Midwest
Dem-appointed education officials face new scrutiny as Feeding Our Future scandal widens, Trump targets fraud
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New scrutiny has fallen on former Minnesota Department of Education leaders as the Feeding Our Future scandal tied to Gov. Tim Walz widens and President Donald Trump announces new measures targeting fraud in the state.
Feeding Our Future (FOF) was a Minnesota nonprofit that aimed to feed low-income children, though federal prosecutors claimed it illegally funneled more than $250 million in taxpayer funds to shell companies and people who used the money to purchase luxury cars, residential and commercial real estate, international travel and expensive jewelry. MDE was the government’s financial interlocutor responsible for approving and monitoring it.
In 2018, MDE conducted its only administrative review of the child and adult care food program operations (CACFP) at FOF.
According to a 120-page report from Minnesota Legislative Auditor Judy Randall and Special Reviews Director Katherine Theisen reviewed by Fox News Digital, MDE “failed to act on warning signs known to the department prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and prior to the start of the alleged fraud.”
WALZ ‘DERELICT LEADERSHIP’ TO BLAME IN $1B FRAUD SCANDAL WITH ‘HAUNTING REMINDS OF WATERGATE’: GOP CHALLENGER
The sun shines on the Minnesota state Capitol on Feb. 12, 2024, in St. Paul, on the opening day of the 2024 session of the Minnesota legislature. (Steve Karnowski/Associated Press)
MDE also “did not effectively exercise its authority to hold Feeding Our Future accountable to program requirements [and was] ill-prepared to respond to the issues it encountered with Feeding Our Future,” the auditors found.
During the period when the alleged scheme was forming, MDE was led by Brenda Cassellius through January 2019, when Walz took office. Walz then appointed Mary Cathryn Ricker – now at the Albert Shanker Institute, which is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers – to succeed her. Walz announced Ricker’s appointment on Dec. 20, 2018, and she formally began serving in 2019.
Cassellius’ tenure fell during the initial approval of FOF and its 2018 administrative review. Ricker’s tenure notably fell during what the audit described as the pivotal moments in the timeline when the group grew greatly and an approval for a summer food service program was made despite FOF losing its federal tax-exempt status.
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As of the June 2024 audit, MDE had only conducted one administrative review of FOF’s CACFP operations – while MDE received at least 30 complaints about FOF during the combined tenures of Cassellius and Ricker.
“By law, state agencies must promptly investigate complaints received or irregularities noted in connection with CACFP and SFSP,” the auditors said.
“Many of MDE’s complaint investigation procedures and practices were inappropriate or of limited usefulness, particularly in the context of the alleged fraud. While MDE had written complaint investigation procedures, their limited scope and failure to address important issues undermined their ability to promote good investigative practices.”
WALZ ‘HAS BEEN AN ABSOLUTE FAILURE’ IN COMBATING FRAUD, SAYS GOP GUBERNATORIAL CHALLENGER ROBBINS
The audit also found that MDE created somewhat of a feedback loop in which MDE “inappropriately asked Feeding Our Future to investigate complaints about itself.”
Additionally, MDE approved FOF’s SFSP application in June 2020 without re-verifying its nonprofit status, even though the IRS had revoked that status in February 2020 and later posted that revocation online.
Under Ricker’s stewardship, MDE’s payments to FOF increased 2,800% from fiscal year 2020 through 2021, according to the auditor’s report.
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Former Minnesota Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius is seen during her tenure in Boston (David Ryan/Getty Images)
In one 2021 case referenced in the lengthy audit report, a vendor informed the state that FOF requested they offer a kickback and refused – and soon after, FOF canceled that vendor’s contract.
At one point, in 2021, MDE halted payments to FOF, but the group then sued under claims of racial discrimination, according to the Minnesota Reformer. A district judge in Ramsey County then ruled Minnesota couldn’t halt payments unless they confirmed fraudulent behavior, according to the outlet.
Current Education Commissioner Willie Jett II said during a hearing following the audit that his agency made proper referrals to police and that the responsibility for the fraud “lies with the indicted and convicted fraudsters.”
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Since then, Jett pledged to continue to strengthen oversight of such disbursements, and reportedly established an inspector general and general counsel’s office.
While MDE oversaw FOF, fraudsters also exploited other “low barrier” entry vulnerabilities in programs administered by the Department of Human Services (DHS) around the same time.
In September, Asha Hassan, who was also charged in the scheme, was federally indicted on wire fraud charges for her alleged role in a $14 million scheme to defraud the state autism program.
“To be clear, this is not an isolated scheme. From Feeding Our Future to Housing Stabilization Services and now Autism Services, these massive fraud schemes form a web that has stolen billions of dollars in taxpayer money,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson said in a statement.
Fox News Digital reached out to Milwaukee Public Schools – where Cassellius is currently the superintendent – as well as the Albert Shanker Institute for comment from Ricker.
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Detroit, MI
Steve Yzerman out as Detroit Red Wings GM, moves to senior advisor role
The Detroit Red Wings announced on Wednesday that Steve Yzerman is stepping down from his role as GM and executive vice president.
