Quebec’s Pharma Shadow: The Legal Void in Youth Antipsychotic Prescribing

Time for Accountability

Canada’s youth mental health crisis is no longer just a medical story—it is a legal and institutional failure with mounting liability risks. High-risk antipsychotics like olanzapine (Zyprexa) are prescribed off-label to children and adolescents at unprecedented rates, often by family physicians without specialist oversight, mandatory monitoring, or full transparency on industry influences. 

Quebec, home to a thriving pharmaceutical sector, shows some of the highest rates in the country, tripling from ~1.6% to nearly 4.9% over two decades in public plan data. Nationally, CIHI reports a 13% rise in youth antipsychotic dispensing (2018–2019 to 2023–2024) in tracked provinces, but Quebec’s elevated baseline and economic dependence on pharma giants make it ground zero for scrutiny.

This pattern—off-label use for behavioral issues, aggression, anxiety, or mood symptoms (including comorbidities in gender dysphoria cases)—exposes vulnerable youth to severe, lifelong risks: rapid metabolic damage, diabetes, obesity, hormonal disruptions, and sedation. SSRIs add black-box suicidality warnings for young people. Yet Canadian law provides no mandatory safeguards: no public named disclosure of pharma payments to physicians, no enforced specialist consult for high-risk youth psychotropics, no standardized metabolic monitoring protocols with legal teeth.

The result? A system where medications intended to stabilize can become part of unmanaged risk, especially when layered with specialist shortages, rural access barriers, fragmented care, and opaque industry ties.

Off-Label Prescribing: Legal but Liable

Off-label use is legally permitted—it falls under provincial medical regulation—but it carries heightened liability when risks are foreseeable and safeguards absent. In minors, physicians owe an elevated duty of care: informed consent must explicitly cover black-box warnings and metabolic monitoring needs. Failure to explore non-drug options first, or to monitor weight/glucose/lipids, can cross into negligence.

Provincial Colleges of Physicians (e.g., Collège des médecins du Québec) can discipline for substandard care or undisclosed conflicts (per CMA ethics code), but enforcement is reactive. No federal or provincial statute mandates specialist referral for off-label atypicals in youth, unlike some guidelines that recommend it. Voluntary pharma payment disclosures (Innovative Medicines Canada) remain anonymous and incomplete—Canada lags far behind the U.S. Open Payments database or stalled provincial bills like Ontario’s Health Sector Payment Transparency Act.

When harm occurs—e.g., rapid 30+ lb weight gain leading to diabetes, or unmanaged agitation in complex cases—potential civil suits (malpractice), College complaints (misconduct), or even Charter challenges (s.7 security of person via inadequate safe care; s.15 equality for youth with complex needs) become realistic pathways.

Tragedies as Warning Signs 

Cases like the 2026 Tumbler Ridge school attack—where the shooter (18, transgender woman with documented MDD, autism, OCD, HRT access struggles, repeated mental health apprehensions) navigated a patchwork of hospitalizations and interventions—expose systemic fragility. While no proven causation exists, such events raise questions: Were psychiatric meds (SSRIs/atypicals for co-morbid symptoms) adequately monitored? Did access barriers or poor coordination compound risks? Public safety demands answers, not speculation.

History’s Liability Lessons

Canada has paid dearly for delayed oversight: 

Thalidomide (approved 1961, withdrawn late 1962): Over 100 confirmed malformations; decades of advocacy for compensation. Government/industry faced liability for ignoring warnings.

Vioxx, Fen-Phen, DES, OxyContin: Billions in settlements after downplayed risks and delayed action.

The pattern: Systems protect economic interests until harm accumulates, then react with apologies and cheques. Youth antipsychotic overreach could follow—metabolic class actions, College investigations, or inquiries if tragedies link to unmanaged prescribing.

