Key figures in the long-running controversy over alleged fraudulent safety net programs in Minnesota

The Trump administration, for the second time in recent weeks, is using allegations of fraud to justify increased federal law enforcement actions in Minnesota, the state with the country'slargest Somali population.

Thelatest surge in federal resources— from the FBI and Department of Homeland Security — followed the release of a widely circulated video in which 23-year-oldYouTube content creator Nick Shirleyalleges, with little evidence, to have uncovered widespread fraud at Somali-run child care centers.

The accusations are the most recent in a series of fraud scandals involving state social service programs that provided meals for needy children during the pandemic, Medicaid housing assistance and other safety nets which benefit needy families.

The alleged schemes prompted a fresh gush of fury and vitriol from the administration of President Donald Trump and state GOP leaders, who have demanded a crackdown on the waste of taxpayer dollars for social services they said were never provided.

The scandals go back nearly a decade and include allegations of fraud in the Somali community focused onFeeding Our Future, a nonprofit prosecutors said falsely claimed to provide meals to needy children during the Covid-19 pandemic. Federal charges were brought against dozens of people — most of them Somali — beginning in 2022.

Shirley's video with the newest accusations involving Somali-run child care centers was retweeted by Vice President JD Vance and former Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk. The US Department of Health and Human Services then announced it was freezing child care payments to the state pending a federal investigation of the allegations.

Here's a look at key figures in the highly politicized, long-running controversy involving alleged fraudulent, government-funded safety net programs in Minnesota.

Aimee Bock and Salim Said

A federal jury in March foundAimee Bock and Salim Saidguilty for their roles in a $250 million fraud scheme connected to a government-funded food program for kids.

Bock was founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit that received funding from the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Said was co-owner of Safari Restaurant, which provided meals for children at the restaurant and many other food sites associated with Feeding Our Future. Beyond feeding children, prosecutors said, the defendants used proceeds from the scheme to buy real estate, luxury vehicles and pay for international travel.

An early investigation by state education officials was slowed in part by a lawsuit filed by the organization and Bock — who is not Somali — on grounds the probe was discriminatory. She later voluntarily dropped the suit after federal agents raided her home and offices.

Bock was eventuallyconvictedof seven federal charges, including bribery. She has not yet been sentenced, but a judge denied her request for a new trial. Said, who also awaits sentencing, was convicted of 20 federal charges, including bribery and money laundering.

Bock and Said each face possible sentences of more than 30 years in prison, CNN affiliateKARE reported.

The vast majority ofroughly 70 peoplecharged in the case are members of the state's Somali community, CNN has reported. Thirty-seven defendants have pleaded guilty,according to The Associated Press.Five were convictedamong a group of defendants who were tried last year, the AP reported.

Ibrahim Ali and Quality Learning Center

One subject of Shirley's viral video was the Quality Learning Center in Minneapolis. The center was featured prominently in the video, with Shirley noting "Learing" was misspelled.

In the video, posted the day after Christmas, the conservative activist and content creator is seen visiting and trying to enter several child care centers he said are not operational yet receive government funding through the state'sChild Care Assistance Program, or CCAP, for low-income families. He does not specify in the video when he visited most of the centers, which Shirley claimed are Somali-run. He told CNN he filmed the video on December 16 and made a follow-up visit later in the day.

CNN is looking into the centers identified in the video and has reached out to several of them. None of the day care center operators have been charged with fraud.

A spokesperson for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, told CNN two of the centers in the video were closed. But a Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families spokesperson later clarified that one — Quality Learning Center — ultimately decided to remain open,according to The Minnesota Star Tribune.

Ibrahim Ali, a manager at Quality Learning Center, said his parents own the facility. Hetold KAREon Monday that Shirley's video was recorded when the business was scheduled to be closed. A sign on the door says its operating hours are 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.

"There's no fraud going on whatsoever," Ali told KARE.

CNN, which has reached out to the center for comment, observed families dropping children off at Quality Learning Center on Tuesday.

MAGA activist Nick Shirley

Since the day after Christmas, when he posted the video purporting to show widespread fraud at federally funded day cares, Shirley has gained hundreds of thousands of followers and millions of views.

Shirley told CNN Tuesday he is "100% sure" the allegations are true. A man whose research was featured in the video told CNN he obtained all of the information from publicly available websites and that it was not given to him by Republican politicians. CNN is looking into the claims.

His video showed Shirley being escorted out of one building by police after they responded to reports he was trespassing and harassing people.

Shirley is well-known in MAGA circles and was invited to speak at the White House in October during aroundtablewith Trump.

First Assistant US Attorney Joe Thompson

Joe Thompson headed the fraud and public corruption section at the US Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota for more than three years.

