Latest news with #Palmeri
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why Epstein's Victims Say Ghislaine Was Even Worse: Author
An investigative reporter who covers the Jeffrey Epstein case has detailed how some victims of the disgraced financier hold Ghislaine Maxwell just as accountable. Tara Palmeri, who has reported extensively on the two, told The Daily Beast Podcast that narratives online that Maxwell is being 'persecuted just because she's a woman' are 'extremely frustrating.' 'She assaulted a lot of the girls,' Palmeri told host Joanna Coles. 'I mean, she did that herself. She was with him, sexually assaulting them, on top of grooming them.' 'When I talk to a lot of the victims of Jeffrey Epstein, so many of them are actually even more angry at Ghislaine Maxwell than they are at Jeffrey, because they feel that she used the fact that she was a woman to lure them in,' added Palmeri, who hosted the Broken: Jeffrey Epstein podcast. 'Because little girls don't just show up on a 50-year-old man's doorstep. They were brought in by a woman who not only was posh, well-educated, elegant, spoke well, showed interest in them, wanted to show mentorship, promised them that she could fulfil their dreams.' Maxwell has been back in the headlines after weeks of controversy over the Trump administration's decision not to release further materials about Epstein, the convicted sex offender and financier who died while awaiting trial in 2019. Amid sustained pressure from MAGA supporters, the Justice Department on Tuesday announced that its prosecutors were in talks to meet with Maxwell to ascertain if she has information to share about any additional perpetrators. The move was viewed as an effort to appease Trump's base, and raised concerns that Maxwell—who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for child sex trafficking and other crimes—would seek to leverage the meeting for a reduced sentence. Palmeri also spoke of a disturbing detail from Epstein's 40th birthday party, in light of The Wall Street Journal's recent report about a racy birthday card Donald Trump allegedly sent to Epstein for his 50th. Palmeri said the 40th was an 'equally depraved event.' She said a former friend of Maxwell's that she had interviewed, journalist and occasional singer Christopher Mason, said he was asked by the socialite to write and sing a song at the party. 'Ghislaine asked that the song include his 24-hour erections, and his love of schoolgirls. And it was sung before all these people,' Palmeri said. Mason told Vanity Fair in 2020 he thought it was 'odd' at the time, but Maxwell 'clearly thought that that was something that was going to amuse him.' Palmeri said these types of events were designed to help guests feel more comfortable and drop their guard. 'She wanted everyone to think it's a laugh and these girls are party favors and we're all in on it. 'It's just fun, don't worry.' And that's how... she actually groomed the elites in some ways,' she said. 'I mean, she would literally describe the girls as tissues,' she added. 'She said, you can throw them away. I mean, this is a woman who really dehumanized these children.' Maxwell was convicted in December 2021 for conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse minors over the course of a decade. She was found guilty of five counts related to the abuse and trafficking of underage girls. New episodes of The Daily Beast Podcast are released every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Follow our new feed on your favorite podcast platform at and subscribe on YouTube to watch full episodes. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rubio Rejects Gates Plea To Reverse Musk's Foreign Aid Cuts
On June 6, 2025, billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates made a discreet stop at the White House to press Secretary of State Marco Rubio to roll back steep reductions to foreign aid instituted by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The cuts—totaling $8–9 billion—hit hard at USAID programs focused on HIV, AIDS, malaria, and other critical health initiatives in Africa. The visit, first reported by veteran political journalist Tara Palmeri in her Red Letter newsletter, came just hours after former President Trump departed for Bedminster. Palmeri noted that Gates was seen entering the Eisenhower Executive Office Building around 4 p.m., reportedly in a last-ditch effort to capitalize on the Trump–Musk political rift, which had spilled into public view days earlier. 'With Musk on the outs, Gates clearly saw an opportunity to argue for the reversal of the DOGE cuts,' Palmeri reported. What did Rubio say? Despite the high-level ask, Rubio held the line. According to Palmeri's sources, Rubio told Gates plainly: 'The country is insolvent. We can't pay back our debts.' A senior State Department official confirmed the meeting and emphasized that Rubio sees no justification for restoring the aid programs Musk dismantled. 'The Secretary's position on making important and necessary cuts to foreign aid has not changed,' the official told the New York Post. 'He does not believe U.S. taxpayers should be burdened with covering the costs for progressive projects abroad, including funding contraceptives, electric buses, and DEI.' Rubio's view reflects the broader Trump-era stance that foreign aid should only fund 'true lifesaving programs' that align with direct U.S. interests. Why it matters now USAID—which once managed over $40 billion and employed more than 10,000 people—has undergone dramatic restructuring. On March 28, the State Department officially shuttered the agency following a court ruling upholding the DOGE-led cuts. As of June 10, Rubio ordered the termination of all remaining overseas USAID staff, fully consolidating aid efforts under State Department control. Humanitarian fallout An analysis from The Times of London estimated that the DOGE cuts could contribute to as many as 300,000 global deaths, with over 200,000 children potentially affected by disruptions to malaria, HIV, and maternal health programs. The figure, based on modeling by Boston University's Brook Nichols, has been widely circulated by global health advocates and activists. But the number remains highly disputed. In testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on May 21, Secretary of State Marco Rubio flatly rejected the claim: 'No one has died because of USAID [cuts],' he said, dismissing the figure as misleading and unsupported by evidence. Rubio and others in the administration argue that much of the spending eliminated had little to do with urgent, lifesaving care and was instead tied to ideological or bureaucratic programs that failed to serve core U.S. interests. Despite the warnings from aid groups, the administration contends that strategic reductions are both fiscally necessary and morally responsible in the context of record federal debt and public skepticism about global spending. What's next? Legal pushback: Multiple lawsuits are challenging the legality of DOGE's actions, including one from a coalition of NGOs and USAID staff arguing the agency's dismantling violates Congressional authority. Legislative efforts: Quiet efforts are underway in the Senate to reauthorize a scaled-down version of USAID's health division, possibly under new branding. Public pressure: Gates is expected to increase visibility around the issue, and has already hinted at launching a global campaign to restore bipartisan support for foreign aid. Bill Gates' private appeal to Secretary Rubio was a high-stakes intervention aimed at stopping what many global health leaders are calling a humanitarian disaster. But the Trump administration, bolstered by Musk's cost-cutting playbook and Rubio's ideological resolve, is signaling no intention to reverse course.
