‘Medicaid Millionaires' Exposed & Spirit Airlines Shutters | 5.4.26

Summary

Morning Wire Podcast Summary

Episode: ‘Medicaid Millionaires' Exposed & Spirit Airlines Shutters
Hosts: John Bickley & Georgia Howe
Date: May 4, 2026
Duration Covered: 00:34 – 16:47

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Overview

This episode of Morning Wire dives into a bombshell Medicaid fraud exposé unfolding in Ohio, the abrupt collapse of Spirit Airlines and its repercussions, and fast-moving developments around the Iran peace deal as President Trump weighs his next steps amid economic pressure at home. Investigative reporter Luke Rosiak joins to unveil the shocking scale of Medicaid abuses, while culture reporter Megan Basham unpacks the closure of Spirit Airlines, and Cabot Phillips provides analysis on the geopolitical and financial fallout of the ongoing Iran saga.

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Key Topics & Insights

1. Medicaid Fraud Scheme in Ohio

(Main Segment: 02:23 – 06:58)

• Scope of the Scandal:

  • Reporter Luke Rosiak reveals widespread abuse of Medicaid "waiver" programs in Ohio, supporting home healthcare & chores for the elderly—but with minimal oversight, billions of dollars are lost to fraud.

    “This is billions with a B... I found that another state with easily defrauded Medicaid expansions is actually Ohio, which will pay to do homemaking and chores for the elderly, even just conversation and companionship.” – Luke Rosiak (03:02)

• How the Fraud Works:

  • Medicaid payments go directly to family members, often for simply spending time with relatives. Much of this is legal under current rules.

    “A lot of the people getting these checks are actually just the family members of the old people. So they're getting paid to sit in their own houses and talk to their own family members.” – Luke Rosiak (03:25)

• Scale & Oversight Issues:

  • In 2024 alone, $1 billion was paid out in Ohio for home healthcare—eclipsing costs for actual medical services.
  • Verification is poor: Removal of GPS tracking allows unchecked billing.
  • Businesses running the scams are predominantly owned and staffed by recent immigrants.

    “There are entire blocks where virtually every business has been replaced by home health care. In northeast Columbus, one building... is the address for 93 Medicaid companies that billed a combined $66 million.” – Luke Rosiak (05:44)

• Sneak Peek of Series:

  • Next installment to expose a politician running an $11 million Medicaid business, and a landlord who bought private planes after renting offices to clinics billing a quarter billion in tax dollars.

Notable Quotes

• “Anybody who says they don't notice the pattern is kind of too blind to be involved in policy.” – Luke Rosiak (05:09)
• “There were stray cats walking around. Just nobody. It was… it was creep.” – Luke Rosiak (06:28)

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2. Spirit Airlines Shuts Down

(Main Segment: 07:42 – 12:13)

• Immediate Fallout:

  • Overnight shutdown leaves thousands of passengers stranded and 17,000 workers jobless.

    “All flights have been canceled and customer service is no longer available... the company shut down so really so fast that no one is still employed to help rebook those flights.” – Megan Basham (08:11)

• Impact on Travel:

  • Airports and destinations heavily dependent on Spirit (Latrobe, PA; Atlantic City, NJ; Myrtle Beach, SC; Fort Lauderdale, FL) now face higher costs, uncertain service, and potential closure.

    “Latrobe, Pennsylvania... was 100% served by Spirit. So it's not even clear at this point if that airport will remain open. And then 94% of Atlantic City's flights were served by Spirit.” – Megan Basham (09:07)

• Backstory – Why Did Spirit Collapse?

  • After JetBlue tried to buy Spirit for $3.8B, the Biden administration, under pressure from Sen. Elizabeth Warren and with Pete Buttigieg as Travel Secretary, blocked the merger, arguing it would reduce competition and drive up fares.
  • In January 2024, a federal judge sided with the DOJ, killing the deal—removing Spirit's chance at financial stability.

