Tim Walz responds to Minnesota fraud allegations following viral daycare video
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s office is pushing back against fraud allegations after a viral video showed visits to multiple childcare centers in the state, including one that allegedly received millions of dollars in state funding despite appearing largely inactive.
Responding to questions about the allegations and the video posted by independent journalist Nick Shirley, a spokesperson for the governor told Fox News that Walz has spent years working to “crack down on fraud” and has taken steps to strengthen oversight of state programs, including initiating investigations into several facilities.
“The governor has worked for years to crack down on fraud and ask the state legislature for more authority to take aggressive action,” the spokesperson said. “He has strengthened oversight — including launching investigations into these specific facilities, one of which was already closed.”
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The spokesperson added that Walz has “hired an outside firm to audit payments to high-risk programs, shut down the Housing Stabilization Services program entirely, announced a new statewide program integrity director, and supported criminal prosecutions.”
The response follows the release of a 42-minute video by Shirley, posted Friday on X and YouTube, documenting visits to several daycare centers in the blue state, including a location on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis.
In the video, Shirley and another man are seen at what appears to be a largely inactive childcare facility. The building also displays a misspelled sign reading “Quality Learing Center,” even though the center is reportedly supposed to account for 99 children and received roughly $4 million in state funds.
During a Sunday appearance on Fox News’ “The Big Weekend Show,” Shirley said the alleged fraud in Minnesota was “so obvious” that a “kindergartner could figure out that there is fraud going on.”
FBI SURGES RESOURCES TO MINNESOTA AS DIRECTOR PATEL CALLS $250M FRAUD SCHEME ‘TIP OF A VERY LARGE ICEBERG’
Shirley also suggested other journalists may be reluctant to pursue similar reporting out of fear of being labeled “Islamophobic” or “racist.”
“Fraud is fraud, and we work too hard simply just to be paying taxes and enabling fraud to be happening,” he said.
The video has sparked widespread backlash, drawing criticism of Walz throughout the weekend from several high-profile figures, including Vice President JD Vance, Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., Donald Trump Jr. and Elon Musk.
The White House on Sunday reposted an X post from Education Secretary Linda McMahon, who called the alleged fraud a “breathtaking failure that has happened under the watch” of Walz.
Meanwhile, FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency has surged additional personnel and investigative resources to Minnesota as part of an ongoing effort to “dismantle large-scale fraud schemes exploiting federal programs.”
MISSPELLED LEARNING CENTER, NO CHILDREN INSIDE: EMMER PRESSES WALZ OVER MINNESOTA DAYCARE TIED TO $4M
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The video went viral this week amid the burgeoning scandal enveloping the Walz administration that notably included at least $1 billion lost to alleged social services fraud largely tied to the Somali community in the Twin Cities.
Trump’s return to Oval Office revives ICE priorities, jolts sanctuary city politicians
President Donald Trump kicked off his first day back in the Oval Office of his second term with a flurry of immigration directives aimed at reviving hard-line border enforcement.
He reinstated Immigration and Customs Enforcement priorities as the administration looked to deport thousands of illegal immigrants who flooded the nation under former President Joe Biden.
Amid the past year of deportation efforts and immigration crackdowns, Democrats, most notably on the West Coast, have had public meltdowns against the president and immigration officials.
As Americans prepare to celebrate the new year, Fox News Digital took a look back at the top five Democrat meltdowns in 2025 as they related to Trump’s ICE raids and deportation efforts.
DHS TAKES VICTORY LAP AFTER ARRESTING OVER 10K ILLEGAL ALIENS IN DEEP BLUE CITY DESPITE VIOLENT RIOTS
Padilla forcibly removed from DHS press conference
Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., was handcuffed and removed from a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press conference in June as he loudly spoke over Secretary Kristi Noem while approaching the podium where she was standing.
Noem was in Los Angeles in June to hold a press conference on the ongoing anti-ICE riots that rocked the city amid federal law enforcement’s raid of the city in search of illegal immigrants for removal from the U.S. She was in the midst of explaining DHS was “staying here to liberate this city from the socialist and the burdensome leadership that this governor and this mayor have placed on this country and what they have tried to insert into this city.”
DEMOCRATIC SENATOR ARGUES HIS REMOVAL FROM DHS PRESS CONFERENCE WAS ‘WAKE-UP CALL’
Padilla interrupted the DHS chief amid the presser and was handcuffed. DHS said at the time that Padilla did not identify himself as a senator and was not wearing his official Senate pin at the time of the removal.
“I’m Senator Alex Padilla, I have questions for the secretary,” he said, according to footage captured by Fox News.
Noem said the pair later met in a private room, where they spoke for about 15 minutes, including regarding his concerns over the ICE raids, and exchanged phone numbers. Padilla later said that his removal from the press conference should be a wake-up call for Americans about how the Trump administration operates.
“It was clear to me that if that’s how this administration would respond to a senator with a question, imagine not just how they could treat so many other people, but how they are treating so many other people when the cameras are not on. This should be a wake-up call,” he told The New York Times in October of the viral incident.
Newsom repeatedly unleashes on ICE raids
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom revitalized his long-running political animosity toward Trump this summer when federal agents converged on Los Angeles to conduct immigration raids.
Riots broke out in Los Angeles in early June as immigration officials carried out raids to remove individuals illegally residing in the left-wing city, which dubbed itself a “sanctuary” for illegal immigrants just ahead of Trump’s second inauguration in January.