Reforms: From Reactive to Proactive Law

Protecting Quebec’s pharma jobs and innovation does not require sacrificing youth safeguards. Quebec should lead:

• Mandatory named disclosure registry for all pharma payments to physicians—searchable, public, modeled on U.S. standards.
• Legislated specialist consult for off-label antipsychotics in minors, with documented justification.
• Enforceable monitoring protocols—baseline/ongoing metabolic labs, enforceable via Colleges/Health Canada.
• Investment in non-pharma youth supports—therapy, school programs, rural telepsychiatry—as Charter-aligned rights to evidence-based care.
• Independent reviews of high-risk prescribing patterns where economic incentives intersect with adverse outcomes.

These are not anti-industry—they are pro-safety, pro-accountability. Quebec’s pharma backbone can thrive alongside transparent, cautious prescribing.

Kicker

The next reckoning won’t be a surprise commission or retroactive cheque. It will be preventable harm turned irreversible—metabolic scars, lost futures, or public safety failures from unmanaged risks. Canadian law must evolve from apology to prevention. Quebec has the economic clout to set the standard—will it choose protection over inertia?

This piece complements another article: medical/economic focus there, legal/liability/reform here. The one above obviously concerns public safety through systemic accountability.

Read the companion article here: McColl Magazine Daily: Quebec’s Pharma Power vs. North America’s Youth

Further Reading:

McColl Magazine Daily: Tumbler Ridge Tragedy -- Remote BC Community Shattered

Tumbler Ridge Tragedy -- Remote BC Community Shattered

Police Allege Female-Perpetrated Mass Shooting

Police lied through their teeth to 43 Million Canadians

Casualties  in the Low 40's Dead and Wounded 

FINGERS IN EARS  "LA LA LA LA!"

It's probably not judiciously fit, criminally accurate, or wise for even idiots to blame an act of mass murder on a woman when it is clearly happening at the hands of a man. 

May I please proceed?

Patterns, Isolation, and the Long Shadow Ahead

In the remote Rocky Mountain foothills town of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia—a purpose-built mining community of roughly 2,400 people known for its waterfalls, UNESCO Global Geopark, and outdoor solitude rather than headlines—a mass shooting unfolded on February 10, 2026, at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and a connected residence. 

RCMP confirm 10 dead (nine victims plus the suspect, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot) and 27 injured, including two with life-threatening conditions. This ranks among Canada's deadliest shootings, devastating a place where bonds run deep and escape is scarce.

Key Details of the Incident

Timeline and Scene: Reports of an active shooter at the school came in around 1:20 p.m. local time. Police found six fatalities inside the school, one en route to hospital, and two more at a 'linked' residence.

Suspect Description 

Emergency alert described the shooter as female, wearing a dress, with brown hair. RCMP confirm the suspect deceased at the scene from self-inflicted injury; the individual has been identified, though name withheld pending investigation. It's a deeply unsettling event in every way, and the details emerging provide an anomalous profile.

Response

Shelter-in-place order was issued and lifted by 5:45 p.m. after no ongoing threat had been confirmed. Victims were airlifted (including two critical); other victims were triaged locally. Schools (secondary and elementary) were closed for the week; reunification and counseling therapy is underway.

Wider Community Impact

Tumbler Ridge was established in province's N.E. corner, remote, and specifically designed in the 1980s to accommodate coal industry families and now a geopark hub. This tiny community is reeling with profound grief. Premier David Eby called it an "unimaginable tragedy"; local MLA Larry Neufeld noted the impact "felt by everyone" in this "small, close-knit town." National leaders echoed condolences amid one of the deadliest school-related events in Canadian history.

Motive remains under investigation; police indicate they may "struggle" to fully determine it.

What Exactly Are We Seeing? 

To put this woman and a mass shooting in context, the unfolding case stands out because mass killings by women are extraordinarily rare. Indeed, women account for only 3–6% of mass shooters/mass murderers in major databases (FBI, Northeastern University Mass Killings Database, decades-spanning analyses). Those are U.S. stats. In Canada. Not quite unheard-of? Karla Homolka? Any others?

In U.S. cases since 2006 (4+ killed), female perpetrators ~5–6%. Globally/historically (1900–2019), around 6%.

School shootings 

Female involvement is <4% in K-12 incidents. When women perpetrate homicides (including rare mass ones), patterns often involve intimate/family grievances rather than indiscriminate public attacks, although exceptions do exist. Over 90–95% of mass public shootings are by men, a criminological constant. 