New York Post
10-06-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Bill Gates pleaded with Marco Rubio to reverse Elon Musk's DOGE cuts to USAID: report
Bill Gates paid a secret visit to the White House on Friday to personally plead with Secretary of State Marco Rubio to reverse cuts to foreign aid that were spearheaded by tech rival Elon Musk, according to a report. Gates, the Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist who has been vocal in his opposition to cuts made by Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, sought an audience with Rubio after his boss's fallout with the Tesla mogul, former Puck reporter Tara Palmeri reported on her Red Letter newsletter. President Trump and Musk, once close political allies, traded barbs on social media last week — ending a partnership that began during the 2024 presidential campaign. Advertisement 4 Bill Gates paid a secret visit to the White House on Friday to personally plead with Secretary of State Marco Rubio to reverse the cuts made to foreign aid, according to a report. REUTERS 'With Musk on the outs, Gates clearly saw an opportunity to argue for the reversal of the DOGE cuts,' Palmeri reported. DOGE slashed more than $8 billion in funding for the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which provides assistance in the areas of HIV and AIDS prevention in Africa as well as treating malaria and other infectious diseases on the continent. According to Palmeri, however, Gates' pleas fell on deaf ears as Rubio told the software mogul that there are no plans to reverse the USAID cuts. Advertisement '[Rubio] said the country is insolvent, we can't pay back our debts,' a source with knowledge of the situation told Palmeri. Gates was likewise observed in the West Wing and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on Friday, making his appearance around 4 p.m., according to Palmeri. The mogul appeared just after Trump's departure for his Bedminster golf course. Advertisement Officials within the administration would neither confirm nor deny that Gates met with the president, whose attention on Friday was reportedly consumed by calls from journalists inquiring Elon Musk. Anna Kelly, a White House spokesperson, told The Post: 'We don't comment on private meetings that may or may not have occurred.' The New York Times' Teddy Schleifer reported over the weekend that Rubio had refused to meet with Gates for months despite Gates's repeated attempts. Advertisement 4 Secretary of State Marco Rubio rebuffed Gates, according to a report in Red Letter. AFP via Getty Images 4 Gates was incensed by the DOGE cuts, accusing Musk of 'killing the world's poorest children.' REUTERS Senior State Department officials told Palmeri that Gates sought a meeting with Rubio in April. 'The Secretary's position on making important and necessary cuts to foreign aid has not changed,' a senior State Department official told Palmeri, confirming the meeting. 'He does not believe US taxpayers should be burdened with covering the costs for progressive projects abroad, including funding contraceptives, electric buses, and DEI.' The official added that 'as the secretary has repeatedly mentioned, the future of foreign aid under the Trump Administration means that we will only be funding true lifesaving programs and initiatives that advance our national interests.' 4 Musk's DOGE made more than $8 billion in cuts to the US Agency for International Development. AP The Post has sought comment from Gates and Rubio. Advertisement Gates was incensed by the DOGE cuts, accusing Musk of 'killing the world's poorest children.' Musk hit back last month, lashing out at Gates over his past ties to the late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. 'Who does Bill Gates think he is to make comments about the welfare of children given that he frequented Jeffrey Epstein?' Musk said during an interview on Tuesday at the Bloomberg Qatar Economic Forum. 'I wouldn't trust that guy to baby-sit my kids, I can tell you that.'
