For years, Democrats assured us that expanding government programs was an act of moral heroism — that the only thing standing between America and utopia was more taxpayer money flowing through more “community-based” nonprofits embracing “equity-centered” missions.

Then Minnesota happened, exposing a truth the radical left will never admit: The system isn’t broken. This is exactly how it’s designed to work.

Over 70 people connected to the Minnesota nonprofit Feeding Our Future face federal charges in the country’s largest COVID pandemic fraud scandal. It was primarily Somali American defendants who allegedly stole funds meant for low-income children by submitting falsified invoices, fake meal counts and fabricated rosters. The organizations billed the government for tens of millions of unserved meals, using the stolen money for luxury cars, beachfront property and homes.

It’s jaw-dropping — but it’s not surprising. And it happened because Democrats built a system practically engineered for abuse by the nonprofit industrial complex. Here are the five reasons this fraud was so easy to commit — and why the same conditions exist in states across the country.

WALZ BEARS ‘FULL RESPONSIBILITY’ FOR $1B FRAUD SCANDAL, GOP CHALLENGER DEMUTH DECLARES

1. Democrats built programs with almost no guardrails — by design

It’s easy to blame “COVID chaos” for what unfolded in Minnesota, but the fraud wasn’t subtle. COVID-19 simply provided the political cover to dump hundreds of millions of dollars onto a broken, low-oversight system.

According to DOJ indictments, the perpetrators’ lies were ludicrous. One defendant, Abdirashid Dool, claimed his site in Pelican Rapids was serving 6,000 meals a day, seven days a week. The entire population, children and adults, of Pelican Rapids is less than 2,500. Another network of sites, Empire Cuisine, fraudulently obtained more than $47 million.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT MINNESOTA’S ‘FEEDING OUR FUTURE’ FRAUD AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S LATEST CRACKDOWN

This level of cartoonish fraud was only possible because state agencies rubber-stamped the reimbursements. The priority wasn’t accuracy — it was speed and political optics. The minute a program is tied to a specific “vulnerable” community, Democrats in power lose the nerve for a genuine audit, fearing a PC backlash more than losing taxpayer dollars. They prioritized the appearance of service over the actual delivery of food, creating an oversight-free slush fund.

2. Ideology blinded Democratic leadership to obvious fraud

This scandal metastasized because the perpetrators claimed to serve a marginalized refugee community. In the modern Democratic Party, that instantly grants immunity from scrutiny.

DR. OZ WARNS WALZ TO ADDRESS ALLEGED SOMALI MEDICAID FRAUD OR LOSE FEDERAL FUNDING: ‘WE’LL STOP PAYING’ 

Minnesota officials were accused of racism if they questioned the obviously fake claims. Feeding Our Future advocates figured that out early and used it as a shield, accusing officials of discrimination the moment anyone asked why the numbers didn’t add up.

MINNESOTA GOVERNMENT WORKERS BLAME WALZ FOR ‘MASSIVE FRAUD’ AMID ALLEGATIONS AGAINST SOMALI COMMUNITY

This ideological paralysis isn’t unique to Minnesota. Around the country, anything labeled “equity,” “community-centered” or “culturally specific” gets waved through without a second look. The result? Truly vulnerable communities get nothing, while politically connected insiders walk away with millions.

3. The “Nonprofit Industrial Complex” and the crony network

This scandal metastasized because the perpetrators claimed to serve the state’s massive Somali refugee community. In the modern Democratic Party, that instantly grants immunity from scrutiny.

Feeding Our Future was a classic middleman operation, receiving huge administrative fees — over $18 million — for sponsoring the fraudulent meal sites. They used this position to solicit direct bribes, often disguised as “consulting fees,” from the groups they were supposed to be supervising. The criminals then established dozens of shell companies and fake non-profits purely to enroll, receive federal money and quickly launder the proceeds.

MINNESOTA TAXPAYER DOLLARS FUNNELED TO AL-SHABAAB TERROR GROUP, REPORT ALLEGES

This complex, cozy network is the lifeblood of modern Democratic politics: you rely on politically friendly non-profit groups to provide services and eventually campaign support, creating a self-sustaining system that actively resists external auditing.

We see the same pattern everywhere: Oregon was forced into ending Measure 110 drug treatment grants over misuse of funds and Washington state was slammed for 86 problems against nearly a dozen state agencies for either not complying with federal grant rules or not fully accounting for spending. New York’s migrant shelter contracts were criticized for being ripe for abuse.