Yzerman will continue working with the organization as a senior advisor to Red Wings governor and CEO Chris Ilitch.
The Red Wings are now searching for a new head of hockey operations.
“Steve’s lifetime of contributions to the Red Wings has meant more to this franchise than words can truly express, and I have the highest level of respect for his continued commitment to our organization,” Ilitch said in a statement. “We are thankful for Steve’s hard work and dedication as General Manager and are grateful knowing Steve will remain where he belongs – here with the Red Wings family.”
Yzerman returned to Detroit in April 2019 after a successful front office career with the Tampa Bay Lightning, replacing longtime GM Ken Holland.
“I am sincerely grateful to Chris and the entire Ilitch family,” Yzerman said in a statement. “This organization has given me incredible opportunities, from my time as a player to the privilege of returning as General Manager. I’ve appreciated every experience throughout the years, and I’m extremely proud to remain part of this great franchise.”
As the Red Wings commence their search for Yzerman’s replacement, Yzerman will remain in his current role to facilitate the day-to-day of hockey operations until a replacement is named. The organization says it will consider both internal and external candidates for the role.
“Clearly, we are not where we and our fans expect to be as an organization,” Ilitch said. “I’m looking forward to bringing in new leadership to build the championship-caliber organization Hockeytown deserves.”
“My commitment to the Red Wings and this community will never waver, and I look forward to supporting the organization in whatever role is needed to achieve our collective goals,” Yzerman said. “I want to thank our passionate fanbase for their support, as they are what makes Detroit and the entire state of Michigan a very special place in the hockey world.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Milwaukee, WI
City funding awarded for redevelopment at 2618 N. Milwaukee
The City of Chicago has awarded a $3 million Community Development Grant for the redevelopment of the former Grace’s Furniture building at 2618 N. Milwaukee. Planned by Bluestar Properties and Marc Realty, the building was built in 1914 as a storage warehouse and sits within the Logan Square Boulevards District.
2618 N. MilwaukeeGoogle Maps
With K2 Studio serving as the architect, the existing structure will be converted into a four-story health club with a ground floor restaurant and cafe. Set to be known as Logan Square Athletic Club, the health club will be operated by Chicago Athletic Clubs.
The redevelopment will rehabilitate the existing brick facade along N. Milwaukee Ave while creating a new brick facade on the south elevation.
2618 N. MilwaukeeK2 Studio
The $11 million development will be supported in part by the $3 million Community Development Grant, which is funded through the city’s Housing and Economic Development bond.
According to Block Club Chicago, the project is expected to begin construction in Fall 2026 with construction expected to last for one year, with the gym set to open in late 2027.
Minneapolis, MN
Walking All the Streets of Western Northeast Park
Editor’s Note: Max Hailperin is walking each of Minneapolis’ 87 neighborhoods, in alphabetical order. He chronicles his adventures at allofminneapolis.com, where the original version of this article was published July 4, 2026.
The Northeast Park neighborhood is arguably the northeasternmost in Minneapolis. Those that extend somewhat further east are nowhere near as far north, and those that are further north don’t extend as far to the east. Of course, everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. I’m not trying to pick a fight with Waite Park, for example.
What’s inarguable is that the neighborhood divides into two quite distinct areas. West of Johnson Street, there’s a nearly square portion, bounded on its other three sides by Broadway Street, Central Avenue, and 18th Avenue. (I’ll omit the direction indicator NE, which applies to all streets and avenues in this area.) This western portion was the focus for this first walk in the neighborhood. Unlike the irregularly shaped area east of Johnson, it has a grid-based layout, albeit with substantial gaps.
The main loop of my walk began and ended at the southwest corner, the intersection of Broadway and Central. The building on that corner, The Broadway, presents a low-profile facade toward Broadway, which is the uphill side of a sloping lot. The main tenant on this side is Spyhouse Coffee, which makes the most of the timber and brick interior. I chose to wait until the end of the walk to see other parts of the building.
Heading east on Broadway, the next building I passed was the National Guard armory, described more fully by the sign out front as the “Minnesota Army National Guard N.E. Minneapolis Training and Community Center.” A sprawling one-story structure built in 1992, it has none of the romance of the earlier castle-like armories or the vaulted art deco structure in downtown Minneapolis. Together with its parking lot, it occupies the entire triple-sized block from Tyler to Fillmore, with Polk and Taylor being absent in this area.
East of Fillmore, I continued in a forward-and-back spur two blocks to Buchanan, with a side spur north on Pierce. This reflects the fact that Pierce doesn’t cross the diagonal railroad tracks, one of the many ways in which the street grid of this area gives way to the realities of land use.
I rather like how commercial, residential and recreational uses are mixed together, leading to buildings of widely varying age, style, and size. Some of them have also gained a new look and new purpose over time. For example, a concrete-block building on the corner of Broadway and Pierce, which looks like it started life as an automotive business in the 1970s, now has a sharp paint job and signage announcing its repurposing as Abra Kadabra Environmental Services: “When nature creeps in, call us.”

