Latest News Digest - October 24, 2025

Dr. Mehmet Oz, CMS (Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services) Chief Announces Over $1 Billion in Fraud Discovered

Dr. Oz recently posted on X and appeared on Fox Business that in recent months, in the few states we’ve examined, federal officials have identified more than $1 Billion in fraudulent spending on healthcare for illegal immigrants in less than half a dozen Democratic-led states. 

California Governor Deploys National Guard to Bolster Food Banks Amid Shutdown Fallout

In a direct response to the federal government's protracted shutdown delaying SNAP benefits for millions of low-income families, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on October 22, 2025, the deployment of the California National Guard to assist food banks statewide, marking a proactive state-level intervention to mitigate hunger risks during the crisis. Troops will help distribute emergency supplies and support operations at facilities like the Sacramento Food Bank, ensuring continuity for vulnerable populations in a state where over 3 million residents rely on federal nutrition aid, potentially averting widespread food insecurity as the shutdown drags on without federal relief.  – ABC7 Eyewitness News (X)

President Trump Imposes Sweeping Sanctions on Russia's Major Oil Companies

On October 22, 2025, President Trump escalated U.S. pressure on Russia by sanctioning its two largest oil producers, Rosneft and Lukoil, following the collapse of diplomatic efforts to halt the ongoing war in Ukraine, aiming to cripple Moscow's energy revenues that fund military operations. The measures, described as "massive" by White House officials, target key export pipelines and financial transactions, potentially disrupting global oil markets and raising fuel prices for American consumers, including in oil-dependent states like California where gas averages have already ticked up 5 cents per gallon in response. International allies have welcomed the move, but critics warn it could invite Russian retaliation against U.S. assets, further straining an economy battered by the domestic shutdown. – Donald J. Trump (Truth Social)

Some Commercial Drivers Licenses Have Been Issued by California Department of Motor Vehicles Without Following Federal Rules – Secretary Sean Duffy Threatens to Pull Another $160 Million From the State as More People Die Due to Failures

Information posted on the U.S. Department of Transportation website states as follows:  On June 27, 2025, California issued Jashanpreet Singh, a 20-year-old asylum seeker, a restricted, non-domiciled CDL (Commercial Drivers License) which meant he could only drive within the state.  On September 26, 2025, Secretary Duffy formally notified California of “Significant compliance Failures” after an audit revealed one in four nondomiciled CDLs sampled were issued improperly.  California was required to pause the issuance of non-domiciled CDLs and identify all unexpired non-domiciled CDLs that failed to comply with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations.  Also, FMCSA issued an emergency rule to significantly strengthen standards for the issuance on non-domiciled CDLs, prohibiting all asylum seekers from obtaining non-domiciled CDLs.  On October 15, 2025, Singh turned 21 and California’s DMV removed the restriction on his license and upgraded his license without applying the stricter standards as required by the emergency rule.  Just six days later, on October 21, 2025, Singh was operating a semi-truck under the influence of drugs on the 10 freeway in Ontario, California and struck a line of vehicles that had stopped on the freeway in front of him, killing three people and injuring four others.  Dash cam footage was released from the accident and revealed that Singh didn’t even try to stop.  He was taken into custody and is awaiting charges for vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence.  (Source: KTLA)

Another fatal crash happened on the Florida turnpike in August where a semi-truck driver made an illegal U turn, killing three people. The driver, Jarjinder Singh, an illegal alien from India, had been issued a CDL by the States of California and Washington even though he couldn’t even speak English.  According to reports from Washington, Singh had failed the CDL test 10 times in two months before finally passing it in 2023.  Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy threatened to pull another $160 Million from the State of California if they don’t start complying with the Federal rules, having pulled $40 Million recently for not enforcing the English language requirements. - Fox News (X)