INTERNACIONAL
Medicaid fraud fears grow amid massive red state billing spike in sector that also plagued Minnesota
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As fraud concerns ramp up across the country, particularly involving Medicaid, North Carolina State Auditor Dave Boliek told Fox News Digital the problem is very real in his state, especially when it comes to autism therapy, an area that has been highly scrutinized in Minnesota.
Boliek is sounding the alarm on potential waste, fraud and abuse within the state’s Medicaid program, specifically noting in an interview with Fox News Digital a 47,000% explosion in autism therapy billings he has flagged since taking office last year.
«Those are vital services to folks and individuals that need that therapy,» Boliek said. «But when you have, like in North Carolina, a system that went from $1.4 million or so in total billings for autism therapy to more than $660 million a year in billings on autism therapy within a five-year range, that begs an audit from the state auditor, who in North Carolina, we are the top watchdog agency for taxpayer waste, fraud and abuse prevention. So, we’ve dug down into that and are in the middle of that.«
Boliek, who was speaking to Fox News Digital at the annual State Financial Officers Foundation conference in Orlando, says his office is «hand in hand» with Vice President JD Vance’s focus on eliminating waste, fraud and abuse to «make sure that the people who need the services and deserve those services get the services» without «wasting money.»
NORTH CAROLINA AUDITOR EXCITED FOR ‘REAL EFFECT’ OF STATE-LEVEL DOGE: ‘KEEPING GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABLE’
North Carolina state Auditor Dave Boliek gives a report during the Council of State meeting in Raleigh, N.C., on Feb. 4, 2025. (Getty Images)
One of the core problems, Boliek explained, is the system is oftentimes designed in a way that fails to properly safeguard against waste and abuse.
«What we’ve got is we’ve seen examples where there might be three different clinical providers billing during the same tranche of time on an autism therapy client, and that is because of poor rulemaking,» Boliek explained. «Some of it is possibly illegal and probably illegal, and we’re going to point that out, and we’re going to try to put people in cuffs because of it.
«But some of it might be technically legal because of the lax oversight from a Democrat-led Department of Health and Human Services,» Boliek said, referencing the top state health agency in North Carolina.
In a March 10, 2026, hearing of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Medicaid, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services presented data that matches Boliek’s narrative of exponential growth in autism therapy.
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Vice President Vance and CMS Administrator Dr. Oz tackle fraud in areas such as Medicaid, hospices and durable medical equipment suppliers. (Oliver Contreras/AFP via Getty Images)
The report confirmed that Medicaid spending on ABA (applied behavior analysis) therapy grew by 347% between 2022 and 2025 alone and that total spending is projected to hit $842 million in state fiscal year 2026 and $1.14 billion by state fiscal year 2027.
Medicaid fraud has been a hot-button issue across the United States after a scandal in Minnesota gained widespread attention last fall and spreading to places like California and Ohio, the latter being the subject of a recent Daily Wire exposé examining seven medical buildings in Columbus, Ohio, that house 288 Medicaid companies and bill the government $250 million.
The key issues with Medicaid and the ease with which it can be abused both illegally and legally, according to Boliek, are the «minutiae of rulemaking» that is «built in by government.»
«For example, how individual entities, whether they are a provider of clinical medical services or whether they’re a provider of daycare services or other services that can be paid for through departments of Health and Human Services, how those rules are set up and what the billing rules are,» Boliek explained.
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«It really is minutiae, but in North Carolina, for example, we still have some services that are delivered on a fee-for-service basis, and they lack transparency and lack accountability with respect to who can bill and how much can be billed for particular services. That’s why we’ve taken a deep dive into some particular fee-for-service areas in North Carolina and are looking at provider data on exactly how those services are billed. That’s where the flaws are.«
During the developing fraud scandal in Minnesota, federal agents discovered that one suspected scammer defrauded the state’s autism treatment program of roughly $14 million and allegedly billed Medicaid for fake therapy sessions, used untrained staff and paid parents $300 to $1,500 a month to keep their kids in the program.
