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Ala. A.G. Marshall, Co-signers Issue Letter to Secretary of State Rubio on National Security Vulnerabilities in Foreign GLP1, Peptide Supply Chains
MONTGOMERY, Alabama, Sept. 23 (TNSletter) -- Alabama Attorney General Steve T. Marshall issued the following letter with co-signers to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the national security vulnerabilities in foreign GLP1 and peptide supply chains:
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Here is the text of the letter:
September 17, 2026
Secretary of State Marco Rubio
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Secretary Rubio:
We, the Attorneys General of Alabama and 19 other States, would first like to acknowledge the important work the National Security Council and the Administration are doing to strengthen
... Show Full Article
MONTGOMERY, Alabama, Sept. 23 (TNSletter) -- Alabama Attorney General Steve T. Marshall issued the following letter with co-signers to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the national security vulnerabilities in foreign GLP1 and peptide supply chains:
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Here is the text of the letter:
September 17, 2026
Secretary of State Marco Rubio
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Secretary Rubio:
We, the Attorneys General of Alabama and 19 other States, would first like to acknowledge the important work the National Security Council and the Administration are doing to strengthenthe resilience of America's pharmaceutical supply chains. The President's August 2025 Executive Order on the Strategic Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Reserve rightly recognizes that active pharmaceutical ingredients are not merely a health-care input, but a strategic national-security vulnerability.1 The White House has noted that only about 10 percent of APIs by volume for finished drug products used in the United States are made domestically, and that foreign concentration in key starting materials and APIs can implicate the health and security interests of the nation.2 Our reliance on China, in particular, for medicines is a longstanding concern that must be rectified.
Second, we write to bring to your attention an emerging threat that fits squarely within that concern: Chinese-sourced active pharmaceutical ingredients used in compounded GLP-1 drugs, including semaglutide, tirzepatide, and retatrutide.3 Not only are these knock-off drugs bypassing our nation's safeguards, but there are also concerns of potential ties to Chinese entities manufacturing fentanyl.
The FDA has created a new vulnerability in this already fragile supply chain by giving Chinese suppliers a green light to ship unapproved, knock-off product to America without detention or inspection. This was done through the creation of a Green List (FDA Import Alert 66-80), issued in September 2025.4 If the government cannot verify the true source, chain of custody, and downstream use of these ingredients in real time, a Green List can quickly become a laundering channel rather than a safeguard.
That concern is no longer hypothetical. The FDA recently issued a warning letter to Harbin Jixianglong Biotech Co., Ltd. ("Harbin"), a Chinese company, after an on-site inspection months after Harbin's Green List placement found that Harbin had purchased knock-off semaglutide API from a non-Green List facility that isn't registered with the FDA, repackaged and relabeled it under Harbin's name, changed manufacturing and retest dates, and distributed the API to the United States.5 Because Harbin was on the Green List, none of these shipments had been detained or inspected at the border while in transit; the scheme only came to light once FDA inspectors were on-site at the facility itself. In plain terms, a Chinese company that had the benefit of a trusted pathway allegedly used that position to obscure the true source of an injectable drug ingredient entering the American market, and the breach was caught by inspection, not by the Green List's border safeguards. This follows the same pattern as the Heparin crisis nearly 20 years ago that killed or harmed many Americans.6
Recent reporting adds to the concern. Axios reported that Chinese manufacturers associated with fentanyl precursor supply chains are finding a new U.S. market in peptides, including cosmetic and weight-loss peptides, with blockchain-analysis firms identifying crypto-linked payments from U.S. peptide sales flowing to China-based chemical manufacturers.7
The same reporting noted that some firms previously associated with fentanyl precursor activity are now selling cosmetic and weight-loss peptides.8 That raises a direct national-security question: if entities connected to fentanyl precursor markets are moving into peptides, how do we know this does not include GLP1 ingredients, GLP-1-adjacent peptides, or key starting materials into the American compounding market?
