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Sean Salai

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Sean Salai

ssalai@washingtontimes.com

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

Construction crews build a new roof and windows on a fire-damaged home in Altadena, Calif., on Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) ** FILE **

High school graduates eagerly eye skilled trade jobs as AI reshapes job market

Careers in skilled repair, construction and technical trades are looking rosier to recent high school graduates as generative artificial intelligence takes over entry-level office tasks.

May 22, 2025

The U.S. Department of Agriculture building stands in Washington, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Watchdog recommends axing 11 government properties including several agencies’ headquarters in D.C.

An independent federal watchdog with a mandate to trim the government of underused properties has proposed 11 sites worth $5.4 billion in the Washington metro area and seven other cities for disposal, including the massive headquarters of the Energy Department.

May 22, 2025

A passer-by walks through a gate to the Harvard University campus, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, in Cambridge, Mass. Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned Tuesday amid plagiarism accusations and criticism over testimony at a congressional hearing where she was unable to say unequivocally that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate the school's conduct policy. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Colleges dump ‘segregated’ graduations after Trump DEI ban

Several colleges have stopped offering optional graduation ceremonies divided by race, sexuality and income amid federal and state bans on ban diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

May 20, 2025

The Jerry Colangelo Museum at Grand Canyon University is seen at dusk in Phoenix on Sept. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt York) **FILE**

Education Department rescinds Biden’s record $37.7 million fine against Grand Canyon University

The Department of Education has revoked a record $37.7 million fine against Grand Canyon University.

May 19, 2025

Protesters rally in support of detained Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, March 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow) **FILE**

FIRE report finds college censorship shifting against Gaza protests

College campuses have increasingly censored pro-Palestinian demonstrations over the past two years as the conflict in Gaza has carried on, according to a new report by a free speech advocacy group.

May 15, 2025

A passer-by walks along a path on the campus of Brown University, in Providence, R.I., Monday, Oct. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Brown drops discipline charges against student who sent DOGE-inspired email

Brown University has dismissed all disciplinary charges against a student journalist who sent a Department of Government Efficiency-inspired email asking administrators what they do all day.

May 14, 2025

Signs are displayed at a tent during a health event on June 26, 2021, in Charleston, W.Va. (AP Photo/John Raby) **FILE**

Overdose deaths fell nearly 27% last year to the lowest level since 2019

Drug overdose deaths plunged by 26.9% last year to the lowest level since 2019 as opioids claimed fewer lives, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday.

May 14, 2025

Students walk on the campus of Boston College, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Boston. . (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

Public colleges suffer record decline in tuition revenue for 2nd straight year

Public colleges in 2023-24 experienced their sharpest annual decline in tuition revenue for the second consecutive year.

May 14, 2025

A Metrobus moves past the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) ** FILE **

Public transportation faces ‘death spiral’ as pandemic funds dry up

Major cuts to public bus and rail services are looming in cities from New York to San Francisco, as combined route reductions and fare hikes suggest a "death spiral" in ridership and revenue.

May 14, 2025

A hiring sign is displayed at a retail store in Mount Prospect, Ill., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

Fresh graduates face a tougher job market under Trump tariffs

High school and college graduates applying for entry-level jobs over the next few weeks will find a more challenging employment environment than in years past

May 12, 2025

Jonathan Dumke, a senior forensic chemist with the Drug Enforcement Administration, holds vials of fentanyl pills at a DEA research laboratory on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Northern Virginia. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) ** FILE **

Study finds illegal synthetic opioid use higher than reported under Biden

A new study finds that illegal opioid and fentanyl use were higher under the Biden administration than previously reported.

May 9, 2025

President Donald Trump gives a commencement address at the University of Alabama, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

Trump chooses Mary Anne Carter again as NEA chair amid budget cuts

President Trump has nominated Mary Anne Carter as chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, tapping the same woman who led the independent agency during his first administration as he seeks to gut its budget.

May 8, 2025

The U.S. Department of Education building is seen in Washington, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Judge orders Trump administration to restore $1.1 billion in COVID education funds

A federal judge in Manhattan has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from clawing back over $1.1 billion in unspent pandemic stimulus grants to K-12 schools.

May 7, 2025

A sale sign stands outside a home on the market Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in the east Washington Park neighborhood of Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

Two-thirds of adults feel priced out of housing market: Gallup poll

A new Gallup poll finds that two-thirds of adults feel priced out of the U.S. housing market, with a record low of 30% saying they will buy a home in the next five years.

May 7, 2025

An employee, left, checks on necessary documents as people line up to apply for Real ID at a Real ID Supercenter in downtown Chicago, Tuesday, May 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)

Scams target immigrants, seniors, latecomers as REAL ID becomes mandatory

Cybersecurity experts say digital REAL ID scams are targeting immigrants, seniors and Johnny-come-latelies as the federal government tightens identification requirements for domestic air travel.

May 6, 2025

Tourists visit the Vietnam War Memorial on the National Mall, Washington, D.C., Monday, April 14, 2014. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

D.C. sets tourism records for second straight year

The District set tourist and dollar marks for the second consecutive year in 2024, drawing 27.2 million visitors and $11.4 billion in spending, the city's tourism bureau reported Tuesday.

May 6, 2025

Classroom, desks, chalkboard. (Photo credit: miya227 via Shutterstock) ** FILE **

Teachers see AI evolving from nuisance to necessity at K-12 schools

Samantha Gleisten is one of thousands of K-12 teachers who have worked to transform AI chatbots from a nuisance into a necessity since ChatGPT took campuses by storm in late 2022.

May 6, 2025

In this April 2, 2020, file photo, a sign advising people to stay home due to COVID-19 concerns is displayed at a MUNI bus stop in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

Study finds young adult depression surge outlasted COVID lockdowns

Worsening finances and social isolation during COVID-19 lockdowns contributed to a post-pandemic surge in clinical depression symptoms among young adults, a study has found.

May 5, 2025

People listen as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks on the north steps of the State Capitol to supporters at a Texas Public Policy Foundation Parent Empowerment rally, Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in Austin, Texas. Abbott and his supporters are pushing to have a voucher system, also known as school choice. (Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman via AP, File)

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signs sweeping school voucher law

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has signed the nation's largest school voucher program into law, authorizing education savings accounts for parents to spend tax dollars on alternatives to public schooling.

May 5, 2025

Passersby walk past Sayles Hall on Brown University's campus in Providence, R.I., May 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) **FILE**

Brown accuses student who sent DOGE-inspired email of trademark violation

Brown University has accused a student journalist of trademark violations for sending a Department of Government Efficiency-inspired email asking administrators to explain what they do all day.

May 2, 2025