Good morning,

Today, we’re looking at fraud in Minnesota, the end of snow days for kids in New York City schools, wins for the school choice movement, a progressive Democrat running to succeed Nancy Pelosi, and new convention centers in Texas.

Don’t forget to write to us at [email protected] with questions or comments.

Now, on to the news…

Minnesota DHS Employee on Welfare Fraud: “This Is Real”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota says $9 billion or more in taxpayer funds may have been stolen across 14 state welfare programs since 2018. Minnesota’s Department of Human Services is responsible for administering these programs. According to a DHS whistleblower, “the lack of guardrails” in place at the department “was pretty shocking.”

That whistleblower, Faye Bernstein, went on the record in an interview with Manhattan Institute investigative reporter Ryan Thorpe. A self-described Democrat, Bernstein says welfare fraud in Minnesota “is definitely not something that the Republicans are making up.”

Read their full conversation, including Bernstein’s take on a new audit of her department, here.

No More Snow Days for New York City Students. Blame the Teachers’ Union

This weekend’s historic winter storm granted millions of American children a reprieve from school on Monday—but not in New York City. Even before the storm hit, Mayor Zohran Mamdani had ruled out the possibility of a traditional “snow day,” explaining that the city...