This is not simply an FDA compliance issue. It implicates foreign chemical networks, illicit finance, customs enforcement, intelligence collection, state consumer protection, and the integrity of injectable medicines used by American citizens. Nor is it enough to assume that a Green List designation protects the public. Harbin shows that the designation itself can be exploited -- and that our ability to catch it currently depends on facility inspections after the fact, not real-time verification at the border.
We respectfully ask how the NSC can help ensure that the federal government is treating this as a national-security threat, not merely a drug-regulatory matter, and that state attorneys general are provided with any and all information to ensure collaboration on these matters to protect patients. In particular, we would welcome the opportunity to understand what federal agencies know about foreign GLP-1 and peptide supply chains and their ties to entities involved in fentanyl production, what warning signs state attorneys general should be watching for, and how state and federal partners can better share information before this market gets further out of control.
Our states stand ready to work with the Administration to protect our citizens, strengthen the drug supply, and prevent foreign bad actors from harming Americans.
Respectfully,
Steve Marshall, Attorney General of Alabama
Tim Griffin, Attorney General of Arkansas
Chris Carr, Attorney General of Georgia
Raul R. Labrador, Attorney General of Idaho
Theodore E. Rokita, Attorney General of Indiana
Brenna Bird, Attorney General of Iowa
Kris W. Kobach, Attorney General of Kansas
Russell Coleman, Attorney General of Kentucky
Liz Murrill, Attorney General of Louisiana
Lynn Fitch, Attorney General of Mississippi
Catherine L. Hanaway, Attorney General of Missouri
Austin Knudsen, Attorney General of Montana
Mike Hilgers, Attorney General of Nebraska
Drew H. Wrigley, Attorney General of North Dakota
Andy Wilson, Attorney General of Ohio
Gentner Drummond, Attorney General of Oklahoma
Alan Wilson, Attorney General of South Carolina
Jonathan Skrmetti, Attorney General of Tennessee
Derek Brown, Attorney General of Utah
John B. McCuskey, Attorney General of West Virginia
cc:
The Honorable Robert F. Kennedy, Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services
The Honorable John Moolenaar, Chairman, House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party
The Honorable Ro Khanna, Ranking Member, House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party
U.S. Department of State
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Original text and footnotes here: https://ago.wv.gov/sites/default/files/2026-09/2026.09.17%20-%20Letter%20to%20Sec.%20Rubio%20re%20GLPs.pdf
News Release here: https://ago.wv.gov//article/attorney-general-mccuskey-joins-20-state-coalition-alerting-national-security-council
VIP Smoke Shop Owners Plead Guilty to Felony Drug Trafficking
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 22 -- Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson issued the following news release:
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VIP Smoke Shop Owners Plead Guilty to Felony Drug Trafficking
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(HAMILTON, Ohio) -The co-owners of nearly 100 VIP Smoke Shops across Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky today pleaded guilty to felony drug trafficking and organized crime charges, Attorney General Andy Wilson announced.
"From the start, this case has been about keeping dangerous drugs out of the hands of children," Wilson said. "These illegal substances have no place in our communities. If you traffic them, you'll be held accountable."
... Show Full Article
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 22 -- Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson issued the following news release:
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VIP Smoke Shop Owners Plead Guilty to Felony Drug Trafficking
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(HAMILTON, Ohio) -The co-owners of nearly 100 VIP Smoke Shops across Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky today pleaded guilty to felony drug trafficking and organized crime charges, Attorney General Andy Wilson announced.
"From the start, this case has been about keeping dangerous drugs out of the hands of children," Wilson said. "These illegal substances have no place in our communities. If you traffic them, you'll be held accountable."
Brothers Ismail Sharida, 40, of West Chester, and Wael Sharaydeh, 57, of Cincinnati, entered guilty pleas in Butler County Common Pleas Court to five counts trafficking hashish and one count of trafficking a Schedule I controlled substance analog. The brothers, along with their company, VIP Distribution Inc., also pleaded guilty to engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
A Butler County grand jury indicted the men in 2024 after an investigation led by the Warren County Drug Task Force found that their shops were selling illegal substances to minors in southwest Ohio.
