Happy New Year 2025

Tag: finds

DOGE finds nearly untraceable budget line item responsible for $4.7T in payments

The Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) discovered an identification code linking U.S. Treasury payments to a budget line item, which accounts for nearly $4.7 trillion in payments which was oftentimes left blank.

“The Treasury Access Symbol (TAS) is an identification code linking a Treasury payment to a budget line item (standard financial process),” DOGE wrote in a post on X. “In the Federal Government, the TAS field was optional for ~$4.7 Trillion in payments and was often left blank, making traceability almost impossible. As of Saturday, this is now a required field, increasing insight into where money is actually going.”

The agency thanked the U.S. Treasury for their work in identifying the optional field.

WHAT HAS DOGE CUT SO FAR?

According to the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, which is under the Treasury, TAS codes are used to describe any one of the account identification codes assigned by the Treasury and is also referred to as the “account.”

All financial transactions made by the federal government are classified by TAS when reporting to the Treasury and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

The discovery was announced on the same day DOGE appeared to have populated the DOGE.gov Savings page, which, as of Monday evening, said the total estimated savings since the establishment of the department total about $55 billion.

DOGE PUTS DEI ON CHOPPING BLOCK WITH TERMINATION OF OVER $370M IN EDUCATION DEPARTMENT GRANTS

President Donald Trump and DOGE head Elon Musk address attempts to portray a rivalry between the pair on a ‘Hannity’ exclusive, airing Tuesday, February 18. (Fox News)

The savings are a combination of “fraud detection/deletion, contract/lease cancellations, contract/lease renegotiations, asset sales, grant cancellations, workforce reductions, programmatic changes, and regulatory savings.”

“We are working to upload all of this data in a digestible and fully transparent manner with clear assumptions, consistent with applicable rules and regulations,” DOGE wrote on the site, adding that the data will be updated twice per week until eventually becoming real-time.

Musk is leading DOGE to aggressively slash government waste when it comes to federal spending under President Donald Trump.

DOGE SLASHES OVER $100M IN DEI FUNDING AT EDUCATION DEPARTMENT: ‘WIN FOR EVERY STUDENT’

The Congressional DOGE Caucus now has over 100 members, Fox News Digital was told (House of Representatives/Getty)

The department was created via executive order and is a temporary organization within the White House that will spend 18 months carrying out its mission.

The group has faced criticism over its access to federal systems, including the Treasury Department’s payment system, as well as moves to cancel federal contracts and make cuts at various agencies.

Attorneys general from 14 states are suing to block DOGE from accessing federal data, arguing Musk and Trump’s administration have engaged in illegal executive overreach.

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The newly formed cost-cutting agency scored a win on Friday when a federal judge in Washington declined a request to temporarily block it from accessing sensitive data from the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Fox News Digital’s Hillary Vaugh and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.

Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.

Story tips and ideas can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter @GregWehner.

February 18, 2025
Elon Musk DOGE team finds millions in Social Security database aged 100 to 159

Elon Musk indicated in a post on X that millions of people listed in a Social Security database are recorded as centenarians “with the death field set to FALSE!”

“According to the Social Security database, these are the numbers of people in each age bucket with the death field set to FALSE! Maybe Twilight is real and there are a lot of vampires collecting Social Security,” Musk posted, adding a couple of rolling on the floor laughing emojis.

His post features a chart indicating there are more than 20 million listed with ages 100 and higher, including more than 3.9 million in the 130-139 age range, more than 3.5 million in the 140-149 range and more than 1.3 million in the 150-159 range.

DUFFY BRINGS UP CLINTON WHILE NOTING SPACEX WORKERS WILL VISIT AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM COMMAND CENTER

Elon Musk delivers remarks as he joins President Donald Trump during an executive order signing in the Oval Office at the White House on Feb. 11, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Fox News Digital reached out to the Social Security Administration for comment on Monday.