The state’s autism program’s budget jumped from $3 million in 2018 to nearly $400 million in 2023, according to Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced he will not seek re-election during a news conference at the State Capitol in St. Paul on Jan. 5, 2026. (Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images)
«The fraud is so obvious, just simply looking at the exponential growth in some of these social services programs, that anybody kind of looking at how fast this was growing should have known that a fraud was a major reason why,» Minnesota state Sen. Michael Kreun, a Republican, told Fox News Digital in December about social services fraud in his state.
In terms of next steps in North Carolina, Boliek says his office is working with lawmakers to strengthen fraud enforcement by increasing financial accountability, expanding investigative and Medicaid audit resources and investing in staff and technology to recover misused funds.
Boliek explained that one important tool to crack down on fraud is artificial intelligence.
«Look, we’ve got to pour jet fuel on artificial intelligence in the area of state auditing because the fraudsters are using AI and if we’re not using AI to combat the fraud, then we’re going to be on our heels and the taxpayer isn’t going to be protected.»
He emphasized that these steps, especially enhancing oversight of programs like Medicaid, are aimed at holding individuals accountable and returning taxpayer dollars for more effective use.
The State Financial Officers Foundation, a group of financial officers that collectively oversees more than $3 trillion in state funds, released a report earlier this year outlining how the organization safeguarded more than $28 billion of waste, fraud, and abuse in 2025 alone.
«Every wasted dollar is a dollar that can’t be spent on a person who actually needs service,» Boliek said.
health care executive, north carolina, minnesota fraud exposed, autism, investigations
INTERNACIONAL
El Salvador registra dos millones de visitantes en sus destinos turísticos durante las vacaciones
Durante el periodo vacacional, El Salvador ha registrado una afluencia de dos millones de visitantes nacionales e internacionales en sus principales destinos turísticos, según datos oficiales actualizados hasta el 4 de agosto por el Ministerio de Turismo.
La cifra, que corresponde tanto a turistas locales como extranjeros, marca un intenso movimiento en sitios emblemáticos del país y confirma una tendencia al alza en la movilidad interna de la temporada.
La ministra de Turismo, Morena Valdez, atribuyó este resultado a la coordinación interinstitucional y al despliegue de personal en los principales destinos. La funcionaria recalcó que la meta de la cartera es alcanzar los 2.8 mil visitantes al cierre de la temporada, cifra que, a su juicio, podría cumplirse si se mantiene la tendencia de las últimas jornadas.
De forma inmediata las autoridades no han brindado detalles sobre las nacionalidades de los turistas que se encuentran visitando el territorio salvadoreño.
Entre los destinos de mayor preferencia destacan SívarLand, el Centro Histórico de San Salvador, playas públicas como Playa Punta Roca, áreas naturales protegidas y una amplia oferta de sitios culturales.
La funcionaria señaló que además que actividades como la tradicional atolada y las experiencias familiares en parques y volcanes forman parte de la agenda atractiva para las familias.
El panorama en la zona costera también ha mostrado una afluencia notoria. Yaneth Bran, gobernadora del departamento de La Libertad, aseguró que el destino mantiene un flujo constante de turistas y que las instituciones han fortalecido los mecanismos de prevención y seguridad. “La Libertad es un territorio privilegiado por su extraordinaria riqueza natural, cultural, histórica y gastronómica.
La diversidad de sus paisajes y la calidez de su gente convierten en este departamento en un lugar que ofrece experiencia para todos los gustos”, afirmó Bran durante su intervención. Destacó la presencia de visitantes en lugares emblemáticos como Surf City, el Puerto de La Libertad, el Malecón, San Diego, El Majagual, El Tunco, El Sunzal, Mizata y San Blas, así como en diversos parques recreativos y comercios del litoral.
La ministra Valdez resaltó que la totalidad de los parques del Instituto Salvadoreño de Turismo y los sitios culturales operan con normalidad y acceso abierto al público.
