.”

According to court documents, Rowe was employed for nearly 40 years as a test engineer for multiple cleared defense contractors. In connection with his employment, Rowe held various national security clearances from SECRET to TOP SECRET//SCI (Sensitive Compartmented Information) and worked on matters relating to U.S. Air Force electronic warfare technology, among other things. After several security violations and concerning inquiries and statements about Russia and sensitive information, Rowe was identified as a potential insider threat and terminated from employment.

In March 2020, Rowe told an undercover FBI agent, who he believed to be an agent of the Russian government, that he was not loyal to the United States and that he was interested in helping Russia. During this meeting, Rowe disclosed national defense information classified as SECRET that concerned specific operating details of the electronic countermeasure systems used by U.S. military fighter jets, among other things.

Over the course of the next eight months, Rowe exchanged over 300 emails with a person he believed to be a Russian agent, confirming his willingness to work for the Russian government and discussing his knowledge of classified information relating to U.S. national security. In one email, Rowe explained, “If I can’t get a job [in the United States] then I’ll go work for the other team.”

In another email, Rowe disclosed classified national defense information concerning the U.S. Air Force. In September 2020, Rowe had a second in-person meeting with the undercover FBI agent. During this meeting, Rowe again disclosed classified national defense information.

Rowe was arrested on a criminal complaint and warrant on Dec. 15, 2021, and was ordered detained pending trial. During his pretrial detention, Rowe again disclosed the same classified national defense information concerning the U.S. Air Force to relatives and an associate during recorded prison calls.

The FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office investigated the case.

Attorney General James Releases Proposed Rules for SAFE for Kids Act to Restrict Addictive Social Media Features and Protect Children Online

 

Nation-Leading SAFE for Kids Act Protects Children’s Mental Health by Limiting Addictive Social Media Features Known to Cause Depression and Anxiety in Kids

Proposed Rules Outline How Social Media Companies Should Confirm Users’ Age to Stop Addictive Feeds and Nighttime Notifications for Children

New York Attorney General Letitia James today released proposed rules on how social media companies should restrict addictive features on their platforms to protect children’s mental health, as required by the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act. The SAFE for Kids Act, championed by Attorney General James, sponsored by Senator Andrew Gounardes and Assemblymember Nily Rozic, and signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul, requires social media companies to restrict algorithmically personalized feeds, or addictive feeds, and nighttime notifications for users under the age of 18 unless parental consent is granted. Addictive feeds and nighttime notifications are tied to depression, anxiety, eating and sleep disorders, and other mental health issues for children and teenagers. The proposed rules released today explain which companies must comply with the law and outline standards to determine users’ age and obtain parental consent. A public comment period on the proposed rules is open for 60 days.

“Children and teenagers are struggling with high rates of anxiety and depression because of addictive features on social media platforms,” said Attorney General James. “I am proud to have worked alongside Governor Hochul, Senator Gounardes, and Assemblymember Rozic to pass the nation’s strongest legislation to protect children from the dangers of social media. The proposed rules released by my office today will help us tackle the youth mental health crisis and make social media safer for kids and families. This is an issue that affects all of us, and I encourage parents, educators, young people, industry groups, and others to review the proposed rules and submit a comment during the public comment period.”

“I was proud to sign the nation’s leading legislation targeting addictive social media feeds, the SAFE for Kids Act, that protects New York’s young people from social media’s damaging effects,” said Governor Kathy Hochul. “We know that kids are happier and healthier when they’re learning and growing, not clicking and scrolling. I thank Attorney General James and her team for their work on drafting the regulations for this critically important legislation.” 

“I passed the SAFE for Kids Act in 2024 for one simple reason: I refuse to raise my children in a world where Big Tech profits at their expense,” said Senator Andrew Gounardes. “Big Tech spent millions last year to defeat this bill and continue trapping kids into addictive algorithms, leading to a youth mental health crisis and sky-high rates of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and self-harm. That’s why I was proud to stand alongside Governor Hochul, Attorney General James, Assemblymember Rozic, and so many others last year to force Silicon Valley to put people over profit and design a different feed experience for its youngest and most vulnerable users. I thank the Attorney General for releasing these regulations today to bring this historic law one step closer to reality, and look forward to working with her to continue pushing the frontier of kids online safety legislation.” 

“The SAFE for Kids law is a landmark step toward protecting kids online, and I am proud to see these strong regulations moving forward,” said Assemblymember Nily Rozic. “This is a vital step in halting harmful, addictive feeds and putting kids’ health ahead of corporate profits. I applaud Attorney General Letitia James and her team for their thoughtful and groundbreaking work in protecting our kids.” 

