https://drudge.com/user/lfthndthrds New links and comments. en-us http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Wordzilla/0.58 10 https://drudge.com/news/293438/41-states-risk-losing-federal-snap https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5981659-41-states-at-risk-of-losing-federal-snap-funds-new-data-shows-what-to-know/?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=offthepress&utm_campaign=home (NEXSTAR) " Dozens of states are going to have to start forking over more money to fund SNAP (or end up cutting food assistance) if they don't get their error rates in check. With the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill last year, the Trump administration put states on notice: If they don't get their error rates under control, they'll lose partial federal funding for SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as Food Stamps), starting with the 2028 fiscal year. Wed, 22 Jul 2026 15:14:58 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293438/41-states-risk-losing-federal-snap#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293438 discussion, 0.5 daily 293438 https://drudge.com/news/293437/democrats-take-money-epstein-tied https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/elections/two-democrat-candidates-take-cash-epstein-linked-megadonor-after-slamming?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=offthepress&utm_campaign=home James Talarico and Sen. Jon Ossoff, D- Ga., who is running for re-election, have both received donations from Reid Hoffman, a billionaire who has admitted to spending time on Epstein's Caribbean island, Fox News reported. Hoffman donated $11.5 million to a Talarico-aligned super PAC called Lone Star Rising, according to The Texas Tribune. Hoffman donated $7,000 to Ossoff's campaign, the maximum legal amount. Both Talarico and Ossoff have referred to the "Epstein class" when discussing billionaires. Talarico, for example, has said in an interview, "The Epstein Class has no place in Texas," while Ossoff said in a news statement earlier this year that "MAGA [ ... ] is the Epstein class, ruling our country." Wed, 22 Jul 2026 14:56:54 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293437/democrats-take-money-epstein-tied#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293437 discussion, 0.5 daily 293437 https://drudge.com/news/293347/james-talarico-has-bad-week-epstein-tied https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/07/18/james-talarico-has-very-bad-week-after-campaigning-against-epstein-class-1651084/ Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, a Democrat, faced a week of hell thanks to the release of multiple bombshell reports about him and his allies. The first report revealed that LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, a prominent billionaire venture capitalist, donated $10 million last month to a PAC supporting Talarico's campaign. This is problematic because Hoffman has ties to deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. "The release of the Epstein files' showed Hoffman maintained contact with Epstein after the financier pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor in 2008," according to The Texas Tribune. Yet Talarico has repeatedly insisted in his attacks on Republicans that "the Epstein class has no place in Texas." Unless, it appears, the so-called "Epstein class" is donating to one's campaign? Sat, 18 Jul 2026 09:35:42 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293347/james-talarico-has-bad-week-epstein-tied#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293347 discussion, 0.5 daily 293347 https://drudge.com/news/293346/sheriff-somali-gangs-terrorizing https://archive.ph/XiwjH#selection-1267.0-1267.63 A dozen Somali gangs with hundreds of members, mainly teenagers, are wreaking havoc in Minnesota, committing public shootings and murders out in the open, according to local officials. Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher, whose office patrols the metropolitan region surrounding Minneapolis and St. Paul, told the Washington Examiner that as many as 300 Somali youth are engaged in gang activity around the Twin Cities area. According to Fletcher's office, Somali gangs were responsible for at least 14 homicides in the past two years, as well as over 100 shootings, including gunfights that broke out at massively attended gatherings, such as high school graduation ceremonies and the Minnesota State Fair. Sat, 18 Jul 2026 09:22:59 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293346/sheriff-somali-gangs-terrorizing#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293346 discussion, 0.5 daily 293346 https://drudge.com/news/293322/kansas-city-woman-faces-20-years-prison https://justthenews.com/accountability/waste-fraud-and-abuse/kansas-city-woman-faces-20-years-prison-welfare-fraud?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=offthepress&utm_campaign=home "As part of a broader employment investigation, it was discovered that Luna-Mejia's employer had removed her from the wage and hour tax reporting required by the State of Missouri," the DOJ alleged in its press release. "Further investigation determined Luna-Mejia had been receiving wages from that employer the entire time she received SNAP, but she did not report it on her recertifications. She also did not report the existence of her bank account in which she deposited her paychecks to further conceal her income. Investigators determined that had she been truthful about her income, she would have been ineligible for nearly $40,000 in benefits she received during that time." In February, 29-year-old LaTasha Thomas of Minnesota was sentenced to one year in prison followed by one year of supervised release for mail fraud, according to the DOJ. She was also ordered to pay $325,159 in restitution. Thomas and her daughter defrauded the SNAP program for two years by illegally acquiring Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards to purchase groceries. Thomas created fake temporary drivers' licenses and submitted them for EBT cards, alleging the recipients had medical issues requiring increased benefits and bolstering their fraud with fake doctor's notes. Fri, 17 Jul 2026 09:16:33 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293322/kansas-city-woman-faces-20-years-prison#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293322 discussion, 0.5 daily 293322 https://drudge.com/news/293307/ntsb-says-tesla-driver-accelerated-into https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/tesla-driver-accelerated-into-house-fatal-texas-crash-ntsb-says-2026-07-15/?