While the U.S. population count in the 2020 census was more than 331 million, the count of people ages 100 and older was more than 80,000, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

DEMOCRATS LOVED IDEA OF DOGE BEFORE TRUMP, WHITE HOUSE QUIPS

“The logic flow diagram for the Social Security system looks INSANE. No one person actually knows how it works. The payment files that move between Social Security and Treasury have significant inconsistencies that are not reconciled. It’s wild,” Musk declared in a post on X.

In another post, Musk said, “There are FAR more ‘eligible’ social security numbers than there are citizens in the USA. This might be the biggest fraud in history.”

TREASURY DEPARTMENT RECOUPS $31 MILLION IN IMPROPER GOVERNMENT PAYMENTS TO DEAD PEOPLE

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President Donald Trump tapped Musk to spearhead the Department of Government Efficiency, an effort to uncover waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government.

Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.

February 17, 2025
DOGE finds HUD money that was ‘misplaced’ by Biden admin

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the Elon Musk-led group tasked with eliminating wasteful spending, on Friday said it found $1.9 billion that was misplaced by the Biden administration.

The funds were from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and have been recovered.

“$1.9 billion of HUD money was just recovered after being misplaced during the Biden administration due to a broken process. These funds were earmarked for the administration of financial services, but were no longer needed,” a DOGE post on X stated.

THROUGH THE EPA, WE CAN PURSUE ENERGY DOMINANCE, LEE ZELDIN SAYS | FOX NEWS VIDEO

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development logo is seen displayed on a smartphone screen with the American flag in the background. (Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

HUD Secretary Scott Turner worked with DOGE to “fix the issue” and “de-obligated the funds which are now available for other use by the Treasury.”

On Thursday, Turner announced the creation of a DOGE task force within his agency.

“We will be very detailed and deliberate about every dollar spent in serving tribal, rural and urban communities across America,” he said in a video posted on X.

TRUMP TAPS FORMER NEW YORK REP LEE ZELDIN TO LEAD EPA

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin. (Al Drago)

Turner said his team had identified $260 million in savings just two days prior. DOGE has identified billions of dollars in questionable spending.

With the help of DOGE, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin said he has canceled a Biden-era $50 million environmental justice grant to an organization that believes “climate justice travels through a Free Palestine.”

The EPA also sent $160 million to a Canadian electric bus manufacturer under the Biden administration, Zeldin said during a Thursday appearance on “The Story with Martha MacCallum.” He noted that the Biden administration sent the full amount to the manufacturer, rather than making payments along the way as school buses were being produced.

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

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Since receiving the money, he added, the company has declared bankruptcy.

February 15, 2025
Trump team digs in, finds millions of wasted dollars at EPA, HUD with DOGE help

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The new administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Lee Zeldin, said he has canceled a Biden-era $50 million environmental justice grant to an organization that believes “climate justice travels through a Free Palestine.”

Zeldin, who was sworn in as the EPA administrator at the end of January, was a guest on “The Story with Martha MacCallum” on Thursday, where he spoke about canceling the grant.

“Just earlier today, I canceled a $50 million grant to an organization called the Climate Justice Alliance,” he said. “They say that climate justice runs through a free Palestine. I think that the American taxpayer wouldn’t want $50 million going to this left-wing advocacy group. It’s canceled.”

Zeldin also noted that Congress has advocated against the grant.

EPA ADMINISTRATOR ZELDIN DEMANDS RETURN OF $20B IN TAXPAYER MONEY WASTED BY BIDEN ADMINISTRATION

EPA administrator Lee Zeldin said his team has uncovered billions of dollars that were wasted at the agency under the Biden administration. (Fox News)

The EPA also sent $160 million to a Canadian electric bus manufacturer under the Biden administration.

Zeldin said the Biden administration sent the full amount to the manufacturer, rather than making payments along the way as school buses were being produced.

Since receiving the money, he added, the company has declared bankruptcy.

