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April 14, 2025
Economy
News

Trump Partially Exempts Smartphones, Laptops from Tariffs.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: The Trump administration has granted a temporary tariff exemption for various electronics, including smartphones and laptops, amidst ongoing trade tensions with China.

👥 Who’s Involved: The Trump administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and tech companies reliant on these imports.

📍 Where & When: The exemptions are effective retroactively from April 5, announced on Friday night.

💬 Key Quote: “These products are subject to the existing 20 percent Fentanyl Tariffs, and they are just moving to a different Tariff ‘bucket,'” President Donald J. Trump explained.

⚠️ Impact: The exemptions provide temporary relief for tech companies and consumers while keeping on pressure to “reshore” manufacturing to the U.S. over the longer term.

IN FULL:

The Trump administration has rolled out a temporary reprieve from some tariffs for various everyday electronics, easing pressures on tech companies and consumers while maintaining pressure on China. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) revised its tariff guidelines Friday night, itemizing 20 product categories now exempt from reciprocal tariffs.

Effective retroactively to April 5, the exemptions cover laptops and smartphones, among other electronics. On Truth Social, President Donald J. Trump explained, “NOBODY is getting ‘off the hook’ for the unfair Trade Balances, and Non Monetary Tariff Barriers, that other Countries have used against us, especially not China,” and that the products will still be “subject to the existing 20 percent Fentanyl Tariffs… they are just moving to a different Tariff ‘bucket.’ We are taking a look at Semiconductors and the WHOLE ELECTRONICS SUPPLY CHAIN in the upcoming National Security Tariff Investigations.”

The exemptions provide for refunds of tariffs collected post-April 5. Trump officials have emphasized the temporary nature of this measure, stressing potential new semiconductor-specific tariffs within months.

Desktop computers—including components like disc drives—are included in the exemption list alongside laptops and smartphones under “automatic data processing machines and units thereof.” Computer parts, solid-state drives, flat-panel display modules, routers, and various semiconductor products are also covered, accounting for sectors with high import needs and—for now—limited domestic output.

Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities called the move “a game-changer scenario when it comes to China tariffs.” China has been one of the only countries to attempt a reciprocal battle with the United States over President Trump’s new tariffs. Last week, the one-party communist dictatorship accused the U.S. of “bullying and coercion” while imposing 125 percent tariffs on American goods. However, such measures are of limited usefulness, with China as a surplus economy, selling far more to the U.S. than vice versa.

READ:

Jack Montgomery contributed to this report.

By Popular Demand.
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21 minutes ago
News
UK
World

Rubio Shrugs Off Falklands Memo Fury as ‘Just an Email’.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismisses concerns over a leaked memo suggesting the U.S. could withdraw “diplomatic support” for the United Kingdom in the Falklands, calling it “just an email.”

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Secretary of State Marco Rubio downplayed a leaked memo suggesting the U.S. might reconsider its “diplomatic support” for Britain in the Falklands, describing it as “just an email” and not indicative of a policy shift.
📰 DETAIL: The memo, reportedly drafted by a junior staffer, suggested the U.S. could reassess its diplomatic stance on the Falklands as part of a response to allies not supporting the U.S. in the Iran war. This led to tensions with the United Kingdom and caused Argentina, which attempted to take the Falklands from Britain by force in 1982, to reiterate its claims to the islands, with Vice President Victoria Villarruel going so far as to suggest that their British inhabitants should be ethnically cleansed.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “It was just an email. People are getting overexcited by an email. It was just an email with some ideas.” – Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State.
🎯 IMPACT: The U.S. maintains its official position of recognizing British administration of the Falklands while remaining officially neutral on sovereignty. Notably, Rubio distancing the U.S. State Department from the memo follows the successful state visit to the U.S. by King Charles III this week.

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismisses concerns over a leaked memo suggesting the U.S. could withdraw "diplomatic support" for the United Kingdom in the Falklands, calling it "just an email."

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By Popular Demand.
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42 minutes ago
News

London Terrorist is Somali Migrant Known to Authorities.

