Officials within Donald Trump’s administration have persistently urged the nation’s currency designers to create a $250 bill featuring Trump’s likeness, despite a law dating back 159 years that prohibits living individuals from being depicted on U.S. currency.

According to four current and former employees speaking to the Washington Post, Treasury Department officials, including U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach and his senior adviser, Mike Brown, have repeatedly pressed the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to develop prototypes.

Concerns have been raised by staff members, as federal law has prohibited living persons from appearing on currency since 1866.

In August and September, Beach presented bureau staff with mock-ups that showcased Trump’s portrait prominently in the center, with his signature on one side and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s signature on the opposite side.

The mock-up, designed by British artist Iain Alexander, reportedly received the President’s endorsement.

‘He likes to call me his favorite British artist,’ Alexander told the Post.

A bill allowing Trump’s portrait on bank notes to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary was introduced in Congress last year, but it has stalled.  

Bureau director Patricia ‘Patty’ Solimene was abruptly reassigned on April 27 after warning Beach and Brown about the legal complications. 

A mock-up design of a proposed $250 bill featuring the president’s face and signature that administration officials provided to Bureau of Engraving and Printing staff in August

Scott Bessent on Thursday pushed back against the Post’s reporting as he gave a press briefing at the White House, holding aloft a copy of the news article featuring the bill

‘She had told them we’re not authorized to do this. We can’t progress any further, and all the stakeholders have not even met to discuss the next steps,’ an employee told the Post.

‘Currency often takes six to eight years to produce a new bill, particularly one of such high value.’ 

In an email to colleagues, Solimene wrote that it was with a ‘heavy heart’ that she was leaving and that it was ‘not my choice.’

She added that she had ‘never sacrificed the values or character of myself or the organization and always prioritized the US Currency Program and the value each employee brings to the mission.’

‘The buck stopped here,’ she pointedly concluded the email obtained by the Post. 

Solimene, a 24-year Army veteran, had been the bureau’s first female director.

Bessent on Thursday pushed back against the Post’s reporting as he gave a press briefing at the White House, filling in for Karoline Leavitt who is on maternity leave.

‘Terribly written, terribly edited,’ he said, holding the news article aloft.

Bessent defended his staff, saying they had created the note but were ‘following the law’ and were ‘prepared for everything if [the bill] gets passed.’ 

‘You can’t draw something up the day before,’ Bessent said.

Designing and printing a new note requires coordination with the Federal Reserve, Secret Service and private companies even with congressional authorization, said Larry Felix, a former bureau director. 

It took more than a decade to produce a $100 note with anti-counterfeiting security features, he told the Post. 

‘These guys think you can just print something overnight and it’s going to work in an ATM. It’s just crazy,’ a bureau employee told the Post. ‘It takes years and years and years to produce these notes so they are reliable for the public.’ 

The Trump administration effort coincides with other patriotic announcements to commemorate America’s founding, including a 250ft triumphal arch, dubbed the Arc de Trump, planned for Arlington National Cemetery.

In a strategic move that strengthens Moscow’s foothold in Central Asia, Russia has entered into a military cooperation agreement with Afghanistan’s Taliban government. This development, reported by multiple sources, highlights the growing alliance between the two nations.

The agreement was officially signed on Wednesday during an international security forum held in Russia. The pact was the result of discussions between Sergei Shoigu, the Secretary of Russia’s Security Council, and Mohammad Yaqoob, the Afghan Defense Minister.

Yaqoob, who announced his visit to Russia via X, attended the conference as part of his official duties. His role is pivotal, given his background as the former military chief of the Taliban and his lineage as the son of the movement’s founder, Mullah Mohammad Omar.

