Midwest
WATCH: Walz, Ellison, Omar refuse to answer when pressed on fraud after contentious fraud hearing
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Following the highly anticipated House Oversight Committee hearing on fraud Wednesday, Fox News Digital pressed Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison about their roles in the scandal but received no response from the embattled officials.
“Why wasn’t the fraud caught sooner, governor?” Walz was asked after the hearing. “Almost $10 billion — why wasn’t it caught sooner?”
Walz declined to answer as he was escorted down a hallway by staff but stopped briefly to speak with another individual. During a second encounter, Walz again declined to answer the question but acknowledged a security guard as he walked down the hallway.
“Mr. Attorney General, can you tell us why the fraud wasn’t caught sooner?” Ellison was asked after his testimony.
TAFOYA RIPS WALZ ‘DODGING’ ACCOUNTABILITY IN HEARING, UNVEILS PLAN TO FIGHT FRAUD: ‘FULL WEIGHT OF THE LAW’
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, AG Keith Ellison and Rep. Ilhan Omar avoided questions from Fox News Digital on Wednesday. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images )
Ellison did not respond and continued walking up a staircase.
Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, who did not testify Wednesday but has faced criticism for her ties to the Feeding Our Future fraud scandal in the state, did not respond after the hearing when Fox News Digital began asking her questions.
Walz and Ellison faced a barrage of tough questions from Republicans during the hearing on the massive fraud scandal in the state, with most focused on one key theme: What did they know, and when did they know it?
Walz and Ellison were asked multiple times for specifics about when they were first made aware of the fraud and faced sharp rebukes from Republican members, including Rep. Virginia Foxx.
WALZ MOCKED ONLINE AFTER GOP LAWMAKER FLOATS THEORY IN HEATED HEARING ABOUT WHY KAMALA HARRIS CHOSE HIM AS VP
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz testifies during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing in the U.S. Capitol Building on March 4, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“You did not do your job, you did not do your job,” Foxx told Walz. “You did not protect taxpayer dollars. You allowed massive fraud. You and Mr. Ellison allowed massive fraud to go on in the state of Minnesota. It is unfortunate, as somebody said, that you can’t be held personally responsible at this stage in the game.”
An exchange between GOP Rep. Jim Jordan and Walz sparked immediate pushback from conservatives on social media.
One of the most contentious exchanges came during questioning from GOP Rep. Nancy Mace when she pressed Walz for specific numbers on how many children are in his state, the massive increase in autism care spending and why that occurred, without getting specific figures from Walz.
“OK, so your excuse before — that you didn’t know what the 2017 autism numbers were — because you were not governor, and today you can’t answer the numbers about 2024 as governor, and you still said you prepared for this hearing today. It’s unbelievable.”
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Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks to reporters after announcing he would not seek reelection at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S., January 5, 2026. (Reuters/Tim Evans)
GOP Rep. Clay Higgins confronted Ellison in another heated moment, asking him to say he was “leading” the fight to root out corruption. Without receiving the specific answer he was looking for, Higgins called for Ellison’s resignation.
“I’m not talking about Medicaid fraud, don’t hide behind that,” Higgins said, interrupting Ellison. “You have the authority to prosecute anything criminally that the governor asks you to, and this thing is big. I’m giving you an opportunity, sir, are you leading the criminal investigative effort into this massive fraud across the board…or not?” Higgins pressed.
“You are not leading. I’m going to say, Mr. Chairman, that the attorney general of the state of Minnesota should resign,” Higgins said.
At the close of the hearing, things became tense again when GOP Rep. Nick Langworthy suggested that Walz, who is still serving as governor despite dropping out of his reelection bid due to the fraud scandal, should be impeached for “malfeasance,” citing Minnesota’s Constitution.
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Detroit, MI
Southfield Freeway closed after shooting in Detroit, state police says
The Southfield Freeway was closed Thursday night after a shooting occurred in the area of M-39 near Joy Road, the Michigan State Police reported on X.
“Troopers are currently in the preliminary stages of the investigation, and additional information will be released as it becomes available,” the state police said.
Officials said the freeway is expected to remain closed for “several hours while investigators process the scene.” There was no indication about whether anyone was injured in the shooting. The state police gave no further details.
“The roadway will be reopened as soon as the investigation allows,” the state police said.
rburr@detroitnews.com
Milwaukee, WI
FBI seeks to interview Milwaukee police about 2020 election
MILWAUKEE — The FBI is reportedly looking to interview Milwaukee police officers about the 2020 presidential election.
The Milwaukee Police Department confirmed to TMJ4 that the department “is aware that the FBI may be interviewing members of our department regarding the 2020 Election.”
This marks the latest in a series of federal election inquiries in the area. Earlier this month, agents visited the home of Milwaukee County elections director Michelle Hawley.
The FBI has not said why they were attempting to contact Hawley, and they have not yet replied to requests for information on their probe of the Milwaukee officers.
President Donald Trump has continuously made false claims that he won the 2020 election, and election-related lawsuits continue to be a focus of the Department of Justice under the Trump administration.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge James Pederson dismissed a DOJ lawsuit seeking to compel the state of Wisconsin to hand over detailed voter registration information.
The DOJ has sued at least 30 states and the District of Columbia seeking to force the release of detailed voter data. In addition to Wisconsin, judges have rejected similar attempts in Maine, Arizona, California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon and Rhode Island.
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Minneapolis, MN
Homicide investigation underway in north Minneapolis after double shooting leaves 16-year-old dead
A 16-year-old boy is dead after a shooting in north Minneapolis on Thursday night.
Police responded to the 1300 block of 18th Avenue North around 5:30 p.m. on a report of multiple shots fired. Officers at the scene found a 16-year-old boy with life-threatening injuries, Minneapolis police said.
He died at the scene, according to Minneapolis police.
A 44-year-old man who was in the area during the shooting was also hit and suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. Police say he drove away from the area to a gas station near Broadway Avenue and Knox Avenue North, where officers responded and brought him to the hospital.
Investigators are looking into the circumstances around the shooting. No arrests have been made.
A 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS photographer captured evidence markers with bullet casings, crime scene tape and a large number of first responders.
“This is another heartbreaking act of violence that has left a young person dead, another individual wounded, and families suffering unimaginable pain,” said Chief O’Hara. “Our investigators are working urgently to determine exactly what happened and to identify every person responsible for this violence.”
Editor’s note: A spokesperson for Minneapolis police initially told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS the victim was a “young adult man.” A later update from police said the victim was a juvenile.


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