“They still haven’t provided $95 million worth of school buses to the 55 school districts,” Zeldin said. “It’s the American taxpayer that gets screwed.”

TRUMP TAPS FORMER NEW YORK REP LEE ZELDIN TO LEAD EPA

Former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., President Donald Trump’s pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency, appears before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

On Wednesday, Zeldin announced his team had located $20 billion in taxpayer funds that the Biden administration purposely wasted.

Two months ago, a video featuring a Biden EPA political appointee circulated, with that individual talking about how they were “tossing gold bars off the Titanic,” and rushing to get billions of tax dollars out the door before President Trump took office.

Zeldin spoke about the video on X, and said the gold bars were tax dollars, and “tossing them off the Titanic” meant the Biden administration knew they were wasting the money.

The new EPA administrator said his team has plans to recover the “gold bars” that were found “parked at an outside financial institution,” which he did not mention by name.

THROUGH THE EPA, WE CAN PURSUE ENERGY DOMINANCE, LEE ZELDIN SAYS | FOX NEWS VIDEO

WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 05: Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Co-Chair of the newly announced Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), arrives on Capitol Hill on December 05, 2024, in Washington, DC. Musk and his Co-Chair, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy are meeting with lawmakers today about DOGE, a planned presidential advisory commission with the goal of cutting government spending and increasing efficiency in the federal workforce. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

As the EPA continues to find ways funds are being wasted, President Donald Trump’s newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is being led by billionaire Elon Musk, also continues to go agency to agency in search of blown tax dollars.

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Scott Turner announced the creation of the DOGE Task Force at HUD on Thursday.

“We will identify and eliminate any waste, fraud and abuse,” Turner wrote on X. “Under President Trump’s leadership, business as usual is over.”

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He announced his team had identified $260 million in savings, just two days prior.

Fox News Digital’s Christina Shaw contributed to this report.

February 14, 2025
Alex Bregman finally finds new home in Red Sox after strenuous free agency: reports

After roughly five months of uncertainty, Alex Bregman reportedly has found his next destination.

The two-time All-Star third baseman signed a three-year deal with the Boston Red Sox, ESPN reported Wednesday.

Bregman just won his first Gold Glove Award with the Houston Astros in 2024, and since 2021, he is slashing .262/.350/.444.

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Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman, #2, runs after hitting a single against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning of game two of the Wildcard round for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Minute Maid Park. (Thomas Shea-Imagn Images)

It was reported that Bregman was offered a six-year, $156 million deal to return to the Astros, but he declined. His name was circulated around several rumors, most recently with the Detroit Tigers to rejoin his former manager, AJ Hinch, but the Scott Boras issues continued this side of Juan Soto.

Bregman was the second overall pick of the 2015 MLB Draft to the Astros, where he won two World Series, including the 2017 title, which has been tainted by fans due to their sign-stealing scandal.

However, Bregman was still a part of a successful organization that made it to seven consecutive American League Championship Series, one shy of tying the all-time record by the 1990s Atlanta Braves.

Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman, #2, celebrates after hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Minute Maid Park. (Troy Taormina-Imagn Images)

ANGELS’ OFT-INJURED BUST ANTHONY RENDON WILL MISS EXTENDED TIME AGAIN

Bregman’s deal is worth $120 million, making his $40 million annual average value tied for the fourth-largest in baseball. Cora now reunites with Alex Cora, who was the Astros bench coach for the 2017 run. Bregman is also able to opt out after each season if he chooses.

Bregman is coming off a season in which he hit 26 homers, his most since belting 41 in 2019, and drove in 75 runs. However, he posted a career-low .768 OPS, largely in part due to an inability to draw walks like he used to; his 44 walks were his lowest in a full season.

While Bregman may not be his MVP-candidate self anymore (he led the majors with an 8.9 WAR in 2019), his bat-to-ball skills are still elite, and as the Gold Glove Award states, so is his defense.