EXPERT CAUTIONS THAT AL QAEDA STILL POSES A SIGNIFICANT THREAT 24 YEARS POST-9/11

AL QAEDA REMAINS MOST DANGEROUS TERRORIST GROUP 24 YEARS AFTER 9/11, EXPERT WARNS

Russia and the Taliban government in Afghanistan have signed a new military-technical cooperation pact, cementing an alliance that solidifies Moscow’s influence in Central Asia. (Photo by Elke Scholiers / Getty Images)

Omar had formed a close alliance with Osama bin Laden and provided a safe haven from which al Qaeda planned the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

As of Thursday, neither Russia nor the Afghan side had shared the further details of the new military agreement.

“Afghanistan and Russia have long and historical relations. In this direction, we want to move further. We have expanded bilateral relations,” Yaqoob said at the meeting.

The pact follows statements from a senior Russian security official who noted that Moscow has established a “full-fledged partnership” with Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban and is encouraging other countries in the region to expand cooperation with Kabul, Reuters reported.

The Taliban had regained power in August 2021, after overthrowing the U.S.-backed Afghan government run by President Ashraf Ghani.

In 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged the possibility of dropping Russia’s classification of the Taliban as a terrorist organization.

FORMER AFGHAN TRANSLATOR WARNS OF STARVATION, HUMANITARIAN CRISIS: ‘BACK TO WHERE WE STARTED IN 2001’

In 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged the possibility of dropping Russia’s classification of the Taliban as a terrorist organization. (Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo/AP, File)

In 2024, he called the Taliban “allies in the fight against terrorism” and Russia became the first country to formally recognize the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

“After several years of vacillation, Russia has become the first country in the world to officially recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan,” Nikita Smagin, an expert on Iranian foreign and domestic policies, Islamism and Russia’s policy in the Middle East, said in a report from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

“It’s more of a symbolic gesture than something driven by trade or economic considerations,” Smagin added, describing how when Taliban militants entered the Afghan capital in August 2021, “Russia was already deemed eligible for special treatment.”

“Its diplomatic mission was immediately provided with security, and Russian Ambassador Dmitry Zhirnov became the first foreign diplomat to meet with the new rulers of Afghanistan,” he explained.

On Wednesday, Shoigu also called for Western countries to unfreeze sanctioned Afghan assets.

AFGHANISTAN’S ONLY WOMEN-LED RADIO STATION TO RESUME OPERATIONS AFTER TALIBAN LIFTS SUSPENSION

Russia has become the first country in the world to officially recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan. (Photo by Elke Scholiers / Getty Images)

“We are convinced that Western countries should unfreeze blocked Afghan assets, fully recognize their responsibility for their 20-year presence in Afghanistan, and bear the burden of the country’s post-conflict reconstruction,” Shoigu said, according to reports.

“Moscow needs to take steps that will restore its image as an influential power that holds the initiative, and recognition of the Taliban regime serves precisely that purpose,” Smagin added.

“The status of the first country to establish official diplomatic relations with the Taliban government should ensure Russia has a leading role in discussions of regional security issues.”

The recognition of the Taliban, he said, was an attempt by Russia to “prove itself as a leading global force that is not afraid to break established norms and set precedents for other countries.”

Moscow continues to emphasize the need to work directly with Kabul as it faces severe, ongoing security threats from various rival Islamist militant groups operating throughout Central Asia and the Middle East, Reuters said.

Shoigu also said Moscow was building a “pragmatic dialogue” with the Taliban that included security, trade, culture and humanitarian support, the outlet reported May 14.

On Thursday, Shrey Parikh claimed victory at the 98th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee, showcasing his linguistic prowess. The 14-year-old, an eighth-grader hailing from Rancho Cucamonga, California, triumphed over seven other finalists in a thrilling contest.

In a nail-biting conclusion, Shrey faced off against 12-year-old Ishaan Gupta from Jersey City, New Jersey. The final showdown was settled in a rapid-fire spell-off, where each competitor had 90 seconds to correctly spell as many words as possible.

Shrey managed to spell an impressive 32 words accurately, surpassing Ishaan, who spelled 25. The spell-off unfolded at such a brisk pace that the decisive word couldn’t be pinpointed at the moment, but Scripps later confirmed “bromocriptine” as the clincher. This word refers to a polypeptide alkaloid that simulates dopamine activity.

