The Trump Administration has announced the withdrawal of over $1 billion in federal safety net funds from California and Minnesota, both staunchly Democratic states, citing fraud-related concerns.

The controversy stems from allegations that these states failed to provide adequate documentation to verify the legitimate use of the federal funds.

Officials from the Trump administration have not accused either state of deliberate fraud or described any specific fraudulent activity. Instead, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported financial evaluations that identified claims requiring additional documentation prior to the release of federal payments.

Health authorities pointed out the notably high expenditure on in-home care services in California, which saw a 24 percent increase over two years, significantly surpassing the national average. In Minnesota, the flagged claims involve dubious providers, with some billing for services rendered to deceased individuals. 

This move by the administration is framed as an initiative to combat ‘fraud, waste, and abuse.’ The suspension of funds is temporary, contingent upon the states providing the necessary documentation. 

‘States that receive federal Medicaid funding must demonstrate that every dollar meets federal requirements,’ HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr told reporters Tuesday. ‘When they cannot, we will not release federal funds until they do.’

Approximately 71.4 million Americans — over one-fifth of the US population — depend on Medicaid for affordable health and long-term care coverage. In Minnesota, that number is about 1.3 million people and in California, nearly 15 million people are enrolled in Medi-Cal, the state’s specific Medicaid program.

The program serves low-income families, children, pregnant individuals, seniors and people with disabilities, providing comprehensive medical benefits, maternity care and nursing home coverage.

‘Medicaid exists to serve vulnerable Americans — not to bankroll unsupported claims,’ Kennedy added in a statement. ‘Under President Trump’s leadership, we are restoring accountability across our public programs and protecting taxpayer dollars.’ 

The pause follows CMS reviews that flagged claims requiring further scrutiny before federal matching funds are released, according to HHS.

In California, the agency is withholding $867.5 million after examining in-home care claims and finding spending growth that outpaced national trends.

In Minnesota, CMS is withholding $199 million after reviewing claims in 14 high-risk service areas that require additional documentation.

CMS Administrator Dr Mehmet Oz said the payment deferrals for California and Minnesota are part of the administration’s ‘new approach to program integrity.’

‘CMS is done trying to chase down stolen and misused funds after they’ve already left the building,’ he said in a statement.

The Trump administration launched an anti-fraud task force earlier this year targeting potential abuses in federal programs in California and other states.

In April, the Justice Department announced the arrest and charging of eight people in Southern California, including three nurses, a chiropractor and a psychologist, in connection with a healthcare and hospice fraud investigation.

Prosecutors say they defrauded the system of more than $50 million.

The Trump administration has also halted millions in federal funds to Minnesota in recent months as part of its broader crackdown on abuses in public assistance programs.

That included a $91 million deferral in April, when Oz cited ongoing concerns about fraud vulnerabilities.

Of that, $76 million was tied to 14 service categories Oz described as ‘highly vulnerable’ to fraud, including adult daycare services, nighttime supervision services for the elderly — both of which can be lifelines for seniors — and rehabilitative mental health programs for adults.

These cuts put a significant number of Americans at risk of disrupted coverage. 

The deferrals affect two of the nation’s largest Medicaid programs — California’s Medi-Cal and Minnesota’s Medical Assistance.

Together, the programs provide health coverage to millions of low-income residents, including children, seniors, people with disabilities and low-income adults.

It remains unclear whether beneficiaries in either state will experience immediate disruptions in coverage or care.

States often have multiple funding streams available to administer their Medicaid programs, and both California and Minnesota have indicated they are working to provide the requested documentation. 

However, Medicaid is jointly funded by the federal government and the states, and with the federal government covering roughly half of each state’s program costs, prolonged delays could put significant strain on state budgets and the healthcare providers that rely on these reimbursements.

On Tuesday, the Army released an update identifying Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, a 30-year-old from Fayetteville, North Carolina, as the American soldier killed while engaging in an operation to neutralize a downed Iranian attack drone at an airbase in Iraq last Sunday.

Sgt. Swinton was part of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command. Tragically, he lost his life during the controlled destruction of the unmanned aerial system at Erbil Air Base, as announced by the Department of War. This incident remains under thorough investigation.

