A win for President Trump and the Dept of Homeland Security. The DC Court of Appeals has ruled against the plaintiff argument seeking to block the IRS (Treasury Secretary Bessent) from sharing cross-reference information with the Dept of Homeland Security (Secretary Noem).
Bottom line, the IRS can share data with DHS to identify status of illegal aliens.
“The only issue that we decide is whether, on the sparse record before us, Appellants have met their heavy burden to make a clear showing that they are entitled to the preliminary injunctive relief sought. For the reasons indicated, we conclude that Appellants have not.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is leading the charge to focus on Minneapolis, Minnesota Somali fraud rings for targeted regional actions. The IRS Criminal Investigations division has been dispatched to focus on the Minneapolis region to identify fraudulent use of public assistance services, combined with the abuse of federal taxpayer funds.
These fraud cases, ongoing since the early 2020s and intensifying in 2024–2026, involve allegations of misappropriating hundreds of millions (potentially up to several billions) in taxpayer funds intended for child nutrition, autism therapy, housing stabilization, personal care assistance, and other Medicaid programs.
In a remarkable approach, Secretary Bessent announced during a Fox News interview that a regional targeting effort is now underway that will block anyone who receives public assistance from sending money overseas (remittances to foreign countries). This is not a fee or tax on the remittance, or financial transaction; this is a complete block of their ability to send money overseas. Anyone receiving public assistance will not be able to send money to foreign lands.
Yes, it seems like this is initially going to be subject to the honest admission of the money sender. However, with the IRS reviewing each transfer and cross referencing to public assistance records anyone who attempts to work around this regulation will be subject to federal laws on financial fraud, wire service fraud and potentially money laundering. WATCH:
The interagency focus will eventually go nationwide, as with the new USAO position that focuses on public assistance fraud; but for now, that focused effort will target Minnesota. Minneapolis will be the beta test for a national rollout.
All of the money service businesses in the region will now be reviewed and all financial transactions of $3,000 will be required to have an accompanying Suspicious Activity Report (SAR). With DHS, FBI and now IRS investigators focused exclusively on the two counties involved in the Somali fraud rings, the fraudsters will be identified and prosecuted.
This is very interesting. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has announced [Press Release Here] an operation to target money service businesses on the southern border.
The objective is to identify targeted financial transaction businesses who participate in money laundering for cartel and criminal activity.
WASHINGTON— Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) announced a multi-tiered operation targeting more than 100 U.S. money services businesses (MSBs) operating along the southwest border. These MSBs—which provide financial services outside of a formal bank—are being examined for potential non-compliance with regulations designed to detect money laundering and combat illicit finance. FinCEN’s operation resulted in the issuance of six notices of investigation, dozens of examination referrals to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and over 50 compliance outreach letters.
“At President Trump’s direction, the Treasury Department is utilizing all tools to stop terrorist cartels, drug traffickers, and human smugglers,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “This sweeping operation will help root out potential cartel-related money laundering from the U.S. financial system.”
According to the New York Times, the IRS will begin laying off up to 6,000 staff this week.
(New York Times) – The Internal Revenue Service will begin laying off roughly 6,000 employees on Thursday as part of the Trump administration’s push to downsize the federal work force, three people familiar with the agency’s plans said.
The terminations will target relatively recent hires at the I.R.S., which the Biden administration had attempted to revitalize with a surge of funding and new staff, the people said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
The Trump administration has begun laying off probationary employees — who do not enjoy as much job protection as their more tenured colleagues — across the federal government in recent days.
I.R.S. managers on Wednesday began asking employees to report to the office in the coming days and bring with them their government-issued equipment, according to messages viewed by The New York Times. The I.R.S. employs roughly 100,000 accountants, lawyers and other staff across the country. (read more)
It’s good that Fogel is returning, and the gesture of his release is an act of good faith between the Russian government of Vladimir Putin and the U.S. government of Donald Trump.
However, that said, Marc Fogel was not arrested and detained for some arbitrary reason. The American teacher was arrested, tried and convicted for taking marijuana into Russia. The Russian government doesn’t recognize medicinal marijuana, and they do not play around with illegal drugs or classified narcotics. It’s a big issue and considered a serious crime with severe penalties.
