Minnesota $1B Fraud Case Draws National Attention
Pope Leo Urges Dialogue in Venezuela, Australia Bans Social Media for Children Under 16, Shooting of National Guard Troops in D.C.
GetSmart Preview: The color of snow is not actually white
Newsbites
Graph of the week: More children are struggling with obesity than malnutrition for the first time in history
Nigeria’s Kidnapping Crisis: On November 21st, over 300 schoolchildren and 12 teachers were abducted at gunpoint from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri Village. The majority of kids are still reported missing to this day. The recent wave of kidnappings in Nigeria has been executed primarily by bandits and Islamist Militants seeking ransom payments. In hopes of helping, the Nigerian government made it illegal to pay ransom payments, leaving families with missing loved ones in a nearly impossible situation. Between July 2024 and June 2025, at least 4,722 people were abducted in 997 incidents across Nigeria, and at least 762 were killed, according to SBM Intelligence, an Africa-focused consulting firm. Because of the instability and fear of abduction, 18 million of Nigeria’s 105 million children do not attend school.
More: Nigeria is the 6th most populous country in the world and Africa’s largest oil producer. Mass abductions, widespread terrorism, and religious persecution of Christians have greatly troubled the country, which now faces a growing hunger crisis.
Pope Leo Urges the U.S. to Dialogue: “There is this danger, this possibility, that there could be an action, an operation, including an invasion of Venezuelan territory,” Pope Leo told reporters on a flight home from Beirut. “I again believe it is better to seek dialogue within this pressure, including economic pressure, but looking for another way to bring about change, if that is what the United States decides to do.” The U.S. has struck at least 21 boats in the Caribbean, killing over 80 people. They have also sent 15,000 troops, the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, and F-35 jets to the Caribbean in a major military buildup. The Trump Administration argues Venezuela kills more than 300,000 Americans a year due to drug trafficking and is seeking to oust the country’s leader, Nicholas Maduro.
The government of Australia has implemented a social media ban for kids 16 and under. As of December 10, tech companies like Google, Meta, TikTok, and X will be forced to take “reasonable steps” to comply or face a $33M fine. Australia (pop. 28M) is the first country to implement such a restriction. eSafety commissioner Julie Inman said the platforms have “powerful, harmful, deceptive design features that even adults are powerless to fight against. What chance do our children have?” An Australian government study found that 96% of children between the ages of 10 and 15 have social media accounts.
More: Denmark has proposed similar legislation to block social media for kids 15 and under, and Norway is also pursuing something similar.
Shooting of National Guard: Two National Guard soldiers were shot at close range in downtown D.C. last Wednesday. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died shortly after, while Andrew Wolfe, 24, sustained life-threatening injuries and is currently hospitalized. The two soldiers were on patrol as a part of the Trump Administration’s effort to crack down on crime in American cities, including Washington, D.C. Police have arrested a suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old from Afghanistan, who will be charged with first-degree murder. The shooting has prompted multiple announcements from the Trump Administration to curb immigration from Afghanistan and other countries.
More: Read a collection of written tributes to Sarah Beckstrom, who had volunteered to work over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Lethal boat strikes in question: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is under pressure after a deadly strike on a drug cartel boat on September 2, which killed 9 people. The Washington Post reported that after the first deadly strike on the drug boat, a second attack was ordered, which killed two survivors who were in the water. “I would not have wanted that, a second strike,” Trump responded to reporters. “The first strike was very lethal, it was fine.” Trump continues to back Hegseth amid the increased criticism.
tinybites
Travelers who do not have a “Real ID” will be required to pay a $45 fee to get through TSA security at the airport starting on February 1, 2026.
Netflix has agreed to buy Warner Bros for $72B, although it’s unclear whether the acquisition will pass anti-trust laws.
The White House published a website to document “false and misleading” media coverage by identifying a “media offender of the week” and recording an “offender hall of shame.”
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released unseen images and videos of Epstein’s Island residence (photos).
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene resigned after her fallout with President Trump, citing failures of the MAGA movement and the “Political Industrial Complex” in her statement.
A recent study demonstrated an association between children receiving a cellphone by age 12 and poor health outcomes such as obesity, depression, and sleep loss.
Minnesota $1B Fraud Case Draws National Attention
What’s going on?
New reports this week detailing the massive “Feeding our Future” fraud scheme put Minnesota, Governor Tim Walz, and the Somali immigrants at the center of the national conversation.
In what the Justice Department termed “the largest Covid-19 fraud scheme in the country,” dozens of people have been convicted of profiting over $250M by claiming to have provided millions of meals to children. Other reports, which include fraud in other programs, say the theft could reach as much as $1B once the investigation is completed.
The focus has been on a now-defunct Minnesota nonprofit organization called Feeding Our Future, which registered feeding sites with local businesses. State agencies reimbursed the organization for invoices claiming to have fed tens of thousands of school children. In reality, the meals were not provided, and the owners bought luxury cars and homes with hundreds of millions of stolen dollars.
Overall, 86 people have been charged with fraud. 78 of the 86 defendants are Somali immigrants who live in Minnesota. It has also been alleged that some of the fraud money was sent back to Al-Shabaab, a militant terrorist group based in Somalia.
Did Governor Walz ignore the fraud?
Over 400 employees at the Minnesota Department of Human Services sent out a post on X claiming that Governor Walz is “100% responsible” for allowing the fraud, which they claim was brought to his attention multiple times. The post said Walz threatened whistleblowers and their families. This has been reported by Fox News, Newsweek, and Alpha News. The credibility of the post and its representation of 400 actual employees is disputed.
Trump directs ICE to the Twin Cities
Trump responded to the news, saying, “I don’t want them in our country, I’ll be honest with you…and we’re going to go the wrong way if we keep taking garbage into our country.” He continued, “They’ve destroyed our country, and all they do is complain, complain, complain.”
Trump threatened to revoke Temporary Protected Status for Somalis in Minnesota, and Homeland Security announced on Thursday that the recent “operation metro surge“ conducted by ICE has already arrested criminals in Minneapolis. 5 out of 12 are from Somalia.
Although most of the 80,000 Somalians in Minnesota are American citizens, the Department of Homeland Security and ICE are likely to target visa fraud. Kristi Noem, the director, said about 50% of the Somali visas in Minnesota are fraudulent.
Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a federal investigation into whether any money collected by the scheme was sent back to Al-Shabaab, the Islamic militant group in Somalia.
Minnesota leadership says they will not comply
Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Minneapolis will not comply with ICE raids and that Somalis should “dial 911” if a federal agent shows up at their house.
In a public effort to show support for the Somalians, Minneapolis Mayor Frey ate at a Somali restaurant and spoke in Somali mid-speech to reporters.
Here are some of their quotes:
Governor Walz: “We welcome support in investigating and prosecuting crime. But pulling a PR stunt and indiscriminately targeting immigrants is not a real solution to a problem” (link).
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar: “My message to Trump: Your message of bigotry won’t work. Somali Americans are here to stay” (link).
Minneapolis Mayor, Jacob Frey: “Minneapolis is proud to be home to the largest Somali community in the country. They are our neighbors, our friends, and our family — and they are welcome in our city. Nothing Donald Trump does will ever change that” (link).
GetSmart: The color of snow is not what you think it is
Did you know that snow isn’t actually white? Individual snow crystals are translucent, but when they amass in the billions, light scatters off their tiny surfaces, creating the white appearance we know. Snow is technically colorless, but can collect dust or algae, which gives it a strange color. Sometimes, orange snow or pink (watermelon) snow covers the ground. And remember, don’t eat the yellow snow.
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