Social media erupts after Minnesota AG posts about cracking down on fraud: ‘You’re kidding right?’
Minnesota’s attorney general was widely mocked by conservatives on social media over the weekend for a social media post touting his work to crack down on fraudsters at the same time a massive fraud scandal that could total up to $9 billion has exploded in the state over the last several years. “Scammers thought Minnesotans were easy targets,” Democrat Keith Ellison, who has been Minnesota attorney general since 2019, posted on X on Friday in a message that is approaching 1 million views. “They were wrong. From student loan scams to fake utility callers, we shut them down this year — fast.” Ellison’s video, where he promoted various wins cracking down on robocalls and online scams, was blasted online by those pointing out the fraud scandal involving government agencies and welfare programs that has rocked the state under his watch. OMAR ACCUSED BY GOP OPPONENT OF OPENING UP THE DOOR TO MASSIVE MINNEAPOLIS FRAUD: ‘DEEP, DEEP TIES’ “Arsonist claims to be fire fighter….,” GOP Sen. Ted Cruz posted on X. “Seriously?” Former sports broadcaster Michelle Tafoya, rumored to be mulling a run for Senate in Minnesota, posted on X. “How could your team make this video when it was under your nose that Somalis in your state stole up to $9 billion of taxpayer funds meant to help Americans in need?” Post Millennial senior editor Andy Ngo posted on X. “Spare us your feign outrage, Keith,” Minnesota Republican Rep. Tom Emmer posted on X. “You’ve done nothing but enable and exacerbate fraud in Minnesota. This all happened on your watch. Welcome to the party.” “Scammers were right,” former federal prosecutor Joe Teirab, who worked on the Feeding Our Future fraud case in the state, posted on X. “Minnesota was an easy target. That’s why they stole literally BILLIONS of dollars from us.” MEDIA ‘COMPLICITY’ BLAMED AS FEDS SAY MINNESOTA FRAUD CRISIS COULD REACH $9B: ‘SHOWN THEIR TRUE COLORS’ “You’re kidding right?” Townhall columnist Dustin Grage posted on X. “They literally created a new term called ‘fraud tourism’ to describe how easy it was to defraud Minnesota taxpayers.” “No s—, Sherlock,” conservative communicator Steve Guest posted on X. “Minnesota was an easy target. Per CBS News, $9 BILLION worth of Medicaid fraud happened right under your nose. And the largest funder of Al-Shabaab terrorists in Somalia is the Minnesota taxpayer.” In a statement to Fox News Digital received after publication, a spokesperson for Ellison’s office said, “The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office has broad authority in civil law to protect consumers, and Attorney General Ellison regularly uses that authority to protect Minnesota consumers from scams, deception, and fraud by businesses, corporations, and other individual bad actors.” “That’s what the video is about. When it comes to criminal fraud against federal- and state-funded Medicaid programs, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of Attorney General Ellison’s Office works closely with the U.S. Department of Justice to prosecute it, including on the very cases in which the Justice Department announced new indictments on Thursday.” The spokesperson added that Ellison’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is “one of the most successful units of its size in the country: in the last 7 years, it has won more than 300 convictions and $80 million in judgments for the State.” “In a recent audit, the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recognized Minnesota for winning more Medicaid fraud convictions than any other comparably sized state.” Ellison, along with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, have been the target of heated criticism from conservatives and Republican officials in the state over the fraud scandal that has infiltrated several government agencies and, according to a press conference from federal prosecutors last week, could end up costing taxpayers up to $9 billion. “Tim Walz was responsible for putting into place the commissioners of the different departments who are allowing all this money to go out, and then you had Keith Ellison, who not only should have done something about stopping the fraud once he had a sense that things were happening, he should have started to investigate it,” Teirab told Fox News Digital in an interview earlier this month. “He now tries to say that he was working hand in hand with the federal government… absolutely false, lying about what he did, what he knew and when he knew it.”
