Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) — a member of the progressive group of House lawmakers called “The Squad” — is under investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) for allegedly misspending federal funds for personal security. Yesterday, the clerk of the House of Representatives reported on the floor that the House Sargeant at Arms had received a DOJ subpoena for records relating to expenditures made by a Member. It was later revealed that the Member in question was Bush.
While the exact details and scope of the DOJ investigation are unclear at this time, it is likely to focus on the Missouri Democrat’s prolific use of public funds for private security and whether that money was abused for other personal expenditures. Bush married one of her private security guards, Cortney Merritts, in February last year.
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Elected in the 2020 election, Bush has used government funds allotted to Congressional offices to spend prodigiously on security services. In her first three months in office, she spent over $32,000 on security. Her publicly funded ‘private’ security was further supplemented with campaign funds as well.
During her 2022 re-election campaign, Bush paid her future husband, Merritts, $62,359 for security services — though this appears to have come from her campaign accounts and not public funds. All in all, Bush’s campaign spent over half a million dollars on private security during the 2022 campaign.
In Congress, Bush has been an outspoken supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement (BLM), even dismissing the group‘s participation in violent riots across the country in 2020. Additionally, Bush’s outsized spending on private security has drawn criticism in light of her advocacy and support for slashing the budges of — and even abolishing — local police departments.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) is facing scrutiny over a significant increase in her reported net worth, with allegations of potential fraud raised by the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC).
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Ilhan Omar, her husband Tim Mynett, the National Legal and Policy Center, and over 60 people convicted of fraud in Minnesota.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Scrutiny intensified following Omar’s latest financial disclosures, with attention on businesses tied to her husband and Somali fraud schemes in Minnesota.
💬KEY QUOTE: “There’s a lot of strange things going on. She was basically broke when she came into office and now she’s worth perhaps up to $30 million… she needs to come clean on these assets.” – Paul Kamenar, NLPC counsel.
🎯IMPACT: Questions persist about Omar’s financial dealings, though no wrongdoing has been proven or formal investigations announced.
IN FULL
Somali Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) is facing renewed scrutiny after recent House financial disclosures showed her household net worth rising sharply, with estimates ranging from $6 million to as much as $30 million. The increase has drawn attention from watchdog groups and conservative critics, who are questioning how the wealth accumulated so quickly.
According to the filings, much of the reported value is tied to businesses associated with Omar’s husband, political consultant Tim Mynett. One asset, a California winery known as eStCru LLC, was listed with a value between $1 million and $5 million. Another holding, the venture capital firm Rose Lake Capital, was disclosed at a value between $5 million and $25 million. These figures stand in contrast to Omar’s earlier disclosures, which showed relatively modest finances, burdened by student loan and credit card debt, and a net worth below $250,000 in both 2022 and 2023.
The National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) has called for greater transparency. Its counsel, Paul Kamenar, said, “There’s a lot of strange things going on. She was basically broke when she came into office and now she’s worth perhaps up to $30 million… she needs to come clean on these assets.”
Omar has rejected claims that she is wealthy. In an interview earlier this year, she said, “Since getting elected, there has been a coordinated right-wing disinformation campaign claiming all sorts of wild things, including the ridiculous claim I am worth millions of dollars which is categorically false.”
Additional attention has focused on Rose Lake Capital after reports that the names of several officers and advisers, including figures with past ties to Democrat administrations, were removed from the firm’s website. No evidence has emerged directly linking Omar to financial wrongdoing, but critics argue the changes have intensified questions about disclosure and accountability.
Separately, Omar’s legislative record has been revisited in light of Minnesota’s Feeding Our Future scandal, in which mostly Somali fraudsters stole roughly $250 million from a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic. Omar supported legislation aimed at rapidly expanding meal access during the crisis. More than 60 people have since been convicted in connection with the fraud, including Omar’s former “enforcer” Guhaad Hashi Said.