Investigators executed search warrants at the shops and seized hashish - a potent form of cannabis - in the form of oils, resins and vape cartridges containing illegal amounts of Delta-9 THC. Investigators also discovered that the shops sold products containing an analog of psilocin, a hallucinogenic compound found in psychedelic mushrooms.
As part of their plea agreements, the brothers must close or sell all VIP Smoke Shops before sentencing on Dec. 1. The men will also forfeit at least six vehicles, more than $338,000 seized from their shops and related bank accounts, at least three firearms, and all illegal products that tested positive for hashish or psilocin analogs.
The agreements also prohibit them from owning, operating or working for smoke shops during a probation period to be set by the court. Additionally, the brothers agreed to dismiss civil lawsuits that they filed against law enforcement and Warren County in response to the search warrants.
The Special Prosecutions Section of the Ohio Attorney General's Office is prosecuting the cases.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Dominic Binkley: 614-728-4127
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Original text here: https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Media/News-Releases/September-2026/VIP-Smoke-Shop-Owners-Plead-Guilty-to-Felony-Drug
During Climate Week, Attorney General Bonta Announces Second Lawsuit Challenging Unlawful Trump Administration Offshore Wind Deal
SACRAMENTO, California, Sept. 22 -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued the following news release:
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During Climate Week, Attorney General Bonta Announces Second Lawsuit Challenging Unlawful Trump Administration Offshore Wind Deal
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NEW YORK CITY -California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the California Energy Commission (CEC) today filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration and Invenergy, a California offshore wind leaseholder, over the Administration's unlawful buyout of Invenergy's California offshore wind energy lease. Under the alleged settlement agreement announced
... Show Full Article
SACRAMENTO, California, Sept. 22 -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued the following news release:
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During Climate Week, Attorney General Bonta Announces Second Lawsuit Challenging Unlawful Trump Administration Offshore Wind Deal
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NEW YORK CITY -California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the California Energy Commission (CEC) today filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration and Invenergy, a California offshore wind leaseholder, over the Administration's unlawful buyout of Invenergy's California offshore wind energy lease. Under the alleged settlement agreement announcedon June 17, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) will unlawfully reallocate more than $111 million in federal taxpayer dollars to pay Invenergy to abandon its lease in the Morro Bay Wind Energy Area off the Central California coast. The buyout also requires the company to cause its corporate affiliates to invest the same amount in out-of-state fossil fuel or geothermal projects that will do nothing to support California's energy economy. If allowed to proceed, the taxpayer-funded buyout threatens to set back California's offshore wind industry, undermining public investments in ports' offshore wind capacity and damaging supporting industries and clean energy jobs that support working families. In the lawsuit, California argues that DOI's buyout deal with Invenergy violates the Constitution and numerous federal laws, including the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), Coastal Zone Management Act, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Judgment Fund Act, and Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), which is intended to give California a say in the offshore wind leasing program and prevent corrupt backroom deals.
"At a time when we need more reliable, clean energy, President Trump is trying to send $111 million to his fossil fuel industry friends and wants taxpayers and working families to cover the tab. This outrageous abuse of taxpayer dollars will damage the offshore wind industry and create unnecessary obstacles to clean and reliable energy powering our homes and economies," said Attorney General Rob Bonta. "During Climate Week and all year round, we're focused on sustainable energy, mitigating environmental impacts, and taking action when our clean energy future is attacked. California is not here to foot the bill -we have the receipts and we're asking the court to strike down this blatantly unlawful deal."
"As leaders gather for Climate Week NYC to discuss the urgent need for clean, domestic energy, the Trump administration is unlawfully using taxpayer dollars to coerce companies to abandon it," said California Energy Commission Chair David Hochschild. "California is challenging these reckless and illegal backroom deals and holding the companies that participate in them accountable. We will vigorously defend clean energy and the good-paying jobs and economic opportunity that are at stake for our communities."
