Governor Hochul Announces $43 Million to Make Local Water Infrastructure Projects Affordable Across New York State

Low-Cost Financing and Grants Minimize Ratepayer Burden for Critical Improvements Statewide

Funding To Help Pay for Lead Service Line Replacement in Utica

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $43 million to help communities statewide afford water and sewer infrastructure improvement projects. The Environmental Facilities Corporation Board of Directors approved low-cost financing and State and federal grants that empower local governments to advance crucial upgrades — such as replacing lead service lines, treating harmful emerging contaminants and modernizing aging systems — without passing high costs on to local ratepayers. These investments protect public health and the environment, reduce future risks and support good-paying jobs.

“This funding means communities don’t have to choose between clean water and affordable rates,” Governor Hochul said. “Stronger infrastructure, safer water, lower costs — that’s our commitment to New Yorkers.”

EFC’s Board approved low-cost financing and previously announced grants through New York’s premier water infrastructure investment programs that help communities avoid costly rate increases. Board approval is a milestone in the funding process and allows communities to enter into agreements and access these funds for their projects.

Funding is provided through:

The Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds: A mix of State and federal dollars that delivers over $1 billion in low-cost financing and grants annually to New York communities.

Governor Hochul’s Lead Infrastructure Forgiveness and Transformation grants: Loan forgiveness grants to help communities pay for lead service line replacement by covering costs not fully paid for by federal grants. The Board approved this grant for a project in the City of Utica.

The State’s Water Infrastructure Improvement Grants: Proven vehicles for affordability that have saved over $7.2 billion for ratepayers statewide since 2015.

Combining federal and State funding ensures every dollar goes further in modernizing aging infrastructure across the state, protecting public health and the environment. Fully funded State Revolving Funds are necessary for New York to meet the ongoing need for communities to affordably repair, rehabilitate and modernize aging infrastructure in the future.

Funding was approved for projects in the following regions:

Finger Lakes

• Town of Parma – $3.4 million in State grant and low-cost financing for the formation of Water Improvement Benefit Area No. 1, including the installation of approximately 30,000 linear feet of watermains, valves, hydrants, and appurtenances.
• Town of Sheldon – $2.6 million in State and federal grants and low-cost financing for the replacement of approximately 6,500 linear feet of watermains, hydrants, valves, and appurtenances along Route 98, Route 20A, and School Street, and the replacement of a well pump house.
• Town of Stafford –$318,000 State grant for the formation of Water District No. 14, including installation of approximately 2,500 linear feet of watermains and appurtenances including hydrants, valves, and service meters.

Long Island

• Greenlawn Water District – $3.2 million federal grant for the installation of four granular activated carbon pressure vessels to remove PFAS, PFOS, and other volatile organic compounds from Well Nos. 10 and 15.

Mohawk Valley

• Upper Mohawk Valley Regional Water Finance Authority – federal grant, interest-free financing, and a State loan forgiveness grant for a $12.7 million project to replace 1,388 lead service lines in the City of Utica.
• Town of Vernon – $2.2 million State grant for the construction of a pump house, a 154,000-gallon elevated storage tank, and approximately 33,000 linear feet of watermains and related appurtenances to extend public water to 178 properties for the new Vernon Center Water District.

North Country

• Village of Castorland – $549,000 State grant for the construction of a 150,000-gallon storage tank, installation of system communications improvements, and installation of emergency backup power supply at the water treatment plant.
• St. Regis Mohawk Tribe– $9.9 million State grant to replace the wastewater treatment plant.

Western New York

• Town of Friendship – $8.3 million in State grant and interest-free financing for the installation of standby power facilities for Well Nos. 4 and 5, the development of a new groundwater supply facility, and blending of water supplies.

New York State continues to increase its historic investments in water infrastructure. Governor Hochul set the national standard with a transformational $3.75 billion water infrastructure investment plan, which would bring total clean water investments to $10 billion since 2017.

EFC is currently accepting applications for $5.5 million in grants through the Wastewater Infrastructure Engineering Planning Grant and SECURE cybersecurity grant programs. Municipalities and eligible entities can find more information and apply on EFC’s website. The Community Assistance Teams are available to provide one-on-one consultations to help municipalities understand funding options and prepare strong applications.

New Yorkers can track projects benefiting from EFC’s investments using the interactive project impact dashboard.

COIB Settlements Announced

 

The New York City Conflicts of Interest Board (the “Board”) announces two settlements.