Minnesota, which hosts the largest Somali community in the U.S., is currently in the midst of a wider fraud scandal centered on said Somali community, with daycare centers being a point of particular focus.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Several performers canceled their shows at the Trump-Kennedy Center following its renaming, citing political reasons. But facts point to humiliatingly low public interest in leftist artists.
👤WHO’S INVOLVED: Performers including The Cookers, Kristy Lee, Chuck Redd, and Doug Varone and Dancers.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: December 2025 at the Trump-Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The artists who are now canceling shows were booked by the previous far-left leadership where ideology was prioritized over talent and finances.” – Richard Grenell
🎯IMPACT: Cancellations have had minimal impact as the performers involved had low ticket sales and niche followings.
IN FULL
Several small-time performers booked by the previous, left-wing Kennedy Center management this week canceled their appearances at the Trump-Kennedy Center, citing political motivations following the venue’s renaming. The center, formerly known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, was renamed after a unanimous vote by the board of trustees, prompting a handful of ostensibly ideologically-motivated “cancellations.”
However, performers such as The Cookers, Kristy Lee, Chuck Redd, and Doug Varone and Dancers appear to have withdrawn from scheduled shows due to almost no public interest in their work.
The Daily Mail reported Tuesday that The Cookers, who were set to play in the Terrace Theater, had only sold 60 tickets out of 500 seats available. Chuck Redd, set to play the Millennium Stage at the Trump-Kennedy Center, shifted just 63 free tickets, of a potential 200.
Richard Grenell, the center’s president, attributed the cancellations to political motives, stating, “The artists who are now canceling shows were booked by the previous far-left leadership, where ideology was prioritized over talent and finances. Their last-minute cancellations prove that they were always unwilling to perform for everyone—even those they disagree with politically. They only want to perform for people who believe like them.”
Previous Kennedy Center management had often used the venue to line the pockets of their ideological bedfellows, including through performances with almost no demand, as well as residencies for artists who otherwise commanded no demand from the general public, including the likes of Ben Folds (of the Ben Folds Five) and Jason Moran, both of whom were subsidized by previous Kennedy Center management.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: Gas prices fell sharply throughout December, reaching a national average of $2.75 per gallon by December 29, the lowest level since 2021, according to GasBuddy.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: GasBuddy, U.S. crude oil producers, OPEC+ members, and the Energy Information Administration (EIA).
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📍WHEN & WHERE: December 2025, across the United States, with regional variations in gasoline and diesel prices.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Oil prices have remained relatively low even amid the U.S. blockade on Venezuela’s oil exports,” said Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis.
🎯IMPACT: U.S. gasoline prices have declined in most states, with some stations dropping below $2 per gallon.
IN FULL
Gas prices have continued to fall across the United States this month. By December 29, the nationwide average reached $2.75 per gallon, per GasBuddy data—the lowest point seen since 2021. Diesel fuel costs also decreased, reaching a national average of $3.52 per gallon, which was more than $0.05 lower than the week before.
This drop stems from higher U.S. oil output and greater production from OPEC+ countries, even with sanctions affecting exporters such as Russia and Venezuela. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), American crude oil output hit close to 17 million barrels per day around mid-December, representing a 12 percent rise since October.
Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis, pointed out that gas prices declined in almost all states, and certain stations in about a dozen states sold fuel for under $2 per gallon. “Oil prices have remained relatively low even amid the U.S. blockade on Venezuela’s oil exports,” De Haan said. He noted that the downward trend might persist into January or February before reaching its lowest point.
Although drivers are currently experiencing lower costs, crude oil prices edged up slightly on December 29. U.S. crude increased by 2.1 percent to nearly $58 per barrel, while Brent crude rose 1.88 percent to $61.78 per barrel. This movement might foreshadow upcoming rises in pump prices.
