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

Tax the rich? California voters will decide in November; other states could follow

A large banner is seen at a campaign event for a proposed "billionaires tax" in Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) **FILE**

By Susan Ferrechio - The Washington Times

The anti-billionaire movement has taken hold in California, where voters provided enough signatures to force a landmark ballot initiative that would levy a one-time, 5% tax on the state’s richest residents.

DNI says new documents show intelligence agencies covered up lab origin of COVID

A security person moves journalists away from the Wuhan Institute of Virology after a World Health Organization team arrived for a field visit in Wuhan in China's Hubei province, Feb. 3, 2021. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)

By Bill Gertz - The Washington Times

Former government infectious disease leader Anthony Fauci provided millions of American taxpayer dollars to China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology where the virus behind COVID-19 pandemic likely began, the Office of Director of National Intelligence said in releasing new documents on the controversy.

A security person moves journalists away from the Wuhan Institute of Virology after a World Health Organization team arrived for a field visit in Wuhan in China's Hubei province, Feb. 3, 2021. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)

DNI says new documents show intelligence agencies covered up lab origin of COVID

By Bill Gertz - The Washington Times

Neighbors talk during a block party campaign event for Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt Sunday, May 31, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jill Connelly)

The frustrated filmmaker who changed political advertising overnight

By Seth McLaughlin - The Washington Times

Hunter Biden listens while his father, President Joe Biden, speaks during a Hanukkah reception in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey Jr.) **FILE**

Hunter Biden challenges Trump Jr. to cage match after UFC White House event

By The Washington Times AI News Desk

Australia's Aiden O'Neill (13) appeals for offside after United States' Alex Freeman (16) scored a goal past Australia goalkeeper Patrick Beach (18) during the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Australia in Seattle, Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Maddy Grassy)

Despite Pulisic’s absence, U.S. tops Australia to advance to World Cup knockout round

By Andrew Destin - Associated Press

From l-r., former President Joe Biden, former first lady Jill Biden, former first lady Laura Bush and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on stage during the dedication ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Judge denies Biden’s bid to block release of transcripts linked to special counsel inquiry

By Nicholas Riccardi - Associated Press

Happening Now

Australia's Aiden O'Neill (13) appeals for offside after United States' Alex Freeman (16) scored a goal past Australia goalkeeper Patrick Beach (18) during the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Australia in Seattle, Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Maddy Grassy)

Despite Pulisic’s absence, U.S. tops Australia to advance to World Cup knockout round

By Andrew Destin - Associated Press

From l-r., former President Joe Biden, former first lady Jill Biden, former first lady Laura Bush and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on stage during the dedication ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Judge denies Biden’s bid to block release of transcripts linked to special counsel inquiry

By Nicholas Riccardi - Associated Press

The newly designated Air Force One presidential aircraft sits in a hangar following a tour by President Donald Trump at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Trump shows off newly refurbished Qatar-donated Air Force One jet

By Kerry Picket - The Washington Times

A rocket is launched from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) during a military live-fire shooting training in Taichung City, Taiwan, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

Korea unwilling, Europe unable to help in a Taiwan crisis, war game finds

By Andrew Salmon - The Washington Times

Commentary View all

D.C. Council member Janeese Lewis George waves to the crowd as she celebrates after winning D.C. Mayor primary election during an election night party at the Howard Theatre Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

D.C. now has a socialist mayor

By Editorial Board

Illustration on the effects of Britain's early release policy by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

The British gang rape scandal

By Kelly Sadler

Hiring sign for sales professionals is displayed at a store in Vernon Hills, Ill., Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, file)

Welfare has sapped the Midwestern work ethic

By Jonathan Ingram

U.S. Senate candidate Mike Collins celebrates during an election-night watch party after winning the Republican nomination, Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in Jackson, Ga. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)

Midterms shape up to favor Republicans on the issues

By Tim Murtaugh

In this photo released by the Iranian Presidency Office, President Masoud Pezeshkian, second right, listens to head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami as he visits an exhibition of Iran's nuclear achievements, in Tehran, Iran, April 9, 2025. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP, File)

Iranian MOU is far from Trump’s promise of ‘unconditional surrender’

By Editorial Board

Culture View all

A Waymo vehicle drives in San Francisco on July 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) **FILE**

Waymo recalls 3,800 vehicles after they drove themselves into construction zones

By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times

Geena Davis appears at the Fashion Trust U.S. Awards in Los Angeles on April 7, 2026. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

Geena Davis baffled by Netflix canceling ‘The Boroughs’ despite its Top 10 ranking

By Juliet La Sala - The Washington Times

Bad Bunny performs during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Bad Bunny, big bucks: Singer becomes first Latin music performer to surpass $1 billion in revenue

By Juliet La Sala - The Washington Times

CBP officers at the Galveston/Houston seaport have seized over $6 million worth of counterfeit goods for Intellectual Property Rights violations, including trademarks owned by FIFA. Image via @CBPCentralTX.

