FIRST ON FOX: Vice President JD Vance is ramping up the administration’s targeting of fraud after President Donald Trump appointed him to head an anti-fraud task force last week, including the implementation of an AI platform to quickly identify and address fraud. 

Vance’s task force is currently working with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, run by Dr. Mehmet Oz, and last month, CMS identified and suspended 70 hospice and home health providers in Los Angeles after they were flagged as high risk fraudulent providers. The 70 hospice and home health providers had their funding paused in just one week after being identified by the task force and CMS, Fox News Digital is told.

«As the task force to root out waste, fraud and abuse ramps up its work, we expect [the number of potentially fraudulent hospice and home health providers] to grow exponentially,» a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital.

Vance and Oz announced in February that $259.5 million in Medicaid funds would be withheld from Minnesota as a result of fraud concerns that gripped the state shortly before Governor Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’s former running mate, announced that he will not seek a third term.

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The task force is going beyond the targeting of Minnesota, and Trump suggested Democratic-led states would be a focus during the unveiling of the task force last week. 

«It seems that it’s usually in blue states,» the president said. «If it’s in a red state, we’re going there too, but it seems that it’s heavily, heavily Democrat.»

Vance’s task force plans to utilize the same template that CMS used to locate fraud in Minnesota, which involves an internal fraud detection artificial intelligence system that flags claims for review or blocks those identified as likely fraudulent.

Quality Learning Center in Minnesota was identified at the center of an alleged childcare fraud scandal in the state. (Madelin Fuerste/Fox News)

Prior to the Trump administration, Health and Human Services (HHS) and CMS would have to manually dis-enroll organizations suspected of fraud, whereas the system being utilized by the task force and other agencies involved allows the identification of fraud in a more rapid and fluid manner.

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The task force is actively hiring CMS technologists who will deploy the AI system across the country. 

«Vice President Vance looks forward to carrying out the President’s War on Fraud,» a Vance spokesperson told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement. «The American people deserve better than being ripped off by people who hate this country, and the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud will ensure that essential taxpayer-funded services are used to support the hard-working Americans who rely on them, instead of being used by fraudsters and criminals.»

Authorities in Minnesota launched a separate investigation in 2022, under the Biden Departmne of Justice, into the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, which prosecutors later described as a key player in what became one of the largest fraud schemes involving pandemic relief funds.

Working alongside Dr. Mehmet Oz’s CMS, the task force recently helped suspend 70 high-risk hospice and home health providers in Los Angeles, halting their funding within a week. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

DR OZ DETAILS ‘WEAPONIZATION OF FRAUD’ IN MINNESOTA, ESTIMATES TOTAL MEDICAID FRAUD TO BE $100 BILLION

Over time, investigators uncovered about $250 million in fraudulent claims, and 78 individuals were eventually charged. Prosecutors have also suggested that the total amount connected to the broader scheme could be in the billions. 

During an event in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, earlier this month, Vance responded to a question by Fox News Digital regarding fraud ahead of Trump’s executive order establishing the anti-fraud task force. 

Vance said that the administration has uncovered fraud amounting to «$19 billion at least» since the administration has been investigating the Twin Cities, and he alluded to California as being the next big target for identifying fraud.

The initiative is expanding beyond Minnesota — where hundreds of millions in Medicaid funds were withheld — while signaling a broader focus on fraud in Democratic-led states. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

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«We know there’s a lot of fraud in California, and we’re trying to get to the bottom of exactly what it looks like and what we’ve done in the Trump administration,» Vance said in response to a question by Fox News Digital.

«And the president has really empowered us to do this, is to take the first national look at the way the American people have been defrauded over many, many years,» Vance added.

Un verdadero milagro ocurrió en el aeropuerto LaGuardia de Nueva York el domingo por la noche, cuando una azafata de Air Canada sobrevivió luego de ser expulsada más de 100 metros del avión tras el choque con un camión de bomberos. El accidente, que dejó dos pilotos muertos y decenas de heridos, tuvo un desenlace inesperado para Solange Tremblay, quien solo sufrió una fractura en la pierna.

Había 72 pasajeros y cuatro tripulantes a bordo del avión en un vuelo de Jazz Aviation que operaba en nombre de Air Canada.

Según contó la hija de Tremblay al sitio TVA Nouvelles, la azafata estaba sentada detrás de los pilotos en su asiento de salto —un asiento especial, reforzado y con arnés de cuatro puntos— cuando el vuelo 8646 impactó de lleno contra un camión de bomberos de la Autoridad Portuaria, que cruzaba la pista en medio de una emergencia.