Algorithmically personalized feeds, or addictive feeds, recommend or personalize content for users in an endless stream based on data that the platform gathered about the user. They are a feature designed to encourage a user to continue to use and return to a platform. Content displayed in addictive feeds is often from accounts that a user does not follow and is often displayed out of chronological order.

Algorithmically personalized feeds are known to drive unhealthy levels of social media use in minors that can affect their mental health. Research shows that children as young as 10 to 14 years old experience addictive use of social media, and the more time children spend online, the more likely they are to experience negative mental health outcomes such as depression, anxiety, and eating and sleep disorders.

The SAFE for Kids Act addresses these mental health concerns for children by requiring social media companies to restrict addictive feeds for users under 18. Instead of the default algorithmically personalized feeds that keep young people on the platform, users under 18 will be shown content only from other accounts they follow or otherwise select in a set sequence, such as chronological order unless they get parental consent for an algorithmic personalized feed. Users cannot be cut off from the platform simply because they don’t want or don’t have parental consent for an addictive feed. Instead, all users will still be able to access all of the same content they can access now.

The law also prohibits social media platforms from sending notifications to users under 18 from 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. without parental consent.

The SAFE for Kids Act authorizes the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to promulgate rules on how companies should comply with the law before the statute goes into effect, including rules setting standards to determine a user’s age and parental consent. Before drafting the proposed rules, OAG issued an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking on August 1, 2024, and provided the public a 60-day period to submit comments. The OAG reviewed all comments that were submitted and used the public’s input, industry research, and its significant experience to inform the proposed rules.

Age Assurance

• For users above the age of 18, social media companies must ascertain that the user is an adult before allowing them to access algorithmic feeds and/or nighttime notifications. Companies may confirm a user’s age using a number of existing methods, as long as the methods are shown to be effective and protect users’ data. Companies can use options, such as:
  • Requesting an uploaded image or video; or
  • Verifying a user’s email address or phone number to cross-check other information that reflects a user’s age.
• Social media companies must offer at least one other alternative method for age assurance besides providing a government-issued ID.
• Any information used to determine age or obtain parental consent must not be used for any other purpose and must be deleted or de-identified immediately after its intended use.
• Young users who turn 18 must have an option to update their age status on the platform.
• Social media companies must choose an age assurance method with a high accuracy rate, conduct annual testing, and retain the results of the testing for a minimum of 10 years.

Parental Consent

• Social media companies must first receive a minor’s approval to request parental consent for algorithmic feeds and/or nighttime notifications. Once a minor approves, the platform may seek verifiable parental consent to allow a minor to access algorithmic feeds and/or nighttime notifications.
• The platform may not block the minor from generally accessing the platform or its content through, for example, searches, simply because they or their parent has refused to consent.
• The platform is not required to show parents the user’s search history or topics of interest to obtain parental consent.
• Parents and minors must also have the option to withdraw their consent at any time.

These proposed rules apply to companies that display user-generated content and have users who spend at least 20 percent of their time on the platform’s addictive feeds.

The full proposed rules can be found here. 

A public comment period on the proposed rules is open for 60 days and the deadline to submit comments is December 1, 2025. The OAG seeks comment on every aspect of the proposed rules, including personal experiences, research, technology standards, and industry information, together with examples, data, and analysis in support of any comment. The OAG seeks comments from parents and other caretakers of children, young people, educators, members of academia, mental health professionals, consumer and child advocacy groups, privacy advocacy groups, industry participants, and other members of the public.

To submit a comment on the proposed rules, email ProtectNYKidsOnline@ag.ny.gov.

After the public comment period closes, OAG has one year to finalize the rules. Once the final rules are released, the SAFE for Kids Act goes into effect after 180 days.

For companies that violate the SAFE for Kids Act, the law authorizes OAG to bring an action to stop violations as well as to seek civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation, among other remedies.

Statement from Governor Kathy Hochul

“The Long Island Rail Road is a lifeline for nearly 300,000 Long Islanders each day, and I stand firmly with every rider who simply wants to get to work, school, home, or anywhere else they need to go, without disruption.

“There is a fair offer on the table, and I have directed the MTA to be ready to negotiate anytime, anywhere. Unfortunately, five unions have refused to come to the table in good faith and rejected binding arbitration, putting riders at risk of an unnecessary strike. Both sides must return to negotiations and keep working around the clock until this is resolved.

