INCREASED INCENTIVES: DHS Now Offering $3K Holiday Stipend Through End of The Year Via the CBP Home App for Illegal Aliens to Leave Now

 

Those in the U.S. illegally will receive the $3K stipend and a free flight home if they sign up to self-deport through the CBP Home app by the end of the year

The Department of Homeland Security is continuing to deliver this holiday season on its promise to help illegal aliens in the United States return home.  

Illegal aliens who sign up to self-deport through the CBP Home app by the end of the year will receive a $3,000 stipend in addition to a free flight home. Using the CBP Home app also qualifies recipients for forgiveness of any civil fines or penalties for failing to depart the country.  

“Since January 2025, 1.9 million illegal aliens have voluntarily self-deported and tens of thousands have used the CBP Home program. During the Christmas Season, the U.S. taxpayer is so generously TRIPLING the incentive to leave voluntarily for those in this country illegally- offering a $3,000 exit bonus, but just until the end of the year,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. “Illegal aliens should take advantage of this gift and self-deport because if they don’t, we will find them, we will arrest them, and they will never return.”   

Self-deportation through the CBP Home app is the best gift that an illegal alien can give themselves and their families this holiday season. It’s a fast, free, and easy process: Just download the app, fill out your information, and DHS will take care of the rest – including arranging and paying for your travel back home. 

Those illegal aliens who don’t take advantage of this special offer today have only one alternative: They will be arrested, deported, and they will never be able to return to the United States. 

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NYC Council Investigation of Nearly 200 Public Restrooms Finds Various Locations Closed, Unclean, and Lacking Basic Amenities

 

Today, the New York City Council released a report detailing the findings of a Council investigation into the cleanliness, accessibility, and amenities of public restrooms across the city. As part of the investigation led by the Council’s Oversight and Investigations Division (OID), investigators inspected 172 public restroom sites in parks maintained by the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), Privately Owned Public Spaces (POPS), and the City’s three library systems. The investigation found restrooms closed during expected operating hours, missing basic amenities like soap, toilet paper, and trash cans, and lacking available menstrual products and diaper changing tables. Nearly all of these issues were found in park restrooms, while library restrooms were mostly found to be clean and equipped with basic amenities. More than one out of every ten restrooms were closed during posted operating hours; over one in four were missing a trash can, and over three-quarters out of every four stalls in women’s restrooms did not have menstrual product disposal bins.   

The report, Good to Go? can be found here.

“Ensuring our city’s public restrooms are clean and accessible is a critical responsibility for city government,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “Yet, the Council’s investigation confirmed what too many New Yorkers have experienced: unexpectedly closed restrooms, unclean conditions, and a lack of sanitary amenities. My hope is that the next mayoral administration makes the maintenance and availability of our city’s public restrooms a priority. I thank the Council’s Oversight and Investigations Division for their continued focus on an area that often goes overlooked in our communities.”

OID worked with the Council’s Data Team to select a representative, randomized sample of 172 public restroom sites encompassing 337 individual restrooms across all five boroughs, with at least one site being located within each Council District. Council staff visited 156 park sites, 14 libraries, and two POPS. This broader investigation builds on and mirrors findings from OID’s previous report, Nature’s Call, which highlighted deficiencies in cleanliness, accessibility, and amenities faced by visitors to DPR’s public restrooms.

The Council’s inspections of public restrooms across the city found the following:

•   More than one in ten surveyed restrooms (36 of 337), all located in parks, were closed during posted operating hours. Nearly one in nine park restrooms (36 of 304) were closed during posted operating hours.  
•   More than two in five open, surveyed restrooms (129 of 301) were missing at least one necessity (soap, toilet paper, a garbage can, or a method to dry your hands).
•   More than one in seven restroom stalls (81 of 555) lacked functioning locks.
•   More than one in four open restrooms (85 of 301) did not have a diaper changing table, and of those that did, more than one in five (46 of 216) had significant usability issues or were dirty.
•   Library restrooms were generally clean; only two library restrooms exhibited any cleanliness issues.
•   Public restrooms were not well-equipped for menstrual needs: About four in five stalls in women’s restrooms did not have menstrual product disposal bins, and just four sites had menstrual product dispensers.
•   The two POPS surveyed did not include their restrooms on their Entrance or Information Plaques.