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=offthepress&utm_campaign=home The National Transportation Safety Board said the driver of a Tesla (TSLA.O) Model 3 that killed a 76-year-old woman when it ploughed into her home at high speed in Katy, Texas in June had overridden the vehicle's advanced driver assistance system ... <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:jbvnehrrdqoulco4rf5gxg5r/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqprrxprio2m" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreia5i37l6bydv2ic4h2lumrtzo73pb2kau77wzg6y2irpvlt2bfyda" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="">Tesla driver accelerated into house in fatal Texas crash, NTSB says reut.rs/4fe7Q4D<br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:jbvnehrrdqoulco4rf5gxg5r/post/3mqprrxprio2m?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> -- Reuters (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:jbvnehrrdqoulco4rf5gxg5r?ref_src=embed">@reuters.com</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:jbvnehrrdqoulco4rf5gxg5r/post/3mqprrxprio2m?ref_src=embed">6:35 PM &Acirc;&middot; Jul 15, 2026</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Fri, 17 Jul 2026 08:30:39 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293307/ntsb-says-tesla-driver-accelerated-into#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293307 news, 0.5 daily 293307 https://drudge.com/news/293313/ai-backlash-has-tech-executives-living https://www.wsj.com/us-news/the-ai-backlash-has-tech-executives-fearing-for-their-lives-30c43972 Wall Street Journal compiles a list of incidents where AI companies have been threatened. <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:7exlcsle4mjfhu3wnhcgizz6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqh5hbk5fa2w" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreidxwkyrjl2dw2e5qnsfk5bag475pgkkllsw6oinmytebkzwex3eua" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="">The fight against AI data centers is just beginning<br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:7exlcsle4mjfhu3wnhcgizz6/post/3mqh5hbk5fa2w?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> -- The Verge (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:7exlcsle4mjfhu3wnhcgizz6?ref_src=embed">@theverge.com</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:7exlcsle4mjfhu3wnhcgizz6/post/3mqh5hbk5fa2w?ref_src=embed">8:10 AM &Acirc;&middot; Jul 12, 2026</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Fri, 17 Jul 2026 07:33:11 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293313/ai-backlash-has-tech-executives-living#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293313 news, 0.5 daily 293313 https://drudge.com/news/293302/dhs-weigh-immigrants-use-medicaid https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dhs-immigrants-green-card-public-charge-medicaid-housing-food-aid/?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=offthepress&utm_campaign=home In a move that will place hundreds of thousands of green card applicants under broader scrutiny each year, the Trump administration is allowing immigration officers to consider whether some applicants have used taxpayer-funded benefits " including Medicaid, food stamps and housing assistance " when determining whether they qualify for permanent legal status. The Department of Homeland Security is poised to rescind a 2022 Biden-era regulation narrowing how officers apply a long-standing "public charge" test " an immigration screening tool used to determine whether applicants are likely to rely on government support " according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officials. Thu, 16 Jul 2026 11:53:15 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293302/dhs-weigh-immigrants-use-medicaid#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293302 discussion, 0.5 daily 293302 https://drudge.com/news/293262/tax-dollars-could-soon-pay-political https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/07/14/taxes-used-on-political-campaigns/?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=offthepress&utm_campaign=home California voters will decide in November whether politicians can receive taxpayer-funded campaign money under a ballot measure that would repeal the state's decades-old ban on public financing. Proposition 4, titled the Allow Public Financing of Election Campaigns measure, will appear on the Nov. 3 statewide ballot. If approved, the measure would allow local governments across California to establish programs that use taxpayer dollars to finance political campaigns, repealing the ban established in 1988 by Proposition 73, which prohibited the use of public funds for election campaigns. Critics say the proposal would force taxpayers to subsidize political campaigns at a time when many Californians are struggling with affordability. Several California cities, including Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley, already operate campaign financing programs, Tue, 14 Jul 2026 15:52:52 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293262/tax-dollars-could-soon-pay-political#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293262 discussion, 0.5 daily 293262 https://drudge.com/news/293212/carville-unloads-far-left-democrats https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5963954-james-carville-leftist-democrats-midterms-criticism/?