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RUSSIA ATTACKED NATO COUNTRY ROMANIA ON FRIDAY
Special Edition

UKRAINE WAR

Russian Drone Strikes Apartment Building in NATO Territory

A Russian drone entered NATO member Romania's airspace overnight and crashed onto the roof of an apartment building, injuring two people, officials said on Friday.

Romanian President Nicușor Dan said it was "the most serious security incident to occur on Romanian territory" since the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Russian drones have repeatedly strayed into NATO territory since 2022, although these incursions have not been treated as direct attacks on the alliance so far.

But as Ukrainian drones targeting Russian assets have increasingly veered into NATO countries like the Baltic states and Finland, worries have surged over how often the war is leaking into alliance territory.

The drone that struck the apartment building on Friday was one of several picked up by radar while flying close to Romania's border with Ukraine. It struck a residential building in the southeastern city of Galați and exploded, Bucharest's defense ministry said.

Galați sits close to the border with both Ukraine and Moldova.

Two people sustained minor injuries and several residents required medical attention, said Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu. She said Russia's ambassador to the country had been summoned to the foreign ministry.

Romania's defense ministry said investigators were on site in Galați and initial information suggested the "entire load" of explosives packed into the drone detonated when the device struck the apartment building.

Bucharest identified the drone as a Geran-2, the Russian-made version of Iran's notorious Shahed attack drones that Moscow has widely used against Ukraine.

Two Romanian F-16 fighter jets took off from an air base southwest of Galați at 1:19 a.m. local time on Friday and emergency alerts went out to residents around the city, as well as in the nearby Tulcea and Brăila counties, Romania's government said.

Dan said he had spoken with NATO chief Mark Rutte, thanking the alliance for strengthening anti-drone defenses against Russia in eastern Europe.

Fragments of a Russian drone were found in Galați in late April after an electricity pole and part of a residential building were damaged, but no one was injured.

Romania shares 400 miles of border with Ukraine, and fighter jets stationed in the country frequently take to the skies when the Kremlin bombards Ukraine's southern port cities.

Last Wednesday...

Zelensky pleads with Trump for additional Patriot missile systems as fears mount over more Russian strikes

WASHINGTON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded with President Trump and Congress to marshal Patriot missile systems as his war-torn country braces for an expected bombardment from Russia.

Zelensky’s five-page missive came on Memorial Day and dramatically warned that “the fate of many lives is being decided” while underscoring how American defensive weaponry can save scores of civilians from Russian attacks.

“Frankly, while we have achieved significant success in defending against all types of drones, Ukraine has not yet built its own capability to produce anti-missile defense systems,” the Ukrainian leader wrote.

“When it comes to defending against ballistic missiles, we rely almost exclusively on the United States. Patriot systems remain the most effective defense against every type of Russian ballistic missile,” he added. “The majority of Russian missiles can be stopped.”

Trump has refrained from green-lighting massive military aid packages to Ukraine and has instead championed the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), which allows NATO to purchase American firepower for the war-torn country.

PURL is currently Ukraine’s only “available for securing Patriot interceptors of ballistic missiles,” according to Zelensky.

“But the current pace of deliveries through the PURL program is no longer keeping up with the reality of the threat we face,” Zelensky stressed. “We understand that today there is high demand for Patriot antiballistic missiles in other regions as well.”

“Ukraine is ready to purchase the number of Patriot systems and interceptor missiles we need,” he went on. “[A]fter all we have been through together, have we not earned a place among your allies?”

The letter was first reported by Kyiv Independent.

Zelensky touted Ukraine’s successes with drones, intercepting Russian ones by over 90%, and noted how Kyiv has offered deals with countries like the US to share its technology.

Ukraine has 6 months to launch major ‘turning point’ in war with exhausted Russia, commander says

Ukraine has a six-month window to seize the battlefield momentum and create a major “turning point” in the war against Russia, whose invading force has been exhausted, a senior Kyiv commander said.

Brig. Gen. Andriy Biletsky, who leads Ukraine’s Third Army Corps — one of the country’s most respected fighting forces — said Russia had suffered its worst year of the invasion since the war began in 2022, with Moscow’s army now exhausted and its manpower dwindling.

