Unearthed surveillance exposes how parents were allegedly involved in Minnesota’s daycare fraud scheme
As federal authorities investigate reports of massive fraud taking place in Minnesota daycares, an unearthed video from a 2018 fraud case shows parents and providers involved in a fraud scheme dating all the way back to 2015. The video, taken from a local Fox report from 2018, shows parents checking their children into a daycare center in Hennepin County, Minnesota, only to leave with their children minutes later. The video was taken from a surveillance camera as part of a case prosecuted by Hennepin County, according to the 2018 Fox 9 report. Under the scheme, low-income parents would sign in their children for daycare services so that providers could then claim reimbursement for services that were never truly provided, per Fox 9. The outlet said that, according to surveillance video, some days no families would show up, but that the daycares would claim reimbursements from the government nonetheless. The time stamp on the surveillance video shows March 2015. MAGNITUDE ‘CANNOT BE OVERSTATED’: FEDS SAY MINNESOTA FRAUD MAY BE MORE THAN $9B Another video in the broadcast showed a man handing an envelope to a parent with an alleged kickback payment for participation in the scheme. This comes amid widespread outrage over a viral video posted by Nick Shirley on Friday showing visits to multiple childcare centers in Minnesota, including one that allegedly received millions of dollars in state funding despite appearing largely inactive. The video has sparked widespread backlash, drawing criticism of Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz throughout the weekend from several high-profile figures, including Vice President JD Vance, Donald Trump Jr. and Elon Musk. LABOR SECRETARY ANNOUNCES ‘STRIKE TEAM’ GOING TO MINNESOTA TO INVESTIGATE RAMPANT FRAUD The White House on Sunday reposted an X post from Education Secretary Linda McMahon, who called the alleged fraud a “breathtaking failure.” At the time of the video’s release, Walz was already under heavy fire amid the scandal enveloping his administration that notably included at least $1 billion lost to alleged social services fraud largely tied to Minneapolis’ Somali community. Commenting on the resurfaced video, conservative strategist Greg Price wrote on X, “Somali fraudsters have been stealing from taxpayers for years and it’s clear that the entire Somali community is in on it.” HHS PROBES MINNESOTA’S USE OF BILLIONS IN FEDERAL SOCIAL SERVICE FUNDS AMID FRAUD CONCERNS: REPORT A TIMELINE OF THE ‘LARGEST COVID-19 FRAUD SCHEME’ IN THE UNITED STATES FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency has surged additional personnel and investigative resources to Minnesota as part of an ongoing effort to “dismantle large-scale fraud schemes exploiting federal programs.” Patel said Sunday that the bureau moved resources into the state before recent online attention intensified, pointing to the Feeding Our Future investigation, which uncovered a $250 million scheme that siphoned federal food aid intended for children during the COVID-19 pandemic. The case has already resulted in 78 indictments and 57 convictions, with prosecutors also charging defendants in a separate plot to bribe a juror with $120,000 in cash, Patel said, adding that the investigation remains ongoing. “The FBI believes this is just the tip of a very large iceberg. We will continue to follow the money and protect children, and this investigation very much remains ongoing,” he wrote on X. “Furthermore, many are also being referred to immigration officials for possible further denaturalization and deportation proceedings where eligible.”