Newsom slammed the immigration raids as “chaotic and reckless,” before heightening his rhetoric.
“Continued chaotic federal sweeps, across California, to meet an arbitrary arrest quota are as reckless as they are cruel,” Newsom’s statement at the time read. “Donald Trump’s chaos is eroding trust, tearing families apart, and undermining the workers and industries that power America’s economy.”
BORDER OFFICIAL FIRES BACK AT GAVIN NEWSOM’S POLITICAL ‘TANTRUM’ OVER IMMIGRATION RAIDS IN LOS ANGELES
The governor later called Trump a “son of a b—-” for the immigration raids.
“They’re sitting there on horses with American flags, running through soccer fields, scaring kids that are playing soccer in the middle of the day at a summer camp. For what? Just toughness,” Newsom said during an appearance on “The Shawn Ryan Show” in July. “It’s a weakness masquerading as strength.
“That’s what I don’t like about this son of a b—-,” the Democratic governor added. “I don’t. And forgive me, I know he’s president of the United States.”
Conservative social media critics speculated at the time of the riots in June that they would negatively impact a potential 2028 presidential run if Newsom does launch a bid for the nation’s highest office, arguing it was the latest example of failing to lead the state well after wildfires tore through the Los Angeles area in January 2025 that received widespread condemnation.
Torres melts down that ICE ‘get the f— out of LA’
Democratic California Rep. Norma Torres also had a viral moment amid the ICE raids in Los Angles in early June. Conservatives unleashed on Torres that month after she posted a video to social media telling federal agents arresting illegal immigrants in Los Angeles to “get the f— out.”
“ICE get the f— out of LA so that order can be restored,” Rep. Norma Torres posted on TikTok at the time.
Torres told Fox Digital at the time that the Los Angeles Police Department could handle reeling in the riots, and the presence of the National Guard in the city to help quell the violent protests would “escalate tensions.”
‘LUNATIC’ DEMOCRAT RIPPED FOR ‘DEMONIC’ VIDEO MESSAGE DEMANDING ICE AGENTS ‘GET THE F— OUT’ AMID CA CHAOS
“We’re witnessing ICE ignore federal law, people going missing, families being separated, and even American citizens being mistakenly detained,” Torres said at the time. “I do not support violent conduct, but I believe the Los Angeles Police Department can restore calm, and prosecute any violent offenders as needed. Bringing in the National Guard will only escalate tensions by introducing a weaponized military presence into the city.”
Conservatives on social media railed against Torres’ TikTok as evidence she is allegedly a “complete lunatic,” “deranged” and a “Communist in Congress,” Fox Digital previously reported.
Grijalva claims she was pepper sprayed by authorities
Arizona Democratic Rep. Adelita Grijalva protested an ICE raid in December at a restaurant in Tucson, Arizona, with DHS and ICE pushing back that the lawmaker joined a “rioting crowd” and attempted to interfere with agents during a mass arrest operation.
Grijalva, the daughter of late Democratic House lawmaker Raúl Grijalva, claimed on X earlier in December that she was “pushed aside and pepper sprayed” by federal authorities while seeking information about the raid near the Taco Giro restaurant.
“ICE just conducted a raid by Taco Giro in Tucson — a small mom-and-pop restaurant that has served our community for years,” Grijalva wrote. “When I presented myself as a Member of Congress asking for more information, I was pushed aside and pepper sprayed.”
ICE ACCUSES DEM LAWMAKER OF JOINING ‘RIOTING CROWD’ IN ARIZONA, INTERFERING IN MASS ARREST
ICE and other federal law enforcement arrested 46 illegal immigrants during the operation, which stemmed from a “multiyear investigation into a transnational criminal organization involved in labor exploitation, tax violations, and immigration violations,” according to the agency. The operation took a turn, according to ICE, when “over 100 agitators” arrived on the scene and “quickly turned violent, assaulting officers and slashing tires.”
DHS and ICE both pushed back on Grijalva’s claims.
“If her claims were true, this would be a medical marvel,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin responded on X. “But they’re not true. She wasn’t pepper sprayed. She was in the vicinity of someone who was pepper sprayed as they were obstructing and assaulting law enforcement.”
“During the operation, U.S. Representative Adelita Grijalva joined the rioting crowd and attempted to impede law enforcement officers, then took to social media to slander law enforcement by falsely claiming she was pepper sprayed,” ICE said in response to Grijalva’s claims.
New Jersey’s Delaney Hall meltdowns
An ICE detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, known as Delaney Hall, became the focal point of a handful of protests and deportation efforts on the East Coast, including when a House lawmaker and the mayor of Newark faced legal action over their protests.
Newark Democrat Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested May 9, 2025, outside the Delaney Hall immigration detention center for trespassing.
Baraka’s arrest occurred during a protest attended by three members of Congress, who said at the time that they were there to perform their congressionally mandated oversight duties. The lawmakers were outside the facility with a group of protesters when the gates opened to allow an ICE bus in.
The lawmakers then rushed through the gates and past security, according to officials from the Department of Homeland Security at the time.
ICE BREAKOUT IN NEW JERSEY SYMPTOM OF DEMOCRATIC ‘CHAOS’ ACROSS THE COUNTRY, LOCAL GOP LEADER SAYS
Baraka denied any wrongdoing following his arrest, and the case was ultimately dropped. The mayor later filed a counter-suit in against then-interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba and Homeland Security Investigations official Ricky Patel in a suit that is ongoing.
