1. Alleged Massive Fraud in California
A central example is the arrest of Alexander Suker, accused of defrauding $23 million intended to feed the homeless, while funding a luxury lifestyle.
Authorities allegedly found:

Fake vendors and falsified records
Minimal food provided (canned beans and ramen)
Funds spent on mansions, luxury cars, vacations, and foreign property
Federal prosecutors state this case may be “the tip of the iceberg,” with at least 12 similar investigations ongoing.
The narrative argues that rapid spending with weak oversight enabled large‑scale abuse.

2. Whistleblowers and Oversight Failures
Independent investigator Nick Shirley is highlighted as uncovering fraud potentially worse than Minnesota’s Feeding Our Future scandal.
Discussion of qui tam (whistleblower) lawsuits, which allow citizens to sue on behalf of taxpayers and receive a percentage of recovered funds.
Claims that:

Billions may be recoverable
Whistleblowers could play a major role due to government inaction

3. Claims of Statewide Financial Losses
$70 billion in unaccounted taxpayer funds
$24 billion allegedly spent on nonexistent homelessness programs
$18 billion on nonexistent high‑speed rail
$32 billion in allegedly stolen COVID relief funds
Billions lost to SNAP fraud and disaster rebuilding with no results

4. U.S.–Iran Military and Diplomatic Escalation
The U.S. is reportedly deploying major naval forces near Iran as leverage.
Planned diplomatic talks in Istanbul between U.S. and Iranian officials are described as a potential restart of nuclear negotiations.
Key tensions:

U.S. demands limits on Iran’s nuclear program, missiles, and proxy groups
Iran insists only nuclear issues are negotiable
Regional actors (Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, UAE, Pakistan) are involved due to fears of regional war..

5. Media, Culture, and National Security Argument
American film and television are strategic assets that project U.S. values globally.
Strong support is expressed for a Netflix–Warner Bros. Discovery merger, framed as:

Protecting American jobs
Preventing foreign (especially Chinese and Middle Eastern) influence
Strengthening U.S. cultural dominance
Foreign investment in U.S. media is depicted as a national security risk, not economic opportunity.

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1. Alleged Massive Fraud in California
<ul>
<li>A central example is the arrest of Alexander Suker, accused of defrauding $23 million intended to feed the homeless, while funding a luxury lifestyle.</li>
<li>Authorities allegedly found:
<ul>
<li>Fake vendors and falsified records</li>
<li>Minimal food provided (canned beans and ramen)</li>
<li>Funds spent on mansions, luxury cars, vacations, and foreign property</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Federal prosecutors state this case may be &ldquo;the tip of the iceberg,&rdquo; with at least 12 similar investigations ongoing.</li>
<li>The narrative argues that rapid spending with weak oversight enabled large‑scale abuse.</li>
</ul>
<hr>
2. Whistleblowers and Oversight Failures
<ul>
<li>Independent investigator Nick Shirley is highlighted as uncovering fraud potentially worse than Minnesota&rsquo;s Feeding Our Future scandal.</li>
<li>Discussion of qui tam (whistleblower) lawsuits, which allow citizens to sue on behalf of taxpayers and receive a percentage of recovered funds.</li>
<li>Claims that:
<ul>
<li>Billions may be recoverable</li>
<li>Whistleblowers could play a major role due to government inaction</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<hr>
3. Claims of Statewide Financial Losses
<ul>
<li>$70 billion in unaccounted taxpayer funds</li>
<li>$24 billion allegedly spent on nonexistent homelessness programs</li>
<li>$18 billion on nonexistent high‑speed rail</li>
<li>$32 billion in allegedly stolen COVID relief funds</li>
<li>Billions lost to SNAP fraud and disaster rebuilding with no results</li>
</ul>
<hr>
4. U.S.&ndash;Iran Military and Diplomatic Escalation
<ul>
<li>The U.S. is reportedly deploying major naval forces near Iran as leverage.</li>
<li>Planned diplomatic talks in Istanbul between U.S. and Iranian officials are described as a potential restart of nuclear negotiations.</li>
<li>Key tensions:
<ul>
<li>U.S. demands limits on Iran&rsquo;s nuclear program, missiles, and proxy groups</li>
<li>Iran insists only nuclear issues are negotiable</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Regional actors (Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, UAE, Pakistan) are involved due to fears of regional war..</li>
</ul>
<hr>
5. Media, Culture, and National Security Argument
<ul>
<li>American film and television are strategic assets that project U.S. values globally.</li>
<li>Strong support is expressed for a Netflix&ndash;Warner Bros. Discovery merger, framed as:
<ul>
<li>Protecting American jobs</li>
<li>Preventing foreign (especially Chinese and Middle Eastern) influence</li>
<li>Strengthening U.S. cultural dominance</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Foreign investment in U.S. media is depicted as a national security risk, not economic opportunity.</li>
</ul>
Please Hit Subscribe to this podcast Right Now. Also Please Subscribe to the <a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-47-morning-update-wit-258481252/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="5">47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson</a> and <a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-verdict-with-ted-cruz-56253661/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="4">Verdict with Ted Cruz</a> Wherever You get You're Podcasts. And don't forget to follow the show on Social Media so you never miss a moment! Thanks for Listening
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If you hate the liberal media but love the 47th President, than this is the podcast for you. Ben Ferguson brings you the commentary on the news that the biased media will not cover.

If you hate the liberal media but love the&nbsp;47th&nbsp;President, than this is the podcast for you. Ben Ferguson brings you the commentary on the news that the biased media will not cover.

THIS PODCAST GIVE YOU WHAT THE BIASED MEDIA WON'T!

The Ben Ferguson Podcast

California’s Fraud Problem Is BIGGER Than Minnesota plus the Art of the Deal w Iran

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/f1b6e3a4-2ab5-4ceb-93be-b3d60064acf7/transcript