An even more striking example lies in the first block north of Broadway on Fillmore, a house now prominently exhibiting mural art by Yuya Negishi, but upon closer examination showing signs of its origins as the Samuel Moyer Gospel Lighthouse.

Take another look again at that mural-adorned former chapel, this time with an eye toward how its form fits that of its neighbors. To its right and further to its left, there are houses with similarly pitched roofs. But this appearance of consistency is somewhat illusory. The neighbor immediately to the left (or north) only came into view as I walked a bit further.
That immediate neighbor, a flat-roofed two-story structure, was built in 1901 as an apartment building. Today its four rental units are guarded by three metal roosters.

All of these residence are directly across Fillmore from the United States Postal Service’s Vehicle Maintenance Facility, just north of the armory. At the time of my walk, its lot was packed full of Next Generation Delivery Vehicles, which I assume were being readied for their initial deployment.
I walked 13th Avenue east from Fillmore to its dead end just beyond Lincoln Street, where Interstate 35W cuts through. So far as getting anywhere goes, I was wasting my time to go that extra half block beyond Lincoln. But the whole point of this project isn’t to get anywhere, it’s to see what there is to see. And you never know when you’re going to see a giraffe in someone’s back yard.

A few roosters or a giraffe are nothing compared to the lawn ornaments on one of the Lincoln Street houses just south of 12th Avenue. The horizontal lines of flower boxes and whatnot balance out the vertical totem-pole-like collection of cartoon characters (Minnie Mouse, a pig chef, baby Yoda, a cow and I don’t know what else).

With that behind me, you’ll understand why, after wrapping around to Buchanan Street, I was unsure about the turkey resting on a loading dock. Was it like the metal roosters, the giraffe, the pig? I waited. Eventually it swiveled its head, answering my question in the negative.

The very presence of a loading dock amidst residences is not something one would see in more rigidly zoned neighborhoods. The residences vary in age, with my eye particularly drawn to one a couple blocks further north that turns out to be from 1902.