Nevertheless, outliers like this devastate regardless of rarity. 

The Weight of Isolation

No Easy Escape from the Grief

Tumbler Ridge's remoteness is profound. It lies over 1,100 km northeast of Vancouver, hours from hubs like Dawson Creek (117 km) or Fort St. John (188 km) via challenging highways which remoteness intensifies every layer of trauma. 

In a town of ~2,400 where everyone knows everyone (Mayor Darryl Krakowka said he'd personally know every victim after 19 years there), there's no anonymity, no vanishing into crowds, no nightlife, cinemas, malls, or myriad distractions to numb or reset. 

Social life centers on community events, the rec centre (arena, pool, gym), hiking trails, and the geopark. It's all sort of beautiful, but on the humanistic level of the modern age, you are but contained. Driving out means long, often winter-harsh journeys; no quick urban getaway exists.

The assault saturates the space: reminders in every street, workplace, school pickup, familiar face. The dilution of the miasma of grief through external escapes does not exist in any way, shape, or form.

Immediate supports were dispatched, which reflects positively on the Northern Health crisis teams, provincial counselors, and the phone lines like 988/310-6789, VictimLink BC.

Long-term healing in northern remote BC faces strained resources: spotty internet for virtual care, travel needed for specialized trauma therapy, and the collective grief shared inescapably among interconnected families, classmates (~160 high school students), and neighbors. Casualties in the low 40s.

It's a sad fact we all know, people there will carry PTSD, anxiety, survivor's guilt for life; recovery isn't just individual. It's communal, slow, and amplified by a intractable isolation. 

This underscores systemic gaps in remote public safety: delayed responses, limited mental health infrastructure, and why short-term aid must evolve into sustained investment.

Closing/Call to Reflection:

In a country debating gun violence, mental health, and prevention limits, this demands more than headline scrutiny of remote vulnerabilities. Were there warning signs (if any) that went unseen in isolation, and a lack of delivery in long-haul mental health support? 

"Motive" remains under investigation. In a February 10 press conference, RCMP Superintendent Ken Floyd offered unusually candid language: "I think we will struggle to determine the ‘why,’ but we will try our best to determine what transpired," a departure from standard neutral phrasing that hints at anticipated challenges in uncovering the full roots of this tragedy.

Tumbler Ridge's strength lies in its bonds; healing will take time, resources, and recognition that some wounds don't fade when there's nowhere to go.

McColl Magazine will continue monitoring. This article was prepared with the help of AI and the burden of a heavy heart, thinking of hope and honest concern for the people of Tumbler Ridge. May sustained care meet the depth of this loss.

Further refinements and updates to this article are likely as RCMP releases more on motive, victim details, or community response.

Article suggested by Mack McColl, composed by Grok by xAI, and edited and published by Mack McColl for McColl Magazine.

X Byline: Citizen X to follow | Return to McColl Magazine Public Safety Files

February 11, 2026 (updated with ongoing developments)

Murder Motives Matter

It Usually Goes Beyond Greed 

A Public Safety Must-Read

The popular image of murder as a calculated act of greed is largely a media construct. True-crime stories thrive on plots where financial gain is the motive, making them gripping and solvable like puzzles. In reality, data from both Canada and the United States show that money is rarely the primary driver. Interpersonal conflicts—arguments, jealousy, domestic disputes, or escalating grudges—far outnumber profit-oriented killings.

Moreover, the vast majority of murders are committed by people known to the victim. Strangers account for only a small fraction of homicides, underscoring that danger often lurks in familiar relationships rather than random encounters.

Why does this matter for public safety? Understanding true motives helps direct prevention efforts. Too often, resources and public attention focus on sensational cases involving money—inheritance disputes, insurance scams, or contract killings—while overlooking the everyday triggers that claim far more lives. By examining what actually drives most homicides, policymakers, law enforcement, and communities can prioritize strategies that save the most lives.