“We haven’t interfered with federal law enforcement,” Baraka said early on in the debate when moderators turned their questioning to the incident at the ICE detention facility in Newark, New Jersey. “We didn’t go down there to protest. We actually went down there to have a press conference. And the Congress has oversight. And they began to exercise their oversight. It was escalated by Homeland Security. They made an arrest because they got a call to do so. And that’s what happened.”
One of three lawmakers who attended the protest when Baraka was arrested was New Jersey Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver, who was later indicted for allegedly obstructing Homeland Security agents during the protest. She was accused of blocking officers as they tried to arrest Baraka, allegedly putting her arms around the mayor, before she “slammed her forearm” into one officer while grabbing another, according to the DOJ at the time.
McIver faces a three-count federal indictment for allegedly assaulting, resisting and impeding federal officers. McIver has denied wrongdoing in the case.
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“They caused the confrontation, Homeland came and caused this chaos that we see was a very tense situation but it could have easily not happened,” she said in May, according to local media.
Birthright citizenship supporters get the law wrong by ignoring obvious evidence
Despite what some legal scholars are claiming, the citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment does not extend citizenship to children born in the United States whose parents are illegal aliens, or for that matter, lawful aliens such as tourists or foreign diplomats.
That includes our good friend, professor John Yoo. On Dec. 10, he published an op-ed insisting that arguments for a more limited interpretation of the citizenship clause must “disregard the plain text of the Constitution, the weight of the historical evidence from the time of the 14th Amendment’s ratification and more than 140 years of unbroken government practice and judicial interpretation.”
Supporters of birthright citizenship ignore the contrary evidence that shows their interpretation is wrong. The language in the citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment says “all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof” are citizens.
Yet Yoo and others claim anyone born in the U.S. is a citizen, no matter the legal status of their parents. They dismiss any contrary position as a modern reinvention promulgated by a few outlier academics at the Claremont Institute. But there are many other scholars who have added their voices to a growing body of scholarship that runs counter to that preferred interpretation.
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In recent years, we, as well as other respected legal scholars like professors Kurt Lash, Ilan Wurman, Randy Barnett and Samuel Estreicher, have produced substantive research that significantly undermines the birthright citizen claim.
Supporters cite the 18th-century English jurist William Blackstone regarding the common-law rule on citizenship. But they omit any mention of prominent American jurist Joseph Story, who wrote in his 1834 legal treatise that one “reasonable qualification” on the common law rule would be to exclude the U.S.-born children of aliens who are only temporarily present in the country.
Also, glaringly absent from most analyses is the Civil Rights Act of 1866, in which Congress first defined the limits on birthright citizenship and which served as the basis for the 14th Amendment. That statute made citizens only of persons born in the United States and “not subject to any foreign power.”
FEDERAL APPEALS COURT RULES AGAINST TRUMP’S BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP EXECUTIVE ORDER
Sen. Lyman Trumbull — a principal author of the act’s citizenship clause and a sponsor of the 14th Amendment — explained that Congress intentionally crafted this language to exclude the U.S.-born children of parents who owed the nation only a qualified and temporary allegiance under the common law rule. That applies to all children born of alien parents who owe their primary and permanent political allegiance to their native land, not the U.S.
True, the 14th Amendment employs different language. The legislative history, however, makes it clear that the change wasn’t to abrogate the Civil Rights Act, but to more adequately exclude Native Americans who were not considered U.S. citizens even though they were born in America until the passage of the Indian Citizenship Act in 1924. Why? Because, said the Supreme Court in 1884 in Elk v. Wilkins, they owed their “immediate allegiance” to their tribal governments, not the United States.
As Sen. Reverdy Johnson, another sponsor of the 14th Amendment explained, Congress understood that “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” constitutionalized precisely the same principles of citizenship found in the Civil Rights Act: “All that this amendment provides is, that all persons born in the United States and not subject to some foreign power … shall be considered as citizens of the United States.”
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Moreover, Congress re-enacted the Civil Rights Act verbatim in 1870, and for 70 years, both courts and scholars understood that the two definitions were consistent and complementary. Yoo never mentions this history.
Also not mentioned are any of the influential stalwarts of American legal commentary who, in the decades following ratification, interpreted the citizenship clause’s jurisdictional language in a manner now dismissed as “misreading” the phrase “subject to the jurisdiction thereof.” Perhaps, famed jurist Thomas Cooley got it wrong when he explained that phrase “meant that full and complete jurisdiction to which citizens generally are subject, and not any qualified and partial jurisdiction, such as may consist with allegiance to some other government.” But this would seem worthy of substantive rebuttal rather than silence.
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Also, glaringly absent from most analyses is the Civil Rights Act of 1866 in which Congress first defined the limits on birthright citizenship and which served as the basis for the 14th Amendment.
In the same vein, Yoo insists that his view is consistent with “more than 140 years of unbroken government practice.” This is curious, given early executive branch decisions denying citizenship claims on behalf of U.S.-born children based on their parents’ immigration status.
In the 1885 case of Richard Greisser, his German father and Swiss mother never became permanent U.S. residents and returned to Germany with the toddler. Secretary of State Thomas Bayard concluded that Greisser had been born “subject to a foreign power” and not “subject to the jurisdiction of the United States,” despite having been literally born on U.S. soil. Similarly, in Mary Devereaux’s 1890 case, the Department of Justice determined that because Devereaux was ultimately denied entry to the United States, her U.S.-born daughter was not an American citizen, either.