Schumer moves to force Senate to take legal action against DOJ, Trump admin over Epstein doc dump
Senate Democrats are mounting a legal offensive against the Trump administration for its handling of the release of files and materials related to Jeffrey Epstein, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has teed up the first salvo. Schumer on Monday announced that he would file a resolution that would compel the Senate to take legal action against the Trump administration for “illegally refusing to release the complete Epstein files and heavily redacting the files that are released.” “The law Congress passed is crystal clear: release the Epstein files in full, so Americans can see the truth,” Schumer said in a statement. “Instead, the Trump Department of Justice dumped redactions and withheld the evidence — that breaks the law. Today, I am introducing a resolution to force the Senate to take legal action and compel this administration to comply.” SCHUMER ACCUSES TRUMP ADMIN OF EPSTEIN FILES ‘COVER-UP’ AMID DOCUMENT DISPUTE Schumer’s move comes just days after the Department of Justice (DOJ) dumped several hundred thousand documents and photos from its trove of materials related to the late Epstein. Schumer and Senate Democrats warned ahead of the document dump on Friday that unless the DOJ fully complied with the recently passed law, they would seek legal action. They argue that Attorney General Pam Bondi and the DOJ didn’t follow the law, which Congress passed nearly unanimously out of both chambers last month. Schumer, who forced a successful vote in the Senate on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, previously argued that the “heavily redacted documents released by the Department of Justice today is just a fraction of the whole body of evidence.” “Simply releasing a mountain of blacked-out pages violates the spirit of transparency and the letter of the law,” Schumer said in a statement. “For example, all 119 pages of one document were completely blacked out. We need answers as to why.” The law required that the DOJ release all unclassified records related to Epstein, his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, known associates and entities linked to Epstein and Maxwell, internal DOJ decision-making on the Epstein case, records on destroying or tampering with documents, and all documents on his detention and death. DOJ FACES FRIDAY DEADLINE TO RELEASE EPSTEIN FILES AS LAWMAKERS PUSH FOR TRANSPARENCY There were narrow exceptions to what the government could opt against releasing, including materials that reveal victims’ identities or medical files, child sex abuse materials, information that could jeopardize active investigations, images of graphic death or injury, or classified national security information. Schumer and congressional Democrats, along with some congressional Republicans, were already peeved that the DOJ wasn’t going to dump every document in its possession by Friday’s deadline. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that day that the agency would be taking a phased approach and said he expected “that we’re going to release more documents over the next couple of weeks,” as the DOJ worked to comb through every document to ensure “every victim, their name, their identity, their story, to the extent it needs to be protected, is completely protected.” JUSTICE DEPARTMENT PREPARES TO DROP TROVE OF EPSTEIN FILES AS DEADLINE LOOMS But it was the inclusion of several heavily redacted documents without explanation as to why they were blacked out that raised lawmakers’ eyebrows. Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who also is the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said that Friday’s release “could have been a win for survivors, accountability, and transparency to the public. It wasn’t.” He accused the Trump administration of breaking the law with how it handled the document dump and vowed that the Judiciary Committee would investigate. “Senate Judiciary Democrats will investigate this violation of law and make sure the American people know about it,” Durbin said in a statement. “The survivors deserve better. It’s clear Donald Trump and his Republican enablers are working for the rich and powerful elites — and not you.”
Trump admin pausing all off shore wind project construction due to national security concerns
FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump’s Department of Interior announced on Monday that, effective immediately, leases for all large-scale offshore wind projects being constructed in the United States will be paused. In a press release, DOI wrote that the pause is due to “national security risks” identified by the Department of War in “recently completed classified reports.” In a press release, DOI says the pause will “give the Department, along with the Department of War and other relevant government agencies, time to work with leaseholders and state partners to assess the possibility of mitigating the national security risks posed by these projects.” “The prime duty of the United States government is to protect the American people,” Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, said in the press release. BURGUM, ZELDIN, WRIGHT: THIS IS HOW AMERICA WILL ACHIEVE ENERGY DOMINANCE “Today’s action addresses emerging national security risks, including the rapid evolution of the relevant adversary technologies, and the vulnerabilities created by large-scale offshore wind projects with proximity near our east coast population centers. The Trump administration will always prioritize the security of the American people.” The Department of Interior listed five leases that will be paused: Vineyard Wind1, Revolution Wind, CVOW, Sunrise Wind, and Empire Wind. TRUMP’S VENEZUELA OIL BLOCKADE PUTS CHEVRON IN THE MIDDLE OF A HIGH-STAKES SANCTIONS CRACKDOWN The department highlighted unclassified reports from the U.S. government in the past that have “long found” that massive turbine blades in large-scale offshore wind projects can create radar interference called “clutter” that can obscure legitimate moving targets and generate false targets. In 2024, a Department of Energy report found that while the radar threshold for false alarm detection can be increased to reduce some of that “clutter,” the radar can “miss actual targets” when that threshold is increased. “Today’s action ensures that national security risks posed by offshore wind projects are appropriately addressed and that the United States government retains its ability to effectively defend the American people,” the press release states.
