Feed aggregator

Federal and state investigators have renewed scrutiny of Minnesota’s child care system after previously unseen surveillance videos resurfaced, depicting conduct that authorities say illustrates how fraudulent day care operations allegedly exploited public funds.

The footage, recorded in 2015 but not made public until 2018, was obtained by Fox 9 and shows parents briefly bringing children into day care facilities, signing them in, and then leaving with the children almost immediately. Investigators said the sign-ins were used so providers could bill the state for full days of care that were never actually provided.

In some instances, the report said, no families appeared at all on certain days, yet the centers still submitted claims to the government for reimbursement.

Additional video obtained by Fox 9 appeared to show kickbacks tied to the alleged scheme. One clip shows a man handing an envelope to a parent, which investigators said was payment for participating in the fraudulent arrangement.

The videos resurfaced following public backlash over a viral exposé by independent journalist Nick Shirley, who documented multiple Minnesota child care centers that had received millions of dollars in state funding despite appearing inactive.

US Education Secretary Linda McMahon reacted sharply to the allegations, calling the situation a “breathtaking failure.”

Minnesota officials began addressing suspected child care fraud as early as 2014. By 2018, authorities were investigating dozens of businesses believed to have improperly collected millions of dollars in public money for services that were never delivered.

The controversy has also placed Gov. Tim Walz under criticism over other alleged abuses involving Medicaid-funded programs, including housing initiatives intended to help seniors and people with disabilities relocate into appropriate housing.

Law enforcement officials have said many of the alleged schemes are connected to Minnesota’s migrant Somali community, a characterization that has fueled both political and community tensions.

At the federal level, FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau has sent investigators and resources to Minnesota as part of a broader effort to combat fraud targeting government assistance programs. He said the child care cases were “just the tip of a very large iceberg” and warned that Somali individuals convicted of fraud could face deportation.

{Matzav.com}

Four people were injured and around 100 others evacuated by helicopter after a cable car collided with its upper and lower stations near Macugnaga on Tuesday. Three passengers and the operator on the ground were hurt, while others received medical attention. Ski slopes were closed, and the service was halted. Filippo Besozzi, managing director of […]

Russia’s nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system has entered active service in Belarus, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday, as the U.S. efforts to broker a deal to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine have entered a pivotal stage. The ministry released a video showing combat vehicles that are part of the mobile intermediate range ballistic missile […]

Meta said it would acquire Chinese-founded artificial intelligence startup Manus, as the technology giant accelerates efforts to integrate advanced AI across its platforms.

A Minneapolis day care known as the Quality “Learing” Center drew sudden attention Monday when children were seen entering and leaving the building, a scene neighbors say they rarely, if ever, witness. The activity followed the release of a viral video that questioned whether the facility was operating at all and suggested it might be tied to broader fraud involving state-funded programs.

One nearby resident told The NY Post that the presence of children earlier in the week stood out sharply from what they usually observe at the site. The neighbor described the bustle as “highly unusual.”

“We’ve never seen kids go in there until today. That parking lot is empty all the time, and I was under the impression that place is permanently closed,” the resident said.

When reporters monitored the location Monday, they observed a busy parking lot and roughly 20 children moving in and out of the building. That activity contrasted with footage posted online by YouTuber Nick Shirley, which depicted what appeared to be an unused facility with no children present.

In his video, Shirley questioned the lack of activity during his visit. “You do realize there’s supposed to be 99 children here in this building, and there’s no one here?” he asked a person who answered the door. At the time the video was recorded, no children could be seen inside. The center lists its operating hours as Monday through Thursday from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Ibrahim Ali, who identified himself as the manager and said he is the owner’s son, told The Post that Shirley arrived before the center opened for the day.

“Do you go to a coffee shop at 11 p.m. and say, ‘Hey, they’re not working’?” Ali said.

Ali also addressed the widely mocked misspelling on the center’s exterior sign, placing blame on a graphic designer. “What I understand is [the owners] dealt with a graphic designer. He did it incorrectly. I guess they didn’t think it was a big issue,” said Ali, 26, who said he assists with homework and paperwork at the facility.

“That’s gonna be fixed,” he added.

It was not immediately known how long the misspelled sign has been displayed. Ali said there were about 16 children inside the center Monday afternoon.

Shirley’s video surfaced amid a sweeping scandal involving Minnesota’s taxpayer-funded social services system, including child care programs. Authorities are probing what has been described as an alleged scheme that could total up to $9 billion, with accusations that some businesses falsely claimed to provide services in order to collect government funds.

Despite the heightened scrutiny, Quality Learning has not been publicly identified by federal authorities as one of the businesses suspected in the ongoing investigation.

At 2 p.m. Monday, a woman who opened the center disputed Shirley’s claims and rejected accusations of wrongdoing. “We don’t have fraud. That’s a lie,” she said, before adding, “I don’t want to talk to you. I want to talk to my lawyer.”

