INTERNACIONAL
FLASHBACK: Jill Biden visited Minnesota to tout billions in child care spending during husband’s admin
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Former first lady, Jill Biden, went to Minnesota in 2022 to highlight the billions of dollars in investments for childcare that were part of Democrats’ American Rescue Plan Act, where she stood next to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and praised him for his leadership helping families.
«We helped states like Minnesota safely keep open child care centers and family child care providers and boost pay for their workers,» Biden said during a February 2022 visit to the
University of Minnesota’s Child Development Laboratory School, alongside Walz and then-Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.
«We supported high quality providers that enrich children’s lives and we helped make them more affordable,» she continued.
The 2021 American Rescue Plan Act, a $1.9 trillion COVID-era relief package, allocated nearly $40 billion for childcare after it was passed without any Republican support. Meanwhile, roughly 4 years after the first lady went to Minnesota to tout the Democrat-led investments in childcare, Walz and his state are facing immense blowback for allegedly failing to adequately monitor fraud within the state’s Medicaid program and its childcare sector. According to a local Fox affiliate, daycares in Minnesota received roughly $500 million in federal funds in 2021.
BESSENT SAYS MINNESOTA FRAUD RECOVERY COULD HELP FUND TRUMP’S $1.5T DEFENSE PLAN
Former first lady, Jill Biden, touts billions in investments for childcare ushered to states like Minnesota visa-vis Democrats’ American Rescue Plan, which passed without any Republican support. (Fox Affiliate KMSP)
«Tim, you understand that childcare is not only critical to families, it’s critical to businesses and our economy,» the first lady said as she turned to Walz standing behind her as she addressed people at the school who were there to attend a listening session with a number of relevant lawmakers. «And Joe and I are so grateful for your leadership and for the friendship that you and Gewn– that we’ve had for so many years. And I’m excited to hear more today about what you’ve done here in Minnesota to help families recover from the uncertainties and the losses from the pandemic.»
Earlier this week, a major state audit in Minnesota conducted by the nonpartisan Office of the Legislative Auditor found widespread failures and internal control problems in the Minnesota Department of Human Services’ Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) grant program, reaffirming concerns about massive fraud issues in the state.
An image of the Minnesota state capitol building, located in St. Paul. (AP Photo/Steve Karnowski)
VANCE CALLS WALZ ‘A JOKE,’ CLAIMS MINNESOTA GOVERNOR ENABLED MASSIVE FRAUD
The report, released on Monday, found that between July 1, 2022, and Dec. 31, 2024, DHS dished out more than $425 million in grants to 830 organizations, the majority being nongovernmental, and did not show proper oversight in watching over those taxpayer funds, which in many cases were meant to help those with addiction and mental health issues. The audit found missing progress reports and discovered BHA could not show it had completed all required monitoring visits and had no documentation at all for some of them.
The audit also found that when employees were surveyed, 73% of them said they did not receive the necessary training to properly administer manage grants, with one employee saying, «Executive leadership has repetitively shown staff that they won’t take the staff’s concerns or questions seriously until something serious happens or it makes the news.»
The scathing report comes as Minnesota’s government agencies and leaders face immense scrutiny amid a fraud scandal that prosecutors say could total as much as $9 billion and has already forced Gov. Tim Walz to drop his re-election bid.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announces he will not seek reelection during a press conference at the State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Jan. 5. Walz said he concluded he could not give a political campaign his full effort and took no questions from reporters, as the state faces ongoing federal investigations into large-scale social services fraud. (Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images)
Some reports have indicated a handful of Minnesota’s Democrat leaders allegedly took donations from some of those accused of committing fraud in Minnesota, while others have suggested Walz retaliated against whistleblowers who tried to sound the alarm about the fraud.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Fox News Digital reached out to representatives for Jill and Joe Biden, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
minnesota fraud exposed,tim walz,minnesota,politics,joe biden,democratic party
INTERNACIONAL
Russian missile strike kills 10 in Ukraine as Trump says ‘hatred’ between countries complicating peace deal
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A Russian ballistic missile strike on a residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, killed at least 10 people, including two children, and wounded 16 others Saturday, officials said.
