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Walz administration ignored fraud warnings as billions vanished, House oversight report alleges
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A Republican-led congressional oversight report alleges that senior Minnesota officials, including Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., failed for years to act on warnings about fraud in the state’s social services programs, allowing hundreds of millions of dollars in confirmed or alleged losses and placing billions more at risk.
The Walz administration had the power to stop fraudulent payments to high-risk entities receiving federal nutrition and Medicaid funds, but the state «repeatedly failed to act» after officials raised concerns, according to a 205-page final staff report released by the House Oversight Committee on Monday.
Congressional investigators found that concerns about potential racial discrimination claims — rather than legal constraints — contributed to the Walz administration’s decision to continue paying providers suspected of fraud. The committee also spoke to nearly 30 whistleblowers, some of whom accused the Walz administration of retaliation against state employees for sounding the alarm about potential fraud.
«Fraud warnings were elevated to the most senior levels of the Minnesota state government, meaningful corrective action was delayed or avoided, and payments continued long after credible signs of fraud emerged,» the report reads in part.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., has asked Vice President JD Vance to scrutinize fraud prevention deficiencies in Minnesota’s social services programs after the release Monday of his committee’s 205-page final staff report. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
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The committee found Minnesota is estimated to have lost $300 million in stolen federal nutrition funds intended to feed hungry children during the COVID-19 pandemic and that as much as $9 billion in Medicaid billing may have been fraudulent, an estimate attributed to a federal prosecutor and disputed by Walz administration officials.
Walz was allegedly aware of fraud associated with the now-defunct Feeding Our Future nonprofit that operated a constellation of fake meal sites as early as 2020, but payments continued flowing to the group for roughly two more years. The oversight panel also found Walz gave conflicting answers about when he first learned of the sweeping meal fraud.
Federal prosecutors have charged more than 110 individuals in connection with various fraud schemes in the state. Many defendants in the Feeding Our Future case have been identified as members of Minnesota’s Somali immigrant community, in connection with various fraud schemes in the state. Some of the convicted fraudsters used the stolen money for luxury purchases and state officials have investigated whether a portion of it was funneled overseas to aid terrorist groups in Somalia and the Middle East.
«Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison are responsible for one of the most stunning oversight failures this Committee has ever examined,» Comer said in a statement. «It is now clear the Walz Administration chose to protect the system rather than protect the taxpayer.»
The report caps a months long investigation into the Walz administration’s handling of widespread fraud, which began in late 2025 and included hearing testimony from Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison as well as members of the Minnesota state legislature’s fraud committee. Nine current and former state officials also participated in transcribed interviews with congressional investigators.
The panel is also probing alleged health care fraud in California and Ohio as part of Republicans’ ongoing «war on fraud.»
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz testifies during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2026. The hearing examined alleged misuse of federal funds for Minnesota social services and Medicaid programs. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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The committee sent a letter to Vice President JD Vance urging a full review of Minnesota’s social services programs for potential fraud vulnerabilities, following the report’s findings.
Vance’s anti-fraud task force has led to the arrest of at least eight people who allegedly participated in health care fraud schemes and the freezing of $1.3 billion in payments to home health and hospice providers suspected of defrauding the government.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration suspended nearly $260 million in federal Medicaid funding to Minnesota over the Walz administration’s alleged failure to crack down on fraud.
The Trump administration has also required states to show they are aggressively probing potential Medicaid fraud or risk losing federal funding.
Vice President JD Vance joined by White House deputy chief of staff and Homeland Security advisor Stephen Miller and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Andrew Ferguson during a roundtable discussion on anti-fraud initiatives on May 26, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
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The report also comes as the House is expected to consider a slate of fraud-prevention bills this week. Republicans have argued that new legislative tools are necessary to prevent fraud at the state level amid alleged inaction.