“A strike would hurt not only the riders who rely on the LIRR, but also many hardworking LIRR employees and their families, who will be left without pay because of unrealistic demands and their union leadership's refusal to negotiate.

“The reckless actions of the Trump administration’s National Mediation Board pushed this dispute toward a strike instead of keeping talks on track. Make no mistake, this is a strike encouraged by Donald Trump and enabled by his allies in Washington. I remain incredibly frustrated with the continued inaction and silence of Long Island's two Republican members of Congress.

“The Trump administration can prevent this right now by ordering both sides back to mediation. If they refuse, LIRR riders should know exactly who is to blame.”

 

NYS Office of the Comptroller DiNapoli: Recently Enacted Federal Tax Provisions Disproportionately Benefit Those With Higher Incomes

A new report by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli analyzed the federal tax provisions enacted under Public Law No: 119-21 at the beginning of July and how they may impact New Yorkers. While the bill made permanent many tax changes included in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), it includes new tax breaks for seniors and the working class that are largely temporary, according to DiNapoli’s report. These minimal tax benefits, along with the significant cuts in safety net spending included in the legislation, will put a larger burden on New Yorkers trying to make ends meet.

“Many of the tax benefits in the federal legislation passed in Washington this summer will continue to go to those with higher incomes,” DiNapoli said. “This was a lost opportunity to improve the tax code; instead, the new federal law adds complexity and creates inequities. Low-and middle-income New Yorkers will see few long-term benefits while bearing most of the burden of the bill’s significant spending cuts to vital programs.”

Summary

The TCJA included provisions, such as a higher standard deduction and increased child tax credit, that alleviated the federal tax burden for many New Yorkers. The new federal law permanently extended and enhanced many of these provisions.

The Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) estimates that under the new law, over one-third of the net tax reductions in calendar year 2027 will be for those with incomes over $500,000, more than 10 percentage points higher than under the TCJA. The JCT also estimates that the enacted changes will reduce federal revenues by more than $5.1 trillion over the next ten years, which may adversely impact the distribution of vital federal funds to states and localities.

The newly enacted provisions reportedly aimed at helping working class Americans are temporary and limited in scope. New deductions for seniors, tip income, overtime pay, and interest on new car loans are in effect only for tax years 2025 to 2028, and limited to taxpayers with Social Security numbers.

These deductions target a small portion of the population or treat taxpayers with similar wages or even in the same business unequally. For example, approximately 6% of the jobs in New York are in occupations, such as wait staff, bartenders, personal care workers, delivery drivers and hotel staff, that regularly and customarily receive tips. As a result, parking lot and coat room attendants, who will benefit from the deduction for tipped income, could potentially have their federal tax burden eliminated while childcare workers and home health aides who generally do not receive tips will not.

In 2031, when these temporary provisions expire, JCT estimates those with incomes of less than $30,000 will see their federal tax liability increase.

SALT Deduction Lifted Temporarily

The new federal law permanently limits the itemized deduction for state and local taxes (SALT) paid to $10,000. For tax year 2025, the limit is increased to $40,000 for taxpayers with incomes up to $500,000; the limit and income threshold are further increased by 1% annually in tax years 2026 to 2029. In 2030, the limit reverts to $10,000 for all filers.

In tax year 2023, more than 1.5 million New York residents itemized deductions and included deductions for state and local taxes paid under the State personal income tax; 76% reported tax payments in excess of the $10,000 federal cap. Of these taxpayers, nearly all with incomes under $100,000 will be able to fully deduct their SALT payments under the temporary, higher limit, and over 87% of those with incomes between $100,000 and $500,000 will as well. However, for over 445,000 of these filers, the higher federal standard deduction will likely provide a larger tax benefit.

Child Tax Credit Changes

Taxpayers with children will also see limited relief from the increase in the child tax credit to $2,200 per child starting in tax year 2025. The credit will also be indexed to inflation after 2025. There is also a refundable portion of the tax credit, which was reduced under the new law and will no longer be indexed to inflation, reducing the benefit for lower income taxpayers. In tax year 2022, nearly 2.1 million New York taxpayers claimed $6.1 billion in federal child tax credits, $1.8 billion of which was refundable.

