Washington Times - Politics, Breaking News, US and World News

Federal agencies made $186 billion in improper payments last year, watchdog finds

The Theodore Roosevelt Building, location of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, is pictured on Feb. 13, 2024, in Washington. In a city that revolves around the federal government, the annual Best Places to Work survey is a closely-watched annual event worthy of bragging rights, provided you're one of the agencies like NASA or the Government Accountability Office who topped the survey. The survey, released Monday, May 20, uses information from the Office of Personnel Management's Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

Federal agencies made an estimated $186 billion in improper payments in the 2026 fiscal year, totaling about $3 trillion in payment errors since 2003, according to a new report.

Federal judge pauses Trump team’s SNAP restrictions

A California SNAP benefits shopper pushes a cart through a supermarket in Bellflower, Calif., Feb. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Allison Dinner, File)

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

A federal judge halted the Trump administration’s effort to force states to comply with new conditions on billions of dollars in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding.

A California SNAP benefits shopper pushes a cart through a supermarket in Bellflower, Calif., Feb. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Allison Dinner, File)

Federal judge pauses Trump team’s SNAP restrictions

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

U.S. President Donald Trump greets Russia's President Vladimir Puti at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Aug. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Russian envoy teases deal with U.S. for Russia-Alaska underwater tunnel

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

Former U.S. Rep. Stephen Buyer, left, trails his lawyer as he leaves Manhattan federal court after pleading not guilty to charges that he participated in an insider trading scheme while working as a consultant, July 27, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Larry Neumeister, File)

Trump pardons former Rep. Stephen Buyer, convicted of insider trading

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One en route from Joint Base Andrews, Md., to Eau Claire, Wis., Friday, June 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Trump expresses support to funding Anti-Weaponization Fund but not committed to reviving it

By Kerry Picket - The Washington Times

The Agnes Reynolds Jackson Arboretum is shown where multiple people were shot at a community festival Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Toledo, Ohio. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

At least 12 people shot at an Ohio street festival and suspects remain at large, police say

By Jaimie Ding and Thomas Peipert - Associated Press

Happening Now

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One en route from Joint Base Andrews, Md., to Eau Claire, Wis., Friday, June 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Trump expresses support to funding Anti-Weaponization Fund but not committed to reviving it

By Kerry Picket - The Washington Times

The Agnes Reynolds Jackson Arboretum is shown where multiple people were shot at a community festival Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Toledo, Ohio. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

At least 12 people shot at an Ohio street festival and suspects remain at large, police say

By Jaimie Ding and Thomas Peipert - Associated Press

FILE - Kim Yo Jong, a sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, attends a wreath-laying ceremony at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam, March 2, 2019. (Jorge Silva/Pool Photo via AP, File)

North Korea calls the U.S. push for its denuclearization ‘anachronistic dream’

By Hyung-Jin Kim - Associated Press

In this image provided and annotated by the Alexandria's Sheriff's Office, David J. Rush is seen in his booking photo in Alexandria, Va. (Alexandria Sheriff via AP)

CIA official arrested in Va. with gold bars started fake spy program to pad his pockets: reports

By Matt Delaney - The Washington Times

Commentary View all

"In god we trust" on dollar banknote. File photo credit: PixieMe via Shutterstock.

How ‘In God We Trust’ ended up on our currency

By Billy Hallowell

First lady Jill Biden, speaks during a Cabinet meeting presided over by President Joe Biden, in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) ** FILE **

Jill Biden still trying to gaslight us

By Editorial Board

This photograph is believed to show E Company, 16th Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, participating in the first wave of assaults during D-Day in Normandy, France, June 6, 1944. (Chief Photographer's Mate Robert M. Sargent, U.S. Coast Guard via AP, File)

D-Day dawns and hopefully, Americans don’t yawn

By Cheryl K. Chumley

Voting in California's election system illustration by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

California’s Third World election system

By Kelly Sadler

United Nations' panel on climate change findings illustration by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

U.N. climate forecast shelved as ‘implausible’ has been central to the left’s arguments for years

By Tim Murtaugh

Culture View all

Luke Evans, left, and Josh Rivera appear during a performance of "Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Picture Show" in New York on March 25, 2026. (Joan Marcus via AP)

Vampires, literary monsters and a cake: The Tony Awards offer a number of intriguing, possible wins

By Mark Kennedy - Associated Press

An attendee at Denmark's Mullet Championship looks on in Copenhagen, Saturday, June 6, 2026. (AP Photo/James Brooks)

A raucous Copenhagen crowd cheers Denmark’s 2026 Mullet Championship

By James Brooks - Associated Press

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, right, is congratulated by Taylor Swift as they celebrate the Chiefs victory over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship NFL football game, Jan. 26, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce plan July 4 weekend wedding at Madison Square Garden, reports say