“Iran will face substantial repercussions for every American soldier’s life they take,” declared Trump on Monday via Truth Social. “This directive has been communicated to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Daniel Caine, and all military leaders.”

Sgt. Swinton’s death raises the total number of U.S. service members killed in the ongoing conflict with Iran to 17. This total encompasses both fatalities from direct Iranian attacks and deaths stemming from crashes or other incidents related to U.S. military operations in the region.

“USASMDC is saddened by the loss of Sgt. Swinton, whose death occurred during an operation to safeguard fellow soldiers,” Lt. Gen. John L. Rafferty, USASMDC commanding general, wrote in a statement. “His service will not be forgotten, and his sacrifice is not in vain. We will support Sgt. Swinton’s family and his unit during this difficult period. His loss will inspire his fellow soldiers to continue the mission.”

U.S. Central Command previously said the unexploded ordnance came from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone. Another service member was injured during the detonation and received medical treatment.

Swinton was assigned to D Battery, 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

“Sgt. Swinton was an experienced noncommissioned officer who took great pride in his work and the people around him,” Brig. Gen. John L. Dawber said in a statement. “He answered the call to duty with courage, honor, and selfless dedication.”

Swinton, who will receive the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge, and be posthumously promoted to staff sergeant, had already received the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Army Service Ribbon and Combat Action Badge.

His death followed the killing of two U.S. soldiers in Jordan on Friday – 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas – as American and allied forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks.

Central Command said another service member remained missing after those attacks, with President Donald Trump suspecting that missing member to have died, too.

“We hit them very hard again tonight, and we did that in honor of the probably three – it’s probably three as opposed to two great patriots,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews on Sunday night.

“We feel very badly, but you know, those great people, those great patriots were out there fighting that Iran could not have a nuclear weapon.”

The United States launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran on Feb. 28. U.S. and partner forces have since targeted Iranian air defenses, missile and drone facilities, maritime capabilities and other military infrastructure in a restarting of strikes after the Iranian violations of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) over its fight for control of the Strait of Hormuz.

More than 50,000 U.S. military personnel are operating across the Middle East, according to Central Command.

In the race for the Democratic presidential nomination set for two years from now, there exists a mere duo of viable lanes. However, one is firmly occupied — by none other than Kamala Harris.

The political landscape is bracing for a reinvigoration of Kamala Harris’s ambitions, a journey likely culminating in a rematch against the Republican candidate who previously triumphed over her campaign.

Remarkably, Harris inhabits the space often referred to as the “center lane” of the Democratic Party, a strategic position that has historically paved the way to securing the nomination over the past thirty years.

Traditionally, Republicans have adhered to a methodical approach, favoring candidates who seemed destined to succeed based on seniority, even when prospects appeared grim, as seen with Bob Dole in the 1996 election.

Yet, in recent times, it is the Democrats who have become inclined to anoint seasoned party stalwarts as their presidential contenders.

Al Gore, as a sitting veep, might not have been a remarkable choice in 2000, but in ’04 it was John Kerry, in ’16 Hillary Clinton, and in 2020 Joe Biden — with only Barack Obama butting ahead of the line in 2008.

Democrats like a known quantity, a reliable liberal who isn’t too overtly radical.

The radicalism can wait until after Election Day.

So they’re leaning toward running Harris again, even if donors aren’t happy about it: They blew nearly $2 billion on her campaign and aligned PACs in 2024, only for Harris to lose every battleground state to Donald Trump.

It won’t be donors who decide the party’s 2028 nominee, though, and ordinary Democrats actually find Harris reassuring. 

She’s a familiar face, after all, commanding practically universal name recognition.

Harris checks the identity-politics boxes that may be as important as winning to Democratic primary voters: Their ticket must have a woman, and it can’t be all white.

And after being vetted as a VP and undergoing the trial-by-fire of the ’24 campaign, Harris isn’t likely to surprise voters with any extremist tattoos or sexual-assault allegations — things that can’t be taken for granted among Democrats nowadays.

Then there’s the revenge motive: what better way to repudiate the Trump era and reverse the Democrats’ 2024 humiliation than by making the woman he defeated president?