 

Prohibited Appearances. A Project Engineer for the New York City Department of Transportation (“DOT”) also works as a Registered Design Professional on private construction projects in New York City. In performing this work, he filed documents under his Professional Engineer license related to 26 construction jobs with the New York City Department of Buildings (“DOB”), violating the conflicts of interest law’s prohibition on public servants communicating with the City for private compensation. In a joint settlement with the Board and DOT, the Project Engineer agreed to pay a $2,000 fine to the Board. The Disposition is attached as “COIB Disposition (DOT).”

 

Misuse of City Resources; Misuse of City Position. An Educational Assistant at the New York City Department of Education (“DOE”) was assigned to chaperone a school trip to “The Lion King” on Broadway and was responsible for distributing tickets to the students, their family members, and chaperones approved to attend the trip. There were three remaining tickets, which the Educational Assistant gave, without informing the school’s principal, to her adult sons, allowing her sons and one son’s girlfriend to attend the show free of charge. To resolve this conduct, DOE deducted the cost of the tickets—$693—from the Educational Assistant’s pay. In a separate settlement with the Board, the Educational Assistant agreed to incorporate the DOE-imposed penalty into a public disposition with no additional Board-imposed penalty. The Disposition is attached as “COIB Disposition (DOE).”

NYS Office of the ComptrollerDiNapoli Op-Ed: Corporate America Needs to Come Clean on AI

 

City & State published an op-ed by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli on the need for companies to be transparent about how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is impacting layoffs, entry level jobs and long-term business growth: 

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how companies operate, compete and profit. From software development to logistics to customer service, AI promises major gains in productivity. It is increasingly driving hiring decisions, workforce size and layoffs. Yet companies consistently fail to give investors clear, comparable information on how their AI strategies are affecting employees and long-term business growth. They’re eager to highlight productivity gains, but rarely provide transparency on AI’s consequences. 

That’s why, as trustee of the New York State Common Retirement Fund, I’m calling on corporations in our portfolio to increase transparency around AI’s impacts on their operations, especially when innovation has significant implications for a company’s workforce.

This lack of corporate transparency matters. Our state pension fund supports innovation that strengthens long-term growth and shareholder value, but durable growth requires more than technological ambition. Yet the SEC’s Investor Advisory Committee found in December 2025 that AI disclosures across public companies remain “uneven and inconsistent,” making it difficult for investors to assess and compare risk.

Research suggests that when AI is used exclusively to automate tasks and eliminate roles rather than augment human judgment, it can undermine institutional knowledge. It also  disproportionately erodes employment opportunities for early-career and entry-level workers, a group that National University data shows accounts for nearly 50 million U.S. jobs at risk.

Anthropic’s CEO has warned that AI could eliminate half of all entry-level white-collar jobs and spike unemployment 10% to 20% within five years. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis research corroborates this concern, finding that occupations with higher AI exposure experienced larger unemployment rate increases between 2022 and 2025. Poorly managed workforce transitions can expose companies to reputational, legal and regulatory risks that ultimately impact shareholder value.

Economists have long argued that labor-saving technology creates new demand for work over time. The concern is the massive speed of a shift that creates enormous risks. Unlike earlier waves of innovation that spread gradually across sectors allowing for measured adaptation, AI is being deployed simultaneously across industries, compressing into a few years disruptions that once unfolded over decades. The World Economic Forum’s 2025 Future of Jobs Report finds that 41% of employers worldwide plan to reduce their workforce over the next five years due to AI. This speed may damage the quality and productivity of a company’s workforce and, more broadly, add to the large-scale instability of the economy. 

Workforce disruption on a grand scale can have broad economic consequences by affecting consumer demand and economic stability and creating a more uncertain operating environment for businesses. Investors need better information to judge whether AI-driven workforce changes reflect thoughtful strategy or short-term cost cutting that undermines long-term future performance.

Investors should be able to understand how companies are managing AI’s impacts on employees, including job reductions and investments in retraining or redeploying workers, and what governance structures are in place to oversee their AI strategy. 

I have reached out to the largest publicly traded companies in our state pension fund’s portfolio, including many like Amazon, Salesforce, Meta and Pinterest that have pursued layoffs in the name of AI efficiencies. I’ve asked them to disclose information on layoffs and other workforce impacts of AI, because without it, it’s much harder for investors to evaluate whether the changes are sustainable and in the company’s long-term interests.

There’s a reason AI’s labor impacts have drawn rare bipartisan attention and legislation in Congress. The SEC’s own Investor Advisory Committee voted in December 2025 to formally recommend that the Commission require companies to disclose AI’s impact on workforce management, including workforce reductions and upskilling, precisely because current disclosures are inadequate. The underlying message is clear: policymakers, regulators and investors alike lack reliable information about how AI is changing jobs, skills demand and workforce stability.