The federal government loses an estimated $233 billion to $521 billion annually to fraud, according to a 2024 Government Accountability Office report.
politics, somali immigrant community, minnesota, minnesota fraud exposed, investigations, tim walz
INTERNACIONAL
Fiscal advierte que el narcotráfico podría converger con el tráfico de fauna en Costa Rica
El avance del narcotráfico sobre el tráfico de vida silvestre en Costa Rica representa una preocupación creciente para las autoridades. El fiscal adjunto de la Fiscalía Ambiental, José Pablo González, advirtió que las redes que capturan, trasladan y venden animales en el país ya muestran esquemas similares a los del crimen organizado, lo que podría dar lugar a una convergencia entre ambos delitos si no se fortalecen la legislación y los controles.
Durante un seminario sobre criminalidad organizada en delitos ambientales, González indicó que, aunque actualmente no se puede afirmar que el narcotráfico haya tomado el control de las estructuras de delincuencia ambiental en Costa Rica, esa posibilidad está próxima. Según datos de Interpol, el comercio ilegal de vida silvestre genera cerca de USD 20,000 millones al año. La alerta fue difundida por El Observador.
Las organizaciones dedicadas al tráfico de animales presentan una estructura dividida en funciones: una persona recolecta, otra transporta y una tercera comercializa los ejemplares. González expresó que, en algunos casos, las rutas empleadas para movilizar animales coinciden con las utilizadas para el tráfico de drogas, lo que genera impacto sobre manglares, esteros y canales. Además, existe presunta colaboración con administradores de ciertos alojamientos turísticos, donde se ofrecen animales y rutas de traslado.
Las bandas buscan especialmente monos tití, mariposas morpho, ranas de cristal, serpientes y escarabajos. Andrea Borel, vocera de Humane World for Animals, señaló que se han detectado operaciones que abarcan desde insectos hasta mamíferos. Los monos tití, cuya población se limita a Costa Rica y Panamá, son demandados principalmente por mercados de Norteamérica, Nicaragua y Honduras, según explicó González.
En marzo de este año, la Fiscalía Adjunta Ambiental realizó un operativo en la Zona Norte que permitió rescatar cinco perezosos —tres adultos y dos crías—, seis serpientes, varias ranas de cristal y una danta. Estas acciones incluyeron seis allanamientos en distintos puntos, entre ellos centros turísticos. Los datos refuerzan la preocupación sobre la influencia de un turismo que promueve la interacción con fauna silvestre, sumando presión sobre los hábitats.
La demanda tanto interna como externa sostiene el tráfico de vida silvestre. Borel explicó que existen compradores interesados en conservar animales como trofeos, adornos o piezas de colección. Aunque no hay una cifra exacta sobre el tamaño del mercado en Costa Rica, la extracción de ejemplares afecta los ecosistemas y la supervivencia de especies, según la representante de Humane World for Animals.
La extracción selectiva de individuos clave genera desequilibrios en la biodiversidad, afectando los ecosistemas donde habitan. Borel consideró que aún se requiere mayor investigación para comprender cómo operan estas redes y de qué manera reciben y mantienen los animales. Además, recomendó a la población “mantener los ojos y los oídos abiertos” para detectar este tipo de situaciones.
En Costa Rica, la Ley de Conservación de la Vida Silvestre establece sanciones para el comercio, tráfico y traslado de animales silvestres sin permisos, lo que incluye el decomiso de los ejemplares y sus derivados. González resaltó la importancia de actualizar la legislación y aumentar la conciencia social para evitar que las similitudes operativas entre el tráfico de fauna y el narcotráfico deriven en una sola organización criminal.
En el país, la ausencia de controles más estrictos y de investigaciones orientadas al funcionamiento de las redes de tráfico facilita la existencia de un mercado dedicado a la extracción y comercialización de fauna silvestre. Este contexto ha sido señalado en reiteradas ocasiones por autoridades y organizaciones, según informó El Observador, que han solicitado a la ciudadanía informar sobre actividades vinculadas para contribuir a su detección.
tráfico de animales,fauna silvestre,rescate animal,mono tití,rana de cristal,mariposa morpho
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FIRST ON FOX: Young Americans are far less likely than older generations to see China as a major threat to the United States, according to a new poll, revealing one of the sharpest generational divides in U.S. foreign policy.
