DAN HODGES: This one line in Donald Trump's squalid birthday letter to Epstein could end him. No wonder he's claiming it's a scam
Trump is threatening to sue. And his allies have already been despatched to angrily defend the President. 'Forgive my language but this story is complete and utter b******t,' Vice President JD Vance raged. 'Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump?'
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Daily Mail
3 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Five chilling words dentist told sugar baby before he 'poisoned his wife' revealed in stunning murder trial testimony
A dentist lavished a single broke mother he met on a sugar dating website with gifts and money while he fantasized about killing his wife, his murder trial heard on Wednesday. Carrie Hageseth, who met James Craig in the fall of 2022 on said he'd explained to her the plot of the movie The Purge – where you can kill anyone within 24 hours and not face any consequences - and referenced his wife. Hageseth told the court: 'He didn't say specifically her but said that he knew how he would be able to get away with … injecting somebody in the neck with a substance.' The dentist 'mentioned he could use potassium chloride, or potassium something, because it was untraceable,' the mother and Lyft driver sensationally told the court. 'It would be one injection.' Craig, 47, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the March 2023 death of his wife, Angela, 43. Prosecutors allege he killed her with by poisoning her shakes and administering cyanide, arsenic and tetrahydrozoline, a chemical found in eyedrops. Motives, they claim, include Craig's financial troubles and extramarital romance - particularly a budding relationship with a Texas orthodontist he met at a February 2023 conference in Las Vegas. The defense has put forth that Angela was suicidal and 'manipulative' - and that the orthodontist was just the latest in a long line of women. Throughout their 'arrangement,' Hageseth testified on Wednesday, Craig bought her daughter a $9,000 car, gave each of her kids $100 for Christmas, paid thousands in attorney fees for her divorce and financed meals and hotel room stays. Initially Craig said he was married but separated, though Hageseth testified she later learned the truth. 'He told me that he was not happy and that he was trying to figure out how to get divorced,' she said. Craig told her that 'financial separation from [Angela] was near impossible … One thing I remember specifically is that he said that it'd make him completely broke and destitute, such as the situation that I was in.' It wasn't long before Craig asked her: 'Do you know anyone who can help me with my problem down here? 'I can pay handsomely,' he told Hageseth. 'I want to be with you.' She believed 'problem' 'to mean his wife.' 'I said, 'I think you should hit up a homeless person,'' Hageseth testified that she answered. 'Basically find somebody that doesn't have much to lose.' Hageseth told the court the relationship ended on February 18, 2023 - days before Craig struck up a new romance with a Texas orthodontist he met at a dental conference in Las Vegas. That woman, Karin Cain, testified tearfully on Tuesday about how Craig claimed to be in the final stages of divorce, continuing to woo her as he allegedly poisoned his wife. And Hageseth wasn't the only user who testified in Craig's trial on Wednesday. Jordan Ivey told the court she met Craig on the site in October 2022 and the relationship continued until January 2023. He lavished her with meals, money and even took her on vacation to Montana during their romance, she said. Ivey knew he was married and considering divorce - which Craig told her was unfeasible because of 'the kids and monetary reasons.' 'There were multiple times he mentioned being unhappy, not being happy at home, having fights' with Angela, she said. When he mentioned divorce in December 2022 - three months before his wife's murder - Ivey testified she responded: 'Is that something you're sure you want to do? 'Don't do that because of me.' Describing the relationship on Wednesday, she noted Craig's 'excessive texting,' how he often said he missed her and how he even sent photos of his kids. 'To me, it was not very serious,' she said. 'I felt like it was more serious for him than it was for me.' The trial continues on Thursday.