A stabbing attack in Golders Green, North London, that left two Jewish men hospitalized, was perpetrated by a naturalized Somali immigrant known to the authorities.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: A naturalized Somali immigrant, accused of stabbing two Jewish men in Golders Green, North London, on Wednesday, has been identified as Essa Suleiman, 45. The police have declared the attack a terrorist incident.
📺 DETAIL: On Wednesday, at approximately 11:15 AM, two Jewish men, aged 34 and 76, were stabbed in Golders Green, North London; an area known for its large Jewish population. The two victims, identified as Shloime Rand and Moshe Shine, are in stable condition after being hospitalized. The suspect, Essa Suleiman, a 45-year-old Somali immigrant who was granted British citizenship in circumstances that are currently unclear, has a history of violent behavior and mental health problems. London’s Metropolitan Police have confirmed that the suspect was previously referred to Prevent, the British government’s counter-terrorism program, in 2020. Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (“Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand”), an Iran-linked terror group, claimed responsibility for the attack online, although authorities have found no direct evidence of this.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “If the streets of London are not safe for Jewish people, then it’s definitely the government that are able to take care of the problems, and they are not doing their job.” – Shliome Rand, attack victim.
🎯 IMPACT: The stabbings have resulted in Britain increasing its terror threat level, citing the rising threat of Islamism but also the “Extreme Right Wing”. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who is seen as having a lax attitude towards radical Islam, was heckled and jeered when he traveled to Golders Green on Thursday, with demonstrators chanting “Keir Starmer, Jew harmer” and branding him a “traitor.” 
📺 FLASHBACK: The stabbing follows a series of arson attacks against London’s Jewish community in recent weeks. For example, in late March, two men were arrested following a firebomb attack on ambulances owned by a Jewish charity in north London.

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A stabbing attack in Golders Green, North London, that left two Jewish men hospitalized, was perpetrated by a naturalized Somali immigrant known to the authorities.

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By Popular Demand.
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2 hours ago
News

AOC Says U.S. May Have Already Had Gay President.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) sparked discussion by speculating that the U.S. may have already had a gay president.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) suggested that the United States may have already had a gay president. Ocasio-Cortez made the remark when asked whether the country would elect a female or gay president first.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Well, we don’t know if we’ve already had a gay president to be honest with you. I think there are chances that maybe we have, but I don’t know.” – Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
📺 DETAIL: During an interview with TMZ on Wednesday, Ocasio-Cortez suggested that the U.S. may have had a gay President. Notably, there has been public speculation about the sexualities of previous U.S. presidents. In 2012, a Newsweek cover called Barack Obama “The First Gay President,” in a piece by Andrew Sullivan. Additionally, a Discovery+ program once portrayed Abraham Lincoln as a “queer hero,” though historians have widely and regularly debunked claims that Lincoln’s close male friendships were sexual. Furthermore, James Buchanan, Lincoln’s immediate predecessor, is sometimes alleged to be the first gay president. While Buchanan was a lifelong bachelor and had close male friendships, this is not regarded as serious or concrete evidence that he was secretly gay.
🎯 IMPACT: Ocasio-Cortez’s suggestion that the country may have already had a gay president reignites debate around the sexuality of Barack Obama, in particular. In 2023, Obama biographer David Garrow released a college love letter in which Obama stated, “I make love to men daily, but in the imagination.” His half-brother Malik Obama has said the Democrat is “definitely gay.”

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Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) sparked discussion by speculating that the U.S. may have already had a gay president.

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By Popular Demand.
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2 hours ago
News

Top Union Drops $1.2M+ on D.C. Luxury Hotel Stays While Failing to Stop Trump.

