Media ‘complicity’ blamed as feds say Minnesota fraud crisis could reach $9B: ‘Shown their true colors’
Minnesota’s sprawling fraud crisis has garnered national headlines in recent weeks, but several critics say the problem festered for years, aided by local media that appeared uninterested in holding people in power accountable. “In newsrooms, they’re told, ‘We can’t run that because we’re going to be accused of being racist,’” Townhall columnist Dustin Grage recently told Fox News Digital about news outlets in Minnesota essentially enabling the fraud by not calling out shocking taxpayer waste occurring primarily within the local Somali community. The outlet that is considered by many the top news source in the region, the Minnesota Star Tribune, has faced criticism on social media in recent days over some of its headlines, including “Minnesota Somali community grapples with fraud cases while pushing back against stereotypes” on Nov. 26 and “Trump claims Minnesota lost billions to fraud. The evidence to date isn’t close” on Dec. 11. On Thursday, federal prosecutors held a press conference where they revealed that the true scope of the fraud scandal could end up costing taxpayers around $9 billion, prompting some conservatives on social media to point out the Dec. 11 headline. MINNESOTA’S FRAUD SCANDAL WAS ‘SHOCKINGLY EASY’ TO PULL OFF, IS LIKELY WORSE THAN REPORTED: EX PROSECUTOR “The Minnesota Star Tribune masquerades as a newspaper,” New York Post columnist Miranda Devine posted on X. “It’s actually a Democrat front, hiding news, twisting facts, lying outright. One of the worst in the country.” Additionally, the paper’s CEO is Steve Grove, who served as Gov. Tim Walz’s former commissioner of employment and economic development, which has sparked criticism from some who say that the paper is hesitant to pin Walz to the fraud crisis. Fox News Digital spoke to several locals who argued that media outlets either didn’t cover the scandal thoroughly enough or, in cases where it was covered, Walz’s oversight role was downplayed. “The Minnesota Star Tribune has proven itself to be nothing more than communist fish wrap,” Republican House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, who represents Minnesota 6th Congressional District, told Fox News Digital. “They’ve shown their true colors throughout their sorry coverage of the massive fraud in my home state. Fraudsters stole over a billion dollars from taxpayers on Tim Walz and [state Attorney General] Keith Ellison’s watch. However, the blame also falls on the largest, most widely read newspaper in the state for failing to hold Minnesota’s so-called ‘leaders’ accountable as decent journalism requires. Their bias stinks to high heaven, but that’s not surprising given that their top dog is a former Tim Walz appointee.” INSIDE MINNESOTA’S $1B FRAUD: FAKE OFFICES, PHONY FIRMS AND A SCANDAL HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT Last week, the conservative media watchdog Newsbusters reported that even after the scandal broke into the national spotlight, major news broadcast networks were still downplaying the fraud issue and focusing more on President Donald Trump’s rhetoric on the matter. Grage told Fox News Digital the news landscape has shifted over the last decade or so from a point where the news was covered fairly in the era of governors like Independent Jesse Ventura and Republican Tim Pawlenty, into “complicit media that carries water for Democrats.” “Conservatives in these newsrooms, they have told me that they try to push stories, but a lot of the time they bump into roadblocks with their newsrooms,” Grage told Fox News Digital. Grage painted a general picture of newsrooms in Minnesota filled with staffers sympathetic to the DFL, Minnesota’s Democrat Party apparatus, and said a key problem is the fear of being labeled “racist” in their coverage of fraud in the Somali community. “In regard specifically to the Somali fraud scandal, newsrooms will come back at them and say, ‘Well, we can’t run that because we’re gonna be accused of being racist.’ And at the end of the day, that’s where a lot of this has stemmed from,” Grage told Fox News Digital. “I mean, we can talk about the media complacency, the severe funding deficits for Republicans in our campaigns, but a lot of the time it’s just simply put, people are afraid of being called a racist.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Minnesota Star Tribune for comment.
Mumbai water supply to be hit for 87 hours from December 22: Check affected areas, timings
The BMC urges residents to store sufficient water in advance and use water judiciously during this period.
MAJOR crackdown on Delhi industries violating construction ban, Environment Minister Sirsa issues BIG warning: ‘Those defying GRAP-IV norms are…’
Of these, 251 industries in industrial zones, 181 in redevelopment zones and 180 in non-conforming areas were found non-compliant, leading to closure and sealing actions now underway against 612 units while proceedings are being initiated against others.
Jammu Accident: School bus on picnic overturns after hitting divider, 35 children injured
The incident occurred on the Ring Road while the children were returning from a picnic.
PM Modi issues BIG statement in Assam: ‘Northeast emerging as new gateway to…’
The PM said that his deep attachment to the land of Assam, the love and affection of its people, and especially the warmth and belongingness of the mothers and sisters of Assam and the Northeast continuously inspire him and strengthen the collective resolve for the region’s development.
Good News for Uttar Pradesh residents: Ganga Expressway construction nears completion, to opne for public from…, check details here
The Ganga Expressway is expected to give a major boost to industrial development in the region. This will not only improve connectivity but also create new opportunities for trade and commerce.
Delhi-NCR’s air quality dips to ‘severe’, AQI reaches 438; Flights, trains hit as smog reduces visibility
Multiple parts of Delhi experienced a dense haze, with pollution levels remaining alarmingly high.In the Akshardham area, the AQI stood at 438, categorised as ‘severe’. Similar conditions were reported from the Ghazipur area, where AQI levels were also recorded at 438, as per CPCB data.