The GasBuddy analysis drew from more than 12 million individual price submissions across 150,000 stations nationwide and revealed notable regional differences. Republican-run Oklahoma had the nation’s cheapest average for gasoline at $2.17 per gallon, whereas Democrat-run Hawaii and California topped the list with $4.36 and $4.20 per gallon, respectively. Diesel averages displayed comparable regional patterns.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. imposed new sanctions on ten individuals and firms from Iran and Venezuela, targeting Iran’s drone trade and ballistic missile program.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The U.S. Treasury Department, Iranian and Venezuelan entities, President Donald J. Trump, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Sanctions announced this week, with discussions held at Mar-a-Lago in Florida on December 29.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Treasury is holding Iran and Venezuela accountable for their aggressive and reckless proliferation of deadly weapons around the world.” – Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley
🎯IMPACT: The sanctions aim to further isolate Iran’s military-industrial complex and curb weapons proliferation in the region.
IN FULL
The U.S. Treasury Department has announced a new package of sanctions targeting ten individuals and entities based in Iran and Venezuela, escalating Washington’s efforts to curb Iran’s drone trade, ballistic missile development, and nuclear ambitions while pressuring Caracas over its military ties to Tehran.
According to Treasury officials, the measures include penalties against a Venezuelan company and its chairman accused of purchasing Iranian drones, three Iranian nationals allegedly involved in acquiring chemicals used in ballistic missile production, and several Iran-based firms linked to the Rayan Fan Group, a holding company already under U.S. sanctions.
Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley said the actions are intended to disrupt the global spread of Iranian weapons and limit access to financial networks. “Treasury is holding Iran and Venezuela accountable for their aggressive and reckless proliferation of deadly weapons around the world,” Hurley said. He added that the department is focused on cutting off support for Iran’s military-industrial complex and blocking its access to the U.S. financial system.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott also said, “Iran’s ongoing provision of conventional weapons to Caracas is a threat to U.S. interests in our region.”
The move comes amid a broader hardline approach by the Trump administration toward both countries. In recent weeks, President Donald J. Trump ordered a full blockade on Venezuelan oil tankers already under U.S. sanctions, a step aimed at further isolating the Nicolas Maduro government and restricting a key source of revenue. Trump has also confirmed that U.S. forces struck infrastructure on Venezuelan territory linked to drug trafficking operations.
Pressure is also increasing on Iran. Trump has repeatedly warned that the United States would respond forcefully if Tehran attempts to rebuild or expand its nuclear facilities. During a recent meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida, Trump reiterated U.S. support for countering Iran’s nuclear ambitions and signaled openness to further strikes if Iran continues down that path.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: Representative Tom Emmer (R-MN) called for the denaturalization and deportation of Somalis in Minnesota involved in defrauding Americans, following allegations of large-scale taxpayer fraud schemes.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Rep. Emmer, Minnesota Somalis, federal investigators, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (R), and other state officials.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Minnesota, ongoing investigations into fraud cases linked to the COVID-19 pandemic-era Feeding Our Future program and daycare centers.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Send them home,” said Emmer, referring to Somalis who commit fraud and violate U.S. laws, including naturalized citizens.
🎯IMPACT: Federal investigations continue, with legislative changes proposed to facilitate the denaturalization and deportation of Somali fraudsters.
IN FULL
Republican House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) has advocated for strict immigration consequences, including revoking citizenship and deportation, for people in Minnesota’s Somali community implicated in fraud schemes. “Send them home,” he stated on social media. “If they’re here illegally, deport them immediately; if they’re naturalized citizens, revoke their citizenship and deport them quickly thereafter. If we need to change the law to do that, I will. Our nation will not tolerate those who take advantage of our charity and refuse to assimilate into our culture.”