Alex Bregman, #2 of the Houston Astros, waves to fans prior to playing the Detroit Tigers in Game One of the Wild Card Series at Minute Maid Park on Oct. 1, 2024 in Houston. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

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The Sox finished 81-81 this past season and added Garrett Crochet to the top of their rotation, while also adding Walker Buehler. In the bullpen, they plugged in Aroldis Chapman and Justin Wilson. Now, by adding Bregman, they should be on everyone’s radar.

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February 13, 2025
Uncertainty grows among still-optimistic small business owners, survey finds

Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., weighs in on President Donald Trump’s economic agenda and its anticipated effect on ‘The Big Money Show.’

Uncertainty grew among American small business owners in January while optimism remained high, according to a new survey from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).

The group’s uncertainty index rose 14 points to 100 last month, the third-highest recorded reading.

The Small Business Optimism Index also took a slight dip. It stood at 102.8 as of January, according to the NFIB survey.

People with face masks walk past restaurants on Main Street in Patchogue, N.Y., July 11, 2020. (Steve Pfost/Newsday RM via Getty Images / Getty Images)

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While that represented a 2.3-point decline in optimism on a monthly basis, it was still higher than the 51-year average of 98. The Small Business Optimism Index hit a six-year high in December.

In January, a seasonally adjusted net 47% of small business owners harbored expectations for the economy improving, according to the survey. That dropped five points.

Meanwhile, 17% indicated they were bullish about expansion, saying now was a “good time” to do so “substantially,” according to the NFIB.

“Overall, small business owners remain optimistic regarding future business conditions, but uncertainty is on the rise,” NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg said in a statement. “Hiring challenges continue to frustrate Main Street owners as they struggle to find qualified workers to fill their many open positions. Meanwhile, fewer plan capital investments as they prepare for the months ahead.”

Over one-third of small business owners said they were experiencing difficulties filling openings at their companies in January, the survey showed.

TRUMPONOMICS WILL TAME INFLATION – NOT MAKE IT WORSE

More than half of owners surveyed were looking to bring new workers on board at their small businesses in January. Many of those – 90% – were finding “few or no qualified applicants,” the NFIB said.

A “Now Hiring” sign posted on the window of a business looking to hire workers May 5, 2023, in Miami, Fla. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Labor quality and inflation were tied in January as the “single most important problem for business,” according to the NFIB. Eighteen percent of small business owners cited either of those as their main issue, with the share pointing to labor quality posting a one-point drop from the prior month.

Inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index increased 0.4% month over month and 2.9% year over year in December, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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When it came to capital outlays, a seasonally adjusted 22% of small business owners are looking to make investments in the coming six months, the NFIB also found. That share fell seven points.

About 58% reported capital outlays over the past half year, according to the survey.

February 11, 2025
Poll finds Trump has highest approval rating now than any point in 1st term

President Donald Trump has the highest approval rating now compared to any point during his first term in office, according to a new poll.

Forty-seven percent of Americans approve of Trump’s job performance in the less than a month since he was sworn in as the 47th president, the latest national survey by the Pew Research Center found.

While that’s higher than at any point while he served as the 45th president, Trump’s inaugural approval rating sinks below that of most other presidents since Ronald Reagan. George W. Bush’s approval rating early in his second term, however, was about the same as that of Trump now.

TRUMP PARDONS FORMER ILLINOIS GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH: ‘HE WAS SET UP BY A LOT OF BAD PEOPLE’

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on Feb. 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The poll, conducted Jan. 27 to Feb. 2 among 5,086 adults, found nearly three in ten adults, or 28%, view Trump’s actions as better than expected, while 36% said they have been what they expected.

His actions are viewed as worse than expected by 35% of adults.

Americans are fairly evenly split over how they believe Trump’s White House will affect the federal government. The survey found 41% of adults said they believe Trump’s administration will improve the way the federal government works, and 42% said they believe the state of the federal government will worsen with him in office.