Democratic primary voters are still smarting from Hillary Clinton’s drubbing in 2016.

By 2028, the election of America’s first female president will have been postponed 12 long years, and feminists in the party aren’t willing to wait any longer.

These are the reasons Harris tops almost all polls of 2028 Democratic hopefuls, with an 11.6 point lead in the RealClearPolitics polling aggregate as of mid-July.

“She comes in with 99% name ID and everyone else is going to have to raise money and buy it,” a former Harris aide tells New York magazine’s David Freedlander.

The donors might prefer just about anyone else, yet they’d have to pour an enormous amount of cash into another candidate just to make him or her recognizable.

This has led one longtime Democratic strategist with donors’ ears to welcome the inevitable.

“I hope she runs,” Alex Hoffman told Freedlander, “because then she will lose and we will never have to hear from her again. She will never win an election at a national scale. Never.”

But if Harris is hopeless, why does she seem inevitable?

She has seniority no one else can match, but what about the other lane that leads to the nomination?

That’s the left lane — the far left lane.

The one Bernie Sanders occupied in 2020 and ’16, and that a candidate like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez might fill in 2028.

Young Dems keep moving leftward, with the Democratic Socialists of America making deeper inroads into the party.

Kamala Harris is not nearly left-wing enough for them — but then, anyone who is would be upsetting to the old guard.

It’s not that the old-timers aren’t also well to the left on economics, but they don’t want to be labeled “socialists” — while the insurgent left is proud of the brand.

The party’s mainstream wants to have it both ways on the Israel-Palestine conflict, while the young left is increasingly explicit about its anti-Zionism.

There are still enough Baby Boomers and suburbanites in the Democratic Party to make the left lane an unlikely road to the nomination.

For now.

So Harris can expect a challenge from the left, but the party is still probably one more presidential cycle away from nominating someone who openly represents where Democrats are headed.

In fact, a Harris defeat in 2028 would be the perfect prelude to the socialist and anti-Zionist left’s takeover, discrediting the old guard for forfeiting the election to Trump’s successor.

Democrat insiders know Kamala Harris is a terrible candidate, but the party they built can’t tell her no — even if this is the last nomination they’ll get to make before the DSA takes over.

Daniel McCarthy is the editor of Modern Age: A Conservative Review.

A woman’s first cruise turned nightmarish when she had to be airlifted after sustaining severe injuries during a zip-lining adventure.

Kirsten Lindsey, aged 28, experienced a traumatic incident on the third day of her Carnival Cruise in Honduras, while using a rope swing.

In distressing video footage, Lindsey is seen leaping from the platform, but her swing was halted as the retrieval line suddenly pulled between her legs.

After struggling briefly, she let go of the rope, plunging into the water below.

Initially, Lindsey thought she had only suffered minor scratches; however, her condition deteriorated significantly upon returning to the dock.

‘The swelling became severe, the pain became unbearable, and she eventually needed a wheelchair just to get back to our cabin,’ her boyfriend, Blake Ford, wrote in a GoFundMe campaign. 

Lindsey was taken to the ship’s medical center, where doctors spent 26 hours attending to her. Despite their best efforts, her injuries grew too serious to treat there. 

The 28-year-old’s pain became so severe that she was barely able to move. Medical staff were desperately trying to keep her awake because ‘she would stop breathing whenever she drifted off from the pain medication,’ Ford recalled.

The couple evacuated the vessel in Costa Maya, Mexico, and were taken via ambulance to the airport through severe weather. 

A private medical jet then flew them to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where Lindsey underwent a series of tests and emergency surgery.

Doctors removed a ‘baseball-sized clot’ during the surgery, Lindsey’s mother, Tara McKinney, revealed on social media.

On Friday, the day after her surgery, the couple embarked on an 18-hour drive back to their hometown of Bossier City, Louisiana. 

After they finally made it home, Lindsey had to be readmitted to the emergency room. 

‘They were completely shocked she was even discharged from the last hospital so early but now thank god we’re home and with OUR doctors and not the ones Carnival sent us to!’ Ford wrote in a Facebook update on Sunday.

‘Everyone that’s seen the injury has never seen anything like it but they are doing everything they can to prevent permanent damage to her.’