“I believe the next six to nine months are a turning point,” Biletsky told Reuters, predicting a major shift along the front lines. “More precisely, I think the next six are the most critical. “

With Ukraine’s Donetsk “fortress belt” successfully repelling Russia’s army for dozens of months, Kyiv is poised to start retaking key positions in the greater Donbas region, which Moscow has repeatedly claimed was a must-have prize in the stalled peace talks.

Thanks to the layout of the land, Russia has been forced to launch head-on attacks against the fortress belt. Biletsky’s forces, who hold one-tenth of the total front line, have held back the invaders every time.

Russia’s meatgrinder tactic has cost it nearly 35,000 soldiers per month in 2025 alone, according to the US-based Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.

With 2026 nearly halfway through, Biletsky said Russia’s forces continued to be drained like never before, creating a key opportunity for the frontlines to shift.

“The lack of personnel no longer allows them to advance the way they did, for example, a year ago,” said Biletsky.

Russia’s troubles and fatigue have been on full display this year. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that his forces had retaken nearly 230 miles back from Moscow so far in 2026.

“We need to define those directions where we can improve our positions, take some strategic points, and then speak with the Russians from a position of strength — not weakness — about a truly stable truce,” Biletsky said of the current situation.

“From a military point of view, this is realistic,” he added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was also notably forced to downsize his annual Victory Day parade earlier this month in the face of Ukraine’s ever-evolving drone attacks, which have now proven to reach Moscow more consistently.

MIDDLE EAST

Iranians warned to conserve water as US sanctions and decades of mismanagement threaten total collapse

Iranian officials are urging its long-suffering people to conserve water, fuel and electricity — as ongoing US sanctions and fallout from the war continue to cripple the regime.

Iranian state media has issued repeated appeals for citizens to cut back their water ahead of the punishing summer dry season, the Wall Street Journal reported.

“All executive bodies, organizations, and public institutions—both governmental and nongovernmental—are required to install water-saving equipment and manage water consumption,” Tehran Province’s state-run water and wastewater company spokesperson Behnam Bakhshi said recently.

Even Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged the strain on resources, warning that the country couldn’t easily export oil, collect taxes or ignore the problems facing businesses.

The country’s oil minister also urged citizens during the war to conserve fuel after US and Israeli attacks decimated parts of Tehran’s fuel supply network.

The US and Tehran reached a tentative agreement Thursday that would extend an April 8 cease-fire. If approved, the deal would also see the US drop its blockade on Iranian ports in exchange for a return to “unrestricted” shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the White House.

It would also begin a 60-day period for the US and Iran to begin negotiating on Tehran’s nuclear issues.

But the water crisis, in particular, has been a daunting challenge regardless of war, as the country has suffered through a historic drought for six years — the result of half a century of foolish modern engineering projects, according to experts.

As Iran’s population swelled in the second half of the 20th century, the Islamic Republic regime built dams on rivers too small to sustain them, drying up wetlands and underground water reserves.

The crisis is now so acute it directly threatens the country’s agricultural sector and food supply.

NYC man hired by Iranian regime to ‘stalk and murder’ dissident journalist sentenced

A New York City man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison Wednesday for his role in a murder-for-hire plot orchestrated by the Iranian regime.

Jonathan Loadholt, of Staten Island, previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit stalking and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering for taking part in the scheme to kill journalist and human rights advocate Masih Alinejad.

Alinejad, an Iranian national who fled the country in 2009 and became a US citizen in 2019, had been targeted by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for publicly encouraging Iranian women to defy the repressive regime’s rule that women wear headscarves.

“Jonathan Loadholt served as a hired gun to stalk, surveil, and ultimately assassinate Masih Alinejad — a United States citizen — on behalf of the IRGC,” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle Jr., said in a statement. “The FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force disrupted and arrested him before he could carry out his plan. 

“The FBI will squash all attempts to silence critics of oppressive regimes on American soil.”

Loadholt, 37, is the second defendant to be sentenced in what the Justice Department described as a “stalk and murder” plot against Alinejad.

Carlisle Rivera was sentenced to 15 years in prison in January after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire. 

The would-be hitmen were offered $100,000 by Farhad Shakeri, who reported directly to IRGC leaders, to purchase weapons, conduct surveillance on a Brooklyn home they believed to be Alinejad’s, follow her to a February 2024 speaking event at Fairfield University in Connecticut and ultimately kill her, which they failed at doing.