In the United States, the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program and National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) provide detailed insights. In 2024, murder and non-negligent manslaughter decreased an estimated 14.9% from 2023. For homicides with known circumstances, arguments dominate as the leading motive. Felony-type murders—tied to crimes like robbery or drug deals—made up a smaller share (around 13-15% in recent patterns), with robbery as the main money-related subcategory. Pure "for-profit" killings outside these contexts remain rare.

On victim-offender relationships, 2024 NIBRS data shows 35.2% of homicide victims knew their offender(s) but were not related (acquaintances, friends, etc.), 14.8% were killed by family members, and only 16.5% by strangers. About one-third fell into "all other" or unknown categories, but known connections clearly dominate.

Canada's data aligns closely. Statistics Canada reported 788 homicides in 2024, with the rate declining 4% to 1.91 per 100,000 population—the second consecutive year below 2.0 after a 2022 peak. While granular motive breakdowns are less detailed, patterns from police reports and comparative analyses show most victims knew their assailant. In recent comparative data, around 81% of Canadian homicide victims knew the accused—similar to U.S. figures.

Acquaintances or friends are the most common category (around 45% in recent years), followed by family or intimate partners.

Intimate partner violence stands out: In 2024, nearly one in six Canadian victims (about 17%, or 100 people) were killed by a spouse or intimate partner, with a notable increase in the proportion of women victims in such cases (rising to 42% of female victims). Gang-related homicides (often money- or territory-linked) were under 20% (152 cases) in 2024. Firearms were used in over one-third of cases, handguns most common. Indigenous peoples face stark over representation, with a rate of about 10.84 per 100,000—over eight times non-Indigenous—often tied to interpersonal or systemic factors. Racialized individuals made up about 29% of victims.

Globally, UNODC studies confirm interpersonal and family-related killings dominate, with criminal-gain motives (including robbery) secondary in most regions. For women and girls, a high proportion of homicides involve intimate partners or family members.

Redirecting prevention makes sense. Heavy focus on rare greed plots diverts from high-impact areas: de-escalating arguments via community programs, addressing domestic violence, reducing substance-fueled conflicts, improving mental health supports, and tackling gang/drug violence in affected areas. Gun control, conflict resolution, and early intervention in abusive relationships target root causes more effectively than chasing cinematic schemes.

Media amplifies exceptional money-motivated cases for drama. Everyday homicides are messier—rooted in emotion, alcohol, or grudges—and less "solvable" on screen. But they are preventable with evidence-based approaches, especially since victims usually know their killers.

As homicide rates decline in both Canada and the U.S.—with U.S. cities seeing a further 21% drop in 2025 per Council on Criminal Justice analyses—the key is clear: preventing murder isn't mostly about thwarting financial schemes. It's about cooling flash points in known relationships that turn deadly far more often.

Money kills sometimes, but unchecked anger and familiar disputes kill far more frequently. Prioritizing those drivers could save even more lives ahead.

B.C. Extortion Task Force Investigation Widens

RCMP In Hot Pursuit While BC Premier Calls Out National Links

Public‑Safety Officials Focus on Containment 

Lower Mainland Extortion Activity Shows Signs of Spread

Investigation moves to “Actively Hunting” the Extortionists

For months, British Columbia has been dealing with a pattern of extortion‑related incidents that affected businesses and families across the Lower Mainland. These incidents included threats, property damage, and targeted intimidation. Many victims were small‑business owners — people running restaurants, trucking companies, retail shops, and service operations that form the backbone of local communities.

Early indicators of the current pattern appeared several years ago, when isolated incidents of intimidation and property damage were reported in commercial districts across the Lower Mainland. At the time, these cases seemed unrelated, but as similar methods surfaced in multiple municipalities, investigators began to recognize a consistent approach and escalating severity. 

Over time, the files revealed characteristics of a coordinated network rather than individual offenders acting independently. This progression is central to understanding why containment is now the primary public‑safety focus and why officials describe the activity as part of a broader criminal circuit.

In January, the RCMP issued a statement that marked a shift in tone.

“We are now actively hunting these extortionists,” the force declared in its January update.