La funcionaria recomendó explorar sitios menos tradicionales como El Taquíl y Los Almendros en la zona occidental, además de los espacios naturales del Parque Natural Cerro Verde y las rutas de escalada en volcanes, siempre bajo la guía de personal autorizado del Ministerio de Medio Ambiente o de la Corporación Salvadoreña de Turismo.
En el litoral, la gobernadora Bran subrayó la disposición de equipos de emergencia, guardavidas y personal sanitario.
“Debido a la importante movilización de las personas que se registran durante esta temporada, todas las instituciones que conforman el Sistema Nacional de Protección Civil han fortalecido sus capacidades de prevención, de monitoreo con el propósito de garantizar la seguridad y el bienestar de las personas”, manifestó Bran.
“No hay pretexto, podemos disfrutar de estas vacaciones con sano esparcimiento, cuidándonos y previniendo. Y recordando que la prevención es responsabilidad de todos”, insistió la titular del ramo de turismo e instó a la población y al sector privado a seguir las indicaciones de las autoridades.
playas sonsonate,arena dorada el salvador,roca volcánica el salvador
INTERNACIONAL
Russia deploys North Korean missile unit to Ukraine; Moscow-Pyongyang axis deepens: report
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Russia has begun deploying a North Korean missile unit equipped with up to 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers for use in its war against Ukraine, a Ukrainian intelligence official told told Reuters Wednesday.
The reported escalation marks a deepening military partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang, with around 90 North Korean personnel expected to be stationed in Russia’s western Voronezh region to support the new unit, according to Andrii Cherniak of Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR).
Cherniak also claimed Pyongyang has already delivered a fresh batch of 40 KN-23 and KN-24 ballistic missiles to Russian forces, Reuters said.
RUSSIA LAUNCHES BALLISTIC MISSILE ATTACK ON KYIV HOURS AFTER ZELENSKYY WARNS OF MAJOR STRIKE
Russia has reportedly begun deploying a North Korean missile unit equipped with up to 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers for use in its war against Ukraine. (Alexander Kazakov/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Final details of the deployment are expected to be finalized during high-level talks next month.
The intelligence report follows a massive Russian barrage against Kyiv and the surrounding region Aug. 4.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow launched 24 ballistic missiles, four cruise missiles and 115 drones overnight, killing at least 17 people.
Zelenskyy argued more lives could have been saved had Western allies replenished Ukraine’s depleted stockpiles of air defense interceptors.
Zelenskyy previously warned that Moscow had been preparing since June to receive additional North Korean military personnel in the Voronezh region, according to reports.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has deepened his defensive ties with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. (Getty Images)
Cherniak told Reuters a Russian strike in late July marked the first recorded use of North Korean ballistic missiles against Ukrainian targets since August 2025.
According to HUR estimates, Russia has received approximately 150 KN-23 and KN-24 missiles from North Korea since late 2023.
Military analysts say Russia is increasingly relying on ballistic weapons because they require advanced defense systems — such as the U.S.-made Patriot — to intercept.
The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) assessed that Russia is deliberately incorporating more ballistic missiles into its long-range strike packages to maximize pressure on Ukraine’s limited air defenses.
ISW added that North Korea is gaining critical battlefield data from the conflict, allowing Pyongyang to refine its missile performance using Russian operational experience.
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North Korea has emerged as one of Moscow’s key military allies. (KCNA via Reuters)
North Korea has emerged as one of Moscow’s key military allies since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.
Reuters reported that Pyongyang has supplied millions of artillery shells and previously sent 14,000 troops to Russia’s Kursk region to counter Ukraine’s 2024 cross-border incursion.
Cherniak also noted that roughly 9,500 North Korean troops are still in Kursk, though they are not engaged in active combat right now.
A report by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) states that, since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, North Korea has supplied Moscow with large quantities of artillery and rocket ammunition, cannon and rocket artillery systems and ballistic missiles.