El asiento que le salvó la vida

El especialista en seguridad aérea Jeff Guzzetti, exinvestigador federal de accidentes, explicó al New York Post que el asiento de la tripulación es mucho más resistente que los de los pasajeros. “Es un asiento muy robusto, diseñado para soportar cargas de choque mayores porque se necesita que la azafata pueda ayudar a evacuar a los pasajeros después de un accidente”, detalló.

La hija de Tremblay, Sarah Lepine, contó a la prensa canadiense que su madre fue encontrada aún sujeta al asiento, a más de 100 metros del avión. “Lo que le pasó es un milagro total. Definitivamente tiene un ángel de la guarda”, aseguró.

La mujer sufrió múltiples fracturas en una pierna y necesitará cirugía, indicó su hija.

Un choque devastador y una investigación en marcha

El accidente ocurrió cerca de las 23:40, cuando el avión de Air Canada Express embistió al camión de bomberos en la pista 4. El impacto fue tan violento que destrozó la parte delantera del avión y dejó el camión completamente destruido. Los pilotos, Antoine Forest y Mackenzie Gunther, murieron en el acto.

Un video estremecedor mostró el momento exacto en que el jet se llevó por delante el camión, generando una escena de caos y destrucción. Horas después del choque, el avión permanecía en la pista con la trompa arrugada y apuntando hacia arriba.

Video: así fue el choque entre un avión y un camión de bomberos en un aeropuerto de Nueva York (Foto/Video: Stuff/Reuters)

De los 76 pasajeros y tripulantes a bordo, 41 fueron hospitalizados, aunque la mayoría con heridas leves, según informaron las autoridades.

La pasajera Rebecca Liquori contó que el avión sufrió turbulencia mientras descendía, y luego frenó con fuerza antes de que se escuchara un fuerte estruendo. “Todo el mundo simplemente saltó de sus asientos. Algunos se golpearon la cabeza, otros estaban sangrando”, narró Liquori a News12 Long Island. Liquori dijo que los pasajeros se ayudaron unos a otros para deslizarse por un ala.

“Estoy feliz de estar viva”, manifestó Liquori, que había ido a Montreal para el baby shower de una prima. “Nunca pensé que un vuelo de una hora que he hecho incontables veces… terminaría así”.

El error humano bajo la lupa

El camión de bomberos había recibido autorización para cruzar la pista mientras respondía a una emergencia en otro avión. Tras el accidente, se escuchó a un controlador aéreo admitir que “se equivocó”.

Según indicó la agencia de noticias AP, el controlador trató de advertir al camión de bomberos. “Deténgase, deténgase, deténgase, Camión 1. Deténgase, deténgase, deténgase”, dice la transmisión. “Deténgase, Camión 1”. Luego se puede escuchar al controlador desviando frenéticamente a la aeronave entrante para que no aterrice.

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Sin embargo, la presidenta de la Junta Nacional de Seguridad en el Transporte (NTSB), Jennifer Homendy, advirtió que es “demasiado pronto” para culpar solo al controlador y que probablemente hubo “múltiples fallas” que derivaron en la tragedia.

“En todas nuestras investigaciones encontramos que no es un solo error el que lleva a una tragedia terrible”, afirmó.

La investigación oficial sigue en curso para determinar las causas exactas del accidente.

Fue el primer choque fatal en LaGuardia en 34 años, declaró Kathryn Garcia, directora ejecutiva de la Autoridad Portuaria de Nueva York y Nueva Jersey, que opera el aeropuerto.

The United States military reportedly launched airstrikes targeting the headquarters of Iraq’s ​Iran-backed Shiite militia (PMF) and a residence belonging to its leader on ‌Tuesday, in an escalation of strikes against Tehran’s prized militias. 

The latest strikes from the U.S. military follows a statement last week from Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said AH-64 helicopters «have been striking against Iranian-aligned militia groups to make sure that we suppress any threat in Iraq against U.S. forces or U.S. interests.» 

In what appears to be an Iraqi threat against the U.S., Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a statement on Tuesday, «In light of the unjustified attacks and grave violations of Iraqi sovereignty, including the targeting of official security headquarters, the Council decided the following: To confront and respond to military attacks carried out by military aircraft and drones targeting the headquarters and formations of the Popular Mobilization Forces Commission and other formations of our armed forces, using available means, in accordance with the right to respond and self-defense.»

US WARNS IRAQ MUST ACT AGAINST IRAN-BACKED MILITIA ATTACKS ON AMERICAN ASSETS

Sudani also said Iraq’s foreign ministry planned to summon the U.S. chargé d’affaires and separately the Iranian ambassador on Wednesday. The PMF is part of Sudani’s government.

An Iraqi Kurdish government official said to Fox News Digital, «So what the Iraqi government will now fight the Americans?»