“The City of New York must treat public bathrooms as the essential infrastructure they are and be maintained consistently and easily located,” said Council Member Gale A. Brewer, Chair of the Committee on Oversight and Investigations. “Unfortunately, in our city, it seems that clean and reliable public bathrooms remain elusive. OID’s investigation found that one in ten park restrooms were closed during posted hours, two in five restrooms were missing basic necessities like soap or toilet paper, and one in seven stalls didn’t even have a working lock. These are not simply minor inconveniences, but instead matters of public health, safety, and access that must be addressed.”

To ensure public restrooms are safe, clean, accessible, and meet the needs of New Yorkers, the Council recommends the mayoral administration take the following steps:

Providing Accessible Information

•   The Mayor’s Office of Operations should ensure that the Public Restrooms Dataset and map accurately reflect open and available restrooms.
•   Ensure that if a POPS includes a restroom, the POPS Information Plaque indicates the availability, location, and operating hours of the restroom.

Ensuring Cleanliness and Safety

•   Garbage cans should be provided in all restrooms to decrease the prevalence and amount of litter.   
•   DPR should reevaluate their process for addressing maintenance issues, such as broken or missing locks on stalls, and should find ways to encourage the public to report these issues to 311.

Meeting the Needs of New Yorkers

•   DPR should ensure equitable distribution and maintenance of diaper changing tables across all park restrooms, regardless of gender.
•   DPR should provide a menstrual product disposal bin in each restroom stall and evaluate the cost and feasibility of installing menstrual product dispensers in every restroom, regardless of gender.

CEO of Health Care Software Company Sentenced for $1B Fraud Conspiracy

 

An Arizona man was sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison and ordered to pay more than $452 million in restitution for conspiring to defraud Medicare and other federal health care benefit programs of more than $1 billion by operating a platform that generated false doctors’ orders used to support fraudulent claims for various medical items.

“This just sentence is the result of one of the largest telemarketing Medicare fraud cases ever tried to verdict,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Telemedicine scammers who use junk mailers, spam calls and the internet to target senior citizens steal taxpayer money and harm vulnerable populations. The Criminal Division will continue dedicating substantial resources to the fight against telemedicine and medical equipment frauds that drain our health care benefit programs.”

“Together with our partners, the FBI will aggressively pursue those who defraud taxpayer funded health care programs,” said Acting Assistant Director Rebecca Day of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Programs like Medicare are intended to help the most vulnerable among us, and fraud schemes like the one orchestrated by the defendant can jeopardize the delivery of critical care to those who need it the most.”

“This sentence sends a clear message: those who exploit telemedicine to prey on seniors and steal from taxpayer-funded health care programs will be held accountable,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This scheme was a massive betrayal of trust, built on deception and greed. Our investigators, working with law enforcement partners, dismantled this billion-dollar fraud operation that targeted vulnerable patients and undermined the integrity of Medicare. We will not relent in our mission to protect the public and safeguard Medicare and other federal health care programs from fraud, waste, and abuse.”

“This sentencing underscores the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s (VA OIG) commitment to vigorously investigate those who would seek to defraud VA healthcare programs,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker with the VA OIG Southeast Field Office. “The VA OIG thanks the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners for their efforts in this investigation.”

“This investigation underscores the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) commitment to protecting the integrity of the TRICARE program and ensuring that taxpayer-funded military health benefits are not exploited for personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Sargenski of DCIS’s Southeast Field Office.  “Fraud schemes that siphon resources from TRICARE directly undermine the care promised to service members and their families. As the criminal investigative arm of DoD’s Office of Inspector General, DCIS remains focused on disrupting these schemes and holding responsible parties accountable.”