President Trump on Tuesday secured the release of an American imprisoned in Russia as part of a deal with the Kremlin negotiated by Mr. Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. Mr Witkoff flew to Moscow Sunday for discussions with Russian officials.
New York Times – […] Mike Waltz, Mr. Trump’s national security adviser, said in a statement that Mr. Witkoff, at the president’s direction, had brought Mr. Fogel out of Russia on his plane as part of an exchange. But he did not provide any details about whether the United States or an ally had released someone in return or what other steps the administration had taken to win Mr. Fogel’s release.
President Trump held an Executive Order (XO) press conference in the oval office today and took questions from the assembled press pool. Included in the executive orders was the reversal of the plastic straw ban, no more paper straws. The President also implemented a 25% tariff rate on imported steel. The import tariff rate for aluminum increases from 10% to 25%.
At 09:00 of the video, President Trump reads prepared remarks on the implementation of the steel tariffs. At approximately 15:00 of the video, President Trump begins taking questions from the media. The full video of the event is below:
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(Via NBC) – President Donald Trump signed an order Monday that imposes a 25% tariff on all steel imports to the United States.
“This is a big deal,” Trump said while signing the order in the Oval Office. “The beginning of making America rich again.”
I have long said the only thing President Trump needs to do is to tell Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy he needs to hold an election to showcase his public support for his position. After that, Trump can do nothing except wait for the result and the winner of the election to come to him. Then, engage with Putin on a resolution to the conflict.
Would Zelenskyy win the election? I don’t think so, but who knows. Today a video surfaces where Zelenskyy was directly asked why he has cancelled all Ukraine elections, and would he restart them now. Zelenskyy said no, he would not hold elections because holding an election would mean a pause in the warfighting and that would be a win for Russia.
Ukraine President Zelensky claims that the Ukrainian people oppose elections and prefer he continue to rule.
(MSM) – President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that if martial law is suspended until the end of the war so that elections can be held, Ukraine will lose its army, which the Russians will exploit. Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with the UK broadcaster ITV News
Quote: “In regard to elections, everything is clear. More than anything we all want the war to end and for us to have elections. However, as long as the war continues, our population is against elections, all people are against it.”
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought is also the interim Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The CFPB is under review by DOGE and on Monday morning Russ Vought told CFPB staff not to come to work. {Background Here}
Vought sent an email to employees this morning saying they should “not perform any work tasks.” They were directed to contact the top lawyer for the Office of Management and Budget “to get approval in writing before performing any work task.”
Vought is also serving as the bureau’s acting director. The previous director, Rohit Chopra, was fired by Trump, a Republican, on Feb. 1. Vought’s message followed one on Saturday evening that ordered the bureau to “cease all supervision and examination activity.”
(Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s newly installed chief of the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau told all of the agency’s staff on Monday to stay away from the office and do no work, according to an email reviewed by Reuters.
The move followed a weekend decision to shutter the CFPB’s Washington headquarters, idling a federal agency of nearly 2,000 workers tasked with enforcing consumer financial laws.
President Trump gave an interview to Fox News to celebrate the nation coming together to watch the Superbowl, the biggest sporting event of the year in the USA. Video Below:
The United States Secret Service also produced an ad for the Superbowl. It appears the USSS is recruiting new people for a renewed mission. See Below:
Tucker Carlson sits down with Mike Benz, one of the prominent voices who was speaking out about the corruption within the USAID, NED and CIA operation. WATCH:
Chapters:
0:00 The USAID Rabbit Hole Runs Deep
5:29 Trump Is Performing Open Heart Surgery on the Country
9:50 Is USAID Truly a Humanitarian Operation?
19:41 What Is the Point of Funding Transgender Surgeries in Foreign Countries?
27:13 How USAID Secretly Organizes Riots Around the World
A win for President Trump and the Dept of Homeland Security. The DC Court of Appeals has ruled against the plaintiff argument seeking to block the IRS (Treasury Secretary Bessent) from sharing cross-reference information with the Dept of Homeland Security (Secretary Noem).
