FBI raids Minneapolis childcare facilities, part of sweeping fraud investigation
Federal authorities raided more than 20 locations, including childcare facilities, in Minneapolis on Tuesday as part of a sweeping fraud investigation into largely Somali-owned businesses, sources confirmed to Fox News. “Today the FBI with federal, state and local law enforcement is involved in court-authorized law enforcement activity as part of an ongoing fraud investigation,” a Department of Justice spokesperson said. Authorities executed 22 federal search warrants in Minnesota on Tuesday morning as part of the operation, which is not immigration-related, sources said. The raids center on federal fraud investigations into largely Somali-owned businesses, including childcare facilities that registered their daycare with the state but were allegedly billing for care that was not provided. MINNESOTA FRAUD SCANDAL: SIXTH FAMILY MEMBER WHO MET WITH AG ELLISON SET TO PLEAD GUILTY Sources told Fox News that two of the raids were conducted at the Quality Learning Center and Baby Halimo Child Care, both in Minneapolis. Vice President JD Vance addressed the raids in a post on X, writing, “The task force and the DOJ will be relentless in exposing these fraudsters wherever they may be hiding.” Gov. Tim Walz said the raids were carried out by federal and state law enforcement after state agencies “caught irregular behavior and reported it.” “If you commit fraud in Minnesota you’re going to get caught — and that’s exactly what we saw today,” Walz wrote on X. “We catch criminals when state and federal agencies share information. Joint investigations work, and securing justice depends on it.” The governor then called for a joint investigation into the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good during federal immigration enforcement operations earlier this year “instead of cherry picking when we seek justice and when we turn a blind eye.” TRUMP ADMIN SCORES MINNESOTA COURT WIN IN MEDICAID FRAUD CRACKDOWN The City of Minneapolis wrote on X that it was not involved in the federal operations around Minnesota, and that local police have not been asked to help with the execution of federal warrants as of Tuesday morning. The Quality Learning Center received national attention after blogger Nick Shirley visited several childcare addresses only to find an assortment of vacant or non-operational storefronts, closed businesses or angry Somali occupants who refused to answer questions or entertain the pair’s mock efforts to “register” a child with the supposed daycare. Minnesota has been under the spotlight for years for Medicaid fraud, including a massive $300 million pandemic fraud case involving the nonprofit Feeding Our Future. It drew renewed national attention in 2025 as convictions piled up and the state became a flashpoint in the Trump administration’s broader “war on fraud.” In 2022, during former President Joe Biden’s administration, 47 people were charged. As of December, 57 people have been convicted, either because they pleaded guilty or lost at trial. Most of the defendants are of Somali descent. This is a developing story; check back for updates. Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz and Ashley Oliver, along with The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is running for mayor of St. Pete
Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is running for St. Petersburg mayor. “Well, it’s official. I’m now a candidate for mayor of St. Pete. God bless you all,” he said in a video posted to X on Monday. His post includes the message, “I’m in! #stpete.” RON DESANTIS UNVEILS NEW FLORIDA CONGRESSIONAL MAP THAT WOULD GIVE THE GOP AN EXTRA FOUR SEATS “I’ve fought for the City of St. Petersburg in the Legislature, as Education Commissioner, Attorney General, and Governor, and as a United States Representative. Now I’m taking that fight back home, to City Hall, where the city government is failing to address issues that matter most to YOU, my neighbors,” Crist declared on his campaign website. Crist served as governor of the Sunshine State from early 2007 until early 2011. He was elected to the governorship as a Republican but lost a 2010 U.S. Senate race while running as an independent. DESANTIS TAUNTS JEFFRIES WITH FLORIDA INVITE — DEM LEADER RESPONDS WITH $20M WARNING SHOT He lost the state’s 2014 gubernatorial contest while running as a Democrat. Crist went on to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat from early 2017 through August 2022. DESANTIS UNDER PRESSURE AS FLORIDA REDRAW COULD TIP HOUSE BALANCE IN GOP MAP FIGHT Crist unsuccessfully sought the governorship again, but incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis shellacked him in the state’s 2022 gubernatorial contest.