Months before the most recent allegations, in July, the FBI raided five businesses in the Twin Cities which had allegedly committed Medicaid housing assistance fraud,according to The Minnesota Star Tribune.

Half or more of the roughly $18 billion in Medicaid funds that supported 14 Minnesota-run programs since 2018 may have been stolen due to fraud, Thompson said on December 18,according to the AP.

"The magnitude cannot be overstated," Thompson said. "What we see in Minnesota is not a handful of bad actors committing crimes. It's staggering, industrial-scale fraud."

Walz accused Thompson of essentially making up the $9 billion figure.

"You should be equally outraged about one dollar or whatever that number is, but they're using that number without the proof behind it," Walz said in a December 19 news conference,according to KARE.

Jim O'Neill, Kelly Loeffler and other Trump administration officials and supporters

Deputy Secretary of Health and Human ServicesJim O'Neillannounced the freeze on child care payments to the state of Minnesota Tuesday on X.

O'Neill demanded a state audit of the day care centers in the video and said the agency would now require justification and receipts or photo evidence for all payments to states from the department's Administration for Children and Families.

"Funds will be released only when states prove they are being spent legitimately," O'Neill said.

Minnesota receives $185 million in federal child care funding for 19,000 children, according to the agency. The announcement did not specify alternate plans for families affected by the freeze.

Separately, Small Business Administration head Kelly Loefflerannouncedon X Monday that funding to Minnesota would be suspended to "investigate $430 million in suspected PPP fraud across the state." She did not say whether that investigation into the Covid-eraPaycheck Protection Programinvolved any businesses in Shirley's video.

Vice President Vance, respondingto a post on Xabout alleged fraud involving people of Somali origin, said, "they're stealing both money and political power from Minnesotans."

DHS on Monday began postingvideosshowing agents from Homeland Security Investigations entering what it called "suspected fraud sites."

The House Oversight Committee has called Minnesota state representatives to testify before the panel for aJanuary 7 hearingcentered around "fraud and misuse of federal funds" in the state.

The investigative panel run by Republican Rep. James Comer is also expected to hear testimony fromWalzand Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison in a separate hearing on February 10.

In a statement to CNN, the governor's office said it was "always happy to work with Congress, though this committee has a track record of holding circus hearings that have nothing to do with the issue at hand."

Gov. Tim Walz and other Minnesota officials

Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, has pushed back on allegations his administration lacks adequate safeguards against fraud.

The governor said Tuesday the state has spent years cracking down on fraud by "referring cases to law enforcement, shutting down and auditing high-risk programs." He also asked the state legislature for more authority to take aggressive action, a spokesperson for the governor told CNN.

A series of state audits into lax oversight of Minnesota funds were either minimized or dismissed by Walz and administration officials,CNN reported last year. Criticism of the governor's hands-off approach to accountability came amid allegations the Somali community's strong support for — and contributions to — Democrats helped shield them from scrutiny.

Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families Commissioner Tikki Brown said during a Monday news conference that while the agency had "questions about some of the methods" used in Shirley's video, it does take concerns about fraud "very seriously," KAREreported.

The state is working to improve its systems and hold bad actors accountable, Minnesota state Rep. Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn, co-chair of the Children and Families Committee, said at a news conference Wednesday. The Department of Children, Youth, and Families works closely with county partners on reports of alleged fraud, she said.

While there are legal safeguards to ensure programs are run properly, "this hasty scorched earth attack is not just wrong, it may well be illegal, and my team and I remain committed to protecting the people of Minnesota to the fullest extent of the law," Carin Mrotz, a senior adviser with the Minnesota Attorney General's office, said in a statement on behalf of Ellison, referring to the political fallout from the video's release.

Minnesota's Somali diaspora

With around 84,000 of the state's roughly 108,000 Somali Americans concentrated in the Twin Cities, the contingent has become apotent voting blocin the region. Thevast majorityof Somalis are in the US legally.

Members of the embattled Somali diaspora and their advocates have urged people to not blame an entire community for the actions of a few.

"The Somali community in the Twin Cities is overwhelmingly made up of hardworking families, small business owners, healthcare workers, students, and taxpayers who contribute every day to Minnesota's economy and civic life," Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations' Minnesota chapter, told CNN in an email.

Trump, who has led the charge against what his administration has said is a "hub of fraudulent money laundering activity" in Minnesota,announced plansin November to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Somali residents in the state. In December,ICE launched operationsin the Minneapolis-St. Paul area to specifically target undocumented Somali immigrants.

Trump has accused Somali residents of "ripping off our country and ripping apart that once-great state." He described Somalia as a country that has "no laws, no water, no military, no nothing."