The SEIU faced scrutiny for using union members’ dues to fund a lavish $1.2 million stay at a five-star hotel while lobbying against President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill unsuccessfully.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) spent $1.2 million of union dues at a five-star luxury hotel in Washington, D.C. This was during a failed, week-long campaign in June last year against President Donald J. Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB) Act.
📺 DETAIL: The SEIU, a trade union representing around two million workers across healthcare, property services, and public services, spent $1.2 million of union dues at the five-star Salamander Hotel in Washington, D.C. The expenses were disclosed as “support for political activities” by the Department of Labor. The expense was part of the SEIU’s organized protests against President Trump’s OBBB Act, which included tax cuts for small businesses and service workers. The Salamander Hotel, a well-known luxury hotel, hosted the SEIU despite the union owning a conference space in the D.C. area already. Critics have characterized the event as extravagant spending and a waste of union member dues.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “The SEIU lectures the country about economic justice by day and apparently checks into five-star luxury hotels by night on their members’ dimes.” – Charlyce Bozzello, Communications Director at the Center for Union Facts.
📺 FLASHBACK: President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” was signed into law in early July 2025, acting as a key part of his second-term agenda. In June 2025, it was revealed SEIU Local 87, hired a sex offender for a leadership role after she served jail time for child sexual abuse. The union has been linked to pro-illegal immigrant protests in California, where the union is also sponsoring a tax on billionaires that is sowing division among Democrats. The proposal has reportedly garnered enough signatures to be put on the state ballot in November.

Image by Mike.

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The SEIU faced scrutiny for using union members' dues to fund a lavish $1.2 million stay at a five-star hotel while lobbying against President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill unsuccessfully.

show more
By Popular Demand.
The National Pulse Now has an on-site comments section for members. Sign up today and be part of the conversation in our community of almost 15,000.
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3 hours ago
Health
News

MAHA Republicans Strip Protections for Pesticide Makers Out of Farm Bill.

A bipartisan vote in the House removed a controversial provision shielding pesticide companies from legal liability, signaling the growing influence of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The House of Representatives voted 280-142 to approve an amendment from Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) to remove a provision from the farm bill that would have shielded pesticide manufacturers from lawsuits over health risks. The amendment found bipartisan support, with 73 Republicans joining Democrats to strike the liability shield on Thursday.
📺 DETAIL: The removed provision would have prevented lawsuits against pesticide companies as long as they complied with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) labeling regulations, while barring states and localities from issuing stricter labeling requirements. Luna, aligned with the MAHA movement associated with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., argued that shielding these companies from accountability would endanger public health, citing concerns about toxic chemicals in children’s products. The issue divided Republicans, with some arguing the amendment would increase consumer costs.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “On behalf of all the moms and dads that aren’t in office, I am not going to be bullied into supporting a bill that is providing protections and immunity to corporations that are responsible for giving children and adults cancer.” – Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.)
🎯 IMPACT: The vote highlights growing tensions within the Republican Party over corporate accountability and public health policy, as well as the increasing influence of the MAHA movement. Critics claim the decision could lead to higher consumer costs, while supporters see it as a necessary step to address health risks and corporate responsibility.
📺 FLASHBACK: The debate comes as the Supreme Court considers whether companies like Bayer should have legal preemption over claims that its weedkiller, Roundup, causes cancer. This follows controversy earlier this year when the Trump administration prioritized domestic glyphosate production, despite health concerns.

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A bipartisan vote in the House removed a controversial provision shielding pesticide companies from legal liability, signaling the growing influence of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement.

show more
By Popular Demand.
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3 hours ago
News

Here’s Why Trump Just Had to Replace His Surgeon General Nominee.

Dr. Nicole Saphier, a renowned radiologist and Fox News contributor, has been nominated by President Trump to replace Casey Means as the U.S. surgeon general after Senate delays stalled the prior nomination.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: President Trump announced the nomination of Dr. Nicole Saphier as U.S. surgeon general, replacing Casey Means, whose nomination has been stalled in the Senate. The president made the announcement on Truth Social, citing delays caused by Senator Bill Cassidy. Cassidy has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Big Pharma firms and executives in recent years.
📺 DETAIL: Dr. Saphier, the replacement pick, is a radiologist and director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Monmouth, as well as a Fox News contributor and podcast host. President Trump praised her for her expertise in cancer detection and treatment, as well as her ability to communicate complex health issues effectively. The prior nominee, Casey Means, faced Senate opposition led by Senator Cassidy, which hindered her confirmation.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Nicole is a STAR physician… and an INCREDIBLE COMMUNICATOR, who makes complicated health issues more easily understood by all Americans,” – President Trump.
🎯 IMPACT: Dr. Saphier’s nomination brings a fresh candidate to the surgeon general role, emphasizing cancer prevention and public health communication. The move also highlights tensions between President Trump and Senate Republicans like Senator Cassidy, who have slowed the administration’s efforts to fill key positions. Cassidy’s addiction to Big Pharma bucks, however, proved costly for Casey Means, sister of Calley Means, a senior advisor to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