President Donald Trump and Ivanka Trump stand for the National Anthem during the Super Bowl LIX Pregame at Caesars Superdome on Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation)

Public opinion on Trump’s agenda remains starkly divided along partisan lines. The poll found 67% of Republicans, including those who lean red, support all or most of Trump’s plans and policies. For Democrats and those who lean blue, 84% support few or none. Almost an identical share of Republicans, 76%, said Trump will improve the way the federal government operates, as Democrats, 78%, said Trump will make the federal government run worse.

NOEM: ‘GET RID OF FEMA THE WAY IT EXISTS TODAY’

For Republicans, 53% viewed Trump’s recent actions as better than expected, while the poll found 60% of Democrats view the president’s accomplishments as worse than expected.

As Trump enters his fourth week back in office, his efforts to slash wasteful federal government spending through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have caused a stir in Washington.

President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in the Oval Office of the White House on Feb. 7, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

His threat of tariffs against Canada and Mexico and levied against China over the flow of deadly fentanyl across American borders has similarly raised concerns. Trump’s angling for the Panama Canal and Greenland amid the increasing Chinese presence in the Western Hemisphere, as well as his administration overseeing a collapsing ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel in the Middle East have put the world on notice.

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Trump’s advisers are expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week in Munich as the war with Russia stretches into its third year. Raging wildfires in California, a deadly military helicopter-passenger jet collision in D.C., and the continuing aftermath of last year’s hurricane devastation in the southeast, particularly in North Carolina, are putting Trump’s new Cabinet chiefs to the test on the domestic front, as is Trump’s crackdown on criminal illegal immigration.

Danielle Wallace is a breaking news and politics reporter at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on X: @danimwallace.

February 11, 2025
Defaced Holocaust mural finds new home in Rome’s Shoah Museum

The Shoah Museum in Rome has acquired a piece by reserved contemporary pop artist aleXsandro Palombo after it was defaced in an apparent act of antisemitism.

The mural, which depicts Liliana Segre and Sami Modiano, the last two Italian survivors of Auschwitz, was defaced multiple times and even erased by vandals.

Segre and Modiano are shown in striped clothing under green bullet-proof vests with yellow Stars of David on them, and there are even representations of the serial numbers tattooed on them by the Nazis. The perpetrators vandalized Segre and Modiano’s faces, as well as the stars on their chests, but left the numbers on their arms untouched.

“They took away my face, my identity, they erased the yellow star, but they left the number tattooed on my arm,” Segre said.

aleXsandro Palombo’s mural depicting Holocaust survivors Liliana Segre and Sami Modiano before it was vandalized (aleXsandro Palombo)

aleXsandro Palombo’s mural depicting Holocaust survivors Liliana Segre and Sami Modiano after it was vandalized (aleXsandro Palombo)

ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS VANDALIZE HOME OF JEWISH MEDIA SUPER AGENT

Palombo eventually reproduced the piece, and it is now part of the museum’s permanent collection.

“Art is the highest expression of freedom, and repeatedly attacking a work that portrays two survivors of Auschwitz highlights how the very value of democracy and all our freedoms is in danger,” Palombo said in a statement. “The gesture of courage and resistance of the Shoah Museum of Rome and the Italian Jewish community is a great and precious lesson in civilization for all of us, who responded to the antisemitic violence and hatred of these new forms of social and cultural terrorism with a powerful action of the Risorgimento.”

Palombo has made several pieces honoring the Holocaust, and his other works have not been spared from vandalism.

A piece entitled “Arbeit macht frei,” which shows Hungarian writer and Holocaust survivor Edith Bruck wrapped in an Israeli flag was also defaced, with much of the flag being erased. The title of this mural is the same phrase the Nazis put on the gates of Auschwitz, and it translates to “work makes you free.”

Bruck told Italian newspaper La Stampa that she was saddened but not surprised by the vandalism, saying that “antisemitism is a tsunami.”