Fake World Cup merchandise seized by Houston, Miami customs agents

By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times

View all

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G7 summit, Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in Evian-les-Bains, France. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Why bipartisan backlash to Trump’s Iran deal is mounting

Friday, June 19 2026

Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility 10.17.2025. Photo credit: Camelia Streff via DVIDS

LISTEN: Inside the Army’s advanced manufacturing revolution

The Independence Monument is pictured as Ukrainian flags blow in the wind in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ukrainian anti-corruption agency says security employee bugged investigator’s home

By Mike Glenn - The Washington Times

This image provided by Anduril Industries shows a rendering of a manufacturing facility Anduril Industries is preparing to build in central Ohio, state officials announced Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Anduril Industries via AP) ** FILE **

Investment in defense tech is soaring as Pentagon encourages venture capitalists to participate

By John T. Seward - The Washington Times

Trump Central View all

President Donald Trump, right, awards retired Marine Maj. James Capers the Medal of Honor in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Trump awards medals of honor to Vietnam and Afghanistan war heroes

By Kerry Picket - The Washington Times

Mary Trump discussing her book "Who Could Ever Love You: A Family Memoir" at The 92nd Street Y in New York on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) **FILE**

Trump settles $100 million lawsuit against niece over financial leaks to New York Times

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he leaves the stage after a media conference at the end of the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Trump invokes Defense Production Act as U.S. munitions stockpiles dwindle

By Ben Wolfgang - The Washington Times

General Andrew Jackson Statue in Lafayette Park and the White House in the background. File photo credit: Nate Hovee via Shutterstock.

Trump aims to fence in Lafayette Square across from White House

By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times

Politics View all

From l-r., former President Joe Biden, former first lady Jill Biden, former first lady Laura Bush and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on stage during the dedication ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Judge denies Biden’s bid to block release of transcripts linked to special counsel inquiry

By Nicholas Riccardi - Associated Press

The newly designated Air Force One presidential aircraft sits in a hangar following a tour by President Donald Trump at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Trump shows off newly refurbished Qatar-donated Air Force One jet

By Kerry Picket - The Washington Times

A large banner is seen at a campaign event for a proposed "billionaires tax" in Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) **FILE**

Tax the rich? California voters will decide in November; other states could follow

By Susan Ferrechio - The Washington Times

Neighbors talk during a block party campaign event for Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt Sunday, May 31, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jill Connelly)

The frustrated filmmaker who changed political advertising overnight

By Seth McLaughlin - The Washington Times

Dive Deeper View all

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

Video

WATCH: Feds move to close commercial driver’s license loophole after deadly Virginia bus crash

Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama on stage during the dedication ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Video
Obama Presidential Center opens — with millions owed to those who built it

By Susan Ferrechio - The Washington Times

The Anti-Weaponization Fund was billed as a remedy for years of government overreach. But as George Gerbo reports, the Trump DOJ's plan collapsed under pressure from federal courts, skeptical Republican senators and questions about who would really benefit.

Video
The Anti-Weaponization Fund: Trump’s $1.776 billion plan may be down — but is it out?

This Friday, March 22, 2019, fie photo shows the Department of Justice Building in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) ** FILE **

DOJ seeks to block reparations to Black people whose ancestors suffered housing discrimination

By Susan Ferrechio - The Washington Times

National View all

Swarming bee colony. File photo credit: Imabulary via Shutterstock.