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Dr. Nicole Saphier, a renowned radiologist and Fox News contributor, has been nominated by President Trump to replace Casey Means as the U.S. surgeon general after Senate delays stalled the prior nomination.

show more
By Popular Demand.
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4 hours ago
Crime
Immigration
UK

British Prime Minister Booed at Terror Attack Site.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer encountered jeering protests during his visit to Golders Green in London, where two Jewish men were stabbed, allegedly by a Somali migrant, in a suspected terror attack.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, of Britain’s ruling Labour Party, faced protests during his visit to Golders Green, London, on Thursday, after two Jewish men were stabbed in a suspected terror attack there on Wednesday. Demonstrators lining the streets chanted “Shame on you!” and “Keir Starmer, Jew harmer!” as his motorcade passed by.
📺 DETAIL: Starmer met with members of the Shomrim community security group and Hatzola, a Jewish medical charity whose ambulances were recently targeted in an arson attack. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, and local Member of Parliament (MP) Sarah Sackman accompanied him. Protesters accused Starmer of failing to protect the Jewish community, holding banners demanding “protect our children” and branding him a “traitor.”
🎯 IMPACT: The protests highlight growing frustration within the Jewish community over government inaction amid rising anti-Semitic incidents, generally perpetrated by radical Muslims. This public backlash could further strain Starmer’s efforts to regain trust among British Jews ahead of local and regional elections in May, in which Labour is expected to sustain heavy losses.
📺 FLASHBACK: The suspect in the Golders Green attack, Essa Suleiman, is a naturalized Somali migrant with a criminal history. Similarly, the perpetrator of a deadly anti-Semitic terror attack in Manchester was a naturalized Syrian immigrant, Jihad al-Shamie, on bail for rape.

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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer encountered jeering protests during his visit to Golders Green in London, where two Jewish men were stabbed, allegedly by a Somali migrant, in a suspected terror attack.

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By Popular Demand.
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5 hours ago
Politics
SCOTUS

Louisiana Halts Primaries Following Landmark Supreme Court Decision.

Louisiana’s congressional primary elections are on hold after the Supreme Court ruled the state’s district map was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. Governor Jeff Landry (R) will now work with the state legislature to draw up a new map in time for the November midterms, likely benefiting the GOP.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Louisiana has suspended its May primary elections for congressional races following the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling that one of the state’s Democrat-leaning majority-minority districts was illegally racially gerrymandered.
📺 DETAIL: The Supreme Court’s decision on Wednesday terminated a previous stay on an injunction against Louisiana’s enforcement of its current congressional map, and heralds major changes to the implementation of the Voting Rights Act, which had forced the establishment of several Democrat-leaning majority-minority electoral districts. Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the majority, stated that the state’s efforts to comply with a lower court ruling resulted in an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. On Thursday, Governor Jeff Landry (R) and Attorney General Liz Murrill (R) confirmed plans to work with the state legislature and Secretary of State to redraw the district map in compliance with the ruling, which will likely strengthen the GOP’s position going into the November midterms.
🎯 IMPACT: Louisiana must now quickly redraw its map to meet constitutional requirements. “Yesterday’s historic Supreme Court victory for Louisiana has an immediate consequence for the State,” Gov. Landry and Attorney General Murrill said in a joint statement on Thursday, explaining, “[T]he State is currently enjoined from carrying out congressional elections under the current map. We are working together with the Legislature and the Secretary of State’s office to develop a path forward.” Before now, Republicans had been on the back foot with respect to redistricting, with the Democrats redrawing maps in a way that suits their party in California and Virginia. However, changes in Louisiana and other Southern states following the Supreme Court ruling, along with a redistricting push in Florida, could change the congressional arithmetic dramatically.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “The State’s attempt to satisfy the Middle District’s ruling, although understandable, was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.” – Justice Samuel Alito

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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Louisiana's congressional primary elections are on hold after the Supreme Court ruled the state's district map was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. Governor Jeff Landry (R) will now work with the state legislature to draw up a new map in time for the November midterms, likely benefiting the GOP.