The mural of Bruck has also been acquired by the Shoah Museum in Rome.

aleXsandro Palombo’s mural of Hungarian writer and Holocaust survivor Edith Bruck before and after it was defaced by vandals (aleXsandro Palombo)

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Another one of Palombo’s pieces that was vandalized was entitled “Halt! Stoj!,” which depicted Segre, Modiano and Burk alongside Pope Francis, who is outfitted with a cross and a sign reading “antisemitism is everywhere.” The four are depicted as Simpsons characters, a common motif for Palombo. While the image of the pope was not damaged, vandals defaced the Stars of David on the three Holocaust survivors.

aleXsandro Palombo’s mural of three Holocaust survivors and Pope Francis before and after it was vandalized. (aleXsandro Palombo)

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Palombo, a contemporary pop artist and activist, used pop culture references in his artwork, including celebrities and cartoon characters from the Simpsons and Disney. One of his most iconic works is the “Simpsons deported to Auschwitz,” which shows Marge, Homer, Maggie, Bart and Lisa before and after the concentration camp, referencing the emaciated state of Holocaust survivors liberated from Nazi camps.

Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.

February 8, 2025
WalletHub study finds Florida, Minnesota ideal to retire in, plus Colorado and Wyoming

FOX Business’ Ashley Webster talks to diners in The Villages in Florida about retirement after a Northwestern Mutual survey claims it will take $1.46 million to retire comfortably.

Looking to retire, but not crazy about living in Florida? Financial analysts recently put together a study highlighting the best states in which to retire.

Personal finance company WalletHub recently published a research summary determining which U.S. states are the best to retire in 2025.

While Florida remains a popular retirement location, the study found that four other states — one Midwestern and three Western — were also ideal locations.

The study, Best and Worst States to Retire, prioritized three key categories: affordability, quality of life and healthcare. A total of 46 relevant metrics were used, and analysts weighed the population of senior citizens per state and the adjusted costs of living heavily.

Here are the results of WalletHub’s study, in order of the worst to best states in which to retire:

WalletHub analyzed every U.S. state to determine which were best to retire in and found a Midwestern state ranked second. (iStock / Getty Images)

STUDY RANKS US STATES WITH MOST FINANCIALLY-DISTRESSED RESIDENTS — SEE THE LIST

50. Kentucky

49. Louisiana

48. Mississippi

47. Washington

46. New Mexico

45. New Jersey

44. Rhode Island

43. West Virginia

42. Arkansas

41. Hawaii

40. Indiana

39. Oregon

38. Tennessee

37. Alabama

36. Maryland

35. New York

34. Illinois

33. Oklahoma

32. George

31. Kansas

30. Arizona

29. Connecticut

28. Nevada

27. Nebraska

26. Texas

25. Michigan

24. Idaho

23. Massachusetts

Affordability was considered a key metric of the study. (iStock / iStock)

22. Montana

21. California

20. South Carolina

19. Ohio

18. Utah

17. Vermont

16. Iowa

15. Maine

THESE US AIRPORTS RANK HIGHEST FOR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

14. Alaska

13. Missouri

12. North Carolina

11. Virginia

10. Wisconsin

9. North Dakota

8. Delaware

7. New Hampshire

6. Pennsylvania

5. South Dakota

4. Wyoming

3. Colorado

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Florida ranked high on WalletHub’s list of best states to retire in. (iStock / iStock)

2. Minnesota

1. Florida

While the Sunshine State still reigns as the best state to retire in, the other four top states – one Midwestern and three Western – may be surprising.

Analysts found that Minnesota’s health resources made it an attractive state to retire in.

“Minnesota has the most health care facilities, the second-most nursing homes, and the third-most home health care aids per capita,” the study said. “Its geriatrics hospitals also rank as the fifth-best in the nation.

