Midwest
Minnesota mayors say constituents ‘scared’ as fraud crisis leaves questions unanswered
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Two of the nearly 100 Minnesota mayors demanding answers about the state’s unfolding fraud crisis described a climate of relentless uncertainty that has left some constituents “scared” about what lies ahead.
“My community is reaching out to me because they’re not getting answers from DHS, from other legislators, and they’re scared. There’s so much unknown… and, as a mayor, we are the front line. We try to help them,” South St. Paul Mayor Jimmy Francis said on “Fox & Friends” Wednesday.
So far, that help has involved putting concerned constituents in contact with county officials to find the answers they seek.
“Those that are receiving those benefits are really scared and frightened of what’s next because they don’t know,” he added.
COMER SUMMONS MINNESOTA OFFICIALS AS HOUSE PROBES MASSIVE SOCIAL SERVICES FRAUD
Crosslake, Minnesota, Mayor Jackson Purfeerst, left, and South St. Paul, Minnesota, Mayor Jimmy Francis, right. (Fox & Friends)
The scandal dates back to at least 2020 and involves fraudulent billing for a wide range of government services. It largely involves, but is not limited to, the state’s Somali community.
Crosslake, Minnesota, Mayor Jackson Purfeerst spearheaded a letter co-signed by nearly 100 mayors to Gov. Tim Walz and other state officials on Monday, expressing deep concerns over the development.
“Fraud, unchecked spending and inconsistent fiscal management in St. Paul have trickled down to our cities. … Our state owes it to our citizens to practice responsible fiscal management and to stop taxing our families, seniors and businesses out of Minnesota,” the letter reads in part.
Purfeerst said the number of mayors signing on to the letter is growing and stressed the extent of the crisis afflicting Minnesotans.
AGRICULTURE SECRETARY DEMANDS MINNESOTA FIX SNAP BENEFITS FOR 4 COUNTIES IMMEDIATELY UNDER PILOT PROGRAM
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sits for an interview with Star Tribune journalists in his office at the State Capitol in St. Paul on Dec. 12, 2024. (Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
“If we do the quick math, $9 billion in fraud divided by 5.79 million Minnesotans comes out to roughly be 1,500 bucks a person that each hardworking Minnesotan has had stolen from them,” he said.
Walz, who is running for a third term, took accountability in recent remarks to reporters.
“This is on my watch. I am accountable for this. And more importantly, I am the one that will fix it,” he said.
But Walz questioned whether federal prosecutors’ accusations that the fraud could have totaled in the billions were politically motivated.
“You should be equally outraged about $1 or whatever that number is, but they’re using that number without the proof behind it,” Walz said. “But to extrapolate what that number is for sensationalism, or to make statements about it, it doesn’t really help us.”
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A spokesperson for Walz blasted the fraud investigation in a statement published in the Minnesota Star Tribune.
“This is clearly a coordinated political attack to try to silence one of the President’s most effective critics. The Governor takes fraud seriously and wishes they would too.”
Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
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Cleveland, OH
City of Cleveland files motion to dismiss Kucinich appeal
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The city of Cleveland filed a motion to dismiss former Mayor Dennis Kucinich’s appeal Saturday.
In an April 15 letter, the city previously promised that if Kucinich chose to file a lawsuit with representation, it would officially file for dismissal.
In the motion, the city asked the Eighth District Court of Appeals to dismiss, saying the lawsuit filed by Kucinich cannot stand because state law prohibits nonattorneys from filing lawsuits on behalf of taxpayers.
Kucinich’s lawsuit was dismissed last month, which brought on this appeal the city is pushing back on.
The city and the Browns reached an agreement last October allowing the team to move to Brook Park.
Kucinich had initially filed a lawsuit against the city of Cleveland and the Browns in 2025, saying they both failed to legally enforce the lease to keep the Browns in Cleveland.
The city wants the appeals court to freeze the briefing until the court decides whether Kucinich has the legal standings to proceed with his suit.
Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.
Illinois
Illinois baseball drops Saturday home game vs Nebraska
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) – Illinois baseball was unable to clinch the series win on Saturday at home against Nebraska.
After beating the 20th-ranked Cornhuskers 10-5 on Friday night, Nebraska evened the series with a 10-5 win on Saturday.
Illini starter Mitch Dye allowed eight runs, five being earned, in 3.1 innings pitched.
AJ Putty, Kyle Schupmann, Daniel Contreras and J.R. Nelson all drove in runs for Illinois – but the Illini failed to capitalize heavily in the fourth inning after loading the bases with no one ount – coming away with just one run as the Huskers nabbed an inning ending double play.
Illinois falls to 21-20 overall with the loss, and 9-11 in conference play. The rubber match between these two Big Ten foes is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Indiana
Indiana Fever 109 – New York Liberty 91: Final score, results, recap, box score, stats – Yahoo Sports
It’s been almost 10 months since Caitlin Clark last suited up for the Indiana Fever. Clark made her long-awaited return Saturday against the New York Liberty in both teams’ first preseason games of the year, with the Fever notching a 109-91 win. The 2024 rookie of the year played just 13 games during her sophomore season as she navigated injuries before officially being shut down in September. As Clark enters her third season in the WNBA, the anticipation might rival that of her rookie year, con
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