Scotsman
5 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Readers' Letters: Scotland reminds Trump that peaceful protests can be policed
A reader is impressed by the fair mindedness of Police Scotland Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It's gratifying to know that Police Scotland's priorities for Donald Trump's forthcoming visit are 'maintaining public order, while balancing the right to peaceful protest' (your report, 23 July). This measured approach to Trump's controversial visit is one that very few police forces in the world would adopt. The American police, bolstered by the National Guard, acted very differently and violently to quell the peaceful protests recently in Los Angeles. Unlikely as it might be, Donald Trump could learn something from our police in action. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Sadly, the current UK Government don't seem to follow the police's example, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, whom I once admired, has deemed the peaceful Palestine Action to be a terrorist group, punishable by imprisonment, for simply waving a banner or flag. The right to peaceful protest lies at the very heart of any democracy. Donald Trump should be shown just how unpopular he is in Scotland by peaceful means. That same right should be afforded Palestine Action. Donald Trump during his visit to Turnberry Golf Courses in May 2023 (Picture: Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images) Ian Petrie, Edinburgh Words not enough Hungarian author Arthur Koestler famously railed against the people's indifference to the Nazi Holocaust long after it happened. One wonders whether the train of events would have been different had the publicity then been as it is now for the atrocities going on in Gaza over the past 22 months. No one can deny the visual and other evidence that children have been dying, from bombing and from malnutrition, now amounting to starvation. Their carers are severely weakened, and aid agencies report that 'our colleagues are wasting away'. The question arises: how can 'we' support this? At the very same time, in the very same news report, the UK Government is planning to cut aid to the occupied Palestinian territories. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Words are not enough. The testimonies of those on the ground must direct urgent action. Israel will never admit the truth, although on a Radio 4 debate on Tuesday, the Israeli Labour leader was forthright in her condemnation of Benjamin Netanyahu's policies. When will the much trumpeted 'values' we are supposed to cherish – support for the needy and upholding international law among them – be put into effect by rapid action to stop the 'plausible genocide' and meantime to get the most needy out, here, for medical treatment, as the First Minister has proposed. Pat Bryden, Edinburgh Shallow 'truth' The claim by UK Environment Minister Steve Reed that 'pollution levels in Scotland are worse than they are in England' beggars belief and requires an immediate apology. According to the latest report from the Independent Water Commission (IWC), Scotland has more waterways in 'good' ecological condition than England and Wales. The final report from the IWC found that 66 per cent of Scotland's water bodies were of good ecological status, compared with 16.1 per cent in England and 29.9 per cent in Wales. Indeed, 87 per cent of Scotland's entire water environment is assessed by SEPA as having a high or good classification for water quality, up from 82 per cent in 2014. In the post-truth world, which is now so prevalent, by trying to undermine the case for public ownership of water Mr Reed has only created a furore that has served to highlight the benefits of this approach. Alex Orr, Edinburgh A good sign Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Announcements made by the UK Government this week confirmed that the water industry in England is in an absolute mess – literally and financially. The root cause initially lies with the original decision to privatise water in England by the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher and then the choice by the Labour governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown to tolerate the mess Thatcher created rather than do anything about it. Fortunately, the people of Scotland fought off the various overtures back in the late 1980s to have our water wrested from public control. What the unfolding events of the past week have proved is how right Scotland was to stand up to Thatcher and make such a decision. In Scotland, clean water for all citizens is practically a given. This is due to the decision not to privatise the provision of public water. Public ownership continues to pay dividends for Scotland's citizens and this is notable against the backdrop of what is happening in England. Whitehall has created the disaster of privately owned public water utilities all on its own. It sold the assets, set up the regulator, allowed that regulator to green light capital extraction via dividends and massive loading of debt on to the private utilities, and now has the predictable mess of a collapsing system and bankrupt companies to clean up. It's a crisis entirely of Whitehall and Westminster's own making, and so it's only fair that credit is given to Holyrood and Scotland that Scottish Water is a beacon of success by comparison. This should give many of Scotland's citizens confidence and assurance that we can run many of our own affairs well here, and we don't need Whitehall or Westminster's input. Jim Finlayson, Banchory, Aberdeenshire Waiting to die? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After the recent salutations from contributors regarding the Scottish NHS outperforming the NHS in England and Wales, The Scotsman's latest article regarding the horrific waiting times (23 July) and missed targets for A&E is frankly astounding. What a comfort it is to know that 67.7 per cent of patients were seen within the four-hour target period – to make this a bit easier to understand, that's 32.3 per cent of people not being seen within the target time. This is just one example of the incompetence of the SNP government, one of myriad other failures – Police Scotland not investigating crimes, the continued ferries saga, the marvellous laminated list of bullet points for teachers to deal with violent and unruly children (next will be the issue of feather dusters as a deterrent) and the pontificating on international matters where there is no devolved power to do so. Instead of pretending to be statesmen or women, perhaps the mundane day job these people were elected to do might get their attention for a microcosm of their time. While people sit waiting in A&E across Scotland in the hope of being seen lose the will to live, Swinney and co continue to spend £9 million per annum on "pretendy' embassies – and then there are the air miles and flights associated with visiting said pretendy embassies. Go on, defend that in the present climate with the above stats staring out from the page. