By Dana Hull, Bloomberg News

Jeffrey Epstein attempted to bring three women who were foreign nationals along with him for a tour of SpaceX’s headquarters in 2013, emails released by the U.S. Justice Department show, an effort that raised security concerns within the Elon Musk-run company.

Related Articles

US military strikes alleged drug boat in Caribbean Sea, killing 3

Education Department hands off more of its responsibilities to other US agencies

ICE officer training is ‘deficient’ and ‘broken,’ former agency lawyer tells congressional forum

RFK Jr. fought pesticides for years. Now he’s backing their production

France moves to bar US Ambassador Charles Kushner from direct government access

The women, described in various emails as Epstein’s “assistants” or “girls,” included two Russians and a South African, according to correspondence between Lesley Groff, Epstein’s longtime executive assistant, and Mary Beth Brown, Musk’s former aide. While Epstein went on the tour, which included lunch with Musk, the emails suggest the women were not allowed past the lobby.

The visit is another example of the ways Epstein sought to ingratiate himself and his associates with high-profile people, pushing boundaries even after the convicted sex offender was released from jail in 2009. While Epstein died behind bars in 2019 in what authorities ruled a suicide, the recent release of millions of pages of his personal correspondence has pulled back the curtain on how he operated.

There have been prior reports that Epstein visited SpaceX’s Hawthorne, California, facility, but the circumstances surrounding his planned entourage add a new wrinkle.

SpaceX, which ferries astronauts to and from the International Space Station for NASA and launches satellites for commercial customers and the U.S. military, is subject to strict rules under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Access to SpaceX facilities is often restricted to U.S. citizens because the company’s rockets and spacecraft are considered defense-related technology.

The company did not respond to requests for comment from Bloomberg News and has previously denied that Epstein had ever visited. Musk posted on social media in July 2020 that Epstein “never toured SpaceX” to the best of his knowledge.

The new trove of emails, released Jan. 30 of this year, shows more than 20 emails over multiple days involving Epstein’s and Musk’s assistants — and some involving the men themselves — to plan the February 2013 visit. In one, Musk advised Epstein on the best airport to fly into to get to SpaceX’s headquarters quickly.

After Epstein’s assistant reached out directly to Musk on Feb. 19 of that year, Musk’s assistant responded the next day, “Shall we organize a lunch for Elon and Jeffrey to get together at SpaceX in the coming weeks?” They settled on lunch on Feb. 25 and traded several more emails discussing whether Musk would like to visit Epstein’s ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico (Musk was busy and declined the invitation); dietary restrictions for the planned lunch; and details of who would accompany Epstein to SpaceX.

“Jeffrey is a U.S. citizen but he will have assistants with him who are not,” Groff wrote in one email. “They all have passports and proper paper work. I’m pretty sure he will bring them all with him. Will this be ok?”

Musk’s aide requested scans of their passports for security clearance and asked whether they would all dine with Musk. Later that day, after confirming receipt of the passports, she followed up to say that they would not be able to clear the foreign nationals for a full tour.

“They are welcome to come into the lobby area/conference room adjacent to the lobby,” Musk’s aide wrote. “I’m happy to provide lunch but they will be unable to enter the main facility.”

The emails suggest Epstein did bring the women to SpaceX — one sent the day of the visit said Epstein and three of his assistants would be attending — but it’s not clear how far into the facility they went.

On Feb. 26, the next day, Epstein emailed Musk directly: “thanks for the tour, you would have had fun at xmas.”

Musk responded, “I see,” with a smiling face emoji.

©2026 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By JACQUES BILLEAUD and FELICIA FONSECA

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — The disappearance of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother three weeks ago has inspired a small number of volunteers to launch their own searches in the dense desert near her home in hopes of cracking the case.

Related Articles

Body of civil rights leader Jesse Jackson is to lie in state in South Carolina

Medical influencer Attia resigns post at CBS News after name included in multiple Epstein files

More than 30,000 Kaiser Permanente health care workers to end strike in California and Hawaii

Mr. Clean retires after 68 years as company mascot

NASA will return its moon rocket to the hangar for more repairs before astronauts strap in

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said while it appreciates the concern for Nancy Guthrie, it asked people inquiring about volunteering to give investigators space to do their jobs.

“We all want to find Nancy, but this work is best left to professionals,” the agency said in a statement over the weekend.

Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen at her home just outside Tucson on Jan. 31 and was reported missing the following day. Authorities believe she was kidnapped, abducted or otherwise taken against her will. Drops of her blood were found on the front porch, but authorities haven’t publicly revealed much evidence.