AI boom tests GOP’s midterm affordability pitch as price pain spreads
Republicans are warning that their ability to deliver on lowering everyday costs, one of their core campaign promises heading into the 2026 midterms, is being tested by an AI-driven chip shortage that has spilled into consumer markets. “When you have a big race like we have with AI, there are secondary effects that we need to be very concerned about,” former Rep. Patrick McHenry, who served as House Financial Services Committee chairman, told Fox News Digital, adding, “It is hurting Republicans.” Tech industry reports have for months been raising alarm over a global chip shortage. In January, a report predicted that this year, 70% of the high-end memory chips produced would go toward data centers, which store AI memory, constraining all other downstream technology and driving up prices, directly undermining Republicans’ affordability agenda. AFFORDABILITY: THE ISSUE THAT BOOSTED TRUMP AND REPUBLICANS IN 2024 DEFLATED THEM IN 2025 “We see this from our handheld devices to our computers, to TVs,” McHenry, a North Carolina Republican congressman turned policy advisor, said in an interview. “Even autos are impacted, and even things such as what we think of as average everyday things that aren’t particularly high-tech, like the things we use to manicure our lawns are impacted by rising prices of chips, so there’s a lot of secondary effects across consumer goods and should be a huge concern.” Heading into 2026, President Donald Trump framed the midterms as a referendum on cost of living, saying in a Politico interview the elections “will be about pricing.” Historically, the party in control loses seats during the midterms. One Republican strategist told Fox News Digital that AI’s well-documented dominance over the chip market should be viewed as hurting voters’ pocketbooks. The strategist called on the three largest chip manufacturing companies to expand production, which he said would help bolster the GOP’s campaign message. “America must win the artificial intelligence race. Companies like Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron understand that,” the strategist said. “At the same time, we can’t forget about consumer goods. Memory chip manufacturers need to increase production to boost both American AI and lower the cost of consumer goods. If they don’t, it will undoubtedly hurt Republicans politically in the midterms. How can Republicans campaign on ‘lower costs’ in 2024, but see computer and car prices rise in 2026 due to a lack of chip production?” TRUMP TORCHES DEMS’ ‘FAKE AFFORDABILITY’ PITCH – BUT GOP PANIC IN DEEP RED STATE HINTS VOTERS AREN’T BUYING IT The AI boom is increasing demand for memory chips, which are semiconductor components used in data centers, laptops and smartphones. That chip consumption has rippled across industries. Microsoft this month attributed its rise in laptop prices to “recent increases in memory and component costs.” The smartphone market remained “under pressure,” with shipments down 6% this year, largely because of chip shortages, Counterpoint Research found. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, previously a car dealership owner, warned in a letter this month his state was seeing “immediate and severe” consequences of rising chip prices and that automakers have said they could begin halting assembly lines as early as next month. While affordability has been a resounding priority for Republicans seeking to retain control in Washington, AI advancements are also a pillar of Trump’s agenda. The White House declared last year in a sweeping plan that the country was in “a race to achieve global dominance in artificial intelligence” and cited the need for a “revitalized U.S. chip industry.” Asked about the AI-driven affordability concerns, White House spokesman Kush Desai told Fox News Digital in a statement that the White House was cognizant of the clash and balancing it with a “nuanced” economic plan, which includes Trump’s signature worldwide tariffs, which the president restructured after the Supreme Court struck down his initial plan implementing them in the name of what he said was a global economic emergency. “The fact that semiconductor chips are absolutely critical for everything from cutting-edge AI technology to everyday consumer goods only reinforces the importance of President Trump’s push to reinvigorate America’s semiconductor industry,” Desai said. “Hundreds of billions in semiconductor manufacturing investments reflect how the private sector is enthusiastically responding to the Administration’s nuanced and multi-faceted agenda of tariffs, deregulation and tax cuts.” KEVIN O’LEARY WARNS CHINA ‘KICKING OUR HEINIES’ IN AI RACE AS REGULATORY ROADBLOCKS STALL US The strain on supply is also raising new questions about the effectiveness of the bipartisan CHIPS Act, a Biden administration bill designed to boost domestic production and prevent precisely the kind of shortage markets are now seeing. McHenry, who specializes in fintech policy, said the CHIPS Act, a multibillion-dollar effort to pour federal subsidies and tax incentives into U.S. chip manufacturing, has been a “grave disappointment.” McHenry said both that the White House had “a lot more work” to do to address the supply shortage and that congressional reforms were another way to improve domestic chip production. “Unfortunately for the taxpayer, they paid for the CHIPS Act the first time, and now they’re paying for it a second time with the rising price of consumer goods,” McHenry said. “Republicans need to address this on Capitol Hill. They need to clean up the CHIPS Act, so the president can deploy these tools to incentivize and grow chip manufacturing here in the United States.” Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., who founded a successful car security company, said he sees a need for chip production expansion, tying it to consumer costs, in a statement to Fox News Digital. “America leads the world in AI — and we stay there by unleashing the nation’s industrial base, ramping up chip production and memory as never before and lowering the consumer costs people pay every day,” he said. The congressman said more chips were “essential” to delivering on the GOP’s promises of “opportunity, prosperity and affordability.” Fox News Digital reached out to representatives of Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron for comment.
