Minnesota Welfare Fraud Scandal Exposes Oversight Failures Costing Taxpayers Over $1 Billion
Federal prosecutors have charged dozens in a series of interconnected fraud schemes that siphoned more than $1 billion from Minnesota’s public benefits programs, including child nutrition funds during the COVID-19 pandemic, housing stabilization services, and autism treatment initiatives, with many defendants linked to the state’s Somali community through nonprofits and shell companies that billed for nonexistent services. The Feeding Our Future case alone involved approximately $250 million stolen for 91 million undelivered meals, marking the largest pandemic-relief fraud prosecuted in U.S. history and resulting in at least 78 indictments, while separate probes uncovered $8.4 million embezzled from housing aid and $14 million from fake autism therapies, where kickbacks lured parents to enroll children without diagnoses and funds were diverted to luxury purchases, real estate abroad, and potentially informal networks reaching Kenya. Investigations by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, a House Oversight Committee led by Rep. James Comer, and the Treasury Department highlight how Minnesota Department of Human Services budgets exploded—from $2.6 million to over $100 million for housing and $3 million to nearly $400 million for autism services—amid ignored whistleblower alerts and retaliatory actions against staff, with state Sen. Jordan Rasmusson citing political sensitivities around Somali-run organizations as a barrier to timely probes under Gov. Tim Walz’s administration. Concerns persist over overseas transfers possibly funding al-Shabaab, though unconfirmed in indictments, as convictions reach 59 and federal sources note 79 of 86 charged individuals are of Somali descent, prompting renewed scrutiny of past radicalization cases involving Somali-Americans and calls for accountability to safeguard taxpayer dollars intended for vulnerable families.
Sources: FOX News, News Nation Now
Trump Reviving the Monroe Doctrine to Secure America’s Hemisphere Against Foreign Encroachment
The Trump administration’s newly released National Security Strategy firmly recommits the United States to enforcing the Monroe Doctrine, originally proclaimed in 1823 to bar European powers from interfering in the Western Hemisphere, now extended through a “Trump Corollary” that prioritizes restoring American preeminence in the region by denying non-Hemispheric adversaries—such as China and Russia—control over strategic assets like ports, energy facilities, and telecommunications networks, while enlisting hemispheric allies to curb mass migration, dismantle drug cartels through enhanced naval and Coast Guard operations, and stabilize borders as the cornerstone of homeland defense. In Europe, the 33-page document confronts the stark reality of demographic shifts projecting that certain NATO members could become majority non-European within decades, posing a profound threat of civilizational erasure that undermines their longstanding alliance commitments, prompting calls to halt further NATO expansion, foster diplomatic ties with Moscow for regional stability, and resist elite-imposed curbs on free speech and core liberties that stifle traditional values. Turning to the Indo-Pacific, the strategy demands that allies dramatically increase defense spending and contributions to deter aggression, particularly within the First Island Chain, without endorsing unilateral disruptions to the Taiwan status quo, all framed under a doctrine of flexible realism that places American security interests above endless global entanglements.
Sources: BreakingDefense.com, Reuters
Senate GOP Seeks Targeted Obamacare Subsidy Extension to Curb Costs
Senate Republicans, steadfast in their commitment to fiscal responsibility and market-driven health care reforms, are advancing a pragmatic compromise to address the impending expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies at the end of 2025, which could otherwise drive up premiums for millions of Americans. Led by Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the proposal outlines a limited two-year extension featuring a $200,000 annual income cap to ensure aid reaches working families rather than higher earners, alongside the elimination of zero-premium plans that distort market incentives and inflate costs. This measured approach, described by Collins as incorporating a “very generous” threshold, has garnered initial openness from colleagues like Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, who views it as a potential “sweet spot” for bipartisan progress, while Sen. John Cornyn of Texas maintains firm opposition to any perpetuation of Biden-era expansions. With Democrats pushing for an unrestricted three-year renewal set for a Senate vote on December 11, Republicans plan to counter with this restrained alternative, aiming to build a balanced coalition of senators from both parties to safeguard access without expanding government overreach, as negotiations intensify ahead of the year-end deadline.
