The Trump administration is suing California over “billions” in healthcare fraud, the elderly mother of “Today Show” host Savannah Guthrie vanishes from her home, and the Senate votes to keep a federal agency alive after its CFO confesses to taking bribes. It’s Wednesday, February 4, 2026, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below: CMS Probes Fraud In California Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz says Los Angeles County has become an “epicenter for health care fraud,” sparking a battle with California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Oz says his agency has identified billions of dollars in alleged Medicare and Medicaid fraud in California, largely tied to hospice and home care fraud. Scammers make fraudulent claims by enrolling people in hospice care when it’s unnecessary or is never actually provided. Fraudsters are billing the government for services such as grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning when these services are not provided. There appears to be a lot of coordination in Los Angeles County, specifically, essentially organized crime, to pull off these scams on taxpayers. Oz has suggested this is largely tied to the “Russian-Armenian mafia.” Nancy Guthrie Investigation Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today Show Host Savannah Guthrie, disappeared from her home in Tucson, Arizona, over the weekend, with investigators fearing the worst. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said he believes Nancy was taken from her home in a “possible kidnapping or abduction.” Meanwhile, Savannah spoke out on Instagram late Monday, asking for prayers to bring her mom home, as this troubling case unfolds. “We believe in prayer. We believe in voices raised in unison, in love, in hope. We believe in goodness. We believe in humanity. Above all, we believe in Him,” Savannah wrote. Foreign Aid Official Admits Taking Bribes The chief financial officer of a federal agency providing aid to Africa will plead guilty to taking bribes. Daily Wire investigative reporter Luke Rosiak revealed back in May that the African Development Foundation was doing exactly what the Trump administration suspected its larger counterpart, USAID, of doing: Using foreign aid to enrich D.C. insiders. The foundation is a federal agency that not many people knew existed until it became a hero to Democrat politicians and some media outlets when its staff locked the doors to prevent DOGE from entering. According to court papers filed Friday, the foundation sent $800,000 to a Kenya-based company run by CFO Mathieu Zahui’s friend. The friend paid Zahui a $12,000 kickback, and the company retained $134,886 for no work. And that is just one of many examples connecting the foundation to fraud. And yet, after Zahui’s plea, the Senate voted against abolishing the agency with help from 11 GOP senators.

The ex-husband of former first lady Jill Biden has been charged with murdering his wife at their Delaware home.  The New Castle County Police announced Tuesday that they had arrested 77-year-old William Stevenson and charged him with murdering 64-year-old Linda Stevenson. Stevenson was married to Jill Biden from 1970 to 1975 before they divorced.  Stevenson’s arrest came after a weeks-long investigation into Linda’s December death at their home in the Oak Hill neighborhood in Wilmington, Delaware. He was charged with first-degree murder after police detectives, in coordination with the Delaware Department of Justice, made their case to a grand jury.  Stevenson is currently behind bars at the Howard Young Correctional Institution after he was unable to pay $500,000 cash bail. Linda Stevenson was found dead on December 28, 2025, after police responded to a reported domestic dispute call.  “Upon entering the home, officers located 64-year-old Linda Stevenson unresponsive in the living room. Officers immediately administered life-saving measures; however, despite their efforts, Linda Stevenson was later pronounced deceased,” the New Castle County Police said at the time.  Her body was turned over to the Delaware Division of Forensic Science for an autopsy. Authorities have not yet revealed the cause of her death. Linda Stevenson’s obituary described her death as unexpected and did not mention her husband.  “Linda was deeply family-oriented and treasured time spent making memories, especially on family vacations with her daughter and granddaughter,” her obituary said. “She loved her work and truly cared for her clients, many of whom became friends.” Jill Biden first met William Stevenson in 1969 while she was attending the University of Delaware, the New York Times reported.   “I truly believed we were destined for each other,” she wrote in her memoir. “Looking back it may seem like a mistake of youth.” In March 1975, Jill met then-Sen. Joe Biden, and by May of that year, she was divorced from Stevenson. She married Biden in June 1977.  Stevenson was the founder of the Stone Balloon Club in Newark, Delaware, a well-known venue where musicians like Bruce Springsteen performed.

It is one of the most familiar sights in American sports. Confetti falls, cameras swarm the field and the Super Bowl MVP is asked what he plans to do next. The answer has become iconic. The post The Disney Idea That Became a Super Bowl Tradition appeared first on The Retro Network.