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By Popular Demand.
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6 hours ago
Crime
Immigration

Paxton Takes Legal Action Against ‘Birth Tourism’ Center for Chinese Nationals.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against a Houston-area facility, accusing it of facilitating illegal birth tourism for Chinese nationals to obtain U.S. citizenship for their children.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) has filed a lawsuit against the De-Ai Postpartum Care Center in Houston, accusing it of running an illegal birth tourism operation that has allegedly facilitated the birth of over 1,000 U.S. citizens to Chinese nationals over nearly two decades.
📺 DETAIL: The lawsuit, which Paxton announced late Wednesday, claims the Center advertised on Chinese social media platforms, coaching clients on how to evade U.S. immigration laws and facilitating up to 20 births daily across four Houston-area properties. The Center allegedly advised clients to conceal their true purpose for entering the U.S. and to apply for visas before pregnancy to avoid detection. “Tourist visas cannot be issued for this purpose. This is an unlawful scheme that perpetuates fraud on the government and violates Texas law. And Defendants know this,” the lawsuit alleges. Paxton is seeking civil penalties and injunctive relief to shut down the operation.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “America is for Americans, not foreigners trying to cheat the system to claim citizenship. Birthright citizenship is a scam that threatens national security.” – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton
🎯 IMPACT: The lawsuit highlights ongoing concerns over birth tourism and the national security risks it presents, as well as the ease of exploiting U.S. immigration laws under the status quo. President Donald J. Trump has attempted to curtail birthright citizenship—the internationally unusual doctrine that almost anyone born on U.S. soil has an automatic right to U.S. citizenship, even if their parents are in the country illegally—by executive order, with the Supreme Court currently deliberating on the lawfulness of his reforms.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against a Houston-area facility, accusing it of facilitating illegal birth tourism for Chinese nationals to obtain U.S. citizenship for their children.

show more
By Popular Demand.
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7 hours ago
Corruption
Crime

Former Minnesota Trooper Says Walz Admin Tried to Cover Up Fraud.

A former Minnesota state trooper has accused state officials of obstructing fraud investigations involving daycares, alleging the system’s widespread exploitation by scammers was knowingly ignored by state leadership.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Former Minnesota state trooper and state Department of Human Services investigator Jay Swanson testified that state officials pressured him to suppress findings of widespread fraud in the state’s child care assistance program. Swanson told the Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy Committee on Tuesday that Somali refugees were exploiting the program, and that Minnesota had become known internationally as the easiest state to commit such fraud.
📺 DETAIL: Swanson revealed that he was ordered by supervisors to delete evidence of fraud and was later harassed when he refused, stating such actions were illegal. The fraud, which dates back to at least 2009, involved day care centers billing for services not provided, with federal prosecutors estimating losses of $9 billion to taxpayers. Despite these findings, Swanson’s investigative unit was dismantled under Governor Tim Walz (D).
💬 KEY QUOTE: “They had heard you could run the scam in a number of different states, but it was easiest and you could make the most money doing it in Minnesota.” – Jay Swanson
🎯 IMPACT: Around 98 people have been charged and 64 convicted in relation to Minnesota fraud in recent months, including many from the Somali community. Governor Walz, who abandoned a reelection bid as coverage of the scandal escalated online, recently claimed credit for cracking down on fraud, despite Swanson and other whistleblowers indicating that his administration was actively suppressing earlier investigations. Vice President J.D. Vance, in his role as the Trump administration’s anti-fraud czar, warned, “We’re not going to let anybody who committed a crime off the hook, and in fact, if you are a senior officer [in Minnesota], if you’re the Attorney General or the Governor, or any other elected official, we’re going to look extra hard at what you knew and when you knew it and how connected your actions were to this fraud scheme.”

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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A former Minnesota state trooper has accused state officials of obstructing fraud investigations involving daycares, alleging the system's widespread exploitation by scammers was knowingly ignored by state leadership.

show more
By Popular Demand.
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