The president ended a November Cabinet meeting asserting that he does not want Somali immigrants in the US. He referred to the community and US Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Somali immigrant who represents Minnesota and a frequent target of his rhetoric, as "garbage" and said Somalis should "go back to where they came from."

Kotyza-Witthuhn, at Wednesday's news conference, said: "Instead of tearing down our Somali community and our child care centers, let's lift them up. Let's make sure that our children have safe places to learn and grow."

CNN's Zoe Sottile, Andy Rose, Holmes Lybrand, Lauren Mascarenhas, Chris Boyette, Hannah Rabinowitz, Omar Jimenez, TuAnh Dam, Rob Kuznia and Emma Tucker contributed to this report.

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byAlex Forten

in

January 02, 2026

Key figures in the long-running controversy over alleged fraudulent safety net programs in Minnesota

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Pictured: Moment sparklers turned New Year’s celebrations into horror inferno

A single photograph captured the moment the ceiling of a Swiss ski resort bar was ignited by young revellers holding up champagne bottles topped with sparklers.

The New Year's Eve celebrations were still in full swing as the flames quickly spread through the foam insulation above the partygoers' heads.

In another photo a barmaid can be seen being carried on the shoulders of a colleague and wearing a crash helmet. She holds a sparkler-topped bottle above her head near the basement's ceiling, which appears to set it alight.

Around 200 young people were crammed inside the basement of Le Constellation bar in the luxury resort of Crans-Montana when the blaze broke out at 1.30am, tearing along the ceiling within seconds.

At least 40 people were killed and 115 injured.

Only one of the victims has been named so far – Emanuele Galeppini, a 16-year-old Italian golfer. Authorities have said it will take days to identify the rest because of the severity of their burns.

Many of the victims are believed to have been trapped in the bar's basement level, witnesses said, with reports suggesting that there were not enough emergency exits.

A crowd, largely aged between 15 and 20, rushed to escape up a narrow flight of stairs through a single door. Others tried to smash windows to escape as the fire started spreading to the ground floor.

Police are investigating whether the bar, which videos show was densely packed, had exceeded the legal limit on the number of customers. Videos showed young people desperately trying to flee the bar as the flames engulfed it.

Credit: via X

The footage, which The Telegraph is choosing not to publish, shows the party-goers trapped inside a room full of fire and smoke as the exit is blocked by a large crowd of people.

Screams and shouts can be heard as people try to push through the masses. The staircase to the snow-covered ground is blocked with injured people, coughing and struggling to move.

Emma, a French witness, said the fire had spread "in seconds", telling the French news channel BFMTV: "Some of the bottles were near the ceiling and it caught fire. The whole ceiling was in flames and the fire spread really fast. It happened in seconds. We all ran outside, screaming and crying.

"I saw a young man writhing in agony on the floor. His body and his hair were badly burned and half of his face had gone. I think he must have died."

Credit: X / @Nola_Susan

Parents raced to the scene from around the town and beyond, trying to find out whether their children were trapped inside.

But they will have an unbearable wait to find out their fate.

Police said it would take "several days" to identify all of the victims owing to the burns and injuries being so severe. Many of the injured are young and in a serious condition, they said.

The resort town of Crans-Montana, 25 miles north of the Matterhorn mountain and around 150 miles from Zurich, is popular with tourists from Britain and elsewhere, who go there for the skiing and the party atmosphere.

Described by some as the "best place to celebrate New Year's Eve" in the town, Le Constellation was packed with young people, witnesses said.

"The party was in full swing ... music and champagne flowing freely," according to one witness.

Lighting sparklers in bottles in the cramped confines of the basement had featured in a promotional video for the venue posted on social media.

It showed waitresses wearing crash helmets walking through the club, waving pyrotechnics flaring out of Dom Perignon champagne bottles precariously close to the beamed ceiling.

Credit: YouTube / Constellation Crans Montana

Another witness, called Albane, said she saw the ceiling catch fire after the firework was lit in the bottle. "It was clearly accidental," she added.

The blaze probably triggered the release of combustible gases that ignited violently and caused what English-speaking firefighters call a flashover fire or backdraught.

One young man watching from across the street said he saw about 20 people scrambling to escape the smoke and flames.

'A horror movie'

Likening what he had witnessed to "a horror movie", he told The Telegraph: "We are broken. Apparently there were sparklers. They should be banned."

"How did this happen? I heard screaming after. People ran out everywhere, and then fire engines came."

Another witness told how he broke into the burning building fearing that his brother was trapped inside.

"We heard a big explosion and after that we saw a lot of smoke," he said. "I thought that my little brother was inside so I came and I tried to break the window to help people to exit."

Speaking to BBC News, the man said that once he managed to get inside, he saw people "burning from head to foot, no clothes any more", adding: "It was very shocking."