At one point during their nine-month long surveillance efforts, Rivera allegedly complained to Shakeri: “This b—h is hard to catch, bro.”

“The Government of Iran has repeatedly attempted to locate and murder Masih Alinejad, right here in New York City,” US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton said in a statement. “The Government of Iran tried to silence Ms. Alinejad because of her efforts to stand up to the Iranian regime and expose its discriminatory treatment of women, corruption, and human rights abuses.”

“While this plot was directed from Iran, the would-be assassins were American citizens who agreed to kill Ms. Alinejad for money — out of greed,” Clayton added. “Today’s sentence should be a serious warning to anyone who tries to profit by carrying out the wishes of a hostile foreign regime on United States soil.”

Trump threatens to ‘blow up’ Oman if it sides with Iran over Strait of Hormuz

WASHINGTON — President Trump threatened to attack Oman Wednesday if the Arab nation partners with Iran to assert joint control over the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has discussed partnering with Oman to charge tolls on ships passing through the strategic waterway, the New York Times reported last week.

“Nobody’s going to control it. That’s part of the negotiation that we have. They would like to control it,” Trump said at a cabinet meeting.

“It’s international waters, and Oman will behave just like everybody else, or we’ll have to blow them up. They understand that. They’ll be fine.”

Oman’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.

The State Department tweeted a video Trump’s warning — indicating the US government wasn’t shying away from the threat.

US and Iranian negotiators are working to finalize a memorandum of understanding that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping — without tolls — and allow additional time for an agreement on the fate of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpiles.

Trump, 79, added at the cabinet meeting that if a deal is not agreed, “we’ll have to just finish the job” militarily.

Oman served as a mediator between the US and Iran before the launch of Operation Epic Fury Feb. 28.

The absolute monarchy, with a population of 5 million, hosted unsuccessful nuclear talks in early February between Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi.

US forces deployed to war zones are reportedly being targeted using location data: Pentagon

US forces deployed to war zones have been targeted using commercially available location data, according to reports fielded by military officials, an illustration of how the global surveillance economy is shaping the battlefield.

In a letter shared with Reuters by US Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, USCentral Command said it had “received multiple threat reports concerning adversary exploitation of commercial location data to target or surveil US personnel in theater.”

The message, sent on April 14, offered no further specifics, but Centcom’s area of responsibility includes the Gulf, where US forces are facing off against the Iranian military over the Strait of Hormuz.

The disclosure was the first official confirmation that US forces had been targeted in an active war zone, Wyden and a bipartisan group of legislators said in a letter sent on Thursday to the Pentagon.

“Commercial location data can be used to identify where US troops congregate and their pattern of life, which can be exploited by adversaries to target attacks such as missiles, drones, and roadside bombs, as well as for counterintelligence purposes,” the letter warned. Wyden said in a statement that it was time to “start treating the adtech industry as a national security threat.”

The Pentagon did not return messages seeking comment. The lawmakers said in their letter that their efforts to obtain more information from military officials about the reported targeting had been unsuccessful.

Location data is widely used in digital advertising, which is a key source of revenue for many tech companies. Such data is typically collected from smartphones or other devices by apps or service providers before being sold to data brokers who collate and resell the data, sometimes via complex networks of intermediaries.

Although the threat to privacy inherent in selling the details of people’s day-to-day movements on the open market has long been a matter of public discussion, its potential as a national security risk has recently drawn concern as well.

As far back as 2016, one US defense contractor was able to leverage commercially available location data to track special operations forces from their bases in the United States to a sensitive staging post in Syria, according to an account first disclosed by the Wall Street Journal.

More recently, journalists at Wired and two German news outlets drew on billions of coordinates collected by a data broker to expose the granular comings and goings of people stationed at or around 11 US military and intelligence sites in Germany.

Bessent ‘shutting down’ Iranian airlines after Post op-ed — and slaps sanctions on strait authority

WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday he will be “shutting down” Iranian airlines — after a Post op-ed called attention to their illicit cash flow — and also slapped sanctions on the new Iranian entity set up to toll the Strait of Hormuz.

Bessent leads President Trump’s Operation Economic Fury — a financial squeeze complementing US military efforts — and announced the moves despite reports that a peace framework is complete and awaiting Trump’s final approval.