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Gary Cox, 79, of Maricopa County, was the CEO of Power Mobility Doctor Rx, LLC (DMERx). Cox and his co-conspirators targeted hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries who provided their personally identifiable information and agreed to accept medically unnecessary orthotic braces, pain creams and other items through misleading mailers, television advertisements and calls from offshore call centers. Cox and his co-conspirators owned, controlled and operated DMERx, an internet-based platform that generated false and fraudulent doctors’ orders for these items. As part of the scheme, Cox connected pharmacies, durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers and marketers with telemedicine companies that would accept illegal kickbacks and bribes in exchange for signed doctors’ orders transmitted using the DMERx platform. Cox and his co-conspirators received payments for coordinating these illegal kickback transactions and referring the completed doctors’ orders to the DME suppliers, pharmacies and telemarketers that paid kickbacks and bribes for the orders.

The fraudulent doctors’ orders generated by DMERx falsely represented that a doctor had examined and treated the Medicare beneficiaries when, in fact, purported telemedicine companies paid doctors to sign the orders without regard to medical necessity, based only on a brief telephone call with the beneficiary or no interaction with the beneficiary at all. The DME suppliers and pharmacies that paid illegal kickbacks in exchange for these doctors’ orders billed Medicare and other insurers more than $1 billion, and Medicare and the insurers paid more than $360 million based on these claims. According to evidence presented at trial, Cox and his co-conspirators concealed the scheme through sham contracts and by eliminating from doctors’ orders what one co-conspirator described as “dangerous words” that might cause Medicare to audit the scheme’s DME suppliers.

In June 2025, Cox was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, three counts of health care fraud, conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks and conspiracy to defraud the United States and make false statements in connection with health care matters.

The FBI, HHS-OIG, VA-OIG and DCIS investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Darren C. Halverson and Jennifer E. Burns of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. Fraud Section Trial Attorney Shane Butland assisted in the prosecution. Trial Attorney Evan N. Schlom with the Fraud Section’s Special Matters Unit provided valuable assistance.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

Cholo Abdi Abdullah Sentenced To Life In Prison For Conspiring To Commit 9/11-Style Terrorist Attack On Behalf Of al-Shabaab

 

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, John A. Eisenberg, and Assistant Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia, announced today that CHOLO ABDI ABDULLAH was sentenced to life in prison by U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres following his conviction for multiple crimes that included conspiring to provide—and providing—material support to a foreign terrorist organization, and conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, commit aircraft piracy, destroy aircraft, and commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries.  Today’s sentencing followed ABDULLAH’s conviction after a jury trial that concluded on November 4, 2024. 

“Cholo Abdi Abdullah was a highly trained al-Shabaab operative who was dedicated to recreating the horrific September 11 terrorist attacks on behalf of a vicious terrorist organization,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “Abdullah pursued his commercial pilot license at a flight school in the Philippines while conducting extensive attack planning on how to hijack a commercial plane and crash it into a building in America.  As he later admitted to the FBI, he was fully prepared to die in his terrorist attack.  I commend the years of outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the career prosecutors of this Office who disrupted Abdullah’s murderous plot and brought him to face justice in a U.S. court.  He will now spend life behind bars, where he will not be able to harm innocent Americans.”

“Today, justice has been served,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg.  “Abdullah, an al-Shabaab terrorist, sought to replicate the most horrific terrorist attack in our history, as he prepared to hijack a commercial airliner to take down a building on U.S. soil.  We thwarted this plot due to the relentless efforts of U.S. law enforcement and thereby likely saved many innocent lives.  His life sentence is a powerful reminder that those who plot attacks against the United States will be prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Al Qaeda affiliated terrorist and trained pilot Cholo Abdullah was justly punished today for his plotting to commit a 9/11-style terrorist attack,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia.  “This case serves as reminder individuals still wish to inflict violence upon our country in the name of the terrorism.  The FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force remains steadfast in its relentless determination to protect the American people from terrorists and their heinous desires.”