Trucker slapped with charges in fatal driving incident previously immigrated to US illegally: source
A trucker who allegedly killed three in a reckless driving incident in Virginia immigrated to the U.S. illegally in the nineties, according to a federal law enforcement source. El Hadji Karamoko Ouattara, a 58-year-old immigrant from Africa, is being charged in connection with the fatal crash after running his tractor-trailer off the side of Interstate 81 and striking a minivan, killing three individuals, including a two-year-old child, and injuring three others, according to local outlet WFXR. The outlet reported that the victims were transported to a nearby hospital. 65-year-old Lorraine Renee Williams, 49-year-old Ebony Latasha Williams and 2-year-old Shazziyah Lesley died of their injuries. A 63-year-old male, a 73-year-old male and a 10-year-old female were also injured but survived, according to the outlet. WFXR reported that Ouattara was originally charged with reckless driving. DHS REVEALS ILLEGAL ALIEN BEHIND FATAL CRASH WAS GIVEN LICENSE BY DEEP BLUE STATE However, according to the Roanoke County Sheriff’s Office, Outtara is now being charged with three counts of involuntary manslaughter as a result of the incident, which took place on Dec. 22. The office said he is a resident of Montgomery Village, Maryland. A federal law enforcement source told Fox News that Ouattara is a naturalized U.S. citizen from the Ivory Coast. The source stated that, despite originally entering the United States illegally in the 1990s, Ouattara was eventually able to obtain a green card and become a naturalized citizen. This comes amid heightened awareness and national concern about untrained, unqualified illegal immigrant drivers on U.S. roads. DAVID MARCUS: ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKERS ARE AN INSULT TO AMERICANS WHO PLAY BY THE RULES Earlier this month, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy offered an update on his agency’s work alongside the Department of Homeland Security in cracking down on an influx of illegal immigrants given a non-domiciled commercial driver’s license (CDL) without proper vetting, which has led to several deaths on America’s highways. Duffy sprang into action earlier this year after an Indian national named Harjinder Singh, who authorities said was issued a CDL by California, allegedly killed a carload of people after he attempted an illegal U-turn on Florida’s Turnpike. Duffy said that DOT has pressed for compliance from problem states offering illegals CDLs, sharing that California has since revoked 17,000 problematic non-domiciled CDL licenses. CONVICTED MURDERER, CHILD PREDATORS ROUNDED UP IN CHRISTMAS WEEKEND ICE CRACKDOWN: ‘GREATEST GIFT’ “We are going to use every resource, every tool that we have at DOT, to make sure that we have the right people on our road that are well qualified, well licensed. That are proficient in the English language to make sure we’re maximizing safety,” Duffy said.
Zelenskyy says peace deal is close after Trump meeting but territory remains sticking point
The dispute over occupied territories in Ukraine continues to be a sticking point amid negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow as President Donald Trump seeks to help bring an end to the war between the neighboring countries. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Fox News’ Bret Baier that a peace deal with Moscow could be close following his Sunday meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. “Even with one question today, we’ve been very close,” Zelenskyy told Baier on “Special Report.” “I think we have a problem with one question: It’s about territories.” PUTIN DERIDES EUROPEAN LEADERS AS HE INSISTS RUSSIA’S WAR GOALS IN UKRAINE WILL BE MET BY FORCE OR DIPLOMACY Key issues about territory remain unresolved in talks that have taken place over months. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently said that the West must acknowledge the fact that Russia holds the advantage on the battlefield. Zelenskyy has been reluctant to cede territory held by Russian forces since the war began in 2022 over to Moscow. Zelenskyy has suggested that Ukraine might be open to withdrawing from the Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, which Russia wants to annex, only if Ukrainian voters give their approval in a referendum. TRUMP TOUTS ‘TREMENDOUS PROGRESS’ BUT SAYS HE’LL MEET PUTIN AND ZELENSKYY ‘ONLY WHEN’ PEACE DEAL IS FINAL “I think the compromise, if we do a free economic zone that we have, and we have to move some kilometers back. It means that Russia has to make minor steps some kilometers back,” Zelenskyy said. “This free economic zone will have specific rules. Something like this referendum is the way how to accept it or not accept it.” Putin doesn’t want peace, Zelenskyy said, despite the mounting death toll for Russian forces. “I don’t trust Putin. He doesn’t want success for Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said. “I believe he can say such words to President Trump… but it’s not true really.” Following his meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy said they were 90% agreed on a draft 20-point plan, despite Moscow showing no signs of budging on its territorial demands. The meeting came after Trump spoke with Putin over the phone where they both agreed that a deal must be reached to end Europe’s longest war in 80 years. It also came a day after Russia attacked the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv a day earlier. Moscow also claimed that Putin’s home in the Novgorod region was the target of a Ukrainian drone attack overnight, which Ukraine denies.