The strike was part of a broader overnight assault in which Russia launched 29 missiles and 480 drones targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure, with damage reported in Kyiv and at seven other locations across the country, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy called for an international response following the attack.
«There must be a response from partners to these savage strikes against life. I thank everyone who will not remain silent. Russia has not abandoned its attempts to destroy Ukraine’s residential and critical infrastructure, and therefore support must continue,» he said in a post on X.
The ruins of an apartment building burn following a Russian missile attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Saturday. (Andrii Marienko/AP Photo)
«We count on active work with the European Union to guarantee greater protection for our people,» he added. «I am grateful to everyone who helps strengthen our protection.»
Preliminary Ukrainian data showed air defense systems downed 19 missiles and 453 drones, while nine missiles and 26 strike drones hit 22 locations.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the strikes targeted Ukrainian military factories, energy facilities and air bases.
TRUMP SAYS ‘HATRED’ BETWEEN PUTIN, ZELENSKYY BLOCKING UKRAINE PEACE DEAL
Ukrainian firefighters work at the scene of an apartment building following a Russian missile attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Saturday. (Andrii Marienko/AP Photo)
Speaking Saturday at the Shield of the Americas Summit in Doral, Florida, President Donald Trump said the «hatred» between Russia and Ukraine was complicating efforts to reach a peace deal.
«It’s so great that, you know, Ukraine, Russia, you’d think there would be a little bit of camaraderie, [but] there’s not. And the hatred is so great. It’s very hard for them to get there. It’s very, very hard to get there. So we’ll see what happens,» Trump said. «But we’ve been close a lot of times and one or the other would back out.»
«But we’re losing, you know, they’re losing, you know, doesn’t really affect us very much because we’ve got an ocean separating. I’m doing it as a favor to Europe, and I’m doing it as a favor to life because they’re losing 25,000 souls,» Trump added. «Think of that every month. 25,000. Last month, 31,000. Both sides, 31,000 people died, mostly soldiers.»
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Firefighters tackle a fire in an multi-story apartment building following a Russian missile attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Saturday. (Andrii Marienko/AP Photo)
Last month, Zelenskyy told Fox News that Russia is trying «to play with the president of the United States» and stalling U.S.-brokered efforts to end the war.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman-Diamond and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Related Article
volodymyr zelenskyy,ukraine,russia,wars,military,world
INTERNACIONAL
GOP senators say Trump’s strikes ‘significantly degraded’ Iran but emphasize attacks not ‘forever wars’
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
PALM BEACH, Fla. — One week into the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, two Republican senators on the Senate Armed Services Committee say the military operation has «degraded» Tehran’s ability to strike back.
But in exclusive interviews with Fox News Digital, senators Rick Scott of Florida and Ted Budd of North Carolina emphasized the fighting will not lead to U.S. involvement in «forever wars» in the volatile Middle East.
«Our military is doing a great job,» Scott said. Pointing to Iran, he added, «They want to destroy America. We’ve got to stop them.»
Budd highlighted that «we have significantly degraded Iran’s ability to shoot back at us. … Their capacities are degraded. We’ve had great success.»
Budd and Scott spoke while attending an economic conference in Florida hosted by the Club for Growth, an influential and politically potent conservative group that pushes for fiscal responsibility.
President Donald Trump, who called for Iran’s «unconditional surrender,» said Saturday that Tehran will be «hit very hard» and warned the U.S. is considering «areas and groups» not previously considered as targets.
Over the past week, Operation Epic Fury has widened in scope as Iran has retaliated against a growing number of nations in the region. This week, the Republican-controlled House and Senate, in separate votes nearly entirely along party lines, rejected moves by Democrats to restrict the president’s ability to steer the fighting.
WHAT COULD COME NEXT IN THE ATTACKS ON IRAN
The president said Thursday in an interview with Axios he should be involved in choosing Iran’s next leader. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the initial strikes against Iran a week ago.
