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Por Zoe Sottile, Andy Rose y Holmes Lybrand, CNN

El FBI y el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS, por sus siglas en inglés) afirman que están desplegando recursos adicionales en Minnesota para investigar denuncias de fraude, incluso en guarderías infantiles, en la más reciente demostración de fuerza federal en el estado, hogar de la mayor población somalí del país.

La investigación se produce semanas después de que ICE comenzara con operaciones en el área de Minneapolis-St. Paul dirigidas específicamente a inmigrantes somalíes indocumentados, a raíz de las revelaciones sobre un fraude generalizado contra el estado, así como de los comentarios del presidente de EE.UU., Donald Trump, de que “no quiere” a somalíes en el país.

Esta campaña intensificada también se produce pocos días después de que el creador de contenido de YouTube Nick Shirley, quien ha publicado videos antiinmigrantes y antimusulmanes en el pasado, publicara un video viral en el que afirmaba haber encontrado fraude generalizado en guarderías administradas por somalíes. El video, que incluye pruebas limitadas de las acusaciones del creador, había recibido más de 1,5 millones de visitas en YouTube hasta el lunes por la noche y fue retuiteado por el vicepresidente de EE.UU., J. D. Vance, y el exdirector del Departamento de Eficiencia Gubernamental, Elon Musk.

Un funcionario policial declaró a CNN que el despliegue de agentes del DHS en Minneapolis el lunes, que incluyó visitas a unos 30 negocios, se debió en parte al video.

En respuesta a una publicación en X sobre el presunto fraude, el vicepresidente de EE.UU., J. D. Vance, cada vez más a la vanguardia de la retórica antiinmigrante de la administración, dijo: “Están robando dinero y poder político a los habitantes de Minnesota”.

El lunes, el DHS comenzó a publicar videos que muestran a agentes de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional entrando en lo que denominaron “lugares sospechosos de fraude”.

Esto es lo que sabemos sobre las investigaciones y el video viral.

Lo que las autoridades calificaron como un aumento de recursos federales se produce tras la viralización de un video de YouTube de Shirley, un joven, de 23 años, que se autodenomina periodista independiente y publica contenido en redes sociales con una inclinación conservadora. En el video viral sobre un supuesto fraude en Minnesota, Shirley visita e intenta entrar en varios centros de cuidado infantil en Minnesota que, según él, no están realmente operativos, aunque afirma que reciben financiación gubernamental a través de CCAP, un programa que proporciona fondos para el cuidado de niños a familias de bajos ingresos.

Shirley no especifica los días en que visitó la mayoría de los centros que, según él, estaban dirigidos por personas de origen somalí, limitándose a decir que visitó uno al “mediodía”.

CNN está investigando los centros identificados en el video y contactó a varios de ellos. El video también muestra a Shirley escoltado fuera de un edificio por la Policía tras reportes de que estaba invadiendo propiedad privada y acosando a personas.

“Aunque tenemos preguntas sobre algunos de los métodos utilizados en el video, sí tomamos muy en serio las preocupaciones que plantea sobre el fraude”, dijo la comisionada del Departamento de Niñez, Juventud y Familias de Minnesota, Tikki Brown, en una conferencia de prensa el lunes, informó la afiliada de CNN, KARE.

CNN se ha puesto en contacto con Shirley para obtener comentarios sobre el video.

Un portavoz del gobernador de Minnesota, Tim Walz, dijo a CNN que dos de los centros que aparecen en el video estaban cerrados. Sin embargo, posteriormente un portavoz del Departamento de Niñez, Juventud y Familias de Minnesota aclaró que uno de ellos —Quality Learning Center— decidió finalmente permanecer abierto, según el Minneso

CNN

By Mostafa Salem, CNN

(CNN) — Hundreds of women lined up for a marathon on Iran’s resort island of Kish in early December wearing matching shirts and leggings with hair tied loosely behind their backs.

In a country where ignoring dress codes could land you hefty fines and prison sentences, the runners turned their focus on the course ahead, ignoring government directives and the complimentary headscarf placed by the race organizers in the marathon starter pack, in anticipation of violations.

In October, a band played the “Seven Nation Army” riff to a headbanging crowd on the streets of the Iranian capital Tehran in a viral moment on social media reposted by the American guitarist behind the White Stripes hit, Jack White.

This week, shopkeepers and bazaar merchants took to the streets in several Iranian cities, chanting anti-regime slogans over their inability to pay rent after the currency hit record lows. The protests were the largest since a 2022 nationwide uprising sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody after she was arrested for allegedly wearing her headscarf improperly.

Despite being so far limited, the protests mark the latest chapter in growing discontent in Iran while a population quietly reclaims public spaces and personal freedoms through uncoordinated acts of defiance. The Islamic theocratic regime – long opposed to Western cultural influence – appears to be overlooking the growing civil disobedience to focus on its own survival.

At the helm is Iran’s ailing 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who spent decades trying to fortify his regime from domestic and foreign threats, but must now contend with a failing strategy. Domestically, a frustrated youth are showing unprecedented defiance of Islamic norms, the national currency has plummeted to record lows, Iranian cities are running dry and protests are beginning to emerge. Outside its borders, its arch-enemy Israel continues lobbying the United States over further military action against the Islamic Republic.

With limited options, Khamenei is now adopting a cautious waiting game, avoiding major decisions and drastic strategies despite the mounting domestic challenges.