By The Washington Times AI News Desk

The "60 Minutes" team, from left, Andy Rooney, Morley Safer, Steve Kroft, Mike Wallace, executive producer Don Hewitt, Lesley Stahl, and Ed Bradley pose at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York celebrating their 25th anniversary, on Nov. 10, 1993. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

Remaining ‘60 Minutes’ stars say they’re staying, don’t want to see CBS show die

By Jocelyn Noveck - Associated Press

View all

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth salutes during a ceremony at the US cemetery to commemorate the 82nd anniversary of the D-Day, in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France, Saturday, June 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeremias Gonzalez)

Hegseth invokes immigration and ‘invasion’ in D-Day speech in France

Associated Press

This image from video provided by U.S. Central Command shows U.S. sailors and Marines aboard USS Tripoli arriving in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, March 27, 2026. (U.S. Central Command via AP) ** FILE **

War of words: Iran, CENTCOM offer competing accounts of Gulf naval interaction

By Vaughn Cockayne - The Washington Times

In this March 4, 2019, file photo, the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building is seen in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

American who helped China gather secrets pleads guilty

By Bill Gertz - The Washington Times

A demonstrator holds a sign during a protest against the Trump administration's new travel bans, June 9, 2025, at the Tom Bradley International Terminal at the Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent) **FILE**

Federal judge erases Trump’s 39-country travel ban

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

Trump Central View all

President Donald Trump speaks at Custer Farms in Chippewa Falls, Wis., Friday, June 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Trump lashes out at ‘Meet the Press,’ calls NBC ‘crooked’ over California’s vote-counting process

By Kerry Picket - The Washington Times

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One en route from Joint Base Andrews, Md., to Eau Claire, Wis., Friday, June 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Trump expresses support to funding Anti-Weaponization Fund but not committed to reviving it

By Kerry Picket - The Washington Times

President Donald Trump speaks about TrumpRx in the South Court Auditorium in the Old Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

TrumpRx adds 160 drugs to TrumpRx for a total of over 800

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

President Donald Trump waves as he boards Air Force One, Friday, June 5, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Trump narrows DNI search to five candidates to replace Tulsi Gabbard as intelligence chief

By Jeff Mordock and Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times

Politics View all

U.S. President Donald Trump greets Russia's President Vladimir Puti at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Aug. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Russian envoy teases deal with U.S. for Russia-Alaska underwater tunnel

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

Former U.S. Rep. Stephen Buyer, left, trails his lawyer as he leaves Manhattan federal court after pleading not guilty to charges that he participated in an insider trading scheme while working as a consultant, July 27, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Larry Neumeister, File)

Trump pardons former Rep. Stephen Buyer, convicted of insider trading

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

A California SNAP benefits shopper pushes a cart through a supermarket in Bellflower, Calif., Feb. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Allison Dinner, File)

Federal judge pauses Trump team’s SNAP restrictions

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

California gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra speaks during an election night event Tuesday, June 2, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Democrat Xavier Becerra advances to general election in race for California governor

By Sophie Austin - Associated Press

Dive Deeper View all

A phone holder hangs in a classroom at Delta High School, on Feb. 23, 2024, in Delta, Utah, at a rural school, where there is a strict policy requiring students to check their phones at the door when entering every class. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

FCC weighs overhaul of subsidies for classroom internet as Big Tech backlash grows

By Susan Ferrechio - The Washington Times

A soldier from the Mexican Army's anti-drone squadron displays equipment and tactics to be used during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, during a media presentation in Mexico City, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

From the skies to the streets, feds are bracing for World Cup threats across 11 U.S. cities

By Matt Delaney - The Washington Times

Monsignor Stephen Rossetti, a psychologist who for a decade ran a U.S. treatment center for abusive priests, talks to the media at a press conference during a Vatican-backed symposium on clerical sex abuse, in Rome, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012. Psychologists told bishops from around the world Tuesday that priests who rape and molest children usually lie when confronted with an accusation, and that they should listen to victims since they usually tell the truth and need to be believed in order to heal. The messages were delivered at a Vatican-backed symposium on clerical sex abuse that is aimed at compelling bishops to create tough policies to protect children and root out pedophiles from the priesthood. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Cardinal fires D.C. exorcist who said UFOs are mostly demons in disguise

By Sean Salai - The Washington Times

Monica Crowley, White House chief of protocol, watches as Rwanda's President Paul Kagame drives away from the West Wing of the White House, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) **FILE**

Video
Monica Crowley, ambassador and chief of protocol, makes case for Trump ballroom