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And we should not neglect to mention the famous Slaughter-House cases of 1873 in which the Supreme Court said this qualifying phrase was intended to exclude “children of ministers, consuls, and citizens or subjects of foreign States born within the United States.”
Perhaps five justices will agree with the modern misinterpretation of the citizenship clause that supporters are urging. But to do that, they will have to ignore the historical evidence on the proper application of the citizenship clause, which does not render those born of parents who are illegally in this country citizens of the United States.
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Chinese warships surround Taiwan in response to American arms package
China on Monday launched its largest military exercises ever around Taiwan, surrounding the island with warships, aircraft and live-fire drills as tensions spiked following a record U.S. arms sale to Taipei.
The drills, known as “Justice Mission 2025,” involve coordinated deployments of ground forces, naval vessels, fighter jets, drones and artillery across seven maritime zones encircling Taiwan.
China’s Eastern Theater Command said the exercises include simulated strikes on land and sea targets and rehearsals to blockade Taiwan’s main ports, a scenario analysts say would be central to any attempt to isolate or coerce the island.
Live-fire exercises are scheduled to continue through Tuesday, with China designating large danger zones for artillery firing closer to Taiwan than in any previous round of drills. The scope of the operation has already disrupted civilian air and sea traffic, forcing airlines to reroute flights and Taiwan’s aviation authority to plan alternative airspace corridors.
Chinese military officials defended the exercises as a response to separatism and foreign involvement. “It is a stern warning against ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces and external interference forces, and it is a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China’s sovereignty and national unity,” Senior Col. Shi Yi, spokesperson of China’s People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command, said.
The military escalation comes less than two weeks after the U.S. approved an $11.1 billion weapons package for Taiwan, the largest such sale ever. Beijing denounced the deal, warning it risks turning Taiwan into a “powder keg” and driving the region toward “military confrontation and war.”
CHINA WARNS OF RISING WAR RISK AFTER HISTORIC US ARMS SALE TO TAIWAN
The package includes 82 HIMARS rocket launchers paired with 420 ATACMS long-range missiles, giving Taiwan a new deep-strike capability across the Taiwan Strait. It also includes 60 self-propelled howitzers, advanced unmanned aerial vehicle systems, military software packages and anti-armor weapons.
“The ‘Taiwan independence’ forces on the island seek independence through force and resist reunification through force, squandering the hard-earned money of the people to purchase weapons at the cost of turning Taiwan into a powder keg,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.
“This cannot save the doomed fate of ‘Taiwan independence’ but will only accelerate the push of the Taiwan Strait toward a dangerous situation of military confrontation and war. The U.S. support for ‘Taiwan Independence’ through arms will only end up backfiring. Using Taiwan to contain China will not succeed.”
TAIWAN GENERAL WARNS CHINA’S MILITARY DRILLS COULD BE PREPARATION FOR BLOCKADE OR WAR, VOWS TO RESIST
As the drills unfolded, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said 89 Chinese military aircraft, 14 naval vessels and 14 coast guard ships were operating around the island, with additional warships spotted farther out in the Western Pacific. Some Chinese vessels were engaged in close stand-offs with Taiwanese ships near the island’s contiguous zone, about 24 nautical miles from shore.
“Conducting live-fire exercises around the Taiwan Strait … would not only constitute military pressure on us, but could also pose more complex challenges and impacts for the international community and neighboring countries,” Hsieh Jih-sheng, Taiwan’s deputy chief of the general staff for intelligence, told reporters.
Taiwan placed its military on high alert and said it was prepared to conduct rapid response exercises if the drills escalated. The defense ministry released a video highlighting its own capabilities, including U.S.-made HIMARS systems, while the coast guard deployed large patrol ships to monitor Chinese vessels near its waters.
Chinese state media said the exercises focus on sealing off Taiwan’s key deep-water ports, including Keelung in the north and Kaohsiung in the south, reinforcing concern that Beijing is refining blockade options short of an outright invasion.
China also released propaganda videos and posters alongside the drills, including footage depicting automated humanoid robots, swarms of micro-drones and weaponized robotic dogs attacking the island, as well as imagery appearing to show civilian vessels that analysts say could support an amphibious assault.
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“I think these drills are just meant to scare us,” said Lin Wei-ming, a 31-year-old teacher in Taipei. “Similar drills have happened before … the political side of things can only be handled by Taiwan’s current government and how they choose to respond.”
China claims Taiwan as its territory and has not ruled out using force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan rejects that claim, maintaining that only its people can decide the island’s future.
Scientists discover Alzheimer’s breakthrough that reversed disease in mice
Scientists may have pinpointed a way to reverse Alzheimer’s disease in an animal study.
The study, led by University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, found that restoring a central cellular energy molecule in mice’s brains reversed the markers of the disease, including brain changes and cognitive decline.
Researchers analyzed two Alzheimer’s mouse models — as well as human Alzheimer’s brain tissue — and found severe levels of NAD+ decline.
NEW VITAMIN COMPOUND SHOWS PROMISE FOR REVERSING ALZHEIMER’S DAMAGE TO THE BRAIN
NAD+, an enzyme that is essential for energy production, cell maintenance and long-term cell health, naturally declines with age, according to senior study author Andrew A. Pieper, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Brain Health Medicines Center at Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio.
