The Washington Times AI News Desk

‘Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ opens to mixed reviews as critics pan story, fans cheer spectacle

"The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" hit theaters Wednesday to a familiar split: Mainstream film critics largely panned the animated sequel as a noisy, hollow exercise in fan service, while gaming-focused outlets and audiences offered far warmer receptions.

April 1, 2026

Arkansas man pleads guilty to insider trading on Idaho company acquisition tip

An Arkansas man has pleaded guilty to securities fraud after trading on material, nonpublic information that he misappropriated from a senior executive at a publicly traded company headquartered in Idaho, the Justice Department announced.

April 1, 2026

Missouri man ordered to pay $140M in timeshare exit fraud case

A federal judge has ordered a Missouri man to pay more than $140 million in damages and penalties for his role in running an unlawful timeshare exit scheme that affected more than 11,000 consumers.

April 1, 2026

What is Passover? Here’s what to know about the Jewish holiday

Passover, one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays in the world, begins Wednesday at sundown, and this year it coincides with Christian Holy Week, which runs from Palm Sunday on March 29 through Easter on April 5.

April 1, 2026

Five indicted in $511K fraud scheme targeting Missouri childcare relief funds

Five St. Louis-area residents have been indicted on charges of stealing more than $511,000 from a Missouri childcare expansion program funded by federal coronavirus relief money, according to a federal indictment unsealed in March.

April 1, 2026

Can a president demolish the White House? A judge just ruled he can’t do it alone

No, a president cannot unilaterally demolish and rebuild part of the White House. A federal judge just blocked Donald Trump's $400 million ballroom project -- and said Congress must have a say.

April 1, 2026

‘Supergirl’ star Milly Alcock braces for online criticism ahead of summer blockbuster

Milly Alcock, the Australian actress set to headline Warner Bros.' upcoming "Supergirl," is already anticipating criticism from online audiences ahead of the film's summer release, drawing pushback from conservative commentators who say she is pre-emptively blaming fans for a film that has not yet opened.

April 1, 2026

Artemis II launch: What time, who’s aboard and where to watch

The agency's Space Launch System rocket is set to lift off no earlier than 6:24 p.m. ET Wednesday, from Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center near Cape Canaveral, Florida, with a two-hour launch window.

April 1, 2026

Springsteen opens tour in Minneapolis with anti-ICE message

Bruce Springsteen opened his Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour in Minneapolis on Tuesday with a politically charged concert that blended fiery anti-government speeches with nearly three hours of music, drawing a crowd of nearly 18,000 to the Target Center.

April 1, 2026

5 questions about gravel gardens

Beyond their origins in fire-prone regions, gravel gardens are now trending more broadly because they also suppress weeds, improve drainage, reduce water waste and require far less maintenance once established.

April 1, 2026

Pedro Pascal, Madonna and Mark Ruffalo join call to close Dilley ICE center

Dozens of Hollywood figures, including Pedro Pascal, Madonna, Mark Ruffalo, Jane Fonda and Javier Bardem, have signed an open letter calling on the federal government and private prison operator CoreCivic to immediately shut down the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas.

March 31, 2026

Feds urge consumers to stop using Wz-Ei extension cords over fire, electrocution hazard

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is urging consumers to immediately stop using Wz-Ei male-to-male extension cords, warning that the products pose serious risks of electrocution, fire, and carbon monoxide poisoning.

March 31, 2026

5 questions about the McCormick-Unilever foods merger

McCormick, the Maryland-based spice company behind products like Frank's RedHot and French's mustard, is merging with Unilever's foods division, which includes well-known brands like Hellmann's mayonnaise and Knorr.

March 31, 2026

Kristi Noem ‘devastated’ after report alleges husband lives cross-dressing double life

Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Tuesday that her family was left reeling after a bombshell report alleged her husband, Bryon Noem, secretly cross-dresses and maintained online relationships with fetish models.

March 31, 2026

Ex-Newport News firefighter pleads guilty to sexually abusing infant, filming abuse

A Suffolk man pleaded guilty March 25 to production of child sexual abuse material and coercion of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

March 31, 2026

Savannah Chrisley calls for reform of U.S. nitrite labeling rules on processed meat

Savannah Chrisley, a television personality and advocate for the "Make America Healthy Again" movement, argues in a new opinion piece that U.S. food labeling rules mislead consumers about nitrites in processed meat and should be reformed.

March 31, 2026

April Fools’ Day 2026: History, pranks and how it started

April Fools' Day arrives Wednesday, and with it, a renewed wave of hoaxes, fake product launches and fruitless errands that have defined April 1 for centuries.

March 31, 2026

Nick Cannon calls Democrats ‘party of the KKK,’ praises Trump

Nick Cannon is drawing attention after declaring that Democrats are "the party of the KKK" and expressing support for President Donald Trump during a newly released episode of his web show "Nick Cannon's Big Drive."

March 31, 2026

An NBA player spoke out against Pride Month. His team cut him the same day.

The Chicago Bulls released guard Jaden Ivey on Monday, hours after he posted videos criticizing the NBA's Pride Month stance. The Bulls cited "conduct detrimental to the team." Ivey says that's not the whole story.

March 31, 2026

Oracle begins massive layoffs to fund AI data center push

Oracle began laying off employees Tuesday in what analysts believe could become one of the largest workforce reductions in the company's history, cuts that appear tied to the skyrocketing cost of building artificial intelligence infrastructure.

March 31, 2026