14 killed in South Sudan plane crash near capital Juba
NewsFeed A passenger plane crashed southwest of South Sudan’s capital Juba, killing all 14 people on board. The aircraft was flying from Yei when it went down, reportedly due to low visibility. Published On 28 Apr 202628 Apr 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Italy extradites alleged Chinese cyber-espionage suspect to US
US prosecutors say 34-year-old Xu Zewei hacked into universities to steal vaccine research during COVID-19 pandemic. Published On 28 Apr 202628 Apr 2026 Italy has extradited an accused Chinese hacker wanted in the United States for allegedly stealing vaccine research at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Italian authorities handed over the “dangerous foreign hacker” to the US following his arrest in Milan last July on suspicion of conducting cyberattacks against universities and other institutions engaged in COVID-related research, the Italian National Police said in a statement on Monday. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list The suspect and his co-conspirators allegedly exploited cybersecurity flaws in email software to target thousands of computers in a Chinese state-sponsored cyber-espionage campaign dubbed “Hafnium”, Italian police said. The US Department of Justice said the suspect, 34-year-old Xu Zewei, had targeted universities, immunologists, and virologists under the direction of China’s Ministry of State Security while employed at the “enabling” company Shanghai Powerock Network. Prosecutors said the targeted institutions included a university in southern Texas and a law firm with offices in Washington, DC, and worldwide. Xu appeared in the US District Court in Houston, Texas, on Monday to face nine criminal counts, including wire fraud and conspiracy to obtain information by unauthorised access to protected computers, according to US prosecutors. “The United States is committed to pursuing hackers who steal information from US businesses and universities and threaten our cybersecurity,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A Eisenberg said in a statement. Advertisement “I commend the prosecutors and investigators who have worked hard and sought justice for years in this investigation, and we look forward to proving our case in court,” Eisenberg said. The Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Beijing has previously denied conducting hacking operations in the US and elsewhere around the world, branding such claims as “groundless accusations” and “smears”. Xu’s lawyers in Italy and the US, Simona Candido and Dan Cogdell, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. If convicted, Xu could face up to 20 years in prison for each count of the most serious charges against him. Adblock test (Why?)
Suspect in press gala shooting charged with attempting to kill Trump
NewsFeed Cole Tomas Allen was officially charged with trying to assassinate US President Donald Trump in what is considered the third attempt on his life since 2024. Published On 28 Apr 202628 Apr 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Who is Ajay Pal Sharma? IPS officer warns TMC candidate over threatening voters in Falta constituency
Amid the West Bengal assembly elections 2026, IPS officer Ajay Pal Sharma has been involved in a recent controversy involving TMC candidate Jahangir Khan who has been accused of threatening voters.
Mumbai: Four family members die of food poisoning after eating biryani and watermelon
All the four family members died while receiving treatment. Cops have registered an accidental death case at the JJ Marg Police Station. Post-mortem examinations have been conducted, and the exact cause of death will be confirmed after reports are received.
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta announces facilities for summer: Cool water in DTC buses, midday rest for workers
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday said the government is fully geared up to tackle the ongoing heatwave, with clear, department-wise instructions issued to minimise hardship for residents. Outlining key measures, the Chief Minister said all DTC buses will be equipped with cold water through onboard cool boxes, ensuring that commuters can access drinking water whenever needed.
Greater Noida West to NH-91 travel to get easier as new 4-lane road from Ek Murti to Ghaziabad to bring traffic relief, fix waterlogging woes, tender issued
The road from Ek Murti Chowk in Greater Noida West, running via Jalalpur to Chapraula and toward Ghaziabad, narrows beyond the railway bridge. That regularly triggers traffic congestion.