Daily Digest Online

A sprawling billion-dollar fraud scheme in Minnesota has ignited a fierce political firestorm, with the U.S. Treasury Department now investigating whether stolen taxpayer money reached terrorist groups overseas. The probe has placed Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar and Trump administration officials on a direct collision course, transforming a massive criminal case into a national debate over immigration, security, and political accountability. The situation centers on what federal prosecutors have called the largest pandemic fraud scheme in the United States. Over the last five years, individuals—many of Somali descent—have been convicted of stealing hundreds of millions intended for programs like child nutrition and disability services. With over $1 billion estimated stolen, the scandal’s scale now exceeds Minnesota's annual prison system budget. The Fraud Scheme and the Terror Financing Probe The core of the scandal involves brazen theft from federal aid progra...

TAMPA, Florida — A Florida man faces up to five years in federal prison after confessing to posting graphically violent and racist threats against U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN), promising to decapitate her and murder her children. Myles M. McQuade, 30, of Tampa, entered a guilty plea on December 2 to one count of transmitting an interstate threat to injure. According to plea documents reviewed by *The Independent*, McQuade admitted to posting two explicit threats on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) in September. The threats followed an interview in which Rep. Omar commented on the legacy of late right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk. In one post, McQuade wrote, **"[N-word]. When this country falls I'm going to kill your children in front of you then cut your head off."** In another, he stated, **"I'm going to kill you, you dirty subhuman [N-word] and I'll eat your monkey children for protein. Go back to Somalia before its [sic]...