Sources: Semafor, The Washington Post
Federal Judge Blocks Evidence in Dismissed Comey Indictment as Prosecutors Eye Revival
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., on Saturday issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting the Department of Justice from accessing or utilizing evidence seized from Daniel Richman, a former attorney and confidant of ex-FBI Director James Comey, amid efforts to pursue fresh charges against Comey following the dismissal of his prior indictment. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, in a ruling effective through December 12 or further court order, determined that Richman demonstrated a strong likelihood of prevailing on his Fourth Amendment claim, as prosecutors in 2019 and 2020 had unlawfully retained and searched a full forensic image of his personal computer without proper warrant authorization. The original case, dismissed on November 24 by another judge due to the improper appointment of lead prosecutor Lindsey Halligan, had accused Comey of false statements and obstructing Congress in his 2020 Senate testimony regarding FBI leaks to the media about the 2016 Hillary Clinton investigation. Richman, a Columbia Law professor who once served as a special FBI employee, filed the suit asserting violations of his privacy rights and seeking the return or destruction of the materials, which included emails and texts allegedly showing Comey’s involvement in anonymous disclosures. The order mandates the government to segregate and secure the files by noon ET on Monday, December 8, barring any prosecutorial use without judicial approval, while a separate prior probe into classified leaks involving Comey and Richman yielded no charges. This development underscores ongoing legal scrutiny over the handling of evidence in high-profile investigations tied to the 2016 election.
Sources: NewsMax, The Washington Times
In Complete 180, Former CDC Director Urges Halt to mRNA COVID Vaccines Over Lingering Safety Concerns
Former Centers for Disease Control & Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield, who led the agency during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, stated that the mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna should be withdrawn from use due to significant unresolved risks. Redfield, drawing on his experience overseeing public health responses, emphasized that “there’s too many unknowns” surrounding the technology, including potential long-term effects on immune function and cardiovascular health, as evidenced by emerging data from post-market surveillance and adverse event reports submitted to systems like VAERS. He advocated for curtailing their deployment immediately and personally supported their complete elimination from circulation, arguing that the benefits no longer outweigh the uncertainties revealed through ongoing monitoring since their emergency authorization in 2020. This position aligns with prior warnings about the vaccines’ spike protein mechanisms potentially exacerbating inflammation, a concern substantiated by peer-reviewed studies on myocarditis rates among younger populations, and reflects a broader call for rigorous, independent reassessment of mRNA platforms before further widespread administration.
Sources: The Epoch Times, The Washington Times
Trump Administration Delivers Long-Overdue Relief from Newsom’s Water Restrictions for Central Valley Farmers
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has signed a Record of Decision adopting Action 5, an updated long-term operation plan for the Central Valley Project that finally reverses years of restrictive policies under Governor Gavin Newsom that deliberately reduced water deliveries to California agriculture in favor of environmental experiments, fulfilling President Trump’s Executive Order 14181 to maximize lawful water output for the 400-mile federal project that supplies up to 30 million Californians and irrigates one-third of America’s fruits, nuts, and vegetables. This science-based framework replaces a restrictive December 2024 plan, restores real-time operational flexibility at Delta pumps, ends the ineffective Delta Summer and Fall Habitat Action, and eliminates export cuts tied to Newsom’s controversial Healthy Rivers and Landscapes program, all while remaining fully compliant with federal biological opinions. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated the decision restores water reliability crippled by state-imposed shortages, with projected increases of 130,000 to 180,000 acre-feet annually for the Central Valley Project and 120,000 to 220,000 acre-feet for the State Water Project, delivering tangible relief to farmers and rural communities long burdened by Sacramento’s water rationing policies that exacerbated California’s chronic drought conditions despite record Sierra snowpack in recent years.