California's offshore wind strategic plan calls for the state to develop 25 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2045, enough to power roughly 25 million homes and provide about 13% of the state's electricity supply, to accelerate California's clean energy transition, create local manufacturing jobs, and drive economic development. Since federal offshore wind energy development planning began off California's coast a decade ago, the state has worked with federal agencies, developers, tribes, labor groups, ports, fishermen, local governments, and communities to prepare for offshore wind development. California has invested more than $100 million to ready California's ports, transmission systems, and industries to support offshore wind generation. Cancelled offshore wind projects threaten to deprive California of more than 174,750 jobs, infrastructure investment, and long-term economic development.
This agreement marks another step in the Trump Administration's ongoing attempt to cancel offshore wind projects and replace them with fossil fuel energy projects, including lease buyout deals with Golden State Wind LLC and RWE U.S. Offshore. In 2022, after a competitive auction for offshore wind energy leases, Invenergy paid the U.S. over $111 million to purchase an offshore wind lease in the Morro Bay Wind Energy Area off the Central California Coast for development of a project up to two gigawatts in capacity, with additional commitments of more than $30 million for workforce training, supply chain development, and benefits to local communities like fishermen's associations. But on June 17, 2026, DOI announced it would cancel the lease through a taxpayer-funded agreement with Invenergy that purportedly "settles" litigation that Invenergy never brought, challenging action that DOI never took. DOI claims that unspecified national security concerns justified a lease cancellation, even though the federal government previously reviewed and approved the lease area after years of analysis and consultation with the U.S. Department of Defense. In July 2026, the California Department of Justice and CEC sent a Notice of Intent to Sue, which provided a 60-day window for DOI and Invenergy to cure any violations before California filed suit to stop this unlawful buyout.
In today's lawsuit, California alleges that DOI's buyout deal with Invenergy violates numerous federal laws, including the OCSLA and APA, because it uses a sham settlement to bypass the rules that Congress set down for the offshore energy leasing program, including stakeholder participation rights for affected states like California and a cap on how much the government can pay to a developer when it cancels a lease. California also argues that the deal violates the Judgment Fund Act, federal funding laws, and the Constitution because the $111 million payment was not a settlement to resolve an existing lawsuit. Instead, it was a fabricated arrangement designed to justify the unlawful cancellation of another offshore wind lease. California is asking the court to strike down the blatantly unlawful agreement and to stop the administration from implementing this illegal deal.
The attorneys general of New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Vermont also filed two joint lawsuits today challenging additional lease buyouts. First, the states filed suit challenging lease buyouts between DOI and Invenergy subsidiaries that were announced at the same time as the California Invenergy buyouts and cover three leases off the coasts of New York, New Jersey and Maine at a total cost of over $653 million. The east coast states also filed a second suit challenging a $765 million lease buyout between DOI and Bluepoint Wind, LLC concerning a lease off the coast of New York and New Jersey.
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Original text here: https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/during-climate-week-attorney-general-bonta-announces-second-lawsuit-challenging
Attorney General Mike Hilgers Urges Consumers to Claim Compensation for Inflated Generic Drug Prices
LINCOLN, Nebraska, Sept. 22 -- Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Mike Hilgers Urges Consumers to Claim Compensation for Inflated Generic Drug Prices
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Lincoln - Attorney General Hilger is urging consumers to check their eligibility for compensation for certain generic drug purchases and to submit a claim for compensation here. This month, the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut granted preliminary approval of a plan, filed by Nebraska and a coalition of 47 other states and territories, to distribute settlement funds
... Show Full Article
LINCOLN, Nebraska, Sept. 22 -- Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Mike Hilgers Urges Consumers to Claim Compensation for Inflated Generic Drug Prices
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Lincoln - Attorney General Hilger is urging consumers to check their eligibility for compensation for certain generic drug purchases and to submit a claim for compensation here. This month, the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut granted preliminary approval of a plan, filed by Nebraska and a coalition of 47 other states and territories, to distribute settlement fundspaid by generic drug manufacturers in exchange for settlement of claims that those companies illegally conspired to raise the prices of generic drugs.