When asked about the Iraqi Kurdish government official’s comment, an offiical for Iraq’s embassy in Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital, «Absolutely not. It is against elements that target them.»

According to the Times of Israel, a fresh airstrike on Wednesday hit the PMF in western Iraq. «Two missiles were fired from a fighter jet» at a base in Anbar province, a security official said. The Anbar base was also reportedly struck by U.S. forces on Tuesday.

The Iraqi embassy official said, responding to additional Fox News Digital press questions, that he lacked the current information to comment regarding the fast-moving developments in Iraq.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani chairs negotiations with the United States in Baghdad, Iraq, Jan. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban, Pool)

The PMF has launched attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Israel and other American assets in the region, especially in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, following the U.S.-Israel joint attack on the Islamic Republic on Feb. 28. Over the years, the PMF has been accused of killing American military personnel in the Middle East.

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PMF leader Falih al-Fayadh was not present when his residence was hit in the northern city of ​Mosul on Tuesday. At least 15 PMF terrorists were killed in other ⁠airstrikes that hit a headquarters of the group in Iraq’s Euphrates valley ​province of Anbar, according to sources and a statement from the group.

The Kurdish government official told Fox News Digital on Tuesday: «The militias are brazenly doing Iran’s bidding. They’ve attacked U.S. forces and diplomats, Iraq’s own intelligence services, French troops, and the KRG’s Peshmerga [Kurdish Regional Government]. Energy and civilian infrastructure haven’t been spared. This does not require analysis — these groups openly claim responsibility.»

Supporters gather in Baghdad’s Sadr district holding Iranian flags and posters of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following the announcement that he was killed in U.S.-Israeli attacks, on March 1, 2026. (Murtadha Al-Sudani/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The Kurdish official added: «So why does the Iraqi government continue to pay those it itself describes as terrorists and criminals? There are four principal groups: Harakat al-Nujaba, Kataeb Hezbollah, Kataeb Sayyid al-Shuhada and Asaib Ahl al-Haq. This government is unwilling to defend its own interests, let alone those of its partners. At this point, the distinction between the PMF and the state is increasingly hard to discern.»

Elizabeth Tsurkov, a senior non-resident fellow at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy and an expert on the PMF, told Fox News Digital there was a «sense of delusion» during the Biden administration, which tried to differentiate between the PMF and six of its pro-Iran militia members that are U.S.-designated terrorist entities.

She said the recent strikes clearly «show that the U.S. is tired of this inane distinction,» Tsurkov said. She stressed the «entire PMF structure is a problem.»

Tsurkov, who was held hostage by the pro-Iranian regime, Kataib Hezbollah, for two and half years in Iraq, said, «The U.S. possesses immense leverage over Iraq. The U.S. can sanction certain ministries and certain directors generals.» She added that the U.S. can also sanction Iraqi banks that transfer money to Iran.

An explosion is reported near the U.S. Consulate and airport area, where a U.S. military base is also located, in Erbil, Iraq, on March 12, 2026. (Ahsan Mohammed Ahmed Ahmed/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Tsurkov said the PMF are highly sensitive to U.S. strikes on their top leadership.

The PMF movement is reeling from the devastating alleged U.S. airstrikes. The dead included its operations commander, Saad al-Baiji. The statement said ​U.S. forces had targeted a command headquarters in Anbar while personnel were on ​duty. The security sources said the strikes were hit during a meeting attended by senior commanders.

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A State Department official told Fox News Digital, «The United States strongly condemns the widespread attacks by Iran and Iran-backed militias against U.S. citizens and targets associated with the United States throughout Iraq, including U.S. diplomatic personnel and facilities.»

The official continued: «As Secretary Rubio has said, the Iraqi government must take all measures to safeguard U.S. diplomatic personnel and facilities and ensure militia groups cannot use Iraqi territory to threaten the United States, our Iraqi partners, or the region. Doing so is in Iraq’s interest. Continued attacks by Iran-backed militias undermine Iraq’s stability and risk drawing Iraq into a broader regional conflict.»

Members of Moqtada al-Sadr’s Mehdi Army parade in Baghdad’s Shiite neighborhood of Sadr city on April 3, 2004. (Ahmed Labib/Anadolu via Getty Images)

A spokesperson for U.S. Central Command referred Fox News Digital to the White House and to the Office of the Secretary of War for comment on the administration’s policy. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and Pentagon for comment.

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On Monday, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad issued a security alert warning: «Iraq Iran-aligned terrorist militias have conducted widespread attacks on U.S. citizens and targets associated with the United States throughout Iraq, including the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR). U.S. citizens should leave Iraq now.»

Fox News Digital reached out to the Israel Defense Forces regarding Israel’s role in the ongoing strikes against Iran-backed militias.

Reuters contributed to this report.