Sources: ZeroHedge, Bakersfield Now
Los Angeles County Employees Face Felony Charges in $700,000 Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Scheme
Eleven additional Los Angeles County employees have been charged with felony grand theft for allegedly defrauding the state of over $700,000 in unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic while holding full-time positions and earning at least $3,000 monthly, bringing the total number of accused county workers to 24 who collectively stole $741,518 between 2020 and 2023, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announcement on December 6, 2025. Among the newly indicted are Georgette McKinney, a supervising child support specialist who purportedly used her identity plus 28 fictitious ones to claim more than $131,000, and Jessica Alcorta, a district attorney’s office legal support assistant accused of taking $36,150; several others, including nurses and eligibility workers from departments such as Health Services and Public Social Services, face charges for amounts ranging from $11,700 to $36,000 each, with the county having reimbursed the California Employment Development Department for the illicit payouts amid an estimated broader loss exceeding $3 million from similar employee-related fraud. District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman underscored the betrayal of public trust in these cases, noting that while most county staff serve honorably, such exploitation of pandemic relief systems demands rigorous prosecution to safeguard taxpayer resources.
Sources: KTLA-TV, FOX News Los Angeles
Twice-Deported Illegal Immigrant Stabs American on Charlotte Light Rail
Authorities arrested 33-year-old Oscar Solarzano, a homeless Honduran national illegally in the United States after two prior deportations, on charges of first-degree attempted murder following a brutal knife attack on an American man aboard a Charlotte Area Transit System light rail train on December 5. According to Mecklenburg County court records and Department of Homeland Security statements, Solarzano, who had been removed from the country in 2018 under the Trump administration and again in 2021 under the Biden administration, broke into the train car while intoxicated, shouted slurred challenges at passengers, and stabbed the victim in the chest, inflicting serious injuries that required hospitalization at Novant Health Presbyterian Hospital where the man remains in stable condition. Solarzano faces additional felony charges of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and breaking and entering a motor vehicle, along with misdemeanors for carrying a concealed weapon and public intoxication and disruption; he is held without bond pending a court appearance on December 8, 2025, with Immigration & Customs Enforcement having lodged a detainer due to his prior convictions for robbery, aggravated battery, and illegal re-entry. This violent episode marks the second stabbing on Charlotte’s Lynx Blue Line in 2025, coming four months after the fatal knife attack on Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska by another homeless assailant, Decarlos Brown Jr., underscoring persistent safety concerns on the public transit system.
Sources: The Charlotte Observer, FOX News
Trump Border Czar Homan Reveals Rescue of 62,000 Migrant Children from Trafficking and Exploitation
In a stark demonstration of effective border enforcement, Border Czar Tom Homan announced that the Trump administration has successfully rescued more than 62,000 migrant children smuggled into the United States during the Biden era, pulling them from the grips of sex trafficking, forced labor, and severe abuse after the prior administration lost track of over 300,000 unaccompanied minors amid lax vetting and unchecked releases to unvetted sponsors. Homan detailed how over half a million children crossed illegally under Biden’s policies, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement data showing approximately 291,000 released without court notices between fiscal year 2019 and May 2024, contributing to historic highs in child trafficking and border deaths that federal whistleblowers and Republican reports had long warned about. President Trump, fulfilling a Day One commitment, directed a whole-of-government effort involving ICE, HHS, and local law enforcement to locate these vulnerable children, many found enduring unimaginable mistreatment, including enslavement in grueling work conditions without pay or schooling, as border encounters plummeted to just 11,710 in October from over 301,000 the previous December. Homan emphasized the administration’s resolve, stating, “President Trump again proved why he’s the greatest president in my lifetime. Over 62,000 children rescued,” while criticizing Biden officials for ignoring the crisis and enabling the exploitation through inadequate screening like single phone-call verifications that placed minors with criminals, traffickers, and gang members, a failure compounded by a backlog of over 65,000 unaddressed welfare reports in the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
Sources: The New York Post, Breitbart
Loyola University Maryland English Department Declares Literary Canon Validates White Supremacy
Loyola University Maryland’s Department of English has issued a stark declaration on its website, asserting that “literature and the literary canons have been used to validate white supremacy,” as part of a formal commitment to anti-racism that includes pledges to hire a tenure-track professor in African American literature, diversify curricula with more authors of color, scrutinize all classes for racial biases, and interrogate the “centrality of whiteness” in literary history while avoiding centering white student experiences in favor of challenging the notion of a “universal reader” presumed to be white and male. Founded by Jesuits in 1852 to deliver a Catholic liberal arts education, the institution now frames its mission amid Baltimore’s racial history, echoing affirmations like “black lives matter” and “racism is based in white supremacy,” with considerations underway to rename the department due to its roots in imperialism and Eurocentrism. This initiative, detailed in the department’s anti-racism statement, promises to foster inclusive classrooms that actively confront racial injustice through ongoing faculty and student accountability. Emory University professor Mark Bauerlein, critiquing the approach, contends it exemplifies why English studies have marginalized themselves by elevating lesser works tied to identity over timeless masters like Shakespeare and Milton, underscoring a broader erosion of traditional literary scholarship.