The coalition previously announced settlements with the manufacturers Glenmark, Lannett, Bausch, Apotex, Heritage, and Heritage's parent company, Emcure, totaling approximately $96.5 million. The multistate coalition's distribution plan aims to return millions of dollars from those settlement funds to those potentially harmed by the elevated prices of the generic drugs that are the subjects of those settlements.
If you purchased a generic drug listed here between May 2009 and December 2019, you may be eligible for compensation. To determine your eligibility, call 1-866-290-0182 (Toll-Free), email info@AGGenericDrugs.com or visit www.AGGenericDrugs.com.
Nebraska and nearly all other states and territories engaged in a series of antitrust cases against major generic drug manufacturers, beginning in 2016. These cases involve dozens of companies and individuals accused of price-fixing and fraudulent conduct related to generic drugs. Seven pharmaceutical executives are cooperating with the States.
The above-mentioned cases stem from a series of investigations built on evidence from several cooperating witnesses at the core of the different conspiracies, millions of documents, and a massive phone record data base. Each complaint addresses a different set of drugs and defendants and lays out an interconnected web of competing industry executives who regularly met and communicated with each other, providing ample opportunity to form illegal agreements. The complaints note that defendants used terms like "fair share," "playing nice in the sandbox," and "responsible competitor" to unlawfully discourage competition, raise prices, and enforce an ingrained culture of collusion.
Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming joined in today's announcement.
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Original text here: https://ago.nebraska.gov/attorney-general-mike-hilgers-urges-consumers-claim-compensation-inflated-generic-drug-prices
Attorney General Mayes Demands Answers From Department of Homeland Security for Endangering Lives by Gutting Fentanyl Investigations
PHOENIX, Arizona, Sept. 22 -- Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Mayes Demands Answers from Department of Homeland Security for Endangering Lives by Gutting Fentanyl Investigations
September 21, 2026
PHOENIX -- Attorney General Kris Mayes today blasted the Department of Homeland Security for endangering the lives of Arizonans after its own Office of Inspector General found that the administration's mass deportation campaign gutted federal fentanyl investigations.
The August 20, 2026 OIG report (OIG-26-23) found a 31% drop in the hours
... Show Full Article
PHOENIX, Arizona, Sept. 22 -- Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Mayes Demands Answers from Department of Homeland Security for Endangering Lives by Gutting Fentanyl Investigations
September 21, 2026
PHOENIX -- Attorney General Kris Mayes today blasted the Department of Homeland Security for endangering the lives of Arizonans after its own Office of Inspector General found that the administration's mass deportation campaign gutted federal fentanyl investigations.
The August 20, 2026 OIG report (OIG-26-23) found a 31% drop in the hoursHomeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents spent on fentanyl criminal investigations. Immigration enforcement hours at the same agency rose more than 800%. Between fiscal years 2024 and 2025, immigration hours jumped from roughly 207,000 to nearly 2 million, while fentanyl hours fell from about 824,000 to under 570,000. Shockingly, at one HSI office, agents spent 99% of their time on immigration, "leaving almost no capacity for fentanyl investigations."
"The Trump administration calls fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction but has pulled its agents and investigators who are supposed to be dismantling drug rings off their cases to chase landscapers and maids around our cities," said Attorney General Mayes. "This is a massive betrayal of every family that has buried a loved one after a fentanyl overdose. The Arizona Attorney General's Office fights the drug cartels every day and we will continue to do so as long as I'm Attorney General. The federal government has apparently given up on this critical fight."
