Sean Salai

Sean Salai is the general assignment/culture reporter for The Washington Times. A former National desk intern and Metro clerk at The Washington Times, he also has served as a City Hall reporter at the Boca Raton News and as a special contributor at America Media. He can be reached at ssalai@washingtontimes.com.

Articles by Sean Salai

CDC: Gestational diabetes rate surges 27% among pregnant women

Gestational diabetes among pregnant women before childbirth is on the rise, climbing 27% from 2016 to 2021, according to federal data released Wednesday. Published May 31, 2023

Satellite campuses of far-flung colleges in orbit around nation’s capital

Public and private universities from across the country are racing to open satellite campuses around the White House and the U.S. Capitol, transforming empty office space in the nation's capital into a public policy mega-campus. Published May 29, 2023

Online daters say being ‘zombied’ is now scarier than ‘ghosting’

Being "ghosted" on dating websites by wooers who abruptly vanish without a word may hurt, but matchmakers say the new trend of being "zombied" is just plain scary. Published May 28, 2023

Report: States’ spending on public college surpasses 2008 levels

State funding for public colleges and universities grew 4.9% without adjusting for inflation last year and surpassed pre-recession spending per student for the first time since 2008, according to data released Thursday. Published May 25, 2023

Gary Sinise credits ‘Lt. Dan’ for chance to honor Vietnam vets on Memorial Day

Gary Sinise never expected to become the face of the nation's Memorial Day celebrations when he started performing for military audiences 20 years ago. Published May 25, 2023

Gallup: Expectations of ‘comfortable retirement’ hit lowest levels since 2012

Inflation has driven expectations of a comfortable retirement among working adults to their lowest level in annual Gallup polling since 2012, the company reported Thursday. Published May 25, 2023

CDC: Autopsy rates hit new low in 2020, COVID deaths ignored

Autopsy rates plunged to an all-time low during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic as deaths from the virus surged without being examined more closely, according to federal data released Wednesday. Published May 24, 2023

Report finds college enrollments rebounding slowly from COVID

College enrollments declined more slowly this spring semester after two years of a COVID-fueled nosedive, according to new data released Wednesday. Published May 24, 2023

Nashville pastor gives first sermon since losing daughter in shooting

Carrying his pain to the pulpit, the Rev. Chad Scruggs choked back emotion as he thanked his congregation for their support in his family's season of grief, as he delivered his first sermon since a mass shooting claimed the life of his 9-year-old daughter Hallie two months ago. Published May 23, 2023

Med schools group embraces racial preferences

Racial preferences in faculty hiring and student admissions are a "strategic priority for academic medicine," the nation's largest consortium of medical schools says. Published May 23, 2023

Fewer Black HS seniors plan on community college: Survey

Fewer Black high school seniors expect to attend community college this fall than before the pandemic as more students find higher education out of their reach, a national survey has found. Published May 22, 2023

Americans tell Gallup they’re fed up with federal income taxes

The popularity of the federal income tax has dropped to its lowest level in more than two decades of Gallup polling. Published May 19, 2023

Failed marijuana tests after job accidents hit new high

Legal marijuana appears to have played a role in the number of workers testing positive after on-the-job accidents hitting a 25-year high, according to a new analysis. Published May 18, 2023

Food insecurity surging in nation’s capital, charities report

Food pantries and meal providers for the homeless in the D.C. area are expanding services to address a pandemic-era increase in families lacking consistent access to adequate nutrition. Published May 18, 2023

Libraries struggle with shrinking budgets, bitter book battles, influx of homeless

U.S. libraries, beset by book controversies, shrinking budgets, an influx of homeless and the ongoing loss of their readers to the Internet, are struggling to adjust to a post-pandemic reset that has many communities looking at cutbacks and closings. Published May 17, 2023