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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why Donald Trump left phone messages for Jeffrey Epstein. Here's what we know
When Palm Beach police searched Jeffrey Epstein's island mansion in 2005 after a report that Epstein had sexually abused a minor, they seized several message pads from his kitchen, office and elsewhere. Amid the messages, which ranged in dates from 2002 to 2005, were two left for Epstein from Donald Trump. Trump's Justice Department announced on July 7 that the tranche of Epstein documents it has does not contain a "client list" and that they won't be released. The messages confiscated in 2005 from Epstein come from Palm Beach County State Attorney's documents released to The Palm Beach Post during its 2019 investigation, "Epstein: the first failure." Trump has never been accused of any wrongdoing involving Epstein's crimes. More: Is Trump in Epstein documents as Elon Musk's tweet says? President has already appeared When were the Trump messages for Epstein left and why? The notes appeared amid others dated around the time Trump and Epstein vied in a bankruptcy bidding war for former healthcare magnate Abe Gosman's manse on Palm Beach. Trump bested Epstein and Mark Pulte, son of the founder of Pulte homes, for the 43,000-square-foot, seven-bedroom estate on 6 oceanfront acres at 515 N. County Road along the storied "Raider's Row." Trump's bid of $41.35 million won the real estate. Epstein had bowed out when the price hit $38 million. What the Trump phone messages say The communications, usually taken when someone calls, contain only Trump's phone number and are addressed to "J.E." They are not dated but appear in a long number of images dated between Nov. 11 and Nov. 20, 2004. The auction took place on Nov. 15, 2004. It's unclear whether Trump was trying to negotiate over the auction of the Gosman house. Both marked at 5:18 p.m., but appear to be different handwriting so it's not clear whether they were calls on the same day. Being on Epstein's message pads is not evidence of any wrongdoing. Other names that appeared include Jes Staley, former executive at JPMorgan and Barclays; magician David Copperfield; physicist Lawrences Krauss; and former Hollywood producer and convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein. None of those men has been accused of being part of Epstein's crimes. Staley admitted in March 2025 that he had had sexual relations with a member of Epstein's staff at Mark Epstein's home and claimed he had no knowledge of Epstein's "monstrous activities." Mark Epstein is Jeffrey's brother. Regarding Elon Musk tweet: Trump has appeared in other Epstein docs but nothing nefarious Trump has appeared in other public documents regarding Epstein, such as the financier's flight logs from the 1990s when Trump took several flights with his family members. Many of the documents were seized as part of the 2005 police investigation into a sexual abuse allegation by a 14-year-old. She and her stepmother made a report to Palm Beach police in March 2005. The search of Epstein's home occurred in October that year. Police eventually amassed dozens of minor girls and young women as potential witnesses, but instead of charging Epstein himself, Palm Beach County State Attorney Barry Krischer chose to take the case to a grand jury. The move was highly unusual. More: Jeffrey Epstein 2006 grand jury documents are public. Read for yourself what happened What emerged from the secret proceeding was a single solicitation of prostitution against Epstein. Only two victims testified and were directly called prostitutes by prosecutors, according to transcripts released in summer 2024 as part of a nearly 5-year-long Palm Beach Post lawsuit. Trump told New York magazine in 2002 that "I've known Jeff (Epstein) for 15 years. Terrific guy. He's a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.' But when Epstein was arrested in 2019 on sex trafficking charges, Trump said, "I'm not a fan." The president said he'd cut ties with the predator 15 years earlier, presumably around the time of the messages. How Trump and Epstein knew each other Trump and Epstein have been photographed partying together in the 1990s. Epstein's home at 358 El Brillo Way was less than two miles from Mar-a-Lago. Epstein bought his mansion and moved to live on the island part time in 1990. Trump bought Mar-a-Lago in 1985. Trump was about six years older. Epstein pleaded guilty to two prostitution-related felonies in Palm Beach County in 2008. He served 13 months at the jail, much of that time on 12-hour-a-day, six-days-a-week work release. He was found hanged to death in his Manhattan jail in August 2019, weeks after being arrested by federal authorities on sex trafficking charges. Holly Baltz is the investigations editor at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hbaltz@ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Why Donald Trump left phone messages for Jeffrey Epstein. What we know Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Yikes! A look at some of the biggest Burmese pythons caught in Florida snake hunt