Lapsed Epstein deadline underscores challenge of reviewing troves of files in 30 days
Department of Justice officials are facing threats of legal action after the department missed the Epstein Files Transparency Act’s stated deadline to publish all its documents related to Jeffrey Epstein – but the law may lean in the DOJ’s favor. DOJ officials have continued to review and upload the files more than a week after the congressionally mandated Dec. 19 due date, spurring Democrats and some Republicans to call for a range of consequences, from contempt to civil litigation. The DOJ is, however, defending the drawn-out release process, suggesting that rushing to publish piles of unexamined material would also flout the law. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a recent interview on “Meet the Press” there was “well-settled law” that supported the DOJ missing the transparency bill’s deadline because of a need to meet other legal requirements in the bill, like redacting victim-identifying information. EPSTEIN FILE DROP INCLUDES ‘UNTRUE AND SENSATIONALIST CLAIMS’ ABOUT TRUMP, DOJ SAYS The bill required the DOJ to withhold information about potential victims and material that could jeopardize open investigations or litigation. Officials could also leave out information “in the interest of national defense or foreign policy,” the bill said, while keeping visible any details that could embarrass politically connected people. Last week, the DOJ revealed that two of its components, the FBI and the U.S. attorney’s office in the Southern District of New York, had just gathered and submitted more than 1 million additional pages of potentially responsive documents related to Epstein’s and Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking cases for review. The “mass volume of material” could “take a few more weeks” to sift through, the DOJ said in a statement on social media, adding that the department would “continue to fully comply with federal law and President Trump’s direction to release the files.” The DOJ’s concerns about page volume and redaction requirements echo those frequently raised in similar litigation surrounding compliance with Freedom of Information Act requests, where courts have stepped in to balance competing interests of parties in the cases rather than attempting to force compliance on an unrealistic timetable. The conservative legal watchdog Judicial Watch has seen mixed success over the years in bringing FOIA lawsuits, showcasing the court’s role in mediating such disputes. Judicial Watch brought several lawsuits against the government over Hillary Clinton’s private email server scandal, leading a federal judge at one point to allow the conservative watchdog to move forward with questioning Clinton aides as part of a discovery process as it sought records on the matter. The decision was later reversed at the appellate court level. In a separate case, the appellate court sided with Judicial Watch by reversing a lower court ruling as part of a longstanding legal battle the watchdog waged with the DOJ over obtaining Acting Attorney General Sally Yates’ emails. The D.C. Circuit Court found that the DOJ could not withhold email attachments from Yates’ account and ordered further review on the matter. In the current controversy over the Epstein files, lawmakers are pressuring the DOJ by threatening a combination of political and legal remedies over the 30-day deadline and over what they view as excessive redactions. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., vowed to bring a resolution up for a vote when the Senate returns from the holidays that would direct the Senate to initiate a lawsuit against the DOJ for failing to comply with the transparency act’s requirements. “The law Congress passed is crystal clear: release the Epstein files in full, so Americans can see the truth,” Schumer said. “Instead, the Trump Department of Justice dumped redactions and withheld the evidence — that breaks the law.” SCHUMER ACCUSES DOJ OF BREAKING THE LAW OVER REDACTED EPSTEIN FILES Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who spearheaded the transparency bill, warned that they plan to pursue contempt proceedings against Attorney General Pam Bondi in light of the DOJ missing the deadline and making perceived over-redactions. A group of mostly Democratic senators also called on the DOJ inspector general to investigate the department’s compliance with the law. The DOJ has maintained that releasing unreviewed documents would violate the law, saying last week that it had “lawyers working around the clock to review and make the legally required redactions.”
