Midwest
Left-wing Dems steer $1M to addiction group operating above Minneapolis Somali restaurant amid fraud fallout
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FIRST ON FOX: Republican Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst is working to strip more than $1 million of federal funds earmarked for a Somali-led Minnesota addiction recovery organization that shares an address with a Minneapolis Somali restaurant, Fox News Digital learned.
“The scale and frequency of fraud in Minnesota is staggering, but I fear just the tip of the iceberg,” Ernst told Fox News Digital Wednesday. “Congress owes it to the American people to clean up the mess instead of letting the same politicians who created it keep pigging out at the trough. I am putting a stop to this madness, protecting taxpayers, and empowering the Department of Justice to hold every single criminal accountable.”
Capitol Hill lawmakers unveiled a new spending package Monday that totals at least $174 billion and is slated to receive a vote from House lawmakers later this week. Within the package, Ernst’s office found that Omar had earmarked $1,031,000 through the Department of Justice for a group called Generation Hope MN in Minneapolis. The earmark is co-led by Minnesota Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith in the Senate.
Generation Hope MN is a 501(c)(3) that was established in 2019 to create a “a better, safer, and more connected community for individuals experiencing drug addiction and substance use disorders in the greater East African community of the Twin Cities Metro area,” according to its website.
COMER VOWS MINNESOTA FRAUD PROBE WILL EXPAND TO OTHER STATES AMID MOUNTING SCRUTINY
The office of Rep. Ilhan Omar said on its website that the fiscal year 2026 funding to Generation Hope would be used to address the “opioid crisis.” (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“We are a Somali-led organization, and our team includes individuals in recovery, mental health professionals such as licensed counselors and peer recovery support specialists, and community members,” the website states.
The group’s website lists two addresses for the addiction recovery center in Minneapolis, including a location on Cedar Avenue.
The same Cedar Avenue address is also listed as the location for a Somali restaurant called Sagal Restaurant and Coffee. The restaurant’s website describes the restaurant, established in 1998, as a “culinary haven” that “brings the authenticity of Somali cuisine to Minneapolis.” Google Maps, Fox Digital found, also lists a neighborhood association group as also sharing the Cedar Avenue location.
The owner of Sagal Restaurant, Fartune Del, confirmed to Fox News Digital Tuesday evening that Generation Hope MN does operate out of additional office spaces above the restaurant.
“We have 8 office spaces on upper level of the building. Generation Hope (is) using space to help people in need of addiction,” Del told Fox Digital in an email when approached for comment about the shared address.
Ernst is readying an amendment in the Senate to redirect the more than $1 million in funding to a Department of Justice account dedicated to fraud prevention and enforcement, Fox Digital learned. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The other location listed on the addiction recovery group’s website shows a commercial property located on Minneapolis’ Harmon Place.
Ernst is readying an amendment in the Senate to redirect the more than $1 million in funding to a Department of Justice account dedicated to fraud prevention and enforcement, Fox Digital learned.
A review of documents published by Omar’s office promoting the earmark for the project listed the address for Generation Hope MN as sitting on “Cedar Ave. South” — not just “Cedar Avenue” as it’s described on Generation Hope’s website. The Cedar Avenue South address also pulls up the Sagal Restaurant on Google Maps, Fox Digital found.
Yelp reviews for the café and restaurant going back at least a decade praise it as serving “delicious” “Authentic Somali meals,” holding an average of four and half stars out of five based on reviews.
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Omar’s office previously described on its website that the fiscal year 2026 funding to Generation Hope would be used to address the “opioid crisis by combining this workforce readiness programming with addiction recovery, mental health, and housing support,” and “reduce recidivism and addiction while enabling greater opportunities for sustainable employment in the city, helping capable workers grow in their skills and education.”
“The funding would be used for targeted reentry support in Minneapolis including job-specific training, computer skills development, peer support services, and access to education, so that participants are equipped with the tools and resources necessary for workforce success. The initiative integrates a tailored support model with practical job training through partnering with certified apprenticeship programs to provide participants with industry-recognized certifications,” Omar’s office continued.
Homeland Security investigators were part of a large fraud investigation on Monday in Minneapolis following the release of a video over the weekend on alleged daycare fraud. (Department of Homeland Security)
IRS documents, specifically IRS Form 1023-EZ which is needed to apply for recognition as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, showed the three chiefs of Generation Hope MN listed the same address for a five-bedroom home in Minnepolis as their primary residence, Ernst’s office found.
Abdirahman Warsame, a local author, co-founded Generation Hope MN in 2019, he told a media outlet for Minnesota refugees called Sahan Journal in 2022, when he published a book of poetry chronicling a “recovering addict’s journey to sobriety.”
Fox News Digital is looking into whether the group has received previous funds from the federal government.