According to court documents and the evidence at trial:

al-Shabaab

Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen, commonly known as al-Shabaab, is a terrorist organization and al Qaeda affiliate based in Somalia and active in other locations in East Africa.  Since its formation, al-Shabaab has relied on violence, including assassinations, suicide bombings, armed assaults on hotels, restaurants, beaches, and an array of civilian targets to pursue its goals.  Those goals include al Qaeda’s broader objective to overthrow the U.S. government and create an Islamic caliphate.  In 2012, the then-Emir of al-Shabaab swore allegiance to Ayman al Zawahiri, the then-Emir of al Qaeda who succeeded Osama bin Laden after his death in 2011, which led to al-Zawahiri announcing that al-Shabaab “will hereby merge into al Qa’ida.”  On February 26, 2008, the U.S. Secretary of State designated al-Shabaab as a foreign terrorist organization (“FTO”) under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224.

Since its designation, al-Shabaab has repeatedly declared its intent to target the West and kill Americans.  In April 2008, for example, in response to the U.S. designation of al-Shabaab as an FTO, al-Shabaab released a statement expressly declaring its intent to target the U.S.  The next month, in May 2008, al-Shabaab publicly declared that its fighters would “hunt the U.S. government,” and threatened that governments supporting the U.S. and Ethiopia should keep their citizens out of Somalia. Consistent with its threats, al-Shabaab has repeatedly engaged in mass-casualty attacks targeting Americans.

al-Shabaab’s “Operation Jerusalem Will Never Be Judaized” Campaign

In May 2018, al-Shabaab announced that it would participate in an al Qaeda-driven campaign to retaliate against the U.S. for its decision to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, called “Operation ‘Al-Qudsu Lan Tuhawwad (Jerusalem will never be Judaized).’”  al-Shabaab subsequently claimed, in public statements, responsibility for multiple major terrorist attacks carried out under Operation “Jerusalem Will Never Be Judaized.”

One of al-Shabaab’s attacks was the January 15, 2019 assault on the DusitD2 hotel and office complex in Nairobi, Kenya (the “DusitD2 Attack”), which included, among other things, a suicide bomber detonating an explosive device in front of a U.S. citizen, killing him; and four other armed individuals attacking the hotel grounds with AK-47s and grenades, killing more than 20 additional people.  al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack, and in a propaganda video explained that the DusitD2 Attack was “successful, by the grace of Allah, and resulted in the deaths of more than 50 disbelievers, including Americans and other Western nationals.”

ABDULLAH Joins the al-Shabaab Aviation Plot to Re-Create the September 11 Terrorist Attacks

ABDULLAH joined al-Shabaab in 2015 and spent approximately a year at a series of safehouses in Somalia where he worked with high-ranking al-Shabaab members and received military-style training that included how to fire an AK-47 assault rifle and how to make different sized explosives.  During his training, ABDULLAH was recruited by senior al-Shabaab operatives for a “greater plan,” one that was “bigger than the fighting and the explosives.”  Specifically, ABDULLAH agreed to join al-Shabaab’s international scheme to execute a mass-casualty terrorist attack, which would involve ABDULLAH training to become an airline pilot so that he could hijack a commercial plane and crash it into a building in the U.S.

Between October 2017 and July 2019, ABDULLAH became a student at a flight school in the Philippines and spent hundreds of hours training to become a commercial pilot.  ABDULLAH’s flight school tuition was financed by al-Shabaab, which raises funds through an elaborate system of extortion in Somalia that it refers to as “taxation.”  Images of ABDULLAH at the flight school are displayed below, with the instructors’ faces redacted:

During his enrollment, ABDULLAH participated in multiple training programs for his private and commercial pilot licenses, as well as to obtain the required ratings necessary to fly commercial aircraft.  These requirements included hundreds of hours of classroom instruction, work in flight simulators, hands-on flight training, and written examinations.  At the time of his arrest in the Philippines in July 2019, ABDULLAH had completed all but one of the requirements for his commercial pilot licenses and had nearly completed the “instrument rating” required to get a job as a pilot with a major airline.