The administration has designated cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and declared fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction. Its staffing decisions tell a different story. Fewer agents means fewer undercover operations, less financial tracing and fewer intercepted communications aimed at the networks that move the drug. The inspector general itself warned that failing to address these problems "may lead to an increase in illicit fentanyl available to the public and additional overdose deaths."
The damage extends beyond fentanyl. A November 2025 New York Times investigation found HSI agents spent 33% fewer hours on child exploitation cases from February to April than in prior years, the fewest in more than a decade.
DHS and ICE concurred with the OIG's findings and recommendations to address these dangerous issues, but have given themselves until June 30, 2027 to "determine and implement next steps."
"Arizonans need a federal government committed to keeping them safe today, not by the end of June next year," continued Mayes. "My office will keep doing everything in our power to disrupt and dismantle transnational drug and human trafficking operations while the federal government surrenders the fight to transnational criminal organziations."
Attorney General Mayes demands that DHS:
* Immediately restore HSI agent hours to fentanyl investigations in Arizona and across the country.
* Provide detailed answers, well before June 2027, showing how agent time is needed to match the actual threat from illicit fentanyl shipments through Arizona.
* Provide detailed answers on how many drug trafficking and child exploitation cases were ignored or unexamined in Arizona during the period where resources have been diverted for civil immigration enforcement purposes.
"Over half the fentanyl seized every year in this country is seized in Arizona," said Attorney General Mayes. "Arizonans cannot afford a federal government who ignores these life and death threats to public safety because it would rather use the federal law enforcement apparatus to harass and intimidate immigrants instead."
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Original text here: https://www.azag.gov/press-release/attorney-general-mayes-demands-answers-department-homeland-security-endangering-lives
Attorney General James' Office of Special Investigation Releases Report on the Death of Shelton Ennis
ALBANY, New York, Sept. 22 -- New York Attorney General Letitia James issued the following news release:
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Attorney General James' Office of Special Investigation Releases Report on the Death of Shelton Ennis
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September 22, 2026
NEW YORK - New York Attorney General Letitia James' Office of Special Investigation (OSI) today released its report on the death of Shelton Ennis, who died on June 26, 2025 following an encounter with members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in Manhattan. Following a thorough investigation, which included review of body-worn camera footage and medical
... Show Full Article
ALBANY, New York, Sept. 22 -- New York Attorney General Letitia James issued the following news release:
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Attorney General James' Office of Special Investigation Releases Report on the Death of Shelton Ennis
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September 22, 2026
NEW YORK - New York Attorney General Letitia James' Office of Special Investigation (OSI) today released its report on the death of Shelton Ennis, who died on June 26, 2025 following an encounter with members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in Manhattan. Following a thorough investigation, which included review of body-worn camera footage and medicalrecords, interviews with involved officers, and comprehensive legal analysis, OSI determined that a prosecutor would not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the involved officer committed a crime, and therefore criminal charges are not warranted in this case.
At 9:52 p.m. on June 26, NYPD officers saw Mr. Ennis toss away an open can of beer he had been holding in Riverside Park, near Riverside Drive and West 136th Street. The officers approached Mr. Ennis and repeatedly asked for his identification so they could issue him a summons. Mr. Ennis told officers he did not have identification on him and provided a false name and date of birth. The officers could not find the name in the NYPD database and told Mr. Ennis they would have to take him to the precinct to identify him. Mr. Ennis ran from the officers, two officers pursued him on foot, and one officer forcibly took him down from behind by wrapping his arms around Mr. Ennis's upper body. Mr. Ennis and the officer fell forward, hitting the ground, and Mr. Ennis became unresponsive. When emergency medical services (EMS) arrived at the scene at 10:13 p.m., Mr. Ennis was breathing but unresponsive. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:49 p.m. Officers recovered a knife at the scene. The medical examiner deemed the cause of death to be the impact of Mr. Ennis hitting the ground when he was tackled, which caused a tear in a wall of the heart.