FBI Director Kash Patel says bureau ramping up AI to counter domestic, global threats
FBI Director Kash Patel said Saturday the agency is ramping up its use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to counter domestic and international threats. In a post on X, Patel said the FBI has been advancing its technology, calling AI a “key component” of its strategy to respond to threats and stay “ahead of the game.” “FBI has been working on key technology advances to keep us ahead of the game and respond to an always changing threat environment both domestically and on the world stage,” Patel wrote. “Artificial intelligence is a key component of this. ‘PEOPLE WOULD HAVE DIED’: INSIDE THE FBI’S HALLOWEEN TAKEDOWN THAT EXPOSED A GLOBAL TERROR NETWORK “We’ve been working on an AI project to assist our investigators and analysts in the national security space — staying ahead of bad actors and adversaries who seek to do us harm.” Patel added that FBI leadership has established a “technology working group” led by outgoing Deputy Director Dan Bongino to ensure the agency’s tools “evolve with the mission.” EXCLUSIVE: FBI CONCLUDES TRUMP SHOOTER THOMAS CROOKS ACTED ALONE AFTER UNPRECEDENTED GLOBAL INVESTIGATION “These are investments that will pay dividends for America’s national security for decades to come,” Patel said. A spokesperson for the FBI told Fox News Digital it had nothing further to add beyond Patel’s X post. The FBI uses AI for tools such as vehicle recognition, voice-language identification, speech-to-text analysis and video analytics, according to the agency’s website. DAN BONGINO TO RESIGN FROM FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR ROLE IN JANUARY Earlier this week, Bongino announced he would leave the bureau in January after speculation rose about his departure. “I will be leaving my position with the FBI in January,” Bongino wrote in an X post Wednesday. “I want to thank President [Donald] Trump, AG [Pam] Bondi, and Director Patel for the opportunity to serve with purpose. Most importantly, I want to thank you, my fellow Americans, for the privilege to serve you. God bless America, and all those who defend Her.”
ICE lodges detainer for illegal immigrant charged in brutal killing of New York taxi driver
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Saturday that federal agents issued an arrest detainer for a criminal illegal immigrant charged with homicide and robbery after allegedly strangling a New York taxi driver to death earlier this month. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged the detainer for Santos Paulino Vasquez-Ramirez, an illegal migrant from Guatemala accused of brutally murdering a cab operator during a fare dispute Dec. 1 in Brewster, New York. The body of the victim, Aurelio Zhunio-Orbez, was found floating in a local reservoir Dec. 7, according to DHS. “Santos Vasquez Ramirez should’ve never been in our country in the first place and provided the opportunity to gruesomely take the life of Aurelio Zhunio-Orbez,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. DHS LAUNCHES ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ WEBPAGE TARGETING ALLEGED CRIMINAL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS NATIONWIDE Vasquez-Ramirez illegally entered the country in 2013, DHS said, and was later released into the country under the Obama administration. An immigration judge issued him a final order of removal in early 2016. “Open border policies have deadly consequences,” McLaughlin said, adding that Santos Vasquez Ramirez will be transferred to federal custody. “ICE lodged an arrest detainer with local authorities to ensure this criminal illegal alien is never allowed back into American neighborhoods.” DHS RIPS DEM-RUN COUNTY AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT, ALLEGED MURDERER RELEASED: ‘BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS’ McLaughlin added that, under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, “ICE is targeting the worst of the worst.” In a year-end report released Friday, the DHS said more than 2.5 million illegal immigrants have left the U.S. since President Donald Trump returned to office this year, leading to the “most secure border in American history.” An estimated 1.9 million migrants have been self-deported, and more than 622,000 have been forced out since Trump took office Jan. 20, according to DHS. DHS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
DHS fires back at Senate Dems over ICE detainee death claims: ‘Trying to twist data’
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is pushing back against claims from Senate Democrats that 2025 has become the deadliest year in decades for immigrants held in federal custody. In a post to X Saturday, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin slammed allegations made by the Senate Judiciary Democrats’ account, claiming “30 immigrants have died in ICE custody since Donald Trump took office, making 2025 the deadliest year in ICE detention since the early 2000s.” McLaughlin swiftly fired back, accusing Senate Democrats of “trying to twist data to smear ICE law enforcement.” “There has been NO spike in deaths. Consistent with data over the past decade, death rates in custody are 0.00007%,” she said. ICE IS NICE: AMFEST ATTENDEES OVERWHELMINGLY CALL FOR DHS TO TARGET THEIR HOMETOWNS AS DEMS SPURN AGENTS McLaughlin also argued that those held in ICE custody receive appropriate medical care and a “higher standard of care” than most U.S. prisons. “As bed space has rapidly expanded, we have maintained a higher standard of care than most prisons that hold U.S. citizens, including providing access to proper medical care,” she said. “For many illegal aliens this is the best healthcare they have received their entire lives.” DHS FIRES BACK AFTER DEM LAWMAKER CLAIMS SHE WAS ‘PUSHED ASIDE AND PEPPER SPRAYED’ DURING ICE RAID The response came just one day after DHS touted that ICE’s “Christmas gift to Americans” came early as agents pulled more illegal immigrants with criminal records off the streets. “This holiday season, ICE is working around the clock to ensure silent nights and safer streets,” DHS said in its announcement. DHS PACKAGES LATEST ICE ARRESTS AS ‘CHRISTMAS GIFT TO AMERICANS’ On Friday, DHS said that ICE had arrested illegal immigrants across the country whose criminal records include burglary, robbery and aggravated kidnapping. Homeland Security declared the latest defendants to be some of the “worst of the worst.” A spokesperson for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.