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Just yesterday I heard someone on the radio stating they believed that the SNP were back on track to be the largest party at Holyrood in 2026. If this is true, we, as a country, deserve everything we get – minus an NHS app! David Millar, Lauder, Scottish Borders Ruff justice James Penrith writes that almost 100 per cent of those dog owners he polled who use shock collars to improve their pets' behaviour report no negative effects (Letters, 23 July). This is a tremendous breakthrough for behaviour control. If the collars cause no pain to dogs then presumably they can be fitted to small humans, i.e. children. Any child who is about to step in front of a bus, steal another child's toy, yell loudly while a parent is concentrating on their phone or in fact do anything out of line – can be gently dissuaded. But let's go further. Mr Penrith says that these collars would help prevent the mauling and maiming of livestock by dogs owned by responsible dog owners. So why not fit the collars to the owners and provide the farmers with the controls? I also see great potential for their use on car drivers. The collars would be humanely fitted, of course, and each pedestrian would carry a control. Traffic problems fixed! No more mauled or maimed pedestrians. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad I forget, Mr Penrith. Hw many dogs were tested for pain during your survey of those caring, responsible, dog-collar owners? Roger Meachem, Edinburgh Green cover-up The Scotsman article 'Green light for 50mW battery storage farm' must be challenged (21 July). The planning application by Galileo for this 50 megawatts development at Middlerigg Farm, between Bathgate and Armadale, was 'granted unanimously' by the local council. I bet it was not 'granted unanimously' by residents, but hey, they don't matter if we are saving the planet. Project manager Laura Petrie says it will play 'a critical role in tackling climate change'. Wait a minute, Scotland is responsible for a miniscule 0.1 per cent of global emissions, so shut down Scotland tomorrow and it would not make one iota of difference to a changing global climate. Why do developers of wind farms, solar farms and battery storage never let the public – and the local authority planning departments – know the amount of greenhouse gases that will be created by their manufacture, transport and installation, and how many years it will take for the project to recoup those emissions? It should be mandatory that this information is made available, but politicians are frightened that the truth will lead to stronger opposition. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Add in the risk of battery fires and the pollution and health problems caused by the mining of rare metals in other countries and the green claims by politicians, developers and the green brigade are shown to be a deliberate cover-up. Clark Cross, Linlithgow, West Lothian Write to The Scotsman
Daily Mail
5 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
How a behind-the-scenes advisor handpicked by Queen Elizabeth quietly transformed William and Harry into modern royals... and the two unusual conditions he demanded from the late monarch
As the King is the head of state of 14 countries and the Commonwealth, making sure the monarchy is represented properly abroad is crucial to the Firm. Indeed, while the late Queen Elizabeth II was alive she reportedly believed it was essential to help the young Prince William and Harry grow into their roles as overseas ambassadors for the crown. At the helm of this mission was the former British ambassador to the USA Sir David Manning who was handpicked for the role by the Queen and went on to work with the royals for a decade. According to royal expert Valentine Low, writing in his book Courtiers, Sir David came to a rather unorthodox agreement with the Queen. 'Manning agreed to take on the job of adviser on two conditions: that he could do it part-time and that it was unpaid,' Low wrote. Sir David did not want a full-time paid role so that he did not become 'embroiled in the formal palace machinery'. But the Queen was happy to agree to his wishes. Having met Sir David on a number occasions she was certain he would be the perfect advisor to the young royals. Elizabeth was proven right with both William and Harry developing a close relationship with their advisor. Harry and William's former private secretary - Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton - told Low: 'Manning was a real confidant to the princes. He was somebody they could talk to, they could joke with.' 'He had enormously good judgement about people. I think they trusted him. They knew he would be very discreet. And they knew he would fight their corner,' He added. What made Sir David so good at his role was not only his friendship with the boys but his understanding that the best way for Harry and William to find their footing in their life as working royals was to allow them to 'develop in ways that felt natural to them'. Meaning, if they can find their passion within the institution they could really thrive. 'These are real people. They are not cyphers,' Low said. Under Sir David's guidance Harry and William created the Royal Foundation which was a 'leaner, nimbler way of working, and avoided being weighed down by long-term commitments'. 'Through the foundation, they would work out what they wanted to achieve and how best they could achieve it.' And therefore they could also build up their confidence and understand what they can do within their privileged roles Since its creation in September 2009, the Royal Foundation has worked on numerous projects close to the princes' hearts including mental health, environmental issues and homelessness. Before he worked for the royals Sir David was one Tony Blair's key foreign policy aides during the run up to the 2003 Iraq War. He also had an extensive diplomatic career which saw him represent the British government in Warsaw, New Delhi and Moscow Prince Harry helped set up the Invictus Games with £1million worth of funding from the foundation. In 2011, Kate Middleton joined the foundation as did Meghan when she married Harry. When Harry and Meghan stepped down as working royals in 2020 they both left the organisation and instead founded their own company - Archewell. Sir David himself stood down from his role as an advisor to the princes a year earlier. A spokesman for the royals at the time said: 'Their Royal Highnesses are incredibly grateful for the guidance and support that Sir David has provided over the last 10 years. 'His wise counsel has been central to the success of their international tours and the early stages of their official work as members of the royal family.' Not only did he help the princes find their roles within the Firm but he also joined them on numerous royal tours across the world from Kate and Wills first joint trip to North America in 2011 and Harry and Meghan tour of Fiji and Tonga. While Meghan was a working member of the family it is understood that Sir David likely offered briefings on the British constitution to the American. Low's bestseler Courtiers. Harry and William former private secretary - Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton - told Low: 'Manning was a real confidant to the princes. He was somebody they could talk to,they could joke with' Sir David was the UK ambassador to the United States from 2003 until 2007. Before that he was one Tony Blair's key foreign policy aides during the run up to the 2003 Iraq War. He also had an extensive diplomatic career which saw him represent the British government in Warsaw, New Delhi and Moscow. Between 1995 and 1998 he was also the British ambassador to Israel.