For taxpayers who pay for childcare, the nonrefundable credit as a share of these expenses was increased for those with incomes less than $105,000. However, the maximum amount of expenses eligible for the credit remains unchanged at $3,000 for one child and $6,000 for two or more, failing to address the rising cost of childcare for most families. The average cost of childcare for one child in New York in 2023 was nearly five times the $3,000 cap allowed for the credit. In tax year 2023, nearly 310,000 resident New York taxpayers claimed the federal child and dependent care credit, just 3.3% of total filers, the largest number of claimants were those with incomes over $105,000.

Decoupling Question

With the passage of the TCJA, the state chose to decouple the tax law from many of the provisions that impact either New York taxpayers or tax collections. As a result, provisions in the new federal law that made policies in the TCJA permanent are not expected to have a revenue impact. However, if the state does not pass legislation to decouple those provisions that were not included as part of the TCJA, it could affect New York collections as early as State Fiscal Year 2026-27 when taxpayers file their annual tax year 2025 returns.

These provisions include the new “above-the-line” deductions for overtime pay, tip income, and interest on new car loans. While the change in the child tax credit is not expected to impact New York’s tax collections because of previous legislation that de-coupled it from federal provisions, the child and dependent care credit is calculated as a percentage of the federal credit which could cause a decline in state revenues.

Report

Tax Provisions Under the Federal Reconciliation Bill

Related Reports

Report on the State Fiscal Year 2026 Enacted Budget and First Quarterly Financial Plans

Economic and Policy Insights: Income Tax Provisions Under  The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

Economic and Policy Insights: Federal Actions Threaten to Exacerbate Rising Food Insecurity

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson - POSTPONED: Bronx Graduate Fair

 

Permits Filed for 4350 Van Cortlandt Park East in Woodlawn, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for a four-story mixed-use building at 4350 Van Cortlandt Park East in Woodlawn, The Bronx. Located between Oneida and Kepler Avenues, the lot is near the Nereid Avenue subway station, served by the 2 and 5 trains. Eliezer Grunberger of EZ Builders Corp. is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 35-foot-tall development will yield 22,873 square feet, with 19,748 square feet designated for residential space and 3,125 square feet for community facility space. The building will have 29 residences, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 680 square feet. The steel-based structure will also have a basement and a 20-foot-long rear yard.

Boaz M. Golani Architect is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits have not been filed yet. An estimated completion date has not been announced.

NYGOP Response to Hochul's Endorsement of Mamdani

 

Cox: The Worst Governor in America Defends her Title

NYGOP Chair Ed Cox released the following statement:

 

"In a four-way race, Kathy Hochul just endorsed an avowed communist and anti-Semite for Mayor of the City of New York. 

 

"It's no wonder Kathy Hochul's New York continues to lead the nation in outmigration: New Yorkers are fleeing Democrats' worst-in-the-nation tax and regulatory regime, as well as their open embrace of extremism.

 

"The Worst Governor in America defends her title."

ICE Lodges Detainer for Depraved Criminal Illegal Alien from Cuba Charged with Murder in Beheading of Victim with a Machete in Dallas

 

This barbaric criminal with a rap sheet that includes child sex abuse was released into America by the Biden Administration

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced it lodged a detainer for the federal arrest and removal of a criminal illegal alien from Cuba who was taken into custody by local authorities in Dallas, Texas on homicide charges.  

On September 10, Yordanis Cobos-Martinez—an illegal alien from Cuban with a rap sheet including child sex abuse, grand theft of a motor vehicle, false imprisonment and carjacking—was arrested by Dallas Police Department at a motel in Dallas for murder. Cobos-Martinez allegedly used a machete to behead a merchant he had an argument in front of the merchant’s spouse and child. Reportedly, Cobos-Martinez then kicked the head of the victims ‘around like a soccer ball.’ ICE has lodged the detainer with the Dallas County Jail, where this criminal illegal alien is being held. 

“This vile monster beheaded this man in front of his wife and child and proceeded to kick the victims’ head on the ground. This gruesome, savage slaying of a victim at a motel by Yordanis Cobos-Martinez was completely preventable if this criminal illegal alien was not released into our country by the Biden Administration since Cuba would not take him back,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “This is exactly why we are removing criminal illegal aliens to third countries. President Trump and Secretary Noem are no longer allowing barbaric criminals to indefinitely remain in America. If you come to our country illegally, you could end up in Eswatini, Uganda, South Sudan, or CECOT.” 

Yordanis Cobos-Martinez has a past final order of removal to Cuba. He was most recently in ICE Dallas custody at the Bluebonnet Detention Center until he was released on an Order of Supervision on January 13, 2025—under the Biden administration.  This barbaric criminal was released because Cuba would not accept him because of his criminal history.