The Washington Times AI News Desk

‘Looksmaxxing’ influencer Connor Murphy dies at 32 after drowning in Thailand

Connor Murphy, an American fitness influencer known for his bodybuilding content and his association with the online "looksmaxxing" community, died Tuesday after drowning in a lake at a luxury housing estate in Thailand.

July 8, 2026

‘Pretending they don’t know’: Governors accused of ignoring National Guard misuse in D.C.

Democratic governors sent National Guard troops to D.C. for the 250th anniversary -- now critics say those troops are being pulled into Trump's ongoing crime crackdown, and some governors are pulling out early.

July 8, 2026

Trump blasts European allies as disloyal at tense NATO summit opening in Ankara

President Trump criticized Western European allies as unreliable partners at the opening of a two-day NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, setting a tense tone for discussions on defense spending and the Russia-Ukraine war, according to remarks made alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

July 7, 2026

5 questions about Utah’s revocation of Provo Canyon School’s license

Utah has revoked the license of the Provo Canyon School boarding facility, where Paris Hilton says she was abused as a teen, citing years of health and safety violations.

July 7, 2026

Man tied to UFC White House plot faces federal threat charges

Federal authorities arrested a 19-year-old Elk Grove man on July 1, 2026, for allegedly making threats concerning an attempt to damage or destroy federal property using fire or explosives, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

July 7, 2026

DOJ settles antitrust case with property management company over rental pricing algorithms

The Justice Department's Antitrust Division has filed a proposed settlement with Willow Bridge Property Company LLC, resolving the United States' claims against the company as part of a broader enforcement action targeting alleged algorithmic coordination, the use of competitors' competitively sensitive data and other anticompetitive practices in rental markets, according to the department. The case is part of ongoing litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina.

July 7, 2026

Doctors sound alarm as AI starts renewing prescriptions without a checkup

AI chatbots cannot legally prescribe medication on their own, but several states are already letting companies test automated prescription renewals. Doctors warn the shortcuts could put patients at risk.

July 7, 2026

Former college basketball player charged in alleged $2.2 million wire fraud scheme

Former college basketball player Kerr Kriisa, a 25-year-old Estonian national, was arrested and will appear in federal court this week on five counts of wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced.

July 6, 2026

Guatemalan man pleads guilty in smuggling case that killed 53 migrants

A Guatemalan national pleaded guilty today to charges stemming from a 2022 human smuggling operation that left 53 migrants dead in what became one of the deadliest such incidents in U.S. history, the Justice Department said.

July 6, 2026

Romanian brothers plead guilty in $760,000 SNAP fraud scheme

Two Romanian brothers residing unlawfully in the United States pleaded guilty in federal court to participating in a wire fraud scheme involving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits that affected victims across multiple states, U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for the Western District of North Carolina announced.

July 6, 2026

Man sentenced after threatening 3 schools following Charlie Kirk backlash

A 19-year-old Advance man was sentenced in June to 10 months in prison for making threats of mass shootings against three universities, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of North Carolina announced last month.

July 6, 2026

Trump posts fake image of Obamas on graffiti-covered Air Force One

Trump posted a doctored image of the Obamas boarding a graffiti-covered Air Force One -- the latest in a pattern of posts targeting the former first couple.

July 6, 2026

Republicans tout tax breaks, Democrats blast Medicaid cuts on bill’s anniversary

President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act marked its first anniversary on Saturday, with Republicans mounting an aggressive campaign to sell the legislation's tax benefits to voters ahead of a difficult midterm election.

July 5, 2026

‘1619 Project’ creator says reparations would mean admitting U.S. existence is ‘crime’

'1619 Project' creator Nikole Hannah-Jones said paying reparations for slavery would amount to admitting that "the entire existence of the United States" is a crime.

July 4, 2026

CNN’s Garcia-Navarro: Democrats have ceded the American flag to Republicans

CNN contributor Lulu Garcia-Navarro says "the Democratic Party writ large has stepped away from the rallying around the flag," and if you see the flag, "you are going to assume that that person is a Republican."

July 4, 2026

NYC bar owner says Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce wedding closures cost him thousands in lost business

An NYC bar owner says the street closures surrounding Taylor Swift's and Travis Kelce's wedding week cost his business thousands of dollars after the NYPD implemented extensive street closures around Madison Square Garden for the couple's nuptials.

July 4, 2026

Fired ex-Joint Chiefs chairman warns against politicizing the military in new essay

Fired ex-Joint Chiefs chairman Gen. Charles Q. Brown warns against politicizing military: "What is starting to happen now, it is not about merit. All of these people who are being removed are very well experienced."

July 4, 2026

Millie Bobby Brown says she was a gay soldier killed by sword in past life

Actress MILLIE BOBBY BROWN said she believes she lived a past life as a closeted gay soldier who died after being run through with a sword.

July 3, 2026

Secret Service missed 102 radio calls warning of Trump’s Butler shooter, watchdog finds

REPORT: Secret Service missed 102 radio calls warning of Trump's Butler shooter.

July 3, 2026

Police brace for ‘teen takeover’ chaos ahead of Fourth of July weekend

Police departments across the country are deploying drones, curfews and social media monitoring to head off so-called "teen takeovers" before they can disrupt Fourth of July weekend celebrations marking the nation's 250th anniversary on Saturday.

July 3, 2026