The man tried to help where he could, offering water and clothes to the injured, including giving his jacket to a man with burn injuries.

"It's very disturbing because I went in this bar every day in the week... just the day I don't go, it burned," he said.

Axel Clavier, a 16-year-old from Paris who survived the blaze, described "total chaos" inside the bar. One of his friends died and "two or three" were missing, he said.

He said he had not seen the fire start, but did see waitresses arrive with champagne bottles with sparklers.

Mr Clavier said he felt like he was suffocating and initially hid behind a table, then ran upstairs and tried to use a table to break a window. It fell out of its casing, allowing him to escape.

He lost his jacket, shoes, phone and bank card while fleeing, but said "I am still alive and it's just stuff".

Referring to the sparkler the witnesses said caused the fire, a bus driver told The Telegraph: "They're banned in a lot of clubs and they should never be allowed anywhere near crowded places. This is an absolute tragedy."

Crans-Montana's local authority had banned fireworks and sparklers during the New Year's Eve celebrations over concerns that a lack of rain over the past month had left conditions dangerously dry, increasing the risk of fires catching and spreading quickly.

A local reported hearing loud explosions coming from the vicinity of Le Constellation.

"I heard a number of massive bangs, which sounded like bombs going off. It was crazy," they said. "I live hundreds of yards from the bar. I heard screaming and screaming and people running."

Adrien, a witness who was outside the bar when the fire broke out, described the horror of watching those inside flee for their lives. He said: "There was a young man with burns on the pavement outside who kept saying: 'It hurts, I'm in pain, please call an ambulance.'"

Helicopters and ambulances went to the scene, with emergency services from neighbouring areas deployed to assist the rescue operation.

The intensive care unit and operating theatre at the regional hospital were overwhelmed with victims. Those suffering the worst burns were sent to university hospitals across Switzerland.

Credit: TikTok / ladzdrie92i

With the scale of the tragedy quickly becoming apparent, the authorities called on residents to show caution over the coming days in order to avoid placing further strain on the medical system.

One devastated resident arrived at the scene and broke down in tears.

He left floral tributes with the initials of local victims he knew and said the bar had been too crowded for him to enter.

He told The Telegraph: "I had friends at the club. I left the flowers there for my friends and all the others. My heart is bleeding.

"We almost went into Le Constellation, there were just too many people in the club. Had we not gone home we would have definitely got caught up in it.

"I had two friends who were in the club at the time… it could take another week to know. Inside is just unrecognisable… everything is charred.

"The fire happened in the underground and the fire came from the bottom and went to the main floor and then to the second floor. The glass was strong and people struggled to break through the glass.

"I woke up this morning and received over 50 messages from my friends and then I called other friends and some just aren't answering," he said.

Investigators have said they were working on establishing whether fire safety standards had been followed at the bar.

Le Consellation had received a poor safety rating online. One review platform awarded it just 6.5 out of 10 points in the safety category.

Swiss officials have been questioned by media about the state of the emergency exits but declined to comment, saying it was "too early to draw any conclusions".

Le Constellation is owned by a French couple, who have not been named but according to reports are a 49-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman who are said to be in shock.

The woman was present when the fire broke out and suffered burns to her arm. The pair had been living in the Rhône Valley, which Crans-Montana is located above, for around a decade, according to CNN.

Michela Ris, the deputy mayor of the Swiss town of Ascona, who was in Crans-Montana to celebrate New Year's Eve, described how she was frantically searching for friends on New Year's morning.

"Some acquaintances told me about young people leaving the bar covered in blood, some without their clothes. It was a real bloodbath," she told Swiss media.

"We have friends who are not responding to messages. Maybe they are just asleep, but we don't know if, after being at our house, they went straight home or if they went for one last drink, perhaps to the very club where the tragedy took place.

"We are very worried and are trying to contact everyone, one by one, to make sure they are OK. We are devastated."

Around 50 family members were waiting for news of missing loved ones.

As morning broke, residents and commuters gathered outside the building, many in tears, devastated at the night's events in their town.

Two 16-year-olds from Milan were among those injured, according to Italian news agencies.

One girl is still in a coma at a hospital in Zurich, while another teenager is being flown by helicopter to Niguarda Hospital in Milan with severe burns to his hand and head.

As the region declared a period of mourning, Mathias Rénard, head of the regional government, told reporters: "This evening should have been a moment of celebration and coming together – but it turned into a nightmare."

Guy Parmelin, the Swiss president, called the fire "one of the worst tragedies our country has ever experienced".

He said many emergency staff had been "confronted by scenes of indescribable violence and distress".

"This Thursday must be the time of prayer, unity and dignity," he said. "Switzerland is a strong country not because it is sheltered from drama, but because it knows how to face them with courage and a spirit of mutual help."