Transparency is not an impediment to innovation; it is a hallmark of sound corporate governance. 

Greater transparency benefits companies. Firms that clearly explain how AI fits into their workforce strategy are better positioned to retain talent, demonstrate sound governance and manage growing regulatory scrutiny. Already, 72% of S&P 500 companies cite AI as a material risk in their annual filings. Consistent disclosure improves comparability, reduces uncertainty and helps companies allocate capital more efficiently.

Clear disclosure also helps investors judge whether AI investments are strengthening businesses or weakening them over time. As the person in charge of pension fund assets for more than 1.2 million public employees, retirees and beneficiaries, I believe that increased daylight on how companies are managing their workforce in the AI era is essential to assessing risk, resilience and value creation.

Investors need to see risks just as clearly as rewards if markets are going to function well. A clear view of how AI will affect a company’s workforce is a material necessity in the current age, and corporations need to embrace it.

Mayor Mamdani Announces Seven New Early Childhood Education Centers Opening This Fall

 

Seven previously vacant sites will add 240 new 3-K seats, bringing programs closer to families  

   

Additional seats for community-based providers to be announced in coming weeks   

Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Public Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels announced seven new early childhood education centers will open this fall, adding about 240 new 3-K seats across the city. The sites, previously vacant, are part of the first phase of the 3-K expansion announced last month for the 2026–27 school year.   

  

The new centers will meet community demand, make full use of existing space and expand access to early childhood education closer to where families live.    

  

The City also announced an expansion of capacity among existing contracted providers, adding seats across current programs. Additional center-based seats will be announced following the evaluation of the Request for Information (RFI) issued earlier this year, along with planned increases in family child care network capacity.   

   

“Today, we are opening doors that should never have been closed to our families — safe, nurturing spaces where their children can learn and grow, in their own communities,” said Mayor Mamdani. “For too long, truly accessible child care was just out of reach. By bringing these sites online, we’re making clear that no amount of red tape will get in the way of delivering the free, universal child care New Yorkers deserve.”   

   

“We have been deliberate about how we approach early care and education and are taking meaningful steps to put more seats closer to the families that need them most,” said Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels. “These are more than just additional seats. They are the foundation every child needs to thrive, and we are committed to making sure no family in our system has to look too far to find a high-quality program for their child.”    

   

The following sites will be open for the 2026–2027 school year:   

  

  District 11 – 1107 East Gun Hill Road   

  District 15 – 274 Atlantic Avenue   

  District 22 – 1326 East 57th Street   

  District 24 – 63-57 Fresh Pond Road   

  District 24 – 104-72 Roosevelt Avenue   

  District 24 – 47-00 76th Street   

  District 25 – 18-31 131st Street  

   

Site selections were based on community demand, seat availability, site readiness and the ability to open for the upcoming school year.   

  

New programs will be listed on MySchools. Families who have already applied will receive email instructions on how to update their applications. Families who missed the deadline can still join program waitlists.    

 

Today’s announcement builds on the Mamdani Administration’s commitment to delivering universal child care to New York City families, supported by the state in partnership with Governor Kathy Hochul. Since Jan. 1, 2026, the City has announced the launch of full-day, full-year 2-K, the city’s first universal child care for 2-year-olds, set to launch with 2,000 initial seats this year, as well as an expansion of more than 1,000 3-K seats in 56 ZIP codes.

   

ICE Asks Governor Spanberger and Virginia Sanctuary Politicians in Arlington County to Not Release Illegal Alien Accused of Raping Woman in Northern Virginia

 

ICE seeks to deport Guatemalan illegal alien, accused rapist with at least 25 prior charges

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requested Governor Abigail Spanberger and Arlington sanctuary politicians not release Luzvin Orvando Garcia Moran, a 28-year-old criminal illegal alien from Guatemala. He is facing charges that include abduction of a person with intent to defile, sodomy by force or victim helplessness, and assault.  

On April 14, 2026, ICE requested the Arlington County Jail not release this predator from jail back into American communities. According to local reports, Moran approached the victim on the early morning of April 12. When she walked away, Moran followed her and violently shoved her against a wall and physically and sexually assaulted her. The victim fought back and broke free, but Moran continued to chase after her to further assault her. Moran escaped when two good samaritans intervened, but local police later tracked him down and arrested him.

Luzvin Orvando Garcia Moran 

According to Arlington County Court records, Moran has at least 25 prior charges dating back to 2020, including nine counts of being intoxicated in public, assault and battery, disorderly conduct, attempting to disarm a law enforcement officer, and several probation violations.  

Moran entered the United States at an unknown date and unknown time. 