    “Treasury Secretary Scott Besant addressing it on Fox News yesterday: 'It would have given them much more resiliency.'” – Megan Basham quoting Besant (11:16) “Even some veterans of the Biden administration are now questioning if blocking that merger was a good move.” – Megan Basham (11:28)

• Consumer Impact:

  • Short term: Flight prices at Spirit-heavy airports expected to jump by ~$100 or more.

Notable Quotes

• “It is so important to make sure that passengers have choices, that they have access to low fares, that they have access to competition. And yet we've seen less and less and less of that competition over the years.” – Pete Buttigieg, 2023 (10:41, archival audio)
• “Very frustrating right as summer comes around.” – Announcer (12:10)

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3. Iran Peace Deal & Economic Fallout

(Main Segment: 12:43 – 16:47)

• Current State of Negotiations:

  • President Trump voices dissatisfaction with Iran’s proposal, suggesting either an escalated war or “make a deal” are the only remaining options.

    “Do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever, or do we want to try and make a deal? Those are the options.” – Trump, quoted by Cabot Phillips (13:44)

• Iran’s Demands:

  • Lifting sanctions, release of frozen assets, war reparations, and ceasefire in Lebanon.
  • Iran wants U.S. to lift the naval blockade before agreeing to nuclear talks—White House views this as a non-starter.

• Economic & Political Pressure:

  • Rising inflation, record gas prices ($4.45/gallon), and Trump’s approval on the economy plummeting (24 points underwater).
  • Mainstream voters and swing voting blocs are restless; internal GOP concerns about midterm fallout.

    “Look, this war is wildly unpopular with independents and moderates who obviously are going to play a crucial role come November.” – Cabot Phillips (14:56) “Trump's approval rating on the economy is now 24 points underwater, with just 36% of voters on average giving him a thumbs up.” – Cabot Phillips (15:21)

• White House’s Response:

  • Pointing to positive GDP growth (2% in Q1) and wage increases, the administration insists the U.S. is better equipped than Iran to “weather this economic storm,” predicting Iran will break first.

    “The economic pain being felt stateside is nothing compared to what the Iranians are facing... about half of the Iranian regime's revenue comes from oil and gas exports. And with those on a forced hold, they are running out of options.” – Cabot Phillips (16:18)

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Memorable Moments & Quotes by Timestamp

• 03:02 – Luke Rosiak contextualizes the massive, “billions with a B” scale Medicaid fraud.
• 05:44 – The eerie emptiness of Columbus offices supporting 93 Medicaid firms: “The smoke alarms were chirping for batteries. There were stray cats walking around.”
• 09:07 – Megan Basham paints the picture of airports (Latrobe, Atlantic City) potentially “not even clear at this point if that airport will remain open.”
• 11:16 – Treasury Secretary Scott Besant: “It would have given them much more resiliency.”
• 13:44 – Quoting President Trump: “Do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever, or do we want to try and make a deal? Those are the options.”
• 15:21 – On Trump’s economic approval: “36% of voters on average giving him a thumbs up.”

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Conclusion

This episode unpacks critical, ongoing stories at the intersection of policy, economics, and culture: a Medicaid scandal with bipartisan implications, the tangible fallout for consumers after the death of a budget airline, and the escalating costs—financial and political—of continued confrontation with Iran. Each segment is grounded by frontline reporting, clear data, and direct quotes, offering listeners a concise but comprehensive view of the news that matters.

Transcript

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[John Bickley]

A new Daily Wire investigation uncovers what appears to be a massive, sprawling Medicaid fraud scheme in the red state of Ohio.

[Luke Rosiak]

So what do you do for the $10 million? Though you don't know.

[John Bickley]

I'm Daily Wire Executive editor John Bickley with Georgia Howell. It's Monday, May 4th. Be with you. This is Morning Wire.

[Announcer]

Spirit Airlines is officially grounded forever. We unpack led to its demise and the fallout for flights across the country.

[Luke Rosiak]

I've been flying with Spirit for a while and for you guys to do this within hours of my flight, very unacceptable.

[John Bickley]

And with the global economy struggling, President Trump reviews a new peace deal from Iran. We are suffocating the regime.

[Luke Rosiak]

This is a real economic blockade.

[Announcer]

Thanks for waking up with MORNING wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.

