The Washington Times AI News Desk

Ex-TD Bank employees sentenced in money laundering, fraud schemes

Two former TD Bank employees have been sentenced for separate schemes that facilitated money laundering and fraud through their positions at the bank and, in one case, another financial institution, federal prosecutors announced.

July 16, 2026

Hal Williams, ‘227’ and ‘Sanford and Son’ actor, dies at 91

Hal Williams, the veteran television actor best remembered for playing Officer "Smitty" Smith on "Sanford and Son" and family patriarch Lester Jenkins on "227," has died at 91.

July 16, 2026

Real estate agent gets prison time for $15 million pandemic tax fraud

A Las Vegas woman was sentenced to 18 months in prison for her role in a scheme to defraud the federal government through fraudulent COVID-19 employment tax credit claims, prosecutors said. The government had recommended a 40-month sentence.

July 16, 2026

Video resurfaces of Mamdani intern’s ‘jihad’ remarks

A video showing a former intern to then-state Assemblyman and now-Mayor Zohran Mamdani invoking "jihad" while discussing her activism has recirculated on social media, reviving scrutiny of the mayor's past staffing choices. The intern said of Mamdani: "This is all jihad, this is all ibadah, this is all counted by Allah."

July 16, 2026

Memphis pizza owner defends refusal to serve National Guard troops

A Memphis pizza restaurant owner is standing by his decision to turn away four uniformed members of the Tennessee National Guard, a move that has ignited a boycott campaign and drawn a rebuke from a member of Congress.

July 16, 2026

5 questions about the World Cup trophy

Two teams, one FIFA World Cup trophy: Spain and Argentina meet Sunday to see who lifts soccer's most iconic prize.

July 16, 2026

Texas man charged over alleged threats to FBI agents and White House

A Grimes County man has been indicted on three counts of transmitting interstate threats over social media, according to federal prosecutors in Houston.

July 16, 2026

Frisco man gets 20 years for sex exploitation at furry convention

A Frisco man was sentenced this week to 20 years in federal prison for transporting a minor across state lines to a furry convention in Atlanta, where he sexually abused the child.

July 16, 2026

She knew ‘Donnie’ wasn’t real — she sent $90,000 anyway

A Maryland woman sent more than $90,000 over 237 days to a fake military boyfriend built entirely on lies -- and admits she suspected the truth long before she stopped paying.

July 16, 2026

FCC readies rulings against ABC’s ‘The View,’ Disney licenses

The FCC is expected to rule that ABC's daytime talk show "The View" is not a bona fide news program, a decision that would subject the Disney-owned broadcast to federal equal-time requirements for political candidates.

July 16, 2026

Former Federal Reserve official gets 38 months in prison in espionage case

A former senior adviser at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors was sentenced to 38 months in federal prison for lying to investigators about sharing restricted Fed information with Chinese intelligence operatives, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced.

July 16, 2026

Vance says he was ‘less enthusiastic’ about striking Iran than Trump

VANCE tells Joe Rogan that Trump was not influenced by Israel in Iran war: "I think the president, completely separate from any influence from Israel, believes very strongly, and again I agree with this, that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon."

July 16, 2026

Hollywood’s box office roars back toward a $10 billion year

A wave of surprise hits, a resurgent Gen Z audience and a string of billion-dollar blockbusters have the movie business on pace for its best year since the pandemic, with domestic ticket sales tracking toward $10B for the first time since 2019.

July 16, 2026

Red Robin closes another restaurant under debt-reduction plan

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers has closed another restaurant as part of a broader plan to shutter underperforming locations, pay down debt and position the company for refinancing.

July 16, 2026

Survey: Half of parents worry kids lean on AI too much

SURVEY: Nearly half of American parents say they're worried their children rely too heavily on artificial intelligence at school and at home.

July 15, 2026

Chili’s says fired worker harassed coworker in pronoun dispute

A Louisiana Chili's employee who says he was fired for refusing to call a coworker by her chosen name and preferred pronouns is disputing the company's account of his termination.

July 15, 2026

Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin call Lindsey Graham’s sister a ‘DEI’ Senate pick

"The View" co-hosts Joy Behar and Sunny Hostin characterized South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster's appointment of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham's sister to fill his seat as an example of diversity-based hiring. Hostin said it amounted to "everything that the Republican Party stands against."

July 15, 2026

Netflix description for ‘Gone with the Wind’ cites Black Lives Matter

Netflix's public listing for "Gone with the Wind" is drawing backlash online after users noticed the streaming service's description of the classic: "A 1939 American Civil War epic known for its racism. To learn more about Black lives in America, search 'Black Lives Matter.'"

July 15, 2026

Howard Stern lays off dozen staffers ahead of one-show-a-week shift

Howard Stern has laid off roughly a dozen staffers from his SiriusXM production team as he prepares to scale back to a single new show per week once he returns from his summer break after Labor Day.

July 15, 2026

71 things to do in Washington, D.C. this weekend: July 17-19

Summer weekends in Washington are made for exploring, and this one offers plenty of opportunities to stumble onto something memorable. Catch a free performance, discover a new play at Capital Fringe, enjoy an outdoor movie under the stars, spend the afternoon at a Smithsonian museum or cap off the evening with a concert at Wolf Trap, The Anthem or Jiffy Lube Live.

July 15, 2026