LANSING, Mich - Payments caused by fraud in Michigan’s food stamp program jumped by 387% from fiscal year 2023 to 2024, according to documents obtained by a records request. The increase comes at a time when Michigan officials still haven’t switched to safer, more secure cards with embedded microchips.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services approved 592 of 651 requests in fiscal year 2023 to replace stolen benefits, for a total of $181,778.
About 800,000 Michigan households with low incomes purchase food through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps. Money from the program is loaded onto state-issued Bridge cards, which recipients can use at approved vendors such as grocery stores. If a criminal rather than the intended recipient uses those funds, the state health and human services department will replace the lost benefits. Click here to read more.
WASHINGTON D.C. - On Thursday, the GOP-led House Judiciary Committee announced that it received bombshell evidence that suggested Pfizer executives pushed to delay full testing for their company’s COVID vaccine until after the 2020 election.
British drugmaker GSK informed the panel that Philip Dormitzer, a former Pfizer executive who became a senior scientist at GSK, told colleagues at GSK that “in late 2020, the three most senior people in Pfizer R&D were involved in a decision to deliberately slow down clinical testing so that it would not be complete prior to the results of the presidential election that year.”
The Judiciary Committee, led by Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH), said that it had sought information from GSK after The Wall Street Journal reported in March that U.S. prosecutors were looking into a tip from the company that came in “soon” after President Donald Trump won a second term in 2024. Click here to read more.
NEW YORK, NY - For years now, children across our country have been systematically duped by predators into exposing themselves sexually online. The next step is often blackmail. This is what drove 16-year-old Carter Bremseth to take his life one night in 2021, after volunteering as an altar server at his church.
His mother, Jaime—a licensed mental health counselor—went searching for answers when she discovered the horrible truth. Her kind and caring son had become a victim of sextortion.
Jaime had been proactive in protecting her son online, even educating him about the threat of online predators. Nevertheless, within six months of creating a Snapchat account, he was victimized to death.
Stories like Carter’s should be unthinkable. Instead, they are becoming routine routine.
Given the easy access to children that social media and smartphones provide, there appears to be no way to put a stop to it. Unless, that is, tech companies are held accountable, and parents are better empowered to protect their kids online. Click here to read more. Click here to read more.
SAN ANTONIO – Police say a Texas mother allegedly bought ammunition, magazines and tactical gear for her son.
Now, Ashley Pardo is facing criminal charges after authorities arrested the 33-year-old on Monday.
Pardo is charged with aiding in the commission of terrorism.
Authorities say Pardo’s middle school-aged son had expressed a desire to carry out “acts of mass violence” at his school.
Officials allege that Pardo bought the items knowing they would be used for a crime.
Police say the student arrived at Rhodes Middle School in San Antonio on Monday outfitted with a mask, camouflage jacket and tactical pants, but he soon left.
The school was swept for potential threats and the student was later found off the campus.
The child faces a terrorism charge. Click here to read more.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is dead at the University of Michigan, or is it?
“Last week, @RealChrisRufo said incoming U of Florida President Santa Ono crushed DEI as President of the U of Michigan,” conservative activist Karlyn Borysenko posted to X on Wednesday. “So, how did I record a ‘gender & sexuality’ librarian from Michigan two days ago talking about pushing DEI on campus, organizing with students explicitly?”
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is dead at the University of Michigan, or is it?
“Last week, @RealChrisRufo said incoming U of Florida President Santa Ono crushed DEI as President of the U of Michigan,” conservative activist Karlyn Borysenko posted to X on Wednesday. “So, how did I record a ‘gender & sexuality’ librarian from Michigan two days ago talking about pushing DEI on campus, organizing with students explicitly?”
The post cited both an op-ed from former UM President Santa Ono highlighted by Rufo and a video of a May 12 video call on “Libraries in Higher Education: How Can We Meet This Moment?” featuring UM Gender & Sexuality Studies librarian Meredith Kahn. Click here to read more.