Trump tells UN agencies to ‘adapt, shrink, or die’ while offering $2B humanitarian funding pledge
The Trump administration announced a $2 billion pledge for United Nations humanitarian aid Monday and warned that agencies must “adapt, shrink, or die” under its overhaul, according to a statement from the Department of State. The new package comes as the administration reins in traditional foreign assistance and pushes humanitarian organizations to meet stricter standards on efficiency, accountability and oversight. “Individual U.N. agencies will need to adapt, shrink, or die,” the statement said after outlining what it called “several key benefits for the United States and American taxpayers.” TRUMP MUST MAKE UN FUNDING CONDITIONAL ON REAL REFORMS, EX-DIPLOMAT URGES “The United States is pledging an initial $2 billion anchor commitment to fund life-saving assistance activities in dozens of countries,” the State Department said. The administration also said that the contribution is expected to shield tens of millions of people from hunger, disease and the devastation of war in 2026 alone, with a new model significantly reducing costs. “Because of enhanced efficiency and hyper-prioritization on life-saving impacts, this new model is expected to save U.S. taxpayers nearly $1.9 billion compared to outdated grant funding approaches,” the statement said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the approach is intended to force long-standing reforms across the U.N. system and reduce the U.S. financial burden. RUBIO UNLOADS ON ‘ALARMISTS,’ TOUTS STATE DEPT DISASTER RESPONSE AFTER USAID CLOSURE “This new model will better share the burden of U.N. humanitarian work with other developed countries and will require the U.N. to cut bloat, remove duplication, and commit to powerful new impact, accountability, and oversight mechanisms,” Rubio said in a post on X. The pledge is smaller than previous U.S. contributions, which officials said had grown to between $8 billion and $10 billion annually in voluntary humanitarian funding in recent years. Administration officials said those funding levels were unsustainable and lacked sufficient accountability. TRUMP ADMIN WEIGHS TERRORISM SANCTIONS AGAINST UN PALESTINIAN AID AGENCY OVER HAMAS ALLEGATIONS Jeremy Lewin, the State Department’s senior official overseeing foreign assistance, underscored the administration’s position during a press conference in Geneva. “The piggy bank is not open to organizations that just want to return to the old system,” Lewin said in the statement. “President Trump has made clear that the system is dead.” The funding commitment is part of a newly signed Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. and the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The agreement replaces project-by-project grants with consolidated, flexible pooled funding administered at the country or crisis level. Tom Fletcher, the U.N.’s top humanitarian official and head of OCHA, welcomed the agreement, calling it a major breakthrough. “It’s a very significant landmark contribution,” Fletcher said, according to The Associated Press. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz also said the deal would deliver more focused, results-driven aid aligned with U.S. foreign policy interests, while the State Department warned future funding will depend on continued reforms.
Swalwell slammed by Border Patrol commander over imagery showing ICE raiding Jesus Christ’s manger
The architect of some of DHS’ most consequential immigration enforcement operations fired back at Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., after Swalwell posted a Christmas image depicting a helicopter and ICE agents converging on the Bethlehem crèche. “May this be the last Christmas we live this nightmare,” Swalwell captioned the image, which drew widespread backlash during the Twelve Days of Christmas. “Yes, the last Christmas where un-American pedantic dolts choose illegal aliens over US Citizens,” U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino responded, before following up by exchanging with others on social media. Bovino then replied to a Florida woman who told Swalwell: “Yes, the nightmare was [the] last four years prior letting in everyone and their grandma. Insane [a] congressman would post this.” EXCLUSIVE: CATHOLIC BISHOPS CHIDED FOR SOWING ‘CONFUSION’ ON DEPORTATIONS STANCE “Well said… Merry Christmas,” Bovino said, adding he would follow her X account. When another critic brought up Swalwell’s alleged relationship with a Chinese spy