The North Star State is facing a major scandal involving “industrial-scale fraud,” centered on programs like Feeding Our Future, which diverted hundreds of millions—potentially billions—in funds intended for children’s meals and other services amid the COVID-19 crisis. Authorities report that the majority of those indicted to date are Somali or of Somali heritage. Notably, Minnesota hosts the nation’s largest Somali community.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has increased its presence in the state, with Director Kash Patel noting that probes revealed extensive fraud and that “many who were involved in the scheme are being referred to immigration officials for possible further denaturalization and deportation proceedings where eligible.”
On Truth Social, President Donald J. Trump recently posted: “Minnesota, under Governor [Tim Walz], is a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity. I am, as President of the United States, hereby terminating, effective immediately, the Temporary Protected Status (TPS Program) for Somalis in Minnesota. Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State, and BILLIONS of Dollars are missing. Send them back to where they came from. It’s OVER!”
BREAKING: I’m calling for the denaturalization and deportation of every Somali engaged in fraud in Minnesota. Read my full statement below:
“I have three words regarding Somalis who have committed fraud against American taxpayers: Send them home. If they’re here illegally,…
❓WHAT HAPPENED: A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration can share Medicaid information about illegal migrants with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers starting next month.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and ICE.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The ruling was issued on Monday as part of a case involving 22 Democrat states that sued to block the policy in July.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The sharing of such information is clearly authorized by law and the agencies have adequately explained their decisions,” wrote Judge Chhabria.
🎯IMPACT: The ruling allows ICE officials to access personal data of Medicaid enrollees to track illegal migrants, with the decision limited to migrants known to be in the country illegally.
IN FULL
A federal judge ruled on December 29 that the Trump administration may begin sharing certain Medicaid enrollment information about migrants who are in the United States illegally with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), clearing the way for the policy to take effect next month.
The ruling follows a lawsuit filed in July by 22 Democrat-led states seeking to block the federal government from providing the data to immigration authorities. A temporary halt had been put in place while the case was reviewed. Notably, the states may still appeal the decision.
U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria approved a data-sharing agreement between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that allows ICE officials limited access to personal information held by Medicaid. In a seven-page order, Chhabria said ICE may obtain six categories of “basic” data: address, citizenship, immigration status, phone number, date of birth, and Medicaid identification number.
“The sharing of such information is clearly authorized by law and the agencies have adequately explained their decisions,” Chhabria wrote. However, he criticized any broader or undefined data sharing, adding that such policies “do not appear to be the product of a coherent decision-making process.”
The order applies only to migrants already known to be in the country illegally and does not permit access to medical records, treatment details, or other sensitive health information. The agreement had raised concerns because it potentially affects data connected to roughly 79 million Medicaid enrollees nationwide.
The dispute centers in part on seven Democrat-led states: California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, and Washington, that use state funds to provide limited Medicaid benefits to migrants who are not eligible for federally funded coverage. Those states argue that sharing enrollment data with ICE could discourage participation in public health programs and undermine privacy protections.
The decision comes amid heightened scrutiny of Medicaid oversight following multiple high-profile Somali-linked fraud investigations. In Minnesota, federal authorities have charged numerous defendants in schemes involving Medicaid and food stamp fraud, with some cases involving millions of dollars in losses.
The Treasury Department has also announced an investigation into whether federal and state officials failed to prevent large-scale Medicaid fraud tied to organized networks.
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By Popular Demand.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: A sex chatbot for Kenyan youth was funded by British taxpayers, aiming to improve sexual health but reportedly failing to achieve its dubious goals.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) funded the project under the Ideas to Impact programme.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The chatbot was funded in 2019 in Kenya, with the project being part of a larger British foreign aid scheme.
💬KEY QUOTE: “I remember a time when money sent abroad was meant to help irrigate and farm the land in poorer countrie… Whoever dreamt up this idea needs sacking.” – Lee Anderson, Member of Parliament (MP) for Nigel Farage’s Reform Party.
🎯IMPACT: The chatbot did not lead to increased contraception use.
IN FULL
A “pleasure-oriented” sex chatbot aimed at Kenyan young adults was funded with British taxpayer money through a British foreign aid initiative. While intended to promote better sexual health outcomes and an increase in the use of contraception, an academic evaluation found its impact in these areas was negligible.