The Trump administration will “be shutting down both Iranian airlines’ access to landing spots, refueling, and ticket sales. Only a satisfactory outcome in negotiations will end the downward spiral,” Bessent announced.A Post op-ed written last week by Mark Dubowitz and Miad Maleki of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies called on the administration to tactically target Iran’s airlines.

Dubowitz and Maleki warned that Mahan Air and Iran Air had restored 15 international routes since the ongoing cease-fire took effect on April 8, offering the beleaguered regime an income infusion.

“Iran’s airlines are not just flying passengers,” the op-ed argued. “They are flying cash, weapon components and foreign fighters. They are the second front of Iran’s economy, and right now, that front is open.”

Bessent told a Post reporter at a White House briefing Thursday that the airlines were “outlaws.”

“When these airlines fly, they have to be refueled, they sell tickets, they pay landing fees. Anyone who accepts those, we will sanction,” Bessent said.

“So, they should be very clear that the state-owned Iranian airlines are outlaws and cannot do this.”

Bessent said there would be narrow exceptions.

Bessent rejects ‘doomer view’ of Iran war fallout — touts Trump Accounts and economic growth

WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent revealed Thursday that 6 million American children are enrolled in the about-to-launch “Trump Accounts” while brushing off what he called “short-term challenges” to the economy.

Bessent, hosting a White House briefing, dismissed what he called a “doomer view” of the Iran war’s impact as he championed a more optimistic view of Americans’ well-being, pointing to stock indices notching all-time highs and ballooning 401k values.

In wide-ranging remarks, the Treasury secretary predicted that inflation, gas prices and the national deficit would soon recede — and said Americans’ personal savings rate slumping to a four-year low actually could signal economic confidence.

“Academic literature would tell you a lower savings rate can mean one of two things, the kind of the doomer view that you took, or that people have more confidence,” Bessent told reporters.

“Stock market gains or 401k gains might not show up in savings, so they’re looking at that and think that they can draw down their household savings.”

401k values are up on average $30,000 since Trump took office, lower drug prices through the TrumpRx platform have saved consumers an estimated $600 million and unemployment has stayed relatively low at 4.3%, he said.

Bessent predicted that a possible deal to end the Iran war could swiftly reverse concerning economic signals, such as the spike in inflation that catapulted the Consumer Price Index to 3.8% in April.

“We’ve already seen oil prices come down substantially. We are pumping more oil than we’ve ever seen before, and as I said, these are short-term challenges that we will get over,” Bessent said, forecasting “substantial disinflation” in the near future.

Brent crude sold for about $85 a barrel Thursday, down nearly 30% from late April but still elevated from pre-war rates.

“Oil prices are down about 10% in May. There are almost 2,000 ships waiting to come out of the [Persian] Gulf, and I think the oil market is going to be very well supplied on the other side of this, and that we could see prices come down very quickly,” he said.

“We perhaps have the makings of [an Iran war] deal here, and I believe that the economy, it is challenging now, but unemployment is still low, tax refunds were high, and consumer spending is still quite high.”

US Military Denies Iran State Media Claim That US Aircraft Shot Down

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) disputed a reported from Iranian state TV claiming that Iranian forces downed a U.S. aircraft near Bushehr.

Taking to X, CENTCOM said on Thursday night in part, "TRUTH: No U.S. aircraft were shot down. All U.S. air assets are accounted for."

According to Reuters, Iran's state TV said that an American aircraft was destroyed in the country's Jam ‌governorate ⁠in Bushehr, citing Governor Masoud Tangestani.

Newsweek reached out to CENTCOM via email on Thursday night for additional information.

The conflicting accounts arrive amid a reported 60-day memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran to de-escalate the ongoing conflict. Axios reported Thursday that the memorandum would in part extend a ceasefire, allow unrestricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and start negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, citing two U.S. officials and a regional source. U.S. President Donald Trump has yet to give final approval, per the outlet.

Rajan Menon, professor emeritus of International Relations at the City College of New York, told Newsweek on Wednesday before the memorandum was reported that, "I think the window for reaching a deal is closing rapidly. Trump is encountering severe blowback from those who think he’s about to sign a deal on Iran’s terms. He’s therefore signaling to Iran that it could face renewed war if it doesn’t offer better terms. Iran, for its part, believes that time is on its side given the steep price increases created by a war that the majority of Americans now oppose as well as Trump’s plummeting approval ratings.