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=offthepress&utm_campaign=home The new wave of Democrats and progressives, he argued, are repeating the same mistakes that cost the party in the past. "These people are so f"ing stupid I don't know what to say about it," said Carville, who previously served as a senior adviser to former President Clinton. "So now we have this idea that these insurgent Democrats. And what is their solution?" "Is their solution to beat Republicans, to run against Republicans? No! Their solution is to beat Democrats like they're part of the problem," he continued. "You are part of the problem because you're a f-king idiot!" Sun, 12 Jul 2026 12:56:43 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293212/carville-unloads-far-left-democrats#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293212 discussion, 0.5 daily 293212 https://drudge.com/news/293206/lindsey-graham-dies https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/07/12/lindsey-graham-dead-71-illness/90891945007/ WASHINGTON ' South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham died on July 11, according to his office. He was 71. Graham's death marks the passing of a longtime conservative fixture of the Senate, and one of President Donald Trump's closest political allies. Sun, 12 Jul 2026 08:20:19 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293206/lindsey-graham-dies#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293206 discussion, 0.5 daily 293206 https://drudge.com/news/293190/usda-california-owes-14-billion-because https://www.thecentersquare.com/california/article_2337dc8a-cd1a-4ca3-9c6d-b88a5c601fe6.html?a?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=offthepress&utm_campaign=home California saw $1.4 billion in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program errors for Fiscal Year 2025. That accounts for $3.8 million every single day. That's part of a trend of Southwestern states having to repay the federal government for SNAP benefits. A payment error rate refers to instances of overpayment or underpayment to households. It is not inherently indicative of fraud, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees SNAP for the federal government. Rather, according to the department, it often stems from households providing incomplete information or state data processing errors. "These payment error rates are further proof that state accountability is severely lacking in SNAP," said Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins in the press release. "USDA has taken historic action to help interested states curb SNAP waste, and I hope other states, regardless of political leadership, prioritize needy families and the American taxpayer over politics." <p>States that managed to stay below the 6% threshold are safe from financial penalties. Sat, 11 Jul 2026 10:59:14 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293190/usda-california-owes-14-billion-because#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293190 discussion, 0.5 daily 293190 https://drudge.com/news/293189/san-fran-mayor-derail-plan-publicly https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/san-francisco-publicly-funded-markets/4112097/?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=offthepress&utm_campaign=home A vote on a San Francisco supervisor's plan to convert neighborhood corner stores into publicly subsidized markets has been placed on hold. Supervisor Bilal Mahmoud announced the idea late last month and is now accusing Mayor Daniel Lurie of interfering with the Board of Supervisors' legislative process. "What happened is that the mayor called the budget chair and asked her to pull this to even before it could be voted on," Mahmoud said. "This has never happened in the history of the board in recent history." Mahmoud's plan is modeled after New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's executive action to create government-owned supermarkets. Sat, 11 Jul 2026 10:47:47 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293189/san-fran-mayor-derail-plan-publicly#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293189 discussion, 0.5 daily 293189 https://drudge.com/news/293188/alleged-feeding-our-future-fraudster https://alphanews.org/alleged-feeding-our-future-fraudster-on-the-run-since-2022-added-to-fbi-most-wanted-list/?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=offthepress&utm_campaign=home An indictment says Fahad Mohamed Nur's company received "more than $9.9 million fraudulently from sites or entities involved in the Federal Child Nutrition Program." Sat, 11 Jul 2026 10:35:42 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293188/alleged-feeding-our-future-fraudster#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293188 discussion, 0.5 daily 293188 https://drudge.com/news/293174/tim-walz-pardoned-child-rapist-before https://www.foxnews.com/politics/marco-rubio-steps-tim-walz-pardoned-illegal-alien-child-rapist-deportation?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=offthepress&utm_campaign=home An illegal alien child rapist from Laos who was set for deportation until Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and the State Board of Pardons granted him clemency has been removed from the United States, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News Digital. Rubio stepped in to terminate Tue Lue Vang's legal status in the U.S. and ensure that Walz's actions would not create roadblocks for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) removing him from the country. "He repeatedly raped the girl between 2002 and 2004, and told authorities after he was arrested that "it is a cultural thing... to marry and have sex with girls as young as 12." <p>Where have we heard this excuse before? Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:04:50 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293174/tim-walz-pardoned-child-rapist-before#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293174 discussion, 0.5 daily 293174