Outside the building, another employee began recording a Post reporter on his phone while objecting to the questions being asked. “Don’t … come to this area. Get the …. out of here,” he said angrily.

Elsewhere in Minneapolis, ICE agents visited ABC Learning Center on Monday morning, part of the broader inquiry into the alleged misuse of public funds. The investigation has been reported to focus largely on members of the state’s Somali immigrant community.

“They wanted two months of attendance [records], we gave them two months of attendance,” said Ahmed Hasan, director of ABC Learning Center. He said agents told him they intended to verify whether everything was in order.

Hasan said Shirley’s visit to his facility was also unsettling. “That time ICE was coming for the Somali community. We were scared to open the door,” he said.

“They come with eight people. Five of them had masks. We thought they were ICE.”

Hasan criticized what he described as an unfair focus on Somali-owned day cares, calling it “a targeted situation,” and said the allegations facing his center and others in Minneapolis amounted to “a political game.”

{Matzav.com}

A California judge is giving the Trump administration the green light to share Medicaid participant information with ICE.

A 21-year-old Texas ISIS sympathizer has been federally charged with an international terrorism offense after providing bomb components and money to individuals he believed were acting on behalf of a designated foreign terrorist organization, according to the DOJ.

A revised medical framework for defining obesity could dramatically expand the number of American adults considered obese, according to new research that looks beyond body mass index alone and incorporates additional physical measurements and health indicators.

Using national health data collected between 2017 and 2023, researchers analyzed information from more than 14,000 people, representing roughly 237.7 million U.S. adults. When the broader criteria were applied, an estimated 75.2% of adults met the threshold for obesity. Under the traditional BMI-only approach, that figure stood at about 40%.

The analysis, published in JAMA Network Open, was conducted by investigators affiliated with Harvard University, Yale New Haven Health, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and was reported by ABC News.

The work was prompted by recommendations from the The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology Commission, a collaboration between the medical journal and King’s Health Partners Diabetes, Endocrinology and Obesity. That commission proposed redefining obesity to include measurements such as waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and waist-to-height ratio, in addition to BMI.

Although the updated definition has been endorsed by more than 70 medical organizations worldwide, the study’s authors noted that its real-world impact had not previously been assessed.

“BMI is the standard measure for determining criteria for obesity. It’s the most widely known metric,” said Dr. Erica Spatz, a cardiologist at Yale School of Medicine and a co-author of the study.

Spatz explained that BMI on its own fails to capture the role of adipose tissue. While this type of tissue is less visible, it plays a central role in insulating organs, storing energy, and producing hormones that regulate appetite, and “is more associated with high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.”

To reach their conclusions, the researchers relied on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationwide program run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that tracks the health of both children and adults across the country.

Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an associate professor of medicine and pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, said the findings underscore the scale of the problem, even though she was not involved in the research.

“We do have a major problem,” Stanford said. “Obesity is by far the most significant chronic disease in human history … we need to be doing a better job of treating it, make sure that we have the clinicians that are trained to identify not only obesity itself, but the over 230 chronic diseases associated with it, and making sure that we have a healthier society.”

{Matzav.com}

A new HUD report found that billions of dollars in federal rental assistance during the Biden administration went to ineligible recipients, including around 30,000 deceased tenants and thousands of possible non-citizens. HUD said about $5.8 billion in payments were marked as “questionable,” after comparing Treasury records with its own databases. HUD officials said the problem […]

Israel said Tuesday it has suspended the operations of more than two dozen humanitarian organizations in Gaza — including Doctors Without Borders and CARE — for not complying with new registration rules. Israel says the measures are meant to prevent Hamas infiltration, while aid groups warn the move will harm civilians already in desperate need. […]

IDF paratroopers entered the Palestinian village of Deir Dibwan near Ramallah without authorization and vandalized vehicles, the military said. Several platoon commanders and another soldier involved were sentenced to military detention, and the commanders will be removed from combat and command roles. The IDF chief of staff called the incident a serious breach of army […]

The Somaliland government praised Israeli and U.S. officials at the United Nations for recognizing the 1998 atrocities and criticized Somalia for denying them.

New dashcam footage captures good Samaritans rushing to help after a car carrying two people nearly plunged off a cliff near Lake Tahoe.

A U.S. citizen suspected of human smuggling crashed into a Border Patrol vehicle while fleeing local police west of Lordsburg, New Mexico. Authorities say the suspect was transporting eight illegal aliens at the time. The smuggler is now facing prosecution, while the migrants are being processed for removal.

An increasingly volatile feud between Alex Jones and fellow MAGA influencer Candace Owens erupted into open warfare this week, with Jones daring Owens and her supporters to escalate the conflict and accusing them of threats and doxxing. “I want your war,” Jones thundered during a weekend broadcast, vowing to confront Owens head-on after publicly breaking […]

Hashkafa in the Workplace will be hosting a special Legal Holiday Vaad on Thursday, January 1, bringing together prominent rabbonim to address pressing hashkafic and practical issues facing frum professionals in today’s workplace.

