In a major change to Miami’s skyline, the iconic Mandarin Oriental hotel on Brickell Key is set to be demolished this Sunday, making room for a new era of luxury. This highly anticipated event marks the largest controlled implosion in Miami in over ten years, according to city officials.

Situated on Brickell Key, a prime location at the mouth of the Miami River opposite downtown, the 23-story Mandarin Oriental has been a staple of Miami’s hospitality scene since it opened its doors 25 years ago. The implosion is scheduled to occur at 8:30 a.m., with experts predicting the building will crumble within seconds.

The demolition paves the way for a new development by Swire Properties. Once the dust settles, the site will be prepared for The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Miami. This ambitious project will feature two towers combining ultraluxury hotel accommodations with high-end residential living, and is expected to be completed by 2030.

Demolition experts will conduct the controlled implosion of the former Mandarin Oriental, Miami on Brickell Key, a human-made island at the mouth of the Miami River, across from downtown. It marks the largest implosion for Miami in more than a decade, officials said.

The 23-story building, which opened 25 years ago, is expected to collapse in seconds following a blast scheduled for 8:30 a.m. According to Swire Properties, the demolition will make way for the groundbreaking of The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Miami, a two-tower ultraluxury hotel and residential development scheduled for completion in 2030.

The operation follows nearly two years of planning and coordination with specialized contractors and the city, developers said. Implosion was selected as the safest and most efficient method to maintain the project timeline while minimizing disruption and ensuring the safety of the Brickell Key community.

Megyn Kelly recently raised eyebrows over Melania Trump’s unexpected denial of any connections to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

In an unanticipated statement at the White House on Thursday, the First Lady asserted, “I am not Epstein’s victim,” addressing rumors head-on.

Her brief three-minute speech targeted baseless claims that she was introduced to her husband, Donald Trump, by the late Epstein. She criticized unspecified “individuals” for their “mean-spirited” efforts to tarnish her image.

Emphatically denying any “relationship” with Epstein, Melania also condemned the “numerous fake images” of her with him that have circulated on social media for years.

On Friday, Kelly questioned the timing of Melania’s statement, wondering why she chose this moment to break her silence.

‘Why did she do this? That’s really what everyone was asking. Why? Like, everyone knows. Everyone knows in PR, once the storm has passed, you don’t do anything to bring it back upon you,’ she said on The Megyn Kelly Show.

‘If she doesn’t want people talking about her relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell, or whatever it was with Epstein, then she shouldn’t talk about her relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell or Jeffrey Epstein.’

‘Especially when – has that been in the news? Have any of you been seeing that in the news? The news right now is non-stop Iran.’

Megyn Kelly questioned Melania Trump’s motives for giving her shocking denial of being a victim of Jeffrey Epstein

The First Lady delivered the unexpected statement at the White House on Thursday

The First Lady’s announcement came as a shock, as there had not been recent revelations linking her to the disgraced financier, who the government says committed suicide while awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges in August 2019.  

She made it clear that there were no links between herself and the billionaire pedophile.

‘I am not Epstein’s victim,’ the First Lady stated during the address on Thursday afternoon. ‘Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump. I met my husband by chance at a New York City party in 1998.’

Trump and Melania met that year at the Kit Kat Klub in New York when the former supermodel was 28 years old. 

Paolo Zampolli, a modeling agency boss who is serving as Trump’s special envoy for global partnerships, claims he introduced the couple. They later married in 2005.

‘I’ve never been friends with Epstein,’ she added.

She also used the press conference to clarify an email she wrote to Epstein’s accomplice Maxwell, stating she only wrote to her to be polite and the message did not indicate a close relationship. 

Trump said he might have handled his wife’s speech differently but said his wife ‘had a right’ to do it her way.

She flat-out denied any ‘relationship’ with Epstein and claims she was never a ‘victim’ of him or Ghislaine Maxwell 

‘Would I have done it that way? Perhaps not, perhaps, I don’t know,’ he told The New York Times after the speech. 

‘I said, “If you want to do that, you can do that.” I said if she wants to do it — I didn’t recommend it, but I said, I let it be her, I said, if you want to do it.’

Trump said the First Lady ‘finds it very insulting’ that there were rumors she was a victim of Epstein or friendly with Ghislaine Maxwell.

‘She didn’t meet me through Jeffrey Epstein. And I could understand her feelings. She had a right to talk about it, because the fake news covers her so inaccurately.’

Trump noted that they discussed whether or not she would make the speech ‘for about two minutes.’

‘It wasn’t a big discussion. I had no problem. I thought she actually did a good job,’ he said.

Trump said that regardless of what he thought about the address, he felt his wife was right to do it.

‘I thought she had a right to talk about it. It doesn’t bother me,’ Trump added of the surprise speech at the White House entrance hall.