“When NAD+ falls below necessary levels, cells cannot effectively perform essential maintenance and survival functions,” he told Fox News Digital.
Dr. Charles Brenner, chief scientific advisor for Niagen, which specializes in products that boost NAD+ levels, shared that NAD+ plays a significant role in powering organs that require high energy, including the brain.
“The brain consumes around 20% of your body’s energy and has high demand for NAD+ for cellular energy production and DNA repair,” Brenner, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. “This is because NAD+ plays a key role in the way that neurons adapt to a range of physiological stressors and support processes associated with brain health.”
“Our experiments provide a proof of principle that some forms of dementia may not be inevitably permanent.”
Research demonstrates the potential benefits of NAD+ supplementation in brain health conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and ataxia telangiectasia, he added.
In the UH Cleveland study, researchers used a medication called P7C3-A20 to restore normal levels of NAD+ in mice models, which was found to block the onset of Alzheimer’s. In brains with advanced Alzheimer’s, it reversed amyloid and tau build-up and fully restored cognitive function, according to the researchers.
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Treated mice also showed normalized blood levels of phosphorylated tau 217, an important clinical biomarker used in human Alzheimer’s research.
“For more than a century, Alzheimer’s has been considered irreversible,” Pieper said. “Our experiments provide a proof of principle that some forms of dementia may not be inevitably permanent.”
The researchers were “struck” by how robustly the advanced Alzheimer’s was reversed in mice’s brains when NAD+ homeostasis was restored, even without directly targeting amyloid plaques.
“This gives reason for cautious optimism that similar strategies may one day benefit people,” Pieper added.
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This work builds on previous research from the lab demonstrating that restoring NAD+ balance helped to speed recovery after severe traumatic brain injury.
The study — which was conducted along with Case Western Reserve University and the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center — was published last week in the journal Cell Reports Medicine.
Risks and limitations
The main limitation of the study is that it was only conducted in mouse models and may not directly translate to the disease in humans, according to the researchers.
“Alzheimer’s is a complex, multifactorial, uniquely human disease,” Pieper told Fox News Digital. “Efficacy in animal models does not guarantee the same results in human patients.”
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While drugs have been tested in clinical trials with the goal of slowing Alzheimer’s progression, none have been tested for reversal in humans.
The authors also warned that over-the-counter NAD+-boosting supplements can raise cellular NAD+ to excessively high levels that, in some animal models, have been shown to promote cancer.
“P7C3-A20, by contrast, enables cells to restore and preserve appropriate NAD+ balance under stress without driving NAD+ to excessively high levels,” Pieper noted.
Anyone considering NAD+-modulating supplements should discuss the risks and benefits with their physician, he recommended.
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There are also proven lifestyle measures that promote brain resilience, according to the researcher.
“Alzheimer’s is a complex, multifactorial, uniquely human disease.”
“These include prioritizing sufficient sleep, following a MIND or Mediterranean diet, staying cognitively and physically active, maintaining social connections, addressing hearing loss, protecting your head from physical injury, limiting alcohol, and controlling blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors like avoiding smoking,” Pieper advised.
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Looking ahead, the team plans to conduct further research into the impact of brain energy balance on cognitive health, and to test whether the strategy works for other age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
Experts warn phones now track every move — and helped crack 2025’s biggest cases
A forensic scientist said that cellphones have turned into a “crime scene” in the pockets of everyday Americans, as the device has been at the center of several major criminal cases over the past year.
In cases such as the University of Idaho murders and Brian Walshe’s killing of his wife, Ana, prosecutors and defense attorneys leaned heavily on cellphone data to present juries with evidence that simply didn’t exist a decade ago.
Forensic scientist and Jacksonville State University professor Joseph Scott Morgan told Fox News Digital that everyday Americans may not be aware that they’re carrying a “crime scene in their pocket everywhere they go” because of the amount of data that the device constantly collects.
“We’re so married to it that people cannot see themselves absent this thing. They’re gonna hold onto it, even if it means that it’s gonna bring them down because so much data is captured on there,” Morgan said. “People are, you know, certainly not aware of the fact that, that they are, they’re carrying a crime scene in their pocket wherever they go.”
BRYAN KOHBERGER’S PROFESSOR CALLED OUT HIS ‘ASSUMPTION’ ABOUT LOCAL COPS BEFORE IDAHO STUDENT MURDERS
Morgan said there’s much more evidence on a person’s cellphone than many expect, such as search history, metadata, deleted conversations, GPS data, time stamps and more.
“Now you’ve literally got digital breadcrumbs that might be hiding in the data and you can begin to track them,” Morgan said. “And the thing about it is they’re time-stamped. And this goes to, if someone is trying to alibi themselves, for instance, ‘Wow, I wasn’t there,’ or ‘I never thought about that, contemplated that.’ Well, we show here in the data that we’ve collected out of your phone it.”
Here are three criminal cases in 2025 that relied heavily on cellphone data:
University of Idaho murders:
Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty to murder in the Nov. 13, 2022 killings of University of Idaho students Xana Kernodle, 20, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, and Ethan Chapin, 20.
FBI cellphone tower data obtained by NBC’s “Dateline” allegedly showed that Kohberger’s cellphone pinged nearly a dozen times to a tower that provides coverage to an area within 100 feet of 1122 King Road, where the four University of Idaho students were killed. The late-night drives all allegedly happened starting in July 2022 and continued through mid-August 2022.
