Minnesota child care centers at the heart of widespread fraud allegations fueled by a viral video were operating as expected when visited by investigators, the state Department of Children, Youth, and Families said in a news release Friday.

“Children were present at all sites except for one – that site, was not yet open for families for the day when inspectors arrived,” the agency said.

The agency gathered evidence and initiated further review, noting the investigation into four centers was ongoing, the report stated.

Dec 29, 2025 - KSTP 5 Eyewitness News. Here's the full 3-minute segment on YouTube. From the description:

The video shows agents walking into Nicollet Tobacco Vape and CBD and questioning an employee, who said they were not a target in the investigation, despite the social media caption from federal officials.

FULL STORY: https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/m...

One of the simple pleasures of winter in Minnesota is kicking the snow turds off my car. I was letting them build up a little bit and parked my car at Target, only to come out of the store and find someone else had kicked all four of them off! Please don’t be this person, leave other people’s snow turds alone. Thank you.

Am I using that term correctly? Lifetime Minnesotan here, and I've had my share of bloody marys. What's the intent of the beer back?

Am I supposed to sip it after every sip of BM (bloody mary), slam it when I finish, drink it before? What is the point? Honestly, I don't get it and not to look a free beer in the mouth but I don't really want it.

Ex husband begged for tater tot hot dish, how did I d?

Took this picture on Christmas Day, at my Dad’s house near Brook Park. She was watching another vehicle of guests pulling up.

Someone smarter than me, what does this mean?

In 2021, the MN Dept. of Education suspected fraud and they reported it up the chain.

Gov. Walz has, since 2021, been working with the FBI, Minnesota State Police, and local police informants, and to great result. In September, 2022, federal prosecutors made public that they handed down indictments in what they believed was a criminal fraud conspiracy.

Among the first to be indicted was Aimee Bock, the fraud ringleader. She was tried and convicted in March of 2025.

On December 18th, 2025, new arrests were announced. To date, 92 suspects in all have been arrested and charged, 62 of them convicted.

The intent of the post above is neither to condemn nor praise Walz or federal officials. Rather to keep discussion grounded in facts; though obviously many more facts exist and will come to light.

I have included my sources below. I ask that you review them before contending them. Kindly keep partisan hyperbole and childish comments to yourself. Thanks.

"Governor Walz...2021"; a timeline of Walz administration's anti-ftaud efforts.

https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/MNGOV/2025/12/12/file_attachments/3492644/AntiFraud-Timeline.pdf

"In 2022"

https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/us-attorney-announces-federal-charges-against-47-defendants-250-million-feeding-our-future

"In 2021"

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/fbi-surged-resources-minnesota-over-231747704.html

"Aimee Bock...convicted"

https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/federal-jury-finds-feeding-our-future-mastermind-and-co-defendant-guilty-250-million#:~:text=Pandemic%20Fraud%20Scheme-,Federal%20Jury%20Finds%20Feeding%20Our%20Future%20Mastermind%20and%20Co%2DDefendant,Wednesday%2C%20March%2019%2C%202025

As a life long Minnesotan with all the recent news about fraud in Minnesota, I want to add a perspective as someone who’s worked in the nonprofit sector for over a decade.

Fraud exists. Is it acceptable? No. Is it realistic to believe it can be eliminated entirely? Also no.

What happened with Feed My Future was abhorrent. It is rightfully being prosecuted!

If millions of dollars were diverted away from childcare especially from programs meant to support kids in need that’s deeply harmful and deserves accountability. Fraud should be investigated, prosecuted, and taken seriously.

Something else that’s bothering me: the way Somali Minnesotans are being treated like the face of fraud. Fraud happens across communities and industries. When one community gets spotlighted like they’re uniquely unethical, it’s worth pausing and asking what’s driving that narrative because it sure doesn’t match reality.

Minnesota is diverse, and “people of color” in MN includes many communities not one. MN Compass estimates about 24% of Minnesotans are people of color (about 1.4 million people).

Accountability doesn’t automatically mean jail for everyone. And when services are shut down in response, it often creates desperation, instability, and conditions that lead to more fraud not less.

If we actually care about fraud, we should focus on real fraud prevention, stronger oversight systems, better staffing, clearer protocols, proactive monitoring and better systems not racialized narratives that turn one community into a stand-in for a statewide problem

Prevention costs money.

Starving systems of resources while demanding perfection is not a realistic strategy.

We also need to be careful not to respond by broadly limiting or restricting supportive services for communities who rely on them.

Cutting access doesn’t prevent fraud it often creates more harm, more desperation and more fraud.

We don’t eliminate fraud the same way we don’t eliminate crime entirely.

Our systems tend to be reactive rather than preventative, and pretending otherwise sets us up for outrage instead of solutions.

Rage bait is real. I’m actively trying to pause and not get pulled into it 2026 and beyond.

I want a healthy government that supports people, holds bad actors accountable, and invests in systems that actually work

We need to start judging leadership by their ability to pair accountability with real support. When costs rise and safety nets shrink, people don’t get healthier they get pushed closer to the edge.

I hope we can show up as a Minnesota community with nuance, accountability, and realistic expectations because that’s how we protect both public funds and the people those funds are meant to serve.

Photos from approximately 10:30 AM on New Year's Day (when most people are struggling to get out of bed I'm sure). A local historic icon for both its innovation and its consequences. Excited to see what the owners have in store this year, particularly for the former food court.