Arlington County is just miles away from Sanctuary Fairfax County, where illegal aliens have committed 75% of murders in 2026.  

“Virginia's sanctuary policies allowed this illegal alien to go on a crime spree,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “Despite prior arrests by law enforcement, this criminal was released from jail multiple times before he went on to commit this attempted heinous rape. We are calling on Arlington County sanctuary politicians and Governor Abigail Spanberger to commit to not releasing this criminal from jail back into our communities. How many more times must they release criminals into our neighborhoods to create more innocent victims?” 

During her first days in office, Governor Spanberger signed executive orders banning state cooperation with ICE as well as terminating 287(g) state and local agreements.

ICE is working around the clock to remove criminals with no right to be in the U.S. Americans can report tips to ICE by using the ICE Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-347-2423) or visiting the official ICE website at www.ice.gov. 

Jury Convicts Minnesota Man of Illegally Possessing Machine Gun

 

A federal jury in the District of Minnesota convicted a Minnesota man of possessing a machine gun created by attaching an illegal machine gun conversion device to a semi-automatic firearm.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Amiir Mawlid Ali, 19, of Minneapolis, was arrested after officers found a machine gun in his possession during a routine traffic stop as he was on the way to a high school graduation. Mr. Ali tried to flee the scene during the traffic stop but officers apprehended him before he could get away. The firearm was equipped with a machine gun conversion device and an extended magazine, which was loaded with over 30 rounds of ammunition. A firearm expert testified at trial that the machine gun possessed by Ali test fired 15 bullets in 2 seconds.

“This defendant possessed an extremely dangerous weapon – a machine gun created by the application of a device known as a switch that converts a legal firearm to an illegal one,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Illegal weapons like this are unduly dangerous and offer nothing legitimate in a law abiding society. The Criminal Division will continue to prosecute illegal firearms offenses like this one to keep communities safe.”

“The verdict announced makes clear that possession of a firearm modified to function as a machine gun will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “The FBI is proud of our work on this case, and we thank our Local, State and Federal law enforcement partners for their assistance. Together we will work to stop those who put innocent lives in our community at risk.”

The jury convicted Ali on one count of possession of a machine gun. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

The FBI investigated the case.

SantaCon Organizer Charged In Wire Fraud Scheme Targeting Attendees And Host Venues

 

Stefan Pildes Used SantaCon to Raise At Least $2.7 Million for Charity from 2019 to 2024, but Diverted More Than Half to a Slush Fund and Spent Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars of the Remaining Proceeds on Personal Expenses

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., and Special Agent in Charge of the Newark Field Office of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), Jennifer L. Piovesan, announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging STEFAN PILDES with wire fraud.  PILDES was arrested today in Manhattan and will be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon.

“As alleged, Stefan Pildes promoted SantaCon as an event grounded in charitable giving, but instead of donating the millions of dollars he raised, he ran his own con game,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “He took advantage of New Yorkers’ generous holiday spirit to finance his lifestyle through personal expenses, big and small. No matter how you dress it up, fraud is fraud.  We are committed to protecting New Yorkers from those who exploit their enthusiasm and generosity.”

“Stefan Pildes, the president of SantaCon, allegedly pocketed over half of the proceeds generated by his nonprofit to make personal purchases,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr.  “Pildes allegedly stole Christmas from tens of thousands of victims and deprived local charities of more than one million dollars.  The FBI continues to root out scrooges that greedily exploit the goodwill of New Yorkers.”

“When individuals exploit charitable causes for personal gain, they undermine the trust our communities place in organizations meant to serve the public good,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Jennifer L. Piovesan.  “IRS-CI remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to uncover deceptive financial schemes and ensure those who abuse their positions for personal enrichment are held accountable.”

According to the allegations contained in the Indictment:[1]

From at least November 2019 through April 2026, PILDES defrauded tens of thousands of individuals and small business owners who participated in a popular, Christmas-themed event organized and promoted by PILDES, referred to as “SantaCon.”  SantaCon is a ticketed bar crawl that takes place annually in December in New York City, during which over approximately 25,000 attendees dress as Santa Claus and other holiday characters and travel to participating bars and restaurants throughout the day.  At all relevant times, PILDES served as the president of and controlled the nonprofit entity that organizes SantaCon called Participatory Safety, Inc. (“PSI”). 

SantaCon primarily generates proceeds through (i) sales of tickets to bar crawl attendees (“Attendees”) and (ii) sales commissions from bars and restaurants that serve as host venues along the bar crawl route (“Venues”).  PILDES, through PSI and its representatives, represented to Attendees and Venues that SantaCon was an event to benefit charity.