Truck full of bees overturns on Montana highway near Yellowstone

By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times

In this file photo from July 2004, Dianne Hensley, left, from Waco, with the McLennan County Collaborative Abstinence Project, sits in the audience and waits her turn to speak to members of the State Board of Education in Austin, Texas. Ms. Hensley, who has gone on to be a justice of the peace, is under fire for her personal policy of declining to officiate same-sex civil marriage ceremonies. Judge Hensley cites her religious beliefs, and says she always refers interested parties to other individuals who are capable of and willing to officiate the ceremony. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

Texas judge can’t be punished for refusing to officiate same-sex weddings, court rules

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

A pedestrian passes the main gate at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

Air Force base now requires flu vaccine after 160 troops infected, 1 dead

By Juliet La Sala - The Washington Times

U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said states “should take notice that they cannot require Americans to abandon their religious beliefs in the name of woke gender ideology.” (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Trump administration backs Catholic nuns fighting New York transgender mandate

By Valerie Richardson - The Washington Times

World View all

A security person moves journalists away from the Wuhan Institute of Virology after a World Health Organization team arrived for a field visit in Wuhan in China's Hubei province, Feb. 3, 2021. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)

DNI says new documents show intelligence agencies covered up lab origin of COVID

By Bill Gertz - The Washington Times

A rocket is launched from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) during a military live-fire shooting training in Taichung City, Taiwan, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

Korea unwilling, Europe unable to help in a Taiwan crisis, war game finds

By Andrew Salmon - The Washington Times

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a meeting with Honduras' President Nasry Asfura in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Zelenskyy gives Belarus a week to quit relaying Russian drones

By Mike Glenn - The Washington Times

A crocodile is seen at a crocodile farm in Siem Reap province, Cambodia, on Aug. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith) ** FILE **

Toddler injured in crocodile enclosure at U.K. zoo; man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder

By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times

Sports View all

Wyndham Clark waves after his putt on the 18th hole during the first round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., Thursday, June 18, 2026.(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Clark builds 4-shot lead at U.S. Open with lowest 36-hole score at Shinnecock

By Doug Ferguson - Associated Press

Australia's Aiden O'Neill (13) appeals for offside after United States' Alex Freeman (16) scored a goal past Australia goalkeeper Patrick Beach (18) during the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Australia in Seattle, Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Maddy Grassy)

Despite Pulisic’s absence, U.S. tops Australia to advance to World Cup knockout round

By Andrew Destin - Associated Press

BYU forward AJ Dybantsa celebrates his three-pointer in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Baylor, Feb. 10, 2026, in Waco, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)

District of Sports: Who the Washington Wizards could take with the No. 1 Pick in the NBA draft

By Liam Griffin and George Gerbo - The Washington Times

‘Fantastic’ hosts are wowing World Cup travelers, dispelling anti-U.S. buzz that preceded tournament

By Liam Griffin - The Washington Times

Higher Ground View all

U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said states “should take notice that they cannot require Americans to abandon their religious beliefs in the name of woke gender ideology.” (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Trump administration backs Catholic nuns fighting New York transgender mandate

By Valerie Richardson - The Washington Times

Boxes of the drug mifepristone sit on a shelf at the West Alabama Women's Center in Tuscaloosa, Ala., March 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed) **FILE**

Exclusive
Poll shows most Americans value safety over access on abortion pill

By Valerie Richardson - The Washington Times

Docent Glyn Hughes, center right, speaks to a group at the Richmond Slavery Reconciliation Statue on Saturday, June 13, 2026, in Richmond, Va. (Religion News Service/Fiona André via AP)

In Richmond, churches retrace the path of the enslaved to confront their own history

By Fiona Andre - Associated Press

In this file photo from July 2004, Dianne Hensley, left, from Waco, with the McLennan County Collaborative Abstinence Project, sits in the audience and waits her turn to speak to members of the State Board of Education in Austin, Texas. Ms. Hensley, who has gone on to be a justice of the peace, is under fire for her personal policy of declining to officiate same-sex civil marriage ceremonies. Judge Hensley cites her religious beliefs, and says she always refers interested parties to other individuals who are capable of and willing to officiate the ceremony. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

Texas judge can’t be punished for refusing to officiate same-sex weddings, court rules

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

Podcasts View all

Threat Status Podcast

NEW TODAY: Threat Status podcast

Inside the Army’s advanced manufacturing revolution

God, Country and the American Story

WATCH: How America lost its way

God, Country & the American Story

Bold & Blunt Podcast

LISTEN: The war is over — or is it?

