The Washington Times AI News Desk

Obama Presidential Center opens amid ID policy controversy, questions over public costs

The ID requirement to enter the Obama Presidential Center has drawn pointed criticism from conservative commentators who argue it contradicts years of Democratic opposition to voter identification laws.

June 19, 2026

Comedian Carlos Mencia charged with 12 felony tax counts in California

Comedian Carlos Mencia was arrested Thursday at his home in Encino, California, and charged with 12 felony counts of failure to file personal and corporate income tax returns with intent to evade tax after prosecutors alleged he failed to report $8.7M in income over a six-year period.

June 19, 2026

Grammy-nominated producer Tay Keith found dead at 29 in Nashville apartment

Grammy-nominated hip-hop producer Tay Keith was found dead Thursday in his Nashville apartment, with Metro Nashville Police telling local outlets no foul play is suspected, sending shockwaves through the music industry. The producer was known for his work with Drake, Eminem and Travis Scott, among other artists.

June 18, 2026

56 things to do in (and around) Washington, D.C. this weekend: June 19-21

Not sure what to do this weekend? There's no shortage of fun activities to kick off the official start to summer. Here's a look at 56 events happening in and around Washington, D.C.

June 18, 2026

This week’s 9 practical things you never knew you needed (and all made in the USA!)

Every week we comb through the brands that still cut, stitch, cast, and pour their products right here in the United States and pull out the ones that earn a permanent spot in your kitchen, toolbox, or junk drawer. Here are this week's nine products you never knew you needed.

June 18, 2026

Joe Rogan claims ex-presidents spent ‘a lot of money’ to oust him from Spotify over COVID views

JOE ROGAN says ex-presidents tried to boot him off Spotify during COVID era: "I can't even talk about it, but there [were] presidents involved, and former presidents involved, that were contacting Spotify. Trying to get me removed for vaccine misinformation. And it turned out to be right. All of it. Not a single [person] apologized."

June 18, 2026

Whoopi urges Knicks to attend White House visit: ‘I want all those Black men to stand in our house’

WHOOPI says Knicks should visit White House: "I want them to go. I want all those Black men to stand in our house and remind all of those people, as we tried to remind the vice president, that when you try to destroy one part of history, you're destroying all of our histories."

June 18, 2026

Arkansas pathology lab pays $30M to settle kickback, unnecessary testing claims

An Arkansas anatomic pathology laboratory and its owners have agreed to pay $30 million to the United States to resolve allegations of unlawful kickbacks and medically unnecessary testing, the Justice Department announced.

June 18, 2026

TSA issues lighthearted warning for World Cup travelers: Ranch dressing counts as a liquid

TSA has a message for the wave of international soccer fans who have discovered ranch dressing during the 2026 FIFA World Cup: Pack it in your checked bag, or leave it behind.

June 18, 2026

York Revolution baseball team forfeits Pride Night game after players refuse LGBTQ-themed jerseys

A Pennsylvania independent professional baseball team forfeited its Pride Night game Thursday after several players refused to wear rainbow-sleeved jerseys, with the organization blasting its own athletes in a pointed public statement. "This decision was not reached lightly," the team said in its statement, adding that "several of our players have refused to wear the scheduled Pride Night jersey and the club decided that hosting the event is more important than forcing players to wear jerseys they are not comfortable with and playing the game."

June 18, 2026

5 questions about Jamaica’s deal to accept U.S. third-country deportees

Jamaica has agreed to accept up to 25 U.S. deportees from other countries every two weeks, joining a growing list of Caribbean nations quietly striking deals with the Trump administration to avoid economic penalties.

June 18, 2026

‘Supergirl’ star Milly Alcock says she is ‘honored’ character is embraced as queer icon

"Supergirl" star on character being seen as queer icon: "I'm honored that that's happening, but I think because she doesn't live inside the binary of what we think a woman should be, that is what makes it so special and so exciting and so new."

June 18, 2026

Huntsville defense contractor pays $507K to settle allegations of Navy cybersecurity violations

A Huntsville, Alabama defense contractor has agreed to pay more than $507,000 to settle federal allegations that it failed to meet cybersecurity requirements on Navy contracts, the Justice Department announced.

June 18, 2026

Amanda Seyfried says she hired bodyguard following backlash over Charlie Kirk remarks

Actress Amanda Seyfried says the online blowback she received after calling conservative activist Charlie Kirk "hateful" in the days following his murder escalated to the point that she felt compelled to hire personal security.

June 18, 2026

Corey Feldman says food poisoning, not serious illness, caused in-flight medical scare

COREY FELDMAN breaks his silence about the mid-flight medical emergency that landed him in a hospital earlier this week: "It was only food poisoning thank God! I'll b ok. Now back 2 rock n roll....."

June 18, 2026

NASA, Relativity Space partner to study Mars atmosphere ahead of human missions

NASA has announced a public-private partnership to advance Mars atmospheric science, pairing the agency's scientific expertise with commercial capabilities from Relativity Space, the agency said Wednesday.

June 18, 2026

14 charged in crack cocaine ring operating 300 feet from DC elementary school

Fourteen people face federal drug conspiracy charges after allegedly participating in a crack and powder cocaine distribution operation near a Southeast Washington elementary school, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced as a 21-count indictment was unsealed in U.S. District Court.

June 18, 2026

Key & Peele ‘Police Academy’ reboot was canceled by Michael Brown shooting, writer reveals

A planned "Police Academy" reboot featuring comedians Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele was quietly shelved in the mid-2010s, not because of creative friction, but because the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, made a lighthearted cop comedy untenable, writer Ike Barinholtz revealed this week.

June 18, 2026

Yes, the Knicks are going to the White House — ending the NBA’s Trump-era freeze

The New York Knicks have accepted a White House invitation to celebrate their NBA championship -- the first NBA team to do so during either of Trump's terms. Not every player may be on board.

June 18, 2026

Data leak unmasks members of Peter Thiel’s elite, secretive ‘Dialog’ society

Internal records from an invitation-only society founded by billionaire tech investor Peter Thiel were inadvertently left exposed online, naming more than 200 powerful figures in U.S. politics, finance and technology along with sensitive personal details they had been assured would remain private. The leaked agenda for the society's upcoming retreat reveals an eclectic program of off-the-record sessions, including panels titled "Money (Does?) Buy Happiness," "Bring Back Nuclear," "Build-a-Cult," "Navigating WWIII" and "How's Your Sex Life?"

June 18, 2026