SOMALI UN AMBASSADOR LINKED TO QUESTIONABLE CINCINNATI HEALTH SERVICE AGENCY, RFK JR. DEPUTY SAYS
Fox News Digital reached out to Warsame, Omar’s office, Klobuchar’s office, Smith’s office, Generation Hope MN for comment on the shared address and earmarked funds Tuesday evening but did not immediately receive replies.
Ernst’s efforts, as well as other Republican-led efforts, to strip the roughly $1 million in favor a project focused on fraud prevention and enforcement comes as Minnesota faces a massive fraud scandal.
Democratic Gov. Tim Walz dropped out of his re-election effort Jan. 5, 2026, amid the fallout of the fraud scandal. (Tim Evans/Reuters)
Minnesota was allegedly home to a massive COVID-era scheme that allegedly involved money laundering operations related to fraudulent meal and housing programs, daycare centers and Medicaid services, according to investigators. Dozens of arrests have been made since 2022, mostly from the state’s large Somali community.
Local officials speculate the fraud could exceed $1 billion and rise to as high as $9 billion, as additional details come to light.
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Democratic Gov. Tim Walz dropped out of his re-election effort Monday amid the fallout of the fraud scandal, while President Donald Trump has slammed Omar, Walz and other Minnesota elected officials for the fraud. Walz, who has served as governor since 2019, took ownership of the fraud as it occurred under his watch, but argued multibillion-dollar figures were “sensationalized” by Republicans.
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Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., says her guest at President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address was forcibly removed and arrested by Capitol Police on Tuesday night.
Omar cited “reports” claiming that software engineer Aliya Rahman was “aggressively handled” as she was forcibly removed from the chamber during Trump’s speech. Omar invited Rahman after she had an altercation with federal agents in Minnesota during “Operation Metro Surge” in January.
“My guest, Aliya Rahman, stood up silently in the gallery during the president’s speech for a short period of time, part of which other guests were also standing. For that, she was forcibly removed, despite warning officers about her injured shoulders and ultimately charged with ‘Unlawful Conduct,’” Omar wrote in a statement.
“Reports indicate she was aggressively handled until someone intervened to secure medical attention. She was taken to George Washington University Hospital for treatment and later booked at the United States Capitol Police headquarters,” she continued.
Rep. Ilhan Omar says her guest to Trump’s State of the Union address was arrested. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images)
“The heavy-handed response to a peaceful guest sends a chilling message about the state of our democracy. I am calling for a full explanation of why this arrest occurred,” she added.
Fox News reached out to Capitol Police, but they did not immediately respond.
The charge Omar said Rahman faces exposes her to a possible sentence of six months in prison and a fine of up to $500.
“There are only two things you can do at the State of the Union, and they are sit down and stand up,” Rahman told Democracy Now. “I was arrested for standing up.”
ILHAN OMAR DOESN’T HAVE ANY REGRETS FOR HER ”UNAVOIDABLE’ OUTBURST AT STATE OF THE UNION
Aliya Rahman, a guest of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D- MN, and a Minneapolis resident who was detained by DHS agents, is escorted from the chamber as Trump delivers his State of the Union address during a Joint Session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on February 24, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
The incident comes after Trump deployed border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis last month after several violent and even deadly interactions between anti-ICE agitators and federal law enforcement.
Homan announced the end of “Operation Metro Surge” earlier this month, saying it was no longer necessary thanks to new cooperation from local law enforcement.
“As a result of our efforts here, Minnesota is now less of a sanctuary state for criminals,” Homan said Feb. 12.
White House border czar Tom Homan attends a press conference in Minneapolis, Minn., Jan. 29, 2026. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)
Homan clarified that a “small footprint of personnel” would remain for a period of time, and he also remains in Minnesota monitoring the drawdown process.
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“Additionally, federal government personnel assigned to conduct criminal investigations into the agitators, as well as the personnel assigned here for the fraud investigations, will remain in place until the work is done,” Homan said at the time.
Fox News’ Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
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When to call 911 and when to use non-emergency lines
This video explains the importance of knowing when to call 911 for emergencies and when to use non-emergency lines for less critical situations.
Detroit restaurateur and nightlife mainstay Michael “Mike B.” Brown was fatally shot early Saturday morning on the city’s west side, a violent incident that also left two other people injured and sent shockwaves through Detroit’s hospitality and entertainment communities.
According to Detroit police, the shooting occurred outside Suite 100, a cocktail bar on Schaefer Highway near Puritan Avenue. Investigators are urging anyone with information to come forward. As of Sunday afternoon, authorities had not announced any suspects or arrests.
“At approximately 4:30 a.m., Saturday, there was a triple shooting that occurred at 15789 Schaefer,” Detroit Police Department (DPD) media relations manager Jasmin Barmore wrote in an official statement Sunday afternoon. “Two of the vicims were found in front of the location and the third across the street from the location. Unfortunately, the victim found across the street from the location, Mikey Brown, succumbed to his injuries.