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[Luke Rosiak]

Your parents raise you when you're young for free. And when they get old, you help them to pay them back because you love them. You know right? Well the government didn't pay you to do it something is seriously wrong with Columbus, Ohio. Home health care has actually replaced the entire economy.

[Announcer]

That was Daily Wire investigative reporter Luke Rosiak in Columbus, Ohio. He's spent the last two months investigating Medicaid fraud in the state.

[John Bickley]

Luke joins us now. So, Luke, you've got a five part series coming out this week and we wanted to talk to you about the initial release of the first part here. You say this may be the biggest scam you've ever personally uncovered, which is saying something. What can you tell us so far?

[Luke Rosiak]

Hey, John, thanks for having me. Yeah. This is billions with a B. There's been a lot of focus on fraud in Minnesota lately for good reason. The great work of Nick Shirley and others. It's important for people to understand the root of that is these Medicaid waivers that allow certain states to do things with US Dollars that are far beyond what the medical program was ever intended to cover. I found that another state with easily defrauded Medicaid expansions is actually Ohio, which will pay to do homemaking and chores for the elderly, even just conversation and companionship. And a lot of the people getting these checks are actually just the family members of the old people. So they're getting paid to sit in their own houses and talk to their own family members.

[John Bickley]

And this is in Ohio, a state with a Republican governor and legislature. I find that pretty surprising.

[Luke Rosiak]

Yeah, and home health care in Ohio cost $1 billion in 2024 alone. That outpaces actual medical procedures, the kind with high paid doctors and expensive devices.

[John Bickley]

So a billion dollars a year in just this one state, you'd think that would send up alarm bells. How did this happen?

[Luke Rosiak]

Well, originally the idea was that nursing homes are very expensive. So it might actually be cheaper to send people to their houses and help them out so that they could stay in their homes. The problem is not a lot of people try to fake their way into nursing homes. But if you pretend to be a little more infirm than you really are, and it results in free government checks to your family members and you don't have to change anything about your life, suddenly a lot of people start feeling really infirm. So that basically created this tinderbox. And then what really lit the match is Ohio ran into the same toxic combination as Minnesota, which is generous government programs that rely on trust and then a massive infusion of immigrants from low trust third world societies.

[John Bickley]

So it appears that these are mostly immigrants running these businesses, is that correct?

[Luke Rosiak]

Oh, yeah. I mean, I toured hundreds of home healthcare offices and I barely saw a Single American. I mean, anybody who says they don't notice the pattern is kind of too blind to be involved in policy. The home healthcare operators themselves will acknowledge that pattern by saying it's racist to question home healthcare itself because they know exactly who it is that's billing Medicaid for. These services that it's important to understand are essentially on verification, verifiable because they're happening behind closed doors in private residences. One manager told us about 70% of his employees are just people hanging out

[John Bickley]

with their own relatives, which is apparently legal.

[Luke Rosiak]

But then you also have this other category which claim to drive to people's houses and visit them. And they used to have GPS on the cars to make sure they went, but apparently Ohio got rid of that rule. So how are you going to prove they really went? That they aren't just paying a little kickback to somebody in exchange for using their Social Security number? But what's more striking than who's doing it is the sheer number of these firms. I mean, there are entire blocks where virtually every business has been replaced by home health care. In northeast Columbus, one building I visited is the address for 93 Medicaid companies that billed a combined $66 million. And when I visited, almost nobody was there. I mean, the smoke alarms were chirping for batteries. There were stray cats walking around. Just nobody. It was. It was creep.

[John Bickley]

Wow. So our listeners can read part one of your series now on the Daily Wire. Part two is coming out soon. Any sneak peek for us?

[Luke Rosiak]

Well, part two includes a politician who ran an $11 million Medicaid business on the side and a landlord who bought private planes after renting office space to hundreds of these home health care companies which build a quarter billion dollars of your money.

[John Bickley]

I'm sure this is all above board, Luke. We'll look forward to learning what you found there. Thanks so much for reporting. Thank

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[John Bickley]

Spirit Airlines abruptly shut down over the weekend, leaving thousands of passengers scrambling. The airline's demise also leaves roughly 17,000 workers out of a job. And a debate is raging in D.C. over who's to blame.