Some 93% of Americans age 65 and older said they are concerned about China’s ability to spy on the United States, compared with just 62% of those ages 18 to 29, according to the Ronald Reagan Institute Summer Survey.
Younger Americans also were consistently less likely than seniors to express concern about China’s potential use of force against Taiwan (56% versus 86%), technology theft (61% versus 91%), purchases of U.S. land (68% versus 93%) and China’s role in the flow of fentanyl into the United States (68% versus 92%).
Despite the generational divide, concern about China remained high nationally. More than 80% of Americans said they were concerned about China’s role in the flow of fentanyl into the United States, its ability to spy on Americans and its purchases of U.S. land. Sixty-six percent also said Taiwan’s security matters to the United States.
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The findings come as Washington and Beijing are trying to stabilize one of the world’s most consequential relationships after years of escalating economic and military tensions.
After imposing triple-digit tariffs on China at the start of his administration, President Donald Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in China in May and announced a series of trade and investment agreements and pledged to continue dialogue.
While concern about China remains widespread across the country, the survey suggests younger Americans view the U.S.’s chief geopolitical rival through a markedly different lens than older generations, raising questions about how public attitudes could evolve as younger voters make up a larger share of the electorate.
The findings stand out because they diverge from the prevailing view among many national security experts, who continue to characterize China as America’s principal long-term neer-pear competitor and adversary, even as Washington and Beijing seek to stabilize their relationship through diplomacy.
«There is rightful alarm regarding China’s historic military buildup and the expansion of its military activities in the region and beyond,» War Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in May.
But, he added, U.S.–China relations are «better than they’ve been in many years.»
Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump visited the Temple of Heaven on May 14, 2026, in Beijing, China, during a high-level summit between the two leaders. (Brendan Smialowski – Pool/Getty Images)
After the May summit between Trump and Xi, the U.S. president told reporters: «We settled a lot of different problems that other people wouldn’t have been able to solve.»
He called Xi a «great leader» and China a «great country.»
Other recent research points to broader differences in how Gen Z views U.S. foreign policy.
A 2025 Carnegie Endowment survey found younger Americans were less likely than older generations to prioritize maintaining U.S. technological dominance over China and generally favored a less expansive American leadership role abroad.
The Reagan Institute Summer Survey is the organization’s annual public opinion poll on foreign policy and national security, designed to gauge Americans’ views on issues ranging from global engagement and military strength to China, NATO, the Middle East and democratic values.
The poll also found broad shifts by party on what America’s role in the world should look like: Republicans were more likely than Democrats to say the United States should be more engaged and take the lead in world affairs.
Seventy-one percent of Republicans said the U.S. should take a leading role internationally, compared with 55% of Democrats. Overall, 61% of Americans said the U.S. should be more engaged in global affairs, while 27% preferred a less engaged approach.
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Young Americans are far less likely than older generations to see China as a major threat to the United States, according to a new poll, revealing one of the sharpest generational divides in U.S. foreign policy. (Li Gang/Xinhua via Getty Images)
The findings represent a notable shift from recent years.
Democratic support for greater U.S. engagement fell from 65% to 55% over the past year, while Republican support increased from 69% to 71%, widening the partisan gap from four percentage points to 16. The survey also found 43% of Democrats now say U.S. involvement in the world is harmful, up from 22% a year ago.
The survey was conducted May 26 through June 3 among 1,555 U.S. adults and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points. Researchers used a mixed-mode methodology that included live telephone interviews, an online panel and text-to-web responses.
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To better reflect the U.S. population, the results were weighted using demographic benchmarks from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey, including age, gender, race, region and education. The survey also included an oversample of 338 self-identified MAGA Republicans under age 30, which carries a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.
The findings also come after a year in which the Trump administration has taken a more assertive posture overseas than some expected.