"The situation now resembles a game of chicken: each side is racing full speed ahead, hoping that the other will swerve first to avoid a collision. The result could well be a collision—meaning a return to war. That outcome is not inevitable, but it is becoming much more likely."

When asked about the reported memorandum on Thursday, Menon told Newsweek, "The administration keeps saying a deal is near—Iran has been noticeably more circumspect—but then also says that Iran must hand over (or agree to have transferred to a third country) all of its enriched uranium and also that the Strait of Hormuz must revert to the status it had before the war: a waterway open to shipping with no fees collected by Iran. Tehran has consistently said that both conditions are unacceptable."

"This leaves me wondering how they’ll reach an agreement given the continuing differences on these two critical points—unless one of the two sides has shifted its position. An added complication is that the US and Iran continue to trade fire, which means that escalation remains a risk," he added.

US Strikes on Iran

The U.S. military launched new strikes against Iran on Wednesday, according to a U.S. military official, who said American troops shot down four Iranian one-way attack drones "that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz."

An Iranian ground control station was also struck as a fifth drone was getting ready to be launched, the official added. The station is in Bandar Abbas, the official told Newsweek on Wednesday.

"These actions were measured, purely defensive, and intended to maintain the ceasefire," the U.S. official added.

The attack follows the United States conducting "self-defense" strikes in southern Iran on Monday, targeting missile launch sites and Iranian vessels trying to establish mines, according to CENTCOM.

In a previous statement to Newsweek, Captain Tim Hawkins, CENTCOM spokesman, said, "U.S. forces conducted self-defense strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces. Targets included missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to emplace mines.

Netanyahu orders IDF to expand operations against Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon: ‘Seizing dominant terrain’

(May 27, 2026 / JNS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday night that he had ordered the Israel Defense Forces to expand ground operations against Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon.

“The IDF is operating with large forces on the ground and seizing dominant terrain. We are fortifying the security zone to protect the communities of the north,” the premier said, according to a readout of remarks delivered at a Security Cabinet meeting.

“Concurrently, we are leading a massive national effort to advance creative and innovative solutions against explosive drones,” Netanyahu continued.

“We back and praise our heroic commanders and soldiers. They are deep in the field. We trust you!”

The announcement came hours after Netanyahu convened Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir for a security assessment at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today, at the start of the Security Cabinet meeting:
"As per the directive of myself, the Defense Minister and the IDF Chief of Staff, we are deepening our operation in Lebanon. The IDF is operating with large forces on the ground and seizing… pic.twitter.com/GBLuWgEbyl

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) May 26, 2026
In a separate statement on Tuesday night, Netanyahu said the IDF had eliminated some 2,500 Hezbollah terrorists since the terror organization joined the war on Iran’s behalf on March 2.

The prime minister noted that since the US-brokered ceasefire with Lebanon took effect on April 17, the military has eliminated 700 Hezbollah operatives in defensive operations, adding that fewer terrorists were killed during the entire Second Lebanon War in 2006.

USA

Minnesota pair bilked $21 million in state funds meant for autism services: feds

Two Minnesota fraudsters allegedly swindled more than $21 million in funding earmarked for autism services through two bogus companies and then spent it lavishly on overseas property, officials said.

Shamso Ahmed Hassan, 55, and Hanaan Mursal Yusuf, 25, whose mugshots were released on Wednesday, made off like bandits by submitting millions of dollars in fake claims to Minnesota’s Early Intensive Development and Behavioral Intervention Program [EIDBI] between May 2020 and December 2024, authorities said.

The pair enrolled two companies co-owned by Hassan — Smart Therapy Center LLC and Star Autism Center LLC — as service providers to submit the claims and were secured $21.2 million in funds aimed at helping people, under 21, with autism.

The swindlers were part of an extensive scheme to use the stolen money on themselves and their families, including buying property in Kenya and a truck.

Hassan and her employee, Yusuf, who live together and are both US citizens, remain in federal custody pending court proceedings, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Their arrests are part of a larger fraud scheme that totaled more than $46 million and included two other defendants, Asha Farhan Hassan, 28, and Abdinajib Hassan Yussuf, 27 — who appear to be siblings — both previously took plea deals tied to their involvement in the scams at Star Autism and Smart Therapy.