Emmanuel Macron, the French president, spoke with Mr Parmelin on Thursday and said the death toll was "devastating". "Our thoughts are with the families," he added.

A Foreign Office spokesman on Friday said: "Our thoughts are with all those injured and killed in the terrible tragedy in Crans-Montana, and we pay tribute to the Swiss emergency services who are leading the response. We will continue to monitor the situation, and our consular staff stand ready to support any British nationals who may be affected."

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byAlex Forten

in

January 02, 2026

Pictured: Moment sparklers turned New Year’s celebrations into horror inferno

A single photograph captured the moment the ceiling of a Swiss ski resort bar was ignited by young revellers holding up champagne bottles t...

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Saudi warplanes strike UAE-backed separatists in southern Yemen

ADEN, Yemen (AP) — Saudi warplanes have reportedly struck on Fridayforces in southern Yemenbacked by the United Arab Emirates, a separatist leader says.

This comes as a Saudi-led operation attempts to take over camps of the Southern Transitional Council, or STC, in the governorate of Haramout that borders Saudi Arabia.

Tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAErose after the STC moved last month into Yemen's governorates of Hadramout and Mahra and seized an oil-rich region. The move pushed out forces affiliated with the Saudi-backed National Shield Forces, a group aligned with the coalition in fighting the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.

Meanwhile, the Saudi ambassador to Yemen accused the head of the STC of blocking a Saudi mediation delegation from landing in the southern city of Aden.

Strikes on Hamdrmout

The STC deputy and former Hamdrmout governor, Ahmed bin Breik, said in a statement that the Saudi-backed National Shield Forces advanced toward the camps, but the separatists refused to withdraw, apparently leading to the airstrikes.

Mohamed al-Nakib, spokesperson for the STC-backed Southern Shield Forces, also known as Dera Al-Janoub, said Saudi airstrikes caused fatalities, without providing details. The Associated Press couldn't independently verify that claim.

Al-Nakib also accused Saudi Arabia in a video on X of using "Muslim Brotherhood and al-Qaeda militias" in a "large-scale attack " early Friday that he claimed sepratists were able to repel.

He likened the latest developments toYemen's 1994 civil war,"except that this time it is under the cover of Saudi aviation operations."

Salem al-Khanbashi, the governor of Hadramout who was chosen Friday by Yemen's internationally recognized government to command the Saudi-led forces in the governorate, refuted STC claims, calling them "ridiculous" and showing intentions of escalation instead of a peaceful handover, according Okaz newspaper, which is aligned with the Saudi government.

Earlier on Friday, al-khanbashi called the current operation of retrieving seized areas "peaceful."

"This operation is not a declaration of war and does not seek escalation," al-Khanbashi said in a speech aired on state media. "This is a responsible pre-emptive measure to remove weapons and prevent chaos and the camps from being used to undermine the security in Hadramout," he added.

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen demands the withdrawal of STC forces from the two governorates as part of de-escalation efforts. The STC has so far refused to hand over its weapons and camps.

The coalition'sspokesperson Brig. Gen. Turki al-Malikisaid Friday on X that Saudi naval forces were deployed across the Arabian Sea to carry out inspections and combat smuggling.

Escalating tensions

In his post on X, the Saudi ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed al-Jaber, said the kingdom had tried "all efforts with STC" for weeks "to stop the escalation" and to urge the separatists to leaveHadramout and Mahra,only to be faced with "continued intransigence and rejection from Aidarous al-Zubaidi," the STC head.

Al-Jaber said the latest development was not permitting the Saudi delegation's jet to land in Aden, despite having agreed on its arrival with some STC leaders to find a solution that serves "everyone and the public interest."

Yemen's transport ministry, aligned with STC, said Saudi Arabia imposed on Thursdayrequirements mandatingthat flights to and from Aden International Airport undergo inspection in Jeddah. The ministry expressed "shock" and denounced the decision. There was no confirmation from Saudi authorities.

ِA spokesperson with the transport ministry told the AP late Thursday that all flights from and to the UAE were suspended until Saudi Arabia reverses these reported measures.

Yemen has been engulfed in a civil war for more than a decade, with the Houthis controlling much of the northern regions, while a Saudi-UAE-backed coalition supports the internationally recognized government in the south. However, the UAE also helps the southern separatists who call for South Yemen to secede once again from Yemen. Those aligned with the council have increasingly flown the flag of South Yemen, which was a separate country from 1967-1990.

Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue in Beirut and Fatma Khaled in Cairo contributed to this report.

byAlex Forten

in

January 02, 2026

Saudi warplanes strike UAE-backed separatists in southern Yemen

ADEN, Yemen (AP) — Saudi warplanes have reportedly struck on Fridayforces in southern Yemenbacked by the United Arab Emir...

