Overview
- Lieutenant Governor and Senate candidate Peggy Flanagan appeared on Somali TV wearing a hijab at a Minneapolis market, telling residents "we've got your back" and urging shoppers to support Somali businesses.
- Flanagan is competing in the Democratic primary for the seat being vacated by Sen. Tina Smith, drawing heightened scrutiny of her record as the controversy grows.
- Federal prosecutors continue cases tied to the pandemic-era Feeding Our Future scheme, with 78 people charged and reporting that cites federal estimates placing total losses as high as $9 billion.
- Reporting also notes that the Treasury Department is examining allegations that some stolen funds moved through hawalas to the Islamist group Al‑Shabaab, a claim under review without confirmed outcomes.
- Government responses have intensified, including an ICE surge targeting the Minneapolis area and a House Oversight investigation into Governor Tim Walz’s handling of affected programs.