The $300-$1,500 monthly payments meant for autistic children — referred to by the code word “computer” — were “disguised” when the defendants wrote checks to employees and family members of the facilities that were then cashed and paid out to the parents as kickbacks each month, according to federal prosecutors.

The new indictment against Shamso Ahmed Hassan and Hanaan Yusuf — both of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota — include allegations against co-conspirator 1 and 2, whose identifying details match those of Asha Hassan and Abdinajib Yussuf.

Hassan and Yusuf — the lead biller at Smart Therapy — enrolled with the health department as Level II providers of autism services through the EIDBI, with Yusuf eventually upgrading to become a Level I provider on Jan. 1, 2024, the court papers claimed.

This allowed “Smart Therapy to bill for her services at a higher rate,” the indictment alleged.

Hassan is also accused of scamming both adult and child food benefits programs by claiming Smart Therapy was serving 300 children both breakfast and lunch seven days a week, the feds alleged.

By April 2021, Smart Therapy claimed to serve 1,200 meals a day, seven days a week — which Hassan knew was “grossly inflated,” prosecutors said.

How a CIA officer convinced US government to give him $40M in gold bars — as new allegations about his past are revealed

WASHINGTON — A wannabe spy convinced the CIA to give him $40 million in gold bars by claiming it was for “work-related expenses” — and it was just the latest in a lengthy career full of increasingly brazen lies, according to federal prosecutors.

David Rush made a series of requests to the agency to obtain “a significant quantity” of foreign currency and hundreds of gold bars between November and March, according to a federal affidavit.

Astonishingly, Rush received what he asked for, according to the court documents, and the agency was later unable to locate any record of Rush explaining the work-related purpose for the enormous sums.

When the FBI raided his Virginia home on May 18, they found $2 million in greenbacks, 35 luxury watches — “many of which” were Rolexes — and more than 300 one-kilogram gold bars worth over $40 million.

The price of the precious metal has skyrocketed 164% this year, which sharply increased the value of his alleged scheme.

Dan Meyer, a partner at the law firm Tully Rinckey specializing in security clearance issues, told The Post that the tens of millions of dollars in gold bars and US currency appeared to be “resources to be used in US operations overseas” that were “diverted for his personal use.”

“I doubt this is coming from a foreign source,” he added.

Former CIA staff operations officer Tracy Walder told The Post she was shocked Rush managed to lie his way to his top secret security clearance job and get his hands on so much gold from the agency.

“The fact that this slipped through the cracks makes me concerned that there are other people who slipped through the cracks,” she said.

Having gone through the agency’s rigorous vetting process herself, Walder said it was no casual affair.

“They don’t just verify your college. They came to my sorority house. They talked to my sorority sisters. They came to my parents’ house. They went to the friends of the friends of my parents,” she said of the process she herself endured before joining the agency.

“This would have been a large-scale lying cover-up. There would have had to be a lot of other co-conspirators,” she said.

Court documents alleged that the FBI’s investigation revealed Rush provided false information about his education and military service for decades — using each lie to attain a higher and higher position in the military and government.

Trump’s team pushes for new $250 bill with his face on it — but there’s a big catch

WASHINGTON — President Trump’s meme coin may be getting fresh competition.

Key administration officials are pushing the Treasury Department’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing to design a $250 banknote with Trump’s image.

Should the Treasury Department move ahead with the plan, it would mark the first time a living person’s face was slapped on a greenback since 1866. The Treasury Department has confirmed it’s moving to produce a $250 “commemorative note” with Trump’s signature on it.

The $250 note would be a nod to America’s 250th birthday this year.

“In response to active legislation sponsored by Representative Joe Wilson, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) is conducting appropriate planning and due diligence,” a Treasury spokeswoman told The Post.

“Should this legislative mandate be signed into law, the BEP is moving proactively to produce a $250 commemorative note which will appropriately recognize the 250th Anniversary of our great nation.”

The Washington Post first reported the plans for a $250 bill.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent insisted that there was nothing “untoward” about his department’s work, stressing that it was simply getting prepared in case Congress decided to request Trump’s face be put on a $250 bill.