Lindsey faces a long road to recovery and the couple are facing mounting medical bills. The air flight alone cost them $50,000 and they were charged around $3,500 for services provided on the cruise ship.

‘The financial impact has been overwhelming. Between emergency transportation, medical expenses, travel, lodging, lost income, and the unexpected costs of getting ourselves and our vehicle back home, the expenses continue to grow,’ Ford wrote.

Lindsey also said that she is grateful for the outpouring of support, prayers and donations that they have already received. 

‘Thank you to everyone for all the thoughts & prayers & everyone who has reached out, donated, etc. It’s very much appreciated. I feel so loved,’ she wrote on Facebook.

‘Long road ahead as far as recovery. But I’m so thankful for everyone who has prayed & donated.’

The Daily Mail has approached Carnival Cruise Line for comment. 

In a dramatic turn of events on Tuesday morning, law enforcement successfully apprehended a suspect following a high-speed pursuit across Los Angeles County. The tense chase had California Highway Patrol officers in hot pursuit as they chased the suspect through the bustling city streets.

This adrenaline-filled chase was broadcast live to viewers, courtesy of FOX 11 Los Angeles, capturing the unfolding drama for tens of thousands of residents.

The pursuit was set in motion at approximately 7:15 a.m. According to police, officers from the Santa Monica Police Department had attempted to detain the driver of a black Range Rover. This individual was allegedly linked to a road rage incident that took place a few weeks prior.

The chase intensified as the driver veered off the freeway and navigated through Koreatown, recklessly speeding through local streets. At several points, the driver crossed into oncoming traffic lanes, putting numerous morning commuters at risk in a heart-pounding journey across Los Angeles.

The Range Rover reportedly reached speeds exceeding 100 mph as the chase entered the San Gabriel Valley shortly before 8 a.m.

The pursuit ended in Montebello after the driver traveled into a center median and a trailing patrol vehicle rammed the SUV. Multiple officers surrounded the Range Rover and took the suspect into custody, according to the report.

Authorities have not identified the suspect or disclosed details about why he was being pursued. 

WASHINGTON — In a startling revelation, a technical glitch at the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission caused roughly 6,600 non-citizens to be mistakenly added to the state’s voter registration between June 2023 and June 2024. This error allowed several hundred of these individuals to vote, according to Democratic Governor Mikie Sherrill’s announcement on Tuesday.

Governor Sherrill has promptly engaged an independent investigative firm to delve into this mishap, which has inadvertently added weight to former President Donald Trump’s assertions about insufficient measures against voter fraud in the states.

“Currently, we have found no evidence suggesting that any elections were impacted,” Sherrill stated, while expressing indignation at the thought of Trump using New Jersey as a case study for election vulnerabilities.

She further remarked, “Donald Trump, in my view, has done more to destabilize the concept of free elections in the United States than anyone else I can recall, including Vladimir Putin.”

This registration blunder transpired when non-citizens applied for driver’s licenses or ID cards and responded “no” to citizenship queries. Despite their response, they were inadvertently registered to vote. Governor Sherrill pointed out that while the majority did not vote unlawfully, around 400 did manage to cast ballots.

The governor claimed to have learned of the issue July 15 and confirmed she had received a letter from the Trump administration warning that some 35,000 people may have been improperly registered.

‘We have asked them for any evidence of this, where they got that number, who this is,” Sherrill explained. “We’ve received nothing back yet.”

A severe thunderstorm is poised to impact nearly 50 million residents across the Northeast, with the potential to spawn tornadoes that could affect multiple states within hours.

According to warnings from the National Weather Service, 17 states find themselves in the path of this looming storm. This includes regions such as New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio.

Beginning Tuesday afternoon, areas including major cities like New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Washington DC, should brace for flash flooding, hail, and wind gusts that could reach up to 75 mph.

The NWS also indicates a slight possibility of this system developing into a supercell, an intense thunderstorm type known for its ability to generate tornadoes capable of uprooting trees and damaging rooftops.

The Storm Prediction Center at the NWS has outlined a five percent risk for tornadoes within a corridor extending from Kentucky to New York—a region housing approximately 57 million people.