By Alex Swoyer - The Washington Times

National View all

The Agnes Reynolds Jackson Arboretum is shown where multiple people were shot at a community festival Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Toledo, Ohio. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

At least 12 people shot at an Ohio street festival and suspects remain at large, police say

By Jaimie Ding and Thomas Peipert - Associated Press

Police officers work at the scene of a shooting near a festival in Toledo, Ohio on Saturday, June 6, 2026. (WTVG via AP)

Multiple people have been shot near a festival in Toledo, Ohio, authorities say

By Jaimie Ding and Thomas Peipert - Associated Press

A boy uses a social media platform in Brasilia, Brazil, Thursday, March 19, 2026. A new law regulating children’s use of social media took effect this week, requiring users under 16 to link their accounts to a legal guardian. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Internet traffic from AI agents and other bots now surpasses that of people

By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times

Anti-ICE protesters disperse during clashes with law enforcement officers outside the Delaney Hall detention center on Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

What to know about the ongoing protests and arrests outside a New Jersey detention center

By Philip Marcelo and Claire Galofaro - Associated Press

World View all

Richard Lokudu, center, the medical director of Mongbwalu General Hospital, speaks with UN peacekeepers in Mongbwalu, Congo, Friday, June 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

Health workers at the epicenter of Congo’s Ebola outbreak labor with little pay or rest

By Justin Kabumba and Ope Adetayo - Associated Press

Supporters of Russian-Armenian tycoon Samvel Karapetyan, wave a Armenian national flag during a rally against incumbent Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at Republic Square in Yerevan, Armenia, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, as Karapetyan, who heads the Strong Armenia party, has faced criminal charges that he rejected as politically driven and campaigned from under house arrest. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)

Armenia prepares for an election that could reshape ties with Moscow and the West

By Yuras Karmanau and Katie Marie Davies - Associated Press

In this image taken from PA Video, police and protestors clash during a protest following the death of Henry Nowak, a 18-year-old student stabbed to death with a Sikh kirpan ceremonial by Vickrum Digwa, in Southampton, England, Tuesday June 2, 2026. (Jamie Lashmar/PA via AP)

U.K. police charge 6 more with violent disorder at protest over teen’s stabbing death

Associated Press

Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel, second left, and Raul Castro's grandson Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, center back, take part in a rally in support of former President Raul Castro in front of the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba, Friday, May 22, 2026, after U.S. prosecutors filed an indictment accusing him of ordering the 1996 shootdown of civilian planes flown by Miami-based exiles. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Cuba ex-President Raul Castro makes first appearance since U.S. charges to celebrate birthday

Associated Press

Sports View all

A man sits in front of a mural of late football legend Pele and Neymar at a restaurant in Santos, Brazil, Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Soccer great Pele’s legacy shines on in his one-time home ahead of the World Cup

By Thiago Mostazo and Mauricio Savarese - Associated Press

Jockey Jose Ortiz celebrates as he crosses the finish line aboard Golden Tempo (9) to win the 158th running of the Belmont Stakes horse race, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Golden Tempo wins the 158th running of the Belmont Stakes after winning the Kentucky Derby

Associated Press

President-elect Donald Trump attends UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York, with Kid Rock, Donald Trump Jr., Dana White and Elon Musk. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

No bags will be allowed at NBA Finals Game 3 with President Trump in attendance, reports say

By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times

Poland's Maja Chwalinska react after winning during the semifinal tennis match against Russia's Diana Shnaider at the French Open in Paris, Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva wins French Open to claim first Grand Slam tennis title

By Andrew Dampf - Associated Press

Higher Ground View all

Pope Leo XIV talks to journalists aboard the papal flight from Rome to Madrid, Saturday, June 6, 2026, on the occasion of his apostolic journey to Spain. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Pool)

Pope acknowledges stiff competition with Bad Bunny in Spain and weighs in on national soccer rivalry

By Nicole Winfield - Associated Press

FBI director Kash Patel testifies before the Senate Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing on Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request for the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration; the United States Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, May 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

FBI analysts tied to disputed ‘Catholic ideology’ memo told they’re being fired

By Eric Tucker and Alanna Durkin Richer - Associated Press

Rows of gravestones stand at the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., May 13, 2014. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

Defense Department slashes its religious designations list from more than 200 choices to 31

By Tiffany Stanley - Associated Press

"In god we trust" on dollar banknote. File photo credit: PixieMe via Shutterstock.