Sources: The Gateway Pundit, The College Fix
Pearl Harbor Survivor Shares Enduring Memories of Infamy on 84th Anniversary
Ken Schubring Sr., a 103-year-old Navy veteran who enlisted at 17 and stands among only 13 remaining Pearl Harbor survivors, vividly recounted the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941, during a recent interview with WANF-TV, emphasizing that the events of that morning remain unforgettable on the 84th anniversary. After completing guard duty at the Hawaiian naval base, Schubring headed for breakfast when, just before 8 a.m., a massive explosion rocked the bunkers, prompting everyone to rush outside where the sky swarmed with enemy dive bombers; he immediately dropped to the ground, crawled to a nearby ditch, and sheltered there through the first wave of the assault that claimed over 2,400 American lives and propelled the United States into World War II. Schubring later served as a flight engineer on B-29 bombers, conducting perilous missions over the Pacific including flights near Iwo Jima, and heard the radio announcement of Emperor Hirohito’s armistice request that ended the war while returning from a raid on Osaka; post-service, he contributed to racial school integration in Athens, Georgia, as school board president despite opposition, a commitment his son Ken Jr. highlighted in stressing the need to honor the sacrifices of that day and beyond, with Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn aiding his recent honor at the National WWII Museum’s Veterans Day ceremony.
Sources: FOX News, SSB Crack News
DON’T MISS OUR FEATURED COMMENTARY:
As We Prepare for Christmas, I Give You The Unholy Trinity:
Islamism, Marxism, & Woke Progressivism
“…if this nexus is not stopped, the West will suffer the same fate as Constantinople in 1453, as Russia in 1918, as Spain in 1936: the bells will fall silent, the cathedrals will become museums or mosques, and liberty will be a forgotten word. Ask yourself this question as we head into the yule tide: When we wish others peace on Earth and goodwill toward men, is everyone wishing the same thing for you and yours?…”
Read and listen to more of this article at UndergroundUSA.com
Israel Achieves Breakthrough in Laser Defense with Iron Beam Operational Rollout
Israel’s Defense Ministry has confirmed the successful completion of development and testing for the Iron Beam high-power laser air defense system, positioning the nation as the first to deploy a combat-ready laser weapon capable of intercepting rockets, mortars, drones, and other aerial threats at a fraction of traditional costs, following vulnerabilities exposed in the June 2025 Iran-Israel War where nearly 600 Iranian missiles and over 1,000 drones overwhelmed parts of the existing multilayered defenses like Iron Dome and THAAD, resulting in 29 fatalities and strikes on key military sites including Mossad headquarters. Operational since September 2025 after proving effective in trials that downed targets within seconds at ranges up to 10 kilometers using a 100-kilowatt beam, the system integrates seamlessly with current networks to select between low-cost laser shots—estimated at under $3 per use—and pricier missiles, having already neutralized at least 40 Hezbollah drones in October 2024 combat scenarios. Brig. Gen. (res.) Danny Gold, head of defense research, announced initial operational capability delivery to the IDF on December 30, 2025, emphasizing its unlimited ammunition potential as long as power is supplied and its role in fundamentally altering battlefield dynamics against low-cost threats from adversaries. Director-General Amir Baram hailed it as a global engineering milestone, with variants like the vehicle-mounted Lite Beam and truck-based Iron Beam M advancing alongside, while international efforts by the U.S., India, and others lag in full deployment.