According to the report, Kohberger’s late-night trips to the King Road area started after a Moscow pool party he was invited to. Kohberger allegedly visited the area three more times in the first two weeks of October 2022.
In total, FBI cellphone records allegedly indicated that Kohberger was within 100 meters of the King Road house on 23 occasions, including one time on Nov. 7. All the trips were after dark.
Brian Walshe’s murder of his wife, Ana:
Brian Walshe was sentenced to life in prison plus a 22-year sentence on Dec. 18 after he was convicted of killing and dismembering his wife, Ana, after she disappeared on New Year’s Day in 2023.
Massachusetts State Trooper Nicholas Guarino, an expert on digital forensics, testified during Walshe’s trial that he made several incriminating Google searches, which included the name of the man previously involved in an affair with Ana.
The Google and Yahoo searches made by Walshe included the following, according to Guarino:
– “Best ways to dispose of body parts after murder.”
– “How long does DNA last?”
– “Is it possible to clean DNA off a knife?”
– “How long someone missing until inheritance.”
Walshe’s wife had a $2.7 million life insurance policy which he was the beneficiary of, court records show. He owed nearly $500,000 in restitution for his federal case.
Karen Read:
Karen Read was acquitted of second-degree murder in June after her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, died. She was accused of ramming O’Keefe with her Lexus SUV, then leaving him to die during a snowstorm after the couple had a drunken argument.
During the trial, witness Jennifer McCabe admitted to searching for “hos [sic] long to die in cold,” and claimed Read instructed her to make the search.
“You also testified that at the time you Google search those phrases, it was Karen Read screaming and yelling at you, shaking you to Google ‘hypothermia,'” defense attorney Alan Jackson asked.
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“Correct,” McCabe responded.
However, Kerry Roberts, who was a friend of Read’s, testified that she never actually heard Read ask for McCabe to make the searches.
Boxing champ walks away from Nigeria car crash that left multiple people dead
Boxing champion Anthony Joshua was among those injured in a fatal car crash in Nigeria on Monday, officials said.
Joshua was in the back seat of a vehicle traveling along the Ogun–Lagos Expressway when the crash, which left two others dead, occurred, according to multiple reports. Nigerian officials said that Joshua suffered minor injuries and was otherwise “fine.”
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“Joshua was seated behind the driver, with another person beside him,” an eyewitness told Nigeria’s The Punch. “There was also a passenger sitting beside the driver, making four occupants in the Lexus that crashed. His security detail was in the vehicle behind them before the crash.”
Ogun State Police Commissioner Lanre Ogunwalo told ESPN that a tire on Joshua’s vehicle “burst,” which caused his driver to crash into an idle truck parked alongside the road.
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Joshua is the son of British Nigerian parents. He spent time at a Nigerian boarding school when he was younger, but returned to Britain after his parents got divorced.
He participated in a spectacle against Jake Paul earlier this month. He knocked out Paul in their fight, picking up the 29th win of his professional career.
Joshua is a three-time heavyweight champion. He’s held the WBA Super Heavyweight Championship, IBF Heavyweight Championship and WBO Heavyweight Championship. He lost his titles against Oleksandr Usyk back in September 2021.
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It’s unclear when Joshua will be back in the ring.
SEE THE LIST: 10 popular products we were warned not to buy in 2025 as recalls surge
Product recalls surged in 2025, reaching their highest level in at least a decade as regulators warned consumers about defects in everything from water bottles to countertop ovens to sparkling wine.
Here are the top 10 products recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) this year.
10. Walmart recalls 850K bottles after lid injuries cause vision loss
About 850,000 water bottles were recalled after reports that the lid could violently eject, striking users in the face and, in some cases, causing permanent vision loss.
The CPSC said the lid on Ozark Trail 64-ounce stainless steel insulated water bottles can suddenly force open, posing serious impact and laceration hazards.
AMAZON SOLD BABY PRODUCTS NOW RECALLED OVER SERIOUS DEATH RISK TO INFANTS AND CHILDREN
The bottles, manufactured in China, were sold exclusively at Walmart for about $15. Consumers should immediately stop using the water bottles and contact Walmart for a full refund.
9. Popular smart home scent diffusers recalled over magnet failure
More than 850,000 Pura scent diffusers have been recalled after reports that magnets inside the device can detach, posing a serious ingestion hazard to children. No injuries have been reported.
The CPSC warned that if high-powered magnets are swallowed, they can attract each other or other metal objects inside the body, potentially causing intestinal perforations, blockages, infection, blood poisoning or death.
The recalled diffusers measure about 4 inches by 4 inches and have the serial numbers JX230000001 to JX230801425 and JX240000001 to JX240049959.
The diffusers were sold for about $50 on Pura.com, Amazon.com, Target.com and Scheels.com, as well as at Target, Scheels and other stores nationwide, between August 2023 and May 2025.
8. Nearly 1 million bottles of Costco prosecco recalled for shattering risk
F&F Fine Wines International Inc., a U.S.-based importer and distributor of premium wines, recalled about 941,400 bottles of Kirkland prosecco after Costco warned customers that unopened bottles could spontaneously shatter.
The prosecco was sold at Costco stores in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin between April and August 2025 for about $8 per bottle, according to the recall.
