U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer testified before the House Appropriations subcommittee overseeing labor, health and human services, education, and related agencies on May 15, 2025, in Washington.
The U.S. Department of Labor announced plans for a targeted review of Minnesota’s unemployment insurance program amid increased scrutiny of fraud in the state’s human services programs, an issue that has gained political attention at the national level.
In a letter to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), the department said recent news reports detailing fraud in Medicaid-funded human services programs could indicate potential fraud or abuse within the state’s unemployment benefits system.
“If there has been any related abuse of our (unemployment insurance) systems, it will not be tolerated, and I trust our specialized strike team to get to the bottom of this and report their findings directly to me,” Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said in a press release, per the Minnesota Reformer.
Also, Chavez-DeRemer told Fox Business on Monday that her agency was sending an unemployment insurance ‘strike team’ to Minnesota to widen the fraud probe.
“We’re going to send in a UI strike team to find out exactly what’s happening on the ground. We will NOT tolerate fraud under this administration,” she told host Stuart Varney.
A spokesperson for DEED stated that the agency consistently surpasses the federal Department of Labor’s standards for payment accuracy and maintains a fraud rate lower than the national average.
“We welcome the opportunity to illustrate the strength of our payment controls and oversight,” DEED said.
Chavez-DeRemer is the latest Trump administration official to focus on fraud in Minnesota in recent weeks after the issue drew the attention of President Trump.
Trump has publicly highlighted the background of defendants charged in the Feeding Our Future and Medicaid fraud cases, noting that many have Somali ancestry.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said last week that his department is increasing scrutiny of funds flowing to what he described as “areas of concern, such as Somalia,” and is examining allegations that fraud proceeds have been routed to the militant group al-Shabaab, the Reformer noted.
The allegations, based on anonymous sources and published by a conservative media outlet, are not new and have not been supported by any federal charges related to terrorism financing.
Minnesota has shifted from being the land of 10,000 lakes to the land of billion-dollar frauds. Democratic Gov. Tim Walz has faced mounting scrutiny as multiple large-scale fraud schemes have unfolded during his tenure.
Recent reports indicate Minnesota has suffered substantial taxpayer-funded fraud, much of it allegedly involving individuals within the state’s Somali community.
The state is still recovering from the fallout of the $250 million Feeding Our Future case, as new reporting from City Journal uncovered additional alleged fraud tied to Minnesota’s Medicaid Housing Stabilization Services program.
The report also noted accusations that millions from the scheme were funneled to the terror group Al Shabaab.
Investigators estimate the total fraud at roughly $1 billion across various public assistance programs.
Fox News reported the amount may ultimately be far higher. “Fraud investigators are finding in Minnesota is growing by the day,” Fox News National Correspondent Garrett Tenney reported.
“Kelly Loeffler, who leads the Small Business Administration, says in the two days her agency has been investigating the state, they’ve uncovered at least $1 million in PPP fraud.”
Tenney added that whistleblowers told lawmakers “they believe the total amount of fraud could total up to more than $8 billion.”
Walz has faced questions over accountability as he defended the state’s programs.
“And in spite of the headwinds we’re up against, Minnesota ranks economically, economic growth, happiness, number of people insured, education levels near the very top,” Walz said, pointing to a budget surplus that does not account for the alleged fraud losses.
Greg Gutfeld HUMILIATES Howard Stern on Live TV — The “Shock Jock” Silenced 
There are moments in television that feel less like entertainment and more like cultural earthquakes. You don’t just watch them—you remember them. You talk about them at the office, you debate them online, you replay them on YouTube again and again.
That’s exactly what happened when Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld tore into Howard Stern during a live broadcast, delivering a takedown so sharp, so merciless, that it felt less like a roast and more like a reckoning.
For decades, Howard Stern was “The King of All Media,” a rule-breaking renegade who made his name as the loudest, rudest, most unapologetic voice in radio. He mocked the elites, ridiculed politicians, and thrived on shock value. If polite society said “don’t go there,” Stern sprinted there laughing.
But Gutfeld wasn’t interested in bowing to a legend. Instead, he flipped the script: the once-fearless Stern wasn’t the rebel anymore. He was the establishment. He wasn’t calling out phonies—he was one. And Greg Gutfeld let him have it.
