May 29, 2026 – Short News

The $250 Bill!

Donald Trump has already placed his name on hotels, towers, golf courses, and products. Now there are apparently efforts within his administration to place him on American currency as well. According to new reports, senior political staff at the Treasury Department requested design concepts from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing for a $250 bill featuring the president's portrait. Employees were reportedly shown preliminary designs. One of them reportedly places Trump's face prominently at the center of the banknote. The president is also said to have submitted his own suggestions for revisions. Among other things, he reportedly proposed additional elements in the national colors and a reference to the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States.

The problem, however, is not a matter of design. Since 1866, it has been illegal in the United States to depict living persons on banknotes. A corresponding legislative proposal was introduced last year but failed to advance in Congress. Experts within the Bureau of Engraving and Printing also pointed out that developing new currency normally takes many years and must pass through numerous legal procedures. Particularly questionable is the reassignment of longtime bureau director Patricia Solimene. She had reportedly warned internally that her agency was not legally authorized to move such a project forward. Shortly afterward, she lost her position. In a farewell message, she wrote that her departure had not been her own decision.

The episode fits into a broader series of projects through which Donald Trump is increasingly placing his personal stamp on his second term in office. Planned or discussed projects include a new White House ballroom, monumental structures in Washington, and additional initiatives intended to permanently associate his name with public institutions. The question is no longer whether Trump wants to appear on as many public symbols as possible. The question is how much further those boundaries are expected to move.

Names, Addresses, Bank Information - Our Investigations Are Being Confirmed

The dispute surrounding Donald Trump's deportation policies has entered a new phase. According to information reported by Bloomberg, the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking access to personal data belonging to social media users who allegedly criticized administration policies online. The requests reportedly involve users on Reddit and X. Over recent months, we have repeatedly brought developments to light that otherwise would have remained hidden, conducting extensive investigations based on documents, data, and numerous sources.

Read also our investigation: When Criticism Becomes a Data Trail - Homeland Security Demands Identities Behind Anti ICE Accounts

The Invented Antifa Leader - How the Department of Homeland Security Declares Protest to Be Terror

According to the report, the subpoenas were issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington. The office is headed by Jeanine Pirro, a longtime ally of Donald Trump. The demands reportedly go beyond names and addresses. Bank account information and additional personal data are also being sought. The matter is attracting significant attention because it does not involve alleged criminals but rather individuals who are said to have expressed opinions online about government policies. Critics view the effort as an infringement on free speech and warn of a trend in which government agencies increasingly seek access to the identities of political opponents.

Particularly controversial is the demand for financial information. While names or email addresses are often the subject of legal disputes, requests for banking records go considerably further. Civil liberties organizations therefore fear a chilling effect on political discussion online. The debate extends far beyond individual user accounts. It touches on a fundamental question for every democracy: How far may a government go when pursuing critics who express their views on digital platforms? That question is once again likely to be fiercely debated in Washington.

A Law of Dehumanization Disappears 178 Years Too Late

By a vote of 254 in favor and without a single opposing vote, the French National Assembly this week repealed a law that should have been relegated to history long ago. The so called Black Code of 1685 regulated slavery in the French colonies and reduced human beings to property. Enslaved people could be sold, beaten, branded, mutilated, and killed. Article 44 explicitly classified them as movable property, comparable to land or merchandise. The real surprise, however, was not the vote itself. Many lawmakers only learned in recent years that despite the abolition of slavery in 1848, the law had never been formally removed from French legislation. Tears were shed during the debate. Lawmaker Steevy Gustave of Martinique reminded colleagues that the descendants of enslaved people are not descended from slaves, but from free human beings whose freedom was taken from them.

France transported approximately 1.4 million Africans into its colonies. The prosperity of cities such as Nantes and Bordeaux was built in part on generations of profits from plantation economies. President Emmanuel Macron stated last week that centuries of silence regarding the Black Code had long since become more than an oversight. However, he stopped short of offering a formal apology. For many, the debate therefore does not end with this vote. The former colonies of Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, and Réunion remain among the poorest regions of France today. Unemployment and poverty rates there significantly exceed those found in mainland France. Critics view this as the continuation of old inequalities under new forms.

Max Mathiasin of Guadeloupe, whose ancestors were themselves enslaved, described the vote as a restoration of dignity and humanity. At the same time, he pointed out that the most important government positions in his homeland are still largely held by White officials. Other activists go further, speaking of a colonial order that continues to exist behind republican language and institutions. The issue of reparations also remains unresolved. Macron stated that the debate should not be avoided but made no financial commitments. The issue remains particularly sensitive in Haiti. After the former colony won its freedom in 1804, France later forced the country to compensate former slave owners for their losses. That debt burden continued to affect Haiti well into the twentieth century.