“Many observers relay a sense of no one being at home; no one making any big decisions, or rather that Khamenei is not permitting any real decisions,” Mohammad Ali Shabani, editor of Amwaj.media, a London-based news site focusing on Iran, Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula countries, told CNN.

“Right now, whatever decision Khamenei may make will likely feature a significant downside, so it seems as if he’s sitting out any major decision,” he said.

The Supreme Leader, or “Vali-ye Faqih” – a significant title granting its holder ultimate authority over all state and religious affairs – was reporte

By Haley Britzky, CNN

(CNN) — Roughly two dozen ISIS operatives have been killed or captured in Syria by US and partner forces since US airstrikes earlier this month, which were carried out in response to the killing of two American service members.

“Nearly 25” operatives were killed or captured between December 20 and 29, a release by US Central Command said Tuesday; seven ISIS members have been killed, while the rest were captured during 11 missions. Four ISIS weapons caches were also destroyed, the release said.

The missions follow large-scale strikes by the US on December 19 in Syria that hit roughly 70 targets. The retaliatory strikes came after two US service members and one civilian interpreter were killed in an attack on December 13 that the US has said was carried out by ISIS.

“We will not relent,” Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, said in Tuesday’s release. “We are steadfast in commitment to working with regional partners to root out the ISIS threat posed to U.S. and regional security.”

The two US service members and civilian interpreter were killed in Palmyra, Syria, due to injuries sustained “while engaged with hostile forces,” the Army previously said. The Defense Department said the attack was carried out by a lone ISIS gunman.

The soldiers were identified as 25-year-old Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres Tovar of Des Moines, Iowa, and 29-year-old Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard of Marshalltown, Iowa. Both were members of the Iowa National Guard, which began deploying roughly 1,800 troops to the Middle East earlier this year as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the US mission to defeat ISIS. Three other Iowa National Guard members were injured in the attack.

The retaliatory strikes on December 19 “destroyed ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites across central Syria,” Tuesday’s release said.

Other partner nations joined the US in the strikes, including Jordan, which said it did so to prevent extremist organizations from threatening the security of neighboring countries, particularly after ISIS “reconstituted itself and rebuilt its capabilities in southern Syria.”

Hundreds of US forces are deployed to Syria as part of the US’ long-standing mission to combat ISIS. ISIS had not claimed responsibility for the attack that killed two Americans, and while the Trump administration vowed retaliation against the terror group, CNN previously reported that Syria’s Ministry of Interior Affairs said the attacker was a part of the country’s Internal Security service.

President Donald Trump, as well as Syrian leaders, were quick to distance the gunman from the country’s fledgling government, which has received strong American support in recent months.

The day after the attack, Trump vowed retaliation, saying there would be a “lot of damage done to the people that did it.”

“We had three great patriots terminated by bad people, and not the Syrian government, it was ISIS,” Trump said at the time. In the wake of the December 19 retaliatory strikes, Trump said on social media that Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, “is working very hard to bring Greatness back to Syria.”

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The post Roughly two dozen ISIS operatives killed or captured since US retaliatory strikes this

By Mostafa Salem, CNN

(CNN) — Hundreds of women lined up for a marathon on Iran’s resort island of Kish in early December wearing matching shirts and leggings with hair tied loosely behind their backs.

In a country where ignoring dress codes could land you hefty fines and prison sentences, the runners turned their focus on the course ahead, ignoring government directives and the complimentary headscarf placed by the race organizers in the marathon starter pack, in anticipation of violations.

In October, a band played the “Seven Nation Army” riff to a headbanging crowd on the streets of the Iranian capital Tehran in a viral moment on social media reposted by the American guitarist behind the White Stripes hit, Jack White.

This week, shopkeepers and bazaar merchants took to the streets in several Iranian cities, chanting anti-regime slogans over their inability to pay rent after the currency hit record lows. The protests were the largest since a 2022 nationwide uprising sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody after she was arrested for allegedly wearing her headscarf improperly.

Despite being so far limited, the protests mark the latest chapter in growing discontent in Iran while a population quietly reclaims public spaces and personal freedoms through uncoordinated acts of defiance. The Islamic theocratic regime – long opposed to Western cultural influence – appears to be overlooking the growing civil disobedience to focus on its own survival.

At the helm is Iran’s ailing 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who spent decades trying to fortify his regime from domestic and foreign threats, but must now contend with a failing strategy. Domestically, a frustrated youth are showing unprecedented defiance of Islamic norms, the national currency has plummeted to record lows, Iranian cities are running dry and protests are beginning to emerge. Outside its borders, its arch-enemy Israel continues lobbying the United States over further military action against the Islamic Republic.

With limited options, Khamenei is now adopting a cautious waiting game, avoiding major decisions and drastic strategies despite the mounting domestic challenges.

“Many observers relay a sense of no one being at home; no one making any big decisions, or rather that Khamenei is not permitting any real decisions,” Mohammad Ali Shabani, editor of Amwaj.media, a London-based news site focusing on Iran, Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula countries, told CNN.

“Right now, whatever decision Khamenei may make will likely feature a significant downside, so it seems as if he’s sitting out any major decision,” he said.

The Supreme Leader, or “Vali-ye Faqih” – a significant title granting its holder ultimate authority over all state and religious affairs – was reportedly incommunicado and confined to a secure underground bunker for his own safety during a 12-day war with Israel in June, a conflict that caught Tehran off guard despite decades of preparation.

Khamenei emerged after the conflict with a weakened military, a heavily damaged nuclear program, and a population rapid