The street grid is interrupted again at 14th Avenue, this time by Northeast Athletic Field Park, the defining feature of the neighborhood. I walked a spur east along 14th Avenue as far as Johnson Street, then turned west to continue my main loop. The athletic fields themselves are just athletic fields, nothing that struck me as out of the ordinary. (I’m notably non-athletic.) But the restroom building in the block between Buchanan and Pierce is a standout for its Creatives after Curfew mural celebrating “the heart of Northeast Park.” It was painted in 2021 by Leslie Barlow, Maiya Lea Hartman, Thomasina Topbear, Maria Robinson and Claudia Valentino, sponsored by the Northeast Park Neighborhood Association.

Once I was headed back northbound on Fillmore, I detoured off to the west on the entrance driveway leading to Sociable Cider Werks. For a pedestrian, it’s actually easier to access this business from the north, but I wasn’t sure yet whether that was blocked off or not, so I took the driveway. I enjoyed a brief rest stop on their patio, consuming a Freewheeler cider and an oil-stained paper bag of seasoned french fries from the resident food trailer, Smashed Patty’s.

The All of Minneapolis project has been an on-and-off part of my life for a decade now, and though there has been change over that time, there have also been constants. One of those constants has been my struggle with how to balance the interesting and the beautiful in my choice of photo subjects.
North of the park on Fillmore, there are two quite similar buildings, each built in the late 19th century by Aaron Carlson as a duplex and then extended by him in the 1920s and subdivided. I decided to photograph the slightly older of the two (1897 versus 1899), even though I can’t count the obscuring of the original facade in the category of beauties. It simply is too interesting a glimpse into the evolution of this Minneapolis housing to be ignored. And that’s even before the name “Aaron Carlson” meant anything to me. (Later in the walk I saw the name on a smokestack and looked it up.)

As I walked by other residential properties, mostly from varying decades of the 20th century, I was frequently as interested by the flowering bushes and trees as by the buildings. Likewise, when I came around to the Johnson Street side of the park, I was as drawn to the daffodils planted around the sign as I was by the water park visible in the background.

After following 16th Avenue along the northern border of the park, I turned north on Buchanan Street and found myself walking alongside a school building for which the playground equipment already signaled that it wasn’t just any school. Yinghua Academy is a Mandarin Chinese immersion school.

Before I turned onto 17th Avenue and saw the front of the school (complete with a fitting Little Free Library), I paused to consider the white duplex at 1709 Buchanan. The horizontal lines and white color made me think of one of the less common styles of modernist architecture, loosely inspired by the Secession Building in Vienna. I don’t know whether that was intentional; the history of the building’s construction and expansion is complex.


Once I was back to 18th Avenue, I headed west from Pierce Street to Central Avenue, with southward spurs down Taylor, Polk and Tyler Streets. This is a rhododendron-enhanced residential area dead ending at the railroad-adjacent industrial zone that now contains Sociable Cider Werks and the former Industrial Machinery Company building, fancifully called “The Alamo.” I saw the front of that building once I turned onto Central Avenue.


To access the part of this industrial area that is south of the tracks, I turned east on 14th Avenue. Extending south of there on Tyler Street is the former Crown Iron Works, redeveloped by Hillcrest Development. Today it is the Crown-Arts Center, billed as a “Creative Office Campus.” Sadly, one of the tenants I visited, Bauhaus Brew Labs, has closed in the interval between my walk and completing this writeup.



Tyler Street also brought me back to The Broadway building, where I had begun my walk. Across the parking lot from it is a 2023 apartment building featuring a mural by Chuck U. The parking lot also provides a good view of the historical signage (“The Land-O-Nod Co., Bedding Manufacturers”) and is the site for a sculpture by Zoran Mojsilov.)



The parking lot also provides access to the side of the building opposite Tyler Street, where there is a sheltered area between the building itself and the retaining wall of Central Avenue, which ascends to Broadway. That area contains a stone amphitheater and a patio served by Padraigs Brewing. There I capped my walk off with an N.E. Porter and a Potter’s Pasty.



All photos by Max Hailperin
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