Trump taps Republican governor to serve as special envoy to Greenland
President Donald Trump announced he is tapping Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry to serve as U.S. special envoy to Greenland, asserting that the island is key to national security. “I am pleased to announce that I am appointing the GREAT Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, as the United States Special Envoy to Greenland. Jeff understands how essential Greenland is to our National Security, and will strongly advance our Country’s Interests for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Allies, and indeed, the World. Congratulations Jeff!” the president said in a Truth Social post. Landry said the new position would not impact his role as governor. GOV. JEFF LANDRY WARNS CRIMINAL MIGRANTS IN BOLD AD: ‘WE’VE GOT A PLACE FOR YOU’ AT LOUISIANA LOCKUP “Thank you @realDonaldTrump! It’s an honor to serve you in this volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the U.S. This in no way affects my position as Governor of Louisiana!” Landry wrote in a post on X. The Republican, who has been serving as governor since early 2024, previously served as Louisiana attorney general and as a lawmaker in the U.S. House of Representatives. “The appointment confirms the continued American interest in Greenland. However, we insist that everyone – including the US – must show respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark,” Denmark’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Lars Løkke Rasmussen noted in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. BORDER PATROL CHIEF URGES ILLINOIS TO FOLLOW LOUISIANA BLUEPRINT AS THREATS AGAINST AGENTS SURGE Trump has expressed ambitions for the U.S. to acquire Greenland. “For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” he asserted in part of a December 2024 Truth Social post. LOUISIANA INTENSIFIES IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN AS BORDER CHIEF WARNS FAR-LEFT RHETORIC ENDANGERS AGENTS CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Greenland is an incredible place, and the people will benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our Nation. We will protect it, and cherish it, from a very vicious outside World. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!” he declared in a January 2025 Truth Social post.
Malaysian court rejects Najib’s bid to serve sentence under house arrest
High Court says a royal document allowing the ex-PM’s transfer to house arrest was not valid. By News Agencies Published On 22 Dec 202522 Dec 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share A court in Malaysia has dismissed jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s bid to serve the remainder of his sentence for corruption at home, ruling that a royal document allowing the move was not valid. The ruling on Monday dealt another blow to Najib, who has been imprisoned since August 2022 for his role in the multi-billion dollar 1MDB scandal. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Najib had sought to compel Malaysian authorities to confirm the existence of and execute a royal order that he said was issued last year as part of a pardon by the then-king, entitling him to serve the remainder of his sentence at home. Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Alice Loke said on Monday that the existence of the order was not in dispute, but the former king should have consulted the country’s pardons board before making the order to allow Najib house arrest. “The court ruled that the king could not grant house arrest independently of the pardons board,” she wrote. “I’m of the view that a house arrest order is not capable of execution, no legal provision for such a mechanism in Malaysia.” Najib did not show much emotion, and later smiled when his lawyer described the ruling as “shocking” after the judge left the courtroom. The lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told The Star newspaper that the former leader will appeal the verdict. Najib denies wrongdoing, alleging that Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho duped him. Low, thought to be the mastermind of the scandal, remains at large. Former Malaysian parliament member Charles Santiago, who had pushed for the prosecution of Najib, hailed Monday’s ruling in a social media post. Advertisement “Faith in the judiciary restored,” he wrote. The country’s pardons board announced last year that it had reduced to six years the original sentence of Najib, who was convicted and sent to jail for 12 years for corruption. Najib is set to be released on August 23, 2028, and fines imposed on him were reduced to 50 million ringgit ($10.6m) from 210 million ringgit ($44.5m), according to the pardons board. Separately on Friday, the former leader will also find out if he is acquitted or convicted in a second graft trial that ties him directly to the 1MDB scandal. The High Court will rule on four charges of abuse of power to obtain over $700m from 1MDB that went into Najib’s bank accounts, and 21 counts of money laundering involving the same amount. If found guilty, Najib faces up to 20 years in prison for each count of abuse of power and up to five years for each of the money laundering charges. Najib set up the 1MDB development fund shortly after he took office in 2009. Investigators allege at least $4.5bn was stolen from the fund and laundered by Najib’s associates through layers of bank accounts in the US and other countries. The funds were allegedly used to finance Hollywood films and extravagant purchases that included hotels, a luxury yacht, art and jewelry. A national outrage over the 1MDB scandal led to the historic 2018 election defeat of the party that had governed Malaysia since independence from the United Kingdom in 1957. Despite his conviction, Najib still holds clout in his party, the United Malays National Organization, which is now part of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim‘s unity government that took power after elections in 2022. Adblock test (Why?)