4. No one in government pays a price for failure, so the failures never stop

Despite hundreds of millions in stolen money, not a single high-ranking Minnesota official has resigned. In fact, Minnesota Democrats have spent more time downplaying or deflecting the scandal than acknowledging their role in enabling it.

FEDERAL PROBE TARGETS ALLEGED MINNESOTA SOMALI FRAUD ‘NETWORK’ AS COVID-AID CRIME RINGS PERSIST

Gov. Tim Walz, whose administration failed to detect or stop the massive fraud, now talks tough about holding scammers accountable then immediately pivots to attacking President Donald Trump for calling Somali fraudsters “garbage,” casting himself as a defender of the Somali community. Walz and his allies act outraged so they can claim the moral high ground, yet these are the same people who spent the past six years branding White Americans as racists and blaming them for a supposed “White supremacy culture” that conveniently justified the racially selective social-justice programs now exposed as vehicles for fraud.

EMMER SLAMS WALZ, DEMANDS ACCOUNTABILITY OVER ALLEGED RETALIATION TIED TO MINNESOTA FRAUD

This lack of accountability is standard practice. California lost over $20 billion in fraudulent unemployment claims, including to death row inmates. Not a single major political figure suffered consequences. When the government rewards incompetence and punishes no one, incompetence becomes standard operating procedure.

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5. Democrats refuse to admit big government fails, so fraud gets denied, minimized, or politically reframed

Democrats treat big government as infallible. If the system fails, it must be because critics are racist, or Republicans are “politicizing it,” or journalists are overhyping it. It can never be that the programs themselves are ripe for corruption. So the cycle repeats — with bigger budgets and even less accountability.

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The Feeding Our Future scandal is being sold as a Minnesota embarrassment. It’s much bigger than that. It’s a warning about what happens when you combine ideological blinders, political patronage, oversized government programs, and zero accountability.

Minnesota just got caught. Other states are simply waiting their turn.

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Orange wine, smoked old fashioned, freezer martinis, oysters, olives and more were covering bar tops across Motown over the past 12 months or so as Detroit welcomed the debut of many new splashy lounges and neighborhood watering holes.

From the east side to the west — and of course downtown as well — new places offered unique wine lists, mocktails, throwback drinks and other fun for adults, including books and games.

Read on for details on a dozen of the coolest new bars that opened in the city this year, in no particular order. For the sake of perimeters, I used the same criteria for the Best New Restaurants 2025 list, considering businesses that first opened between November of 2024 and October of this year. Hours listed are the regular business hours, which may be different this month due to the holidays.

The Dirty Shake — Midtown

Adding another cool and casual spot to the list of watering holes in the Cass Corridor, the Dirty Shake debuted in March in a brick building at Second and Forest. Like its elder statesman neighbor down the block the Bronx Bar, the drinks here are pretty cheap and the food is high quality and fun. That’s because it’s owned by the guys behind Chartreuse Kitchen + Cocktails and Freya, Sandy Levine and chef Doug Hewitt. You can have lunch or dinner here (cheeseburgers, smoked chicken wings, jerk chicken, vegan stuff) or just snack on Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, Reese’s Popcorn and other bagged treats. The fact that the Dirty Shake is open daily at 11:30 a.m. and has a big wrap-around porch for summertime makes it an instant classic.

Thanks to generous viewers, TMJ4’s Home 4 the Holidays Virtual Food Drive raised more than $29,000 for Milwaukee’s Hunger Task Force — money that will help get food on tables this holiday season.

The donations came as the Hunger Task Force reports a 35% increase in traffic at local pantry networks over the past year.

The fundraising effort marks the 10th year that Raymond James, TMJ4, and Milwaukee’s Hunger Task Force have partnered for the Home 4 the Holidays virtual food drive. The online platform allows people to purchase an assortment of holiday food choices from the comfort of their own home or office.

Gary Sievewright from Raymond James explained why the company continues its annual participation.

Watch: Community raises over $29,000 during Home 4 the Holidays virtual food drive

Community raises over $29,000 during Home 4 the Holidays virtual food drive

“It’s part of our culture to be involved in the community, and we just love the need to help people that really have a need for food, right? So this is a passion of ours, it’s a passion of yours. We love the partnership, and we’re happy to raise as much money as we can every year,” Sievewright said.

People can continue making donations by visiting HungerTaskForce.org to help feed families in need this holiday season.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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