The Florida Python Challenge 2025 is in full swing. The annual snake hunt started at 12:01 a.m. July 11. It will end at 5 p.m. July 20. Participants have until July 20 to kill as many Burmese pythons as possible from several locations in South Florida, including the Florida Everglades. The annual event began as a loosely planned scramble in the Everglades, an experiment in incentive-based extermination, a novelty that in subsequent years would help spawn reality TV shows, attract a rock star and entice celebrity chefs. 'The Python Challenge has a cult-like following,' said Marshall Jones, whose family owns Mack's Fish Camp in western Broward County. 'People travel from far and wide to come to it. They camp in tents, bring their RVs, all to catch one of these elusive slithering monsters.' What is the Florida Python Challenge? The Florida Python Challenge is a python removal competition. Participants have nine days to kill as many Burmese pythons as possible. The 2025 python removal competition started at 12:01 a.m. July 11. It will end at 5 p.m. July 20. The competition helps protect the Everglades habitat and all its native animals by removing the invasive Burmese pythons. Why hunt Burmese pythons? Burmese pythons are an invasive species that pose a threat to wildlife in the Everglades. Florida pays hunters annually to catch the snakes. The competition helps protect the Everglades habitat and all its native animals by removing the invasive Burmese pythons. State-approved hunters can win up to $10,000 this year. Here are some of the biggest Burmese pythons caught in the Florida Python Challenge annual snake hunt Can you use a gun to kill a python in the Florida Python Challenge? Participants are not allowed to use firearms to kill pythons during the Florida Python Challenge because there's no established firearm season at the competition locations during the timeframe. Novices must humanely kill their captured pythons immediately after catching them. You can use air guns and captive bolts to kill pythons at any time of day or night. Read more on the rules: Can you use a gun to kill a python in the Florida Python Challenge? Here's the rules Laura Lordi is Digital Editor at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at llordi@ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida python challenge: Biggest snakes caught during Everglades hunt Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Gunfire disrupts anti-violence rally at crowded Boynton Beach park, wounding three women
Gunfire broke out at a Boynton Beach park during a "Peace in the Hood" rally on July 5, wounding three women, police said as they continued to search for the shooters. About 500 people, many of them children, attended the rally at Sara Sims Park. It called for an end to gun violence, but organizers did not obtain a permit before staging the event, police said. The initial investigation showed that rival gang members began firing at each other, catching attendees in the crossfire, police said. Officers found one woman suffering from a gunshot wound to her femur. Dispatchers reported that two other women went to hospitals in private vehicles, one with a gunshot wound to her leg and the other with a wound to her hip. Bullets also struck several vehicles, both occupied and unoccupied, and other victims sustained minor injuries and received treatment at hospitals or at the scene from Boynton Beach Fire Rescue. From the courts: Florida family in limbo as autistic son faces felony charge for Trump TikTok threat Investigators say the event's organizer reportedly submitted a special events application on June 17 to Boynton Beach to host an event titled "Stop Violence Awareness" for about 20 attendees at Sara Sims Park, on Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr. Boulevard west of Seacrest Boulevard. One week later, the Recreation and Parks Department notified the organizer that the permit had been denied. The city refunded the organizer's money the same day, which the organizer acknowledged via email, police said. City documents show that a suburban Lake Worth Beach woman applied for the permit. Attempts to reach her for comment on July 8 were not successful. The city documents also show that a Boynton Beach police captain advised against approving the permit due to staffing concerns related to the Fourth of July holiday. More: More than 90 Palm Beach County schools got As from state in 2025. How'd your school do? A department spokesperson said the organizer likely won't face any citations. To date, police have not announced any arrests in connection to the shooting incident. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Sean Steele by emailing SteeleS@ or by calling 561-742-6148. Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@ and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Three women shot during anti-gun-violence rally at Boynton Beach park
USA Today
5 days ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Trump claims to have won a fifth golf championship since his inauguration 10 weeks ago
The end of the golf season in South Florida does not mean the end of Donald Trump's claims on the course. The President has shifted his golf game from Trump International West Palm Beach to his course in Bedminster, New Jersey. But the change in scenery apparently has not slowed down the 79-year-old when it comes to declaring himself a champion. Trump boasted on his Truth Social website on Sunday that he won the member-member championship at Bedminster with partner Tommy Urciuoli. "In between meetings and phone calls, it was a Great Honor to win the Member-Member Championship, at Trump National, Bedminster (Gross, no strokes), with Tommy Urciuoli as my partner. The Many other competitors were not only great Golfers, but also terrific people!" Trump wrote. Trump has taken at least 8 Florida golf trips in last 10 weeks Trump has worked diligently on his golf game since starting his second term. In the first 10 weeks since the Jan. 20 inauguration, Trump had at least eight golf outings to his courses in Palm Beach County, Florida. And his