The policy institute described the Russia-North Korea relationship as one of the «most consequential among the Axis» and the only partnership in which one member has deployed troops in combat to assist another.
russia, north korea, ukraine, conflicts
INTERNACIONAL
Dems in the hot seat for skipping crucial hearing on radical group hiding in US: ‘Embarrassment’
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Democratic lawmakers were missing during Wednesday’s Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing as they skipped a hearing on the Muslim Brotherhood’s alleged network inside the United States, drawing a blistering rebuke from Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
«You may notice that there are empty chairs on the Democrat side of the dais,» Cruz said as he opened the hearing by pointing out that every Democratic member of the subcommittee refused to attend. «The American people should ask themselves why not a single member of the minority decided that a hearing on terrorism was worth their time? It is an embarrassment.»
Cruz tied the Democrats’ boycott to Abdul El-Sayed’s primary victory, arguing that the timing helped explain why no Democratic members attended. Cruz accused the party of embracing a candidate who had campaigned alongside left-wing streamer Hasan Piker.
Cruz cited Piker’s past statement that «America deserved 9/11» and asked the witnesses what El-Sayed’s rise said about the direction of the Democratic Party.
HASAN PIKER UNLOADS ON ‘ISLAMOPHOBIC PIECES OF S—‘ DEMOCRATS AS EL-SAYED FACES PARTY UNITY TEST
«Abdul El-Sayed, the son-in-law of a leading member of several Brotherhood groups, won Michigan’s Democrat primary for U.S. Senate. Perfect timing for this hearing, probably explains why no Democrats are here and none intend to attend,» Cruz said. «Because their campaign is now openly embracing terrorist organizations waging war on America.»
(From left to right) Democratic Party Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Peter Welch of Vermont, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Alex Padilla of California and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. Muslim Brotherhood supporters near the Jordanian border with the West Bank from 2021 can be seen in the background. (Getty Images)
The five Democratic members of the subcommittee — Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Alex Padilla of California and Peter Welch of Vermont — announced beforehand that they would not attend. In a joint statement, the senators accused Cruz of staging a «political creepshow» that scapegoated Muslim Americans.
«Scapegoating Muslims may be a Texas Republican strategist’s idea of ‘solid gold’ to whip up their voters, but Democrats have no intention of indulging this political creepshow, particularly after the recent violence targeting places of faith,» they said. «Our focus is the costs families face thanks to rampant, non-stop Trump corruption.»
Blumenthal separately told reporters Wednesday that Democrats refused to attend because the hearing «could well be used as an anti-Muslim, Islamophobia kind of show trial.»
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The Connecticut Democrat added that he planned to meet with members of the Muslim community who shared concerns about the Muslim Brotherhood, «which appears to be a terrorist organization,» while advocating for «tolerance and inclusion.»
US Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) speaks during a press conference at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 24, 2023. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
The offices of Whitehouse and Welch referred Fox News Digital to the joint statement when asked why the senators chose to boycott rather than attend and challenge the witnesses directly. The offices of Hirono and Padilla had not responded by publication time.
Cruz and the hearing’s witnesses rejected the Democrats’ characterization of the proceeding as an attack on Muslims generally.
Lara Burns, a retired FBI special agent who helped lead a terrorism-financing investigation against what was once the largest Muslim charity in the United States, the Holy Land Foundation, warned that Americans should not disregard evidence because it is politically controversial.
A surfaced OIG report shows FBI agents were urged to avoid communications with CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations. (Getty Images)
«For decades, narratives have been intentionally seeded into public discourse that portray terrorist organizations as resistance movements,» Burns testified before arguing Americans cannot «ignore evidence introduced in federal court simply because that evidence is politically uncomfortable.»
«The history of this network is not in question,» she added. «It was made public decades ago, but few paid attention. Now is the time to pay attention and understand the facts.»
hearings, democrats senate, ted cruz, national security, politics
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