AMAZON SHOPPERS WARNED TO STOP USING THESE PRODUCTS IMMEDIATELY DUE TO SAFETY RISKS
The affected products carry UPC code 196633883742 and Costco item number 1879870, the CPSC said. Customers are advised to discard the recalled bottles and contact Ethica Wines for instructions on obtaining a full refund from Costco.
7. Igloo recalls 1 million coolers over risk of fingertip amputation
Igloo recalled its 90-quart Flip & Tow rolling coolers after the CPSC warned the handles can pinch users’ fingers against the cooler, posing crushing and possible fingertip amputation hazards.
The company said the injuries can occur when the handle is being used or repositioned. At least a dozen fingertip injuries have been reported, including amputations, bone fractures and lacerations, according to the CPSC.
CRAYOLA KITS RECALLED NATIONWIDE OVER RISK OF ‘SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH’
The recall affects coolers produced before January last year and sold in multiple body and lid color combinations. They were sold from January 2019 through last month at retailers including Costco, Target, Academy and Dick’s Sporting Goods, as well as online via Amazon and Igloo’s website.
Consumers are urged to stop using the recalled coolers and register on Igloo’s website to receive a free replacement handle.
6. More than 1 million Anker power banks recalled due to fire and explosion risks
About 1.2 million Anker power banks were recalled after reports of fires and explosions linked to a battery defect, according to the CPSC.
The recall involves model A1257, the Anker Power Bank (10K, 22.5W). Anker said an internal quality review identified a potential issue with lithium-ion battery cells supplied by a single vendor.
There have been 19 reported incidents, including two minor burn injuries that did not require medical treatment and 11 cases of property damage totaling more than $60,700.
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The power banks were sold between June 2016 and December 2022 on Anker’s website and through online retailers including Amazon, Newegg and eBay.
Consumers are urged to stop using the recalled devices immediately and request a free replacement from Anker. Because the units contain lithium-ion batteries, they should be disposed of only at certified facilities that accept recalled lithium-ion batteries, the company said.
5. More than 1.2 million countertop ovens sold at major retailers recalled for burn hazard
More than 1 million Oster French Door countertop ovens have been recalled after the CPSC warned the appliances pose a burn hazard.
The recall affects seven model numbers of the ovens, which feature two side-by-side doors rather than a single pull-down door, Oster said. The CPSC reported 95 injuries linked to the products, including two cases involving second-degree burns.
ICE CREAM SOLD AT WALMARTS ACROSS 16 STATES RECALLED DUE TO UNDECLARED ALLERGEN
The impacted models include TSSTTVFDXL, TSSTTVFDDG, TSSTTVFDMAF, TSSTTVFDDAF, TSSTTVFDDGDS, TSSTTVFDDAF-033 and TSSTTVFDXLPP-033.
The ovens were sold between August 2015 and July 2025 at major retailers including Walmart, Costco and Bed Bath & Beyond, as well as online through Amazon and Overstock. They retailed for about $140 to $250.
4. Millions of air conditioners recalled over mold exposure
A popular air conditioning unit sold at Costco was recalled because pooled water inside the air conditioners may not drain quickly enough, creating conditions that can lead to mold growth.
The 8,000-BTU U-shaped window air conditioner, made by Midea America Corp., with model number DAC080B6IWDB-6 was sold through Costco’s website.
GROCERY STORE CHAIN RECALLS CHOCOLATE TREATS DUE TO UNDECLARED ALLERGEN
To address the issue, Midea is offering affected consumers either a repair kit or a refund based on purchase information or the unit’s manufacturing date. Costco members may also return the recalled air conditioners to the warehouse retailer for a full refund.
3. Nearly 2 million SharkNinja pressure cookers recalled after dozens suffer injuries
The CPSC recalled SharkNinja Foodi OP300 Series multi-function pressure cookers after more than 100 burn injuries were reported.
About 1.85 million units were sold in the United States. The recalled appliances combine pressure-cooking and air-frying functions and have a 6.5-quart capacity, according to the CPSC.
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The recall includes model numbers OP300, OP301, OP301A, OP302, OP302BRN, OP302HCN, OP302HAQ, OP302HW, OP302HB, OP305, OP305CO and OP350CO. Model numbers are printed on a label on the side of the cooker.
The cookers were manufactured in China and sold for about $200 at major retailers including Walmart, Costco, Sam’s Club, Amazon and Target, as well as online through Amazon, Costco and Sam’s Club.
2. Nearly 3 million electric motors for attic fans recalled over fire hazard concerns
About 2.9 million electric motors used in gable- and roof-mounted attic fans have been recalled after reports of burning or fire, according to a recall notice published by CPSC.
About 2.9 million electric motors used in gable- and roof-mounted attic fans have been recalled after reports of burning and fire hazards, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
AMAZON SHOPPERS WARNED TO STOP USING THESE PRODUCTS IMMEDIATELY DUE TO SAFETY RISKS
The recalled motors were sold nationwide and online through retailers, including ABC Supply, Lowe’s and Beacon with prices ranging from $74 to $92.
Affected motors carry one of the following model numbers: DOW-136-0-34-XIN, DOW-136-0-26-XIN, DOW-136-0-40-XIN, DOW-136-0-40-XIN-3/4″, or D-RE-PSC-127/20-4P1SP. The CPSC said the motors can also be identified by a distinctive vent pattern on the motor end bells.