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Biden fundraiser-turned Trumper has spectacular meltdown in podcast interview
A former fundraiser for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, who switched her allegiance to President Donald Trump following his election win, fell apart spectacularly in an interview about her upcoming tell-all book. Lindi Li accused podcaster Tara Palmeri of 'ambushing' her, after she was asked a relatively simple question about the contents of the book in which she had 'unfettered access' to parts of the White House. The 34-year-old served as the Democratic National Committee Mid-Atlantic Regional Chair and stumped for vice president Harris during the 2024 presidential election. Following Trump's win, she now describes herself online as a 'DNC critic supporting the GOP.' Li is currently working on her new book titled Unburdened and reportedly claimed in it that Biden had given her 'free reign of the White House.' Challenged about this claim by Palmeri on a recent episode of her podcast, The Tara Palmeri Show, Li attempted to answer vaguely – before becoming visibly flustered and frustrated. 'You could go to places that were usually cordoned off,' she said, to which Palmeri replied: 'Like where?' Li added: 'Like when you go there on a tour, it's usually roped off. Or at Christmas parties, it is like, areas are, you're just not allowed there.' 'Like what parts?' Palmeri pressed her. Li responded: 'I wasn't in the residence. I don't know the specific part, the names of the parts…. I don't know what you're trying to get at.' Palmeri noted several other details of the book that Li claimed were 'still in draft form' and being written by a ghost writer, prompting the recent Trump-convert to become irritated – saying she had asked Palmeri's producer not to share details of the text. 'It's not even done. So you're sharing a form that's, like, really rough and I specifically… he promised me that you wouldn't be sharing this rough draft… it's not ready to be published and you're sharing a draft that's not done,' Li said. Palmeri then questioned why Li would write something in her draft book if it was not a fact, to which Li began to become more flustered, reiterating she had not written specific parts of the book. After more back and forth, Li – visibly annoyed – asked Palmeri: 'Are you just here to ambush me? Like what is going on now?' After the sweeping Democratic loss in the presidential election in November, Li was one of the first within the party to blame the result on over-progressiveness – including the selection of Harris' running mate Tim Walz.
Boston Globe
31-03-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
Was your drink spiked? One Providence College student is creating a new straw that could warn you.
Some research shows that more than Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up Neve Palmeri presents her idea for SmartSip at the Donald Ryan Incubator Elevator Pitch Competition at Providence College in November 2024. Providence College Advertisement Q: What is SmartSip, and how does it work? Palmeri: Smart Sip will be a reusable, plastic drug-detecting straw. You put it in your drink, and if there is date-rape drugs — which primarily consists of roofies, ketamine, and GHB — then the straw will change colors, letting you know that your drink is unsafe to drink. Explain the science. Basically, we're using silver nanoclusters bound to DNA to bind the drugs. Our research has shown that ketamine will react by binding to these colored silver-DNA nanoclusters and quench their color. Our straws will be fluorescent, and if your drink is spiked, the straw will turn clear. So for now, it's only going to react to ketamine? Just ketamine now. We plan to do a feasibility study, and then we will be able to scale that detection to other drugs. How did you come up with the idea? When my cousin was in Aruba, her drink was spiked. She was unconscious for many hours. And then when I started to talk about my idea and pitch it, I learned how common this really was. I'm in college myself, and I think it's a pervasive problem that we don't really have any solution to. Advertisement These drugs don't have a color, odor, or taste, which makes them really impossible to detect. Plus, they are only traceable within the bloodstream for the first few hours. This also happened to one of my roommates. He went to the hospital after his drink was laced, and they said they could not even test him because it was no longer traceable within your bloodstream . One of my roommate's mothers said this happened to her 35 years ago. She's interested in my idea because when she was telling her daughter what happened to her all those years ago, she couldn't even give a concrete solution to the problem. Related : Do you have a patent? I'm still in the patent provisional stage, so we're still testing that science . What challenges did you face while developing SmartSip, especially as someone without a chemistry background? I'm a management and marketing major. Without the chemistry knowledge, I didn't know if this was actually going to be feasible. So I've been working with chemistry faculty at Providence College mainly. I have one chemistry adviser who has really worked on the science side of the product. My next challenge is finding chemistry students who are interested enough in my straw to work on a summer research grant this summer. I am also working on identifying a manufacturer. What are your plans to bring SmartSip to market? My go-to market strategy would be selling to colleges first. There are 18 million students in college and 197 million people over the age of 21 in the US. There are existing health and safety budgets within those colleges, so I should be able to easily integrate this product into their offerings to students. Advertisement Selling to nightclubs, bars, and restaurants that surround these institutions could be the second step. But I've also discovered that some alcohol brands have safety initiatives and budgets as well. I could partner with them. Selling directly to the consumer could be a strategy too, targeting women aged 21 to 40 who have active social lives. Who is your competition? There's There's also two other competitors: One is a coaster and wristband. But both require you to take a sample of your drink and place it on that tech. It's not a seamless integration. It's taxing and not very realistic. Do you have investors? I've won $7,000 in awards altogether from pitch competitions. Now I'm applying for some research grants. Besides that funding, the next steps are finding investors. How much will they cost to make, and what will you charge? We've priced them at $7.50 each right now, and we've estimated that we can produce them for around $1.25 each. We intend to make them in the United States. Advertisement The Boston Globe's weekly Ocean State Innovators column features a Q&A with Rhode Island innovators who are starting new businesses and nonprofits, conducting groundbreaking research, and reshaping the state's economy. Send tips and suggestions to reporter Alexa Gagosz at . Alexa Gagosz can be reached at
