3 OctOber 8-14, 2026 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | ▼ WYNWOOD BACK TO SCHOOL IS KEN GRIFFIN TURNING WYNWOOD INTO A COLLEGE TOWN? BY B. SCOTT MCLENDON B illionaire Citadel founder Ken Griffin is placing a $2 billion bet on Wynwood’s future as an aca- demic research hub as he and Carnegie Mellon University offi- cials look to transform the ever-changing neighborhood into a college town by 2028. The new Carnegie Mellon University Mi- ami is part of what university administrators referred to as the largest individual gift in higher education history: a $1 billion donation to support the Pittsburgh campus’ computer science program (which will be renamed the Kenneth C. Griffin School of Computer Sci- ence) and another $2 billion for the new Mi- ami campus, according to the university. The new Miami campus comes to a neighborhood in transition from a low-rise arts district to a densely packed mixed-use neighborhood, as Axios Miami reported, and now a center for “the next era of American innovation,” a uni- versity spokesperson said in a statement. Once complete, the 35-acre campus will enroll more than 3,500 students, close to 300 faculty, and more than 600 staff members, ac- cording to administrators. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027. Carnegie Mellon University is a private global research university based in Pennsyl- vania known for its top-rated computer sci- ence and engineering programs. When the Miami campus holds its first classes (it hopes to enroll its first students in 2028), the school will focus on “grand challenge areas spanning human health and biological discovery; na- tional security and strategic capabilities; en- ergy and climate resilience; and advanced manufacturing and industrial transforma- tion. The campus will also serve as a platform for curricular innovation, new approaches to teaching and hands-on learning,” according to the university. Griffin, set to join the university’s board of trustees, joined university president Farnam Jahanian to share details about the project in a Pittsburgh-based public address featuring city and state leaders from across Pennsylvania. “We must continue to elevate our institu- tions of excellence. Carnegie touches me be- cause of its commitment to excellence,” Griffin said of the university before telling the crowd he hopes to emulate people like uni- versity namesakes’ steel magnate Andrew Carnegie and former U.S. Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon. “Carnegie Mellon University has made profound contributions to America’s preemi- nence in science, engineering, technology, and the arts and humanities,” Griffin said in a press release provided to New Times before the address. “Since its founding, Carnegie Mellon has fostered remarkable talent, pio- neered scientific breakthroughs, and ex- panded the frontiers of research — shaping global leaders and innovators.” At the public address, Jahanian said the new campus won’t be like traditional satellite campuses, which he says use a hub-and- spoke model. “The idea was: ‘Can we think about where we need to go in higher education? Let’s not organize Miami around colleges and depart- ments, but organize it around societal chal- lenges. What challenges are important to society, to our nation?’ Healthcare, national security, manufacturing, artificial intelligence — these are the challenges important to peo- ple,” Jahanian said at the address. “Artificial intelligence represents one of the defining intellectual developments of our time, and it demands that we rethink how we educate students, conduct research and part- ner with others,” Jahanian said in a written statement provided to New Times. “Together, we have an opportunity to extend the very qualities that have long distinguished Carne- gie Mellon — our agility, creativity, interdisci- plinary culture and relentless focus on impact — to build a new model for higher education that meets the urgency of this moment.” According to a description provided by ad- ministrators, “the campus will support a comprehensive student experience and an in- terdisciplinary environment designed for learning, research and collaboration. Plans include space for industry research labs and venture studios, creating opportunities for students, faculty, industry and community partners to work alongside one another.” [email protected] | RIPTIDE | GET MORE NEWS & COMMENTARY AT MIAMINEWTIMES.COM/NEWS An artist’s rendering of Carnegie Mellon University Miami. Photo from Carnegie Mellon University ▼ PALM BEACH DAMAGES EPSTEIN VICTIMS SUE OVER THE