ABDULLAH Agreed to Murder U.S. Nationals for al-Shabaab

Following his arrest, ABDULLAH admitted to FBI agents that he was training to become a pilot on behalf of al-Shabaab so that he could hijack a plane.  As part of his attack planning, ABDULLAH had researched certain transit visas that would allow him to enter the U.S., tested the feasibility of taking a knife on board an airplane, and admitted that he expected others to be killed or injured when he hijacked the plane.  ABDULLAH himself expected to die in the attack.

While training at the flight school, ABDULLAH continued to research his attack plans.  ABDULLAH searched online multiple times for information concerning airplane cockpit doors, as well as airline jobs, instructor training, and possible interview questions for airline jobs.  In December 2018, ABDULLAH searched for information concerning security on airplanes, including whether air marshals are on every flight, and “Boeing 737 cockpit door.”  ABDULLAH visited websites discussing pilots carrying guns inside airplane cockpits, and viewed an article on how to open an airplane cockpit door from the outside.

In January 2019, ABDULLAH was briefed by his al-Shabaab handler about the DusitD2 Attack. ABDULLAH’s handler was a high-level al-Shabaab operative who coordinated the DusitD2 Attack and arranged for the use of a suicide bomber during the assault on the hotel and office complex.  ABDULLAH admitted to FBI agents that his handler told ABDULLAH that his friend in al-Shabaab had died “for the cause” during the DusitD2 Attack, and that ABDULLAH and his handler used that as “encouragement” for ABDULLAH to become stronger.  ABDULLAH then repeatedly searched online about the DusitD2 Attack, including for footage of the suicide blast.  Just two days later, ABDULLAH accelerated his attack planning by researching “Delta flights,” and the “Tallest building in Atlanta,” specifically focusing on the Bank of America Plaza, a 55-story building standing 1,023 feet tall according to the website ABDULLAH visited as part of his research.

Throughout his flight training, ABDULLAH also provided his al-Shabaab handler with detailed progress reports that described his research and attack planning.  In these reports, ABDULLAH described how he had taken flights to determine which airline seats had the best views of the flight deck door.  ABDULLAH also compiled research on post-September 11 hijacking attempts and described how the “brothers during 9/11 did something completely unexpected in a more creative way, ‘study for piloting.’”  In that same report, ABDULLAH concluded that “the only successful hijack after 9/11 was the one of the [E]thiopian [A]irlines and it is so because it was hijacked by the pilot himself.”  ABDULLAH’s progress report then described a list of “My ideas” that ABDULLAH created and arrived at for a successful hijacking operation.  His number one idea was that “for a very successful mission, we need a pilot in the cockpit (which means I should apply for the airlines).”

Before ABDULLAH could complete his commercial pilot license training and carry out the final, deadly steps of the Aviation Plot, he was arrested, in July 2019, by authorities in the Philippines.  He was transferred to U.S. custody in December 2020.

As a result of this conduct, on November 4, 2024, ABDULLAH was found guilty at trial of six counts: conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison; providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison; conspiring to murder U.S. nationals abroad, which carries a maximum term of life in prison;  conspiring to commit aircraft piracy, which carries a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison; conspiring to destroy aircraft, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison; and conspiring to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

ABDULLAH, 35, of Kenya, was not sentenced to any supervised release.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department.  Mr. Clayton also thanked the FBI Counterterrorism Division; the FBI Legal Attaché Offices in Nairobi, Kenya, and Manila, the Philippines; the FBI’s Hudson Valley Resident Agency; the New York State Police; the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division; the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division; the U.S. Department of Defense; the Kenyan Directorate of Criminal Investigations, including the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit and the Joint Terrorism Task Force-Kenya; the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Kenya; the Philippine National Police; the Philippine Department of Justice; the Joint Terrorism Financial Investigations Group-Philippines; and the Philippine Bureau of Immigration, for their assistance.