The significance of that sentence lies not in its forcefulness, but in its clarity. It acknowledged that the activity was organized, coordinated, and persistent — and that law enforcement had adjusted its posture to meet the growing challenge.

Understanding the Pattern

The extortion activity in the Lower Mainland has followed a recognizable sequence:  

• A demand for payment  

• A warning act such as vandalism or a shot fired at a building  

• Escalation to more serious property damage  

• Threats directed at family members  

This pattern has been documented across multiple municipalities. Victims often hesitate to report incidents due to fear of retaliation or uncertainty about what police can do in the short term. That hesitation has allowed criminal networks to operate with less resistance, as if Canada is rogue and the shakedown is business as usual.

The Task Force and Its Role

In response, the province established a dedicated extortion task force. This joint operation includes RCMP units, municipal police departments, federal agencies, and immigration enforcement. Its purpose is to coordinate information, identify linkages between cases, and contain the spread of the activity.

In its early months, the task force has taken over dozens of files, laid charges in multiple cases, identified connections across jurisdictions, and initiated immigration‑related actions where appropriate. These developments indicate that the activity is not confined to a single neighbourhood or city. 

It is structured and mobile. The RCMP’s use of the term “actively hunting” reflects this operational reality — a shift from reactive case‑by‑case response to proactive identification and disruption of networks.

Why the Language Matters

Law‑enforcement agencies typically use measured language. When they adopt more direct terminology, it usually reflects a need to align public messaging with the scale of the issue.

In this case, the phrase “actively hunting” communicates three public‑safety points:

1. The activity is organized, not isolated.  

2. The public needed a clear understanding of the seriousness of the situation.  

3. Containment is now a priority.

The Province‑Wide Picture

While the Lower Mainland remains the primary area of concern, similar activity has been observed elsewhere in British Columbia.

Vancouver Island: Victoria, Nanaimo, and Saanich have reported early‑stage incidents involving threats and intimidation.

Interior Communities: Kelowna and Kamloops have seen cases that resemble the Lower Mainland pattern, consistent with long‑standing organized‑crime dynamics in the region.

Fraser Valley: Abbotsford, Mission, and Chilliwack are connected to Lower Mainland files through shared networks and mobility patterns.

Northern B.C.: Prince George and Fort St. John have reported “demand‑based intimidation,” which can precede more structured extortion attempts.

These developments do not indicate a province‑wide crisis, but they do show   the activity is not geographically static. Containment remains the central public‑safety objective.

Eby’s Heightened Concern: A National Circuit, Not a Local Surge

Premier David Eby has emphasized that the activity now under investigation shows characteristics of a national criminal circuit. His concern reflects intelligence indicating that some individuals involved move between provinces, that similar patterns have appeared in other jurisdictions, and that networks may be coordinating across regional boundaries.

From a public‑safety standpoint, this matters because containment cannot rely solely on local suppression. If offenders simply relocate to other regions, the underlying threat persists and possibly accelerates. The Premier’s comments highlight the challenge: operations of containment must prevent displacement, not just disruption.

The Human Impact

Behind the statistics are families and business owners dealing with fear. A threat delivered to a business is not an abstract risk. It affects livelihoods, staff, and the sense of safety in a community.

Public‑safety reporting requires acknowledging that impact without exaggeration. The goal is clarity, not alarm.

 Going Forward

The task force is still developing its capabilities. The criminal networks involved are adaptive. The geographic spread says  the situation will continue to evolve.

What is clear is that extortion is organized spans multiple regions, and has national linkages. Containment first is the guiding aim.

The RCMP’s declaration — “We are now actively hunting these extortionists” — marks a moment when official language aligned with the scale of the threat. For public‑safety observers, that alignment is the central development.

Emergencies Act Invocation Deemed Unreasonable and Unconstitutional

 

https://mccollmagazinedaily.blogspot.com/2026/01/emergencies-act-invocation-deemed.html

An Honest Assessment of the UN

Touching on a deeper, evolving critique

There are shifting political realities in the focus on the United Nations. 