For his remarkable achievement, Shrey will be awarded a cash prize of $52,500. His victory also earns him reference works from Encyclopaedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster, a custom trophy, a commemorative medal, and $1,000 in flight credits from Delta Air Lines.

Shrey will take home a cash prize of $52,500, along with the reference works from Encyclopaedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster, a custom trophy and commemorative medal, and $1,000 in flight credits from Delta Air Lines. 

Although this was the 98th bee, Shrey is the 111th champion because the bee ended in a two-way tie several times, and an eight-way tie in 2019.

Shrey finished third in 2024 but lost his school bee last year when he was battling a fever. He has dominated the bee circuit since, winning several online competitions against many of the same kids he outlasted this week in the nation’s capital.

“Right now I’m probably the happiest I’ve ever been. I’m just so happy and relieved, and just such a flood of emotions,” Shrey said. “At my school bee last year, I was really dejected and just very upset. It didn’t even sink in until the next day. I had a really tough time, but I’m glad I was able to bounce back.”

Spellers qualified for Thursday’s finals by advancing through regional bees hosted by sponsors around the country. In order to compete, spellers must not have advanced beyond the eighth grade or be older than 15.

Competitors must get through two preliminary rounds, where they are quizzed on words from a list provided in advance. There is one spelling round and one multiple-choice vocabulary round.

Those who make it through the preliminaries sit for a written spelling and vocabulary test, with the top 100 or so finishers advancing to the quarterfinals. The words for the test, and for all subsequent rounds, are taken from the Merriam-Webster Unabridged dictionary.

Throughout the quarterfinals and semifinals, spellers are eliminated at the microphone through oral spelling or vocabulary questions.

This year’s bee had 247 spellers representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, three U.S. territories and five other countries: the Bahamas, Canada, Ghana, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates. After the preliminary rounds, 167 were left, and that field was cut to 95 quarterfinalists after the written spelling and vocabulary test.

The first bee was held in 1925, when the Louisville Courier-Journal invited other newspapers to host spelling bees and send their champions to Washington. After a long run at a convention center in suburban Maryland, the bee returned to the nation’s capital this year at Constitution Hall, a few blocks from the White House.

The bee was canceled from 1943 to 1945 because of World War II and again in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

When the Los Angeles Rams found themselves on the clock with the 12th pick in the NFL Draft, many assumed they would opt for a standout wide receiver, given their current focus on immediate success. Contrary to expectations, the team decided to invest in their future by choosing Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson.

Throughout the draft, the Rams selected just one wide receiver. In the sixth round, they picked up CJ Daniels from the University of Miami.

Daniels, who stands at 6 feet 1 inch and weighs 195 pounds, possesses the physical attributes necessary for a successful career in the NFL.

During a media session on Thursday, Rams head coach Sean McVay shared his thoughts on how he plans to incorporate Daniels into the team.

“He has a maturity about him, and there’s something in his eyes that stands out,” McVay remarked. “Even in the meeting room, you can feel his presence. His engagement and ability to answer questions are impressive.”

Daniels began his college career playing at Liberty during his first four years. After that, he had a year at LSU and spent the last year at the University of Miami.

The Hurricanes went 13-3 last season, with a loss in the College Football National Championship against Indiana. Daniels had 4 receptions for 62 yards, including a 25-yard catch in that game.

In his final year at Liberty, he had a breakout season, collecting 55 receptions for 1,067 yards and scoring 10 touchdowns.

“Liked his body of work, liked the background we did from people that we really trust and value there,” McVay said.

The Rams have built up a reputation for being great at drafting in the later rounds. In 2023, the Rams selected Puka Nacua in the fifth round. Like Nacua, Daniels is known for being able to create route separation during the play and has a great feel for catch opportunities.