When you think about recent events in the Middle East, it’s easier to understand what’s happening in Minnesota. There are significant parallels between the tactics of Hamas and pro-illegal immigrant agitators. Start with this. Both have no realistic way to achieve their objective through conventional means. Despite the brutality of the Oct. 7 massacre, Hamas couldn’t defeat Israel militarily. That’s the reason it had to rely on a surprise attack. In response, Israel decimated Hamas’ leadership. President Donald Trump ran on deporting illegal immigrants, and voters gave him a resounding victory in 2024. Unlike most politicians, Trump is actually keeping his promises. Thanks to the “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” there’s plenty of funding to deport illegal immigrants, too. The proper way to counter this would be for pro-illegal immigrant activists to win an election or two. Then, they could change the law. But the Left’s commitment to democracy fades when its opponents are in power. Outmatched in bullets and ballots, both groups have sought to use political pressure to achieve their aims. Putting their own people in danger is key to these efforts. Hamas hides its military infrastructure in and around hospitals and schools. Israel either avoids attacking legitimate military targets, or Hamas rushes out pictures of dead women and children. Something similar is happening in Minnesota. Agitators are actively stalking U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and then physically trying to prevent federal agents from arresting illegal immigrants. Crowd control should be a job for local cops. But Minnesota politicians have prevented local police from coordinating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In December, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara even told residents to call the cops on ICE. Federal agents are put in a no-win situation. Either they allow agitators to stop them from arresting a criminal illegal immigrant, or they must use physical force to arrest the agitators. At a minimum, that will produce ugly-looking videos. Twice when an agitator has resisted, things have turned deadly. Illegal immigration activists then promote out-of-context videos and lob vile accusations at federal agents. In both situations, there is a disproportionate focus on the actions of one side. Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel. Hamas brutalized hostages for months or years. Hamas used human shields. Yet, the propaganda press, many on the left and even some on the right, obsessively focused on any perceived misdeeds by Israeli forces. The same is true in Minnesota and around the country. Last year, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called ICE a “modern-day Gestapo.” Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner recently called ICE agents “wannabe Nazis” and vowed to “hunt you down.” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has said ICE’s work would “essentially” turn the country into “Nazi Germany.” The propaganda press largely ignores incendiary rhetoric like this. They barely even report on the violence committed by illegal immigration sympathizers. In September, an anti-ICE gunman opened fire on an ICE field office in Dallas. Police believe he killed one detainee and injured two others. Pro-illegal immigration activists recently stormed a St. Paul church, terrifying children and disrupting the service. Recently, an anti-ICE agitator even reportedly bit off the finger of a federal agent. But the propaganda press offers frame-by-frame scrutiny of agents who have to make split-second decisions when an agitator resists arrest. These similarities show why it’d be a mistake for the Trump administration to capitulate in Minnesota. Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005. Gaza residents didn’t thank Israel. They gave power to Hamas, setting the stage for the attack on Oct. 7, 2023. If violence gives illegal immigration agitators a de facto veto over federal immigration law, that violence will spread. Israel learned this lesson the hard way. ICE shouldn’t have to.COPYRIGHT 2026 CREATORS.COM We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal.  The post ICE and Israel Face the Same Dilemna appeared first on The Daily Signal.

First Medical Society to Break Ranks on Gender Treatments for Minors

An epidemiologist's roster of worrisome pathogens remind us how important it is to stay vigilant and proactive when it comes to public health.