“You have to prepare in advance. You can’t draw something up the day before,” Bessent told reporters Thursday. “I don’t think that there’s anything untoward about having the … person who is president of the United States on the 250th anniversary bill.”

Under the Thayer Amendment, which passed in 1866, it is illegal to put the likeness of a living person on official US currency, bonds, or other financial notes.

EPA moves to keep toxic Orange County chemical leak threat low for residents

The federal Environmental Protection Agency is on the scene of a  dangerous chemical leak at a Garden Grove aerospace facility that led officials to evacuate roughly 50,000 residents over an explosion threat, the agency told The California Post.

At the request of Orange County Health Care Agency, the EPA is providing air monitoring support and vital air quality information to local authorities.

“EPA has monitors located throughout the area and in the community, and all air monitors are currently showing non-detect. EPA is working closely with state and local authorities, including Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA), the lead for this response,” it said in its statement.

The monitoring comes after a pressurized storage tank holding 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, a highly flammable liquid used in plastic manufacturing, began heating up after the cooling mechanism stopped working.

Fire authorities said there were two scenarios that could happen: A catastrophic explosion or a major spill of the liquid.

Thanks to a crack in the container and cooling attempts by fire authorities, the explosion was ruled out earlier in the week. And on Tuesday night, Orange County Fire Authority Chief TJ McGovern told reporters that all public evacuation orders have been lifted.

“To the residents, we thank you again,” he said. “We understand the inconvenience and the difficulties and the challenges that this has all brought to you.”

A street closure remains in effect, Garden Grove Police Chief Amir El-Farra said. Western Street from Garden Grove Boulevard to Chapman Avenue is closed.

Crews are checking the temperatures of the tank and mitigating any issues. Orange County Health Officer Dr. CK said air monitoring would continue to ensure fumes from the chemicals don’t pose a threat.

Exposure to the chemical can have serious health consequences.

BRAZIL / USA

Terrorist Designation of Comando Vermelho and Primeiro Comando da Capital

Today, the U.S. Department of State is designating Comando Vermelho (CV) and Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) and intends to designate both groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), effective June 5, 2026. 

CV and PCC are two of the most violent criminal organizations in Brazil. Together, they command thousands of members and have orchestrated brutal attacks against Brazilian police officers, public officials, and civilians. Their influence and illicit networks extend far beyond Brazil’s borders, across our region and into our country.

The Trump Administration will continue to use all available tools to protect our nation and our national security interests by keeping illicit drugs off our streets and disrupting the revenue streams funding violent narco-terrorists. Today’s action taken by the State Department further demonstrates the Trump Administration’s unwavering commitment to dismantling cartels and criminal organizations in our region and ensuring the safety of the American people. 

Today’s actions are taken pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224.  FTO designations go into effect upon publication in the Federal Register. 

ASIA

China Military Releases Footage of NATO [Dutch] Warship Encounter

China's military has published a video accusing a Dutch navy helicopter of operating without permission in Chinese-claimed airspace in the contested South China Sea—a claim denied by the Netherlands.

The encounter near the disputed Paracel Island group, which China controls, took place on Wednesday, and footage released late the following evening showed the Chinese navy deploying at least two warships and a fighter aircraft to intercept the Dutch frigate HNLMS De Ruyter.

Electronic interference measures were used to force away the foreign ship, the Chinese military said.

The confrontation highlights growing international resistance to China’s expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea, which Beijing asserts through its controversial "nine-dash line."

The Chinese claim historic rights to nearly the entire sea via the dashed line and sweeping baselines drawn around the Paracels in the west and the Spratly Islands in the east, among other maritime zones.

Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Jiang Bin told a month-end press briefing on Thursday that the Dutch operation had violated China's sovereignty and undermined peace and stability in the South China Sea.

"We urge the Dutch side to stop its infringement, risk-taking and provocation, and to strictly restrain its front-line naval and air forces to avoid unexpected incidents," Jiang said.

The De Ruyter, a 6,000-ton air defense frigate, carries an NH90 helicopter designed for anti-submarine warfare and other roles including maritime search and rescue.

"The frigate has not been in territorial waters" and "operates in accordance with international law," Dutch navy spokesperson Marinka Hiraldo Vos-van Kooten said in an email to Newsweek.

"HNLMS De Ruyter continues sailing in waters where free movement is permitted," the statement said, adding: "We are not providing further details for operational reasons."