Attorney General James Secures $150 Million from Mercedes for Cheating Emissions Standards and Misleading Consumers

 

AG James Co-Leads 50 AGs in Bipartisan Settlement Stemming from Mercedes’ Emissions-Cheating Scheme

Mercedes Will Pay More Than $13.5 Million to New York, Provide Payments to Vehicle Owners, and Implement Sweeping Reforms After Years of Excess Diesel Pollution

New York Attorney General Letitia James and a bipartisan coalition of 50 other attorneys general today announced a nearly $150 million settlement with Mercedes-Benz USA (Mercedes), resolving violations of environmental and consumer protection laws stemming from the company’s use of illegal emissions-cheating software. A multistate investigation led by Attorney General James and eight other attorneys general found that Mercedes equipped hundreds of thousands of diesel vehicles with undisclosed software designed to cheat emissions tests, mislead consumers, and illegally pollute communities nationwide. Under the settlement, Mercedes will pay $149,673,750 to the coalition, including more than $13.5 million to New York to fight air pollution, and provide $2,000 payments to eligible owners and lessees whose vehicles receive the required emissions repairs. The company must also undertake broad corrective actions to prevent future misconduct and comply with strict oversight requirements.

“Mercedes promised New Yorkers clean, green cars, but instead sold vehicles that polluted our air and put public health at risk,” said Attorney General James. “For nearly a decade, Mercedes misled regulators and consumers while its vehicles spewed toxic emissions into our communities. Today’s settlement holds Mercedes accountable, delivers millions of dollars to protect New York’s environment, and ensures that this company never again deceives the public about its emissions.”

“Thanks to strong leadership from Governor Hochul and Attorney General James, New York continues to advance a cleaner and healthier state for all New Yorkers,” said Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton. “This multi-state settlement not only ensures accountability for bad actors using illegal emissions-cheating devices, it also importantly delivers more than $13.5 million to New York to reduce harmful emissions and help eligible consumers pay for costly vehicle repairs.”

Attorney General James and the coalition launched an investigation in 2020 following the conclusion of a similar federal investigation. As part of a nine-state executive committee, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) reviewed more than 350,000 documents and interviewed numerous witnesses. The coalition found that Mercedes installed undisclosed software in its diesel vehicles that masked the true level of pollution they produced. These devices artificially lowered emissions during government testing, but in normal driving conditions, the vehicles emitted far higher levels of harmful pollutants, sometimes up to 30 or 40 times the legal limit. This unlawful software enabled Mercedes to obtain emissions certifications that the vehicles did not actually qualify for.

The investigation also found that Mercedes misled consumers by advertising these diesel vehicles as “clean” and “green” vehicles that produced “ultra-low emissions.” Mercedes claimed to offer “the world’s cleanest diesel automobiles” and touted its products’ ability to convert pollutants into “pure, earth-friendly nitrogen and water.” In reality, the vehicles emitted far more pollution than permitted and did not operate as advertised or certified. Between 2008 and 2017, Mercedes sold more than 200,000 diesel vehicles equipped with this software, including more than 19,000 vehicles registered in New York.

As part of the settlement, Mercedes will immediately pay $120 million to the coalition states, including $13,530,088 for New York, to support efforts to prevent, abate, and mitigate air pollution. An additional $29,673,750 penalty is temporarily suspended and will be reduced by $750 for each affected vehicle Mercedes repairs, takes off the market, or buys back. To encourage repairs, Mercedes must provide $2,000 payments to eligible owners and lessees whose vehicles receive an Approved Emissions Modification (AEM). To obtain this payment, owners and lessees of affected vehicles must submit a valid claim by September 30, 2026. Mercedes is required to mail notices to eligible owners and lessees explaining how to participate. The company will also provide an extended emissions warranty for vehicles that receive the modification.