A white Texas student's life was turned upside down by a hate hoax perpetrated by a black acquaintance's mother, Summer Smith, and her lawyer, Kim Cole. Smith and Cole were at last visited by consequence on Jan. 22, when a Texas judge awarded the student, Asher Vann, $3.2 million in attorneys fees and damages from the duo. A mother's hate hoaxSmith, of Plano, Texas, came forward in March 2021 with allegations about her black son's supposed bullying by a white acquaintance and other classmates.'They knowingly and intentionally launched a crusade of false facts, allegations, and narratives to create a social media and public outrage.'After lobbing various accusations and sharing images of minors from the Plano Independent School District online, Smith held a press conference where she alleged that her then-13-year-old son, SeMarion Humphrey, was subjected to racially charged abuse, forced to drink urine from a plastic cup, shot with BB guns at a sleepover, and threatened so that he would not speak out."This is not a prank. This is beyond bullying. You are evil. They are evil," Smith said at the press conference.Cole — a lawyer who briefly represented Karmelo Anthony, the man accused of murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a track meet last year — claimed that the supposed abuse at the sleepover was "pre-calculated" and "racially motivated" and alleged further that Humphrey's peers used racial and "homophobic" slurs against him.RELATED: ANOTHER Black Lives Matter scam exposed: Oklahoma leader accused of blowing funds on trips, real estate, shopping sprees Photographer: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesThe duo's claims were not only gobbled up by Dominique Alexander, the founder of Next Generation Action Network, and other leftist activists who demanded "justice" and marched with the supposed victim but amplified by the liberal media and in a viral petition that secured over 182,000 signatures. The school district, faced with intense scrutiny after Smith's press conference, launched an investigation into the matter. The Plano Police Department similarly indicated that it was looking into the matter. Facing similar pressure, then-Plano Mayor Harry LaRosiliere joined other officials in condemning the alleged "abhorrent behavior" and spoke of the need to "end bullying and racial abuse in our school and certainly in our community." The false victim narrative that prompted all this hand-wringing initially proved lucrative for Smith. With Cole's help, Smith was able to raise nearly $120,000 on GoFundMe in the name of therapy, private schooling, and "justice for SeMarion." The Washington Free Beacon, citing court records, reported that less than $1,000 of the money raised went toward Humphrey's schooling. The rest was blown on luxuries including dining, travel, beauty products, liquor, cell phones, car payments, rent, and a designer dog.While Smith raked in the cash, Asher Vann, the white student accused of organizing the alleged attack on Humphrey, was vilified and attacked. "I was getting death threats from thousands of people on social media," Vann told the Free Beacon. "People leaked my address and my name. During one of the protests, they walked all the way to my house and threw bricks through my house.""It was scary," continued Vann, whose family apparently often looked after Humphrey. "These were adults, and I was in middle school at the time. Full-grown adults were rushing my house and causing harm to it. What if I was home and they saw me? They could have ripped me from my home and beaten me. It was very scary."In addition to bricks and vitriol, Vann was slapped along with some of his friends with criminal charges — charges that a grand jury declined to accept and a Plano Police Department officer admitted last year likely lacked probable cause, the Free Beacon reported.A father's justiceAaron Vann ultimately sued Cole and Smith on behalf of his son, Asher.The lawsuit accused the duo of:creating an "outrageously false narrative for the purposes of raising money and garnering attention, at the expense of children's privacy"; invasion of privacy, noting that Smith and Cole apparently publicized the teen's name and address "with the express purpose of causing humiliation, public ridicule, and inspiring public hatred and harassment" of the teen; andacting "intentionally and/or recklessly, when they knowingly and intentionally launched a crusade of false facts, allegations, and narratives to create a social media and public outrage designed to torment [Asher] and subject him to intense ridicule, hatred, embarrassment, and fear – all based on facts Defendants knew to be false."Vann's complaint, which also suggested that Cole helped manufacture the controversy in order to gain exposure and "free publicity for her law firm," emphasized that Humphrey wasn't the victim of a "sadistic racist fantasy" but rather one among a group of boys who "acted stupidly by playing with BB guns and playing gross pranks on each other."According to Plano Police Department Officer Patricia McClure's 2025 testimony cited by the Beacon, the boys attending the sleepover apparently went outside with airsoft rifles and BB guns in search of frogs during a winter storm. Absent any sign of amphibian targets, the boys reportedly took turns shooting one another. Later, they pranked one another.Vann suggested to the Beacon that there was no ill will between him and Humphrey after the sleepover but that Smith later caught wind of the events and pushed an alternate version in the press.The case was called to trial in late October, and a jury — which included four black members — found that Smith and Cole effectively blew up Asher Vann's life with a false narrative.Judge Benjamin Smith of Texas' 380th Judicial District Court ruled late last month that for their "intentional infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy" against the young man, Smith and her lawyer must each pay $1,599,000, accruing interest at a rate of 7.5% per annum. The judge also ordered both women to each pay several thousand dollars more for Vann's attorney fees.Smith told the Beacon she plans on filing an appeal and maintains that her preferred narrative is the truth. Cole did not return Blaze News' request for comment.This is not the Vann family's first court victory in recent years. The Vanns took the Plano Independent School District to court after it suspended Asher Vann for three days and placed him in an off-campus disciplinary program for 75 days amid Smith's hate hoax campaign. In 2022, a U.S. district court found that the district had indeed violated the boy's substantive due process rights.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed his country's growing economic cooperation with China in a video call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Wednesday. The virtual meeting came in the middle of a series of meetings between Xi and Western leaders who have sought to boost...

Ryan Routh, a man accused of hiding in the bushes of a Florida golf course with a semi-automatic rifle to try to assassinate Donald Trump less than two months before the 2024 U.S. election that returned him to the presidency, is set to be sentenced Wednesday.