“Due to the great health care conditions within the state, Minnesota has the third-lowest percentage of seniors with a disability, the fourth-lowest percentage with poor mental health, and the fifth-highest percentage who are in good physical health.”

For more Lifestyle articles, visit foxbusiness.com/lifestyle.

WalletHub noted that Colorado has no inheritance or estate tax, making it an attractive option for retirees. (iStock / iStock)

WalletHub said Colorado was a “great state for retirees’ physical and mental health,” and noted the lack of estate and inheritance taxes there.

“It has one of the lowest rates of social isolation for seniors, and it boasts the 10th-best geriatrics hospitals in the country,” the study said of the Centennial State. “It also has the fourth-highest percentage of seniors who are in good health and the third-highest percentage who are physically active.”

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Researchers also found Wyoming ranked highly for quality of life and affordability, though it ranked relatively low for healthcare. South Dakota was the opposite, having slightly above-average quality of life and affordability scores but rating highly on healthcare.

January 30, 2025
Illinois ‘super mayor’ conducted ‘systematic’ cover-up of excessive spending, Lightfoot investigation finds

Dolton, Illinois, Mayor Tiffany Henyard’s administration was engaged in a “systematic effort” to cover up the Illinois town’s financial situation as Henyard and other officials failed to track the spending of hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to an investigation by former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

Lightfoot, who now works as a consultant with Charles River Associates, was tasked with investigating Henyard’s administration last year, and she presented her findings at a meeting Monday night. Henyard has served as the city’s self-styled “super-mayor” since 2021.

“Beginning at least as early as late 2021, there was a concerted, systematic effort on behalf of Mayor Henyard and others in her administration to hide the true financial condition of the Village of Dolton from the trustees and from members of the public,” Lightfoot said.

Lightfoot said the Village of Dolton received some $3 million in payments from the American Rescue Plan, hundreds of thousands of which went missing without receipts. Henyard failed to appoint an official to track how the funds were spent, as required by the Treasury Department, according to Lightfoot’s report.

SCANDAL-RIDDEN ILLINOIS MAYOR LOSES TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR NOMINATION IN HISTORIC CAUCUS

Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot issued a damning report over financial mismanagement in the Village of Dolton, Illinois. (REUTERS/Kamil Krzaczynski)

The city’s credit card spending also spiked to $779,638 in 2023, also with little to no tracking.

“Many of the credit card expenditures have no accompanying receipt, and the statements alone provide limited information about the purchases,” the report says, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

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City credit cards were also used to pay for large trips to Las Vegas in both 2022 and 2023, and the report claims, “There is no evidence that any business development opportunities came to the village as a result of either of these two trips.”

Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard’s administration is accused of misplacing hundreds of thousands of dollars. (Fox32 Chicago screen capture)

Lightfoot’s report comes just days after Henyard was found in contempt of court for stonewalling liquor licenses.

The owners of St. Patrick’s, a three-story restaurant and banquet hall on Lincoln Avenue, sued in August claiming the mayor had repeatedly promised to sign the liquor licenses – which were already approved by the village board of trustees – but did not.

In court on Wednesday, Henyard, who also serves as the village liquor commissioner, reportedly vowed again that she would sign the licenses, but she did not before the 5 p.m. Thursday deadline.

The parties were therefore forced to return to court again Friday, and Henyard arrived a half hour late for the hearing, WGN-TV reported.

Mayor Tiffany Henyard is accused of extravagant spending that could bankrupt the Village of Dolton, Illinois. (Fox 32)

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Cook County Judge Cecilia Horan held Henyard in indirect criminal contempt. That means the mayor was considered “disrespectful to the authority of the court,” Adrian Vuckovich, an attorney for the owners of St. Patrick’s, told WMAQ-TV.

“It’s been a challenge to put it mildly. It shouldn’t be so difficult. This is an ordinary event to get liquor licenses issued,” Vuckovich told WGN separately.

Fox News’ Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to [email protected], or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.

January 28, 2025