Mercedes must also implement sweeping reforms to prevent future violations and comply with new reporting requirements. Mercedes is prohibited from selling or leasing any diesel vehicles equipped with these illegal emissions-cheating devices, from making misleading statements about a vehicle’s emissions performance, and from claiming a diesel vehicle is clean or low-pollution unless the claim is accurate and substantiated. The company must also comply with requirements previously imposed in federal court. Mercedes must regularly report to state regulators which vehicles have been repaired or removed from the road and may face additional penalties depending on its compliance.

Joining Attorney General James in this settlement, which was co-led with the attorneys general of Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, South Carolina, and Texas, are the attorneys general of Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Governor Hochul Signs Two Pieces of Landmark Legislation to Protect New Yorkers Against the Harmful Effects of Commercial Herbal Product Known as Kratom

Legislation S4552A/A2340A Prohibits Sale of Kratom to Individuals Under the Age of 21, Imposes Civil Penalties for Violations

Legislation S8285/A5852A Requires Product Warning Label Requirements

Resources From New York State Department of Health Are Available for Clinicians Here and Consumers Here

Governor Kathy Hochul today signed two pieces of landmark legislation to protect New Yorkers from the harmful effects of kratom, a commercially available herbal product sold for recreational use. This comes amid a rise in concerns about the link to potential health risks. Legislation S4552A/A2340A amends public health law to prohibit the sale of kratom products to individuals under 21 years of age. Legislation S8285/A5852A requires any kratom product being manufactured, distributed or sold in New York State to include a consumer warning label.

“Kratom is a commercial substance that is commonly labeled an “all-natural herb”, leading people to believe it’s completely safe — but the reality is it can be extremely dangerous and unfortunately, in some cases, lethal,” Governor Hochul said. “No parent in New York should have to endure the loss of a child to a substance simply because they didn’t know what was in it. This legislation ensures transparency and strengthens our public health laws so that information about the ingredients and potential harmful risks associated with kratom are clear.”

Legislation S4552A/A2340A will prohibit sales of kratom to persons under the age of 21. Under this legislation, anyone selling kratom to individuals under 21 years of age can face a fine of up to $500 for each offense.

Legislation S8285/A5852A will require any kratom product to include a full list of ingredients as well as a consumer warning that the product may be addictive and may interact with certain medications, drugs and controlled substances.

Kratom is an herb from Southeast Asia that may be used for its stimulant and analgesic, pain relief, effects. The substance is often taken as an energy booster, mood lifter, pain reliever or recreationally. Some consumers also report using kratom to relieve symptoms of withdrawal from opioid. 

While kratom itself is not an opioid, when taken in larger quantities, it can act in a way similar to other opioids, leading to tolerance, physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms. In some rare cases, deaths have been associated with kratom use, though in these cases kratom was usually used in combination with other substances, including fentanyl, other synthetic opioids, benzodiazepines, stimulants, alcohol, anti-convulsants and other medications.

A minor natural component of kratom, 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), can have a strong opioid effect when in concentrated form. Manufacturers have made synthetic 7-OH (which may be sold as 7-OH or added to kratom plant products) in substantially higher quantities than would be found in unadulterated kratom. Research about 7-OH and its potential association with dependence or overdose is ongoing. The New York State Department of Health began to specifically monitor 7-OH in June 2025. 

Office of Addiction Services and Supports Commissioner Dr. Chinazo Cunningham said, “Kratom can cause severe health problems, including in some cases, interactions with other substances that may lead to death. This legislation will protect children from the harmful effects of this substance, and will ensure that individuals know what is in the products they’re buying, allowing them to make informed decisions to keep themselves safe. With this legislation, Governor Hochul is taking an important step to safeguard the health of New Yorkers throughout the state.”

The State Department of Health has developed new resources providing background and safety information about kratom for New Yorkers and information about best clinical practices for clinicians.

Because kratom is not regulated at the federal level, nor approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the safety and efficacy of the product have not been established. New Yorkers are encouraged to contact Poison Control with a health concern linked to the use of kratom sold in the state, or call 911 in case of emergency.