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Faith, socialism, Millennials. Takeaways on Mamdani's NYC inauguration

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's Jan. 1 inauguration and block party reflected a diverse city looking to make good on the34-year-old democratic socialist's promises to address affordability.

On a freezing New Year's Day, theDemocratic mayor took his ceremonial oath of officeon the steps of City Hall, with thousands of people lining several Manhattan blocks and a slate of celebrities championing him with Millennial cultural touchstones. Mamdani acknowledged people, includingthose outside the five boroughs, want to see how a leftist will manage a municipal government.

The former state assemblyman from Queens vowed to govern the in same as manner as he was elected: as anunapologetic democratic socialist.

Here are five takeaways on his inauguration.

Zohran Mamdani sworn in as mayor of New York City

Mamdani's faith on full display

Mamdani's Muslim faith was front and center during his inauguration.

He took the oath of office at midnight byswearing in on a pair of Qurans, Islam's holiest book, and then again during his public inauguration ceremony.

Imam Khalid Latif, joined by representatives of multiple faiths, offered an invocation focused on how Mamdani's coalition speaks for ordinary New Yorkers, not the wealthy or the powerful.

Mamdani is the first Muslim mayorof the nation's largest city. He is an outspoken proponent of Palestinian rights and critic of Israel. His election sparked concern among many conservatives and Israel supporters. Some political adversaries have sought to link him to Islamist terrorists. Mamdani has previously said he had been told to downplay his faith when seeking elected office.

Latif is the executive director and co-founder of the Islamic Center of New York City, and was appointed a New York City Police Department chaplain in 2007.

"Never let him forget that this office exists to serve the people, not to rise above them," Latif said in his prayer. "We lift up all those who came together to make what many said could never happen, happen."

He continued: "Let no one have to choose between rent and dignity, between medicine and meals, between staying and surviving," Latif said. "Let policy be shaped by compassion and budgets reflective of our values."

Democratic socialists take power

Nearly a decade ago, democratic socialism was an obscure term, unknown to most Americans.

A few lawmakers have since brought it to the forefront, including Mamdani.

Before administering Mamdani's oath of office,U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, a fellow democratic socialist and a Brooklyn native, said Mamdani's agenda on addressing affordability is not radical.

But Sanders said supporters needed to keep pushing for his policies such as free buses, universal childcare and even city-run grocery stores. Sanders' trademark message, to have wealthy and large corporations pay more in taxes, was met by chants of "tax the rich."

"The billionaire class in this city and country have got to understand that in America they cannot have it all," Sanders said. "That America, our great country, must belong to all of us, not just a few. And that lesson begins today in New York City."

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, another democratic socialist, opened the inauguration with an introduction. Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani look to Sanders as a source of inspiration for progressive politics.

Ocasio-Cortez highlighted Mamdani's campaign platform focused on addressing affordability through free universal childcare, affordable rent and "clean and dignified" public transit for New Yorkers.

"We have chosen that over the distractions of bigotry and the barbarism of extreme income inequality," Ocasio-Cortez said. "We have chosen this path because we know that it's the right thing to do, it's the smart thing to do. And that, if we can make it here, we can make it anywhere."

In his speech, Mamdani said he was elected as a democratic socialist and will govern as a democratic socialist. On stage, Gov. Kathy Hochul and former Mayor Eric Adams, two moderate Democrats, sat by listening.

Time to govern, acknowledging the world is watching

Mamdani acknowledged the world was watching what ademocratic socialist can do in office. National Republicans including President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson have usedMamdani as a boogeyman, but his inauguration address didn't reference them or Congress. Instead, he focused on New Yorkers and their city.

His campaign promised to ease the cost of living, a message that has expanded far beyond New York and has transformed Democratic politics. But now, he said his administration has to implement his platform.

"They want to know if the left can govern," Mamdani said. "They want to know if the struggles that afflict them can be solved. They want to know if it is right to hope again."

Mamdani said New York City will make an example for the world. "The work, my friends, has only just begun," he said.

Mamdani is thoroughly Millennial

Mamdani, like a not-insignificant number of Millennial men, had a past rap career, under themonikers Mr. Cardamom and Young Cardamom, complete with a SoundCloud.

His inauguration music, from a wide array of genres, highlighted his generation.

Broadway actor Javier Muñoz, who starred in Lin-Manuel Miranda's "In The Heights" and "Hamilton," delivered the national anthem. New York-based disc jockey DJ mOma served as master of musical ceremony playing welcome music ahead of the inauguration and during a seven block-long street party.

