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welfare

Romanian crime rings exploit chip-less U.S. welfare cards at scale

Illustration accompanying article: Romanian crime rings exploit chip-less U.S. welfare cards at scale
  • Romanian organized crime groups use card-skimming devices to drain public benefits from welfare recipients across the U.S., exploiting magnetic-stripe technology on most state-issued EBT cards, The Wall Street Journal reported.
  • Only seven states — Alabama, California, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey and Oklahoma — have issued chip-enabled EBT cards, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
  • The federal government replaced $360 million in benefits stolen from 754,000 households between October 2022 and December 2024 before Congress withdrew that authority in late 2024.
  • California distributed chip-and-tap cards using $76.5 million in federal and state funds, cutting monthly reimbursed theft from nearly $21 million in January 2024 to $4.3 million in July 2026.
  • The U.S. Secret Service said 70 sweeps have yielded 694 skimmers and prevented an estimated $720 million in fraud.
 2026-09-20 · 3 MIN READ

Federal judge blocks HUD's homelessness funding shift

Illustration accompanying article: Federal judge blocks HUD's homelessness funding shift
  • A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration's latest attempt to change how HUD funds homelessness programs, the third time judges have ruled against similar moves.
  • The federal Continuum of Care program, at issue in the ruling, provides $4 billion to local organizations serving people experiencing homelessness.
  • HUD Secretary Scott Turner has pushed to shift program funds from permanent housing under the Housing First model toward temporary housing and services.
  • New York Attorney General Letitia James, a plaintiff, said the administration has repeatedly tried to break the law to push its political agenda.
 2026-08-07 · 3 MIN READ
Illustration accompanying article: Trump administration proposes shifting Head Start rules to states