Busting Liberal Myths With the Somali Fraud Story

Christopher F. Rufo and Ryan Thorpe recently wrote about fraud rings in Minnesota that stole billions of dollars from the state’s welfare system and sent it to Somalia, where some of it ended up in the hands of Al-Shabaab terrorists.

The liberal media responded right on cue, Rufo writes, sometimes misrepresenting the story and other times missing the point. “Minnesota has long prided itself on its generous welfare programs and reputation for good governance,” he points out. “But after the mass arrival of the new Somali population—many of whom brought with them different attitudes toward government and civil society—these programs became a weak point.”

Read more from Rufo on the response to his reporting and the uncomfortable truths the story brought to light.

Though the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is awash in cash, it has received yet another bailout. The $1.5 billion granted by the state legislature will increase the sales tax and raise toll fees, putting added pressure on residents already concerned about high living costs.

“Extra revenue might make sense if the system needed funds to meet greater demand, but the opposite is the case,” Judge Glock points out. “Last year the CTA had 309 million riders, down from 456 million in 2019.” In 2014, the system logged more than 500 million riders.

What should the CTA be focused on? Trimming services to match the work-from-home era. Read more from Glock about the system.

Pundits and progressive activists have long considered Hispanics a reliably Democratic voting bloc. But in the 2024 presidential election, 48 percent of them—and a majority of foreign-born, naturalized Hispanic immigrants—cast their ballots for Donald Trump. Daniel Di Martino argues that these results reflect how Hispanics, like Italian immigrants before them, are assimilating into the American mainstream.

“Far from being a permanent minority locked into the Democratic coalition, Hispanics are showing that the American melting pot still works,” he writes. “They are increasingly marrying into the white majority, shedding ethnic labels, and embracing mainstream politics.” This shift, he argues, will help create an American future where ethnic identity matters less—and the country is more united.

Oppression flowcharts. “White fragility.” Guides on pronoun use.

That’s just a taste of the topics featured at the National Education Association’s recent training session. A watchdog group got its hands on some of the materials, and they are revealing, to say the least.

“While the union never references DEI or CRT by name in its program list, the NEA seems committed to both ideologies,” Wai Wah Chin writes. “It counsels members to ‘develop counter narratives of inclusion and equity’ and ‘develop a toolset of tactics for dismantling systems of privilege and oppression.’”

Read more about the training.

“The societal costs of crime are consistently underestimated. Any progress in understanding how to reduce crime and increase our collective safety and quality of life is more than welcome.”

Photo credit: Jeff Swensen / Stringer / Getty Images News via Getty Images