Meteorologist Max Veolicty added: ‘The best chance of tornadoes today will stretch from the Ohio Valley into the Northeast and back into the I-95 corridor of the Mid-Atlantic.’

AccuWeather Expert Meteorologist Tyler Roys said in a statement: ‘While tornadoes can’t be ruled out, the bigger threat today is damaging straight-line winds as lines of storms sweeps through the region.’

‘In a densely populated corridor like this, that kind of wind can down trees and power lines fast and it’s timing up with the evening commute, which is exactly when we don’t want people caught off guard.’

North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and parts of Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Connecticut and Massachusetts also face a chance of seeing extreme weather Tuesday night.

Potentially deadly flash flooding is expected to cause major travel disruptions along the entire East Coast on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the heaviest flooding expected to span from the New York City area to North Carolina.

New York City’s Department of Emergency Management has warned residents to expect the worst of the storm between 6pm and 11pm ET. 

New York’s John F Kennedy and LaGuardia Airports have both issued ground stops due to impending thunderstorms, delaying travelers by more than two hours.

AccuWeather meteorologists expect the storm to have its biggest impact on the evening commute for millions of Americans tonight.

Heavy showers and thunderstorms will increase the risk of localized flash flooding, especially in urban areas where drains are unable to handle that amount of water pouring down, sometimes in just a matter of minutes.

This often catches people by surprise with little or no warning to get to safety. Forecasters have warned that this makes flash flooding one of the most dangerous types of flooding.

NWS officials warned in a statement: ‘Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.’

No official tornado watches or warnings have been issued in the Northeast as of 12pm ET.

AccuWeather revealed that the major storm event formed after a large cold front pushed eastward across the US and crashed into very warm and humid air lingering after a massive heat dome blanketed the region earlier in the month.

When cooler air clashes with this hot, moist air, it forces the warm air to rise quickly – creating powerful thunderstorms.

Cities with large public transportation systems, such as New York and New Jersey, have already warned that subways could be flooded during the heavy downpours Tuesday evening.

Newark, New Jersey’s Office of Emergency Management has begun placing storm barricades in areas where flooding is expected.

Residents in Connecticut and Pennsylvania have already begun reporting afternoon storms sparking flash floods.

Specifically, the National Weather Service’s New York office issued flash flood alerts in Bridgeport, Stamford and Norwalk, Connecticut through 3.30pm ET.

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (WLS) — Authorities in Highland Park are turning to the community for assistance in locating two individuals who hold significant interest in a Monday evening shooting incident, which left one person seriously injured and hospitalized.

Officials have unveiled photos of the two individuals seen conversing with the victim shortly before the shooting occurred.

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Police have identified the pair—a man and a woman—as either possible witnesses or suspects connected to the incident.

The altercation took place on Monday night along the 300-block of Walker Avenue, close to Highland Park’s boundary with Highwood, where the shooting victim was found.

The 30-year-old man who was injured was initially rushed to the hospital in critical condition, though as of Tuesday morning, police have confirmed that his condition is stabilizing.

Police said it is an isolated incident and those involved knew each other.

Following the shooting, officers with rifles and shields could be seen patrolling the area along with drones and dogs.

“No I figured they’re long gone or they’ve been down there in the forest preserve, who knows,” neighborhood resident Marian McNair said.

McNair was determined to take her morning walk even though police are still looking for two people wanted in connection with a shooting the day before.

“The neighborhood is changing, things change. There was at Santee’s a couple of weeks ago and now we don’t know the whole story,” McNair said.

People living in the area say following the shooting officers armed with rifles and shields could be seen patrolling the area using drones and dogs.

At one point, people were told to shelter in place. Neighbors said the situation was unsettling.

“I don’t know. It’s starting to get, you know, it’s getting pretty nasty. This is something happen in Chicago, Waukegan or North Chicago, but not here in Highwood,” one nearby resident said.

Nicola Roberts-Jones said she may have seen the two persons of interest in the neighborhood the day before the shooting,

“It was a similar outfit that’s why I recognize a lady, but that was the one thing that kind of made me a little bit more nervous because the fact that you saw them the day before,” Roberts-Jones said.

The shelter-in-place has been lifted.

Police are warning the public that if you see either of the individuals, call 911.