Vice President JD Vance has held the inaugural meeting of a new anti-fraud task force he's leading as the Trump administration seeks to show it's cracking down on potential misuse of social programs. Vance spoke Friday before the task force's closed-door meeting. The Republican vice president says the federal government for decades had not taken fraud seriously and it needed to be tackled with "a whole-government approach." President Donald Trump has made the crackdown on fraud part of a chief domestic focus as voters have said they're concerned about affordability ahead of November's midterm elections. Vance cites allegations of fraud in Minnesota, whose Democratic governor says Trump wants to "punish blue states."
By MICHELLE L. PRICE and ALI SWENSON Associated Press
Updated
Vice President JD Vance has announced that the Trump administration would "temporarily halt" some Medicaid funding to the state of Minnesota over fraud concerns, as part of what he described as an aggressive crackdown on misuse of public funds. Vance, who made the announcement Wednesday with Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the administration was taking the action "in order to ensure that the state of Minnesota takes its obligations seriously to be good stewards of the American people's tax money." Wednesday's move is part of a larger Trump administration effort to spotlight fraud around the country.
By JACK BROOK and PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press
An appeals court has suspended a decision that restricts the aggressive tactics of immigration officers in Minnesota. The government persuaded the appeals court to freeze a judge's ruling that bars officers from using tear gas and taking other steps against peaceful protesters in Minnesota's Twin Cities. The stay is in effect while the government appeals. Meanwhile, an official in Maine turned down a request for more undercover license plates for U.S. Customs and Border Protection vehicles. The Maine secretary of state cited "abuses of power" during the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
By STEVE KARNOWSKI and MARK VANCLEAVE Associated Press
Authorities say a shooter opened fire with a rifle through the windows of a Minneapolis Catholic church and struck children celebrating Mass during the first week of school. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara says two children were killed and 17 people were wounded in the shooting Wednesday morning at Annunciation Catholic School. He calls the violence "absolutely incomprehensible." The children who died were 8 and 10, and 14 other kids were among the wounded. Police believe the shooter died by suicide. Officials were looking into the suspect's motive. O'Hara says the shooter was in their early 20s, does not have an extensive known criminal history and is believed to have acted alone.
By STEVE PEOPLES, MEG KINNARD and HOLLY RAMER Associated Press
The voters in early presidential nominating states are used to seeing contenders months or even years before most of the country. But the political jockeying in 2025 for the 2028 presidential contest appears to be playing out earlier, with more frequency and with less pretense than ever before. While the first presidential primary votes won't be cast for another two and a half years, three Democratic presidential prospects are scheduled to campaign in South Carolina for 10 days this month. Nearly a half dozen others have made recent pilgrimages to South Carolina, New Hampshire and Iowa. This week, both Kentucy Gov. Andy Beshear and Rep. Ro Khanna will be in South Carolina.
Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing a backlash from members of his own party after a series of podcasts that featured Steve Bannon and other supporters of President Donald Trump. Newsom is a potential 2028 presidential candidate. He says his choice of guests reflects his interest in knowing more about how Republicans organized in the last election. Specifically, he's looking at how Trump defeated Kamala Harris in every battleground state and Republicans locked up majorities in the House and Senate.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris' pick as her running mate, will need to introduce himself to the vast majority of Americans, according to recent polling. But while Walz is a virtual unknown, AP VoteCast data from his gubernatorial win in 2022 shows that he won with key demographics that Harris will hope to capture in the Midwest and outperformed Democrats nationally among white voters without a college degree. His biography as a military veteran and former high school teacher — two broadly trusted professions — may also help him appeal to voters.