His set included an international selection includingJennifer Lopez's2001 song "Play" to "Thari Mummy Ne Chawe Pawno Delhi Walo" by Bharatraj Masinia, a singer from India's Rajasthan region. Mamdani, whose parents were born in India, is the first New York mayor of South Asian descent.

Jay-Z and Stevie Wonder got multiple plays in the set. Jay-Z tracks included "Beware of the Boys" a remix of the 1998 song from the British-Indian recording artist Panjabi MC, itself a remix of an original song is performed by Indian bhangra singer Labh Janjua, and, of course, "Empire State of Mind," his duet with Alicia Keys. Also in the playlist: "As" and "Another Star," from Wonder's 1976 album "Songs in the Key of Life."

Popular hits fromBad Bunny("NUEVAYoL") mixed with the seventies pop track "Dancing Queen" from ABBA. Walkup music continued during the swearing-in with snippets heard of "Everyday People" by Sly & the Family Stone and "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" from Talking Heads.

Now a national political figure, Mamdani also represents a change in Democratic politics that have skewed heavily old and gray.

Mamdani inspires supporters in freezing cold

Temperatures in Manhattan, even with sun peering between buildings,hovered in the 20s. But that didn't stop thousands of Mamdani supporters from standing in city streets, or celebrities honoring the new mayor.

The celebration at times felt more like a concert than a political celebration.

Mandy Patinkin, the Emmy- and Tony-winning actor whocelebrated Hanukkah with Mamdani, had a musical performance with public school students. Grammy-award winning singerLucy Dacusperformed a political song often associated with the labor movement at Mamdani's inauguration ceremony.

Dacus, a solo artist and a member of supergroup Boygenius, performed "Bread and Roses," a song from the early 20th century that was derived from a poem and political slogan during the women's suffrage movement and labor protests that called for fair wages and better working conditions.

The "Night Shift" singer, 30, who is originally from Richmond, Virginia, has been outspoken about abortion rights, LGBTQ+ issues, including denouncing anti-drag legislation in Tennessee, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Assembling in front of City Hall, celebrants bopped to music from Jay-Z, Daddy Yankee andBollywood performers, along with the classic "New York, New York" song popularized by Frank Sinatra. The songs blasting from the stairs of City Hall were a love letter to the city itself, signifying New York's diversity and multiculturalism as well as Mamdani's South Asian background.

But even amid the dancing and singing along, the audience was moved to tears by several speakers, each describing their vision of a new New York.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani's inauguration takeaways

byAlex Forten

in

January 01, 2026

Faith, socialism, Millennials. Takeaways on Mamdani's NYC inauguration

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's Jan. 1 inauguration and block party reflected a diverse city looking to make goo...

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Catholic influencer's 5-year-old son dies after contracting flu

A Catholic influencer said Thursday that his 5-year-old son died from a severe case of the flu.

Paul Kim, who posts videos about his Catholic faith and has more than 300,000 followers on Instagram, said in a video on Instagram that his son, Micah, died on New Year's Eve after "fighting 11 long, hard days." Previously,Kim said on Instagramthat his son was hospitalized after contracting a severe case of the flu.

"We are so proud of him. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart, as his dad, on behalf of my family, for all the ways you guys prayed and lifted us up during this time," Kim said in the video. "This incredibly difficult, impossible time for our family. It's been the hardest thing I've ever been through in my life, and it continues to be."

On Dec. 21, Kimposted on Instagramthat his son was heading to the hospital in an ambulance after "having a medical emergency." The next day, he posted an update on Instagram saying Micah was on life support and asked for prayers.

In anupdate on Dec. 30, Kim said his son had a severe case of the flu, which caused the child to go septic and experience seizures.

"The doctors are saying it's one of the most horrific cases of this virus that they have ever seen in their life. It's very rare, what happened to my son," Kim said. "Rest assured, he needs a miracle."

Kim posted updates nearly daily since then, several including videos of the 5-year-old unconscious in the hospital. In Thursday's video, Kim said his son was in a coma before he died and that "his soul was already with the Lord."

"In many ways, we were fighting for Micah to buy him as much time as possible, until he passed," he said. "As a father, that is my duty. I was called to do that. Even if in God's ultimate will it wasn't meant for him to recover."

Kim said in the Thursday video that his account has been viewed more than 50 million times in the last few weeks since his son's hospitalization.

The influencer is now asking for privacy.

"Micah is already in heaven at work, seriously. So many testimonies, so many ways in which God is using the light in my 5-year-old to truly save souls and change the world," he said.

The 5-year-old's death comes as theflu surgesacross the U.S., withyoung children hit particularly hardby the respiratory illness. Roughly 3,100 people have died from the flu this season, including five children, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

byAlex Forten

in

January 01, 2026

Catholic influencer's 5-year-old son dies after contracting flu

A Catholic influencer said Thursday that his 5-year-old son died from a severe case of the flu. Paul Kim, who posts videos about his Catho...