named Fang Fang — which the congressman denies – Bovino quipped, “Oh yes, how could I forget to mention that.” Other commentators slammed Swalwell for appearing to misstate the underlying facts of why Joseph and Mary had gone to Bethlehem and why they fled to Egypt soon after Jesus Christ’s birth — a storyline immigration activists sometimes use to counter pro-border security arguments. DHS FIRES BACK AFTER DEM LAWMAKER CLAIMS SHE WAS ‘PUSHED ASIDE AND PEPPER SPRAYED’ DURING ICE RAID One cited a passage from the Gospel of Luke, which recounts that Caesar Augustus ordered a census across the Roman Empire, requiring each man to return to his ancestral town. Joseph, a descendant of King David, therefore traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem, David’s birthplace. Per the Gospel of Matthew, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to take his family and flee to Egypt, as King Herod was seeking to kill young Jesus. Observers often debate the connection, if any, that biblical passages have to contemporary immigration policy arguments. Immigration hawks often cite Egypt as being a province of the Roman Empire, meaning the Holy Family did not immigrate to another country as refugees in a legal sense, but to escape Herod’s rule as a provincial king installed by Rome; similar to a governor; until his death made it safe to return to Judea. Others dispute that characterization. ICE DELIVERS ‘GREATEST GIFT OF ALL’ WITH CHRISTMAS ARRESTS OF CONVICTED CRIMINALS ACROSS MULTIPLE STATES “Eric – Mary and Joseph were legal immigrants complying with the rules of the Roman Empire,” conservative activist Robby Starbuck responded to the congressman. “Rome ordered a census and Joseph had to be counted because Bethlehem was his city; basically the opposite of illegal immigration. Lying about this is Christophobic,” he said. Starbuck added that in the Book of Acts, God “marked out … boundaries of their lands,” which the commentator said was proof that secure borders have scriptural grounding. Another critic posted an image of actor Gerry Bamman as his “Uncle Frank” character sneering in the Christmas classic “Home Alone,” as if to reply to the congressman’s depiction. Fox News Digital reached out to Swalwell for comment for purposes of this story but did not hear back by press time.
Netanyahu says Trump to become first non-Israeli to receive Israel Prize
Breaking with decades of tradition, Israel will award President Donald Trump the Israel Prize, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday after meeting him at Mar-a-Lago. Netanyahu and Trump spoke to reporters following their meeting, during which the Israeli leader announced plans to award Trump the Israel Prize – the nation’s highest cultural honor. “We decided to break a convention, or create a new one, and that is to award the Israel Prize, which in almost our 80 years we’ve never awarded to a non-Israeli, and we’re going to award it this year to President Trump,” Netanyahu said. “This was announced formally over lunch by our minister of education, who is responsible for the Israel Prize. “It’s going to be awarded to President Donald J. Trump for his tremendous contributions to Israel and the Jewish people,” Netanyahu continued, calling it “such a fitting thing.” TRUMP THREATENS HAMAS IF GAZA CEASEFIRE COLLAPSES AS JD VANCE TO VISIT ISRAEL Netanyahu said the gesture reflects the overwhelming sentiment of Israelis across the political spectrum, noting they appreciate what Trump has done to help Israel and support the shared fight against “terrorists and those who would destroy our civilization.” Trump thanked Netanyahu for the honor, saying, “It really is a great honor.” Netanyahu said in October that Trump was the “greatest friend” Israel has ever had, remarks that came after Hamas released the final 20 living hostages under a peace deal brokered by Trump and his administration. IDF ANNOUNCES TRANSFER OF DECEASED ISRAELI HOSTAGE REMAINS THROUGH RED CROSS “No American president has ever done more for Israel,” Netanyahu said at the time. “It ain’t even close.” He credited Trump for standing up for Israel at the United Nations, recognizing Israel’s rights in the West Bank, also known as Judea and Samaria, and withdrawing from what he described as the “disastrous” Iran nuclear deal. MIKE JOHNSON, WORLD LEADERS TO NOMINATE TRUMP FOR NOBEL PEACE PRIZE AFTER ISRAEL-HAMAS DEAL After Hamas terrorists attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostages, the war in Gaza stretched on for nearly two years, leaving tens of thousands estimated dead. Israel and Hamas reached a breakthrough peace deal following months of mediation by Trump administration officials. Hamas released the final 20 living hostages in exchange for Israel freeing 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The release was part of a sweeping 20-point plan aimed at ending the conflict and rebuilding Gaza. Hamas members who renounce violence would be granted amnesty or safe passage, while those who continue armed resistance would be excluded from Gaza’s future governance. Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