The event will take place at Beru, located at 2373 U.S.-9 in Toms River, New Jersey, beginning at 9:45 a.m. Coffee, refreshments, and lunch will be served.

The Vaad will feature divrei chizuk and guidance from a distinguished panel of rabbonim, including Rav Dov Kahan, Rov of Bais Medrash of Arlington; Rav Doniel Osher Kleinman, Rov of Khal Nachlas Dovid; and Rav Joey Haber.

A chinuch panel will feature Rabbi Binyomin Basch, Menahel of Yeshiva Shagas Aryeh, and Rabbi Moshe Wilhelm, Menahel of Yeshiva Nesivos Hatorah

Opening remarks will be delivered by Reb Itche Rosenbaum, with the program moderated by MC Reb Bentzi Shechter.

The morning schedule will include individual presentations followed by a Chinuch panel discussion, providing participants with practical tools and Torah-based perspective on navigating workplace challenges, legal holidays, and professional environments while remaining firmly rooted in Torah values.

Hashkafa in the Workplace continues to develop programming aimed at strengthening frum professionals by addressing real-world issues through the lens of Torah and daas Torah. This Legal Holiday Vaad is designed to maximize participation by taking advantage of the day off, allowing attendees to immerse themselves in meaningful learning and discussion.

Additional information about the program is available at hashkafaintheworkplace.com.

{Matzav.com}

In the whirlwind first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, some of the most polarizing changes have taken place within the Department of Health and Human Services, where Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has openly rebuffed the medical establishment as he converts the ideas of his Make America Healthy Again movement into public policy. Since entering office in February, the health secretary […]

A newly released study warns that hostile discourse toward Israel is gaining traction within segments of the American Right, driven in part by prominent media influencers whose reach shapes public opinion well beyond fringe circles.

According to the research, the intensification of anti-Israel messaging is no longer confined to far-left or activist environments. Instead, it is increasingly penetrating populist right-wing and MAGA-aligned audiences through high-profile commentators, marking a notable shift in where such rhetoric is taking hold.

The report highlights that language once primarily associated with far-left discourse—most notably the term “genocide”—is now appearing with growing frequency among influential figures on the Right.

“Even on the American far Right, antisemitism is already visible, and ‘on the table,’” JPPI Director-General Shuki Friedman said.

“The data should serve as a glaring warning light for Israel and the Israeli leadership regarding the support it can mobilize from the right, today and certainly in the future. Only decisive action that provides a counterweight to this extremism can preserve this vital base of support in the US,” he added.

The findings are based on an artificial intelligence-driven analysis conducted by the Jewish People Policy Institute, which examined thousands of social media videos published by Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens. The study, released Sunday, found a substantial increase in both the volume and intensity of negative commentary about Israel in recent months.

Researchers concluded that both figures sharply expanded their focus on Israel, Jews, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with those topics appearing more frequently than discussions of other global issues such as the Ukraine-Russia war, tensions with China, or Iran.

Israel emerged as a “central, and at times dominant,” theme in their content, with Owens’ shift beginning in February and Carlson’s becoming pronounced in August.

The analysis showed that Carlson’s rate of negative commentary about Israel rose significantly over the past six months compared to the previous half-year. While the study did not find that Carlson consistently crossed into explicit antisemitism under the IHRA definition, it noted that he regularly provides a platform to known antisemitic figures, including Holocaust deniers and extremists such as Nick Fuentes, without drawing firm lines or offering substantive criticism of their views.

Owens’ content, by contrast, was described as more overt. The study found that more than 96% of her references to Israel were negative, often employing aggressive and hostile language.

In examining overall trends, JPPI emphasized that the main shift was quantitative rather than stylistic: the number of negative posts increased substantially, even if the proportion framed negatively remained relatively stable.

The content flagged by researchers included material comparing Israel to Hamas, the use of the term “genocide,” accusations that Israel deliberately kills children, and the promotion of conspiratorial claims about Israeli or Jewish influence over the US government.

When the focus turned explicitly to Jews, the findings were even more stark. The analysis found that 45% of videos mentioning Jews carried an antisemitic angle, a figure that climbed sharply in the past six months, reaching approximately 75%.

Examples cited in the study included sweeping generalizations about Jews, descriptions of Jews as a “cult,” allegations of “Jewish supremacy,” and recurring claims of control, deceit, and manipulation. The report also noted repeated assertions that accusations of antisemitism are merely a “Zionist diversion tactic.”

Overall, the study concludes that the growing prominence of such narratives among influential right-wing figures represents a significant and troubling development, with potential long-term implications for public discourse and Israel’s standing among key segments of the American political landscape.

{Matzav.com}

Major Israeli Police Sweep in Tarabin Nets 24 Arrests Amid Large-Scale Security Operation Israeli police carried out a large-scale security operation in the village of Tarabin, resulting in the arrest of 24 suspects, authorities said. The operation was ordered by the Minister of National Security and Police Commissioner and was led by the Border Police […]