The Washington Times AI News Desk

Panda Express calls police on customer wearing MAGA hat, vlogger says

A conservative vlogger claims Panda Express staff called police on him after he wore a MAGA hat and gave a thumbs-up to a cook at the restaurant.

May 19, 2026

Kroger Homestyle Cheese Garlic Croutons recalled over salmonella risk in 17 states

Shoppers in 17 states who purchased Kroger Homestyle Cheese Garlic Croutons should check their pantries after Sugar Foods LLC issued a voluntary recall over potential salmonella contamination.

May 19, 2026

Kuwaiti jiu-jitsu champion refuses handshake with Israeli medalist at Abu Dhabi podium

Kuwaiti jiu-jitsu gold medalist refuses to shake hands with Israeli bronze medalist: "We do not play with these types. We do not respect these types."

May 19, 2026

Chiefs’ Rashee Rice jailed after testing positive for marijuana, to miss OTAs and minicamp

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice has been ordered to serve 30 days in jail after testing positive for THC in violation of his probation tied to a multi-car crash in Dallas more than two years ago, according to Dallas County court documents.

May 19, 2026

5 questions about the mental health benefits of cleaning

From Zen monks to clinical psychologists, experts say that mundane household chores can offer unexpected mental and emotional rewards -- if you know how to approach them.

May 19, 2026

D.C.-area developer builds free app mapping 700+ happy hours across the DMV

A Washington-area resident who says they have lived in the District for more than a decade has turned longstanding frustration with the city's scattered happy hour scene into a free app that maps more than 700 drink and food deals across D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

May 19, 2026

Former Nashville plant managers plead guilty to illegal waste dumping, monitoring fraud

A former plant manager and a supervisor at a Nashville industrial waste facility pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiring to bypass waste pretreatment systems and tamper with monitoring equipment, the Justice Department announced.

May 19, 2026

Actor Sebastian Stan uses Cannes platform to criticize Trump: ‘We’re in a really, really bad place’

"Avengers" Actor SEBASTIAN STAN on Trump: "It's just not a laughing matter, to be honest. It isn't. I think we're in a really, really bad place. I really do."

May 19, 2026

Ex-real estate professional sentenced to 55 months in prison for $2.25M fraud

A former real estate professional who drained a retirement investment fund to finance a luxury lifestyle -- including a custom pink Tesla and an 8.5-carat diamond ring -- was sentenced to 55 months in federal prison on 14 felony counts, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington.

May 19, 2026

Cate Blanchett: #MeToo movement ‘got killed very quickly’

Actress CATE BLANCHETT on the #MeToo movement: "It got killed very quickly, which I think is interesting ... If you don't identify a problem, you can't solve the problem. You shut that conversation down. You can't move on."

May 19, 2026

Andrej Karpathy leaves OpenAI to join Anthropic’s AI research team

Andrej Karpathy, a founding member of OpenAI and one of the most prominent researchers in artificial intelligence, announced Tuesday that he is joining rival AI lab Anthropic.

May 19, 2026

‘90 Day Fiance’ star Jenny Slatten diagnosed with ALS

Jenny Slatten, the 68-year-old fan favorite from TLC's "90 Day Fiance" franchise, has revealed she was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis last December -- one year after she first experienced symptoms.

May 19, 2026

Red Lobster’s longest-running location to shut doors Sunday after 56 years

Red Lobster's oldest continuously operating restaurant -- a Tallahassee, Florida, location that survived the seafood chain's 2024 bankruptcy -- will permanently close Sunday, ending a 56-year run.

May 19, 2026

Stephen King slams Trump over ‘not even a little bit’ Iran remark

STEPHEN KING: "Trump says he doesn't care 'even a little bit' if Americans suffer rising costs. Of course he doesn't ... Will you MAGA Trumpaholics never learn?"

May 19, 2026

ICE used the honor system to track millions of released migrants — most never showed up

ICE lost track of at least 70% of migrants paroled at the southern border under President Biden. Here's how an "honor system" became the government's primary tracking method -- and why it failed.

May 19, 2026

Ireland changed deportation flight menus after pork sausages served to Muslim detainees

Ireland's air charter contractor revised its in-flight catering procedures after a government-appointed human rights monitor flagged that a deportation flight to Pakistan had served pork sausages -- prohibited under Islamic dietary law -- to 24 Muslim men being removed from the country.

May 19, 2026

DOJ charges Iraqi national in connection with 20 attacks across U.S., Europe and Canada

Federal prosecutors on Monday announced the arrest of Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, an Iraqi national described as a senior member and commander of Kata'ib Hizballah, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization, charging him with six terrorism-related counts for his alleged role in nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks across Europe, the United States and Canada.

May 18, 2026

$1.7 billion in taxpayer money, no court oversight: Trump’s new DOJ fund draws bipartisan fire

The Trump administration has created a $1.7 billion taxpayer-funded account at the Justice Department for political allies. Critics call it a slush fund -- and it replaces a promise Trump made to give the money to charity.

May 18, 2026

California man charged with smuggling protected turtles to Asia

A Daly City, California, man was arrested this week on federal wildlife trafficking charges after prosecutors said he conspired to illegally export hundreds of protected turtles to Asia using fraudulent paperwork.

May 18, 2026

Michigan woman convicted in $1.6M Medicare home health fraud scheme

A federal jury in Michigan has convicted a home health care agency owner of running a $1.6 million Medicare fraud scheme built on bribery, stolen patient records and falsified claims, the Justice Department announced.

May 18, 2026