And there are concerns among many on the right that the strikes against Iran could lead to prolonged American military involvement in the region, which Trump has repeatedly campaigned against during his three runs for the presidency.
It’s been one week since the U.S. and Israeli launched military strikes against Iran. (Contributor/Getty Images)
«Trump doesn’t want to be in forever wars. Every time I’ve talked to him, he doesn’t want that,» Scott said. «But I think what we do want to make sure we don’t have another Ayatollah that wants to … chant ‘Death to America’ and ‘death to our allies’ and try to destroy us.»
Budd added that «we’re not up for forever wars. We want to get in, get this thing done, get out and have peace for our country and the rest of the region.»
The latest Fox News national poll indicated that American voters are divided on the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran even as a majority sees the country as a security risk.
Sixty-one percent of those questioned viewed Iran as a danger to the U.S., according to the survey conducted Feb. 28-March 2. But that concern did not translate into majority support for the current U.S. military action, as 50% approved and 50% disapproved.
Support for the attacks was lower in national polling from other news organizations.
But the Fox News poll and the other surveys indicated widespread support among Republicans.
«Trump’s doing the right thing. He’s saving American lives by making sure that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon or ballistic missile. So, he’s doing the right thing,» Scott emphasized.
Budd added, «I’m very excited [about] what President Trump’s done. … The goal is American prosperity and American safety, and that’s what President Trump wants.»
Oil prices have shot up since the start of the fighting, instantly resulting in higher costs for gasoline across America. That’s a major concern for Republicans as they aim to keep control of the House and Senate majorities in this year’s midterm elections.
A driver refuels a vehicle at a Wawa gas station in Media, Pa., March 2, 2026. Oil and gas prices have shot up in the past week amid the strikes against Iran. (Matthew Hatcher/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
«Hopefully it’s all going to be short term. Hopefully … the demolition of the Iranian military will happen quickly and actually will get lower oil prices,» Scott said.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Budd acknowledged «we are going to have some short-term disruptions.»
But the senator was optimistic that «very soon we’ll have gas prices much cheaper than ever before. We were already on that pathway. President Trump is all about stability. He’s all about the price of oil.»
donald trump,war with iran,iran,ted budd,republicans,middle east foreign policy,defense
INTERNACIONAL
Trump amenaza a Irán con una «destrucción total» y advierte que habrá muchos más muertos
Existe un RTS que merece el mismo destino que Age of Empires. Los fans sueñan con que Microsoft se lo dé con un remaster digno
Argentina puede surfear la tensión global pero hay que ser selectivo: cómo invertir
Sofía Pachano relató el impacto que tuvo en Aníbal la llegada de su hijo: “Le salvó la vida”
Malas noticias para Dibu: Emiliano Martínez podría ser sancionado en Inglaterra por promocionar casa de apuesta
Cómo es el exclusivo club de golf de Donald Trump en Miami en el que tendrá un nuevo encuentro con Javier Milei
Russian missile strike kills 10 in Ukraine as Trump says ‘hatred’ between countries complicating peace deal
El hijo adoptivo de José María Muscari tomó una tajante decisión de vida a los 18 años
¡Interna total! Pablo Layus explotó y blanqueó quiénes son los que arruinan Intrusos: «Te matan»
Javier Milei habló de la crisis con la vicepresidenta: “No quiero la renuncia de Victoria Villarruel”
El desafortunado comentario de Yanina Zilli contra Daniela de Lucía, tras la muerte de su padre: “Jugamos con lo personal”
POLITICA2 días agoJavier Milei habló de la crisis con la vicepresidenta: “No quiero la renuncia de Victoria Villarruel”
- CHIMENTOS3 días ago
El desafortunado comentario de Yanina Zilli contra Daniela de Lucía, tras la muerte de su padre: “Jugamos con lo personal”
- CHIMENTOS2 días ago
Ian Lucas se hartó de las mentiras de Evangelina Anderson y confirmó que fueron novios: “Ella me da vergüenza”