In addition to ordering strikes on Iran, the administration has expanded military operations against cartel-linked targets in the Western Hemisphere and intervened to capture former President Nicolas Maduro Venezuela, moves that have put questions of American power and global leadership back at the center of public debate.
china, taiwan, foreign policy senate, republicans, demographics
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Honduras: Poder judicial otorga amparo a exjuez Marco Vallecillo y ordena nueva resolución en caso de extorsión
La Sala de lo Constitucional de la Corte Suprema de Justicia (CSJ) resolvió por unanimidad otorgar un recurso de amparo penal a favor de Marco Antonio Vallecillo Banegas, quien enfrenta un proceso por la presunta comisión del delito de extorsión en perjuicio de un testigo protegido, al concluir que existieron deficiencias en la resolución emitida por la Corte de Apelaciones Penal.
El portavoz del Poder Judicial, Melvin Duarte, informó que la decisión del máximo órgano constitucional ordena al tribunal de segunda instancia emitir una nueva resolución debidamente motivada, conforme a los parámetros establecidos por la Constitución y sin pronunciarse sobre la responsabilidad penal del imputado.
“La Sala de lo Constitucional de la Corte Suprema de Justicia resolvió por unanimidad otorgar el recurso de amparo penal interpuesto a favor del señor Marco Antonio Vallecillo Banegas dentro del proceso que se le sigue por la presunta comisión del delito de extorsión en perjuicio de testigo protegido”, declaró Duarte.
El funcionario explicó que el recurso fue presentado por la defensa de Vallecillo contra la sentencia emitida el 8 de octubre de 2024 por la Corte de Apelaciones Penal con competencia nacional en materia de criminalidad organizada y medioambiente, la cual confirmó el auto de formal procesamiento y la medida de prisión preventivadictada en su contra.
Según Duarte, la Sala Constitucional determinó que el tribunal de alzada incurrió en una vulneración al debido proceso y a la tutela judicial efectiva, al no realizar un análisis suficiente sobre la procedencia del antejuicio, uno de los argumentos expuestos por la defensa durante la apelación.
Asimismo, el portavoz señaló que los magistrados advirtieron que la Corte de Apelaciones omitió pronunciarse sobre el agravio relacionado con el ofrecimiento de una caución económica como medida sustitutiva a la prisión preventiva, aspecto que, a criterio de la Sala, representa un defecto de motivación que afecta el derecho a la libertad personal del procesado.
“La Sala Constitucional señaló que la Corte de Apelaciones omitió pronunciarse sobre el agravio relativo al ofrecimiento de una caución económica como medida sustitutiva a la prisión preventiva, lo que constituyó un defecto de motivación que afectó el derecho a la libertad personal”, detalló Duarte.
En consecuencia, la resolución establece que la Corte de Apelaciones deberá emitir un nuevo fallo debidamente fundamentado, atendiendo los aspectos que fueron omitidos en la resolución anterior y respetando las garantías constitucionales invocadas por la defensa.
No obstante, la Sala dejó claro que la concesión del amparo no implica un pronunciamiento sobre la procedencia de la fianza ofrecida ni sobre el fondo del proceso penal, por lo que la investigación contra Vallecillo continúa su curso conforme al procedimiento establecido por la ley.
La Corte de Apelaciones deberá emitir una nueva resolución debidamente motivada. (Foto: Cortesía/Archivo)
La decisión se limita a corregir los vicios de motivación identificados en la resolución apelada y obliga al tribunal competente a emitir un nuevo análisis que responda a todos los planteamientos formulados por las partes dentro del proceso judicial.
La resolución de la Sala de lo Constitucional no modifica de manera automática las medidas cautelares impuestas a Marco Antonio Vallecillo, sino que obliga a la Corte de Apelaciones a revisar nuevamente el caso y emitir un fallo que responda de forma expresa a todos los argumentos planteados por la defensa, conforme a los estándares de motivación exigidos por la Constitución.
El amparo constitucional constituye un mecanismo jurídico destinado a proteger los derechos fundamentales cuando estos han sido vulnerados durante un proceso judicial.
En este caso, la Sala concluyó que la decisión impugnada presentaba deficiencias en su fundamentación, razón por la cual consideró procedente ordenar la emisión de una nueva resolución por parte del tribunal competente.
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