The project formed part of a £41 million (~$55.2m) British foreign aid program dedicated to exploring “radical technology solutions” for challenges in developing countries. Lawmakers, however, raised concerns about prioritizing taxpayer funds for such efforts.
Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel, a previous International Development Secretary, condemned the expenditure, declaring: “Britain is a country, not a charity. In this ever-changing world UK Aid must serve our national interest.” However, her Conservative Party oversaw high spending on foreign aid for years before its ouster by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party in 2024, and was in power when the chatbot was funded.
“I remember a time when money sent abroad was meant to help irrigate and farm the land in poorer countries,” commented Lee Anderson, a Member of Parliament (MP) for Nigel Farage’s Reform Party. “British taxpayers’ money should not be being wasted on these ridiculous schemes. Whoever dreamt up this idea needs sacking.”
The chatbot was supposedly intended to promote safer sex practices in Kenya, a country grappling with one of the world’s most severe HIV epidemics. However, while Kenyan youth showed engagement with pleasure-related content, the tool did not lead to greater adoption of contraception.
Even so, the pilot was labeled “promising,” prompting discussions about potential additional funding. The FCDO declined to specify the precise amount spent on the chatbot from taxpayer funds, claiming that it would be inappropriate to comment on past funding decisions.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: A trucker who allegedly killed three people in a reckless driving incident on Interstate 81 in Virginia is being charged with three counts of involuntary manslaughter.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: El Hadji Karamoko Ouattara, a 58-year-old naturalized citizen who initially immigrated illegally from the Ivory Coast, and six victims, including three who died.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The incident occurred on December 22 on Interstate 81 in Virginia.
💬KEY QUOTE: “We are going to use every resource, every tool that we have at DOT, to make sure that we have the right people on our road that are well qualified, well licensed.” – Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy
🎯IMPACT: The case has reignited concerns about unqualified, illegal immigrant drivers and lax licensing practices in certain states.
IN FULL
El Hadji Karamoko Ouattara, a 58-year-old Maryland resident originally from the Ivory Coast, is facing three counts of involuntary manslaughter following a fatal crash on Interstate 81 in Virginia that killed three people, including a toddler. According to authorities, Ouattara was driving a tractor-trailer that left the roadway and struck a minivan. Six people from the minivan were transported to a nearby hospital. Three later died from their injuries: 65-year-old Lorraine Renee Williams, 49-year-old Ebony Latasha Williams, and 2-year-old Shazziyah Lesley. Three others survived, including a 63-year-old man, a 73-year-old man, and a 10-year-old girl, all of whom sustained injuries.
Ouattara was initially charged with reckless driving, but prosecutors have since upgraded the charges to involuntary manslaughter. The Roanoke County Sheriff’s Office identified him as a resident of Montgomery Village, Maryland. A federal law enforcement source told Fox News that Ouattara entered the United States illegally in the 1990s, later obtained a green card, and eventually became a naturalized U.S. citizen.
The crash has renewed attention on commercial driver licensing standards and enforcement, particularly as they relate to vetting, training, and language proficiency. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has made trucking safety a central focus of the Department of Transportation, citing concerns about unqualified illegal immigrant drivers operating commercial vehicles.
“We are going to use every resource, every tool that we have at DOT, to make sure that we have the right people on our road that are well qualified, well licensed. That are proficient in the English language to make sure we’re maximizing safety,” Duffy said.
Earlier this month, Duffy announced that California revoked approximately 17,000 non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses that were issued without proper federal vetting. The DOT has also ordered the closure of roughly 3,000 trucking schools nationwide after investigations found widespread violations of federal training standards, including falsified records and inadequate instruction. Thousands of additional schools have been warned they could lose certification if they fail to comply.