The Sellout Exposed
Early in the segment, Gutfeld rolled a clip of Stern gushing about politics, proudly embracing the “woke” label. Stern actually said it was a compliment. To Gutfeld, that was all the ammunition he needed.
“This is a guy who built an empire on being offensive, irreverent, unapologetic,” Gutfeld scoffed. “And now? He’s a human Hallmark card for Hollywood elites. The old Stern would have shredded the guy he’s become.”
The irony was brutal. Howard Stern, who once mocked celebrity culture, now spends his days begging to be part of it. Where he once reveled in tearing down hypocrisy, now he cozies up to it. To Gutfeld, Stern’s “evolution” wasn’t growth—it was surrender.
From Shock Jock to Softball Questions
In one of the night’s sharpest barbs, Gutfeld reminded viewers of Stern’s most tasteless early stunts—the outrageous, offensive bits that made him famous. Then he contrasted it with today’s Stern, softly interviewing Hollywood stars like he’s hosting a PBS pledge drive.
“He used to terrify censors,” Gutfeld said. “Now he’s terrified of offending anyone. From shock jock to talk show monk.”
It wasn’t just about comedy. It was about principle. Stern once thrived on breaking rules, but now he polices himself more carefully than the FCC ever did.
The Silence That Said Everything
What made the moment even more devastating was Stern’s lack of response. The Howard Stern of the ’90s would have erupted, firing back with rapid-fire insults and obliterating his critic on-air.
This time? Nothing.
The man who built his career on confrontation suddenly had no fight left. That silence was deafening. To fans who grew up listening to Stern push every boundary imaginable, it felt like confirmation: the edge was gone.
A Generational Clash
At its core, this wasn’t just about two men sniping on television. It was about eras colliding.
Howard Stern came of age in a time when the “establishment” was corporate radio, advertisers, and federal regulators. His rebellion was vulgarity, shock, and defiance.
Greg Gutfeld, by contrast, rose in the age of cancel culture and Twitter mobs. His rebellion isn’t profanity—it’s sarcasm, satire, and calling out the very political correctness Stern now defends.
It was more than a clash of personalities. It was a passing of the torch. Stern represented the rebellion of the ’90s. Gutfeld embodies the rebellion of today.
Social Media Explodes
The internet wasted no time choosing sides. Within minutes, clips of the takedown were trending across X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and TikTok.
“Gutfeld just ended Howard Stern’s career in 5 minutes,” one user wrote.
“The old Stern would have DESTROYED this version of himself. Gutfeld only said what everyone’s been thinking,” another posted.
Even longtime Stern fans admitted it stung. “I grew up worshiping Stern. But watching him now… Greg’s not wrong. The fire’s gone,” one fan confessed in a viral Reddit thread.
The Legacy Question
That’s the cruel thing about being a legend: your past self becomes the measuring stick for your present. Every new move is compared to the old days, and when you fall short, no critic hits harder than your own fans.
Howard Stern once wore defiance like armor. Now, as Gutfeld painted it, he wears conformity like a uniform. He went from mocking elites to mingling with them. From offending everyone to offending no one.
Was it maturity—or was it selling out? Gutfeld made his case, and the audience seemed to agree.
A Torch Ripped Away
Greg Gutfeld didn’t just roast Howard Stern. He held up a mirror. He forced fans to reckon with the fact that their rebel king might now be sitting comfortably on the very throne he once set on fire.
The symbolism was almost too perfect: the court jester humiliating the king, live on air.
And in that moment, it wasn’t Stern’s voice that carried. It was Gutfeld’s.
Because love him or hate him, Gutfeld still plays the role Stern once did: the unfiltered truth-teller, the disruptor, the guy willing to say the unsayable.
For Stern, the silence was humiliating. For Gutfeld, it was victory.
And for everyone watching, it was history.
Final Thought: This wasn’t just another TV spat. It was a cultural pivot point. The king of shock radio, once untouchable, was dismantled on live TV—not by censors, not by politicians, but by another rebel. And in that moment, Greg Gutfeld didn’t just take the shot… he took the crown.