Swalwell attacks GOP legislative record as Republicans accuse Democrats of engineering shutdown
A California lawmaker leaving office to pursue a gubernatorial bid blasted the Congressional Republicans for one of the least productive sessions of Congress — a record Republicans believe Democrats have an equal hand in creating. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., who hopes to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom as California’s top executive, said 2025’s low legislative output came about from a lack of focus and a shortage of bipartisan effort. “There wasn’t much else being done in this Congress. And so, as we go into the new year, if Republicans want to work with us to bring down costs, reduce what we spend at the grocery store, they’re going to find partners in us,” Swalwell said on The Weekend. CONGRESS FLEES TOWN AS HEALTH CARE PREMIUMS SET TO EXPLODE FOR MILLIONS OF AMERICANS IN JANUARY “Now, I will say I’m responsible for one of those 40 bills that was passed. It was a bipartisan piece of legislation to make it easier for mothers who are breastfeeding to travel through airports and not have their breast milk screened,” Swalwell said, touting a bill he authored. According to congressional records, the House of Representatives has taken 362 votes in the first session of the 119th Congress. By comparison, under another Republican trifecta in 2015, the House considered 710 measures in the same window. This year, 61 bills cleared both chambers of Congress to become law. Of those, only thirty-eight were something other than a congressional resolution. Despite criticisms from Swalwell, Republicans looking at the productivity picture believe the complaints about productivity go both ways. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., accused Democrats on Sunday of creating gridlock on issues like government spending to purposefully prevent Republican productivity. SENATE QUIETLY WORKS ON BIPARTISAN OBAMACARE FIX AS HEALTHCARE CLIFF NEARS “The American public is pawns in the dysfunction. But again, understand Democrats, they want the shutdown,” Johnson said on Sunday Morning Features, referring to the record-breaking 43-day shutdown standoff earlier this year. “They were responsible for it because they don’t want President Trump and Republicans to have success.” “So, if the American economy is collateral damage, they don’t care because they just want power. They want to return to power in November,” Johnson added. Although lawmakers have already left Washington, D.C., and won’t return until 2026, Congress has a slew of priorities that remain pressingly on the docket. Among them, the government will need to find a way to pass spending legislation before the end of January or risk another government shutdown. More urgently still, Congress must also decide whether it will extend enhanced subsidies for Obamacare, which was passed as an emergency response to COVID-19. 2026 DEADLINES LOOM AS CONGRESS LEAVES DC WITH SEVERAL UNFINISHED BATTLES Without some sort of extension, Democrats fear that the vast majority of Obamacare’s 24 million enrollees will experience an overnight jump in premium costs when the subsidies expire at the end of the year. Last month, a handful of Republicans broke with the majority of their party and voted with Democrats to tee up consideration of a subsidy extension in January. Swalwell believes that vote offers the opportunity for bipartisan cooperation in 2026 absent in 2025. “The mandate now, the majority of the House of Representatives wants to put these subsidies in place so that Americans can pay less for healthcare. So, it’s now on the speaker, when we reconvene in just a couple of days, whether he will put this up for a vote,” Swalwell said. “But if not, the midterm message will be this, it costs too much. It costs too in what we pay at the groceries store and figuratively, it costs too much in the fights that we’re losing under this administration.”