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Historic 150-Year-Old Dutch Church Goes Up in Flames amid 'Unprecedented' New Years Violence

Remko DE WAAL / ANP / AFP via Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• Amsterdam's historic Vondelkerk church went up in flames in the early hours of New Year's Day

• The fire gutted the 150-year-old church and destroyed its spire

• Dutch police reported "unprecedented" levels of New Year's Eve violence

An historic 150-year-old Dutch church went up in flames amid "unprecedented" New Year's Eve violence in the Netherlands.

The Vondelkerk, an 1872 church overlooking Amsterdam's famous Vondelpark, caught aflame a little before 1 a.m. local time on Thursday, Jan. 1, Dutch authorities said,RTL reports. Homes in the vicinity of the church were quickly evacuated.

By the time the fire was finally under control 10 hours later, at 11 a.m., the church's 164-foot neo-Gothic spire had collapsed and "only walls" remained intact,De Telegraaf reports.

Laurens Niezen / ANP / AFP via Getty

No casualties were initially reported from the blaze, and the cause of the fire remains unknown and under investigation,The New York Timesreports.

The church, designed by Rijksmuseum architect Pierre Cuypers, served as a Roman Catholic parish for nearly a century before being deconsecrated, thereafter being used to host secular events. The building previously caught fire in 1904, which saw the loss of its original tower.

The inferno came as Dutch police faced "unprecedented" levels of New Year's Eve violence this year.

Ana Fernandez/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty

The chair of the Dutch Police Union, Nine Kooiman,said on Xthat she and her colleagues were being "pelted" with explosives.

"Unprecedented amount of violence against police and emergency workers," said Kooiman. "Lots of explosives/fireworks aimed at the colleagues. Myself already pelted three times. Really hope everyone gets home safely."

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Police arrested some 250 people across the Netherlands as the European nation's emergency number became overwhelmed,De Telegraaf reported. In Utrecht, southeast of Amsterdam, police reported being "continuously attacked by groups of young people," per the outlet.

A 17-year-old boy and a 38-year-old man were killed in separate fireworks incidents across the Netherlands overnight,the BBC reported, citing local media.

At a burn unit in Groningen, in the country's north, 19 patients were treated, including ten under age 15, per De Telegraaf. That's twice the number of patients treated at the unit after last year's New Year celebrations.

Read the original article onPeople

byAlex Forten

in

January 01, 2026

Historic 150-Year-Old Dutch Church Goes Up in Flames amid 'Unprecedented' New Years Violence

Remko DE WAAL / ANP / AFP via Getty NEED TO KNOW Amsterdam's historic Vondelkerk church went up in flames in the early hours of New Y...

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'Frustrated' Anthony Edwards leaves bench early during loss to Hawks

Minnesota TimberwolvesstarAnthony Edwardsdidn't have the homecoming he hoped for during a New Year's Eve game against theAtlanta Hawks, and he made it obvious with a premature exit.

Edwards left the Timberwolves bench and the court at Atlanta's State Farm Arena during the fourth quarter ofMinnesota's 126-102 loss to the Hawkson Wednesday, Dec. 31 after coach Chris Finch elected to pull the team's starters. Edwards' departure, in the midst of a timeout with 7 minutes, 52 seconds remaining and Atlanta leading by 29 points, was unplanned and unapproved, Finch confirmed afterwards.

"Obviously frustrated with the performance and rightfully so, but he needs to stay out on the floor and root for his team," Finch told reporters.

Oct. 26: The Brooklyn Nets' Michael Porter Jr. dunks in front of the San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama at Frost Bank Center.

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

Edwards, an Atlanta native who played one season at the University of Georgia before becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, declined to speak to reporters following the game. He had a team-best 30 points against the Hawks. He reportedly had friends and family at the game,including his grandfather.

Anthony Edwards threw his towel during a timeout and went to the locker room with 7:52 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter 😬pic.twitter.com/oIIx7n1l3k

— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass)January 1, 2026

Edwards was also ejected in overtime of Minnesota's 142-138 loss at Denver on Christmas day for arguing calls at the end of a 44-point performance.The Timberwolveshave lost three of their past four games heading into Saturday's game at the Miami Heat.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Anthony Edwards leaves bench early during Timberwolves loss to Hawks

byAlex Forten

in

January 01, 2026

'Frustrated' Anthony Edwards leaves bench early during loss to Hawks

Minnesota TimberwolvesstarAnthony Edwardsdidn't have the homecoming he hoped for during a New Year's Eve game aga...

Read More