Consumers are urged to stop using the recalled motors immediately and contact Air Vent for a refund. Once the model number is confirmed, the company will issue a refund, according to the notice.
1. Nearly 4 million burst-proof water hoses were recalled after bursting
About 3.6 million HydroTech garden hoses were recalled after reports that the hoses can burst, posing an impact hazard and a risk of temporarily impaired hearing.
The CPSC said it received more than 200 reports of hoses bursting, resulting in at least 29 injuries. Reported injuries include bruises, two sprains and five cases of temporary hearing impairment caused by the sound of the hose bursting.
The recall involves HydroTech 5/8-inch expandable burst-proof hoses manufactured on or before Aug. 31, 2024. The hoses were sold in lengths of 25, 50, 60, 75, 100 and 200 feet in various colors.
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Date code markings are located on the end of the hose that attaches to the spigot and are visible when the black rubber washer is removed. Hoses with no date marking, or with markings ending in -211, -212, -213, -214, -221, -222, -223, -224, -231, -232, -233, -234, -241, -242 or -243, are included in the recall.
The hoses were sold between January 2021 and April 2025 for $20 to $136 at retailers including Ace Hardware, Home Depot, Target and Walmart, as well as online through Amazon and other sellers nationwide.
Minnesota fraud probe raises questions about Ilhan Omar’s Somaliland position
Rep. Ilhan Omar’s defense of Somalia’s territorial claims and her opposition to the recognition of an independent Somaliland has been criticized as authorities ramp up investigations into alleged mass fraud in her home state.
One analyst argued the corruption scandal allegedly involving Somali communities in Minnesota is relevant when contrasting failures in Somalia and the stability of Somaliland, an autonomous region that Omar has opposed recognizing.
Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, claimed highlighting the difference between the two regions “mattered.”
“The corruption exposed in Minnesota mirrors the governance failures that have plagued Somalia for decades,” Rubin told Fox News Digital.
INSIDE MINNESOTA’S $1B FRAUD: FAKE OFFICES, PHONY FIRMS AND A SCANDAL HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT
“Somaliland has charted a different course entirely, relying on internal accountability rather than international assistance and that distinction matters right now,” he said.
Minnesota was engulfed in controversy after revelations that fraud losses across multiple government programs since 2018 could total billions of dollars, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
Federal authorities have also already dismantled a $250 million scheme tied to the “Feeding Our Future” case, for example, which resulted in 78 indictments and dozens of convictions.
The case was described by FBI Director Kash Patel as “the tip of a very large iceberg.”
‘INCOMPETENCE OR DERELICTION’: MINNESOTA LAWMAKER RIPS TIM WALZ AS STATE FRAUD LOSSES MOUNT
The scandal gained renewed attention over the weekend after independent commentator Nick Shirley posted a viral video showing shuttered daycare centers that had billed the government millions of dollars while appearing to serve few, if any, children.
Omar has since defended her support for the MEALS Act, legislation critics say weakened oversight safeguards later exploited by fraudulent operators.
Rubin, however, argues Omar’s broader worldview on Somalia also raises questions about her goals.
“Ilhan Omar left Somalia, but Somalia never left her,” Rubin said. “In her Somali-language speeches, she refers to Somalia as her home, not America and so it is clear she appears to seek to advance Somalia’s interests on the global stage.”
He claimed Omar’s opposition to recognizing Somaliland is driven by internal Somali politics rather than U.S. strategic interests.
WHISTLEBLOWER WARNS MASSIVE FRAUD IS HAPPENING IN OHIO SOMALI COMMUNITY, MINNESOTA ‘JUST TIP OF THE SPEAR’
“Clan dynamics shape Somali politics, and that same lens appears to inform her position on Somaliland,” Rubin said, arguing that Omar has opposed policies that would legitimize the breakaway region.
“American interests don’t appear to factor prominently into that calculation,” he added.
Meanwhile, Somaliland continues to attract growing international attention.
After more than three decades of de facto independence, the self-governing territory has maintained internal security, built democratic institutions, and followed closer diplomatic engagement with Israel.
Somaliland has signaled interest in joining the Abraham Accords, positioning itself as a potential partner for U.S. and Israeli interests in the Horn of Africa.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel had established full diplomatic relations with Somaliland, describing the move as being in the spirit of the United States-brokered Abraham Accords.
The announcement made Israel the first UN member state to recognize the self-declared state, which has wanted international acceptance for over three decades.
“The more people learn about Somaliland’s record, the more they will question why the U.S. continues to send billions to Somalia’s internationally recognized government while overlooking a more reliable partner,” Rubin added.
President Trump was also reportedly “looking into” the recognition of Somaliland in August.
BESSENT TURNS UP HEAT ON SPRAWLING MINNESOTA FRAUD SCHEMES AS TREASURY PERSONNEL DEPLOY ON THE GROUND
Trump told the New York Post he has to “study” Netanyahu’s pitch and asked from his golf course, “Does anyone know what Somaliland is, really?”
“We’ll study it. I study a lot of things and always make great decisions, and they turn out to be correct,” Trump said.
Rubin noted the issue could gain more momentum as Netanyahu is expected to discuss regional security matters with Trump this week.
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“The case for Somaliland does align with Trump’s broader foreign policy approach,” Rubin said.
“It is business-friendly, security-focused, and takes responsibility for its own territory. It wants partnerships, not perpetual aid. By any reasonable metric, recognizing Somaliland makes sense.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Rep. Omar for comment.