While it is a long way from the NFL season opener, Daniels will have an opportunity to compete for a starting receiver position with the Rams as he will compete against Jordan Whittington and Xavier Smith.

A Blue Origin rocket erupted into a massive fireball during a routine test on a launchpad Thursday night.

The New Glenn rocket was conducting a ‘hotfire test’ at Launch Pad 36 around 9 p.m. at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida when it suddenly ignited, according to a report by Florida Today.

Shocking video footage captured the moment the launch pad began to glow as smoke billowed from the rocket’s base.

Moments later, the base of the rocket exploded into flames, engulfing both the rocket and the entire launchpad in fire.

The explosion created a towering fireball that reached into the sky, while debris and sparks rained down along the coastline.

In a brief statement, Blue Origin officials posted on X: ‘We experienced an anomaly during today’s hotfire test. All personnel have been accounted for. We will provide updates as we learn more.’

There were no reported injuries in the explosion and Brevard County Emergency Management officials said there was no threat to the general public. 

But following the explosion, residents across the Space Coast called local authorities to report sounds of an explosion, with dispatchers in nearby Cocoa Beach taking at least three calls, according to Florida Today. 

The New Glenn rocket was undergoing a ‘hotfire test’ at Launch Pad 36 at around 9pm at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida when it burst into flames

The explosion sent a giant ball of fire stretching into the sky

The hotfire, or static fire, test is supposed to check fueled rockets to ensure everything runs smoothly on launch day 

The hotfire, or static fire, test is supposed to check fueled rockets to ensure everything runs smoothly on launch day. 

Space Force’s Space Launch Delta 45 said officials are now working with Blue Origin and ‘appropriate partners’ to determine what may have caused the explosion.

Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos also posted online that it is ‘too early to know the root cause, but we’re already working to find it.

‘Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying,’ he vowed on X. ‘It’s worth it.’

The rocket that was destroyed on Thursday night was the third-ever New Glenn rocket manufactured at the company’s nearby factory on Merritt Island.

The 320-foot tall New Glenn rocket, named after John Glenn – the first American astronaut to orbit Earth, was expected to soon launch 48 Amazon Leo broadband satellites into low-Earth orbit.  

Blue Origin has not announced a target liftoff date for the mission, but the rocket had been slated to launch as early as June 4, according to a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory.

The agency had just cleared the heavy-lift rocket last week for the mission after a different issue on its third flight, in which the upper stage was not able to put its payload into the correct orbit after one of its two engines malfunctioned, according to the Orlando Sentinel.  

Sparks were seen raining down onto the launch pad following the explosion

Residents across the Space Coast called local authorities to report sounds of an explosion, with dispatchers in nearby Cocoa Beach taking at least three calls

The scheduled launch would be the first of 24 such missions, with Blue Origin CEO Jeff Limp indicating earlier this year that his goal was to fly at least eight missions in 2026 alone.

It is unclear how the rocket explosion may now affect those plans, after it heavily damaged the launchpad – the only one Blue Origin has for its New Glenn rockets, The New York Times reports. 

Repairs will likely take months to complete.

The rocket failure will also affect NASA’s ambitions to take astronauts from lunar orbit to the moon’s surface, as Blue Origin is one of just two companies that the agency has hired for the mission.

Its plan depends on multiple New Glenn launches to get a lander to the moon.

The 320-foot tall New Glenn rocket was expected to soon launch 48 Amazon Leo broadband satellites into low-Earth orbit

Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos vowed to ‘rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying’ in a post on X

Jared Isaacman, the new NASA administrator, has vowed to work with Blue Origin in its investigation

Under the plans for the Artemis III mission, scheduled to launch next year, NASA astronauts would practice docking their Orion capsule with landers from both Blue Origin and its rival SpaceX while remaining in orbit.

But with the destruction of the launchpad, Blue Origin may not be able to participate.

A smaller Blue Origin robotic lunar lander, known as Blue Moon Mark I, was also scheduled to launch later this year on a New Glenn rocket.