The Black Code is now being removed from the law. For many descendants of those affected, this is a necessary step. The real question, however, is why a law that classified human beings as property remained untouched in French legal codes for nearly two centuries.

The Sheltered World of Presidential Children

New investigations provide a rare glimpse into the private world of Vladimir Putin and Alina Kabaeva. For years, foreign nannies and language instructors from Germany, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Austria, Ireland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and South Africa were reportedly hired to educate their children. The costs apparently amount to several hundred thousand dollars per year. The search for foreign personnel reportedly began as early as 2017. The older son received instruction in English, German, and music from an early age. The objective extended beyond learning vocabulary. Caregivers were expected to create a foreign language environment around the clock. According to internal guidelines, the child was expected to speak English at the level of an educated European before reaching school age. Similar expectations applied to German.

Documentation of the children's development maintained by the nannies caring for Putin's children

Particularly striking, according to documents available to us, are the contractual requirements. Caregivers were reportedly explicitly forbidden from discussing topics related to homosexuality or sexual diversity. In one contract discussion, it was even proposed that the boy should be assigned only male names and male roles during role playing activities. Personnel management was reportedly handled through relatives of Alina Kabaeva. The documents did not identify the parents by name. Instead, they referred only to "the family" or "the parents." Officially, the foreign specialists were often employed as translators, allowing work permits to be obtained for highly qualified personnel.

The nanny is assured that regardless of the complex payment structure, she will receive exactly the compensation guaranteed under her contract.

Salaries reportedly reached as much as $8,000 per month. At times, five to six foreign caregivers were employed simultaneously. According to the documents, several hundred thousand dollars were spent annually on staffing alone.

Previous investigations had already shown that the two sons, Ivan and Vladimir, live largely isolated lives. They reportedly do not attend ordinary schools or kindergartens, remain under constant protection from state security personnel, and spend most of their time in residences, on yachts, or aboard private aircraft. Contact with children their own age is said to be extremely limited. While the Russian leadership regularly promotes traditional values and national education in public, a different picture appears to emerge behind the walls of this protected world: international teachers, Western languages, and an upbringing far beyond the reach of most Russian families.

€200 Million for Cheap Junk

For years, Temu attracted millions of customers with extremely low prices, aggressive advertising, and the promise of delivering almost anything more cheaply than competitors. Now the European Commission has presented the Chinese online marketplace with a bill of its own. Brussels imposed a €200 million fine for violations of the Digital Services Act. It is the largest penalty issued under the law to date. The investigation began in the fall of 2024. At the center of the inquiry was whether consumers were adequately protected from dangerous products sold through the platform. The findings were devastating for Temu. Test purchases uncovered chargers that failed to meet basic safety standards. Investigators also found children's toys containing concerning chemicals or small parts that could pose choking hazards.

According to the European Commission, the company failed to adequately assess the risks associated with its platform and did not implement effective safeguards. Regulators accuse Temu of failing to present the true extent of potential dangers in a transparent manner. Consumers, regulators, and the public therefore lacked a realistic understanding of the situation. The matter does not end there for Temu. The company must now submit a corrective action plan within one month addressing the identified deficiencies. European authorities will then evaluate the proposals and establish binding deadlines for implementation.

The decision also sends a clear signal to other major online marketplaces. Companies that sell products in Europe must also accept responsibility for their safety. Low prices alone are not enough when defective chargers end up in electrical outlets or dangerous toys find their way into children's bedrooms.

Gold for the Horses

While the United States continues to debate budget cuts, social programs, and rising living costs, millions of dollars are being directed toward a different project in Washington. Donald Trump's administration is restoring and covering the four historic horse statues surrounding the Lincoln Memorial with gold leaf. The cost is approximately $5 million. The monumental bronze sculptures, known as the Arts of War and the Arts of Peace, were previously gilded in 1970. That finish has since faded significantly. The figures are now being restored so they can shine once again in time for the 250th anniversary of the United States. The project uses gold leaf with a purity of 23.75 karats.

The contract was awarded to a specialized company based in Maryland. In addition to the gilding, the project includes a complete restoration of the historic bronze surfaces. The work is scheduled for completion no later than the end of September, although officials are also seeking to finish by Independence Day in early July. The effort forms part of a much larger beautification campaign across the capital. According to government data, projects totaling approximately $95 million were launched between December 2025 and April 2026. Donald Trump made the visual transformation of Washington a personal priority early in his second term and has repeatedly announced plans to fundamentally reshape the capital.

Additional controversy surrounds another report suggesting that a possible settlement involving TikTok and its parent company ByteDance could provide several hundred million dollars for projects of this kind. Rather than going to individuals affected by a privacy related legal action, some of the funds could instead be directed toward the redevelopment of Washington. The result is a remarkable image emerging in the American capital. While spending cuts are being discussed in many areas, four horse statues surrounding the Lincoln Memorial are receiving a new coat of gold.