Simcha Brodsky joins Bold and Blunt

Front Page Podcast

Get today’s top stories in under five minutes

Listen to the Front Page Podcast

Sponsored Content View all

From the Special Sections Department

Secure from Coast to Coast: Advancing American Transportation

Secure from Coast to Coast: Advancing American Transportation

From the Special Sections Department

American energy unleashed

American energy unleashed

From the Special Sections Department

Pathways to American progress: The next phase of U.S. infrastructure

Pathways to American progress: The next phase of U.S. infrastructure

From the Special Sections Department

Building the health care Americans deserve

Building the health care Americans deserve

More Stories

The newly designated Air Force One presidential aircraft sits in a hangar following a tour by President Donald Trump at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Trump shows off newly refurbished Qatar-donated Air Force One jet

By Kerry Picket - The Washington Times

A rocket is launched from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) during a military live-fire shooting training in Taichung City, Taiwan, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

Korea unwilling, Europe unable to help in a Taiwan crisis, war game finds

By Andrew Salmon - The Washington Times

Members of the National Park Service work to clean the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool of algae, Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Blue coating is peeling off bottom of newly renovated Reflecting Pool

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

The Bürgenstock Resort, a potential venue for talks with the U.S. and Iran, in Obbuergen, Switzerland, near Lucerne, Thursday, June 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

First round of U.S.-Iran talks in Switzerland postponed

By Vaughn Cockayne - The Washington Times

In this file photo from July 2004, Dianne Hensley, left, from Waco, with the McLennan County Collaborative Abstinence Project, sits in the audience and waits her turn to speak to members of the State Board of Education in Austin, Texas. Ms. Hensley, who has gone on to be a justice of the peace, is under fire for her personal policy of declining to officiate same-sex civil marriage ceremonies. Judge Hensley cites her religious beliefs, and says she always refers interested parties to other individuals who are capable of and willing to officiate the ceremony. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

Texas judge can’t be punished for refusing to officiate same-sex weddings, court rules

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

A Waymo vehicle drives in San Francisco on July 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) **FILE**

Waymo recalls 3,800 vehicles after they drove themselves into construction zones

By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times

Thomas Kean Jr., GOP candidate for New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, speaks at his election night party held in Basking Ridge N.J., Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

Rep. Thomas Kean set to return to Congress June 30 after three-month illness

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

Swarming bee colony. File photo credit: Imabulary via Shutterstock.

Truck full of bees overturns on Montana highway near Yellowstone

By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attends a Medal of Honor ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

U.S. strike on an alleged drug boat kills 3 in the eastern Pacific Ocean

Associated Press

"Help Wanted" sign is displayed at a dry cleaner in Rolling Meadows, Ill., Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, file)

Twenty-six jurisdictions to hike minimum wage next month

By Sean Salai - The Washington Times

U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said states “should take notice that they cannot require Americans to abandon their religious beliefs in the name of woke gender ideology.” (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Trump administration backs Catholic nuns fighting New York transgender mandate

By Valerie Richardson - The Washington Times

A pedestrian passes the main gate at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

Air Force base now requires flu vaccine after 160 troops infected, 1 dead

By Juliet La Sala - The Washington Times

Visitors sit on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court, Monday, June 8, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

Seen, Heard & Whispered: Conservative pressure, Biden missteps and GOP power moves

By Alex Swoyer - The Washington Times

President Donald Trump, right, awards retired Marine Maj. James Capers the Medal of Honor in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Trump awards medals of honor to Vietnam and Afghanistan war heroes

By Kerry Picket - The Washington Times

United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, right, speaks during a meeting of the North Atlantic Council in defense ministers format at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, June 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Senators threaten Hegseth’s travel budget to get disclosures about military strikes

By Mary McCue Bell - The Washington Times

Luigi Mangione appears at a hearing in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York, Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (Steven Hirsch/New York Post via AP, Pool)

Luigi Mangione’s lawyers reverse course, say they won’t pursue a psychiatric defense

By Michael R. Sisak - Associated Press

Smokes rise to the sky following an Israeli military strike in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel, Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Israel, Hezbollah agree to renewed ceasefire after strikes

By Vaughn Cockayne - The Washington Times

A document that was included in the U.S. Department of Justice release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, photographed Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, shows a Metropolitan Correctional Center report with photos of Epstein after a suicide attempt on July 23, 2019. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)

Democrats wield Epstein files as weapon in battle for the U.S. Senate

By Seth McLaughlin - The Washington Times

A 1,200-year-old Major Oak tree, which Robin Hood allegedly used as a hideout, stands in Sherwood Forest near Nottinghamshire, England, on Oct. 19, 2007. (AP Photo/Simon Dawson) **FILE**

Ancient oak tree in Britain’s Sherwood Forest, featured in legend of Robin Hood, declared dead

By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times

U.S. Senator Chris Coons is interviewed by the Associated Press in Taipei, Taiwan, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

Senate panel advances bill to protect against unauthorized AI copies of voice or likeness

By Lindsey McPherson - The Washington Times