“The Detroit Police Department extends their condolences to the family and is asking the community for assistance with this incident. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to please contact DPD’s homicide unit or, they can submit an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers or Detroit Rewards TV.”
Brown, 52, had spent decades building a name for himself across Detroit’s club and restaurant circuits, evolving from party promoter to business owner and, in recent years, a culinary entrepreneur with expanding ambitions. His death comes at a moment when he had been working to grow his “Sloppy” restaurant brand – a move that aligned with the rise of new Black-owned establishments reshaping the city’s dining landscape.
His first major restaurant venture, Sloppy Chops, opened in 2020 on West McNichols just off the Lodge Freeway. The steakhouse featured high-end cuts like ribeyes and tomahawks, but it quickly drew wide attention for its low-cost lamb chop specials – a dish with a fervent local following and long-standing ties to the city’s food culture.
A year later, Brown launched Sloppy Crab, later renamed the Crab Sports Bar, on East Jefferson Avenue near the Renaissance Center. The seafood spot mixed Detroiters’ love for crab dishes with the energetic, nightlife-forward atmosphere Brown had refined during his years in the entertainment scene. Occasional cover charges, signature strong cocktails and celebrity drop-ins helped make the venue one of downtown’s most animated destinations, placing it alongside longstanding nightlife pillars such as Floods Bar & Grille and Sweetwater Tavern.
Both restaurants emerged during a period when Detroiters were increasingly vocal about who new development served. Sloppy Crab’s proximity to the riverfront offered an answer to residents who wondered where Black diners fit into the city’s transforming downtown, while Sloppy Chops demonstrated that restaurants with the energy and polish of downtown destinations could thrive in the neighborhoods as well.
As of Sunday afternoon, more than 1,000 comments expressing sadness and shock had flooded a pinned post on Brown’s Instagram page, along with a number of posts on his Facebook profile.
On her own page, Darralynn Hutson, an award-winning journalist, author, documentarian and media strategist who has provided content to a host of media outlets including the Detroit Free Press, shared photos of herself with Brown.
“I had the opportunity to interview Mike a few years ago for a feature in Food & Wine and I remember how reluctant he was about sitting down to talk,” Hutson recalled. “Interviews weren’t his thing – he was much more comfortable building than explaining. I had to call him more than 20 times to set up the interview. He didn’t care about Food & Wine. But once we ate and got into conversation, what came out was his commitment to creating something for his Detroit.”
Brown’s influence stretched far beyond his menus. His establishments became recognizable gathering places, and his presence – familiar from downtown corridors to Dexter Avenue – made him a significant cultural figure in Detroit’s nightlife and, later, its dining renaissance.
His death leaves both industries mourning a personality whose ambitions were still growing, and whose imprint on the city’s social fabric remains unmistakable.
Community members and city leaders celebrated the opening of four new community-powered fridges on the North Side of Milwaukee. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Friday, Feb. 27, at Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, 3624 W. North Ave., to mark the occasion.
The effort to fight food scarcity by opening community-powered fridges comes after several grocery stores closed in the area, creating a food desert.
District 15 Ald. Russell W. Stamper II, who saw several grocery stores in his district close over the past few years, served as the event’s emcee.
“We could either complain about the problem, or we could come together to find a solution,” Stamper said.
In July 2025, a Pick ‘n Save on the North Side closed, prompting the opening of a community-powered fridge at Tricklebee Café in the Sherman Park and Uptown area. Since then, several other grocery stores have closed in the area.
This led Stamper, FEED MKE, Metcalfe Park Community Bridges and One MKE to open four more community-powered fridges.
Christie Melby-Gibbons, executive director of Tricklebee Café, talked about the organization’s community-powered fridge. About a week ago, the fridge was empty for the first time since its launch, so staff turned to their online community for support.
“Within 20 minutes, a woman came in with bags of food and filled the fridge for less than $100,” Melby-Gibbons said.
The community-powered fridge network is run by residents on a take-what-you-need, leave-what-you-can model. Taking a grassroots approach to solving food insecurity in the area, community members provide fresh produce and other healthy food options to ensure that their neighbors have access to nutritious foods.
“Everybody deserves to eat. I can’t go to sleep at night knowing my neighbors are hungry,” said Melody McCurtis, deputy director of Metcalfe Park Community Bridges.
Here’s a list of all the community-powered fridges:
Metcalfe Park Community Bridges
3624 W. North Ave.
Rooted & Rising- Washington Park
3940 W. Lisbon Ave.
Sherman Park Community Association
3526 W. Fond du Lac Ave.
Dominican Center
2470 W. Locust St.
Tricklebee Café
4424 W. North Ave.
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
This article first appeared on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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