Despite the sheriff’s request for people not to search on their own, volunteers have continued to look. A small group reported finding a black backpack on Sunday, but it wasn’t the same brand as one identified in video surveillance that the FBI released of a masked man at Guthrie’s home the night she disappeared.

A sheriffs’ spokesperson told Tucson television station KOLD that the bag and its contents didn’t appear to be viable leads. The Associated Press reached out to the sheriff’s department for comment on Monday.

Two women from the group Madres Buscadoras de Sonora, or “Searching Mothers of Sonora,” who were carrying digging tools Sunday outside of Guthrie’s home, said they, too, would join the search. They posted fliers on Guthrie’s mailbox with her picture and their contact information.

A memorial grows outside the home of Nancy Guthrie, the missing mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Felicia Fonseca)

Tony Estrada, the former long-time sheriff in neighboring Santa Cruz County, said volunteer searchers have good intentions in wanting to help and can serve as a force multiplier, but it’s crucial that their efforts be coordinated with law enforcement.

“You can’t have people all over the place looking for something and not reporting to anybody or letting them know that they’re going to be in that area,” Estrada said. “They may be trampling into things that may come out to be helpful in the future.”

Nearly all search operations for U.S. law enforcement agencies are staffed with volunteers, said Chris Boyer, executive director of the National Association for Search and Rescue.

Untrained volunteers who show up to help in a search may mean well, but experts say they could end up contaminating a crime scene.

“It’s painful for law enforcement when that happens,” Boyer said.

Neighbors walk by a growing memorial for Nancy Guthrie, the missing mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, outside her home in Tucson, Ariz., Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Felicia Fonseca)

Volunteers should undergo background checks, be trained in things like administering first aid and preserving crime scenes, and work under the direction of law enforcement authorities, said Boyer, whose group provides education, certification and advocacy for search and rescue efforts across the United States and other countries.

Several hundred people are working the Guthrie investigation, and more than 20,000 tips have been received, the sheriff’s office has said. The FBI and other agencies are assisting.

The sheriff’s office has watched around the clock lately at Guthrie’s house. It also enacted a temporary one-way flow on the road so that emergency vehicles and trash collection trucks could get through. The constant presence of news crews, bloggers and curious onlookers has drawn mixed reaction from neighbors.

A memorial grows outside the home of Nancy Guthrie, the missing mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Felicia Fonseca)

Some appreciated the attention the case has been getting. Others have placed traffic cones and signs on their properties to keep people off.

Meanwhile, the tribute to Nancy Guthrie outside her home keeps growing, with flowers, yellow ribbons, crosses, prayers and patron saints for older adults and in desperate situations.

A hand-painted pot is part of a growing memorial outside the home of Nancy Guthrie, the missing mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Felicia Fonseca)

Aran Aleamoni and his daughter Ariana picked out a bouquet of red, pink and white flowers and placed them at the edge of Guthrie’s yard, alongside a sign that read “Let Nancy Come Home” and a statuette of an angel.

“My heart goes out to the entire family,” said Aran Aleamoni, who has known the Guthrie family for a long time. “We are all pulling for you. We’re with you in your corner.”

Billeaud reported from Phoenix.

Don Halverson’s 103rd birthday is Tuesday, but the World War II vet who served in Italy celebrated a day early with the Minnesota National Guard at the 34th Infantry Division “Red Bull” Headquarters in Arden Hills.

A birthday cake for World War II veteran Don Halverson birthday cake is ready for slicing as he is honored by his old unit, the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division, at the division’s Arden Hills headquarters on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Halverson stays connected with his fellow service members, sometimes sharing a meal at his VFW club. Halverson was a part of the 168th Infantry Regiment, 34th Infantry Division (Red Bulls). He was a weapons platoon sergeant in charge of machine and motor sections while in combat in Italy from 1943 to 1945.

“I figured they got me through World War II without getting hit. I got to hang with them,” joked Halverson, who lives in Brooklyn Center.

Halverson said he used to get birthday and Christmas cards from his fellow WWII veterans and now when he goes to the State Fair on Veterans Day, he’s the only WWII veteran there.

“Or my VFW club, I’m the only World War II veteran there. There’s a lot of them around yet, but they’re all in senior centers or somewhere,” Halverson said.

Members of the 34th Infantry Division were in attendance at Halverson’s celebration Monday and took the chance to shake his hand and wish him a happy birthday.