New clashes erupt on Thai-Cambodia border as ASEAN convenes peace talks
DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY, Fighting resumes hours before regional foreign ministers meet in Malaysia to discuss steps to de-escalate hostilities. New fighting has broken out along the Thailand-Cambodia border, hours before Southeast Asian foreign ministers are due to meet in Malaysia to find a resolution to the deadly conflict between the two neighbours. The clashes early on Monday threaten to undermine diplomatic efforts by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to revive a ceasefire deal that was first brokered in July by Malaysia and United States President Donald Trump. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list The conflict, since it resumed on December 8, has killed at least 40 people and displaced nearly one million people on both sides of the border. The Cambodian Ministry of National Defence on Monday accused Thailand of deploying F-16 fighter jets that dropped four bombs in the Banteay Meanchay province and of firing “toxic gas” in the area of the Prey Chan village, according to the Agence Kampuchea Press state news agency. “The Ministry emphasised that Cambodian forces are monitoring the situation closely. They remain brave and steadfast in their defence against the aggressors, remaining vigilant in their duty to protect Cambodia’s territorial integrity,” the report said. Video footage posted online showed civilians, including young children, sheltering from the bombardment. Some of the children could be heard wailing as the residents crowded together. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Thailand’s Morning News TV 3 reported an “exchange of fire” in the Sa Kaeo Province early on Monday morning, with Cambodian forces firing “heavy weapons”, igniting fires and damaging homes in the Khok Sung district. Advertisement The Thai government has yet to comment on the renewed fighting. Earlier on Monday, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet’s office announced that as of Sunday evening, an estimated 525,000 civilians have been displaced on their side of the border. Thai authorities have reported that 400,000 people were displaced in their territory. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, meanwhile, insisted that Thailand has never acted as the aggressor, telling reporters on Sunday that nearly all areas “previously been encroached upon” by Cambodian forces have now been reclaimed. A man with protective gear inspects a garage damaged after a reported Thai air strike in Poipet town, Banteay Meanchey province, Cambodia [Handout: Agence Kampuchea Press Photo via AFP] In the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, representatives from Thailand and Cambodia were set to attend the ASEAN gathering, their first face-to-face meeting since the fighting resumed. Cambodian Minister of Foreign Affairs Prak Sokhonn will attend the meeting, according to his office. Malaysia said the ASEAN talks, chaired by Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamad Hasan, will consider steps the regional bloc can take to help de-escalate the tensions and end the fighting. An ASEAN team is expected to present satellite-monitoring data provided by the US, alongside field observations. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has expressed hope that the meeting will enable Thailand and Cambodia to negotiate openly, resolve differences and achieve a fair and lasting solution. Last week, he told reporters that Thailand’s Anutin and Cambodia’s Hun Manet were both “keen to achieve an amicable resolution as soon as possible”. The US Department of State on Sunday urged both sides “to end hostilities, withdraw heavy weapons, cease emplacement of landmines, and fully implement the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords”. It said it welcomed “ASEAN leaders coming together this week to support Cambodia and Thailand fully honoring their commitments to end this conflict”. In addition to the regional push, the US and China have pursued separate diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, although neither has yielded tangible results. Bangkok and Phnom Penh continue to trade blame for violations of the July ceasefire, as well as another extended agreement signed in October. Adblock test (Why?)