The department has also warned several states that they could lose federal transportation funding for failing to enforce English-language proficiency requirements for commercial drivers. California has already filed a lawsuit against the federal government over withheld funds tied to those rules.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: Minnesota Governor and failed 2024vice presidential candidate Tim Walz (D) is facing calls to resign amid allegations of widespread fraud in federal programs managed by the state.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Governor Walz, Republican lawmakers, Somali community members, and federal prosecutors.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Ongoing investigations in Minnesota, with significant developments reported in November and December 2025.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Tim Walz is 100 percent responsible for massive fraud in Minnesota.” – Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
🎯IMPACT: The scandal could derail Walz’s 2026 reelection campaign, and has heightened political tensions in Minnesota.
IN FULL
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) is facing mounting calls to resign amid revelations of widespread fraud in state-administered federal programs. Federal authorities have alleged that fraud schemes targeting these programs could involve billions in losses for the American taxpayer, with many cases reportedly involving members of the Somali community.
The scandal has prompted criticism from both parties. On December 19, five Republican members of the Minnesota House and Senate released a joint statement calling for Walz to resign, declaring, “For the good of the state, Gov. Walz should step aside.”
U.S. Representative Tom Emmer, a Minnesota Republican and House Majority Whip, told the media: “He should resign. He’s a total embarrassment.” Emmer stressed that concerns about these problems had been flagged for years.
Fraud cases have resulted in more than 60 convictions of Somali-background criminals, with Minnesota’s acting U.S. attorney having suggested that more than $9 billion in federal funds could have been misused since 2018. Notably, whistleblowers have said they flagged issues with the Walz administration years ago, but no action was taken, and they were threatened with retaliation.
Reports indicate that Somalis account for 89 percent of those charged across these fraud investigations. Nevertheless, Walz has stood by his administration’s efforts, even claiming that he has “worked for years to crack down on fraud.” Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee posted on X, “It’s absurd for [Tim Walz] to dismiss the corruption that happened right under his nose. He should resign. Minnesotans deserve better.”
The issue has emerged as a key topic in Minnesota politics, potentially affecting Walz’s prospects for reelection in 2026. So far, he appears intent on appeasing the Somali community, even suggesting that ongoing probes into their activities by citizen journalists have white supremacist motivations.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel previously confirmed that federal assets have been deployed to Minnesota to tackle the fraud scandal.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. military conducted a strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. Southern Command, Pentagon officials, and narco-traffickers.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Monday in the eastern Pacific, along known drug-trafficking routes.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations.” – U.S. Southern Command
🎯IMPACT: This marks the 30th strike since September, with the total number of casualties now estimated at 107.
IN FULL
The U.S. military carried out another strike against a drug-trafficking vessel on December 29 in the Pacific Ocean, killing two people aboard, according to U.S. Southern Command. “Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” U.S. Southern Command said on X.
The strike was conducted by a military aircraft and was partially documented in a black-and-white video released by the Department of War. The footage shows the vessel being targeted and then erupting in an explosion.
The operation is part of a broader U.S. campaign launched in September targeting drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and Pacific. The Trump administration says 30 strikes have been carried out so far, resulting in a reported 107 deaths.
President Donald J. Trump recently revealed that U.S. operations have expanded beyond maritime targets. In a recent interview, he referred to a strike on a land-based drug facility in Venezuela, describing an explosion at a dock area used to load narcotics.
Tensions between Washington and Caracas have continued to escalate alongside the anti-narcotics campaign. In recent weeks, U.S. authorities have seized multiple Venezuelan oil tankers sanctioned under U.S. law, with the administration describing the actions as part of a full blockade on illicit oil shipments. Reports have also indicated that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has been authorized to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela as part of broader pressure on the Venezuelan government.
Venezuela has condemned the strikes and tanker seizures, accusing the United States of using counter-narcotics efforts as a cover for a regime change operation.
On Dec. 29, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known… pic.twitter.com/69ywxXk30N
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