Last week, independent journalist Nick Shirley exposed daycare fraud in Minnesota that the mainstream media had little interest in covering. Naturally, it quickly made him a target because his efforts wouldn’t have been necessary if the mainstream media actually did journalism. But Shirley isn’t taking it lying down. When CBS reporter Jonah Kaplan tried to downplay his findings by suggesting the facilities highlighted in Shirley’s investigation were not actually fraudulent, Shirley shot back with a challenge the network is surely not going to accept.
Kaplan, working with CBS News' Minneapolis affiliate, posted a video to the CBS News X account on Tuesday claiming to offer "its own analysis" of nearly a dozen daycare centers Shirley visited. The CBS segment asserted that although these locations received citations for safety and cleanliness issues, there was no evidence of fraud.
Kaplan tried to downplay growing scrutiny by drawing a sharp line between proven pandemic-era fraud and the allegations raised by Shirley. His framing leaned heavily on official assurances and past prosecutions, while casting Shirley’s viral reporting as overheated and misleading.
“According to federal prosecutors, it was really during COVID that fraudsters set up these fake restaurants or sham businesses and health clinics,” he said, adding that scammers “collected boatloads of cash from us, the taxpayers.” He emphasized the scale of those cases, noting, “More than 90 people have been charged in the schemes, mostly Somalis, and more than 60 people have been convicted.”
ICYMI: The Most Convenient 'Burglary' in History Hits Somali-Run Daycare in Minneapolis
He then pivoted to Shirley’s investigation, which Kaplan dismissed as a viral social media moment rather than a legitimate warning sign. He leaned almost entirely on government inspectors to dismiss the allegations. “We visited those sites too, as did state inspectors many times over the last six months, and we found the facts on the ground tell a different story,” he claimed. The problem with that argument is obvious: the same state apparatus that missed or ignored fraud for years is now being treated as the final authority. Kaplan acknowledged violations but waved them away, saying, “Those daycares, many of them were written up for safety violations, things like maybe busted equipment or staff training issues, but that’s not the same as being fraudulent.”
Kaplan wrapped up by urging viewers to trust the broader system, even as he admitted it remains under intense scrutiny. “Granted, fraud is indisputably an issue in Minnesota,” he said, pointing out that “there are 14 programs, Medicaid-funded programs, that are currently under investigation by state and federal government.” He stressed that “childcare is not one of them,” as if that alone should settle the matter, and concluded, “Again, this is something we’re gonna keep following well into next year.”
Shirley didn't hold back in his response.
"Why don't you go to a daycare yourself, and you will see it first hand. Or you can just keep yapping on selfie mode," he posted on X.
Why don’t you go to a daycare yourself and you will see it first hand
— Nick shirley (@nickshirleyy) December 31, 2025
Or you can just keep yapping on selfie mode https://t.co/VeXP9P8WpS
Don't expect them to do anything. As Fox News Digital noted, “Kaplan's full report for ‘CBS Evening News’ on Tuesday found that all but two of the locations Shirley visited had active licenses. However, it added that CBS News had ‘visited and called several of the day care centers on Monday but received no responses.’”
“Mainstream media is more mad at me then they are at the FACT that billions of YOUR dollars are being used for fraudulent business,” Shirley posted on X Wednesday. “I am not an enemy of the people, they are. I’m with you, they are against you. Remember that.”
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