Two Palestine Action hunger strikers in UK prisons admitted to hospital
London, United Kingdom – Two Palestine Action-affiliated remand prisoners on hunger strike have been taken to hospital, according to a family member and a friend, adding to fears that the young Britons refusing food in protest could die at any moment. Twenty-eight-year-old Kamran Ahmed, who is being held at Pentonville prison in London, was hospitalised on Saturday, his sister, Shahmina Alam, told Al Jazeera. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Amu Gib, 30, who has not eaten food for 50 days at HMP Bronzefield in Surrey, was taken to hospital on Friday, said the Prisoners for Palestine group and friend Nida Jafri, who is in regular contact with them. Gib uses the pronoun they. Ahmed and Gib are among six detainees protesting across five prisons over their alleged involvement in break-ins at the United Kingdom’s subsidiary of the Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems in Bristol and a Royal Air Force base in Oxfordshire. They deny the charges against them, such as burglary and violent disorder. “It’s day 42 [of Ahmed’s hunger strike], and at this point, there’s significant risk of organ damage,” said his sister, Alam. “We know that he’s rapidly been losing weight in the last few days, losing up to half a kilogram [1.1lbs] a day.” Ahmed’s last recorded weight was 60kg (132lbs). When Al Jazeera first interviewed Alam on December 12, Ahmed, who is 180cm (5′ 11”), weighed 64kg (141lbs), having entered prison at a healthy 74kg (163lbs). On Thursday, Alam told journalists at a news conference in London that he weighed 61.5kg (136lbs). Advertisement Ahmed’s speech was slurred in a call with the family on Friday, said Alam. He is said to be suffering from high ketone levels and chest pains. “Honestly, I don’t know how he’s going to come out of this one,” said Alam. It is the third time Ahmed has been hospitalised since he joined the hunger strike. Shahmina Alam with her younger brother, Kamran Ahmed, a Palestine Action-linked hunger striker [Courtesy of the Alam family] ‘Critical stage’ The hunger strikers’ demands include immediate bail, the right to a fair trial and the de-proscription of Palestine Action, which accuses the UK government of complicity in Israel’s war crimes in Gaza. The UK government banned Palestine Action in July, branding it a “terror” group, a label that applies to groups such as ISIL (ISIS). The protesters have called for an end to their alleged censorship in prison, accusing authorities of withholding mail, calls and books. They are also urging that all Elbit sites be closed. The six are expected to be held for more than a year until their trial dates, well beyond the UK’s six-month pre-trial detention limit. Qesser Zuhrah, a 20-year-old who has refused food for 50 days, is also in hospital, having lost 13 percent of her body weight, according to her lawyers. The other protesters are Heba Muraisi, Teuta Hoxha and Lewie Chiaramello, who is diabetic and refuses food every other day. There was no immediate comment from either Pentonville or HMP Bronzefield. ‘I’m scared’ Gib called their friend, Jafri, on Thursday from prison, telling her they needed a wheelchair to attend a doctor’s appointment where their vital signs would be checked. Prison staff at first “refused” to provide a wheelchair, and later, after offering one, “refused to push” it, Jafri said. “So they laid there with … no check of their vitals on day 47 of their hunger strike,” Jafri said. When they are hospitalised, the prisoners are unable to call their loved ones, as they can from jail. Jafri told Al Jazeera, “I’m scared they’re there alone with no phones and no calls allowed.” Gib, who has lost more than 10kg (22lbs), is below the normal range for most health indicators, which is “highly concerning” for their immune system, their lawyers have said. Prison officials have “failed to provide [Gib] with thiamine [a vitamin] consistently, and Amu is feeling the effects on their cognitive function”, the lawyers said. Gib’s eyes are also “sore with the bright [prison] lights”, Jafri said. Amu Gib (left) with their friend, Nida Jafri [Courtesy: Nida Jafri] The lawyers have demanded a meeting with Secretary of State for Justice David Lammy, hoping his intervention could be life-saving. Thousands of everyday Britons, hundreds of doctors and dozens of MPs have urged Lammy to heed their call. But so far, he has refused, leading critics to accuse the UK government of wilfully ignoring the issue. Advertisement The UK media have also been accused of downplaying the protest and its dangers. The protest is said to be the largest coordinated hunger strike in UK prisons since 1981, when Irish Republican inmates led by Bobby Sands refused food. “In contrast to the robust media coverage of the Irish hunger strikes in the 1980s, the Palestine Action hunger strikes have been largely met with media silence,” wrote Bart Cammaerts, a professor of politics and communication at the London School of Economics. “What will it take for the British media to pay attention to the plight of jailed pro-Palestinian activists? The death of an activist? Or the awakening of a moral conscience?” Adblock test (Why?)
PM Modi hails BJP-led Mahayuti’s huge victory in Maharashtra local body polls: ‘This reflects trust in…’
PM Modi’s statement comes as Mahayuti registered a decisive victory in the western state’s local body elections, results for which were declared on Sunday (December 21). Here’s more on this.
Big update for passengers affected by IndiGo mass cancellations, airline extends Rs 10000 voucher till….; check details
The airline said it will begin the process to identify these severely impacted passengers from December 26 onwards. For customers who booked their tickets through travel partners, they will be coordinating with the respective agents to reach the customers.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat says India is Hindu nation: ‘Do we need constitutional approval for…’
Bhagwat also urged people to visit the organisation’s offices and ‘shakhas’ to understand its work, so that the perception of the organisation as “anti-Muslim” can be dispelled.