[Announcer]

Daily Wire Culture reporter Megan Basham is here now with the details. So, Megan, Spirit Airlines is officially no more. We get to the political backstory to that. Can you just walk us through the timeline as the passengers and workers experienced it this past weekend?

[Megan Basham]

Yeah, Georgia. So early yesterday morning, anyone who went to the Spirit app or went to their website saw basically the same blunt message to our guests. All flights have been canceled and customer service is no longer available. So that message told people flat out, do not go to the airport. Spirit said refunds would be issued, but the company shut down so really so fast that no one is still employed to help rebook those flights. And passengers are out there scrambling for new tickets, often at much higher prices. So after 34 years in operation, Spirit's very last flight touched down just after midnight on Saturday. And as John said, that means around 17,000 people are now out of jobs. But it's also going to make it harder and more expensive, at least in the short term, for travelers to get to some of those locations that were either heavily or in some cases actually exclusively served by Spirit. So Latrobe, Pennsylvania, for example, had become a popular alternative for those flyers who wanted to get into the Pittsburgh area a little bit cheaper. It was 100% served by spirit. So it's not even clear at this point if that airport will remain open. And then 94% of Atlantic City's flights were served by Spirit. So that will be a huge hit to that airport. And then Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Fort Lauderdale, florid. Those also served by about a quarter of Spirit flights. So more expensive this summer to get to those beach destinations.

[Announcer]

Now, turning to the political fallout from this, this saga has been going on for a while. Can you explain who some of the key players were behind the scenes in government and what ended up happening behind the scenes?

[Megan Basham]

Yeah. So the Trump administration got involved and they were looking at a bailout of some kind for Spirit, which was pretty much its only option. But unfortunately, that wasn't enough. And what happened was back in 2023, JetBlue to buy Spirit for 3.8 billion, and that's in cash. They were going to make a cash offer of nearly 4 billion. And the idea was to create a stronger, lowcost challenger to those four big legacy carriers. So at the behest of Senator Elizabeth Warren, the Biden Justice Department sued to block that merger. They argued that it would eliminate Spirits ultra low fares and also raise prices for travelers. So this was then Travel Secretary Pete Buttigieg back in 2023, remarking on why his reported stopping that merger.

[John Bickley]

It is so important to make sure that passengers have choices, that they have access to low fares, that they have access to competition. And yet we've seen less and less and less of that competition over the years.

[Megan Basham]

In January of 2024, a federal judge sided with Biden's DOJ and they killed the deal. So many critics, and not just Republican critics, I want to add, say that decision stripped Spirit of the scale and the financial cushion that it desper needed to survive. This was Treasury Secretary Scott Besant addressing it on Fox News yesterday.

[Luke Rosiak]

In September 2022, Elizabeth Warren, who loves to write letters, sent, sent a letter

[John Bickley]

saying that they should oppose the merger with Spirit Airlines.

[Luke Rosiak]

It would have given them much more resiliency.

[Megan Basham]

And in fact, even some veterans of the Biden administration are now questioning if blocking that merger was a good move. Neera Tanden, for example, she's a former advisor to Biden and she posted on X quoting here, I think we should honestly assess whether the Garland DOJ stopping the JetBlue merger with Spirit Airlines was the right call.

[Announcer]

So broad strokes, what does this mean for travelers, especially people who are planning to use Spirit or go to a place heavily serviced by Spirit?

[Megan Basham]

Yeah, in the short term, it's going to mean probably more expensive tickets for everyone, particularly to those destinations that Spirit serves. Right now they're looking at about a hundred dollar increase in flights to those destinations.

[Announcer]

Well, very frustrating right as summer comes around. Megan, thanks for reporting.

[Megan Basham]

Yep, my pleasure. Georgia.

[Luke Rosiak]

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[Announcer]

As the global economy continues to struggle under the weight of war, President Trump says he's reviewing a new peace proposal from the Iranian regime.

