Vox Sentences - The biggest case of pandemic fraud yet

The Department of Justice charges dozens in a $250 million pandemic fraud scheme; Iran protests over a woman killed in police custody.

Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.

Latino voters in America are often misunderstood by both political parties. Are they shifting to the right? What motivates them to vote? What’s the best way to mobilize them? In The Highlight, Vox hopes to answer some of these questions, and provide a better understanding of the US’s 32 million Latino voters. Read more here».

Fraudsters steal $250 million from child hunger programs

Glen Stubbe/Star Tribune via Getty Images

• Tuesday, a federal grand jury indicted 47 people for defrauding child nutrition programs out of $250 million in the most significant case thus far of pandemic-related fraud. [Washington Post / Tony Romm]
• Prosecutors allege the defendants, including six Minnesota groups led by the larger nonprofit Feeding Our Future, used money earmarked for feeding hungry children to buy property, jewelry, and luxury cars. [CBS News]
• The defendants allegedly set up shell companies claiming to serve thousands of children per day to receive millions in federal reimbursements. [New York Times / David A. Fahrenthold]
• The individuals now face money laundering, conspiracy, and bribery charges. [Axios / Jacob Knutson]
• Tuesday’s indictment marks the biggest move so far in the Department of Justice’s efforts to recover stolen pandemic relief funds. [USA Today / Kevin Johnson]

Iran protests over the death of a woman in police custody

• At least five people were killed in Iran as of Tuesday, and dozens more were injured during protests over the death of a 22-year-old Kurdish woman in police custody. [CNN]
• Officials say Mahsa Amini died Friday after being arrested by Iran’s morality police. She was accused of breaking laws on women's attire. [NBC News / Rhoda Kwan]
• Authorities say Amini suffered a heart attack and went into a coma, but her family says she was healthy. [Washington Post / Rachel Pannett and Miriam Berger] 
• A UN official for human rights said they received reports that police beat Amini on the head. [BBC / David Gritten and Oliver Slow]
• Protesters have taken to the streets in cities across Iran and its Kurdistan region for the last four nights, demanding justice for Amini and reform of the morality police. [Guardian / Patrick Wintour]

Two Republican judges issued an opinion Friday allowing Texas to moderate content on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. [Vox / Ian Millhiser]

• The Federal Reserve is expected to hike interest rates again this week to tamp down inflation. [Politico / Christopher Leonard]

• Maury Wills, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ base-stealing shortstop, died Monday at 89. [Yahoo / Chris Cwik]

• Fourteen young sperm whales, considered a vulnerable species, have died of unknown causes in a mass stranding on an Australian beach. [BBC / Tiffanie Turnbull]

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“These children were simply invented."

[US Attorney Andrew Luger on the Minnesota scheme / CBS News]

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