In particular under the current Trump administration as of January 2026, the tendency toward viewing the UN less as neutral and more as potentially transactional, sets up the view of an organization that facilitates pathways through aid, diplomacy, and operations into major economies like the U.S., sometimes with questionable accountability.

The $250+ million Somali-linked fraud (Feeding Our Future and related schemes) seems small when stood next to larger-scale aid and geopolitical expenditures involving Ukraine, Israel/Gaza, Egypt, and strategic chokepoints like the Suez Canal and Panama Canal.

Critics argue these aren't isolated "frauds" but part of a pattern from UN-affiliated mechanisms channeling billions in corruption, or indirect benefits, to non-state actors, while creating dependencies or leverage points that feed back into global (sometimes/often U.S.) economic systems.

Larger-Scale Aid Flows and Diversion Risks

Recent reports highlight persistent concerns about diversion, corruption, and misuse of high-stakes aid. There has been a lot of wrangling over Gaza/Israel-related aid, as the USAID's Office of Inspector General (OIG) has flagged Gaza as a high-risk area for diversion to groups like Hamas, with ongoing audits into U.S.-funded assistance via UN agencies and NGOs.

Israel has accused UNRWA of infiltration (leading to bans on operations and staff detentions), while humanitarian groups deny widespread diversion but note obstruction. Billions in U.S./international aid have flowed since 2023, amid a crisis where nearly all Gazans are aid-dependent, yet oversight gaps persist due to conflict dynamics.

Ukraine: The EU withheld €1.5 billion (~$1.7 billion) in 2025 aid over corruption concerns, tied to governance reforms. Total Western support (including U.S.) exceeds hundreds of billions since 2022, with U.S. oversight (e.g., congressional hearings) finding no substantiated large-scale diversion of direct U.S. funds, but emphasizing risks in wartime environments.

Egypt and broader Middle East: U.S. foreign aid continues to prioritize Egypt (often alongside Israel) for strategic reasons, including stability around the Suez Canal (a vital global trade route). While direct UN diversion claims are less prominent, broader critiques note poor governance/corruption in recipient states can undermine aid effectiveness.

These flows dwarf the Somali cases, but substantiated billions in outright diversion (like the 2005 Oil-for-Food scandal's ~$11 billion) are rare in recent UN-specific reporting. Instead, issues involve operational challenges: weak local oversight, reliance on partners in fragile zones, and immunities that complicate accountability.

Strategic Chokepoints: Suez, Panama, and UN's Limited Role

The UN has no direct funding or operational control over the Suez or Panama Canal, which are managed by Egypt and Panama, respectively.

Both the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal feel like global commons because every major navy and every major trade route depends on them, but legally they are not international waterways governed by a multinational body. 

The construction of these canals precedes the existence of the UN, and each is owned and governed by a single sovereign state, operating under international treaty obligations that guarantee neutral, nondiscriminatory passage.

Disruptions (e.g., Red Sea attacks affecting Suez, drought/low water in Panama) impact global trade, but allegations focus on national corruption or foreign influence (e.g., China's port stakes in Panama, prompting U.S. concerns and negotiations in 2025–2026).

UN involvement is indirect (e.g., through UNCTAD reports on trade disruptions or Security Council discussions on maritime security), not as a funder or "defender."

U.S. military/diplomatic efforts (e.g., defending transit routes) dominate, with no major UN corruption scandals tied to these in 2025–2026 reports.

The Shifting U.S. Perspective on the UN

The narrative has evolved sharply since 2025. The Trump administration has accelerated criticism, viewing parts of the UN as advancing "soft global governance" adverse to U.S. interests (e.g., rejecting Agenda 2030/SDGs). This includes proposed/exit from dozens of UN-related bodies, funding cuts to peacekeeping/humanitarian efforts, and framing the UN as costly/corrupt. Public discourse (e.g., amplified by figures like Elon Musk on diplomat fraud) has normalized ideas once fringe: defunding, expelling missions, or treating the UN as a vehicle for elite/transactional networks rather than pure altruism.