PILDES maintained a website for SantaCon (the “SantaCon Website”) that was used to promote and communicate information about SantaCon.  The SantaCon Website advertised that Attendees who purchased a ticket to SantaCon would receive access to the Venues and that proceeds from ticket sales would be distributed to various charities.  For example, in or about December 2024, PILDES promoted on the SantaCon Website that ticket money went “directly to Santa’s charity drive,” and that “[y]our money will be split between the various charities listed on this page as well as local neighborhood charities along Santa’s route.”  Additionally, the SantaCon Website described SantaCon as a “charitable, non-political, nonsensical Santa Claus convention.”  PILDES also solicited bars and restaurants to participate in SantaCon through representations regarding the event’s charitable mission.  Venues that were signed up as official stops on the SantaCon route agreed to give PSI a designated percentage of their food and beverage sales during the event.  This contribution was characterized as a “charitable commission” or “donation” and was typically between 10% and 25% of sales. In exchange, PILDES, through PSI and its representatives, agreed to distribute the charitable commission to various charities.

In reality, PILDES defrauded the Attendees and Venues.  SantaCon events from 2019 to 2024 generated approximately $2.7 million in proceeds, including over $2 million in ticket sales and over $675,000 in charitable commissions from Venues.  PILDES donated only a small fraction of the millions of dollars he raised for charity. Instead, PILDES siphoned off more than half of the charitable proceeds to an entity that PILDES controlled, Creative Opportunities Group, Inc. (“COG”), that had no public connection to SantaCon, where he used these funds freely to finance various personal ventures. PILDES also abused his control over PSI’s bank accounts to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars of the remaining proceeds for his own personal use.  Among other things, PILDES spent SantaCon proceeds on extensive renovations to a lakefront property in New Jersey, concert tickets, luxury vacations, extravagant meals, and a luxury vehicle.  PILDES did so despite claiming that he did not receive any compensation from SantaCon or PSI.  PILDES told one representative of a potential Venue that “[n]o producer receives income from this event, this is a charity event.”

PILDES, 50, of Hewitt, New Jersey, is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Clayton thanked the FBI and IRS-CI.  He also expressed appreciation for the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.

This case is being supervised by the Office’s General Crimes Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Varun A. Gumaste and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew N. Stahl are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

Attorney General James and Coalition of States Win Trial Against Live Nation and Ticketmaster

 

Jury Finds Live Nation and Ticketmaster Illegally Eliminated Competition, Hurting Fans, Artists, and Competing Venues

New Yorkers Overcharged $1.72 Per Ticket in Higher Fees

New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 33 other attorneys general won their lawsuit against Live Nation after a jury found that Live Nation and Ticketmaster violated federal and state antitrust laws by eliminating competition and driving up costs for fans, artists, and venues across the country. After a five-week trial, the jury found that Attorney General James and the bipartisan coalition of 33 other attorneys general successfully proved that Live Nation and Ticketmaster have unlawfully maintained and abused their monopoly power preventing other ticketing services, venue owners, and concert promoters from successfully competing. As a result, fans have been charged higher prices for tickets.

“This is a landmark victory in our ongoing work to protect our economy and New Yorkers’ wallets from harmful monopolies,” said Attorney General James. “For far too long, Live Nation and Ticketmaster have taken advantage of fans and artists by raising prices for tickets and stifling any competition that threatened their power. A jury found what we have long known to be true: Live Nation and Ticketmaster are breaking the law and costing consumers millions of dollars in the process. I am proud to have led a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general in bringing this case and look forward to continuing our work to hold Live Nation and Ticketmaster accountable.”

In May 2024, Attorney General James, a coalition of 40 other states, and the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) sued Live Nation, alleging that its control over almost every aspect of the live event business – from venue ownership to event promotion to ticketing services through Ticketmaster – allowed it to raise costs for both fans and artists and to suppress competition. During the trial that began on March 2, 2026, DOJ reached a settlement with Live Nation, which Attorney General James and the coalition of 33 states rejected, choosing to continue litigation. 

The jury found Live Nation and Ticketmaster liable for violating federal and state laws by engaging in anticompetitive conduct. The jury found that Ticketmaster unlawfully maintains a monopoly in the market for ticketing services at major concert venues. The jury also found that Live Nation has a monopoly in the market for large amphitheaters used by artists and that Live Nation unlawfully requires artists who use the amphitheaters it owns to also use its event promotion services. In addition, the jury determined that fans have been overcharged for concert tickets at major concert venues across the country.

Having successfully proven their case on liability to the jury, Attorney General James and the coalition will argue for remedies and financial penalties at a separate bench trial.