[John Bickley]

Cabot Phillips, host of Wired in Live, joins us now with the latest on this conflict and the economic impact here at home. Hey, Cabot. So we have a new offer from Iran. Trump reviewing this, some response from the White House where do we stand now with this saga?

[Kevin]

Well, three weeks ago, when President Trump said that a ceasefire had been agreed on, he said that Iran had agreed to his demands and it appeared that an end to the war was imminent. But while the fighting has remained on pause since then, the Iranians have yet to make an offer to the president's liking, raising the potential once again for this thing to escalate even more. Over the weekend, Trump expressed displeasure with the latest peace offer from the regime, saying he cannot imagine it would be acceptable, adding that Iran has not yet, quote, paid a big enough price for what they've done to humanity and the world over the last 47 years. And he's now leaving open the possibility of more strikes, saying this weekend, quote, do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever, or do we want to try and make a deal? Those are the options.

[John Bickley]

Quite the binary presented there by Trump. So what is in this latest proposal from Iran?

[Kevin]

Well, according to Iranian state media, it still includes a number of demands that are viewed as non starters by the White House. It includes the release of frozen Iranian assets, the lifting of economic sanctions, the payment of war reparations, and a permanent and immediate end to the Israeli war effort in Lebanon. And even more frustrating for the White House, the Iranians say that they want to take a piecemeal approach on these negotiations. The latest offer would implement a one month deadline for talks on an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and also lift the US Naval blockade. And then only after the blockade is lifted with the Iranians even consider sitting down to have nuclear talks. So they're basically saying, lift the blockade and then we can talk about our nukes. But there's no doubt there is mounting pressure on Trump to wrap this thing up.

[John Bickley]

Yeah, about that pressure. What does it look like now here on the home front, politically and economically?

[Kevin]

So, politically, most GOP lawmakers in D.C. are still sticking by the president, saying his war effort is crucial to protecting the US but behind closed doors. A number of folks on Capitol Hill have told me that they're getting antsy and they're concerned about the ramifications on the midterms if this conflict continues to drag on. And it's not hard to see why. Look, this war is wildly unpopular with independents and moderates who obviously are going to play a crucial role come November. Inflation is now climbing at its highest pace since 2022, and gas prices have skyrocketed to 445 a gallon. And voters do seem to be blaming President Trump. Trump's approval rating on the economy is now 24 points underwater, with just 36% of voters on average giving him a thumbs up.

[Luke Rosiak]

Up.

[Kevin]

Now, it's fair to wonder the impact that the legacy media's biased coverage is having on voter perception. But the reality is folks are not happy with the economy and they feel that this war is largely to blame.

[John Bickley]

All right, so a tough spot for President Trump here. How is the White House responding?

[Kevin]

Yeah, they've been quick to note that the economy is still showing some signs of resilience and even growth to that point. The latest GDP report showed solid 2% growth in the first quarter of 2026. They've also noted that US manufacturing output has increased significantly each of the last four months. And so far this year, wage growth has exceeded inflation. And remember, they've been saying all along that this war would require some short term pain, but ensure long term stability and make the US Better off in the long run. They've also noted that the economic pain being felt stateside is nothing compared to what the Iranians are facing. And there's really no debating that. Remember, about half of the Iranian regime's revenue comes from oil and gas exports. And with those on a forced hold, they are running out of options. So ultimately, the White House is still confident that the US Is far more prepared to weather this economic storm and that it's just a matter of time before this blockade forces the regime to come to the table with finally some more favorable terms.

[John Bickley]

There's no doubt that the economic pressure on Iran is immense. Kevin, thanks for reporting.

[Kevin]

Absolutely.

[Announcer]

Thanks for waking up with us. And if you're listening to the show now, you can watch for free on Daily Wire. Plus, we'll be back later this evening with more news you need to know. Shipping, billing, admin, payroll, marketing. You're managing all the things, so why waste time sending important documents the old fashioned way? Mail and ship when you want, how you want with stamps.com, print postage on demand 24, 7 and schedule pickups from your office or home. Save up to 90% with automated rate shopping. That's why over 1 million small businesses trust stamps.com. go to stamps.com and use code podcast to try stamps.com risk free for 60 days.