Commentary
How ‘In God We Trust’ ended up on our currency

By Billy Hallowell

Podcasts View all

Threat Status Podcast

LISTEN: Robots and the U.S.-China competition

Threat Status podcast

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God, Country & the American Story

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LISTEN: Supreme Court rulings to watch

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FILE - Kim Yo Jong, a sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, attends a wreath-laying ceremony at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam, March 2, 2019. (Jorge Silva/Pool Photo via AP, File)

North Korea calls the U.S. push for its denuclearization ‘anachronistic dream’

By Hyung-Jin Kim - Associated Press

In this image provided and annotated by the Alexandria's Sheriff's Office, David J. Rush is seen in his booking photo in Alexandria, Va. (Alexandria Sheriff via AP)

CIA official arrested in Va. with gold bars started fake spy program to pad his pockets: reports

By Matt Delaney - The Washington Times

President-elect Donald Trump attends UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York, with Kid Rock, Donald Trump Jr., Dana White and Elon Musk. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

No bags will be allowed at NBA Finals Game 3 with President Trump in attendance, reports say

By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times

Jockey Jose Ortiz celebrates as he crosses the finish line aboard Golden Tempo (9) to win the 158th running of the Belmont Stakes horse race, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Golden Tempo wins the 158th running of the Belmont Stakes after winning the Kentucky Derby

Associated Press

President Donald Trump speaks about TrumpRx in the South Court Auditorium in the Old Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

TrumpRx adds 160 drugs to TrumpRx for a total of over 800

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

Police officers work at the scene of a shooting near a festival in Toledo, Ohio on Saturday, June 6, 2026. (WTVG via AP)

Multiple people have been shot near a festival in Toledo, Ohio, authorities say

By Jaimie Ding and Thomas Peipert - Associated Press

California gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra speaks during an election night event Tuesday, June 2, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Democrat Xavier Becerra advances to general election in race for California governor

By Sophie Austin - Associated Press

Anti-ICE protesters disperse during clashes with law enforcement officers outside the Delaney Hall detention center on Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

What to know about the ongoing protests and arrests outside a New Jersey detention center

By Philip Marcelo and Claire Galofaro - Associated Press

Milk pours out of the bulk tank and into the drain Wednesday, April 8, 2020, at the Azevedo Family Dairy in Buhl, Idaho. With restaurants across the country closed, milk processors have lost a significant chunk of their market, leaving dairy farmers with no one to take their milk. Owner Richard Azevedo says 4,100 gallons of milk were dumped that morning. 'It's hard to watch that go down the drain,' he says. (Pat Sutphin/Times-News via AP)

Idaho health officials probe outbreaks linked to raw milk

By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times

President Donald Trump waves as he boards Air Force One, Friday, June 5, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Trump narrows DNI search to five candidates to replace Tulsi Gabbard as intelligence chief

By Jeff Mordock and Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times

Graham Platner, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, speaks at an event hosted by Sen. Bernie Sanders in Orono, Maine, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Platner’s ex-girlfriend says New York Times softened bombshell account about him

By Kerry Picket - The Washington Times

Lights flash on top of a police car in Philadelphia, Jan. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

Mexican who overstayed tourist visa for years sentenced in D.C. to year in jail for dealing cocaine

By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times

In this March 4, 2019, file photo, the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building is seen in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

American who helped China gather secrets pleads guilty

By Bill Gertz - The Washington Times

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser attends a news conference following a shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert, File)

Trump looms large over upcoming primary elections in nation’s capital

By Gary Fields - Associated Press

A sign is seen at the site of a fatal shark attack at Dee Why Beach in Sydney, Australia, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Baker, File)

Spearfisher killed in Australia’s third fatal shark attack in 4 weeks

Associated Press

Fans watch a Champion league soccer match between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain at the Lion Sports Bar, Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Tassanee Vejpongsa)

OPM gives federal workers the green light to telework during FIFA World Cup matches

By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times

This photo provided by the Virginia State Police shows the scene of a fatal accident involving a bus on Interstate 95 near Quantico, Va., on Friday, May 29, 2026. (Virginia State Police via AP) ** FILE *

Roadway disasters pile up as states buck Trump administration’s call to end non-English CDL tests

By Susan Ferrechio - The Washington Times

Private jets sit parked at Scottsdale Airport on Jan. 27, 2015, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) **FILE**

Annapolis man promised private jets, delivered fraud: Jury convicts AeroVanti founder

By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times

President Donald Trump speaks at Custer Farms in Chippewa Falls, Wis., Friday, June 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Trump vows relief for struggling farmers at Wisconsin roundtable

By Kerry Picket and Jeff Mordock - The Washington Times

The Winn Correctional Center, an ICE detention facility, is seen in this aerial photo in Winnfield, La., Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Federal watchdog flags use-of-force violations at Louisiana’s largest ICE facility

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times