New Yorkers struggling with an addiction, or whose loved ones are struggling, can find help and hope by calling the state’s toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (Short Code 467369). Available addiction treatment including crisis/detox, inpatient, residential, or outpatient care can be found on the NYS OASAS website.

Take a break with the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance

 

Have the holidays stressed you out? Never fear… Van Cortlandt Park Alliance is here for you.

Take a moment during these final days of the year to slow down and enjoy the quiet beauty of your park. Explore one of our staff’s favorite places, revisit a spot you love to see how it’s changed, or simply seek a patch of sunshine from a hilltop overlook. Even a brief moment of stillness in nature can lift your spirits.

And here’s something to look forward to: after today, the light begins to return. The days grow longer, and we move toward the seasons ahead.

Warm wishes,

The VCPA Team

Our Contact Information Van Cortlandt Park Alliance 80 Van Cortlandt Park South, Ste. E1 Bronx, NY 10463 718-601-1460 http://vancortlandt.org

Attorney General James, Senator Comrie, and Assemblymember Lasher Celebrate Signing of Historic Consumer Protection Law

 

FAIR Business Practices Act Updates New York’s Primary Consumer Protection Law for First Time in 45 Years

Legislation Championed by AG James, Senator Comrie, and Assemblymember Lasher Will Protect Small Businesses and Consumers, Stop Predatory Lenders, Reduce Junk Fees, and Lower Costs

New York Attorney General Letitia James, Senator Leroy Comrie, and Assemblymember Micah Lasher applauded Governor Kathy Hochul’s signing of the Fostering Affordability and Integrity through Reasonable Business Practices (FAIR Business Practices) Act. The legislation, introduced by Attorney General James and sponsored by Senator Comrie and Assemblymember Lasher, updates New York’s primary consumer protection law, GBL §349, for the first time in 45 years. The new law protects New Yorkers from unfair, abusive, and deceptive business practices. 

“The FAIR Business Practices Act will help us tackle rising costs and protect working families and small businesses,” said Attorney General James. “I am proud to have worked alongside Senator Comrie and Assemblymember Lasher to update our most important consumer protection law for the first time in 45 years to stop predatory lenders, abusive debt collectors, dishonest mortgage servicers, and so much more. At a time when the federal government is abandoning working people and raising the cost of living, this law will help us stop companies from taking advantage of New Yorkers. I thank Governor Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Heastie for their leadership and look forward to working together to make our state more affordable.”

The FAIR Business Practices Act passed the State Legislature in June 2025. The legislation will help stop a range of unscrupulous business practices that cost New Yorkers more money, such as lenders, including auto lenders, mortgage servicers, and student loan servicers, that deceptively steer borrowers into higher cost loans. The new law will also reduce unnecessary and hidden fees, stop unfair billing practices by health care companies, and prevent companies from taking advantage of New Yorkers with limited English proficiency. 

New York’s current consumer protection law, GBL §349, was passed in 1970 and, unlike 41 other states' laws, only prohibited deceptive business acts and practices, leaving New Yorkers vulnerable to a broad array of exploitative acts by companies. The FAIR Business Practices Act will bring New York in line with the vast majority of other states by protecting New Yorkers from unfair and abusive business acts, such as: 

• Student loan servicers that steer borrowers into the most expensive repayment plans;
• Car dealers that refuse to return a customer’s photo ID until a deal is finalized and charge for add-on warranties that the customer did not actually purchase;
• Nursing homes that routinely sue relatives of deceased residents for their unpaid bills despite not having any basis for liability;
• Companies that take advantage of consumers with limited English proficiency and obscure pricing information and fees;
• Debt collectors that collect and refuse to return a senior’s Social Security benefits, even though those benefits are exempt from debt collection; and
• Health insurance companies that present customers with long lists of in-network doctors who, in reality, do not accept the insurance. 

With the federal government rolling back protections for consumers and small businesses, the FAIR Business Practices Act authorizes the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to protect vulnerable New Yorkers from exploitative practices.