boasts now have become legendary. Trump, who never loses an event at one of his tournaments, once said he: Trump now is claiming five championships this year, including teaming with Finnish President Alexander Stubb to win the Men's Member-Guest tournament in late March at Trump International West Palm Beach. He also was declared the winner at the Senior Club Championship at Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter one week later. In March, while posting he won the Club Championship at Trump International West Palm Beach, Trump added it would "probably" be his last. He's up to three more claims since then. Trump was asked about his handicap in March while aboard Air Force One. "Very low," he said. "I've a very low handicap." That was after he announced he had won the Senior Club Championship at his course outside of West Palm Beach. "Very good," when asked how the golf tournament was. "Because I won. It's good to win. You heard I won, right? Did you hear I won? I like to win." In his 2023 post about carding a 67 at Bedminster, Trump said: "For some reason, I am just a good golfer/athlete − I have won many Club Championships, and it is always a great honor!" Tom D'Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today network. He can be reached at tdangelo@
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Boca mayor relishing chance for New York businesses if Zohran Mamdani wins mayoral election
Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer says a victory by Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayoral election in November could open the gates for a massive surge of businesses to his city, the southernmost in Palm Beach County. Mamdani, who is running as a Democrat, but is also a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, is campaigning on promises that aren't popular among the many big businesses that line the skyline of Manhattan. 'New York is not going to be the capital of capitalism anymore,' Singer told The New York Post. "I've pitched them on moving their corporate headquarters. We already have financial services firms with a strong presence here,' Singer, the city's Republican mayor since 2018, said of the businesses he says he has spoken with recently. ➤ Access The Palm Beach Post on the go with the app: Our app offers a personalized experience to your liking. Download our app to personalize your news alerts, swipe and scroll through stories faster, and bookmark them to save and read later. Boca Raton, with an estimated population of 102,238 based on the 2024 U.S. Census, is the second largest city in Palm Beach County and 23rd largest in Florida. It initially was established as a resort town, but has since evolved into a popular wealthy destination spot for young families, shopping and corporations. Office Depot has its global headquarters on a 28-acre campus in the city and The GEO Group, Vitacost, YACHTICO and Celsius Holdings are also based in Boca Raton. In November, Mamdani will square off against incumbent Eric Adams, who was elected mayor on the Democratic Party line in 2021, but is seeking re-election as an independent. He was indicted on federal corruption charges in September 2024 and has faced calls to resign from office. The Department of Justice ordered charges dropped against him and the case has since been dismissed. Mandami has pitched a controversial platform that includes fare-free city buses, public child care, rent freezes in some instances, comprehensive public safety reform and a $30 minimum wage by 2030. The big thing that has rankled business leaders and the wealthy is his support of tax increases on corporations and those earning above $1 million annually. One day after the primary election, at least one South Florida developer said he and his properties told The Palm Beach Post he had received calls from people in New Jersey, Manhattan and Connecticut who are interested in moving to Florida. "Obviously, what they see happening makes them nervous and they want to plan their future and have peace of mind," Isaac Toledano, CEO and co-founder of BH Group, which is working with the Miami-based Related Group to build the Ritz Carlton Residences in West Palm Beach. "I think the rush is going to start now because the unknown is something people don't like." Local Realtors who deal in high-end properties said their phones are also ringing with people surprised about the result of the primary election and interested in potentially buying in Florida. BOCA RATON NEWS: Check out the renderings for city's $20 million indoor pickleball and padel complex BOCA RATON NEWS: City considers scaled-back downtown plan with fewer homes, more green space "Local politics matter, almost more than national politics, and if local is going to a more socialist form of government, you could lose some of your really wealthy taxpayers," said Nathan Zeder, co-founder of the Jills Zeder Group in Miami. "The calls and texts, the response yesterday, was way more than what I anticipated." The son of academic Mahmood Mamdani and filmmaker Mira Nair, Mamdani, 33, came to the United States with his family when he was seven years old and settled in New York City. Jasmine Fernández is a journalist covering Delray Beach and Boca Raton for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at jfernandez@ and follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @jasminefernandz. Help support our work. Subscribe today. Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Kimberly Miller contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Boca Raton mayor says Zohran Mamdani win will open door for his city
