Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis teachers call school district’s proposed budget cuts “emotional blackmail”
MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis teachers will be sounding off Thursday on the district’s proposed budget cuts, calling it “emotional blackmail” that targets some of the district’s most vulnerable students.
This is all coming as the district and its teachers are in mediation for a new contract deal.
Minneapolis Public Schools says it’s dealing with what it calls a “historic” budget shortfall of at least $110 million. But teachers aren’t buying it.
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To make up for the lack of money, the district says cuts may need to be made to fifth-grade music classes, assistant principal positions, specialists for literacy and math and less funding for other programs.
The Minneapolis Federation of Teachers is blaming the budget shortfalls on the district’s reckless spending. The union says the administration needs to reprioritize its spending because better pay and benefits for teachers means higher quality education for students.
Teachers in the district have worked without a contract for eight months. They will speak more at a news conference scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
Saturday marks one month since a federal agent shot and killed Renee Good in Minneapolis. Thousands gathered at Powderhorn Park to celebrate her life and honor her legacy.
Indigenous leaders led a crowd to honor Good and others killed by ICE by “turning mourning into witness and witness into protection.”
A rabbi spoke at the event, reading a message from Becca Good, Renee’s wife.
“I want Renee and our family to be known for how we practiced radical kindness every day. We know what we’ve seen. We know that this is wrong.”
Good’s sister also spoke to the crowd.
“We are so proud of how you show up for each other. My family is so grateful for you. Thank you for being my sister’s home,” said Annie Granger.
The Indigenous community in Minneapolis has been on the forefront of ICE resistance.
Organizers encouraged people to join to stand together in love, peace and prayer.
“A lot of times the talk is also angry, and we have a place for anger too,” said Jane Moren of Minneapolis, “but we need all the healing we can get over this thing.”
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A woman pleaded guilty to felony charges for her role in a massive criminal enterprise that billed the Medicaid program for “phantom” services.
Medicaid fraud guilty plea
What we know:
Nasro Takhal pleaded guilty Friday to two felony counts of aiding and abetting theft of Medicaid funds as part of a multi-million fraud scheme.
She was charged in 2024 with 17 felonies as part of a multi-year investigation by the state’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
The PITSTOP-66 investigation involved numerous Medicaid providers, including interpreters, drivers and clinics.
Prosecutors say they billed the Medicaid program for “phantom” services from 2019-2021.
They were accused of recruiting and exploiting Somali American residents in Faribault to seek medical care in the Twin Cities that they did not actually need or were ineligible to receive.
Prosecutors say they also used “invalid and fabricated” names to submit thousands of Medicaid claims for transportation and interpretation services covered by Medicaid, according to court records.
Takhal and other defendants targeted residents in the Faribault area because it was located less than 60 miles from most Medicaid providers in the Twin Cities. This allowed them to maximize their Medicaid reimbursements from UCare for non-emergency medical transportation.
Why you should care:
Non-emergency medical transportation and interpretation services are two of the 14 Medicaid services flagged as being vulnerable to waste, fraud and abuse.
Minnesota recently froze payments to those programs because of growing concerns about widespread Medicaid fraud in the state.
Conviction and consequences
What’s next:
Takhal will be sentenced in October. She will be ordered to pay more than $300,000 in restitution.
The Source: This story uses information from the FOX 9 investigative team.
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