World War II veteran Don Halverson, left, explains where and when photos of him were taken (Italy in 1945) to Brigadier General Joseph Sharkey as he is honored by his old unit, the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division, at the division’s Arden Hills headquarters on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

“It’s esprit de corps. It’s the 34th Infantry Division in Minnesota. It’s a proud division,” said Army Brig. Gen. Joseph Sharkey, commanding general of the 34th Infantry Division. “And to hear stories from Don, what they had to endure during World War II, specifically in Italy — heaven forbid our division should see another day like that — but it’s a good reminder to our current serving soldiers that service does come with sacrifice and always be prepared for the unknown. So that’s what we do day in and day out across the state.”

Halverson, who grew up in the Minneapolis area near Minnehaha Park, was drafted at the age of 20. When asked about his service, Halverson remembered one November in the mountains of Italy, walking around the cliffs to find rainwater to drink, clothes soaked through by rain and snow.

“You take your helmet and sit on that so you didn’t have to lay in the mud because you had a few inches of mud in your foxhole. Then eat a couple cans of stew every day — cold stew — and lick your spoon clean, put it back in your pocket,” Halverson said.

Halverson — a sergeant in the 4th Platoon, G Company, of the 1st Battalion — led a platoon of soldiers north from Naples, Italy up to the border of Switzerland. The 34th Infantry Division endured 517 days of frontline combat operations in World War II — the second most of any American division, according to the Minnesota National Guard.

After the war, French General Charles de Gaulle honored the division with the “Croix de Guerre” with Palm.

Upon returning to Minnesota, Halverson worked for Downtown Chevrolet and Mid-Continent Engineering until his retirement in 1988. He was married to his wife, Bernice, for more than 62 years until her death in 2010 and the couple had three children.

The Minnesota National Guard also celebrated Halverson’s birthday last year when he was awarded the Order of St. George bronze medallion, He wore the medallion Monday along with the Order of St. Maurice medallion. Halverson was awarded the Bronze Star, the Distinguished Unit Badge, and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, among other recognitions, before his return to Minnesota in 1945.

“He was in fighting shape during World War II and clearly Don’s in fighting shape today. So, you know, it is a blessing,” Sharkey said. “I don’t think there’s many divisions, whether in the active component or in the National Guard that have living veterans from World War II that are available to tell their stories to the current generation.”

Related Articles

US military moves forces and equipment out of northeast Syria base

Mexico and El Salvador make big cocaine seizures at sea as US continues lethal strikes

Saudi Arabia may have uranium enrichment under proposed deal with US, arms control experts warn

Trump warns of ‘bad things’ if Iran doesn’t make a deal, as US carrier nears Mideast

Fishermen in the eastern Caribbean fear for their lives following a deadly US strike

By JEFFREY COLLINS, Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. will be honored at the South Carolina capitol in the state where he was born and where his crusade career as a civil rights activist started in high school by pushing to integrate his local library.

Jackson’s body will lie in state next Monday at the South Carolina Statehouse, Gov. Henry McMaster announced. Details were to be released later.

Jackson, 84, died on Feb. 17 after battling a rare neurological disorder that affected his ability to move and talk.

Related Articles

More than 30,000 Kaiser Permanente health care workers to end strike in California and Hawaii

Mr. Clean retires after 68 years as company mascot

NASA will return its moon rocket to the hangar for more repairs before astronauts strap in

Feds investigate shooting at New Hampshire-Canada border crossing; suspect hospitalized

2-time WNBA champion Kara Braxton dies at 43 after being in a car crash

He will lie in repose this week at the Chicago headquarters of his Rainbow PUSH Coalition. His body will then travel to South Carolina and Washington, D.C., for more celebrations of his life. A public service will be held in Chicago at House of Hope, a 10,000-seat church, on March 6, followed by private homegoing services the next day at Rainbow PUSH, which will be livestreamed.

Jackson was born in 1941 in Greenville, South Carolina, in a tiny house on Haynie Street just outside of downtown. A portion of the street will be named in his honor.

He was the quarterback at segregated Sterling High School, where he led seven other Black classmates into the whites only public library in Greenville in 1960 where they sat and read books and magazines until they were arrested.

It was the start of a long civil rights career during which Jackson became a protégé of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., including joining the voting rights march King led from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.

Jackson went on to run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988.

He continued to be active in his home state, pushing in 2003 for Greenville County to honor King by matching the federal holiday in his honor and in 2015 by advocating for removing the Confederate flag from South Carolina Statehouse grounds after nine Black worshipers were killed in a racist shooting at a Charleston church.