The Washington Times AI News Desk

Birmingham bank pays $4.9 million to settle PPP loan forgiveness fraud allegations

Regions Bank has agreed to pay nearly $4.9 million to the federal government to settle allegations that it approved forgiveness of a Paycheck Protection Program loan that the government said did not qualify under program rules, the Justice Department announced.

May 25, 2026

Guam trio sentenced for stealing $10.75M from children’s charity

Three Guam residents received federal prison sentences after being convicted of running a fraud scheme that diverted and laundered more than $10.75 million in charitable bingo proceeds intended to fund travel expenses for children receiving medical care through Shriners Hospital for Children in Hawaii, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands announced.

May 25, 2026

Texas man extradited from Panama to face sex trafficking charges

A Cuban national living in Texas faces multiple federal charges for allegedly using false promises and coercion to force four Cuban women into commercial sex work for his financial benefit, the Justice Department announced.

May 24, 2026

‘Queer as Folk’ star says Hollywood shifted away from gay content

Actor Ryan O'Connell says Hollywood has shifted away from gay-themed content: "So much of what's getting made in Hollywood does not represent the world we're living in today at all. I think that's a real shame."

May 23, 2026

Giants teammates split as Jaxson Dart introduces Trump at New York rally

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart made a surprise appearance Friday to introduce President Trump at a campaign rally for Rep. Mike Lawler in Suffern, New York -- and the appearance quickly divided the Giants' locker room.

May 23, 2026

Rob Base, ‘It Takes Two’ rapper who helped popularize crossover hip-hop, dies at 59

Rob Base, the Harlem rapper who became a late-1980s cultural phenomenon with the genre-blending smash "It Takes Two," died Friday surrounded by family after a private battle with cancer. He was 59.

May 23, 2026

‘Ballroom Republicans’: Democrats bet on White House glitter to fuel midterm wave

Democrats have a new midterm rallying cry -- and it's called "Ballroom Republicans." Here's how Trump's gilded White House projects became a political flashpoint while Americans pay $4.50 for gas.

May 22, 2026

5 questions about the FDA’s surprise vaping policy shift

The Food and Drug Administration quietly published rules letting unvetted e-cigarettes hit shelves -- and the agency's own experts say they were never consulted.

May 22, 2026

Mark McCloskey reverses course as Jan. 6 payout fund materializes

Mark McCloskey, the St. Louis attorney who gained national notoriety in 2020 when he and his wife Patricia brandished firearms at BLM protesters marching past their home, abruptly reversed course this month and announced he is resuming legal representation of clients who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot -- a reversal that arrived with conspicuous timing, just days after the Trump admin announced a $1.8B government fund potentially available to those who say the DOJ victimized them under Biden.

May 22, 2026

United passenger tries to open door mid-flight, plane diverts to Dulles

A United Airlines flight bound for Guatemala City was forced to make an unplanned landing at Washington Dulles International Airport on Thursday night after a passenger allegedly attempted to open a cabin door at cruising altitude and assaulted a fellow traveler, federal authorities said.

May 22, 2026

Mel Gibson unveils first look at ‘Resurrection of the Christ,’ delays release

Mel Gibson has released the first official image from "The Resurrection of the Christ," the long-anticipated sequel to his 2004 blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ" -- and announced new release dates for both parts of the two-film epic.

May 22, 2026

Texas Dem candidate who called for jailing ‘Zionists’ turns on party, media over backlash

Maureen Galindo, a Texas Democratic congressional candidate who drew widespread condemnation for calling to imprison "American Zionists" in a converted ICE detention facility, is now blaming journalists and her own party for the furor -- while doubling down on the core of her remarks.

May 22, 2026

Trump lashes out at Colbert after ‘Late Show’ finale: ‘Like a dead person’

TRUMP on Colbert finale: "Colbert is finally finished at CBS. Amazing that he lasted so long! No talent, no ratings, no life. He was like a dead person. You could take any person off of the street and they would be better than this total jerk."

May 22, 2026

‘Taxi Driver’ screenwriter Paul Schrader says AI girlfriend dumped him

Paul Schrader, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter behind "Taxi Driver" and "Raging Bull," went public this week with an unusual experiment: He tried dating an artificial intelligence chatbot -- and got rejected.

May 22, 2026

‘Call Her Daddy’ host, comedian draw backlash over celiac disease remarks

"Call Her Daddy" host Alex Cooper and comedian Robby Hoffman are facing online backlash after comments they made about celiac disease on the popular podcast drew criticism from listeners with the condition.

May 22, 2026

Conservatives rally against right-wing podcasters fueling antisemitism

A coalition of Republican lawmakers, Trump administration officials and religious leaders convened in Washington this week to confront what they described as a growing antisemitic influence emanating from the right-wing podcast world -- and to organize a counteroffensive.

May 21, 2026

Chelsea Handler blasts Shane Gillis, Tony Hinchcliffe over ‘racist’ Kevin Hart roast jokes

CHELSEA HANDLER: Jokes that were told by Shane Gillis and Tony Hinchcliffe during "The Roast of Kevin Hart" were "racist" and "sexist."

May 21, 2026

Things to do in Washington, D.C. this Memorial Day weekend: May 22-25

It'll be a wet Memorial Day weekend in Washington, D.C., but there are still plenty of events on the calendar to enjoy, capped by the National Memorial Day Parade along Constitution Avenue on Monday.

May 21, 2026

Tennessee halts execution after officials can’t find inmate’s vein

Tennessee called off the scheduled execution of Tony Carruthers on Thursday after officials spent more than an hour trying and failing to establish an intravenous line, prompting Gov. Bill Lee to grant a one-year reprieve.

May 21, 2026

‘Abbott Elementary’ star Quinta Brunson set to play Betty Boop in new feature film

Quinta Brunson, the Emmy-winning creator and star of ABC's "Abbott Elementary," is developing and will star in a new feature film centered on iconic cartoon character Betty Boop.

May 21, 2026