Trump added that he ‘didn’t know what the statement was but I knew she was going to make a statement.’

He added that bringing the story back into the news didn’t concern him, saying: ‘I never get upset.’

The Daily Mail has approached the White House for comment. 

A Minnesota man accused of masterminding an $11 million Medicaid fraud scheme has failed to attend a court hearing, prompting authorities to issue an arrest warrant. The incident occurred this week as the individual was expected to appear in court.

Identified as Abdirashid Ismail Said, aged 50, he missed a pretrial session in Hennepin County, leading to the forfeiture of his bond. This development was reported by FOX 9, which referenced information from the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison expressed that efforts are underway in collaboration with federal agencies to track down Said. Ellison emphasized the seriousness of the situation in a public statement.

“Following Said’s absence at the pretrial hearing, an arrest warrant has been issued,” Ellison shared with the media outlet.

He reassured the public, stating, “Our Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, together with federal law enforcement, is actively working to locate Said and ensure he is held accountable for his fraudulent activities.”

“This is a deeply frustrating setback. However, I remain committed to doing everything I can to hold Said and other Medicaid fraudsters accountable.”

Said posted a $150,000 unconditional bond to avoid stricter conditions, including surrendering his passport, while a $50,000 conditional bond would have required it, according to FOX 9. Investigators also raised concerns about Said’s potential to flee, citing family ties abroad.

Prosecutors charged Said with racketeering and multiple counts of aiding and abetting theft by swindle in an alleged scheme that defrauded Minnesota’s Medicaid program of nearly $11 million, according to a criminal complaint.

The complaint alleges Said carried out the scheme from 2019 through 2023 by secretly operating multiple Medicaid-funded home health care agencies despite being barred from working with such programs after a prior fraud conviction.

Authorities said Said and his co-conspirators billed Medicaid for services that were never provided, weren’t properly recorded or were backed by fake paperwork. Investigators also allege the group billed for services that weren’t eligible for payment and charged more than they should have.

According to court documents, the scheme involved millions of dollars in fraudulent billing, including more than $4.6 million paid to one agency based on falsified documentation.

Investigators also found nearly $1 million was billed for clients who denied receiving services, along with more than $300,000 in overbilling and more than $5.8 million in claims that were not documented or were fraudulently documented.

Court records show Said was convicted of Medicaid fraud in 2022, ordered to pay $77,000 and barred from working with any Medicaid-funded agency, a restriction prosecutors allege he later violated.

The case has raised new concerns about oversight of taxpayer-funded programs, as state leaders, including Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison, have faced mounting criticism over their handling of fraud in Minnesota.

The development comes amid broader concerns over fraud in Minnesota, including the sprawling Feeding Our Future case, in which prosecutors allege defendants created fake meal programs and fraudulently claimed more than $250 million in federal funds.

Former acting US Attorney Joe Thompson has suggested fraud across some programs could total billions of dollars, potentially reaching $9 billion.

State officials have faced ongoing questions about oversight of taxpayer-funded programs, with critics pointing to additional fraud cases involving Medicaid and welfare spending.

Ellison, whose office has prosecuted multiple fraud cases, appeared before Congress earlier this year to address concerns about enforcement and oversight.

In Chicago, a significant chapter unfolded for the Rainbow PUSH Coalition this past Saturday. The occasion marked the inaugural weekly meeting with Yusef Jackson at the helm, steering the coalition into its next phase.

Held at the coalition’s headquarters on Chicago’s South Side, the meeting captured the attention of attendees as a range of pressing issues was addressed. This was the first session presided over by Jackson, the newly appointed president and CEO, symbolizing a new direction for the organization.

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Open to the public, the Saturday Forum continues a long-standing tradition initiated by the coalition’s late founder, Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. It serves as a platform for community engagement and discussion.

During the gathering, there was a strong call to action, emphasizing the need for active participation within the organization as it transitions under the leadership of Jesse Jackson Sr.’s son. The event underscored the organization’s commitment to tackling current challenges while honoring its storied legacy.

The gathering urged action within the organization, now officially under the leadership of Jackson Sr.’s son.

This week, the organization’s board voted unanimously for Yusef Jackson to be the new president and CEO.

“Emotionally, I never imagined doing this work without my father around,” Yusef Jackson said.

On Saturday, Yusef Jackson brought together several speakers from a mentoring teen group called RISE UP to share positive work being done by Chicago’s young at Kenwood Academy High School.

City Clerk Anna Valencia was also invited to share information about Amnesty April for Chicagoans to avoid late fees and back charges on city stickers for their cars.

Another topic was concern about war.

“The violence needs to end,” said Shayna Lewis, National Director of Win Without War. “Too many lives have already been lost. Too much remains at risk.”

SEE ALSO | ‘Faith. Fight. Freedom: The Legacy of Reverend Jesse Jackson’ explores civil rights icon’s impact