Minnesota GOP lawmakers cite Constitution in call for Walz to resign over fraud crisis
Several Republican lawmakers in Minnesota released a statement officially calling on the state’s Democratic governor, Tim Walz, to resign in light of the unfolding fraud scandal that has spiraled during his tenure. “Minnesotans have been watching the fraud crisis get worse and worse for years. It has gone on long enough,” Minnesota state Senators Bill Lieske and Nathan Wesenberg, along with state Reps. Marj Fogelman, Drew Roach and Mike Wiener, said in a Monday press release. “This is not about politics or stunts, and we do not make a call like this lightly. The office of the governor deserves respect, and we have tried to give Gov. Walz time to act.” The group cites Article 8, Section 6 of the Minnesota Constitution, which lists serious malfeasance in the performance of official duties, as the reason to recall executive and interior officers, but stopped short of calling for an official recall effort. INSIDE MINNESOTA’S $1B FRAUD: FAKE OFFICES, PHONY FIRMS AND A SCANDAL HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT The lawmakers explained that “leadership means doing the right thing even when it is difficult, which is why we are calling on Gov. Walz to resign.” “We are talking about billions of dollars in fraud that should have gone to vulnerable Minnesotans. The red flags were everywhere. Yet, year after year, the fraud kept growing, and year after year, nothing changed.” HOW FEARS OF BEING LABELED ‘RACIST’ HELPED ‘PROVIDE COVER’ FOR THE EXPLODING MINNESOTA FRAUD SCANDAL Earlier this month, federal prosecutors revealed that the fraud scandal in Minnesota, primarily found within the state’s Somali community, could cost taxpayers as much as $9 billion dollars. The Monday call from Republicans for Walz to resign comes shortly after a viral video by journalist Nick Shirley, seen more than 100 million times on X, highlighting suspected fraudulent daycare locations prompted even more scrutiny on Walz. Walz’s office pushed back on the criticism shortly after the video went viral. “The governor has worked for years to crack down on fraud and ask the state legislature for more authority to take aggressive action,” a Walz spokesperson said. “He has strengthened oversight — including launching investigations into these specific facilities, one of which was already closed.” The spokesperson added that Walz has “hired an outside firm to audit payments to high-risk programs, shut down the Housing Stabilization Services program entirely, announced a new statewide program integrity director, and supported criminal prosecutions.” Calls for Walz to resign have increased in recent weeks, including from Trump’s Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Fox News Digital first reported earlier this month. The lawmakers said in their statement that the fraud scandal is the “number one” issue they hear from their constituents, along with questions about why no one in power has been held accountable. “What we are seeing from the governor is what nonfeasance looks like,” the lawmakers wrote. “When a governor fails to do what he is required to do, when he watches a crisis spiral out of control and does nothing to stop it, that is nonfeasance. The governor had a duty to oversee his administration and protect these programs. He failed. There needs to be consequences. “For the good of the state, Gov. Walz should step aside. Minnesota needs accountability, a reset, and new leadership that can get us back on the right track.”
Trump suggests US hit ‘big facility’ in Venezuela drug fight
The U.S. may be signaling an expansion of its Venezuela-focused campaign to include ground operations, based on recent remarks from President Donald Trump. Speaking Friday with radio host John Catsimitidis, Trump said the U.S. had struck a “big facility” while discussing Washington’s broader effort against Latin American drug trafficking – an apparent reference to a drug production or trafficking site. “They have a big plant or a big facility where the ships come from,” Trump said, without identifying Venezuela as the target. “Two nights ago we knocked that out.” Asked about the comments on Monday, Trump told reporters the strike was “along the shore” but declined to share whether it was conducted by the U.S. military or another entity like the CIA. SOUTHCOM COMMANDER ABRUPTLY RETIRES AMID ESCALATING SCRUTINY OF CARIBBEAN STRIKES “I don’t want to say that. I know exactly who it was,” he said. “We hit all the boats, and now we hit the area. It’s the implementation area. That’s where they implement. And that is no longer around,” the president said during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. TRUMP’S VENEZUELA OIL BLOCKADE PUTS CHEVRON IN THE MIDDLE OF A HIGH-STAKES SANCTIONS CRACKDOWN He added there was a “major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs.” If the facility was indeed on Venezuelan soil, it would mark the first known attack on land since the U.S. began bombing alleged narco-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific waters in early September. More than two dozen strikes have killed 105 people so far. While Venezuela is a known hub for trafficking drugs, such as cocaine that originates in Colombia, it is not a production hot spot. Months ago, Trump authorized the CIA to carry out covert action in Venezuela. In recent weeks, Trump has ramped up pressure aimed at pushing leader Nicolás Maduro from power by announcing a blockade of Venezuela and seizing two ships carrying sanctioned oil. The White House and Pentagon have not publicly confirmed whether any recent strike occurred on Venezuelan soil. Maduro’s government has not publicly acknowledged the attack. After prior strikes in the counter-drug campaign, the administration has touted success, even posting footage on social media of boats being struck. However, if the action was carried out covertly, it would limit what U.S. officials could share. Trump’s comments come amid the largest military buildup in the Caribbean in decades, with some 15,000 troops and the world’s biggest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, stationed in the region.