On Tuesday, NASA also announced it had awarded contracts to Blue Origin for two New Glenn rockets to take rovers to the moon in 2028, for astronauts to drive during the Artemis IV and Artemis V moon missions. 

Jared Isaacman, the new NASA administrator, has vowed to work with Blue Origin in its investigation.

‘Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult,’ he posted on X. ‘We will work with our partners to support a thorough investigation of this anomaly, assess near-term mission impacts and get back to launching rockets.

‘We will provide information on any impacts to the Artemis and Moon Base programs as it becomes available,’ he added. 

Other launches scheduled for Friday from Cape Canaveral should not be affected.

Tragedy struck a Dallas apartment complex on Thursday when an explosion, followed by a fire, claimed the lives of three people, including a child, and injured at least three others. The incident sent plumes of dense black smoke skyward, capturing the attention and concern of local residents and authorities.

Upon arriving at the scene, Dallas Fire-Rescue teams discovered the bodies of two adult women and a child amidst the wreckage. The exact cause of this devastating explosion is still under investigation, leaving many questions unanswered.

The blast also resulted in injuries to several individuals, with three victims requiring hospitalization. Among them, one person remains in a critical but stable condition, while the others have been discharged or are expected to recover soon.

In addition to those transported by emergency services, two more individuals sought medical attention independently for minor injuries sustained during the incident.

EXPLOSION AT LOUISVILLE FACTORY KILLS 2, INJURES SEVERAL, COMPANY CONFIRMS

An apartment building caught fire Thursday after an explosion in Dallas injured at least four people.  (KDFW)

Earlier, Dallas Fire Deputy Chief Mark Berry had confirmed there were fatalities in the explosion but at that point was unable to say how many.

The incident was reported around 12:50 p.m. at a two-story apartment complex in the city’s Oak Cliff neighborhood amid reports of a gas leak, Dallas Fire-Rescue Assistant Chief James Ross told reporters at a news conference. Nearly 100 firefighters responded to the scene.

“The fire is contained, but our members are still working on the scene to do primary searches. We put a drone in the air to canvas the area to see if we have any, if we see any victims or anything around,” said Ross. “At this time, it’s unknown how many possible fatalities we may have.”

People in the area reported hearing an explosion before the fire, but the exact cause of the blaze was unknown. In addition, windows on neighboring buildings appeared to be blown out and debris was scattered across the street. 

“I was chilling in my living room and bam, loud explosion. I mean, what I now know to be an explosion. But I thought a car ran into my house was my guess,” Mike Sirois, who lives nearby, told FOX 4. “My dogs went nuts. I started to kind of check in just through the windows. I’m like, ‘What the hell was that?’”

“I walked outside and then some of my neighbors were already outside kind of looking to the east from Bishop Arts District and there was a massive plume of smoke,” he added. 

DISNEYLAND REMAINS OPEN AS EVACUATION ZONE SHRINKS AROUND CHEMICAL TANK SCARE

An apartment building seen from above on fire in Dallas. (KDFW)

Dallas radio personality Hawkeye, from Hawkeye in the Morning on 96.3, was also in the area at the time. 

“I just saw the flames, the smoke. You can see the smoke from about two miles away,” he said. “I didn’t hear the explosion, but I will tell you there are a number of ambulances here. I mean a ton of them here.”

It was not clear how many people were in the building at the time. Fox News Digital has reached out to Dallas Fire-Rescue. A large plume of black smoke could be seen above the fire.

A plume of black smoke seen at a Dallas apartment building fire. (KDFW)

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson encouraged everyone to pray for those impacted by the fire. 

“We ask everyone to please pray for our Dallas Fire-Rescue personnel who are still fighting this fire,” he wrote on X. “They do an amazing job under very, very difficult circumstances like this. And we just pray that they will be safe while they try to save and help every single person they can affected by this,” said Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson.

A family reunification point has been set up at Adamson High School, the city said. 

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