Sources: The Eurasian Times, The Defense Post
China Masses Over 100 Warships in East Asia, Escalating Tensions with Taiwan and Japan
China has launched its most expansive maritime deployment in years, surging more than 100 naval and coast guard vessels across East Asian waters in a display of power that has prompted heightened vigilance from Taiwan and Japan, according to intelligence assessments and regional officials. The operation, which peaked earlier this week before settling at around 90 ships by Thursday, surpasses Beijing’s naval buildup from December 2024 that forced Taiwan to elevate its defense posture, and comes amid diplomatic friction following Japan’s November 14 summons of its ambassador over Tokyo’s firm support for Taiwan’s security. Taiwanese defense spokespersons described the fleet’s positioning along the First Island Chain—from Japan’s southern isles through Taiwan to the Philippines—as an unprecedented bid for area denial, aiming to deter foreign intervention while underscoring Beijing’s resolve to assert dominance in the Taiwan Strait and beyond. Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi affirmed that Tokyo is monitoring the movements with intense scrutiny, emphasizing the need for steadfast regional alliances to counter such provocations that threaten free navigation and democratic sovereignty in the Indo-Pacific.
Sources: The Epoch Times, Reuters
Iran’s Executions Surge to Decade Peak Amid Repression and Regional Tensions
Iran’s Islamic Republic carried out at least 975 executions in 2024, marking a 17 percent rise from 834 the prior year and the highest tally in over two decades, as documented in a joint report by Iran Human Rights and Together Against the Death Penalty. This alarming escalation, driven largely by charges of drug offenses, murder, and national security violations, reflects the regime’s intensified crackdown on dissent following the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests and amid heightened Israel-Iran hostilities, with over half the executions unannounced by authorities. Among the victims were 31 women—the most since monitoring began in 2007—including cases tied to domestic violence defenses—and at least one juvenile offender, alongside ethnic minorities like Kurds and Baluchis facing disproportionate targeting. Rights observers, including the United Nations, highlight how these hangings serve as a core instrument of political control, with 80 Afghan nationals executed compared to 25 in 2023, underscoring the regime’s disregard for international human rights norms in a year of surging global death penalty use led by Tehran, Baghdad, and Riyadh.
Sources: Iran Human Rights, Iran International
Honduran Presidential Race Remains Deadlocked After Week of Vote Counting Delays
Honduras’s presidential election, held on November 30, 2025, enters its seventh day of manual ballot counting with conservative National Party candidate Nasry Asfura holding a slim lead of approximately 20,000 votes, or 40.19 percent, over centrist Liberal Party contender Salvador Nasralla at 39.49 percent, based on 88 percent of votes tallied by the National Electoral Council, while ruling leftist LIBRE Party’s Rixi Moncada lags far behind at 19.30 percent in a single-round plurality system where the top vote-getter prevails regardless of majority. Technical glitches, including website crashes and unprocessed ballots comprising 14 percent of totals flagged for review, have prolonged the hand-counting process amid initial allegations of fraud from U.S. President Donald Trump, who endorsed Asfura and recently pardoned former National Party President Juan Orlando Hernandez after his U.S. conviction on drug trafficking charges, prompting international scrutiny from the State Department as streets in Tegucigalpa stay calm and voters await final certification. This outcome reflects Hondurans’ clear rejection of the incumbent leftist administration, with both frontrunners representing economically conservative platforms focused on investment, job creation, and anti-corruption reforms to address persistent poverty and instability driving migration northward.
Sources: The Straits Times, Reuters
Bethlehem Christmas Tree Lights Up Amid Economic Hardship from Gaza War
In the historic city of Bethlehem, revered as the birthplace of Jesus Christ, residents and visitors gathered in Manger Square on December 6, to witness the lighting of a towering Christmas tree adorned with red and gold baubles, marking the first public holiday celebration since the outbreak of war in Gaza following the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023. Mayor Maher Canawati described the event as “the light of hope” after two years of enforced silence that devastated the local economy, with tourism—vital for jobs in restaurants, shops, and related businesses—plummeting to zero and unemployment surging amid Israeli security restrictions and regional violence. Crowds of Palestinians, including Christians and Muslims, cheered the illumination against a clouded night sky, joined by a modest return of foreign pilgrims despite lingering fears over the fragile ceasefire; local voices like jewelry designer Nadya Hazboun and tour guide Hamza expressed relief at the revival, urging the world to recognize the city’s safety and the essential role of visitors in sustaining life there, while acknowledging the solemn absence of fireworks as a nod to ongoing uncertainties in Gaza and the broader West Bank.
Sources: The New York Post, Reuters