Business
Panhandling May Not Be So Bad After All
Anyone who’s ever gone through a period of unemployment knows how badly it can play on one’s mental state.
With a 6.9 per cent unemployment rate and mass lay-offs still hovering over Calgary’s picturesque skyline, the thought of becoming a part of that statistic is less than ideal. Whether it be a boot out the door, a lay-off, or an unexpected company closure, it causes a state of panic – a surprise slap across the face by an ROE, or in some cases, a non-existent ROE.
Mia Ostere, a former long-term employee at The UPS Store in Crowfoot Crescent (R.I.P), is currently living this reality. Like any other morning, she arrived at the store on January 1, only to find that a sign had been posted by the owner, stating that they decided to close the store for good.
“I was told the day before to hand in my keys, but I would still have a job.” Said Ostere. “I literally stood there wondering, what now?” Like, Ostere, many Calgarians are finding themselves joining the ranks of the unemployed. Opening the doors to self-sabotaging, negative self fulfilling prophecies, and a mental state so fragile, the slightest thing can cause it to shatter.
With the high volume of job-hungry Calgarians, propelling resumes and cover letters by the dozen through online job boards, desperation begins to take its toll, playing its starring role.
I’ve been applying to as many jobs as possible every single day, but with the economy, it’s really tough.” Said Ostere. Anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and feeling of hopelessness, are just a few of the prime suspects in the case of both long-term and short-term unemployment.
“Honestly, I feel like I’m slipping into a bit of a depression, it’s all too much.” Explained Ostere. Fortunately, there are places to turn when the going is getting a little too tough. Counselling, through organizations such as the Calgary Counselling Centre, employment support, and self-care are all highly recommended options throughout any period of unemployment, to help cope and get back into the workforce.
Apps are also readily available, one in particular called Head space: Meditation & Sleep, which provides support through Mindfulness exercises and guided meditation.
When there is a stack of bills piling up on the kitchen table and Mr. Mortgage is knocking on the front door – it’s incredibly difficult to position oneself in the Full Lotus position, eyes closed, brain slipping into a full-blown state of Zen, while the mind is constantly thinking about how to position itself snuggly under a security blanket, with a steady income wrapped inside.
Perhaps enhancing those transferable skills will have to be put on the back burner for a while. In the meantime, it’s time to dust off the resume, throw on those pair of slacks that have been abandoned in the closet, and slip on those blue, ahem, black suede shoes. As the old saying goes: “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”
Onwards soldiers, onwards.
Business
Largest fraud in US history? Independent Journalist visits numerous daycare centres with no children, revealing massive scam
A young journalist has uncovered perhaps the largest fraud scheme in US history.
He certainly isn’t a polished reporter with many years of experience, but 23 year old independent journalist Nick Shirley seems to be getting the job done. Shirley has released an incredible video which appears to outline fraud after fraud after fraud in what appears to be a massive taxpayer funded scheme involving up to $9 Billion Dollars.
In one day of traveling around Minneapolis-St. Paul, Shirley appears to uncover over $100 million in fraudulent operations.
🚨 Here is the full 42 minutes of my crew and I exposing Minnesota fraud, this might be my most important work yet. We uncovered over $110,000,000 in ONE day. Like it and share it around like wildfire! Its time to hold these corrupt politicians and fraudsters accountable
We ALL… pic.twitter.com/E3Penx2o7a
— Nick shirley (@nickshirleyy) December 26, 2025
Business
“Magnitude cannot be overstated”: Minnesota aid scam may reach $9 billion
Federal prosecutors say Minnesota’s exploding social-services fraud scandal may now rival nearly the entire economy of Somalia, with as much as $9 billion allegedly stolen from taxpayer-funded programs in what authorities describe as industrial-scale abuse that unfolded largely under the watch of Democrat Gov. Tim Walz. The staggering new estimate is almost nine times higher than the roughly $1 billion figure previously suspected and amounts to about half of the $18 billion in federal funds routed through Minnesota-run social-services programs since 2018, according to prosecutors. “The magnitude cannot be overstated,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said Thursday, stressing that investigators are still uncovering massive schemes. “This is not a handful of bad actors. It’s staggering, industrial-scale fraud. Every day we look under a rock and find another $50 million fraud operation.”
Authorities say the alleged theft went far beyond routine overbilling. Dozens of defendants — the vast majority tied to Minnesota’s Somali community — are accused of creating sham businesses and nonprofits that claimed to provide housing assistance, food aid, or health-care services that never existed, then billing state programs backed by federal dollars. Thompson said the opportunity became so lucrative it attracted what he called “fraud tourism,” with out-of-state operators traveling to Minnesota to cash in. Charges announced Thursday against six more people bring the total number of defendants to 92.
BREAKING: First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson revealed that 14 state Medicaid programs have cost Minnesota $18 billion since 2018, including more than $3.5 billion in 2024 alone.
Thompson stated, "Now, I'm sure everyone is wondering how much of this $18 billion was… pic.twitter.com/hCNDBuCTYH
— FOX 9 (@FOX9) December 18, 2025
Among the newly charged are Anthony Waddell Jefferson, 37, and Lester Brown, 53, who prosecutors say traveled from Philadelphia to Minnesota after spotting what they believed was easy money in the state’s housing assistance system. The pair allegedly embedded themselves in shelters and affordable-housing networks to pose as legitimate providers, then recruited relatives and associates to fabricate client notes. Prosecutors say they submitted about $3.5 million in false claims to the state’s Housing Stability Services Program for roughly 230 supposed clients.
Other cases show how deeply the alleged fraud penetrated Minnesota’s health-care programs. Abdinajib Hassan Yussuf, 27, is accused of setting up a bogus autism therapy nonprofit that paid parents to enroll children regardless of diagnosis, then billed the state for services never delivered, netting roughly $6 million. Another defendant, Asha Farhan Hassan, 28, allegedly participated in a separate autism scheme that generated $14 million in fraudulent reimbursements, while also pocketing nearly $500,000 through the notorious Feeding Our Future food-aid scandal. “Roughly two dozen Feeding Our Future defendants were getting money from autism clinics,” Thompson said. “That’s how we learned about the autism fraud.”
The broader scandal began to unravel in 2022 when Feeding Our Future collapsed under federal investigation, but prosecutors say only in recent months has the true scope of the alleged theft come into focus. Investigators allege large sums were wired overseas or spent on luxury vehicles and other high-end purchases. The revelations have fueled political fallout in Minnesota and prompted renewed federal scrutiny of immigration-linked fraud as well as criticism of state oversight failures. Walz, who is seeking re-election in 2026 after serving as Kamala Harris’ running mate in 2024, defended his administration Thursday, saying, “We will not tolerate fraud, and we will continue to work with federal partners to ensure fraud is stopped and fraudsters are caught.” Prosecutors, however, made clear the investigation is far from finished — and warned the final tally could climb even higher.
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