This shift reflects frustration that UN operations pretend to combat issues like money laundering via UNODOC but inadvertently create pathways for networked fraud, aid exploitation, or influence in donor economies (e.g., diaspora remittances from U.S. goodwill back to origin countries with nefarious intent). The Somali case, though "small," symbolizes these vulnerabilities in a system where billions flow through high-risk channels without proportional deterrence to inherent criminality.

Ultimately, the UN isn't proven as a deliberate "criminal insertion" mechanism, but the world is looking askance at questions of the organization's emergent transactional nature, agencies with secret powers using aid as leverage, immunities as shields, and operations as potential enablers of corruption in fragile states, including, allegedly, Minnesota. This view resonates more now, driven by scandals, geopolitical tensions, and a push for U.S.-centric reforms. If new evidence emerges linking larger flows more directly, it could accelerate calls for withdrawal or overhaul.

Maduro's One-Way Ticket To NYC

Somali Pirates of Minnesota

Fraud Exposed 

'Legit fraud,' Nick? Fraud is not 'legit.' You may be examining alleged fraud, but let's be honest. You're mugging for a camera and choosing vulnerable targets. You're not getting to the fraudsters. You are talking to the wives and toadies of pirates.

🚨 Here is the full 42 minutes of my crew and I exposing Minnesota fraud, this might be my most important work yet. We uncovered over $110,000,000 in ONE day. Like it and share it around like wildfire! Its time to hold these corrupt politicians and fraudsters accountable

We ALL… pic.twitter.com/E3Penx2o7a

— Nick shirley (@nickshirleyy) December 26, 2025

A Global Challenge of Fraud

Universal Vulnerability in Covid Crisis Response

Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) reports from 2020–2022 note that COVID exacerbated corruption universally, with no clear ideological divide. Risks were highest where pre-existing weak institutions, emergency waivers, and limited oversight coincided—common in crises across regimes.

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted governments worldwide to deploy unprecedented financial aid to save lives and stabilize economies. This urgent response, while necessary, often involved relaxed safeguards to accelerate distribution, creating systemic vulnerabilities exploited by opportunists. Fraud and corruption emerged not as isolated incidents tied to specific political systems, but as a shared challenge reflecting human and institutional frailties under pressure.

In the United States, estimates suggest hundreds of billions of dollars in relief funds were lost to fraud across programs like the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP),

 
Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), and Unemployment Insurance. As of December 2024, the Department of Justice had charged over 3,000 defendants, securing convictions for more than 2,500 and recovering over $1.4 billion through forfeitures and settlements. High-profile cases, such as Minnesota's Feeding Our Future scandal—involving alleged theft of $250–300 million from child nutrition programs—have seen ongoing trials and convictions into 2025, with dozens pleading guilty and key figures like the nonprofit's founder convicted on multiple counts.

Similar patterns appeared internationally. In the United Kingdom, a 2025 report estimated £10.9 billion lost to fraud and error in schemes like furlough and Bounce Back Loans, with much deemed beyond recovery despite arrests and clawbacks. Other nations, from South Africa (PPE and relief package abuses) to Italy (EU recovery fund scandals), faced procurement irregularities and organized scams, often amplified by rushed emergency measures.

Evidence from diverse contexts—democratic and authoritarian, left- and right-leaning—shows these breaches stemmed primarily from structural factors: massive spending, bypassed bidding processes, and temporary oversight reductions. Transnational organized crime further exploited digital weaknesses, targeting aid across borders.

This suggests the need for systemic reforms: stronger real-time audits, digital verification tools, and balanced emergency protocols that preserve accountability. Ongoing investigations (U.S. DOJ, national anti-corruption bodies, perhaps an international body such as the Hague or Interpol is involved) continue to hold individuals accountable across jurisdictions, with thousands of prosecutions worldwide emphasizing deterrence and recovery.

To conclude, evidence points to shared human and institutional vulnerabilities in crisis, with no partisan or ideological monopoly. A thorough, non-partisan inquiry would focus on strengthening safeguards for future emergencies to protect public resources equitably.

Prepared by Grok by xAI under direction of McColl Magazine's Mack McColl

Bondi Beach Terror Attack:

 Public Safety Implications and Investigation Update