MISHANDLING OF PALM BEACH EVIDENCE. BY B. SCOTT MCLENDON A pair of anonymous victims of Jeffrey Epstein’s sprawling child rape and traf- ficking operation filed a federal lawsuit in New York against his estate over its handling of child pornography evidence from his Palm Beach mansion. It’s been seven years since Epstein died in prison in August 2019, and the breadth of his sordid empire seems to still be expanding. For instance, the women who filed the lawsuit (listed as “Jane Doe” and “Amy”) argue they didn’t know Epstein had lewd photos of them until sometime after authorities seized evidence in 2019 — evidence they argue Epstein covertly moved from his Palm Beach mansion before au- thorities raided it in 2005. According to the lawsuit, Epstein stole “par- tially nude” photos of a girl, referred to as Jane Doe, when she was 12. The lawsuit describes them as “images that were taken as part of an artist study for and cataloged, numbered and maintained by the artist in a lockbox (the ‘Jane Doe Images’).” While the lawsuit doesn’t explain the images’ original purpose, it argues that Epstein’s inten- tions were entirely nefarious. “Epstein stole the Jane Doe Images and re- tained them not for any artistic medical, educa- tional, or research purpose, but for his own sexual gratification and the sexual gratification of others,” according to the lawsuit. “In Epstein’s possession and given the manner in which he obtained, catalogued, and retained them along- side a collection of sexualized images of chil- dren, the Jane Doe Images constituted a lascivious exhibition.” “Upon learning that Epstein had possessed sexualized images of her as a child, Jane Doe suf- fered and continues to suffer severe emotional distress, anxiety, hyper-vigilance, intrusive recol- lection, disrupted sleep, need for and course of mental health treatment, and the distinct and continuing injury of knowing that images of her as a child were held and used for another’s sex- ual gratification,” the lawsuit states. ▼ DAVIE BEHIND THE WHEEL DAVIE TOWN COUNCIL CANDIDATE IS CHARGED WITH DUI. BY B. SCOTT MCLENDON T own council candidate Jordan Dempsey Nelson just got familiar with the police force he may soon help oversee, according to court records. On Friday, Sept. 25, Davie Police De- partment officers charged Nelson, 36, with three counts of DUI, including one count of DUI with damage to property, according to Broward County court records. But some- how, Nelson’s might only be the second most jaw-dropping storyline coming out of the District 3 race. According to an arrest report obtained by New Times, Nelson wrecked his blue Ford F-150 near the intersection of Hiatus Road and Orange Drive, where he left about $23,000 in damages to a guardrail and power line. After failing multiple road- side sobriety tests, Nelson recorded a blood-alcohol content of .17 (over twice the legal limit of .08), according to the report. Jail records indicate that Nelson bailed out by Monday, Sept. 28, but a booking photo appears to show he sustained an injury to the face. He didn’t respond to New Times’ texts or calls for comment. On Nelson’s campaign site, he states, “I believe our town deserves responsible leadership, honest accountability, and in- frastructure that keeps pace with growth.” Nelson actually becomes at least the second District 3 council candidate to at- tract the attention of law enforcement since the race began. Broward County Sheriff’s Department (BCSO) deputies told New Times they’re investigating fellow District 3 candidate Toula Amanna over claims she incited a vi- olent insurrection against the Deerfield Beach city government. Yes, really. She told Florida Politics earlier this month that the lengthy comment in ques- tion (which appeared in a private Deerfield Beach group post about a charter referen- dum) was actually altered by the Deerfield Beach government to include an encour- agement “to pick up guns and fight in pub- lic, in person against the forces that ruin a city, a state and the entire country.” Amanna, who hasn’t responded to New Times’ emailed request for comment, told Florida Politics she has an active lawsuit against the city concerning properties she owns, and she’s “working with an ex-FBI agent” to resolve the problem. When asked to provide evidence that her phone and computer were hacked, Amanna told the publication she couldn’t provide that since she plans to bring it up in court Amanna is the CEO of Regulus Alliance Corporation and is known for operating restaurants like Deerfield Beach Café and Marty’s Bar & Grill in Fort Lauderdale. >> p4