The Washington Times AI News Desk

Mamdani booed off stage at Staten Island police event

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani got a hostile reception from the one borough that never warmed to him, drawing sustained boos and chants of "get out of here" less than a minute into his remarks at a Staten Island police event.

August 6, 2026

Olivia Rodrigo teams with Planned Parenthood as abortion pill faces FDA review

Pop star Olivia Rodrigo toured a Planned Parenthood facility in Los Angeles and taped a series of advocacy videos with the organization this week, timed to promote her upcoming all-women music festival benefiting the nonprofit and other left-wing groups. "Even just walking around, seeing all the people doing various jobs here, it's just so inspiring," Rodrigo said. "They're all united in this common mission."

August 6, 2026

Burrito price fight splits GOP as midterms loom over affordability

A viral gripe about the cost of a burrito has turned into an open feud among conservative commentators over how the GOP should talk about affordability heading into the midterms. The fight started Wednesday when Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet relayed a complaint from a college student: "A burrito shouldn't cost $20." Kolvet added that the frustration was rooted partly in pandemic-and Biden-era inflation, but that "the lived experience is the same: It just feels like basic things cost too much."

August 6, 2026

Nevada doctor indicted in $95 million Medicare fraud scheme

A federal grand jury in the District of Nevada has indicted Dr. Stephen Dubin, 74, of Henderson, Nevada, on charges tied to an alleged $95 million scheme to defraud Medicare through medically unnecessary amniotic wound treatments, according to the Justice Department.

August 6, 2026

Canadian hacker pleads guilty in scheme that breached 165 companies

Connor Riley Moucka, 26, of Kitchener, Ontario, pleaded guilty to a widespread computer-hacking conspiracy that compromised more than 165 victim organizations and led to the theft of billions of sensitive customer records, according to the Justice Department.

August 6, 2026

Bernie Sanders won’t endorse Hong in Wisconsin governor race

Bernie Sanders said this week he doesn't expect to endorse Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong ahead of next Tuesday's Democratic primary, a comment that drew pointed reaction from Republican-aligned accounts who noted his history of backing far messier candidates.

August 6, 2026

Sydney Sweeney, American Eagle extend relief to Spokane wildfires

Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle partnership is expanding into wildfire relief for her home state of Washington, which reported Wednesday that the retailer will let shoppers donate to relief efforts at checkout.

August 6, 2026

Florida man pleads guilty in $14 million fraudulent check scheme

A Florida man pleaded guilty to wire fraud after admitting he created and deposited roughly $14 million in fraudulent checks to steal money from victims' bank accounts without their authorization, according to court documents.

August 6, 2026

A$AP Rocky says he wants to run for Congress, praises Mamdani

Rapper A$AP ROCKY says he wants to run for Congress, praises Mamdani: "The mayor ... he has this rent control thing going on, and it's beneficial for everybody that's in the urban communities and stuff like that. We haven't really had a mayor or a political figure that actually gave a f--- about the people in the hood, in the ghetto, in a long time."

August 6, 2026

No more paperwork for silencers — at least for now

Silencer registration requirements are unconstitutional, a federal judge ruled Wednesday -- but the relief only applies to specific plaintiffs for now.

August 6, 2026

New ‘Primetime’ trailer shows Robert Pattinson as ‘To Catch a Predator’ host Chris Hansen

A24 released the first full trailer Thursday for "Primetime," a crime drama starring Robert Pattinson as Chris Hansen, the former "To Catch a Predator" host whose Dateline NBC sting operations became a ratings phenomenon in the mid-2000s.

August 6, 2026

Miss North Carolina USA stripped of crown after old posts surface

Brittany Boltinhouse has been dethroned as Miss North Carolina USA 2026, just over a month after winning the title, following the resurfacing of old social media posts that drew public backlash. Leaders of the North Carolina pageant said the organization "does not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia nor language that strips any person of their dignity -- whoever they are."

August 6, 2026

Orlando’s Gringos Locos shuts down all locations after 17 years

Gringos Locos, a Tex-Mex chain in Central Florida, has closed all of its restaurants without any public explanation, leaving customers and employees searching for answers. The chain's abrupt exit adds to a run of closures among Mexican chains over the past two years as operators contend with higher costs and softer traffic.

August 6, 2026

Orange County Fair removes anti-Trump ‘birthday’ photo at artist’s request

The Orange County Fair pulled a photograph from its competitive art exhibit this week after Orange County Republicans objected to the image, which depicted a child holding a sign reading "Happy Last Birthday" beside anti-Trump messaging, though fair officials say the removal came at the photographer's own request, not in response to GOP pressure.

August 5, 2026

Sophie Cunningham blames WNBA media for ‘everything except basketball’

SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM: "The WNBA media, all we ever do is cover everything except basketball."

August 5, 2026

Michael Moore begs Democrats to oust ‘hacks’ as El-Sayed wins Michigan

MICHAEL MOORE backs El-Sayed in Michigan: "I will not support hacks ... in the Democratic Party who have led us to this Waterloo."

August 5, 2026

Tate McRae faces backlash for refusing to disavow ‘MAGA’ label

Pop singer Tate McRae is facing renewed online criticism after declining to directly reject a "MAGA" label that has followed her for more than a year over her professional and personal associations. "I like to say my piece through organizations I support and the environment that I have on tour," she said.

August 5, 2026

Singer Jelly Roll steps away from touring to “heal” following divorce

Country singer Jelly Roll is stepping away from touring for at least a year, telling fans during a recent show that he needs time to "heal." He didn't elaborate on what, specifically, he needs to heal from, but the announcement comes amid a major shake-up in his personal life: Jelly Roll finalized his divorce last month.

August 5, 2026

Mexican influencer Cesar Gastelum shot dead during Culiacan livestream

A Mexican content creator was shot to death Tuesday night while livestreaming outside a fast-food restaurant in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa state, as two people on a motorcycle opened fire in view of his followers.

August 5, 2026

Texas doctor sentenced to 12.5 years for 3 million-pill opioid mill

A Texas physician has been sentenced to 12.5 years in prison for running her Kingwood medical clinic as a cash-only pill mill that issued prescriptions for more than 3 million opioid pills, according to court documents.

August 5, 2026