Under New York's justification law, a police officer may use physical force to the extent they reasonably believe it to be necessary when arresting or attempting to arrest someone for a crime. In this case, officers saw Mr. Ennis holding an open container of beer in the park, in violation of New York City law. When officers asked Mr. Ennis to produce identification, he provided a false name, and officers were unable to identify him or issue a summons for the violation. The officers were therefore authorized under the law to take Mr. Ennis to the precinct to identify and charge him and were legally permitted to use force, if necessary, to carry out the arrest.
Mr. Ennis ran away from officers when they were lawfully attempting to arrest him. Therefore, it was reasonable for the officer to pursue and apprehend Mr. Ennis. There is no evidence that the officer intended to cause injury, nor evidence of criminal recklessness or criminal negligence under the law. Under these circumstances, given the law and the evidence, a prosecutor would not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the officer committed a crime, and OSI determined that criminal charges could not be pursued in this matter.
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Original text here: https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-office-special-investigation-releases-report-death-7
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Attorney General Bonta Opposes Trump Administration Proposed Rule That Would Unlawfully Disrupt How Medicaid Is Currently Funded, Shift More Costs to States
SACRAMENTO, California, Sept. 22 -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Bonta Opposes Trump Administration Proposed Rule That Would Unlawfully Disrupt How Medicaid Is Currently Funded, Shift More Costs to States
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OAKLAND -As part of a coalition of 24 attorneys general, California Attorney General Rob Bonta submitted a comment letter opposing a proposed Trump Administration rule that would unlawfully force states to change how they fund Medicaid. Medicaid is the nation's safety net healthcare program for low-income Americans and is
... Show Full Article
SACRAMENTO, California, Sept. 22 -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Bonta Opposes Trump Administration Proposed Rule That Would Unlawfully Disrupt How Medicaid Is Currently Funded, Shift More Costs to States
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OAKLAND -As part of a coalition of 24 attorneys general, California Attorney General Rob Bonta submitted a comment letter opposing a proposed Trump Administration rule that would unlawfully force states to change how they fund Medicaid. Medicaid is the nation's safety net healthcare program for low-income Americans and isjointly funded by states and the federal government, with the federal government providing at least 50% of the cost of services. States use Medicaid provider taxes -healthcare-related taxes levied on providers and other healthcare entities -to help finance their share of Medicaid costs. A proposed rule by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), intended to implement the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, would significantly limit states' ability to use provider taxes and force them to find other ways to cover Medicaid costs. In doing so, CMS goes beyond what Congress required in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
"The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is already having serious consequences for Americans across the country and will continue to do so, and now the Trump Administration is trying to make matters worse," said Attorney General Bonta. "This proposed rule would restrict states' use of provider taxes and force them to find other ways to pay their share of Medicaid costs. It is unlawful and should be withdrawn or significantly changed."
According to KFF, CMS projects no enrollment losses as a result of the proposed rule, while the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the changes could leave 1.2 million more people uninsured by 2034, raising questions about the proposed rule's impact on coverage. The comment letter identifies several additional concerns, including that the proposed rule:
* Would improperly interfere with state regulation of health insurers. For the first time, CMS would penalize states for collecting taxes and payments from health insurance companies by reducing the amounts the states would receive for Medicaid. This would violate the law, threaten states' Medicaid programs, and improperly interfere with states' regulation of health insurance.
* Improperly applies new limits to collection of taxes and payments from health insurers. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act imposes new limits on some taxes and payments collected by states. CMS's proposed rule would apply those limits to taxes and payments on health insurers, but that is neither required nor allowed under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
* Eliminates a 30-year-old safety valve. CMS has also proposed to change its criteria for determining when taxes and payments will reduce federal Medicaid contributions. But some of these criteria were written into federal law by Congress and can't be changed by CMS.
* Piles on costly new paperwork. States could have to reconstruct financial records going back to mid-2025 and build entirely new reporting systems from scratch.
In submitting the comment letter, Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
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Original text here: https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-opposes-trump-administration-proposed-rule-would
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